No more business tonight

[El Presidente]

No but they had an excellent forward and two stand out wide men playing in a system extremely effective for them that just happened to stay fit all season (apart from the very end).

Yup, but they still didn't spend much money. Hull spent a lot less than Leicester, Forest, Wolves and a few others too.

 

[littlehampton seagull]

We have a good squad and I predict we will finish 6th.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

God there are some idiots on this board. I'm not going to elaborate I couldn't be bothered.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Two clowns if required!

:bow down:

 

[El Presidente]

Rather than people repeating themselves about how many players have gone out and comparing it to how many have come in, surely the best way to look at it is how many quality players we have for each position.

Goalkeeper - one class act, two clowns if required.
Defence - at least two choices for each full-back position, three in the middle plus the option of shoving Inigo in there if needed or signing a loan player. This will not be a problem at any point and selling El Abd was a good move.
Central midfield - we need three to start and two on the bench, and we've got Stephens, Ince, Agustien, Forster-Caskey, Orlandi, Andrews. We're covered here. Without the emergence of Ince we'd be struggling, but with him now a permanent fixture we're just about fine.
Wide - two quality quick wingers in Buckley and Kazenga plus a very promising deputy in March, and the option of Lopez or moving Orlandi out of the centre. We're only in trouble here when Buckley and Kazenga are injured at the same time. Otherwise we should be okay.
Strikers - one class act in Ulloa, one whose record suggests he should be decent (Rodriguez) and one back-up (Obika). It remains to be seen whether CMS and Hoskins can make a contribution, if they can they'll simply come in and Obika will go back. When all are fit, this is finally a decent selection to choose from.

So overall, I don't really see that we're struggling massively in any area. We got through a lot of players in the first half of the season because we had so many injuries, but if we can remain relatively unscathed for 20 games this squad should be big enough and feature enough quality. A massive concern I had was a lack of pace, so I'm pleased to see another quick player added in Rodriguez. If we do have injury problems we can simply dip back into the loan market like we did with Conway. There is room for improvement, and the strength of the midfield rests a lot on Stephens being up to the task, but generally we are doing alright.

Have to agree with TCB, we do look very vulnerable if PIG or Leo gets crocked though. Not sure where the goals are going to come from either.

We look solid, whether that's sufficient to sneak into the playoffs is questionable, should finish top ten at least, so the season still has some legs.

 

[BensGrandad]

Personally think we have done ok this window.
Bridcutt replaced by Stephens
Barnes by Spanish Dave
Conway was only brought in originally to fill the void of Orlandi being injured. He is now back and there are 7 potential players who can fill the wide 2 roles.
Adam can be filled in by Dunk

Only gap missing is a replacement for Crofts as such.
/QUOTE]

I see Ince and Andrews replacing Bridcutt and Stephens playing more the Crofts role further forward my only concern is that we havent replaced El Abd and I do not think Dunk is nearly good enough at the moment as he is too error prone and needs experience but unfortunately he will only get that by playing so it is a vicious circle.

I am impressed with the way DB and his staff have gone about bringing in players who can do a job rather than living on their name and past record.

 

[kevtherev]

Rather than people repeating themselves about how many players have gone out and comparing it to how many have come in, surely the best way to look at it is how many quality players we have for each position.

Goalkeeper - one class act, two clowns if required.
Defence - at least two choices for each full-back position, three in the middle plus the option of shoving Inigo in there if needed or signing a loan player. This will not be a problem at any point and selling El Abd was a good move.
Central midfield - we need three to start and two on the bench, and we've got Stephens, Ince, Agustien, Forster-Caskey, Orlandi, Andrews. We're covered here. Without the emergence of Ince we'd be struggling, but with him now a permanent fixture we're just about fine.
Wide - two quality quick wingers in Buckley and Kazenga plus a very promising deputy in March, and the option of Lopez or moving Orlandi out of the centre. We're only in trouble here when Buckley and Kazenga are injured at the same time. Otherwise we should be okay.
Strikers - one class act in Ulloa, one whose record suggests he should be decent (Rodriguez) and one back-up (Obika). It remains to be seen whether CMS and Hoskins can make a contribution, if they can they'll simply come in and Obika will go back. When all are fit, this is finally a decent selection to choose from.

So overall, I don't really see that we're struggling massively in any area. We got through a lot of players in the first half of the season because we had so many injuries, but if we can remain relatively unscathed for 20 games this squad should be big enough and feature enough quality. A massive concern I had was a lack of pace, so I'm pleased to see another quick player added in Rodriguez. If we do have injury problems we can simply dip back into the loan market like we did with Conway. There is room for improvement, and the strength of the midfield rests a lot on Stephens being up to the task, but generally we are doing alright.

In all fairness, not a bad summing up. Not worried about the goals we may let in. But clean sheets don't win games. Goals win games and we have an out of sorts main centre forward (who may or may not be sulking), a loan who don't look all that, a 100% fit new striker, who hasn't played since October and two long term injurys, who as you say may or may not contribute something to the season, but not for a month at least.

 

[BensGrandad]

Greer and Upson don't tend to miss many matches. If they are taken off injured we have Dunk to come on, and if they're out for any length of time we can sign someone on loan easily enough. Central defenders aren't hard to find on loan in the way goalscoring strikers are. I really don't see this position as a problem. I think we have actually done well to shed El Abd's wages in this window, bearing in mind he was being paid just to sit on the bench and isn't exactly a great player anyway.

My concern would be a suspension or 3 or 4 game injury but I agree that a loan would be easy to get unless it happened at the end of March after the deadline date.

 

[kevtherev]

There is no way Leonardo is sulking, because he's still working hard. If he had a problem with being here he'd be strutting around barely getting involved. He's not, he's just going through a bad run after a fairly bad injury that has been known to trouble many other players for some time. We know he is a class act when fit and firing, the key is just to put other players on the pitch who can supply him. Orlandi hasn't quite hit top form yet either, but again we know he is fantastic so when he and Leonardo are playing well together we will look more threatening.

As for the back-up, I don't think you can ask for much more than a fast player who has scored a goal every three games in Spain's second division in the last four years, plus the prospect of CMS returning in a few weeks. Who knows, it might turn out to all be a damp squib and we might just find these players aren't capable of scoring enough goals to get us in the play-offs, in which case we can shake things up in the summer. But for now, I think we've got just about enough to work with to think the season is still alive.

I hope your right, but bear in mind Spanish Rodney hasn't played a game in anger for three months. I hope i'm wrong but I don't expect to see him hit the ground running, in one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Will take him a month to get up to speed, I would have thought.

 

[algie]

I hope your right, but bear in mind Spanish Rodney hasn't played a game in anger for three months. I hope i'm wrong but I don't expect to see him hit the ground running, in one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Will take him a month to get up to speed, I would have thought.

I didn't know he hasn't played for 3 months. Was he injured this new fella?

 

[Eksman]

Hi there can someone please make another post about how far we've come and look at where we are today I just god damn fakin love them posts

 

[algie]

He's played a lot of games in the last two or three years though, and he must have been training with Celta Vigo so I imagine it's nothing three or four sub appearances won't sort out.



I don't think so. It seems he signed for Celta Vigo in 2010. In the first season he scored 17 goals, in the second he scored 10 and they got promoted to La Liga. From that moment they pretty much decided they didn't want him, so he spent all of last season at Sporting Gijon back in the second tier, where he scored 13 goals. This season, he's been back at Celta Vigo but barely getting a look in, so he just hasn't played because they don't really think he's up to the top flight.

Fair enough. Maybe a fresh start is what he needs.

 

[kevtherev]

He's played a lot of games in the last two or three years though, and he must have been training with Celta Vigo so I imagine it's nothing three or four sub appearances won't sort out.



I don't think so. It seems he signed for Celta Vigo in 2010. In the first season he scored 17 goals, in the second he scored 10 and they got promoted to La Liga. From that moment they pretty much decided they didn't want him, so he spent all of last season at Sporting Gijon back in the second tier, where he scored 13 goals. This season, he's been back at Celta Vigo but barely getting a look in, so he just hasn't played because they don't really think he's up to the top flight.

La Liga is no prem, if he can't cut it in a bottom La Liga side, he won't cut it in a top championship side. Ulloa had decent form in La Liga, as well as the 2nd div.

 

[kevtherev]

Ulloa scored 39 in 90 games for Almeria, who were in the second division for two of the three seasons he was there. He scored 28 of those in one season (2011-12) when they were in the second division. Before that, he played for Castellon, who were never anything better than a mid-table second division side. So it's wrong to say he had any sort of form in La Liga. Rodriguez's record in the second tier isn't a lot worse, although he has never had the big season like Ulloa had in 2011-12. But you'd expect Ulloa to be better anyway, bearing in mind we paid £2m for him and Rodriguez is free.

All I'm saying is using Ulloa alone as evidence, a player who is good in the Spanish second division will be decent in the Championship.

Lets hope so, he sounds the part if nothing else.

 

[AZ Gull]

Yup, but they still didn't spend much money. Hull spent a lot less than Leicester, Forest, Wolves and a few others too.

And still managed to lose £28m