where should we strengthen?

[Guinness Boy]

He should be in the plus column not balancing out his good saves with errors. To me, he looks on the heavy side at the moment and he was clearly slow getting down to that header on friday. It was saveable and it was a disappointing effort.

Again I don't disagree. I think I put on here or my match report that he did poorly with the header on Friday. When he's totally on it he is in the plus column. He was after his summer of running before last season and he was at the start of this season too where some were touting him for an England back up shout. However, over a 46 game season he's evens and that's not PL standard. i stick by the fact he has qualities that you cannot measure in goals or fitness though.

 

[Medwayseagull]

I think we need the option highlighted. But yeah, fair point, we probably don't need a right back in January, but I'd personally like to see us start to integrate one. Wouldn't be easy to obtain the right player, I'll grant you.

The overall feeling for me on the January signings is that they need to evolve the squad. There is still a real possibility we could go up in the playoffs and I don't want us to be desperately scrambling for players in June and July while everyone else tweaks their squads. Thinking of the current side I would say Duffy, Dunk, Bong and Knocky would be PL starters. You could make cases for Stockdale and, at a push, Hemed. Stephens, Kayal and Murray could also start at that level but will be out of contract or back to their owner club. Rosenior would be excellent PL cover. After that we need to look at strengthening.

Bong is definitely not Premier League quality.

 

[Machiavelli]

I think we need the option highlighted. But yeah, fair point, we probably don't need a right back in January, but I'd personally like to see us start to integrate one. Wouldn't be easy to obtain the right player, I'll grant you.

The overall feeling for me on the January signings is that they need to evolve the squad. There is still a real possibility we could go up in the playoffs and I don't want us to be desperately scrambling for players in June and July while everyone else tweaks their squads. Thinking of the current side I would say Duffy, Dunk, Bong and Knocky would be PL starters. You could make cases for Stockdale and, at a push, Hemed. Stephens, Kayal and Murray could also start at that level but will be out of contract or back to their owner club. Rosenior would be excellent PL cover. After that we need to look at strengthening.

Not entirely convinced about Bong at PL level, but the rest yes, and I'd add March to that list if there are no serious repercussions from his injury. Your point about evolving the squad is a good one, because whatever happens this season, the squad and first team that starts next season will be markedly different from those we've become used to this season and last. So, may as well get in early, but the problem with that approach is we don't know which league we'll be in next season. The ideal scenario is that we go up automatically, and then have that extra period to construct a new first team and squad but we all know ideal scenarios rarely come around.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Bong is definitely not Premier League quality.

He's a better left back than Stephen Ward on his day. He had a poor return after injury but was our best player along with Murray and Duffy against Norwich and had a solid enough game on Friday.

 

[Normski1989]

We definitely need another striker to compete with Baldock, especially as we have very little cover for that position. Another out and out goal scorer would be next on the list because as much as I like Hemed, he isn't clinical enough in front of goal. Other than that, I'm happy with the squad and think we have good cover in every other position.

Stockdale has made a few mistakes and let in goals that he could've stopped, but he's also pulled off some good saves to help us win matches. A 'keepers mistakes are always easy to highlight because they usually end up in conceding a goal. But overall, I'm happy with Stockdale.

 

[Machiavelli]

Oh I do agree.
After all if TB doesn't pull the trigger now, he never will.

But all the 'overheated' nonsense we were force fed from 01.09 hasn't gone away.
If anything with the clubs need & position the buying market has got worse, certainly buying from English football.

Begging the question why hand out such a phoney excuse, in the first place?


The fixtures in January suggest there's no point waiting until 31.01.
I hope a deal is early and it's a Skalakesque wwhhhooooo, if for no other reason they might be a cheaper Mr Tony.
If we can't trust this recruitment team and manager, then the we should all give up.
It's unlikely the spectre of Kemy will come looming over the horizon, in a couple of months.

I don't put so much stall in the 'over-inflated' market rationale. We were prepared to pay a generous fee for Pritchard, that much we know. What we don't appear to have been prepared to do was to react at the last minute. All I'm trying to say is that if there is a policy that has developed (especially post-Manu, but even more so, the Burke-Hyypia summer window) it is that there's a long-term plan in terms of recruitment. That's why I'm pretty optimistic about getting:
-- the right position(s)
-- a quality option
-- and the transfer being sealed early in the window

 

[Whoislloydy]

Another box-to-box midfielder / number 10.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Not true. My mum could do a better job than him.In fact even Gary Gardner looked good on Friday.

My gran could of saved that weak header on Friday it was shocking.

So Tony Meolas Mum in central midfield, Justice's Gran as keeper and i'll put forward by great niece as the upgrade on Baldock. (She's only 11 but we need some youth to balance out the experience of the other 2 signings).

 

[Hugo Rune]

Strikers for U23s

 

[Marshy]

Just one quality premier league loan up front is all we need in my opinion.

Let a few go out on loans.

 

[Marshy]

He's a better left back than Stephen Ward on his day. He had a poor return after injury but was our best player along with Murray and Duffy against Norwich and had a solid enough game on Friday.

Really ?... Id take Ward over him every day of the week, and thats not because I don't rate Bong, just that Ward for me was better in every aspect of being a full back.

As for Friday.. there was a reason Adomah was MOM.... because he gave Bong a torrid night.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Really ?... Id take Ward over him every day of the week, and thats not because I don't rate Bong, just that Ward for me was better in every aspect of being a full back.

As for Friday.. there was a reason Adomah was MOM.... because he gave Bong a torrid night.

I think Bong works better in partnership with his winger, is slightly quicker and crosses better. He can get caught out of position but that's partly because we play a game where the fullbacks push on.

 

[Hotchilidog]

For me the only position we lack a back up is striker. We have three, we need four. Whether we bring in an immediate starter or someone to add to the rotation, this is one position that we are still short in. The second area would be more fullback support. Centre half, centre midfield and winger are all taken care of.

The next window should all be about quality not quantity.

 

[Marshy]

I think Bong works better in partnership with his winger, is slightly quicker and crosses better. He can get caught out of position but that's partly because we play a game where the fullbacks push on.

mmm, Ward was far better positionally and great going forward in my view, On top of that he always popped up with important goals, he must have got 5 for us that season.

 

[The Birdman]

WSU needs strengthening due to fans eating to many Pies.

 

[MattBackHome]

I'm not on Twittage but I'm more than happy. Our defensive record this term shows Dave and the defensive dudes in a great light.

Agreed. Bit of GK stattage here. Nowt wrong with Stockdale.

 

[Langley]

mmm, Ward was far better positionally and great going forward in my view, On top of that he always popped up with important goals, he must have got 5 for us that season.

I agree with you there Marshy, never saw him have a bad game, he was Mr consistent, I would take him any day over Bong.
Dont get me wrong, Bong on his day is a very good defender, but his performances are very up and down.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

My gran could of saved that weak header on Friday it was shocking.

It is embarrassing the anti Stockdale agenda that you, and a few others, seem to have. Seemingly he has no part in keeping clean sheets but is to blame for all our goals conceded this year. It is pathetic.

My views have nothing to do with him being on Twitter, more that he is a very good goalkeeper at this level and any talk of replacing him in January is a joke, especially as we have Maenppa anyway if needed. He might have done better with the goal but he also made a massive interception, when the defence went to sleep, which started the move for our goal and kept us level on a couple of occasions in the second half. But you ignore and saves like the point blank one at Wigan and just complain about him.

 

[big nuts]

It is embarrassing the anti Stockdale agenda that you, and a few others, seem to have. Seemingly he has no part in keeping clean sheets but is to blame for all our goals conceded this year. It is pathetic.

My views have nothing to do with him being on Twitter, more that he is a very good goalkeeper at this level and any talk of replacing him in January is a joke, especially as we have Maenppa anyway if needed. He might have done better with the goal but he also made a massive interception, when the defence went to sleep, which started the move for our goal and kept us level on a couple of occasions in the second half. But you ignore and saves like the point blank one at Wigan and just complain about him.

I'm not anti Stockdale per se. A lack of pre season hasn't helped, he's looked a bit overweight albeit I accept he's a big bloke.

The Wigan save absolutely gained us at least a couple of points but outside of that I'm struggling to think where he has really excelled. And his averaging a mistake every five games at present, which is far too much.

I don't think we desperately need to replace him but my opinion is his at best a decent championship keeper and not a title winning or promotion winning one. I could name no fewer than 6 better keepers in this years championship.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

I'm not anti Stockdale per se. A lack of pre season hasn't helped, he's looked a bit overweight albeit I accept he's a big bloke.

The Wigan save absolutely gained us at least a couple of points but outside of that I'm struggling to think where he has really excelled. And his averaging a mistake every five games at present, which is far too much.

I don't think we desperately need to replace him but my opinion is his at best a decent championship keeper and not a title winning or promotion winning one. I could name no fewer than 6 better keepers in this years championship.

Is Michael McGovern in there? The save Stockers made to nudge the header on to the bar v Villa was pretty special imho.