You are manager for a week

[oapdodge]

What would you do this week ? You have a few days to find some players. Not much money £200,000 tops. We have just lost 4-1 at home and away at Bristol City next Saturday, pick your team and how are you going to turn things around ?
Formation change ? Players change ? Manager change ? Chairman change ? Apart from getting Falmer in a week think what realistically you could do.
I would go 4-4-2

Kuipers (because Henderson isn't avail)

Reid Santos El Abd Lynch

Hart Stokes Carpenter Frutos

Revell Robinson

Hammond - needs to get his confidence back, fans off his back.
Cox
Loft
Kazim Richards
GK

The rest, work on set plays and try to get the players believing in themselves again.
New players probably won't happen. McGhee is ok if only he would not take the stance that he is always right and won't change when he cocks up. Dick Knight is a supportive chairman and doing his best for the club.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Jumping on the anti Hammond bandwagon then?

 

[BensGrandad]

I certainly would not play Revell, who is 6ft 3 in wide out on the right as has happened on a number of occassions this season.

I would play him down the middle in the absence of a target man but then again we are hoping to sign one this week so that will change the formation and line up.

 

[oapdodge]

Jumping on the anti Hammond bandwagon then?

I don't see what shouting and slagging him off while he is playing does any good ? I still think he will have a major roll in moving this club forward. Stokes could go back at anytime. In a 4-4-2 formation then at the moment Stokes looks more confident, but he is a WHU player. I still rate Hammond and think he works hard for the team, perhaps not at his best. But as suggested if it is a change for the better for next week then leave him out.
I was sitting in F block yesterday and some of the loud cristism of Hammond was uncalled for and very counter productive fron fans, as was the mocking of Henderson.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I certainly would not play Revell, who is 6ft 3 in wide out on the right as has happened on a number of occassions this season.

I would play him down the middle in the absence of a target man but then again we are hoping to sign one this week so that will change the formation and line up.

oh....my....god. i agree with you.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don't see what shouting and slagging him off while he is playing does any good ? I still think he will have a major roll in moving this club forward. Stokes could go back at anytime. In a 4-4-2 formation then at the moment Stokes looks more confident, but he is a WHU player. I still rate Hammond and think he works hard for the team, perhaps not at his best. But as suggested if it is a change for the better for next week then leave him out.
I was sitting in F block yesterday and some of the loud cristism of Hammond was uncalled for and very counter productive fron fans, as was the mocking of Henderson.

I agree - but he needs to be dropped - Mcghe is the only person that doesnt seem to realise his.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

You know how Micky Adams bought in the likes of Carpenter, Jones and Steele relatively cheaply?

Well, signings of players of that calibre would do me - not old has-beens, not completely unproven players, and not completely unrealistic targets.



edit:

Signings in those positions:
Left back, Centre Midfield, striker.

And yes, i'd definitely drop Hammond.

 

[oapdodge]

I agree - but he needs to be dropped - Mcghe is the only person that doesnt seem to realise his.

Maybe that is because he sees things different to the fans due to working with the players everyday. As on another thread Wilkins and Booker probably have an input in selection aswell. What happens during the week might not reflect in what goes on, on a saturday.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

You know how Micky Adams bought in the likes of Carpenter, Jones and Steele relatively cheaply?

Well, signings of players of that calibre would do me - not old has-beens, not completely unproven players, and not completely unrealistic targets.

In the current Market if you are QUICK during the summer you can get a whole new team for free.

 

[Kylies Stunt Arse]

I would be looking to keep the same formation as we have had some success with it already this season. As for the team I would play:
4-1-2-3/4-1-4-1

Kuipers

Reid Santos Lynch Rents

Carpenter
Stokes Cox

Revell Hart Robinson

Subs

Sullivan
Loft
El-Abd
Gatting
CKR/Hammond

I would want to find out what is going on with CKR and to make it clear to him that there is a way back into the starting line up PROVIDED he accepts that he may not start every game and he makes the most of the opportunities given to him to show that he is prepared to work hard for his place. If this couldn't happen then Hammond would stay in the squad. I would rather leave him out I think and maybe give him a run in the reserves to try and get some form back. I've left Mayo out as I assume he'll be suspended. If not I would play him instead of Rents.


Carpenter to sit in front of the back 4 and break play up. Stokes and Cox to try and provide creativity. Revell and Robinson to drop back and help out when we're not in possession, and to provide width when we have. Front 3 fairly interchangeable.

 

[BensGrandad]

In the current Market if you are QUICK during the summer you can get a whole new team for free.

Or you wait until the transfer window is nearly closed and miss out and then do the same for the next 3 transfer windows. Mind you to be a success at that you have to convince the fans that you are trying to sign a player but he wants wages so that puts a spanner in the works.

 

[oapdodge]

You know how Micky Adams bought in the likes of Carpenter, Jones and Steele relatively cheaply?

Well, signings of players of that calibre would do me - not old has-beens, not completely unproven players, and not completely unrealistic targets.

Aren't the club trying to do that ? The problem is that players being brought in are playing at a higher level and more is expected of them. Perhaps not so much this season but last season in the Championship the standard had to be that much higher. When Adams got players we were still on a high because we had just got back to Brighton and Falmer was a dream. Now players see Falmer as a nightmare. When we first moved back the wages we were offering were very good compared to the rest in league 3. The wages we can afford now are not that inticing to get them to come here.

 

[oapdodge]

In the current Market if you are QUICK during the summer you can get a whole new team for free.

wages, agents and signing on fees are not free.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Aren't the club trying to do that ? The problem is that players being brought in are playing at a higher level and more is expected of them. Perhaps not so much this season but last season in the Championship the standard had to be that much higher. When Adams got players we were still on a high because we had just got back to Brighton and Falmer was a dream. Now players see Falmer as a nightmare. When we first moved back the wages we were offering were very good compared to the rest in league 3. The wages we can afford now are not that inticing to get them to come here.

Disagree - wheras before we were picking up players who'd done a decent job in the lower leagues, our targets now are the likes of Parkin and Shipperly, who are just TOO good for us. Even Burgess is coming from a Championship club - I am fairly certain there are SOME players in League 2 who could handle the step up (some may have played in this league before), who wouldn't be put off by the ground and wouldn't demand unrealistic wages.

 

[BensGrandad]

MA bought in tried, tested and proven players at the level that we were playing. He didnt chase names or players with well know reputations or high transfer values as in Dichio, Parkin etc.

The attendances this season reflect, as many people predicted, that more effort should have been made to ensure we didnt get relegated. Unfortunately we now have to pay the price of the dwindling gates. I forgot we took 30,000 to Cardiff we are a big club!

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Aren't the club trying to do that ? The problem is that players being brought in are playing at a higher level and more is expected of them. Perhaps not so much this season but last season in the Championship the standard had to be that much higher.

You concede yourself that we're not after the same quality of player - so why are we still having the same difficulties? Every single previous manager we've had has been able to bring in quality players within weeks of identifying a weak link;

Adams - virtually the whole team
Taylor - Lewis
Coppell - Rodger, Blackwell, Roberts, Knight

Why is this nigh-on-impossible for McGhee? It certainly isn't wholly a money issue - both he and Dick Knight have stated publicly that there is money availble. It's perplexing, and something of a statement on the attractiveness of playing for McGhee for a player.

 

[timbha]

What would you do this week ?

take a long look at my own performance, seek help from more experienced/wiser football friends (if I had any) and pray.

I would also seek to improve my man mangement skills and hold out an(other) olive branch to CKR.

On the subject of CKR, I wonder what the other players think of him/the situation?

 

[oapdodge]

Disagree - wheras before we were picking up players who'd done a decent job in the lower leagues, our targets now are the likes of Parkin and Shipperly, who are just TOO good for us. Even Burgess is coming from a Championship club - I am fairly certain there are SOME players in League 2 who could handle the step up (some may have played in this league before), who wouldn't be put off by the ground and wouldn't demand unrealistic wages.

Good point that we could look below our level and improve them or hope they can make the step up. Haven't we tried this with a few recently who haven't made the grade ? Or have they come from to low down the ladder ? It would be intersting to find out how our wages compare to some of the teams in league 2. Have we got enough pulling power to attract the better players from other teams ? Is our wage budget capable of taking on these players ? You would like to think we have tried. I agree that we never hear players names mentioned from lower clubs. Why not from the Conference ? Hollins seems to have managed it at Crawley. Is that another fault with the manager ?

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Good point that we could look below our level and improve them or hope they can make the step up. Haven't we tried this with a few recently who haven't made the grade ? Or have they come from to low down the ladder ? It would be intersting to find out how our wages compare to some of the teams in league 2. Have we got enough pulling power to attract the better players from other teams ? Is our wage budget capable of taking on these players ? You would like to think we have tried. I agree that we never hear players names mentioned from lower clubs. Why not from the Conference ? Hollins seems to have managed it at Crawley. Is that another fault with the manager ?

Not sure, but with the exception of Loft, all our recent signings seem to be loan singings of inexperiencec players from decent teams, or random trialists reccomended by agents.

Which reminds me - have we employed a proper scout yet? Or have we still got an ex tv salesman doing it?

 

[oapdodge]

You concede yourself that we're not after the same quality of player - so why are we still having the same difficulties? Every single previous manager we've had has been able to bring in quality players within weeks of identifying a weak link;

Adams - virtually the whole team
Taylor - Lewis
Coppell - Rodger, Blackwell, Roberts, Knight

Why is this nigh-on-impossible for McGhee? It certainly isn't wholly a money issue - both he and Dick Knight have stated publicly that there is money availble. It's perplexing, and something of a statement on the attractiveness of playing for McGhee for a player.

I agree as stated in previous post. Maybe McGhee is the answer. I am and have been a fan of MM. Unfortuneately we don't know enough about what is going on behind the scenes to make an informed comment. What is available for wages etc. Who is the highest earner at the at the moment ? Are we paying to much to players who are not playing ? Why won't players join us ? I don't know the answer.