Big_Nige

The rules are horrendously bad, and put in place to protect the cartel. I agree to a point about a bad transfer window, and how hard it is to recover. But the rules didn’t stop us paying Ryan Bertrand £120k a week. It was never the transfer fees it was the ludicrously high wages we were paying either unproven, or past it, footballers, which we found nigh on impossible to then shift. We should have been smarter, it’s easy to blame the rules, and I did at first, but the more you scratch the surface of financial mess this club has gotten itself into, it’s all on Top and Rudkin for me

Looks like Taylor Harwood-Bellis arrived. He made his debut against us and got hammered. Followed by a couple of narrow defeats against Ipswich and Middlesbrough before the 25 game unbeaten run. Perhaps there were tactical tweaks too, but on the face of it he got a player who suits Martin’s way of playing. Perhaps O’Horo and Kangasniemi will do the same of us, but for me we don’t defend well as a team. We can all talk about Luke Thomas and his defensive deficiencies all day long, but when you re-watch that Stockport first goal he’s isolated within two passes. We don’t defend as a unit, that ball should not get to their winger that easily. Page and Braybrooke are both beyond the ball when we’re battling for a 50/50 from a Souttar long ball. Lundstrom is on his own with half a pitch around him. I’m not criticising Page or Braybrooke there but tactically playing with 2 very high 8’s is risky unless we have complete control of the football. Souttar, Thomas and some of the other cloggers we’ve seen this season like Okoli and Skipp are not good enough on the ball to be able to take that risk. You lose the ball cheaply, you can’t get back in shape, you get punished. Even at this poxy level That’s where Martin is too inflexible for me. There’s nothing wrong about having a preferred way of playing, but, you need to adapt depending on the players you have available.

63 in total. 9 of which were against us. 5 at home, 4 away. But that’s still 54 in their other 44 games. In fact just checking Southampton's results from that season they conceded 16 in the first 6. 4 twice and 5 away at Sunderland. He’s not a defensive minded coach in any way and I suspect all the work on the training ground is about how you set up with the ball it’s getting done on the transition that is Martin’s absolute Achilles heel. Yes we’ll probably concede a few brain fart goals playing out from the back this season, but he’s always going to gloss over that as risk reward. But we seem so susceptible when the ball gets turned over, there’s gaps all over the pitch because of the high 8 positions. Any team with a modicum of sense will set up exactly how Oxford did, wait for us to make a mistake and hit us on the transition. And we’ll never learn

100% conjecture. But I think from the money that we’ve banked, and the wages saved from the outgoings, we’ve given ourselves enough headroom to operate this season. It satisfies Macquarie, and it satisfies any further payments on old transfers (Skipp etc) Operating costs are high but were seemingly adhering to the Salary Cost Model thing. So there’s no real necessity to cash in on Page. Yet Next season will be a different story, and no doubt we’ll all be frustrated seeing the academy jewels sold in the next 12 months, but in the here and now Page is a difference maker. It’s no surprise that the 3 better performances have come with him in the deep laying playmaker role, opposed to Skipp in the first 3 games where we were honking. If Page keeps playing how he’s been playing they’ll be teams queuing up for him next season and we can potentially demand a higher fee The other side is having a potential £10m asset in the ranks inflates the value for any prospective buyer. If Top’s looking for a sale and can point to a player that is wanted by Man U it’s an important and attractive selling point. If your academy is producing a stream of Monga’s and Page’s then Seagrave isn’t the massive millstone round our neck that some folk make it out to be

I can definitely see a scenario where Thomas and Reid both start again. With Ipswich on Tuesday i can see McFarlane and Bristric both starting that instead and RM keeping the same team today. I really really hope not, I’d even accept Reid starting if it meant Thomas was binned off. Thomas was absolutely diabolical last week, you can’t put in a performance like that and expect to keep your place. The fact Notts County knew to target him, rather than a young academy lad making his debut at right back says so much about him as a footballer

Thought I’d give it a couple of hours before posting. Sometimes it good to not be so knee jerk Positives Academy lads - I thought they all gave a good account of themselves. Braybrooke and Jospeh stand outs. Building around these lads is the only way we’ll get back to any kind of success Pressing - When we lost the ball we pressed and either won it back straight away, or forced an error. For the last two years we’ve been far too passive so this was great to see Negatives Moved to ball far too slowly - All the good things from pre-season evaporated after 30 seconds. Literally. Too many safety first passes time and time again. I’m all for controlling the game, but there has to be possession with purpose. Not whatever that was Mavididi - Just get out of this club All in all kinda what I expected, it’ll take time to get up to speed. Okoli and Skipp just aren’t the right fit for a Martin team, add Thomas to that too. If we’re building from the back you need players who can handle the press, Okoli and Thomas will always turn back and Skipp doesn’t show for the ball. Whoever we play against, whether it be Man City of Bromley that is how those three play football. Cut our loses and get players who fit to the system. Cullen was invisible for 90% of the time, but when he did get involved looked good. Bobby Reid is not a footballer let alone a number 9. Onwards to Notts County. We’ll get better but I want 4 or 5 of that squad out before the close of the window because it just clouds my judgement and makes me hate this club all over again

Yes. Between accounting years 2021/2022 & 2024/2025

There’s nothing groundbreaking or anything we didn’t already know. All the analysis is based on the accounts for 24/25 with some educated guesses as to what the reality is like today. 7 consecutive years of losses totalling £393 million. The last 4 of those was a cumulative £272m. In English football only Chelsea, Villa and Spurs made bigger losses The rest of the article breaks it down, but it all boils down to high wages to turnover, high player expenditure, lack of big player sales, losing assets for free, low commercial revenue and a reliance on Macquarie for cashflow. All very grim, but nothing we don’t unfortunately know

Nobody said that about Ayew. There was universal criticism for that signing, Cooper was obsessed with adding premier league experience to a squad that had spent the best part of a decade in it. It was terrible business from an ability and financial viewpoint and I can’t remember any polarising opinions in the Jordan Ayew transfer thread. It was disbelief Burns, your point is very valid and that’s the concern, his experience, and ability (if fit) should complement the squad. Financially it’s a gamble and I think we’re all sick of KP gambling with our finances

9 in the cups. 7 in the league

A lot depends on outgoings over the next few weeks. Assuming both the Burns and Bristic deals go through we’ll have a squad of around 24/25 without anymore incomings. That includes Aluko, Joseph, Braybrooke, Page and Alves. But no more academy lads stepping up this season. We’ve only got a bench of 7 subs this season too. For Neale, Carr, Evans and Gray to get the minutes they need for their development they’ll have to go on loan It’s a bit disappointing, Neale especially I was really impressed with, but he’ll come back an even better player after 12 months of men’s football If our squad is still bloated, and we don’t get the above 4 good loan moves by the end of the window we have failed massively

I wonder if it’s a bit of a shit or bust strategy from KP. The sale valuation of the club is well below what they are willing to accept, if we go up it will increase to a level that would be acceptable, so signings like this that aren’t financially savvy will then be someone else’s problem. It’s a risky strategy and I’m sick of the club being treated like a gamblers play thing Having said that, I do rate a fit Wes Burns. On the pitch it makes sense, off the pitch, not so much

What we saying? The season proper starts on Saturday, Will any of the new signings make their debuts? Will big Russ trust the kids. Will Wout Faes be captain?

I’m completely torn by the business we’ve done this summer. I can argue pro’s and cons for both sides. Realistically, for the future of the club we absolutely have to get promoted this season, I don’t think that’s hyperbole, without promotion then administrators is around the corner. We’ve sold nearly all the assets we have left, and the talented kids we have coming through are being picked off by Man City before we can even hope to flip them for profit. Braybrooke, Nelson etc are down to a year or two on their contract. So I get why we’re not being brave and totally trusting the academy, but I also have no faith in the club to identify and sign the correct players on the budget we should be sticking to. Proper Schrodingers football club at the moment

Pretty sure Sky have the rights to show every Carabao Cup game. So I think I’ll be on sky sports + on Saturday. Last year our tie against Huddersfield was on sky sports +

Without trying to get too tactical here, so far in pre-season we seem to be playing what in essence is a 4-1-4-1. There’s no double pivot, the 8’s are high. I don’t trust Skipp, regardless of the division to be the right profile of player for that 6 role. If you list what Skipp is good at you’d say he’s combative, he works hard and has a good engine. He’s also probably a good honest pro. if you’re playing as a 6, by yourself, you need so many more attributes. You need to read danger before it becomes danger, I never see that from Skipp, I don’t think he’s a great reader of the game or someone who generally anticipates where the danger will be. Is he press resistant? Definitely not. He actively shies away. Braybrooke will take the ball anywhere on the pitch, Skipp hides behind the opposition. He’s not the sort to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and make things happen. He’s not bad on the ball, but he’s too safe, and not comfortable if pressed Does he start attacks, not really, he’s a sideways merchant. In a double pivot that’s fine, but the thought of him and Okoli playing 5 yard balls to each other is the stuff of nightmares. Didn’t work in the prem, didn’t work in the championship, won’t work in league one. If the opposition are breaking is he quick enough to recover. He’s not Vestergaard slow, buts he doesn’t eat up the ground ala Ndidi or Kante. He’s the wrong fit for that role, we should be doing everything in our power to move him out. I don’t hate him as a footballer, but I genuinely don’t know what he’s good at

For his development it’s a great move, it did Braybrooke and Joseph wonders playing week in week out at league two level, and I’m genuinely looking forward to the loan watch thread to see how he gets on. Looks like a proper goal getter, albeit a bit raw But in the here and now, we need 2 centre forwards signed who are both match fit and ready to play in 10 days time. Can’t be dicking around playing Bob Reid up top

I hated the appointment, but I would have found a reason to hate any appointment. It’s hard at the moment to be enthusiastic about any decision KP make Having said that, I do have reservations about Russell Martin as a coach. But I’ve been really pleased with what I’ve seen during pre-season. It’s the first time since Enzo we’ve seen clear patterns of play and a good level of fitness. He seems to have got the buy in from the players too, but we need to hit the ground running

Realistically, we know Alves, Braybrooke, Page & Aluko are ready for men’s football and this will be their breakout season with us. The last thing we should do is sign a player that’ll block any pathway they have to the first XI. I want those 4 starting week in week out But the two lads who have impressed me most are Carr and Neale. Probably because they are new names to me, but both are technically excellent, and Carr is so direct. They both feel like new signings. It’s one of them where would there development be better off with regular minutes with a league 2 club or as part of our first team squad. Id personally keep them around, and re-access in January

You can never blame a player for the fee, whatever we paid for Skipp is down to the club. He don’t set his own transfer fee. Blame the club not the player My issue with Skipp as a footballer is two-fold. One on the club and one on the player Last summer we spent the majority of our available transfer budget on a 5th defensive midfielder. Now if that purchase is someone who immediately improves that area, and we move on some of the other players who play in the position then fine. But we didn’t. Last summer we stock piled midfielders who offered no attacking output when we should have been investing in a centre forward. Not Skipps fault, but woeful transfer strategy from the club When we have the ball he hides. Running around and getting stuck in is the absolute minimum I’d expect from any player. To be fair to Skipp he’s been one of the only players who has consistently “ran around” and that last minute block against Middlesbrough the other week when he was running on fumes epitomises the good part of his game. But……when we have the ball he doesn't do enough for me, he doesn't give an option to the centre backs, he doesn’t support the attack, and if he does get the ball he doesn’t progress it. Only passing backwards or sideways taking the easiest option time and time again. Now on Tuesday against Bristol City he didn’t shy away, and he played some lovely football at times. This is the Skipp I want to see, easily man of the match. I’ve not hated what I’ve seen from him this season, but let’s not call a sow’s ear a purse. I want to see him take more responsibility, I don’t want to see him holding hands with an opposition midfielder when we have the ball. I want him to make space and start dictating the play and I want to see him consistently do this. Then he’ll complete the redemption arc for me

It was quite noticeable he didn’t play a ball into the centre of midfield once. It was like he was only allowed to go square to Nelson, or wide to Hamza or Fatawu. He looked a better player because of it

I can see it playing out the following way Rowett keeps us up, quite comfortably in the end. The fans really take to Rowett, the players play for him and finally there’s a bit of positivity and togetherness between fans in the stands and players on the pitch. The board, knowing the fans are back onside are hesitant to part ways but also they don’t see him as the right fit to take the club forward. They give him a 2 year deal, but will look to get rid at the first sign of a bad run

True, but just felt he got pulled into the wrong area that time, Thomas was too high and it left a gaping hole behind him I love an aggressive centre half, but it needs to be in the right moments, we’d just turned the ball over and weren’t in any kind of shape I’m nit-picking. I really rate him, but that’s the kind of thing he’ll need to learn from if he wants to play at the very top. Don’t stop being aggressive, just do it at the right times

Very good last night bar the penalty It wasn’t even the tackle for the penalty, it was the fact he was too tight and got turned that put himself in the position to make that tackle. That’s the stuff that comes with experience He has all the attributes to be a very good central defender