Do we go into this coming season, without any new incoming players?

[VLC86]

12 hours ago, FoxinNotts said:

Bin:

BDCR

Soumare

Kristiensen

Faes

Coady/Vestergaard

 

In:

New striker (between the age of 23-28)

 

We'll win the league at a canter and I'm happy

Even getting rid of that lot, you are saving about £15m a season in wages which, based on the last time we were in this division, means we are probably still about double the wage bill of the majority. That’s how much of a mess we are as it’s probably only this season that parachute payments bridge that gap for us.

[suffolk fox]

1 hour ago, Trent Steel said:

I dont want my post to be deleted again so Ill keep it simple, we wont have any wonder signing, no money, so it will be a couple of loanees maybe or someone on a free.  Plus with the -9 start we will striuggle to get out the bottom half of the table.

We really won't.  Championship football is woeful.

[LCFCJohn]

3 minutes ago, OnlyOneCity said:

As this thread is related to players I think it is relevant.  Not sure that the restaurant analogy is apt. I’m not attached emotionally to any restaurant. Just want us to start with a clean slate and let the players prove themselves as worthy of our support. Booing your own team before the game has even started, is embarrassing and if I was an away fan, I’d think my team was onto a winner.

 

 

 

 

I get that. I agree not to boo them out on the opening day. 
 

However, expressing feelings from the stands whether to the players or the owner/DOF is the fans way of providing feedback for dissatisfactory ‘service’ in respect of their performance. I don’t think that clubs should be judged on winning week in week out but as I say, there are basic expectations we as fans should have in term of effort and showing they care and too many have repeatedly shown disregard when it comes to this. 
 

I realise the example was a poor one. Maybe you got to, I don’t know, a theme park or water park with your kids and loads of the rides are shut and you don’t get the experience but have paid full price. You’d want to feed that back as not satisfactory. The point you make about being emotionally attached is actually only going to add to peoples anger and frustration on top of the prices they have had to pay. 
 

I’d love us to have a clean slate as a club honestly I would. Do I think the likes of Faes and Soumare etc are suddenly going to do the same and show they care? Sadly I don’t. I hope that they can be moved on and we will be left with players who, even if limited, at least show they care such as Thomas and Justin and the young players. That way we do get a clean slate.

[WorcesterBlue]

On 22/07/2025 at 21:20, tinpot_fox said:

I’d say we won the league by committee as the recruitment team chose the targets based on the criteria they were given and not Joe bloggs hiring all his mates the last few teams he managed.

That must be the first and last things won by a committee. Clubs need a single direction, not, shall we do this or that? 

The Joe Bloggs effect, as you describe it, does happen. Anybody is going to favour those that fit their ideas. But all the great teams have been lead by a single mind. Shankly, Fergerson, Robson, Wenger. 

Find your Ramsey, your Mourinho, your Busby and follow them.

[1972 Fox]

Just Begovic. That's your lot folks.

[Long Eaton Fox]

No

[CleudoG]

Think Ndidi , BEK , Mads and JJ plus hopefully Coady out, a striker in and then additional outgoings if we have offers….Thomas/McAteer have interest…..

[Pliskin]

I think the club are gambling on no business. They will gamble on the academy players filling gaps, and hoping that the fact Cifuentes work with QPR rubs off on us. So no one will be coming in, perhaps one or two will go but knowing us it will be Bilal and Mads who actually won’t benefit us due to them being on fairly small wages. 
 

So in short, I don’t expect us to sign anyone, they will gamble on what we’ve got. 

[Oldblueyes]

1 hour ago, Pliskin said:

I think the club are gambling on no business. They will gamble on the academy players filling gaps, and hoping that the fact Cifuentes work with QPR rubs off on us. So no one will be coming in, perhaps one or two will go but knowing us it will be Bilal and Mads who actually won’t benefit us due to them being on fairly small wages. 
 

So in short, I don’t expect us to sign anyone, they will gamble on what we’ve got. 

But we will have to reduce our squad size as we cannot register all our current players. This will be by either just letting go on a free or loans, which means again not being able to see our youngsters applying their craft at this club.

[Pliskin]

16 minutes ago, Oldblueyes said:

But we will have to reduce our squad size as we cannot register all our current players. This will be by either just letting go on a free or loans, which means again not being able to see our youngsters applying their craft at this club.

Hence why we’re in a complete mess. 

[Finn Claw II]

I’m still hopeful that by the end of the window compared to last season, we’ll have significantly reduced the net senior squad size.

 

so far:

 

3 contracts ended, 2 loans ended

 

1 reserve goalkeeper in on a short contract and Hamza and Souttar back .

 

I’m not counting promoting youth as surely even we are not paying them massive contracts!

 

So minus 2 at present (happy to be corrected).

 

including loans we should be aiming for closer to minus 10 (1 gk, 3 defenders, 2 CM, 2 wingers).   
 

I’d be happy with just a CM and a new striker in once we’ve trimmed the squad. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

10 minutes ago, Finn Claw II said:

I’m still hopeful that by the end of the window compared to last season, we’ll have significantly reduced the net senior squad size.

 

so far:

 

3 contracts ended, 2 loans ended

 

1 reserve goalkeeper in on a short contract and Hamza and Souttar back .

 

I’m not counting promoting youth as surely even we are not paying them massive contracts!

 

So minus 2 at present (happy to be corrected).

 

including loans we should be aiming for closer to minus 10 (1 gk, 3 defenders, 2 CM, 2 wingers).   
 

I’d be happy with just a CM and a new striker in once we’ve trimmed the squad. 

I'd agree, but I don't even think we'll get that seeing as this would be dependent on Rudkin being able to shift players, which he has proved over and over he cannot.

[Gloria]

I guess this is what a 'reset' looks like. Having to overpay underperforming players until their contracts run down and they leave for free.

 

Unfortunately, anyone playing comparatively well will leave - although despite there being lots of agent chatter it doesn't look like serious offers have been made yet.

 

So, until someone leaves, no-one will arrive. And even then I imagine we'll only reinvest a percentage of any transfer fees received.

 

In summary, with this imbalanced squad and a nine point deduction looming, play-offs would be quite an achievement - but I'd be more than happy with survival tbh.

[Claridge]

Be quite happy to see at least half of the current squad go

[Jacob7839]

22/23 Part 2 (Championship Edition)

[Philkeavo]

2 hours ago, Gloria said:

I guess this is what a 'reset' looks like. Having to overpay underperforming players until their contracts run down and they leave for free.

 

Unfortunately, anyone playing comparatively well will leave - although despite there being lots of agent chatter it doesn't look like serious offers have been made yet.

 

So, until someone leaves, no-one will arrive. And even then I imagine we'll only reinvest a percentage of any transfer fees received.

 

In summary, with this imbalanced squad and a nine point deduction looming, play-offs would be quite an achievement - but I'd be more than happy with survival tbh.

Dumb and Dumber struck gold with Cifuentes. A manager with the playing credentials our ‘Dear Leader’ adores who seemingly pushed hard to join us. His ability to effect change will be more limited than Cooperman and RvN. He’s stuck with a bloated squad full of players (many that don’t want to be here) and worse some fomenting division and discord in the squad. I am optimistic we’ve got a tactically astute manager but he’ll also need Kofi Annan levels of peace making to keep this lot happy and motivated.