Would you take a mid-table finish this year with our finances back in tact?

[MooseBreath]

Sven could have brought in better players and bigger names than he did, he misjudged the quality of the league, that was his 'failing'. But this isn't about sven. My point is that we won't get promoted while we have a manager who thinks 'building' a nice, friendly mid-table table team is acceptable. Seems a lot of fans also think that is acceptable. I don't. I think out focus should be on bringing in quality players, not just inoffensive players who run a lot and cry when we lose.

As for money available, you don't know how much we have any more than I do

[coolhandfox]

Sven's approach wasn't as smash and grab as Mickey Adams. Sven actually brought quite a few young players to the club. He was trying to build a team. The only reason it might look otherwise is because he paid too much for who he brought in. I'm not saying we should throw money around aimlessly, but if we've got some money we should be trying to bring in better players even if they are old and only here for a short while. You don't get out of the championship by selecting a team full of mediocre players, as well we know. We need quality at this club and that means names, and with that comes egos and big personalities and all the things that seem to frighten the life out of our manager. Our current approach will fail, I'd put that on record.

Can’t remember Swansea, Norwich, Reading el al, splashing the cash on big names! They built teams by buying players from lower leagues or other peoples cast offs for example

Grant Holt (Nor) from Shrewsbury for around £400,000, Nathan Dyer (Swan) for around £400,000 from Southampton, Neil Taylor (Swan) £150,000 from Wrexham!

Names don’t make teams! We should be buy promising players like NP has done i.e. Marshall, Knockheart and developing them!

[coolhandfox]

Sven could have brought in better players and bigger names than he did, he misjudged the quality of the league, that was his 'failing'. But this isn't about sven. My point is that we won't get promoted while we have a manager who thinks 'building' a nice, friendly mid-table table team is acceptable. Seems a lot of fans also think that is acceptable. I don't. I think out focus should be on bringing in quality players, not just inoffensive players who run a lot and cry when we lose.

As for money available, you don't know how much we have any more than I do

Were Lennon, Izzet, guppy et al big names before we brought them...........No, they were hungry players who wanted to make a name for themselves! Quality players yes, big names no!!!

[ADK]

To be hones ti'm fed up of these threads already, it's way too early in the season for anything sensible!

[Guest MattP]

Sven could have brought in better players and bigger names than he did, he misjudged the quality of the league, that was his 'failing'. But this isn't about sven. My point is that we won't get promoted while we have a manager who thinks 'building' a nice, friendly mid-table table team is acceptable. Seems a lot of fans also think that is acceptable. I don't. I think out focus should be on bringing in quality players, not just inoffensive players who run a lot and cry when we lose.

As for money available, you don't know how much we have any more than I do

Really? Oh well, good on him then I suppose for bringing in players of less quality than he actually could.

Let's get him back.

Never heard of one of Pearson's team being referred to as "nice".

[LCFC_FAN_1995]

I'd take a play off spot or JUST outside the play offs, nothing more, nothing less

[Dan LCFC]

Isn't this whole question about risk?

If we get promotion, the clubs financial situation would be largely transformed overnight.

Re. Sky TV Revenue we would presumably be able to do what West Ham have done, if we chose to. Look at the squad they have been able to amass because they gained promotion eg. a year ago, who would have imagined Andy Carroll in a West Ham shirt?

I would guess that's why Blackburn and Bolton (bouyed of course by parachute payments) are choosing to push the boat out in terms of signings and wages. If sensible, they must have looked at their financial situation and chosen to take the risk, pay the money, and aim to get straight back up again.

Dan (above) is quite correct of course..Sven (and the board) tried to do this last season and it all ended in tears. This is why Pearson, I believe, is actually doing pretty well at present. There were an awful lot of pieces to pick up following Sven's departure, because he was left with a squad built for promotion (in financial terms), but nowhere near good enough to achieve it (in playing terms).

Sven's 'quick fix' could have worked. Unfortunately, the knock-on effect of it not working, has been profound and seems to have given Pearson relatively little room for movement in the transfer market vis a vis some of the other clubs.

The answer therefore to the question posed by the OP may well be 'we have to' accept a mid table position and a stabilisation of finances. Anything else that Pearson and his squad achieves may be a big bonus. And if Nige does take this club up this season it would be a massive achievement, given the circumstances.

Cracking post that Col, one of your best, agree with every word.

[I blame Wellens]

No

[Dan LCFC]

Sven could have brought in better players and bigger names than he did, he misjudged the quality of the league, that was his 'failing'. But this isn't about sven. My point is that we won't get promoted while we have a manager who thinks 'building' a nice, friendly mid-table table team is acceptable. Seems a lot of fans also think that is acceptable. I don't. I think out focus should be on bringing in quality players, not just inoffensive players who run a lot and cry when we lose.

As for money available, you don't know how much we have any more than I do

Sven in his first year at us actually put together a side that over the 36 games he spent here, was comfortably in the top 6 throughout, if you get what I mean. Take out the first 10 games we'd have easily made the top 6 that year, so I thought despite his failure to do so, he'd piss it next year.

That was the problem, we'd gone completely backwards, he seemed to try and buy the kind of player a lot of teams had scrapped to get out this league with (players like Danns/Peltier etc...) whilst mixing in some of his old mates from Man City. For us to still start with Vassell out wide on the opening day was a joke.

Pearson's doing a better job, without a doubt for me, he's had to re-coup money rather than have the privilege of spending shit loads, and he's still managed to attract good, young players to us like Marshall, Knockaert, Drinkwater, De Laet, James etc... he's spent on cheaper players who seem to genuinely care for the cause, who'll be here far longer, some of these lot will be here for absolutely years I reckon, providing we do get up eventually.

If Pearson was here for the next three years. I genuinely believe we'd be a Premier League side, have sound finances and a good team to boot. He's got so much more about him nowadays than Sven has IMO. Sven's been absolute shite ever since he left England where-as before, he was actual class that we all hoped for.

I seriously don't get how some people can question the quality of players like Marshall, I don't remember Sven making pound for pound, a better signing than he'll prove to be.

[Daggers]

For the amount we are in the hock: I expect promotion, a hand-job and a more realistic set of story arcs on Coronation Street.

[cc_star]

Sven in his first year at us actually put together a side that over the 36 games he spent here, was comfortably in the top 6 throughout, if you get what I mean. Take out the first 10 games we'd have easily made the top 6 that year, so I thought despite his failure to do so, he'd piss it next year.

That was the problem, we'd gone completely backwards, he seemed to try and buy the kind of player a lot of teams had scrapped to get out this league with (players like Danns/Peltier etc...) whilst mixing in some of his old mates from Man City. For us to still start with Vassell out wide on the opening day was a joke.

Pearson's doing a better job, without a doubt for me, he's had to re-coup money rather than have the privilege of spending shit loads, and he's still managed to attract good, young players to us like Marshall, Knockaert, Drinkwater, De Laet, James etc... he's spent on cheaper players who seem to genuinely care for the cause, who'll be here far longer, some of these lot will be here for absolutely years I reckon, providing we do get up eventually.

If Pearson was here for the next three years. I genuinely believe we'd be a Premier League side, have sound finances and a good team to boot. He's got so much more about him nowadays than Sven has IMO. Sven's been absolute shite ever since he left England where-as before, he was actual class that we all hoped for.

I seriously don't get how some people can question the quality of players like Marshall, I don't remember Sven making pound for pound, a better signing than he'll prove to be.

No we wouldn't have... If the season started the day Sven joined... we'd have finished 7th... Pretty far from easily making top 6

P33 W16 D7 L10

I don't know why you let your undying love for him cause you to lie about him, painting this fictional picture that it was some sort of golden age based on an exceptional 4 game winning run (and it was exceptional, we were awesome), outside of those 4 games it can be summed up by two words 'average' & 'expensive' as denoted by our mid-table mediocrity and our financial plight

Do agree with everything else you said though

[Kitchandro]

No we wouldn't have... If the season started the day Sven joined... we'd have finished 7th... Pretty far from easily making top 6

P33 W16 D7 L10

I don't know why you let your undying love for him cause you to lie about him, painting this fictional picture that it was some sort of golden age based on an exceptional 4 game winning run (and it was exceptional, we were awesome), outside of those 4 games it can be summed up by two words 'average' & 'expensive' as denoted by our mid-table mediocrity and our financial plight

Do agree with everything else you said though

Strange comment, did you read the rest of his post?

We did play some lovely attacking football under Sven the first season, not every game but it was more than 4 games. We had 2 major flaws though - one was defending (and not just from the back 4, from the team as a whole) and the other was consistency; especially away from home we just didn't turn up in too many games, as individuals and as a team.

But Sven made the massive mistake of completely changing our style of play last season, partly because our exciting loans went back, partly because players lost their form (which can't really be blamed on Sven). But he abandoned our attacking, free-flowing philosophy and made us into a team trying to grind out results.

[cc_star]

Strange comment, did you read the rest of his post?

Errm yes.

Do agree with everything else you said though

[Corky]

No we wouldn't have... If the season started the day Sven joined... we'd have finished 7th... Pretty far from easily making top 6

P33 W16 D7 L10

I don't know why you let your undying love for him cause you to lie about him, painting this fictional picture that it was some sort of golden age based on an exceptional 4 game winning run (and it was exceptional, we were awesome), outside of those 4 games it can be summed up by two words 'average' & 'expensive' as denoted by our mid-table mediocrity and our financial plight

Do agree with everything else you said though

Dan is hardly a Sven-lover.

[Col city fan]

No we wouldn't have... If the season started the day Sven joined... we'd have finished 7th... Pretty far from easily making top 6

P33 W16 D7 L10

I don't know why you let your undying love for him cause you to lie about him, painting this fictional picture that it was some sort of golden age based on an exceptional 4 game winning run (and it was exceptional, we were awesome), outside of those 4 games it can be summed up by two words 'average' & 'expensive' as denoted by our mid-table mediocrity and our financial plight

Do agree with everything else you said though

Dan does not 'love' Sven.....?

[deep blue]

Sven could have brought in better players and bigger names than he did, he misjudged the quality of the league, that was his 'failing'. But this isn't about sven. My point is that we won't get promoted while we have a manager who thinks 'building' a nice, friendly mid-table table team is acceptable. Seems a lot of fans also think that is acceptable. I don't. I think out focus should be on bringing in quality players, not just inoffensive players who run a lot and cry when we lose.

As for money available, you don't know how much we have any more than I do

That's a huge misunderstanding of Pearson's methodology (and probably his remit). He builds a side to achieve as high a position as possible, but he accepts the need to do it within the constraints that he is landed with (in this case, a squad completely undone by Sven's mismanagement, and, we are presuming, the owner's requirements to reduce the cost of the squad). Just because his realistic approach involves painstakingly bringing in exactly the players that fit the bill, and that promotion might not be achievable in a single season, doesn't mean that he will be in any way satisfied with a mid-table position.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Fvck off support someone else then!!!!!!!!!

Grow up you moronic little maggot.

[MooseBreath]

That's a huge misunderstanding of Pearson's methodology (and probably his remit). He builds a side to achieve as high a position as possible, but he accepts the need to do it within the constraints that he is landed with (in this case, a squad completely undone by Sven's mismanagement, and, we are presuming, the owner's requirements to reduce the cost of the squad). Just because his realistic approach involves painstakingly bringing in exactly the players that fit the bill, and that promotion might not be achievable in a single season, doesn't mean that he will be in any way satisfied with a mid-table position.

For how much longer are you going to blame Sven? Pearson has been here for nearly a year. An entire year in which we have made no progress whatsoever. Pearson did no better with Sven's team than Sven did and he is doing no better with his own team either. No money? Splashing out a million on a non-league player? About £8m spent in total? Hardly no money. He has been here a year, had good players to begin with, has spent a lot of money for this league, and for what? No improvement in league position at all. Just a bunch of nice try-hards in place of a bunch of underperforming talent. A good manager comes in after Sven, gets those players playing together and smashes the league last season.

[Dan LCFC]

No we wouldn't have... If the season started the day Sven joined... we'd have finished 7th... Pretty far from easily making top 6

P33 W16 D7 L10

I don't know why you let your undying love for him cause you to lie about him, painting this fictional picture that it was some sort of golden age based on an exceptional 4 game winning run (and it was exceptional, we were awesome), outside of those 4 games it can be summed up by two words 'average' & 'expensive' as denoted by our mid-table mediocrity and our financial plight

Do agree with everything else you said though

I've got to admit, I did assume a lot there. That's disastrous then - because after that Bristol City win, the table under Sven would've put us top of the table, meaning our form from mid-February to the end of the season was bad enough to make us drop from 1st to 7th.

More than a 4 game winning run. It was one last-minute equaliser away at Preston away from 8 straight wins, we were fantastic then, some of the best stuff I've seen watching us.

But ever since then. Laughable. Seriously ever since Cardiff away when we lost 2-0, under Sven we were a joke.

[Dan LCFC]

Strange comment, did you read the rest of his post?

We did play some lovely attacking football under Sven the first season, not every game but it was more than 4 games. We had 2 major flaws though - one was defending (and not just from the back 4, from the team as a whole) and the other was consistency; especially away from home we just didn't turn up in too many games, as individuals and as a team.

But Sven made the massive mistake of completely changing our style of play last season, partly because our exciting loans went back, partly because players lost their form (which can't really be blamed on Sven). But he abandoned our attacking, free-flowing philosophy and made us into a team trying to grind out results.

I fully agree with this although I think loss of form could be blamed on the manager to an extent. Under Pearson, we've always bounced back. Under Sven we didn't.

[Dan LCFC]

For how much longer are you going to blame Sven? Pearson has been here for nearly a year. An entire year in which we have made no progress whatsoever. Pearson did no better with Sven's team than Sven did and he is doing no better with his own team either. No money? Splashing out a million on a non-league player? About £8m spent in total? Hardly no money. He has been here a year, had good players to begin with, has spent a lot of money for this league, and for what? No improvement in league position at all. Just a bunch of nice try-hards in place of a bunch of underperforming talent. A good manager comes in after Sven, gets those players playing together and smashes the league last season.

Just... Ffs.

[Kitchandro]

For how much longer are you going to blame Sven? Pearson has been here for nearly a year. An entire year in which we have made no progress whatsoever. Pearson did no better with Sven's team than Sven did and he is doing no better with his own team either. No money? Splashing out a million on a non-league player? About £8m spent in total? Hardly no money. He has been here a year, had good players to begin with, has spent a lot of money for this league, and for what? No improvement in league position at all. Just a bunch of nice try-hards in place of a bunch of underperforming talent. A good manager comes in after Sven, gets those players playing together and smashes the league last season.

Actually, that remains to be seen.

But if we're being picky, we've picked up more points in our first 4 games than we did in our first 4 games last season.

I also dispute 'had good players to begin with'. Most of the squad was average or worse. You really expected us to 'smash the league' with the likes of Mills, Peltier, Danns, Dyer and St Ledger?

[Basingstoke Fox]

For how much longer are you going to blame Sven? Pearson has been here for nearly a year. An entire year in which we have made no progress whatsoever. Pearson did no better with Sven's team than Sven did and he is doing no better with his own team either. No money? Splashing out a million on a non-league player? About £8m spent in total? Hardly no money. He has been here a year, had good players to begin with, has spent a lot of money for this league, and for what? No improvement in league position at all. Just a bunch of nice try-hards in place of a bunch of underperforming talent. A good manager comes in after Sven, gets those players playing together and smashes the league last season.

No he hasn't.

And that's not even commenting on everything else that is wrong about that post. (IMO of course)