``We are not going to add to the squad at this moment in time."

[Kitchandro]

I highly doubt that. I'm sure Pearson's got targets in mind for if/when we offload a few players. Then there's players on loan, or free transfers. Pearson's always kept his cards close to his chest in terms of transfers, so I wouldn't expect him to come out and say any of this anyway.

 

Like I said in my other thread - a new centre back is an absolute priority. As for the rest of the side? I could live with it if we kept the same team as last season.

 

We've got no competition up front, no left back who's up to scratch and borderline at best right back and wingers. Not to mention no strength in midfield if the occassion calls for it. I think these weaknesses were apparent last season in the long run, that's the thing with a small squad with holes, it might look good for a while but then it shows when you hit a snag and can't get out of it. It's a long season.

 

We've got potential but there are a number of weaknesses, Morgan does need a centre back partner but he bossed the middle of the defence so often last season that I can't believe that's our weakest area.

 

I'm sure Pearson does have targets in mind, but currently it sounds as if it is nothing more than that. What if we can't offload players? He doesn't sound too confident.

[davieG]

I think players will be moved on, at the moment it's all brinkmanship but as a last resort they'll be given away. Clubs know this that's why Bolton are playing their game with Beckford they know we're desperate and if they hang on long enough they'll get him for nothing.

 

Pearson's trying to play down the need for us to strengthen in the hope that when he does get the chance he wont be paying over the odds

[kingfox]

We all know by now, we have to sell to buy, and that will come in time. Danns, Wellens, Waghorn and St Ledger in particular will need to piss off first. 

 

Realistically I would only say we need around 4 new players, centre back, left-back, central midfielder and a winger/striker

 

I would rather have a new striker than a winger though, because I'm confident with Dyer, Knockaert and Marshall as options, and hopefully Larrauri get's a chance 

 

While if Nugent is injured, I wouldn't be confident in starting someone like Vardy or Futacs if they stay, I'm only confident in three of our strikers, Wood, Nugent and Schlupp.

[Bryn]

I think we've got enough in the squad to make top 8 again. Let's see what we can do if we save a few pennies, loads of contracts up for expiry at the end of this season so one way or another there will be upheaval next season. I'm glad for a bit of stability.

Must not be selling star players though.

[Babylon]

I think players will be moved on, at the moment it's all brinkmanship but as a last resort they'll be given away. Clubs know this that's why Bolton are playing their game with Beckford they know we're desperate and if they hang on long enough they'll get him for nothing.

 

Pearson's trying to play down the need for us to strengthen in the hope that when he does get the chance he wont be paying over the odds

Yup... I think the last week of the transfer window will be interesting this year, most of the business will be done late.

[indierich06]

FFP is going to be a farce but it's actually needed for us if we can't get promoted within the near future. We've had a crack and failed miserably at trying to buy our way out of the league quickly, but this is exactly what the relegated teams will now do with the ridiculous parachute payments they are to receive. Being relegated will be a minor inconvenience to teams in the PL and bar a shock season 2 of the 3 will go straight back up and it's a lottery in the play-offs for the other team. The league will start to get stronger with the teams who didn't immediately get back up but still have a lot of money classed as income from when they were relegated within the last season or two. We're in for a battle.

 

I'm sorry but that's not how I see it all, it's been shown time and time again that money plays little part in getting out this league, whereas you make it sound like throwing a bit of cash around will make promotion a formality?

 

Blackburn had one of the strongest squads in the league last season on paper, they spent millions on players - £8m on Rhodes alone! And they were battling relegation the whole season. Wolves spent considerably, they were relegated. Bolton brought in stars such as Matt Mills and Marvin Sordell and struggled most of the season, before making a decent go of it at the end. When the best finish a relegated side managed was 7th, it just goes to show that this league is a lot more difficult and unpredictable than people give it credit for.

Money is all well and good, but the right management and the right players are what get you out of this league, not how much you spend. A lot of teams coming down from the Premier League seem very naive in that respect and they seem to severely underestimate this league, to their peril.

 

A posh way of saying the league was full of toss.

 

Not at all, it's correct in saying that last year the league was a lot more competitive and that the teams were more evenly matched than ever. It's just as valid to say that the quality of the league was better than ever last season than it is to say that it was worse than ever.

 

As I said before, when you have three teams filled with the quality that Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves undoubtedly had and they couldn't even trouble the playoffs, you have to concede that this is a very strong and unpredictable league.

[foxaholic]

So over the course of the season it was luck that meant we finished in the playoffs and nothing to do with us amassing more points than others who played the same number of games. You finish where you deserve to.

when was the last time 68 points got in the play offs

[Merging Cultures]

Finally, a year of stability!

I am sure some will argue Nige isn't allowed to buy anyone because the club is saving money for letting him go after 8/10 games.

But I really hope they are building a stable club and ending our revolving door mentality.

A stable squad and manager will be able to provide steady results. I doubt we will have spectacular runs of good or bad form. Will that be enough to get us promoted? I hope so.

[Monsell1976]

We are in the💩 financially, now the new financial restrictions are here, but I like the championship, and the good trips it brings, it's probably a good thing I like it, because as much as we need the money from promotion, I cannot see it happening anytime soon, especially as the teams relegated from the premiership have I believe an unfair advantage financially.

Will be interesting to see if over the next few years only the relegated clubs from the premier league gets promoted out of the championship, wether this will new financial system will stay in place, because the medium sized clubs like ourselves wouldn't survive.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Is Pearson worth £1,000,000 per year? No he isn't.

[David Guiza]

Can't wait until we get promoted so i can spend my time posting on other peoples forums and living the dream.

I personally think a winger and centre back would suffice, possibly a left back to improve the squad depth and allow Schlupp to be up top too. But we really don't need wholesale changes, the loan market could be key for us based on the FFP.

[Babylon]

when was the last time 68 points got in the play offs

Last season.

[shade]

it's an absolute yawnfest  when people say "the league will be stronger this year", it's said every year. if it was even remotely true then the championship would be the hardest league BY FAR in the entire universe. some teams will do better than expected, some will do worse, the same as every year.

[Ric Flair]

I'm sorry but that's not how I see it all, it's been shown time and time again that money plays little part in getting out this league, whereas you make it sound like throwing a bit of cash around will make promotion a formality?

 

Blackburn had one of the strongest squads in the league last season on paper, they spent millions on players - £8m on Rhodes alone! And they were battling relegation the whole season. Wolves spent considerably, they were relegated. Bolton brought in stars such as Matt Mills and Marvin Sordell and struggled most of the season, before making a decent go of it at the end. When the best finish a relegated side managed was 7th, it just goes to show that this league is a lot more difficult and unpredictable than people give it credit for.

Money is all well and good, but the right management and the right players are what get you out of this league, not how much you spend. A lot of teams coming down from the Premier League seem very naive in that respect and they seem to severely underestimate this league, to their peril.

 

 

Not at all, it's correct in saying that last year the league was a lot more competitive and that the teams were more evenly matched than ever. It's just as valid to say that the quality of the league was better than ever last season than it is to say that it was worse than ever.

 

As I said before, when you have three teams filled with the quality that Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves undoubtedly had and they couldn't even trouble the playoffs, you have to concede that this is a very strong and unpredictable league.

 

I fear the FFP will make the Championship like the SPL but where as the best team/s in the league will change each season due to promotion it still ultimately means that for clubs that haven't got the obscene income from the parachute payments will have to massively over achieve to get anywhere near promotion. The beauty of the Championship has always been it's unpredictability and the success stories of the under dog. I don't see how this will continue.

[Trav Le Bleu]

You know, I'm in the "Pearson Bummer" brigade and have been from the start.  I like him as a manager, he seems a decent guy with integrity and I actually like his style in interviews.  I think he's probably a really funny guy who just likes to keep his cards close to his chest.  For this reason I stuck with him last season and think overall he has done a good job with our football club.

 

I actually think we would still be fairly well placed even without any signings and feel this shrewd, frugal climate is probably something Pearson will thrive on.  In the current market of prudence and balancing the books I can't think of many other managers I would rather have in charge.  I know we had a blip last season but we were the 6th best team in the league overall, that cannot be argued.  People say "Yeah but we woz lucky cos uvver teams messed up".  I never understood this?  So when we mess up and have a blip we are the worst team in the world and the teams that over take us deserve too cos we're shit and Pearson needs shooting but when we play OK again and other teams mess up we are lucky?  Anyway, I think if Pearson develops a small squad with an "us against the world" mentality similar to the MON days we could be alright.  We have a young squad and as long as we don't lose anyone I think we will be top six again.  Hopefully one or two of our youngsters may break into the team and we may be able to sign one or two players cheaply as long as we move people on.

 

Anyway, I'm rambling now like the dullard that I am so, to summerise, C'mon you fvcking Foxes!!!!!

 

X

 

Are you well Rumble, you've posted twice without mentioning your willy. Agree with the sentiment though and just to add to it, I'm starting to think that come the end of the season, we might not be promoted, but there might be other teams who don't get promoted, but who get a tranfser ban slapped on them. I just see this restructuring of the club and a refusal to risk all as proof of the Thai's long-term commitment to the club.

[Bert]

For me it's the middle sized clubs that will get screwed by this. The bigger clubs have advantages because they have more money coming in. Whereas the smaller clubs on smaller budgets can operate as normal because there's no way they'll be losing £8m+ a season.

[Babylon]

They should have left it at not being able to run up debt, if some crack pot owner wants to spend £100m to get Hinkley Town to the premier league you should let them so long as the future of the club isn't put in jeopardy.

[Happy Fox]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23228391?

 

Interesting from NP.

[indierich06]

They should have left it at not being able to run up debt, if some crack pot owner wants to spend £100m to get Hinkley Town to the premier league you should let them so long as the future of the club isn't put in jeopardy.

 

The owners will be secretly pleased by this aspect I'd imagine. If they were allowed to gift money to the club, rather than loan it, I can't imagine they'd be too keen to just chuck money at us and never get any of it back.

 

This way, they get to say 'oh well, the rules say we can only loan the club X amount of money per season' and they don't have to actually give us anything.

[Babylon]

The owners will be secretly pleased by this aspect I'd imagine. If they were allowed to gift money to the club, rather than loan it, I can't imagine they'd be too keen to just chuck money at us and never get any of it back.

 

This way, they get to say 'oh well, the rules say we can only loan the club X amount of money per season' and they don't have to actually give us anything.

Oh definitely, lots of owners at the minute will be as happy as Larry. They get to run a club on what it earns, can get no shit from fans about not spending and in time with have an asset worth something rather than a "business" that hemorrhages money let right and centre in a culture where losses of millions are overlooked by the majority.

 

There will still be the odd Jack Walker, Roman etc out there who wants to put their own money in. I'm sure many will think they are wrong to do that, but at lower levels I think it can produce some great stories.

[5waller5]

Oh definitely, lots of owners at the minute will be as happy as Larry. They get to run a club on what it earns, can get no shit from fans about not spending and in time with have an asset worth something rather than a "business" that hemorrhages money let right and centre in a culture where losses of millions are overlooked by the majority.

 

There will still be the odd Jack Walker, Roman etc out there who wants to put their own money in. I'm sure many will think they are wrong to do that, but at lower levels I think it can produce some great stories.

 

 

Am I completely misunderstanding FFP then .... I didn't think they could even gift the club money???

[indierich06]

Am I completely misunderstanding FFP then .... I didn't think they could even gift the club money???

 

No, you're right they can't - we were just saying I bet there are some owners out there who would like to do that, but the vast majority wouldn't.

[Babylon]

Am I completely misunderstanding FFP then .... I didn't think they could even gift the club money???

You're right... we'd gone off on a slight tangent about it. See

[HitchinFox]

I've got to tell you I think you are wrong sadly.

I'd love to see Danns and St Ledger get rewarded for knuckling down and training hard and even winning a place in the side on merit, but once you are the wrong side of Nigel there seems to be no way back, and for me given the situation and that we may well be stuck with a lot of these players a clean slate all round would be the most sensible and cost efficient manner of getting the very best from the coming season.

 

However what will probably happen is they will mostly be farmed out on loan elsewhere while we struggle on with a small pool of players that the Manager sees as suitable, and for me cutting off our own nose to spite our face.

 

I fear you may be right - but I hope that is not the case.

 

Players still develop (especially mentally, which is a huge part of the game) up until their mid-20s - in some cases even into their late-20s. If Nige completely closes the door on players he doesn't like or rate, but who are still on our books...well. It might have worked pre-FFP but we are in a different world now. It's harder to get rid and to maintain a large squad so at least for now he (and other managers) are faced with working what they have to some extent. 

 

Can't argue about your point about a clean state being the best option, but that simply might not be possible to achieve. Obviously my theory about developing might not apply to the likes of Danns (30) and St Ledger (28), but if they are paid by LCFC then in a perfect world they should at least feel that by working hard and applying themselves they might have a part to play.

 

Although everybody, including Nige, has their ideal XI, it is a very long season and squad players need to be nurtured too - as it is inevitable that they will play a part (potentially a big one) at some point due to injuries, suspensions etc. 

 

In an ideal world, yes, we'd shift the players the gaffer doesn't want and free up space on the already limited wage bill to bring in players whose face fits. But as we've seen, that will be hard to do this summer. What I do know is that every single professional footballer wants to play first team football (with the exception of Conrad Logan) and they will respond better if they feel appreciated - partly due to having massive egos. 

 

[MrSpaM]

If we can start like we did last season and actually carry it on past christmas weve still got a good shot at it with the current squad. Its not as bad as people make out, and we were doing great before our extended 'blip'. If we can hit the floor running and not **** it up like we did last season were still contenders.