Our summer recruitment

[ktfox59]

Did Top's comment misconstrued by the press make things difficult?

quite. We became the mirror image of wolves under Jack Haywood over 30yrs ago. He said himself that he became known as the 'golden tit' as far as transfer fees were concerned.

Have read also of the thought that NP was given plenty of money to spend and because he didnt or refused to, thats why we are in a mess now and he should be sacked.

I truly believe. 1. There isnt the money there to spend on fees and wages. 2. There is a financial plan for the next few seasons that conforms with FFP. 3. We have a DOF who is imo closer to the boards ear than Nigel.He is paid to negotiate and keep within the budget he has been set. How Nigel can be blamed for a possible scenario like that is beyond me.

Oh I do realise that there will be posters telling me that im just summizing. yes. But maybe with a little more rationale than some.

[Guest Col city fan]

I actually agree with you on this.

I would have preferred to see us really improve one or two areas to bring the best out of the rest of them.

As it is we've got 20 players broadly in the same ballpark in terms of ability and consequently NP is struggling to settle on a team which works. It also doesn't help that we have 5 centre mids, all of whom have staked a good claim for first choice and he's struggling to fit them in and/or keep them happy. We've been very successful not only last season but this with just 2 central midfield players in the first XI.

Then again, the approach I've advocated is not dissimilar to what Cardiff did in signing Caulker and Medel and it did them no favours at all.

We also don't know if Pearson wanted to bring in a higher calibre of player but couldn't.

10 games into the season having absolutely no idea about what our best 11 might be or what formation we're going to play is worrying, but as I've said before I'm very, very confident that we've still got more than enough in this squad to stay up comfortably.

The only part I disagree with you over is 'comfortably'. There is nothing 'comfortable' about what we are seeing now. And I think this may continue. For me it will be more like a win one, lose some, scenario and we will retain our Prem status by the skin of our teeth. I hope I'm wrong but just can't see it.

[Guest Col city fan]

Because players better than what we have cost more than we had to spend perhaps? I'm not sure his game plan at the start of pre season would have been, 'lets just buy a load of average players'.

We know we missed out on lots of targets, if that was down to money then it's out of his hands. Redknapp spent a shit load more on players rated better than our signings by a lot of people, and they are down there as well.

I think thats too simple. There are/were players out there who didn't need to cost a fortune. Lescott, for example, was quality on Saturday. He won everything in the air. I doubt West Brom are flush with cash particularly. Who did we get? Upson.

How much did the lads at West Ham cost? The left back Cresswell for instance? Hull signed a couple of players for not a King's ransom.

You could be right and I think wages were probably more of an issue. But doesn't that, in some ways, show a real short-term view on our club's part? If Nige was hamstrung by a lack of money to sign some real quality, then relegation could be the result. But I guess thats the chance you take. As you say QPR spent quite a bit (again) and are below us currently.

I just think there was better out there that possibly could have been signed for an appropriate sum of money.

[RonnieTodger]

I thought we were crying out for a left-back in the summer and that would be the first position we'd strengthen. Neither Konchesky or Schlupp were convincing enough in the Championship, so I naturally thought they'd be pasted in this league. I couldn't believe it when it looked more and more likely that we wouldn't sign one. However, to Konchesky's credit, he started the season really well and didnt look at all out of place. As games have gone on, he's got worse.

 

In fairness to him, he certainly isn't the only one ,but he's giving it away more than Frank Sinclair at the minute. He's done 2 of those woeful back-passes that we've somehow gotten away with each time.

 

As Kitch says, this isn't the reason for our piss-poor run. I do think we could've done more though.

[Dan]

I thought it was decent, but not brilliant - though I still think it's a bit early to completely write it off as I still think we've not tried hard enough to use most of them.

 

There are a few questions I'd like to know the answer to (though I won't get them).

 

If Simpson isn't better than the level of performance De Laet has been showing, which quite frankly hasn't been good enough, then why was he signed?

 

Mahrez can definitely play on either side, he plays on the left for Algeria, so taking this into account, if Albrighton isn't any better than Schlupp, then why was he signed?

 

If Nick Powell is not better than the level of performance displayed by Nugent and isn't even in the squad most games, again, why was he signed?

 

Granted Powell got on the pitch in the last game and showed more in about ten minutes than Nugent did all game, a better touch and seemingly more involved, so we may see more of him yet.

 

I still maintain something I've said since the day we were promoted - we have a lot of players who can step up. Poorer teams have gone up and stayed up.

 

I'm with Kitchandro on everything really - we actually DO have most of the players, they're just being mis-used.

 

I've said it for the last week weeks - get a midfield four of Mahrez, Albrighton, James & Drinkwater playing regularly. Last season it was Dyer, Knockaert, James & Drinkwater before we brought in Mahrez (who is undoubtedly better than both Knockaert & Dyer), Mahrez would come in for Dyer and now that Knockaert is seemingly being frozen out for whatever reason, what is there to lose by playing Albrighton? Can he be any worse than this? Albrighton if I remember correctly was one of the signings that impressed our fans the most when he joined so I'm surprised so many have so quickly decided he isn't up to it.

 

Drinkwater & James haven't been great this season but neither have been used in the same way they were last year.

 

I will start worrying significantly about our summer recruitment when it's being utilised and still failing.

 

Pearson will have his reasons but I literally cannot fathom a single reason he would pick some of the teams that he has done recently. It seems like we've neglected everything good we did last season and in favour of a more conservative approach - why? The football's worse and the results are worse.

 

Do people really think Leicester of last season would've only gotten a point from our last five? Not a chance. I am absolutely 100% adamant of it.

[Guest Col city fan]

I thought it was decent, but not brilliant - though I still think it's a bit early to completely write it off as I still think we've not tried hard enough to use most of them.

There are a few questions I'd like to know the answer to (though I won't get them).

If Simpson isn't better than the level of performance De Laet has been showing, which quite frankly hasn't been good enough, then why was he signed?

Mahrez can definitely play on either side, he plays on the left for Algeria, so taking this into account, if Albrighton isn't any better than Schlupp, then why was he signed?

If Nick Powell is not better than the level of performance displayed by Nugent and isn't even in the squad most games, again, why was he signed?

Granted Powell got on the pitch in the last game and showed more in about ten minutes than Nugent did all game, a better touch and seemingly more involved, so we may see more of him yet.

I still maintain something I've said since the day we were promoted - we have a lot of players who can step up. Poorer teams have gone up and stayed up.

I'm with Kitchandro on everything really - we actually DO have most of the players, they're just being mis-used.

I've said it for the last week weeks - get a midfield four of Mahrez, Albrighton, James & Drinkwater playing regularly. Last season it was Dyer, Knockaert, James & Drinkwater before we brought in Mahrez (who is undoubtedly better than both Knockaert & Dyer), Mahrez would come in for Dyer and now that Knockaert is seemingly being frozen out for whatever reason, what is there to lose by playing Albrighton? Can he be any worse than this? Albrighton if I remember correctly was one of the signings that impressed our fans the most when he joined so I'm surprised so many have so quickly decided he isn't up to it.

Drinkwater & James haven't been great this season but neither have been used in the same way they were last year.

I will start worrying significantly about our summer recruitment when it's being utilised and still failing.

Pearson will have his reasons but I literally cannot fathom a single reason he would pick some of the teams that he has done recently. It seems like we've neglected everything good we did last season and in favour of a more conservative approach - why? The football's worse and the results are worse.

Do people really think Leicester of last season would've only gotten a point from our last five? Not a chance. I am absolutely 100% adamant of it.

Dan....they bloody need to step up then! You make a good argument, as usual, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. They need to show this ability to be as good as you say, and quick! God knows, we don't want a managerial merry go round at the club.

[dayday]

Apparently we have played 23 players already this season,which was the total figure for last season.

All that tells me is the gaffer has a lot of uncertainty around him,and if he has,the players almost certainly have.

Interesting that Pearson said if we played 4-4-2 against Swansea we would have got murdered,we did without playing that formation.

If Nigel does not get back to that system his team knows well and continues to complicate things then there is only going to be one outcome.

[MC Prussian]

With our resources, it would be a tragedy to go down, especially after what was spent to get up. Let's not pretend about that.

I don't mind finishing 17th and I agree that would be a success, but why do we aim to just compete with 19th and 20th place? Could we not have had a little more ambition no? To at least aim a bit higher?

Splashing the cash does not equal instant success and it also doesn't mean that let's say a fictitious newly-assembled team with half a dozen or even more signings, most of them by logic projected to play in the starting eleven right away, is going to take off like a rocket from the start. There's many factors coming into play here.

 

People who always refer to our alleged fountain of unlimited cash have a pretty simplistic way of looking at things. Our owners have either learnt from the mistakes of their predecessors and/or are smarter with the way money is spent. They don't strike me as being overly keen on handing out the dough carelessly and in a panicky fashion.

 

As for our ambition, I'm pretty sure the management, the manager as well as the players don't think of 17th spot. They go out there trying to get the best out of each game.

Surely the goal is to remain in the Premier League, but that's as precise as you'll get with the planning.

[Babylon]

I think thats too simple. There are/were players out there who didn't need to cost a fortune. Lescott, for example, was quality on Saturday. He won everything in the air. I doubt West Brom are flush with cash particularly. Who did we get? Upson.

How much did the lads at West Ham cost? The left back Cresswell for instance? Hull signed a couple of players for not a King's ransom.

You could be right and I think wages were probably more of an issue. But doesn't that, in some ways, show a real short-term view on our club's part? If Nige was hamstrung by a lack of money to sign some real quality, then relegation could be the result. But I guess thats the chance you take. As you say QPR spent quite a bit (again) and are below us currently.

I just think there was better out there that possibly could have been signed for an appropriate sum of money.

 

We don't know what the packages were for these players so it's impossible to say what they might have cost overall, we'd also have been competing against established premier league teams for all those players, whether we like it or not unless we are offering more cash the chances are players would choose them over us.

 

You say short term view, others would say it's a long term view. The clubs financial health over throwing money at every problem, they know how that worked out last time and it ended up costing them a huge amount of money. All the signs are they don't want to run it that way now.

[Guest Col city fan]

We don't know what the packages were for these players so it's impossible to say what they might have cost overall, we'd also have been competing against established premier league teams for all those players, whether we like it or not unless we are offering more cash the chances are players would choose them over us.

You say short term view, others would say it's a long term view. The clubs financial health over throwing money at every problem, they know how that worked out last time and it ended up costing them a huge amount of money. All the signs are they don't want to run it that way now.

Yep..I agree with that.

However, if the long term view ends in relegation (if), then it may be the wrong way. We'll see

[Bettsj2]

Yep..I agree with that.

However, if the long term view ends in relegation (if), then it may be the wrong way. We'll see

This.

Investment should have been better. Not over the top Sven style but certainly more than we have.

[Babylon]

Yep..I agree with that.

However, if the long term view ends in relegation (if), then it may be the wrong way. We'll see

 

We could have invested more and still have gone down. It will be impossible to say not investing more was 100% wrong come the end of the season if we do go down, because we can't see the other option play out. We have chosen our path and just have to live with it now.

 

It looks to me like we have chosen the direction of using the money to secure a good income over the next 4 years that will mean the owners don't need to dip in their pockets, that will mean we meet FFP with ease and it allows us to secure the futures of all our better players for 4 years.

 

Now, that may look foolish if none of them end up performing in the premier, but we all wanted them to get new contracts as we thought they would be performing better. So it's hard to blame the club for doing that too much.

[Silverdaz]

I thought it was decent, but not brilliant - though I still think it's a bit early to completely write it off as I still think we've not tried hard enough to use most of them.

 

There are a few questions I'd like to know the answer to (though I won't get them).

 

If Simpson isn't better than the level of performance De Laet has been showing, which quite frankly hasn't been good enough, then why was he signed?

 

Mahrez can definitely play on either side, he plays on the left for Algeria, so taking this into account, if Albrighton isn't any better than Schlupp, then why was he signed?

 

If Nick Powell is not better than the level of performance displayed by Nugent and isn't even in the squad most games, again, why was he signed?

 

Granted Powell got on the pitch in the last game and showed more in about ten minutes than Nugent did all game, a better touch and seemingly more involved, so we may see more of him yet.

 

I still maintain something I've said since the day we were promoted - we have a lot of players who can step up. Poorer teams have gone up and stayed up.

 

I'm with Kitchandro on everything really - we actually DO have most of the players, they're just being mis-used.

 

I've said it for the last week weeks - get a midfield four of Mahrez, Albrighton, James & Drinkwater playing regularly. Last season it was Dyer, Knockaert, James & Drinkwater before we brought in Mahrez (who is undoubtedly better than both Knockaert & Dyer), Mahrez would come in for Dyer and now that Knockaert is seemingly being frozen out for whatever reason, what is there to lose by playing Albrighton? Can he be any worse than this? Albrighton if I remember correctly was one of the signings that impressed our fans the most when he joined so I'm surprised so many have so quickly decided he isn't up to it.

 

Drinkwater & James haven't been great this season but neither have been used in the same way they were last year.

 

I will start worrying significantly about our summer recruitment when it's being utilised and still failing.

 

Pearson will have his reasons but I literally cannot fathom a single reason he would pick some of the teams that he has done recently. It seems like we've neglected everything good we did last season and in favour of a more conservative approach - why? The football's worse and the results are worse.

 

Do people really think Leicester of last season would've only gotten a point from our last five? Not a chance. I am absolutely 100% adamant of it.

No we wouldnt of got any points if we played the same team and personell of last season we would of lost by three or four goals it is alright being open and expansive in the championship but you simply cannot do that in this league

[filbertway]

No we wouldnt of got any points if we played the same team and personell of last season we would of lost by three or four goals it is alright being open and expansive in the championship but you simply cannot do that in this league

 

Seems a bit of a simplistic view a lot of people seem to hold. QPR played 4 4 2 against Liverpool and were it not for appalling finishing they'd have had that game sewn up at half time.

 

If you work hard and press the opposition there is no reason it can't be used successfully. Didn't we play that formation against Arsenal and Everton as well, admittedly more of a 4 4 1 1 but we still had two men up top when we attacked.

 

Obviously if you put little effort in and play 4 4 2 then you will be sliced apart by quality players.

[Babylon]

No we wouldnt of got any points if we played the same team and personell of last season we would of lost by three or four goals it is alright being open and expansive in the championship but you simply cannot do that in this league

Well we are currently playing defensively and going down as it stands. I would rather us play our own game than go out with a wimper worrying too much about other teams, especially when you are playing teams from around 8th/10th down.

[Silverdaz]

Well we are currently playing defensively and going down as it stands. I would rather us play our own game than go out with a wimper worrying too much about other teams, especially when you are playing teams from around 8th/10th down.

Apart from Burnley and maybe QPR all the other teams are better offensively and defensively than us so we need top counteract what they are good at and exploit their weaknesses

[Guest ttfn]

Apart from Burnley and maybe QPR all the other teams are better offensively and defensively than us so we need top counteract what they are good at and exploit their weaknesses

We've barely attempted to attack since mid-September and we've still scored 6 more goals than Villa, 1 more than Sunderland and the same as Newcastle.

We've conceded fewer goals than 5 other teams and the same as Villa.

We can't possibly judge how good we are at attacking or defending until we actually try to beat teams playing to our own strengths. I'd say we did that up until half time in the Burnley game and since then it's gone tits up.

[Silverdaz]

What on earth are you basing this on?

Because their players have more quality and have been in the premiership for longer than us

[Robin JD Popley]

For me, we have the nucleus of a very good team and in say 2 or 3 seasons time, they would be definitely good enough as a collective. I still think that the likes of James (my favourite player of that ilk since Muzzy), Moore, Drinkwater, Vardy, Mahrez, Knockaert and many of the other younger members of our side will become class players given time.

 

However, where I do agree with some of you is that we needed to invest in a side more ready to compete now. Ulloa is a clear example of that. Entering the prime of his career and it shows. I make no secrets that I was delighted when EC joined us and I still think he is showing how good he is and his tuition is clearly having an influence on the whole, as certain players around him have stepped up - in particular during the Man Utd game and in part, other games since.

 

Yet, the real crux of the problem is we need to look at our defence and sort that as there are fundemental issues across our back line. We need to give Powell an opportunity to overtake Nugent in that imaginary number 10 role off the front two and we need to invest in at least 3 more players with a bit more gumption and experience - say 26 to 32 age bracket - in January. We do that, we will be fine. We don't and we may have cause for concern.

[Dan]

Dan....they bloody need to step up then! You make a good argument, as usual, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. They need to show this ability to be as good as you say, and quick! God knows, we don't want a managerial merry go round at the club.

 

They do Col, without a question. I've been disappointed with most of them - I always had suspicions about RDL but it's mainly the likes of Drinkwater who've disappointed me. I really thought he would take to this league but so far he's been a passenger, but like I say, he's yet to be used in the same formation/game plan that he was last year. Him & James are used to having options out wide to pass to which they simply didn't have at the weekend.

 

I will concede we are in trouble when we've tried to at least play the kind of football we did last season and it's still not bringing us the results.

 

It's just a shame that the next game is probably going to be lost no matter what we do. We were good last year but Southampton are on a completely different level at the minute.

 

No we wouldnt of got any points if we played the same team and personell of last season we would of lost by three or four goals it is alright being open and expansive in the championship but you simply cannot do that in this league

 

Were you actually at any of the games? Newcastle were literally no better than most of the teams we played last year (they in fairness have been very good since though), Burnley neither, Swansea I concede we'd have probably lost, the others I'm not so sure. It's all ifs and buts but I think you're under-estimating us. We could attack bloody well last season.

 

So in other words you're actually supporting the way we're playing lately. If the last five games isn't enough evidence that playing a more conservative game isn't what benefits us then I don't know what is.

 

Adapting is a losers mentality.

[filbertway]

They do Col, without a question. I've been disappointed with most of them - I always had suspicions about RDL but it's mainly the likes of Drinkwater who've disappointed me. I really thought he would take to this league but so far he's been a passenger, but like I say, he's yet to be used in the same formation/game plan that he was last year. Him & James are used to having options out wide to pass to which they simply didn't have at the weekend.

 

I will concede we are in trouble when we've tried to at least play the kind of football we did last season and it's still not bringing us the results.

 

It's just a shame that the next game is probably going to be lost no matter what we do. We were good last year but Southampton are on a completely different level at the minute.

 

 

Were you actually at any of the games? Newcastle were literally no better than most of the teams we played last year (they in fairness have been very good since though), Burnley neither, Swansea I concede we'd have probably lost, the others I'm not so sure. It's all ifs and buts but I think you're under-estimating us. We could attack bloody well last season.

 

So in other words you're actually supporting the way we're playing lately. If the last five games isn't enough evidence that playing a more conservative game isn't what benefits us then I don't know what is.

 

Adapting is a losers mentality.

 

 

If you put that Newcastle team in the championship there points total wouldn't be far from ours, probably higher.

 

Sissoko, Tiote, Taylor, Collochini, Krul, Janmaat Cabella, Colback, Santon (is he still there?), Cisse would walk into any championship side. Dummet, Arrons, Obertan and Perez probably would as well.

[Guest ttfn]

If you put that Newcastle team in the championship there points total wouldn't be far from ours, probably higher.

Sissoko, Tiote, Taylor, Collochini, Krul, Janmaat Cabella, Colback, Santon (is he still there?), Cisse would walk into any championship side. Dummet, Arrons, Obertan and Perez probably would as well.

He was saying that when we played Newcastle, they weren't as good as many sides we'd played the previous season. What the names of the players are is irrelevant, as is whether you think they'd do well over the course of the season.

They played a huge part in the production of one of the worst games of football I can remember watching.

Perhaps if we'd had a go we might have won that game. It can't have been much worse than us getting 0 points and barely any chances.

[Guest ttfn]

Because their players have more quality and have been in the premiership for longer than us

What are you basing the first statement on? Is it a hunch, a study or a view based on the last 5 games in which we've been as hopeless as we were good in the first 5?

And as for the second statement, Fulham went down after about 10 years last year. Norwich were in their 3rd season.

Being in the premier league for ages doesn't automatically mean you're better than a team coming up from the championship.

[filbertway]

He was saying that when we played Newcastle, they weren't as good as many sides we'd played the previous season. What the names of the players are is irrelevant, as is whether you think they'd do well over the course of the season.

They played a huge part in the production of one of the worst games of football I can remember watching.

Perhaps if we'd had a go we might have won that game. It can't have been much worse than us getting 0 points and barely any chances.

 

They could also have won 3/4-1 with the chances they had in that game. My point more was that even if they don't perform well as a team, they still have the individual quality, that being a premier league side gives you, to take advantage.

 

To be honest, I agree, I wish we'd have a go and give the other teams something to think about. Every team we play this season will have 2/3/4 players with the individual quality to create a chance or take a half chance. So no matter how much we defend, we're likely to concede if we surrender the initiative.

 

The problem is we're not giving ourselves a chance of getting much out of the games if we're not prepared to put the other team on the back foot. The only time we seem to want to attack in our away games is when we've gone one behind.

 

The West Brom game seemed like an improvement, we had 14 shots to their 8. No doubt we'll set out to hold onto a 0-0 from the off on Saturday and limp to a loss, as we're playing on a different patch of grass to the King Power's.

[suffolk fox]

Well we are currently playing defensively and going down as it stands. I would rather us play our own game than go out with a wimper worrying too much about other teams, especially when you are playing teams from around 8th/10th down.

This quality post.....Been saying the same thing for weeks instead of trying to out think the opposition bloody give it a go playing our own game.

Let the opposition worry about us.