Summer Rebuild

[Forbury Lion]

I assume the manager has been set a target for 2015/16 season, hence why he is able to determine the staffing requirements needed to achieve this.

[John Smith]

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

Hopefully? Yeah, because that always works out well doesn't it.

Let's have a oxf*rd pitch invasion to celebrate our regression if we win the race for relegation next year.

Without wanting to sound like a broken record it would let us start a fresh. Look at Southampton, Norwich and Leicester, and to a lesser degree, Wolves.

Well, we had a pitch invasion for finishing 7th so why not!

[Froomes]

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

Hopefully? Yeah, because that always works out well doesn't it.

Let's have a oxf*rd pitch invasion to celebrate our regression if we win the race for relegation next year.

Without wanting to sound like a broken record it would let us start a fresh. Look at Southampton, Norwich and Leicester, and to a lesser degree, Wolves.

Well, we had a pitch invasion for finishing 7th so why not!

Or you could look at Oldham, Swindon, Coventry, Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Barnsley....

[CountryRoyal]

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

Hopefully? Yeah, because that always works out well doesn't it.

Let's have a oxf*rd pitch invasion to celebrate our regression if we win the race for relegation next year.

Without wanting to sound like a broken record it would let us start a fresh. Look at Southampton, Norwich and Leicester, and to a lesser degree, Wolves.

Well, we had a pitch invasion for finishing 7th so why not!

Yeah!

..... Or look at Sheffield United, Preston, Portsmouth...etc etc, all historically bigger clubs who might say that a "fresh start" isn't as great as you laud it to be.

I personally wouldn't be too upset if we got relegated, change of teams and scenery, but I certainly wouldn't want it with the expectation of going back up stronger - that would be naive.

Edit: froomes got there first

[Forbury Lion]

I would be upset if we got relegated but I won't be one of these muppets crying their eyes out with blue facepaint running down their face...... It's just football and promotion/relegation are just a part of the journey. I pity the follower of clubs who never get a chance to experience anything other than mid-table mediocrity and to a lesser extent, those who always finish around the top spots.

[JC]

Reading between the lines of the Clarke interview if he cannot sign at least 5 players he will be off. He said "I would like to bolster the midfield with at least one more player and I think we need two strikers. If we got them, then I would be happy to work with that squad."

Therefore, if he is not able to sign the players we so obviously need then I would not blame him if he walks.

The Thais probably have no more than a week to come up with the money or we will lose our primary targets and then have to settle for either youth or players no one else wants. Then I fear a long season of struggle ahead.

A lot of you are saying we're going to use a lot of youth players. I just can't see it. As promising as many of them are, most of them really aren't ready. Kuhl looked great but then Nigel threw him in for a few appearances and he had a mare at Brentford away and never played since.

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

At the fans forum last season Clarke said he was looking to have 5 or 6 from the academy in the squad for next season

[strap]

Steve Clarke interview on bbcrb this afternoon. Tim & Adie interviewed him from Ascot and he says he's after a senior defender, midfielder, goalkeeper and 2 strikers.

So pretty much what we all think we need so he's in tune with us. So let's say that Quinn, McShane and Jones or Foderingham. That leaves the hardest part.... 2 strikers, and our interest has supposedly cooled on Sa.

The Chronic report of the smae interview notes we have only 14 senior players and no senior keeper.

Blackpool version 15-16.

[Ian Royal]

Hopefully? Yeah, because that always works out well doesn't it.

Let's have a oxf*rd pitch invasion to celebrate our regression if we win the race for relegation next year.

Without wanting to sound like a broken record it would let us start a fresh. Look at Southampton, Norwich and Leicester, and to a lesser degree, Wolves.

Well, we had a pitch invasion for finishing 7th so why not!

Or you could look at Oldham, Swindon, Coventry, Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Barnsley....

No one's said it's automatically a good thing. Or that we would definitely bounce back up. So citing examples where it's been bad, doesn't counter that there are examples where it has worked out fine, even in the pretty short term. The (hopeful) point is that relegation might work out better for us. than clinging on through another season of disappointment.

I think we'd lose more attendance by staying in the bottom quarter for 2 or 3 seasons, than we would through relegation and a season or two of promotion fights before coming back up from League 1. Clearly the danger is declining further than just relegation and not being in the promotion fights. Obviously we'd be worse off and lose more fans if we ended up slumming it in the middle of League 1 for half a dozen seasons, like the good old days.

Relegation isn't automatically a terrible thing.

[Ian Royal]

Steve Clarke interview on bbcrb this afternoon. Tim & Adie interviewed him from Ascot and he says he's after a senior defender, midfielder, goalkeeper and 2 strikers.

So pretty much what we all think we need so he's in tune with us. So let's say that Quinn, McShane and Jones or Foderingham. That leaves the hardest part.... 2 strikers, and our interest has supposedly cooled on Sa.

The Chronic report of the smae interview notes we have only 14 senior players and no senior keeper.

Blackpool version 15-16.

I make it 15, not including Kelly, Karacan or Ferdinand, based on players to have made at least 5 first team appearances last season. And even then isn't that more than double what Blackpool had? Weren't they down to something ludicrous like 6 at one point?

I bet Blackpool didn't have an excellent pool of young talent to rely on as back up either. Whereas we have Tshibola, Keown, Sweeney, Tanner, Novakovitch, Cardwell, Samuel, Fosu and co.

[Froomes]

The point is there's more chance it won't work out than there is of us doing a Southampton!

It really isn't that difficult to see that saying 'relegation will give us a fresh start' is naive at best!

[Ian Royal]

The point is there's more chance it won't work out than there is of us doing a Southampton!

It really isn't that difficult to see that saying 'relegation will give us a fresh start' is naive at best!

But it's also naive to write it off as a disaster.

Lets remember that we do have an excellent group of players who've come through the Academy together who we're hoping will make the grade at this level. I'd be hopeful that a core of that team with some experience could do extremely well down a level, gaining the experience and form as a group necessary to make the step up and take on the Championship at the right end.

It'd be risky. I know I may be in a minority, but I'd be happier watching our previous U21s finishing 9/10th in League One than watching another bunch of overpaid mediocrity keep them out of the team and finish 18th in the Championship.

Clearly the preference is rebuild with a season of survival showing clear improvement, followed by a campaign hovering around the play offs and then winning the league. But sometimes taking a step back helps you take two steps forward. It's not like anyone's saying they want us to be relegated. Or they want us to try to be relegated.

[andrew1957]

I make it 15, not including Kelly, Karacan or Ferdinand, based on players to have made at least 5 first team appearances last season. And even then isn't that more than double what Blackpool had? Weren't they down to something ludicrous like 6 at one point?

I bet Blackpool didn't have an excellent pool of young talent to rely on as back up either. Whereas we have Tshibola, Keown, Sweeney, Tanner, Novakovitch, Cardwell, Samuel, Fosu and co.

I think it is a bit of a stretch to add Stacey, Kuhl and Cooper (who meet your criteria of more than 5 games) as "experienced" players.

I agree with Clarke that in terms of experience our squad is now threadbare.

And so there are just 15 experienced players currently - including Karacan, Felly and Ferdinand - two of whom might not re-sign and the other who's fitness is very much in doubt.

And this also includes the likes of Akpan, Cox and Taylor - who Clarke clearly did not rate.

Without 5-6 new signings we will look very much like Blackpool. Accept we have loads of young talent but a big ask to expect 5-6 to step up and start 20-30 games next season.

[andrew1957]

Clearly the preference is rebuild with a season of survival showing clear improvement, followed by a campaign hovering around the play offs and then winning the league. But sometimes taking a step back helps you take two steps forward. It's not like anyone's saying they want us to be relegated. Or they want us to try to be relegated.

Surely the preference is to add 5-6 experienced players and then bring through the young talent over the next 1-3 seasons rather than all in one go? If we get a few injuries I have no doubt that a number of young players will get a chance next season even with new experienced signings.

ALSO if we rely on young players they will miss out on the chance of gaining loan experience elsewhere - which has benefitted many young players in the past - like Hector. Without new experienced signings a lot of our young players now coming through will be needed to bulk out the squad and will not get the chance of loans away.

[Ian Royal]

I didn't call them experienced, Andrew, I called them senior. I was disagreeing with the Blackpool comparison.

Our squad is certainly threadbare. But it definitely exists as a squad that could easily fulfill fixtures, whereas not long before the season started I seem to recall Blackpool not having enough senior players to field a team, let alone subs. But I may be mistaken.

Have you tried comparing it to last season?
Federici, Gunter, Kelly, Obita, Pearce, Morrison, Ferdinand, Williams, Guthrie, Karacan, Akpan, McCleary, Blackman, Pogrebnyak, Cox, Mackie, Drenthe.

I make it about 17, not including the likes of Hector, or Taylor who were no more experienced than Cooper is now. At least 5 of which were injured and one was persona non gratis.

As for your second post, no I don't think it would be better. They've played as a team, so keep them as a team as much as possible, within reason. I really can't see a lot of them hanging around for two years to see if they get a chance in the third. It'd be too close to potential career suicide.

Clearly we need signings, although buying half a new team is rarely a good move. They're less likely to gel than putting in 5 Academy graduates.

Surely playing Academy graduates here, gets them BETTER experience than sending them out on loan to a lower level.

[Royal Rother]

I completely agree with you.

Trouble is, I'm in doubt that Clarke is the man for the job. I think he'd rather play Chelsea's academy graduates than our own.

[SCIAG]

Have you tried comparing it to last season?
Federici, Gunter, Kelly, Obita, Pearce, Morrison, Ferdinand, Williams, Guthrie, Karacan, Akpan, McCleary, Blackman, Pogrebnyak, Cox, Mackie, Drenthe.

Missing Cummings, HRK, and McCarthy. Presuming Murray and Norwood are deliberately excluded because they didn't join until after Morrison left.

[howser]

Liked the Clarke comment that if the deals arn't done in the next few days then the players concerned will look elsewhere, nice way of forcing the issue. How the hell we haven't got the green light to get some new blood yet amazes me, it's not like the transfer window has ben thrust upon us at 5 minutes notice, for goodness sake this should have been sorted weeks ago, and there is the aroma of a money shortage. I wonder if they are not forthcoming where that leaves Clarke ? he must have had some guarantee of available finance prior to accepting the job, would he walk away ? I don't think anyone could complain if he did ?

[Ian Royal]

Have you tried comparing it to last season?
Federici, Gunter, Kelly, Obita, Pearce, Morrison, Ferdinand, Williams, Guthrie, Karacan, Akpan, McCleary, Blackman, Pogrebnyak, Cox, Mackie, Drenthe.

Missing Cummings, HRK, and McCarthy. Presuming Murray and Norwood are deliberately excluded because they didn't join until after Morrison left.

Yeah, fair catch, I thought I'd miss a couple. Forgot to check when McCarthy left. Spot on for Murray and Norwood.

Still, it's hardly a huge difference. Particularly when you factor in who was fit.

[Lacoste]

Liked the Clarke comment that if the deals arn't done in the next few days then the players concerned will look elsewhere, nice way of forcing the issue. How the hell we haven't got the green light to get some new blood yet amazes me, it's not like the transfer window has ben thrust upon us at 5 minutes notice, for goodness sake this should have been sorted weeks ago, and there is the aroma of a money shortage. I wonder if they are not forthcoming where that leaves Clarke ? he must have had some guarantee of available finance prior to accepting the job, would he walk away ? I don't think anyone could complain if he did ?

Having heard the interview with Adie, I have a new found respect for Clarke. Whether I believe he can do a good job or not is irrelevant. It's more about the club and how it's being run. He came here in good faith and sounds like he's being completely fu cked by the Thai's.

Some comments which stand out have to be:

He says he should have pushed the Thai's for more cash in January,

He clearly hints at needing a minimum of 5 new players this summer (and that he'd be happy to work with the team if he gets them), Have to assume he'll consider is future if he doesn't. Better to leave without a pay off but have some credibility in tact. He'd be employed again however if he waits, new employers would only see a history of poor results.

Gives the Thai's a bit of fear of loss saying we'll miss out if we don't act fast.

Clearly says he STILL doesn't know if he has a budget because he I STILL waiting to find out.

Says that if he doesn't get the players he ordered or wants, he'll tell us.

All in all he is pushing the blame well and truly into their court. He is showing some balls so that if things don't work out the way he hopes, the blame will clearly lay at the feet of our owners. I like the way that he's forcing the issue with them and either way now, they have to make a decision.

Well done Steve

[NewCorkSeth]

Have you tried comparing it to last season?
Federici, Gunter, Kelly, Obita, Pearce, Morrison, Ferdinand, Williams, Guthrie, Karacan, Akpan, McCleary, Blackman, Pogrebnyak, Cox, Mackie, Drenthe.

Missing Cummings, HRK, and McCarthy. Presuming Murray and Norwood are deliberately excluded because they didn't join until after Morrison left.

Yeah, fair catch, I thought I'd miss a couple. Forgot to check when McCarthy left. Spot on for Murray and Norwood.

Still, it's hardly a huge difference. Particularly when you factor in who was fit.

Andersen too? Still I completely agree with you were not far off last summer