Rival Watch

[Sutekh]

Been speaking to a colleague who supports Derby and sounds like they had very much the same restrictions we did this season yet they still finished 7th and barely missed out on the play-offs.

Makes me a bit more optimistic for next season anyway.

For me, Derby's season gives us a good guide as to what we could do in League One next season. We should have more freedom with signings this season than we've had in the previous three/four seasons too.

The very early title and promotion odds for next season (not including those playing in the League One play-offs) with SkyBet:
Derby 13/2 & 2/1
Portsmouth 11/1 & 10/3
Wigan 12/1 & 7/2
Reading 14/1 & 4/1
Charlton 16/1 & 9/2

I imagine Sheffield Wednesday will be the early favourites (assuming they don't overturn their first leg thumping), with the other losing play-off sides being around the same as us.

I still think top half is the bare minimum, being in and around the play-offs is a good season and getting promoted is an excellent season.

Wonder about Wigan as the FL should really hit them hard with another points deduction seeing as they defaulted on paying their players again almost immediately after a 3 point deduction for their previous failure.

[South Coast Royal]

Slow down chaps.

I like the positivity but let's not forget that the back 4 or 5 that we expect to be with us again next season had almost the worst record in the division.
Unlike Sheffield Wednesday we don't have a Barry Bannan to run games-we do have a Tom Ince and his retention could be vital to our chances next season.
We still have Andy Carroll who will hopefully stay mainly injury free.
We still have Ejaria who we hope will be reborn.

Apart from those we will have a number of new signings and loans which will have to be as good as last season's at the very least for us to make a promotion challenge. -a statement of the obvious perhaps but without it I don't see us necessarily challenging.
So, recruitment of players ready to perform at this new level is vital and, if Ince were to leave, a midfield playmaker would be essential as we haven't recently created enough chances to win matches let alone keep the opposition out..

[NathStPaul]

Tom Ince can go in the bin.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Tom Ince can go in the bin.

LOL

[Snowflake Royal]

We all know what we want and hope for, just as long as we're not throwing our toys and demanding yet more change if we miss out but are still safe.

Brick by brick. Learn from failure, not just scrap everything and start again.

We should not be the sort of team that sacks a manager in January for being 11th.

[tidus_mi2]

Slow down chaps.

I like the positivity but let's not forget that the back 4 or 5 that we expect to be with us again next season had almost the worst record in the division.
Unlike Sheffield Wednesday we don't have a Barry Bannan to run games-we do have a Tom Ince and his retention could be vital to our chances next season.
We still have Andy Carroll who will hopefully stay mainly injury free.
We still have Ejaria who we hope will be reborn.

Apart from those we will have a number of new signings and loans which will have to be as good as last season's at the very least for us to make a promotion challenge. -a statement of the obvious perhaps but without it I don't see us necessarily challenging.
So, recruitment of players ready to perform at this new level is vital and, if Ince were to leave, a midfield playmaker would be essential as we haven't recently created enough chances to win matches let alone keep the opposition out..

We're not going to be conceding as many attacking opportunities as we have done in recent seasons for a start. Add to that, a competent manager should be able to put a good team and tactics together for the division, despite everything that has happened we are, as of right now, a big fish in a small pond when it comes to League One, if we allow a decline to set in that could change, hopefully not.

[Sutekh]

Slow down chaps.

I like the positivity but let's not forget that the back 4 or 5 that we expect to be with us again next season had almost the worst record in the division.
Unlike Sheffield Wednesday we don't have a Barry Bannan to run games-we do have a Tom Ince and his retention could be vital to our chances next season.
We still have Andy Carroll who will hopefully stay mainly injury free.
We still have Ejaria who we hope will be reborn.

Apart from those we will have a number of new signings and loans which will have to be as good as last season's at the very least for us to make a promotion challenge. -a statement of the obvious perhaps but without it I don't see us necessarily challenging.
So, recruitment of players ready to perform at this new level is vital and, if Ince were to leave, a midfield playmaker would be essential as we haven't recently created enough chances to win matches let alone keep the opposition out..

We're not going to be conceding as many attacking opportunities as we have done in recent seasons for a start. Add to that, a competent manager should be able to put a good team and tactics together for the division, despite everything that has happened we are, as of right now, a big fish in a small pond when it comes to League One, if we allow a decline to set in that could change, hopefully not.

Key will be a COMPETENT manager for this level, someone with a determined plan to build a team around the likes of Carroll and Ince and who can develop a suitable playing style esp. as Carroll offers more than a just a head to aim at. Defence can be coached but given they've had 2 seasons together and are used to a losing mentality it's probably the area in most need of work and especially need some pace in there (but then can say that throughout the squad).

[paultheroyal]

if they keep that defence together and dont lose many they should be fine. Apart from that 'boro mauling we actually had stopped shipping loads of goals. Sarr, Holmes, Mbengue (if stays) NGW (if stays) Yiadom, Mcintyre is decent. For me its creating and scoring goals. That was abysmal. Coincided with Ince going, if he is committed, with a proven goalscorer at this level, with some actual decent wingers, we should have a good season. Imperative we get off to a quick start and a new, right manager is appointed quickly. That man is Wilder.

[Hound]

Yeah wouldn’t disagree with that. If ejaria hangs about I think him, Ince and Azeez should be able to create but we should be prioritising bringing someone creative in. Along with a solid CM.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Cardiff have sacked Lamouchi. Expect Nathan Jones will be their next manager.

[NathStPaul]

Cardiff have sacked Lamouchi. Expect Nathan Jones will be their next manager.

Yep, right up his alley.

[Orion1871]

Cardiff suing Nantes for lost performance revenue over Sala.

[PATRIQT]

Cardiff have sacked Lamouchi. Expect Nathan Jones will be their next manager.

As long as they leave Wilder alone.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Cardiff have sacked Lamouchi. Expect Nathan Jones will be their next manager.

As long as they leave Wilder alone.

Wilder's a Swansea fan and has previously said he'd never manage Cardiff.

[Sutekh]

Cardiff have sacked Lamouchi. Expect Nathan Jones will be their next manager.

As long as they leave Wilder alone.

Wilder's a Swansea fan and has previously said he'd never manage Cardiff.

So was that before or after he grew up supporting Sheffield United?

[Pepe the Horseman]

As long as they leave Wilder alone.

Wilder's a Swansea fan and has previously said he'd never manage Cardiff.

So was that before or after he grew up supporting Sheffield United?

Before. He grew up in Merthyr Tydfil. He supported Swansea, but always had a soft spot for Sheff Utd after meeting Brian Deane at a charity ball.

[Green]

Wilder's a Swansea fan and has previously said he'd never manage Cardiff.

So was that before or after he grew up supporting Sheffield United?

Before. He grew up in Merthyr Tydfil. He supported Swansea, but always had a soft spot for Sheff Utd after meeting Brian Deane at a charity ball.

Must've been quite a night.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

We all know what we want and hope for, just as long as we're not throwing our toys and demanding yet more change if we miss out but are still safe.

Brick by brick. Learn from failure, not just scrap everything and start again.

We should not be the sort of team that sacks a manager in January for being 11th.

We aren't the sort of team who hastily sacks an underperforming manager, in fact we are the exact opposite, we keep hold of most for too long (Ince, Pauno, Stam and I'd argue even Clement). So by not sacking an underperforming manager, that's not learning from previous mistakes.

If the demands are to be challenging for promotion next season, with the play offs being a minimum, then if we are 11th come January I'd be expecting the manager to be under a huge amount of pressure, particularly if the manager is a high profile name like Chris Wilder.

[South Coast Royal]

Tidius wrote:-
We're not going to be conceding as many attacking opportunities as we have done in recent seasons for a start.

You say that as if it is a fact.
Let us hope that they do better-they surely need to.

[Snowflake Royal]

We all know what we want and hope for, just as long as we're not throwing our toys and demanding yet more change if we miss out but are still safe.

Brick by brick. Learn from failure, not just scrap everything and start again.

We should not be the sort of team that sacks a manager in January for being 11th.

We aren't the sort of team who hastily sacks an underperforming manager, in fact we are the exact opposite, we keep hold of most for too long (Ince, Pauno, Stam and I'd argue even Clement). So by not sacking an underperforming manager, that's not learning from previous mistakes.

If the demands are to be challenging for promotion next season, with the play offs being a minimum, then if we are 11th come January I'd be expecting the manager to be under a huge amount of pressure, particularly if the manager is a high profile name like Chris Wilder.

Clement managed 30 games. A few of them at the end of 1 season.

20 ish is not giving someone too long. Sacking Rodgers in ~22 games after taking us from POs to relegation threatened is about right. But relegation threatened to relegation threatened is pretty damn quick.

Adkins probably went a bit quick. McDermott2 and Bowen were sacked too soon. Many think McDermott1.

We got rid of Gomes quick.