Next Season

[brendywendy]

The squad we had at the start of last season should not have gone down if the right improvements had been made.

...

Sorry, brenders, but add in a proper right winger and a combative midfielder with experience of the rough and tumble of English football and we'd have significantly increased our chances of staying up. To miss out in the Summer is actually excusable (even if posters like your good self spent months arguing that losing Sidwell would actually improve the team ) but to miss out again come the January was what surely sealed our fate. One could bring up that 'post-January points thread' - didn't we end up bottom no matter how one counted it?

Given that the margin ended up being so tight ... well, my argument writes itself.

If you're going to whinge about how much it cost, let's say we take the £2.5 odd million spent on Fae or the £4-5 million bid on Pantsil and Scott Brown.

Note to self: Scott Brown - - had we signed him, we'd never have struggled the way we did.

what im saying is that most of the clubs inteh bottom half have "quality players" of the sort who people clamoured for us to buy last season,
and it aint helping them much this season, thats all

Half the clubs in the Premiership are going to struggle FFS. Just adding a touch of quality in key positions where we made do last season would almost certainly have made that difference - a loss turned to a draw, a late goal against someone like Blackburn or Spurs or a committed performance against Fulham (twice) or Bolton (twice).

yup, i agree totally with what you say about the right wing with hindsight, maybe even with foresight
but i can see why coppell thought what we had was enough

100% agree about scott brown, and probably mensah too
or if fae/halford had got even close to justifying their pricetags

im just not one to throw me toys out with the bathwater after the horse has been taken to water an all that.
despite those "mistakes" id still prefer the current set up to most other alternatives.
and mainly make these arguments when the relentless negativity winds me up so much i feel compelled to speak.

[RoyalBlue]

Wally Downes........Not sure what he has given us the last couple of seasons


ALOL


17(?) clean sheets this season



dog shit > team board

The more players you put behind the ball, the easier it is to defend!! Downes has been helped greatly recently by Coppell's lack of willingness to adopt agressive attacking strategies and formations. Clean sheets and one point (if we are lucky) at the expense of much needed goals for and three points for a win.

[brendywendy]

but we had just started conceding goals etc so it needed sorting, its just swung a bit too far the other way aintit!

[weybridgewanderer]

Dancing Doe This season we are in a piss poor league, with a very strong squad.

We have a big squad

I do not agree we have a strong squad

[howser]

Go along with that I think we as supporters think we have a good squad bt it has been found wanting, a lot, over the last three months.
We appear on paper to have a lot of capability in midfield, but what we have got is a lot of defensive midfielders, we dont seem to have any creativity in that area. Defensively we do keep clean sheets but most of that is due to playing 2 x defensive midfielders and 2 x wide men, with the hopeful "hoof" up field for them to run on to. We were caught out with sides playing 5 accross the middle, and the way we dealt with it is to fill the midfield with an extra defensive lean. so we dont concede many due to numbers, but we have completely lost any sort of midfeild control and the ability to feed the forwards in on goal, hence the drying up of Doyles goals, he cant be picking the ball up in his own half and then being on the end of the final defense splitting pass to score. Bad tactics, too many middle changes, no continuity and bad signing decisions made by the management.

[.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.]

Steve Coppell........Apart from the obvious, every manager has his "shelf life" at a club

please then tell me why all the most succesful clubs have had their manager for a long time, if he leaves we will do a charlton but just down back to leauge 1/2.

[Royal Rother]

If we can continue to generate the quality of youngsters coming through now then I really doubt that.

I understand we are already picking up young players from other clubs who just cannot afford to keep their Academies staffed as before and, with our sound financial structure, I think this trend is likely to continue.

There is every reason to believe that the future is still very bright for this club. (Especially so if Rogers agrees to take a trip back up the M4 in the summer.)

[Royalee]

Steve Coppell........Apart from the obvious, every manager has his "shelf life" at a club

please then tell me why all the most succesful clubs have had their manager for a long time, if he leaves we will do a charlton but just down back to leauge 1/2.

You sound very certain and also very stupid.

[poohs pure]

I am so f u c k e d off with the entire situation i cant be arsed to read the entire thread but..

My God, you really are an idiot!
People like you can f u c k right off.

The major problem now is kids like you don't have any patience, they want everything "RIGHT NOW!!" and are not prepared to wait, and unwilling or unable to understand that to achieve anything on this planet it takes hard work and effort. You just don't get everything handed to you.
While a fortunate few may get everything handed out, like Chelsea, or rich kids like Brooke Hogan and Peaches Geldof, this is not what happens for ordinary people. Ordinary people need to get a job.
Likewise, a club like ours, can not expect to get everything handed out. We need the brick-by-brick approach, slowly building momentum.

When you work hard to achieve something, the sense of achievement is far more rewarding than when some rich uncle just hands you the prize without you working for it.

I for one think we have a very strong team except for a couple of really weak areas. Namely defensive midfield and right wing. These areas were never replaced after Little and Sidwell, although Little was at first injured and then left. Once we adequately strengthen we will be a very strong side indeed.
As long as we don't sell anyone we will be stronger next season.
Murty, Gunnarsson, Lita, and possibly a few others not needed will go. This will free up wage resources we can use to pay new players.
We can get Mooney back from his loan, and if the youngsters can take a step up then we'll be well off if we sign just two fairly good players for DMC and RW.

couple of things, you f u c k i n g c u n t

1) you f u c k off
2) i'm 42 you c u n t

[Royalee]

Lolz

[Royal Rother]

[howser]

Agree with what you say there Rother, we have an exciting bunch of young players, and hopefully the next man at the top will nurture these and yes I do believe that we have a good future with them, the crux of the matter is how many on here will be pleased with maybe a couple of years in mid table while they get the essential experience at this level, but we certainly do have a talented bunch of youngsters, with a bright future.

[poohs pure]

well what do you expect

someone that bases their post around a statement like this is a complete twat

I for one think we have a very strong team except for a couple of really weak areas.

[Rich@Eaststand]

I think you'll find most people will agree we have a good team except for DMC and RW.

And LW.

[cmonurz]

I think you'll find most people will agree we have a good team except for DMC and RW.

And LW.

And RB.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Goalkeepers

Big decisions to be made in the summer here. I think we should bring in a class keeper (e.g. Myhill) and release Hahnemann. Federici and Hamer to battle it out over the no. 2 position.

Full Backs

Armstrong should remain first choice left back, needs a proven understudy though. Golbourne could do that job but I think he'll be off as he really needs first team football to progress his career.

Give him the benefit of the doubt and retain Rosenior as first choice right back, Murts is not the future in that role, perhaps Kelly could be with more experience.

Central Defence

If Duberry is the answer then its a bloody silly question! Any two from Pearce, Bikey and Ingimarsson for me should be fulfilling duties here. Therefore need to bring in another centre back. Cisse can give a bit of utility cover.

Central midfield

Too many players and no clue as to what to do with them! Personally I could argue to get shot of the lot and start again but that's probably bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut answer. No doubt in my mind that one of the future answers is Karacan but would need someone alongside him who can provide a bit of consistency and quality plus another couple of options to make them fight for their place. Gunnarsson could provide experience well enough, Cisse has his moments and Matejovsky gives the ability, perhaps if ever we have players who can read his game he may even look international class! Can't help thinking that Harper perhaps would benefit from a new challenge while Tabb and Bikey would provide some utility cover here.

Wingers

An important part of our game, yet for much of the season the two incumbents have been, well, crap. Please god let someone buy S Hunt in the summer and for that matter Kebe as well, after all what is the point in playing a winger who has about as much end product as Woolworths? I say replace with James Henry, I've seen more from that youngster in one game than I have from Kebe all season.

Strikers

This area needs a complete overhaul depending on who is going to be about next season. We know the capabilities of Doyle and Kitson and for much of this year their inability to score has been largely marked by the inability of the rest of the team to create anything consistently. Perhaps its the end for Long and Lita as they would feel they need first team football but then if we don't go up Kison and Doyle will probably be gone. Don't know enough a bout Mooney to be able to evaluate his contribution but Noel Hunt looks useful.

Youngsters

Other than those mentioned above I think that Hal Robson-Kanu and Simon Church should have a future in the game and should be putting more pressure on the first team squad in their positions. Jake Taylor and Abdullai Baggie along with Gylfi Sigurdsson may well also be involved with the first team next year. Problem is though if a miracle did happen and we were promoted we'd probably see a number of these players released before their time.

[winchester_royal]

Sigurdsson could well be the answer for our midfield conumdrum next season. Strong, tall, athletic and decent on the ball. Just what we have been missing tbh.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Sigurdsson could well be the answer for our midfield conumdrum next season. Strong, tall, athletic and decent on the ball. Just what we have been missing tbh.

Like Marek he cant tackle his way out of a paper bag though

Although not his biggest fan, I think the next manager will be well advised to switch us to a 5 man midfield IF he manages to keep hold of Marek. Tabb and Sigurdsson can provide the cover for that attacking midfield slot

[winchester_royal]

Sigurdsson could well be the answer for our midfield conumdrum next season. Strong, tall, athletic and decent on the ball. Just what we have been missing tbh.

Like Marek he cant tackle his way out of a paper bag though

Although not his biggest fan, I think the next manager will be well advised to switch us to a 5 man midfield IF he manages to keep hold of Marek. Tabb and Sigurdsson can provide the cover for that attacking midfield slot

Funnily enough I thought Tabb looked very comfortable playing the DM role yesterday. One of the only positives to come from the match.

[rhroyal]

We have a few conundrums for next season. Some are really no brainers though. A new manager will see the squad objectively and hopefully make the right decisions. Here's my opinion:

GK - Fedders is better than USA. Hamer and Mikkel Anderson and USA can fight for the position of understudy.
RB - Rosenior is good enough. Murty is over the hill a bit. Maybe he could get a coaching role? I want to see Kelly get some loan experience in the lower leagues and an understudy who can provide serious competition brought in. Any ideas anyone?
CB - Will Bikey stay? He's easily our best defender. Duberry is over the hill. I want to see Pearce feature heavily. It'll be Pearce, Ingi and Bikey as our 3 best. So we'll need to bring in 1 or 2 more depending on if Bikey stays.
LB - Armstrong fine. I think Golbourne is capable cover too. I'd be fine with that.
RM - Henry deserves a chance in the starting line up. Kebe could act as back up if need be. I can imagine him being a good impact player.
CM - We have so many players here. I think Bryn should be offloaded. I think Harper needs a new challenge and has lost his way. I'd like to see Marek stay but realistically I can see him moving to somewhere in Europe. That'll leave Cisse, Karacan and Tabb. We'd need one more central midfielder to challenge. Ferrie Bodde is returning to fitness soon, although it would be stupid from his point of view to leave Swansea for us. I don't have many ideas to be honest, I'm not that in touch.
LM - The sooner somebody comes in for SHunt the better. We have no real back up behind him. We need to 2 left wingers, as I'm convinced that Tabb's best role is CM. Campbell-Ryce? Surman? They'd both be great signings, and they both could be relegated making them easy targets. I'd like to see Hal-Robson Kanu be given a chance, but it's a risk to rely upon him.
ST - Doyle will surely leave for the Premiership. He's the only one of our players who deserves it in my view. Kitson will go back, we shouldn't sign him. Lita will leave when his contract expires. That leaves Nunt, Mooney and Long. I'm not convinced Long has what it takes to be a regular. However this has probably been his best season yet. Does Mooney deserve a chance? He's doing okay at Norwich but he's still a risk. We'll need to bring in 1 striker who we can be confident in. I'd say that'll do and hope that Mooney and Long can fulfill their potential. I'm not convinced by Church.

For me, that's 1 or 2 centre backs in, depending on Bikey. 1 right back in, 1 central midfielder, 2 left wingers and 1 striker. That'll leave 2 players for every position with some versatility thrown in there and it won't mean radical changes.