clearing the squad, who would you sell?

[ChippenhamRed]

2 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Think most non Ipswich fans can see that MM did a decent job given the limited resources at the club but like lots of football fans they often can't see the woods for the trees. We have a number of our own fans with the same limited view.

The first sentence of the second paragraph is an excellent description of MM but I'm not convinced he'd be willing to employ SLs transfer philosophy.

If he was willing to go to, and stay at, Ipswich on a peanuts budget then I see no reason why he wouldn’t be willing to come here.

[Robbored]

3 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

If he was willing to go to, and stay at, Ipswich on a peanuts budget then I see no reason why he wouldn’t be willing to come here.

MM must be around 60 and not an ideal age for a head coach to adapt to and employ what is a rather unusual transfer philosophy.

Any way, it's a moot point as LJ isn't going anywhere.

[LondonBristolian]

In a way I would be sad to see any first team players leave. But, in another way, we have had three dismal runs in three consecutive seasons and that cannot be Manager’s fault alone (especially as it was a different manager for the first one). There is clearly something in the mentality of the squad where we struggle to bounce back from setbacks and get a bit ahead of ourselves when the going is good. I have no idea which players do or do not contribute to that but the players I’d like to see moved on are any players that are not quite right for the mentality I’d like to see at the club.

[...]

On 05/05/2018 at 08:54, reddogkev said:

If you were in charge of the transfer business, who would you sell?  ** You're not allowed to say all of them!**

I'd start by moving on Magnússon, Hegeler, Engvall and Matty Taylor.  Would this be sufficient, or should we look to sell some more?

 

Is Lee Johnson still registered as a player??

[Mendip City]

On 06/05/2018 at 09:01, Redrascal2 said:

When Johnson came as our manager, I read a post from a Barnsley fan that said Johnson transfer policy would seem like a revolving door. Loads of players coming in. Quantity not quality. With many not working out. I don't look forward to his next clutch of signings that will never play and end up at Cheltenham. Lose the likes of Flint, Pack ,Smith and we are in big trouble.

In effect he’s exactly like his old man - in his later years here he just shuffled around players of the same standard without improving things. 

[Top Robin]

I really feel that some of these poor players could actually be turned around and improve under a decent manager. Johnson can't seem to improve or develop players. There are certainly players with talent in our squad who for whatever reason have been stifled under LJ. 

[Robbored]

4 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

I really feel that some of these poor players could actually be turned around and improve under a decent manager. Johnson can't seem to improve or develop players. There are certainly players with talent in our squad who for whatever reason have bee stifled under LJ. 

Bobby Reid, Flint, Kelly and Bryan have all improved massively under LJ and those are only players we actually see play. I daresay that there are others within the squad that don't feature in the first team much.

You really don't know what you're on about............

[Top Robin]

Just now, Robbored said:

Bobby Reid, Flint, Kelly and Bryan have all improved massively under LJ and those are only players we actually see play. I daresay that there are others within the squad that don't feature in the first team much.

You really don't know what you're on about............

I am talking about the ones we don't see very often.... as you probably know.  

PS Flint and Bryan have been poor this year and have certainly not progressed. Fans like Flint coz he is a tough, loud, passionate bloke but he is a bang average championship centre back prone to howlers.

Bryan has lost his form but continues to be loved because he is 'one of our own' ....if he wasnt Bristol City to the core he would have been massively dissed over the last 4 months. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Who will be off?

Loanees for a start- Steele, Kent, Woodrow- and of course, the hapless, potentially also confidence wrecked Diony.

All the out of contract players too.

Engvall? He probably has some ability, he hasn't had a fair crack, but it just won't work here- will it?

Pisano, I'd put on notice- monitor him- he's definitely declined since his return from injury. Though maybe a pre season, the right conditioning can improve his levels- back to how they were earlier in the season- not spectacular but not bad either  

Beyond that? I'd be happy to keep a lot of the squad as it is-let it develop a bit without the ridiculous transfer churn we've seen in last 2 seasons.

Tweaks here and there (subject to financial considerations, whether players are a good presence etc- the usual secondary factors). Oh and obviously keep Flint, Bryan, Pack and Reid!

[havanatopia]

Bryan

Engvall

Duric

Wright

Baker

Pisano

Steele or Frank

I quite like Duric but he is a bit injury prone and we need to free up a striker slot for the new kid coming in. Or maybe Taylor but if Reid goes he should stay.

I think Patterson, coached better by an older guy coming in, will improve and be more consistent.

Don't know enough about Moore to comment. Magnússon will get better, and he is not bad now.

That should free up some incomings.

[Alex_BCFC]

4 hours ago, Top Robin said:

I really feel that some of these poor players could actually be turned around and improve under a decent manager. Johnson can't seem to improve or develop players. There are certainly players with talent in our squad who for whatever reason have been stifled under LJ. 

Reid, Kelly, Brownhill, Tammy? 

On the MM subject - I think he has had his time. The majority of Ipswich fans wanted him out at the end - played dire football. I think he did a good job on a low budget and would be good for a team like Barnsley. 

[Chicken George]

Well, our defence has conceded 195 goals in 3 seasons at this level now. 

We’ll never get anywhere conceding that amount of goals. 

There are 3 players who’ve been mainstays in that leaky defence - Fielding, Flint & Bryan. 

For me, all 3 need to go in order to improve our back line. 

[Eddie Hitler]

1 hour ago, Alex_BCFC said:

Reid, Kelly, Brownhill, Tammy? 

On the MM subject - I think he has had his time. The majority of Ipswich fans wanted him out at the end - played dire football. I think he did a good job on a low budget and would be good for a team like Barnsley. 

I agree about Mick McCarthy.  Our old enemy Ian Holloway is in a similar position at QPR: playing uninspiring football with a limited squad and keeping them safe from relegation.

It's what clubs who've had rocky periods need for a few years in order to get their finances back on track and the high earning useless players shipped out whilst bringing the youth players through.

The problem is that the fans start giving up on watching teh dire spectacle of grinding out another 0-0 draw or 1-0 win.  Ipswich and QPR are clubs with soem decent top flight history yet are well down the 2017/18 attendance chart.  I am delighted to see that we are above Cardiff.

[Top Robin]

21 hours ago, Alex_BCFC said:

Reid, Kelly, Brownhill, Tammy? 

On the MM subject - I think he has had his time. The majority of Ipswich fans wanted him out at the end - played dire football. I think he did a good job on a low budget and would be good for a team like Barnsley. 

Those who can't get into the first team mate

[Bar BS3]

The sooner we get shot of Pisano, the sooner our other defenders might be able to concentrate on doing their own defending again. 

[Alex_BCFC]

1 hour ago, Top Robin said:

Those who can't get into the first team mate

Reid wasn't in the first team a lot previously. There are reasons why a lot of players don't get in the first team - they ain't good enough generally.

Honestly think this is not one of LJ's issues. His issue more is getting out of the awful runs he goes on. Great when we are flying but then it all goes wrong for 3 months.

[Super]

1 hour ago, Bar BS3 said:

The sooner we get shot of Pisano, the sooner our other defenders might be able to concentrate on doing their own defending again. 

A RB for me has to be a main priority. It's been a problem position for too long now.

[Bar BS3]

9 minutes ago, Super said:

A RB for me has to be a main priority. It's been a problem position for too long now.

Agreed and until we get one, I’d be far more comfortable having Bailey Wright back in that position, than Pisano. 

 

[BS4 on Tour...]

On 05/05/2018 at 09:12, reddogkev said:

Just imagine if Flint, Reid and Bryan were sold, we'd bank 20 million from that lot.

Ive seen these three names mentioned a lot with regard to the ones that will probably be sold this summer....and Korey Smith and Marlon Pack have also been mentioned along with these 3....interesting that none of those 5 players are LJ signings and 4 of them are the league one champions boys who kept us going this season....huge characters at the spine of our team....it will be bleak without them...

[Fuber]

On 07/05/2018 at 18:13, Eddie Hitler said:

I agree about Mick McCarthy.  Our old enemy Ian Holloway is in a similar position at QPR: playing uninspiring football with a limited squad and keeping them safe from relegation.

It's what clubs who've had rocky periods need for a few years in order to get their finances back on track and the high earning useless players shipped out whilst bringing the youth players through.

The problem is that the fans start giving up on watching teh dire spectacle of grinding out another 0-0 draw or 1-0 win.  Ipswich and QPR are clubs with soem decent top flight history yet are well down the 2017/18 attendance chart.  I am delighted to see that we are above Cardiff.

Eddie, would the stadium's have anything to do with that though? Portman Road is in a questionable state; and Loftus Road is an absolute sty, I think the latter especially must still be getting crowds that they roughly had before promotion? Depends more on fan demographic, loyalty, and club catchment. You can just as easily use examples such as Sunderland and Leeds, even Wednesday.

[Fuber]

1 hour ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Ive seen these three names mentioned a lot with regard to the ones that will probably be sold this summer....and Korey Smith and Marlon Pack have also been mentioned along with these 3....interesting that none of those 5 players are LJ signings and 4 of them are the league one champions boys who kept us going this season....huge characters at the spine of our team....it will be bleak without them...

Exacerbated by the fact that none of LJ's players seem able to get in the first team ala Steele, Magnússon, Pisano, Wright, Eliasson, Walsh, Bakinson, O'Dowda (not recovered since his injury), Taylor, Djuric, O'Neil, and lets not get onto the loan signings or the likes of Moore, Engvall, and Hegeler.

Look at the team that kept us up in 2016

• (4-3-3) O'Donnell, Ayling, Flint, Baker, Golbourne; Bryan, Pack, Reid; Freeman, Kodjia, Odemwingie.

Compared our overall team from April

• (4-4-1-1) Fielding, Pisano, Flint, Baker, Kelly; Brownhill, Pack, Smith, Paterson; Reid, Diedhiou.

My only issues with our current team is the weakness in Paterson's roaming/LM role and GK/DR. Of those two teams I would take O'Donnell, Ayling, and Freeman. Every. Single. Time.

Fielding isn't a CH keeper, Pisano isn't physically fit enough nor the correct style of player for the CH, and Paterson? Hasn't performed since November and LJ refuses to drop him. Moans about lack of leaders. But it seems as if he's shifting off the only characters and leaders by example we have albeit not by choice, but he's proven he cant replace them i.e. Bryan, Reid, Pack, Baker.

 

[Kingswoodactor]

6 hours ago, Fuber said:

Exacerbated by the fact that none of LJ's players seem able to get in the first team ala Steele, Magnússon, Pisano, Wright, Eliasson, Walsh, Bakinson, O'Dowda (not recovered since his injury), Taylor, Djuric, O'Neil, and lets not get onto the loan signings or the likes of Moore, Engvall, and Hegeler.

Look at the team that kept us up in 2016

• (4-3-3) O'Donnell, Ayling, Flint, Baker, Golbourne; Bryan, Pack, Reid; Freeman, Kodjia, Odemwingie.

Compared our overall team from April

• (4-4-1-1) Fielding, Pisano, Flint, Baker, Kelly; Brownhill, Pack, Smith, Paterson; Reid, Diedhiou.

My only issues with our current team is the weakness in Paterson's roaming/LM role and GK/DR. Of those two teams I would take O'Donnell, Ayling, and Freeman. Every. Single. Time.

Fielding isn't a CH keeper, Pisano isn't physically fit enough nor the correct style of player for the CH, and Paterson? Hasn't performed since November and LJ refuses to drop him. Moans about lack of leaders. But it seems as if he's shifting off the only characters and leaders by example we have albeit not by choice, but he's proven he cant replace them i.e. Bryan, Reid, Pack, Baker.

 

Except for the fact he was probably our best player in December. Also very good away at Man City, but fell apart for sure there afterwards. 

[cheshire_red]

On ‎05‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 12:45, Mendip City said:

Thanks.... the more I think about it the more it goes on..... Matt Smith - at least as good and less injury prone than Djuric, JET / Tomlin.... and I’d happily swap on Agard (for his efforts alone) for Diony, Kent and Woodrow combined. 

 

Just shows how hard it is to get transfers right...... the summer before we got promoted was sensational... 

 

oh and another Wade Elliott v GON....

 

Interstingly the post has a transript if LJ’s press conference where in answer to him having the final say on signings he says “that’s a question for Mark Ashton”.   Weird? I assume he meant “no” but it’s hard to find anything other than cryptic or corporate nonsense said by club employees these days. 

Matt Smith would have been a superb buy, £500k was a snip compared to what we have paid out on other unproven talent for the future. And he would have come no doubt about that. I can only consider LJ did not want another SC associated player.

[Jack Dawe]

On 07/05/2018 at 17:50, Enter Sandman said:

Well, our defence has conceded 195 goals in 3 seasons at this level now. 

We’ll never get anywhere conceding that amount of goals. 

There are 3 players who’ve been mainstays in that leaky defence - Fielding, Flint & Bryan. 

For me, all 3 need to go in order to improve our back line. 

I think we'll need a defensive minded coach, playing defensive, cagey, pragmatic football - even at home - like Preston had in Grayson (154 conceded in 3 seasons), to stem the flow of goals. 

Then watch the goals scored dry up.

 

 

[LondonBristolian]

18 hours ago, Super said:

A RB for me has to be a main priority. It's been a problem position for too long now.

My biggest frustration with our current transfer policy is that this is the third summer in the row where I've felt the transfer priorities are a quality right-back, a central midfielder who can dominate games and a commanding goalkeeper. I know those are not easy to find but I feel we continually accumulate squad wingers, centre-backs and strikers who admittedly flesh out the squad but do not always strengthen the first team but we fail to tackle the major areas that have been outstanding for years. 

[Welcome To The Jungle]

I'd have two lists of players I'd sell. The first is of players I don't think are good enough, and the other is players we could really cash in on.

The first list contains:

Mags, Engvall, Steele. Depressingly these three players represent about £5 million in fees which we'll probably not come lose to getting back.

The second list contains:

Bryan, Reid, Flint. Two home grown players and a man I have loved watching. However if the money is silly then they should go. I'd like to see the money invested in the academy and maybe sorting out the ST prices, rather than just being wasted on inflated fees and agents. 

If we line up next season I don't think we'd go down. Add a right back, and a striker and it would look much better.

Fielding

Pisano

Vyner

Baker

Kelly

O'Dowda

Pack

Smith

Patterson

Diedhiou

Taylor

 

[BRISTOL86]

I’d feel sick going into day one of the season with that lineup!

We need 5 or 6 quality additions this summer if we want to challenge at the right end. 

[Mendip City]

12 hours ago, cheshire_red said:

Matt Smith would have been a superb buy, £500k was a snip compared to what we have paid out on other unproven talent for the future. And he would have come no doubt about that. I can only consider LJ did not want another SC associated player.

Good job he couldn’t get shot of all Cotts’ signings! We’d be well screwed. 

I do wonder where we’d be if we’d pushed the boat out for Maguire or Andre Gray.... would we have spent more or signed anywhere near as many players?? Personally I’d rather the club operated on a smaller squad of higher quality all pushing for the first team. Oh well....

[Davefevs]

13 hours ago, cheshire_red said:

Matt Smith would have been a superb buy, £500k was a snip compared to what we have paid out on other unproven talent for the future. And he would have come no doubt about that. I can only consider LJ did not want another SC associated player.

Out of interest, when was Smith available for £500k?  After his loan spell?  If so, I seem to think a lot of people thought that but remember Fulham suggesting £3m, on the back of his goals for us on loan.

He did of course go to QPR for £500k but that 18 months later and we had Tammy.

[BS4 on Tour...]

On 05/05/2018 at 21:36, Chris_Brown said:

If we were to get rid of the likes of Hegeler, Taylor, Djuric, Magnússon and others as many here are suggesting, who do people think we can bring in that would improve the squad, whilst managing to keep everyone happy because they can't all play, also bearing in mind that we are unable to bring in any emergency loans and all the while fitting our wage bill, transfer budget and being of the right DNA?

Wholesale change is very unlikely. A few out and a few in. 

Wouldn’t get rid of Hegeler....a fine footballer....