Davefevs

Yep, you either follow the plan….or start a new one.

…and that’s the hard bit. Until we either move a player or two on, or create some budget with re-contracting those players we paid fees for who have a year left, we really can’t move. We’ve seen how difficult it is to move on players you don’t want when they are on wages that nobody else will pay. Mutual termination weakens our financial position, for any posters thinking that is the way to get rid of them. If we can arrive in September with anything like a stronger, better balanced squad (on paper) it will have been a very successful summer. We are being massively hampered by what has gone on previously. The likelihood is that the summer feels more like inching towards what Pearson wants, rather than striding into next season. We have to get through next season with Championship status intact as a bare minimum. That sounds like setting the bar incredibly low, but until we see who moves and what budget it creates it’s really a massive unknown. As it stands even bringing is a “George Tanner” is out of budget currently. I guess we will start to build the picture when we know what is happening to those OOC this summer plus Baker: Andy King Robbie Cundy Callum O’Dowda Timm Klose Nathan Baker Then we are into the likes of the players with no future (alleged / speculation) or too costly to keep based on minutes: Taylor Moore Tyreeq Bakinson Kasey Palmer Nahki Wells can we get a fee and all of their wages picked up? Here’s hoping. If someone like Palmer doesn’t want to leave, we are stuck with the best part of £2m completely tied up. and then we are into those with a year left who cost us fees: Tomas Kalas Dan Bentley Han-Noah Massengo It really is gonna be a nervy summer. Whats left might not actually be what Pearson wants, just that he can’t “trade” them either! Sorry to depress OTIB on a sunny, Sunday morning.

Good post. The squad was unbalanced even at the start of the season….compromises made in summer recruitment after losing several players. Through injury, it’s been exposed further. The finances have made it difficult to address that imbalance. Perhaps if you were Craig it would be a help! ? See SuperSonic’s quoted post above. I guess if you take the best bits of every player and take that as your baseline, you’ll see a decent team / squad. But our players don’t play at those levels week in week out for they? Plus it is unbalanced with little depth. The fact that our young ones are covering that depth makes my opinion that it isn’t a great squad. But all about opinions, just explaining mine. ?

But when they get shit from the perceived bigger team’s fans / players, they give them decisions.

Haha, was gonna suggest we crowdfund £5k and let him rant! ?

All fair challenges MRR. Just saying what I was told, which seemed very plausible. Validity of everything is virtually always 2nd hand (or further removed). Sometimes you trust who tells you what and sometimes you don’t….depends who it is, what they’re claiming and where it was sourced from. I totally get why you / others patience is wearing thin. Mine isn’t. It isn’t about being right or wrong either…it doesn’t really matter…plus it’s fluid anyway. It’s just “views”, and we can have opposing ones.

I think all of those have “better” squads, better balanced squads, deeper squads, etc. in some cases it’s marginal admittedly. All about opinions though. This season has been poor if you look at many things. Is it massively different to the expectations of the squad though? We all have different viewpoints, perhaps I’m just happy to judge differently. Doesn’t make me right or wrong, just the way I see it.

Yep, we’ve regressed. As has the squad available to select from. As has the cost of that squad.

Oh we are. The quality of our squad for the wasted cost far outweighs those clubs.

Whether Hughton or Cook “turned us down” or not (poetic licence from me), they went through 2+ interviews, before finding they / City weren’t the fit they each side thought they were. Cook basically tried to make himself look bad in the interview, when he realised how big a mess it was, so he wouldn’t get offered the gig.

Well, the fact you’ve said that, completely changes my view. ??? My view was purely based on thinking he’s a saleable asset who costs us a shedload. If we can re-contract him, then great - that cuts cost in itself. If his “local lady” helps influence that, I’m all for it. ???

Agree so much. We needed experience in at this point to avoid a spiral. I’m not saying we have the worst squad in the Championship, but I don’t think it is that good either, and we’ve relied on a stellar Andi Weimann, producing a career best season (by some stretch), the emergence of several young players that ought to be better from 1) a season of regular(ish) first team football or 2) a season of being part of a first team training squad, with minutes here and there. We are trying to survive on the cheap, and we’ve done that. It’s painful, yep, but it could be so much worse. We aren’t getting relegated. It sounds negative, it sounds forgiving of the manager, giving him excuses, but I honestly don’t think there were too many out there capable of rebuilding us. I think it might be fair to say Cook and Hughton turned us down because it was a very tough gig. Some are saying next season’s squad might be weaker. Yep, it might. Does that not say how big a mess we are in, that after 12 months of cost cutting, we still have to scale back further. Relying on sell-ons for Kelly for example, or selling our young stars…how did it come to that. Thank god, we have the likes of Benarous, Conway, Bell, etc that can build upon what we’ve seen from Scott, Semenyo and Pring. Credit to Academy staff, but also Pearson for sacrificing “budget” to work with a squad that includes these….rather than paying for experience that might buy us a few “worthless” positions up the league table. I’m probably in a minority that has enjoyed this season, not everything is visible through on field performances. I’m happy to live with that view.

I think Kalas will be off.

It’s a pleasure ??

No, that’s what I saw, we failed to string any passes together until his arrival onto the pitch. I thought he was part of the reason we did better in the final 25-30 mins. In context, Alex Scott had a poor game today (finished better at RWB / RB). I post as I see….No favouritism.

I’ve watched every game of late (either at AG or Robinstv) and although you can question his form (it’s been up and down) I wouldn’t question his attitude one bit. Think it might’ve been the Forest game where he looked really heavy legged, but that’s very different. But everyone will have their opinion.

I saw no lack of effort from Han today?

For a guy playing his formative games for City and at this level, he’s done pretty decently. Big question for me is can we see him in the remaining 6 games playing in a back 4. If that’s what we are going to use next season, let’s give him a chance to show what he can do there. If that means Kalas playing RB, or Klose missing out, so be it. A lot will depend on recruitment plans, but as it stands we need to go with what we have.

Got his first goal today (assist last game), looks like he’s returning to the sort of form showed earlier this season. Let’s hope he has a strong end to the season and builds his confidence for season number two at this level.

Thought he reffed it pretty well, but… …missed the penalty on his namesake following foul by Kelly. He’s one of the better ones imho…low bar though.

Miserable sod, go and get a job ???

Thought he played well (in context) today when he came on, got us playing, nipped into challenges etc. I didn’t see any outside influences in his game play today.

Mick McCarthy's dad???? Tough half. Alex Scott looks like he struggling, players running off him too. Often we are 541 out of possession. Suspect second half will be much of the same. Need to care for the ball on the break too, players need to give better angles, not necessarily run for ONE killer pass.

Their bench: Dennis Stacey Cahill Pearson Cantwell Dembele Lowe

Robinstv - 3 freezes so far....not had hardly any this season? On Safari and App. Anyone else?