Alessandro

For me there's just too many questions that are not able to be answered by anyone on here to jump to some of the conclusions that have been made? Do we know for sure NP and the club are not discussing a new contract? What was the areas of the squad that were decided, by the club, to strengthen this summer? How many additions, did the club, decide we ideally need this summer? What is our current wage bill, why was that number chosen and how close our we to the limit of where that needs to be? In relation to 4, how are our accounts? Anyone actually had a look, not just guessing "x" has come in so we have "y" to spend. Why are we pursuing the now almost 2 year old plan of running in a more financially sustainable way? How does the club, and more importantly SL, define sustainable? What is our current injury situation? Who is out and when exactly do we expect them back? Anyone been told by SL what he thinks of NP? Anyone know the latest on any potential new investors? What are SL's real expectations this season? I mean I could go on and on - my point is these are all questions that have been asked, and answered on OTIB, as if gospel, in order to draw conclusions. It's all good discussion - on the face of it, maybe we've signed the players (in numbers) we want to sign, shifted some excess and slimmed down the squad to where we want it to be, hence no more signings - I haven't heard the club say we need x more players recently. In reality pretty much every player out has been matched back in, either through transfers or academy. Surely, just throwing more money at it, again, is taking a step backwards? Blow the budget again, don't go up and square one? Isn't the plan sustainable development, even if it's slower and takes a few years? Perhaps the club are, you know, dare I say, saving the money, to spread its use, rather than just splurging in a one week flurry?!

I don't agree with this - there is a huge amount that has been put in place that will stand us in good stead moving forwards for years. The academy, pathway, the ground, the HPC, transfer policy, balancing of the books to put us on a more sustainable financial footing. If the foundations are going to be swapped out, we're doing exactly what we should be doing frankly - bloating the squad, wage bill and pushing FFP and giving the manager a 4 year deal now would make it even harder for a new owner coming in.

There is a certain irony in this thread of the mixture of being angry with SL for 'not going for it' whilst also being angry with SL for 'going for it' previously. I think it's very easy to focus on the negatives at the moment, the reality is the cutting of cloth has been just that, a natural progression seen in the cycles of football clubs time and again - we've not got relegated, we've not defaulted on wages, we've not missed HMRC tax bills.....but reading some posts that's the sentiment. You can criticise SL for taking far too long to put certain structures in place at the club (finally done) or for some poor appointments. It's looking potentially now the LJ/MA project was his last big push for promotion, it didn't work - we've debated the whys and whats/could've/should've for years. But yet, here we are, still in the championship, still competing. My question is where next Mr Lansdown and the next few weeks will shed light when we read between the lines. One of my biggest criticisms of SL is a simple one: coming out every year with the 'expectation of promotion' chat. I can forgive most mistakes, this league is ruthless and ultimately you've got to make tough calls but setting those expectations every year when you've not got the plan or the investment isn't realistically competitive enough and you are simply relying on beating the odds - it's just crazy. It alienates the fans and shows your lack of understanding.

Any sense of going for it in the transfer market is out of the question. Another 1 or 2 shrewd additions, more likely. If, as discussed, SL is looking to sell the club, it will be much better to do so with a ‘cleaner’ slate FFP wise, therefore making it a more financially viable proposition for any future investor/owner. I think this is the thing that frustrates me more than anything, all this talk of top 6, but the reality is the playing squad is no where near in terms of investment and wages. So it’s the lottery again of can we be that one team that defies logic and all the odds to make the play offs or even promotion. Not looking like it quite yet this season.

Well, after weeks of chat and speculation and recently increased positivity and optimism, even talk from the club of challenging for the top 6 - well it’s a pretty sobering start to the season. 1-1 at home to a Preston team that looked physically and technically superior in most areas of the pitch - but more worrying was the lack of dynamism in our forward play - pretty much relying all game on direct plays which Preston countered all match (bar the long throw goal) - we were unable to ever build possession or pressure in their half, let alone final third - something Preston did to us all second half. Generally very poor in transition. Positives - Vyner and on the whole Dickie at the back - and for large parts we looked more organised and tidy defensively - but as Atkinson said (gave away) on Robins TV “you don’t have to be talented to do that, just committed” And that I think sums us up today - full of commitment but a lack of talent - what area(s) are we missing that talent? Specific areas of the pitch? Or tactically? I guess we’ll need to see some more games to find out. Easy to say, but Alex Scott a huge miss - We will need to go shopping after today - that midfield was lacking pace and power today. Doom and gloom, no - but put the champers on ice for now!

That team still feels like Pearson is mixing things up and getting minutes into legs more than anything. But....there are some clear patterns emerging of players often/always in same team/combinations though in his selections: 1) Bell and Wells - was and Cornick (swapped today) 2) Mehmeti and Conway - was and Sykes (swapped today see above) 3) James and Knight and Weimann (first choice midfield?) 4) Scott has been in the 'second' choice midfield of Williams (Meerholz today) and King Defence harder to read...but IMO he's paired Dickie and Pring this aftetnoon (likely left side option) and will pair Vyner and Tanner tonight (likely right side pair) although we'll see if McCrorie is back yet and they may change, my guess is he's out still.

Progress?!

Not sure I’ve read much scapegoating yet - but he’s had a bit of criticism. The issue for me is, some people are slightly still living in the past and keep expecting the marauding player we ‘thought’ we signed from Wigan to appear. I would love nothing more than for you to bookmark this post and throw it back in my face - but I think that ship might have sailed. IMO Williams is the kind of player you love having in the squad, as a personality and for his work rate but I don’t know if he has the attributes to be a key 40 game a season player in a top 6 team - which is where we’re ultimately aiming, right. That’s not to say it justifies being a scapegoat however.

I’ve picked McCrorie so far but not just because he is a ‘new signing’ He comes in with more experience and potential IMO - from what I’ve seen in the friendlies is the stronger defender and physically stronger, areas of Tanner’s game that need most work IMO - and more importantly attributes that the team needed to add and areas that needed to improve, especially with the attacking talent we do have, I would look for the stronger defender. Early stages I admit, but just my thoughts.

From watching 3 or 4 friendlies - at this stage I could only be ‘sure’ of 5, maybe 6 names of the starting line up at most at this stage: MOL - Vyner - James - Knight surely pretty nailed on. Dickie most likely LCB but could change with Naismith coming back. McCrorie - I’d imagine over Tanner and Pring over Roberts, although that’s tough on Roberts (wonder if we may see him played somewhere other than LB soon) You’d imagine Conway gets the nod, but very tough on Wells. Scott, will he be here? Presume not so who takes his place - Weimann or Williams - depending on where you want to see Knight playing more of the game. Probably Weimann. Bell vs. Mehmeti? Wouldn’t want to decide that. Sykes for me hasn’t lit up preseason yet and Cornick has looked good, surely breathing down Sykes’ neck. Fantastic to have so many options and this much competition for places.

Yep - classic “do the easy top and bottom then pretty much guess the middle” This league always throws up surprises, a couple will struggle that no one expects and a couple will be in the top 6 that no one calls early. Could be us as much as any of those top half predictions.

Well you’re presuming he’s taken a pay cut? We don’t know what Jay was on here and what Coventry are paying him - if it was a pay cut though, the signing club may well incentivise signing earlier with a sign on fee.

You can add Yeboah who i'm pretty sure played the second half for Swindon today.

Well it’s pre-season isn’t it - levels a bit too low though. Won’t over think it - but a few observations: James - Knight - Scott midfield a sign of what could be. Knight looks great signing. Dickie making LCB his own, good half, very good on the ball. Roberts looked good. Think that front 3 is our 2nd string but all had good moments. Bell a threat, Cornick improving all the time, Wells dropped off well.

For me I worry less about cover, more about quality - so as Pearson has said many, many times - if we buy, it will be to improve. I think the squad lacks physicality as an option in general - especially in the final third, so I’d look to add that option, somewhere across the front 3 - could be a forward, could be a wide player. And I’m not talking target man, I’m talking pace and power. Hard to find though. The only other area I’d be looking to get more quality in, is CM. James and King’s best years behind them in reality, add in Williams and potentially Naismith - injuries have and continue to be an issue. I’d guess on average this season, 2 of those 4 will be out injured. All good squad players, promotion material? Not IMO. That will be the priority.

He didn’t mention contracts or money in that quote either…

Let's hope it's different this time around! ?

Yes, you can’t imagine when ‘physically’ he’s sat down with them, unless before returning to training and details emerging only now - there’s always zoom calls too, which is possible.

Brentford also doing OK after selling Watkins, Benrahma, Maupay and Mepham, to name a few, on way to the premier league….

Also this….progress, eh?! ?

Indeed - good money to have and I understand a player of his quality will go and we shouldn’t hold him back - but for all the excited talk of £££££m in transfer fee - still feel we won’t see the ‘benefit’ of that cash vs. the loss of the Scott on the field, this season. Shame but I guess that’s progress.

What if it’s a hole in a patio??!!

I know the money will be good and all that, but he’s going to leave a hell of a hole in our team that’s going to be very hard to replace…

I still think we have a mid-table championship squad. I think, bar Scott, the academy players coming through are not at top 6 levels, yet. Some may never be. Still too many key players that are inconsistent, despite glimpses of real quality. Can a core of our players improve that consistency week in week out to the level required for a play-off push? Wells, James, Weimann, Williams, Atkinson, Cornick? To be seen. They will need to. Recruitment? We will need 4 or 5 'ready to go' signings - not just signings like Tanner, Wilson, Mehmeti where they need time to get to the level. Even then, with say Cornick, who came from this level, there are no guarantees of immediate impact - so we need to spend very, very well. I will remain cautiously optimistic - the pieces may just fall into place if we spend well - as with Semenyo leaving, Scott leaving will be huge, levels wise IMO - but I look at the core of the squad and for me, we need to see improvements from a lot of them if you want to talk top 6, can enough of them do that? We'll see. "On his day...X is a top 6 player" isn't really good enough. We need consistency.

Firstly I’m still in the ‘Too early to judge’ camp on Cornick. Thought he had a decent second half last night, however early signs haven’t been ideal. But secondly - I think there’s a difference between slagging players off/scapegoating them and analysing/discussing when they’re not playing well or not having a good game. I think people sometimes get the two mixed up and in a performance based sport where every run and touch is analysed, I think it’s OK to talk about when a player isn’t playing well, within a context.