Mr Mosquito Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 .....whether we stay up or go down Steve Lansdown - as the de facto leader of this football club - needs to sit down with Del and Doc and work out what players we need to do well next season. Del and Doc need to be given decent transfer funds as we're up against clubs that have spent far more than us and have squads of decent players. It was amazing how we managed a 0-0 away draw at West Ham earlier this season given that the players at West Ham must be worth over £30 miliion on the tranfer market. It's all very well us blaming the manager for ineptitudes with substitutions and formations but he hasn't exactly got many star players to work with that can turn a game in our favour. It was the same for Millen and Wigley earlier this season - but remember that they were able to bring in Steve Caulker to help save us last season. Coventry today and we need a win to help send them down into the Div 1 dustbin and to keep us up. It need not have been this way if the club had been run and managed better over the past few seasons. Come on you Redzzzz !!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screech Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 You're not wrong, I would just add that Lansdowns directive should also include making room for academy products to come through into the first team when there is an opportunity to do so, for this he needs to have a smaller squad of more quality players rather than our large squad of similar limited ability. Far too often in the past we have looked elsewhere for a fix completely ignoring our own youth. They will never improve unless they are given games at the level we require them to be at. Often players when given the chance are at first, like a fish out of water but will improve more rapidly once they know the standard required, I don't see why our youth have not been given small cameos of 15-20 minutes at a time. A classic example of stifling progress would be the fact we have loaned a centre half from Cardiff that hasn't been involved at all so far, that's just throwing money away for the sake of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaverface Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Personally, Is like us to try and score more goals. Too many times in the last few seasons we've had terrible goal differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaverface Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Personally, Is like us to try and score more goals. Too many times in the last few seasons we've had terrible goal differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mosquito Posted April 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 You're not wrong, I would just add that Lansdowns directive should also include making room for academy products to come through into the first team when there is an opportunity to do so, for this he needs to have a smaller squad of more quality players rather than our large squad of similar limited ability. Far too often in the past we have looked elsewhere for a fix completely ignoring our own youth. They will never improve unless they are given games at the level we require them to be at. Often players when given the chance are at first, like a fish out of water but will improve more rapidly once they know the standard required, I don't see why our youth have not been given small cameos of 15-20 minutes at a time. A classic example of stifling progress would be the fact we have loaned a centre half from Cardiff that hasn't been involved at all so far, that's just throwing money away for the sake of it. Academy product Joe Bryan did well for us against Leicester but I haven't seen him play for us since. Maybe now is not the time to blood academy 'starlets' now we're staring relegation in the face at this late stage in the season. My main points are that we'll get a full house today against Coventry but for all the wrong PR reasons - it's a relegation scrap and home adult prices have been reduced to £10 to get our disillusioned POTD support back. We need a win to help send Coventry down and to keep us up. It need not have been this way if the club had been run and managed better over the past few seasons. Too much effort has gone into what should be secondary projects like the Community Trust and New Stadium project and not enough effort into strengthening the mainstay of this football club - i.e. the first team players and thus our Championship status. Remember that Watford recently beat us at home with about 6 of their academy players - how many of ours could we field from our failing BCFC academy? There's still hope but not as much as there should have been had this club been run properly. We could have been going for promotion today !!!! Anyway, Come on you Redzzzz !!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mosquito Posted April 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Personally, Is like us to try and score more goals. Too many times in the last few seasons we've had terrible goal differences. I've noticed our players often being too nervous to shoot on sight. By the time they've farted around trying to find a player in a better position or to get in a better position themselves they've been closed down by the opposition with the shooting opportunity lost. That's down to coaching and confidence in ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex#40 Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 As mentioned above the main focus this summer has got be finding a way to score more goals. That doesn't necessarily mean signing strikers and wingers, more making us more creative in the centre of the park and making sure our backbone is strong enough to allow us to commit more players forward in attack without fear that we'll get cut open at the back. The addition of McManus and Bikey on a permenant basis with Fontaine and Wilson would give us that. Through in a couple of solid full backs (be that Joe Edwards/Ribero or signings) and with Cisse in front of them it would allow Mr Creative Midfielder and the 2 wingers to "attack, attack, attack" with the TWO strikers. With the clearout that is coming this is possible while also reducing the wage bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Should City avoid the dreaded drop then this coming summer will indeed be a crucial time with so many players out of contract. A big plus will be that McInnes will have gained enough experience of the Championship to have a good idea of what he'll need in terms of quality players to be strong enough to be a force next season. The obvious negative part of any team re-building is getting new players to gel which as we know doesn't always happen easily but bringing in experienced players would help reduce the risk and experinced players cost more. The exodus of so many fringe players will free up some dosh but it won't be enough to bring in the type of quality and experience that City so desperately need and Steve Lansdown will have to get his wallet out if City are to avoid another dire season like this one. I've no doubt he will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperRed Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 The addition of McManus and Bikey on a permenant basis In my opinion those two are exactly the sort of signings we should be avoiding. High wages, no resale value and nearing the end of their careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCAGFC Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Think Del really has to look at what we need and I think he should have a good idea by now. Our scoring record from set pieces is abysmal, so I would say players that can attack a ball in the air, also a couple of free kick specialists. Obviously a new speedy LB, a couple of strong CBs & a couple of creative midfield players who are actually comfortable on the ball and can pass to a teammate rather than the opposition. And a couple of pacy strikers.............................in other words................a completely new squad. BCAGFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex#40 Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 In my opinion those two are exactly the sort of signings we should be avoiding. High wages, no resale value and nearing the end of their careers. But at exactly the same time exactly the sort of player we've been missing since Shaun Taylor. We're too nice and too weak and have been for years. I think you're more likely to get a cheaper, younger creative midfielder and full back than you are a leader at the back. I would be disappointed if we didn't sign one or the other of these two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gasbuster Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Personally, Is like us to try and score more goals. Too many times in the last few seasons we've had terrible goal differences. This is the crux of the problem. For the last three seasons; week on week the opposition goalkeeper has had very little to do. Poor creativity* = few goal chances = few strikes on goal = few goals. (* since Paul Hartley left) We don't batter teams. When we win, it is usually by the odd goal. Hence the manager (whoever he may be), never has the chance to take risks. We need to beat some teams 3-0, 4-0. When in these positions, the manager can take risks, and give some youngsters 20 mins at the end of a game. This would lift the crowd as well; we all love to see young players playing with abandon (more so if local Bristol lads). Let's hope for better next season, whicever division we are in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Exile Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Think Del really has to look at what we need and I think he should have a good idea by now. Our scoring record from set pieces is abysmal, so I would say players that can attack a ball in the air, also a couple of free kick specialists. Obviously a new speedy LB, a couple of strong CBs & a couple of creative midfield players who are actually comfortable on the ball and can pass to a teammate rather than the opposition. And a couple of pacy strikers.............................in other words................a completely new squad. BCAGFC Well said...if a little challenging! But let's face it...almost anyone reading this forum a year ago could have agreed on where the weaknesses were in the current squad...you've summarised them nicely!! Quite how anyone thought that Millen's trivial tinkering was going to build a squad that could compete successfully in the Championship is beyond me. But there were people on here - and clearly people in the highest position at Ashton Gate - who believed that that was all that was needed and who were quite happy for Millen to start the season with the players he had. So whilst I agree that we need to add competition in more or less every position I have less faith than some that Lansdown will fund it. Let's hope that McInnes has the strength to insist on the investment necessary to compete - whichever division we find ourselves in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillybuk Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 It would be nice if neither us nor Coventry went down but we do really need a win today .... a draw is the minimum but if we win today and forest don't we could put them right into the relegation mix ..... however I truly believe it will be either coventry or city that go down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Think Del really has to look at what we need and I think he should have a good idea by now. Our scoring record from set pieces is abysmal, so I would say players that can attack a ball in the air, also a couple of free kick specialists. Obviously a new speedy LB, a couple of strong CBs & a couple of creative midfield players who are actually comfortable on the ball and can pass to a teammate rather than the opposition. And a couple of pacy strikers.............................in other words................a completely new squad. I know you've posted that in jest but you aren't too far from the actual facts. Elliot and Skuse have been part of a poor team for too long, so any manager would have to look at those two. City haven't had enough midfield creativity for ages and they are not the answer. Kilkenny is too slow on the ball. Cisse is about the only reliable midfielder but is best used defensively. Up top is about the only part of the team that is relatively strong. Stead is useful enough and Pitman with proper service would score loads of goals. Wood is he signs is also proven as a goalscorer. At Brum in a decent team he bagged 10 goals. Defensively Carey is past it. Fontaine is handy but McAllister is also past it. Foster is versatile and worth his place in one of three different position. Imo City need at least two center backs, two full backs, two/three midfilelders and another left winger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Montana Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 In my opinion those two are exactly the sort of signings we should be avoiding. High wages, no resale value and nearing the end of their careers. If a players good enough, then why would you want to sell him on in the first place? Bikey is a class player, and at age 27, is probably only just in his prime for a centre-back. He was also part of the Reading squad who were unlucky not to qualify for the Europa league in their first season of the Premier League, whilst playing decent football, keeping the ball on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepy1968 Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 We need to beat some teams 3-0, 4-0. When in these positions, the manager can take risks, and give some youngsters 20 mins at the end of a game. We'd probably need to drop two levels to do that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiale Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Well we should have a lot of wages free up soon if we are willing to not offer a lot of new contracts - some 15-20 squad places free. I would be happy for us to get 4-5 quality players in as a core, and get some decent/good players from league 1/2 (and our own academy players) to fill the rest of the squad and bench. Put good players alongside quality pros for a season will raise their game enough for us to be competitive. With 3rd choice option for positions being our own academy players - and yes I do believe that if they are not good enough to be our 3rd choice cover for a position then we may as well let them go and save wasting our time and money coaching/paying them for another year or two to just see them wander of to Bath or Exeter. We can then add where we see fit and hope we can also start producing and blooding our own players to either play or sale and fund yet more players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antman Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 .....whether we stay up or go down Steve Lansdown - as the de facto leader of this football club - needs to sit down with Del and Doc and work out what players we need to do well next season. Del and Doc need to be given decent transfer funds as we're up against clubs that have spent far more than us and have squads of decent players. It was amazing how we managed a 0-0 away draw at West Ham earlier this season given that the players at West Ham must be worth over £30 miliion on the tranfer market. It's all very well us blaming the manager for ineptitudes with substitutions and formations but he hasn't exactly got many star players to work with that can turn a game in our favour. It was the same for Millen and Wigley earlier this season - but remember that they were able to bring in Steve Caulker to help save us last season. Coventry today and we need a win to help send them down into the Div 1 dustbin and to keep us up. It need not have been this way if the club had been run and managed better over the past few seasons. Come on you Redzzzz !!!!!! Mr Goblin, you are right - whilst we of course appreciate all that SL has done, it is his comparative hesitation in making funds available, and frankly questionable appointments that have led us to this point. my worry is that Del boys signings this term have been less than brilliant - foster is an average, and woods has been in and out of the team - not the surefire foundations we'd hoped for. Steve Lansdown should take a long hard look at his involvement and make his mind up - it's the saying 'how do you make a small fortune in football? - start with a big one' thats never been more true, but does Steve have the magic touch in football that he demonstrated in business? so frequently it's not the case. strange decisions abound - giving his inexperienced son the GM job, what was that all about? the frustrations of Ashton Vale have played a huge part I'm sure, but his now public involvement with the rugby club must ask questions about his ambition at City.(I hope i'm wrong here) anyway, he absolutely needs a serious sweep through the club wether we stay up or not meanwhile, while the cynic inside is braced for glorious disappointment ! the headless optimist will be there this afternoon - hoping we show some better form & consistency than we have recently! i don't care how we win, blood and thunder, or silky passing, i just want a bloody win! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyRed Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 It's all very well knowing what players are needed and in what positions, but the difficulty is not only identifying any player that may fit the bill, but getting them to sign in the first place. There is no way on this earth that so many players of the right quality and price will be found during the summer break, so some of the out-of-contract players will have to be re-signed or we won't have a squad at all... The knack and the quality of the manager will decided by whom he chooses to let go and whom he keeps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCAGFC Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 As we need a major overhaul in the summer & we aren't going to have a massive budget to work with (whatever division we are in), I would try and snatch the best players from L1 & L2.....there are quite a few who could make the step up IMO. Trouble is, Delboy looks like he will be concentrating his focus in Scotland, no problem with that as long as he targets the best, players like McCarthy & McArthur (Wigan), Allan (WBA), Conway (Baaardiff) etc, etc..... Falkirk seem to always produce decent players as well. BCAGFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-Robbo Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Defensively Carey is past it. Fontaine is handy but McAllister is also past it. Foster is versatile and worth his place in one of three different position. That would be Carey who has been our best defender this season would it? I don't expect him to play throughout 2012/13 but if he can keep his fitness up and give us performances similar to the one at Forest, he's worth another year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brizzle Jordan Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Should City avoid the dreaded drop then this coming summer will indeed be a crucial time with so many players out of contract. A big plus will be that McInnes will have gained enough experience of the Championship to have a good idea of what he'll need in terms of quality players to be strong enough to be a force next season. The obvious negative part of any team re-building is getting new players to gel which as we know doesn't always happen easily but bringing in experienced players would help reduce the risk and experinced players cost more. The exodus of so many fringe players will free up some dosh but it won't be enough to bring in the type of quality and experience that City so desperately need and Steve Lansdown will have to get his wallet out if City are to avoid another dire season like this one. I've no doubt he will. Cardiff had to re-build a new squad and they haven't done too shabby, this gives me a bit of hope that it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucksred Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Buying players of established Championship Quality, would be a good start, and hangin on the few we already have, IF we survive. If not then he needs to find the gems cheaply, which wont be easy..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Cardiff had to re-build a new squad and they haven't done too shabby, this gives me a bit of hope that it can be done. They did and as you say they've done ok but that's not alwawys the case. Look at the Gas when Penny took over. A whole new squad and they struggled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mosquito Posted April 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 It's all very well knowing what players are needed and in what positions, but the difficulty is not only identifying any player that may fit the bill, but getting them to sign in the first place. There is no way on this earth that so many players of the right quality and price will be found during the summer break, so some of the out-of-contract players will have to be re-signed or we won't have a squad at all... The knack and the quality of the manager will decided by whom he chooses to let go and whom he keeps... After the superb and well deserved victory against Coventry today - and if we stay up - if I were Steve Lansdown I'd really push the boat out by giving Del and Doc a few tens of £millions for a serious promotion challenge for next season. Bikey was immense today in central defence and I'd certainly look at bringing him into the squad for next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Youell Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Said Red Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 I know you've posted that in jest but you aren't too far from the actual facts. Elliot and Skuse have been part of a poor team for too long, so any manager would have to look at those two. City haven't had enough midfield creativity for ages and they are not the answer. Kilkenny is too slow on the ball. Cisse is about the only reliable midfielder but is best used defensively. Up top is about the only part of the team that is relatively strong. Stead is useful enough and Pitman with proper service would score loads of goals. Wood is he signs is also proven as a goalscorer. At Brum in a decent team he bagged 10 goals. Defensively Carey is past it. Fontaine is handy but McAllister is also past it. Foster is versatile and worth his place in one of three different position. Imo City need at least two center backs, two full backs, two/three midfilelders and another left winger. Surely we have to be careful with those sort of mass changes though? Look at what happened at Rovers a young manager who has done well at the level they are at, brings in a dozen new players and people expect them to gel immediately. That worked didn't it? Like I have said on other posts there are players with attributes we need within the squad, they need to indoctrinated into the Managers philosophy and need to build their confidence, yes we need some strengthening and will lose some players OOC, but nucleus of a squad is there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Cardiff had to re-build a new squad and they haven't done too shabby, this gives me a bit of hope that it can be done. To be fair, they were starting from a position of strength- they were a regular playoff side which means easier to attract players, dare say they had a bigger budget than us too. It's a big opportunity however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 After the superb and well deserved victory against Coventry today - and if we stay up - if I were Steve Lansdown I'd really push the boat out by giving Del and Doc a few tens of £millions for a serious promotion challenge for next season. Bikey was immense today in central defence and I'd certainly look at bringing him into the squad for next season. Would be nice, however FFP and that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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