Our Best Summer Recruitment... Ever?

[The Journalist]

As we head into December perched at the top of the League One table, I've been thinking a lot about our summer recruitment and wondering if, as a club, we have ever recruited more effectively during a close season. A big claim, but hear me out...

 

I'm hardly unearthing one of life's great secrets when I say this, but Steve Cotterill and Keith Burt really did do an absolutely magnificent job this summer, firstly settling on a system they'd like us to play and secondly identifying and bringing in players to play to fit that system.

 

I fairly recently read Brian Clough's autobiography - no, don't worry, I'm not about to start comparing our manager with 'Old Big Head' - and one of the things that really struck me about the way he went about building successful teams was the simplicity with which he identified what areas needed strengthening, always starting with the spine of the side, and then how he went about doing it.

 

It's staggering how much money gets wasted by managers at the top of the tree, Arsene Wenger, Brendan Rodgers and Louis Van Gaal to name but three, bringing in marquee signings galore but failing to actually create a successful unit from back to front. It's proof that resources alone can't create a good side.

 

Take Luke Ayling, for example, a fine right-back throughout his career but signed only after we'd already brought Mark Little into the club in that very position. It was a transfer that was welcomed, but still had plenty of us wondering how it'd fit together. As it happens, those two have since formed a partnership down our right-hand side for other managers to envy and, defensively and offensively, they have worked together brilliantly since day one.

 

In the centre of midfield too, an area of the field for far too long we've all been crying out for some quality, some energy, but most importantly some experience and know-how. As it was, we signed a 35-year-old who's spent the majority of his career in the top two tiers and a 23-year-old who'd already enjoyed a season captaining a side in our division. Two signings later, our midfield is packed with leadership, it's packed with quality, and subsequently I wouldn't swap them for any other central pairing in the league.

 

And finally up top, the one department that needed the most drastic repair work in the face of losing our 20-goal striker and skipper Sam Baldock. In his place came a younger player, in Kieran Agard, who'd already proved himself in front of goal at this level last season but would offer the pace and directness that Baldock wasn't able to. Then there was Aaron Wilbraham, the journeyman, the carthorse, yet the player who would prove so many of us wrong and, even without his goals, whose link-up play would actually make more of a difference to the way we attack than any other player brought in this summer.

 

All of that and I've still not mentioned Luke Freeman, the one who continues to catch my eye more than any other in our team and who I maintain is as good a natural footballer as we've had in recent years - and, given his reading of the game, I actually include JET in that too.

 

And so that brings me back round to the original question - have we ever recruited more effectively during a close season, all to the backdrop of a tidy little profit made from the sale of our star player?

 

Because I reckon if we can do something similar, albeit to a lesser scale, in January and add numbers to the quality we already posses in our squad this league is ours.

[Glyn Rileys Mullet]

Excellent post and I would add that it is the mentality of these players that have improved the team ethos.

If we are to move on to challenge in the higher leagues I wonder what areas we would look to improve?

[Red Exile]

[Strawberry2157.]

Spot on from the OP, every player was brought in to play a certain way, in a certain position and as Matt Smith said last night, there are no ego's in the dressing room. Ayling & Freeman have already made a point of saying this is the best team spirit they've ever been part of.

 

Sheffield united fans summed us up on the first day, they bought quantity, we've bought quality.

[Spike]

I agree fully but my concerns are with the ages, Wilbraham and Elliott are great but how many seasons do they have left in them? Can they play Championship football next season if we make it there? At some point we need to replace them, it's a concern we've bought older players and they're key players in our team, it's one thing to get promoted but it's another to replace key players in the infant stages of being in a new league.

That said I think Elliott can play at Championship level next season which gives us an extra season to replace, Wilbraham I'm not so sure he'd cope with the step up but I'm willing to be proven wrong.

[cityexile]

Good post.

In terms of players bought, looking at them one by one, probably not. All good players, but with the exception of Freeman, no one signing made me think 'wow'.

As an exercise in team building, buying players in against a clear vision of the job they needed to do, in a defined style of play, I cannot think of better in my time. The management team take huge credit for that.

[extonsred]

I agree fully but my concerns are with the ages, Wilbraham and Elliott are great but how many seasons do they have left in them? Can they play Championship football next season if we make it there? At some point we need to replace them, it's a concern we've bought older players and they're key players in our team, it's one thing to get promoted but it's another to replace key players in the infant stages of being in a new league.

That said I think Elliott can play at Championship level next season which gives us an extra season to replace, Wilbraham I'm not so sure he'd cope with the step up but I'm willing to be proven wrong.

Really find this post rather strange -- before getting down to reading it I was about to post that the most exciting thing about this team is the young average age of the squad -- we all seem to think they will just get better and better and in fact if we go up I see no reason why we should need too many extra signings as most will cope in the Championship.

Having said that yes Elliot and Wilbs are older -- but boy are they needed not just for their play but also for their influence -- you cannot play as we have played without a couple of older heads and some experience. They will both be questionable next season -- but they can be replaced but from our current team there will be some who will up their game and I have no doubt SC will see the need  -- his record so far speaks for itself!!

[RedorDead BCFC]

Good post.

In terms of players bought, looking at them one by one, probably not. All good players, but with the exception of Freeman, no one signing made me think 'wow'.

As an exercise in team building, buying players in against a clear vision of the job they needed to do, in a defined style of play, I cannot think of better in my time. The management team take huge credit for that.

Like you I thought who are these on the others, but boy have they proved me wrong. Korey Smith to me being the signing of the season.

But it's not just the signings, it's players like Flint who looked completely out of depth last season under SoD and when he was injured so soon into Cott's reign I thought his time could be up. To me he seems the player to listen to what's expected of him and does just what the manager wants him to do.

Fielding ok made an error last night that could of led to a goal but his confidence is improving and now starting to come out and catch the ball at corners etc. Just needs to either score with the long boot outs of his or just calm them down a bit, but his distribution is improving. Anyone remember last season 90th minute losing and him taking an age to kick the ball. Think Cotts has given him the confidence and relies on him.

Joe Bryan just gets better and better.

None of us would of picked a team without JET at the beginning of this season (and I'm one who's never been over impressed with him) but would of still picked him.

Think we are actually getting a team which for the past few years we've just had players. Concerened about Elliott as I think he's going to be the biggest miss as he's approaching the time in his career to end soon. Hope he stays to train the others to just at least have his attitude and desire to win.

[The Red Planet]

Good post.

 

Watching the game last night, I said to my mate that (without exception) all the summer signings have been superb and picking them all to join us is further evidence that we now have a superb management team in place.

 

I also said that I thought this current side is better than the squad GJ took to Wembley.

 

Admittedly the performance last night was against what I thought was the worst opposition I have seen all season and it is still early days yet, but if we keep this standard up, we are going to end the season as champions.

[CiderJar]

Meanwhile, this is what is currently happening to our "best ever" summer signing

[chinapig]

Very good post. Steve is a man  with a plan alright, not just a case of signing player x because he's good but fitting players into a structure. Karl Robinson made an interesting point about Ayling and Williams not being typical centre halves but more like full backs so opponents are not able to isolate them, plus  that they are good at stepping into midfield, giviing us a man advantage. Steve went on to stress that we really do play 3, not 5, at the back. It struck me that our wing backs are more like wingers who defend than full backs who attack when he said that and that was clearly a key point in his planning.

 

Some regarded Steve as a tactical dinosaur when he arrived and maybe more so when he introduced 3-5-2, which had long been unfashionable. Yet lo and behold it worked and then we saw teams using it at the World Cup (I claim no cause and effect mind you!). The recruitment of Little and Ayling, and the positional change for Bryan, were clearly intended to fill key positions with players better suited to the system. The strenghening of the 3 midfield positions completed the plan, and lining up Agard to replace Baldock a further sign of meticulous planning.

 

This man is no country bumpkin but a deep thinker about the game on the evidence so far.

[GrahamC]

 

Some regarded Steve as a tactical dinosaur when he arrived and maybe more so when he introduced 3-5-2, which had long been unfashionable. Yet lo and behold it worked and then we saw teams using it at the World Cup (I claim no cause and effect mind you!). The recruitment of Little and Ayling, and the positional change for Bryan, were clearly intended to fill key positions with players better suited to the system. The strenghening of the 3 midfield positions completed the plan, and lining up Agard to replace Baldock a further sign of meticulous planning.

 

This man is no country bumpkin but a deep thinker about the game on the evidence so far.

Absolutely this.

Let's all think of this on Wednesday when we reach the anniversary of his appointment.

Personally I think the summer of '89 which saw Gary Shelton, Dave Rennie and Dave Smith arrive to form three quarters of our best midfield since the first division days was pretty special in recruitment terms.

[The Gasbuster]

[downendcity]

So we have brought in players to fit a system of play.

 

We have brought in young players with potential to improve and enhance sell on value if we can't hold on to them.

 

We have mixed some experience in with the young players.

 

Were developing the ground to help make the club stand on it's own feet financially.

 

I hate to suggest this, but it does sound like a good bit of the much maligned five pillars is actually working. Who'd have  thought it would take an unfancied country bumpkin to bring it all together on the pitch?

[sglosbcfc]

Best summer of signings in the thirty two years that I have been a City supporter.

[Aizoon]

[The Journalist]

I agree fully but my concerns are with the ages, Wilbraham and Elliott are great but how many seasons do they have left in them? Can they play Championship football next season if we make it there? At some point we need to replace them, it's a concern we've bought older players and they're key players in our team, it's one thing to get promoted but it's another to replace key players in the infant stages of being in a new league.

That said I think Elliott can play at Championship level next season which gives us an extra season to replace, Wilbraham I'm not so sure he'd cope with the step up but I'm willing to be proven wrong.

 

Not too sure I share those concerns, personally.

 

When you measure the resale value of the seven players we brought in during the summer against our outlay in signing them (and for the freebies I'll bear in mind signing-on fees), I'd say Elliott is actually the only one who, if we were to sell all of them in January, wouldn't bring in a margin of profit. From seven signings I think that's a remarkable record, and one I can't ever recall us being able to boast half way through a season before.

 

Good post.

In terms of players bought, looking at them one by one, probably not. All good players, but with the exception of Freeman, no one signing made me think 'wow'.

As an exercise in team building, buying players in against a clear vision of the job they needed to do, in a defined style of play, I cannot think of better in my time. The management team take huge credit for that.

 

This sums it up perfectly. If you're given money to spend, I actually really don't think signing good players is rocket science. Anyone who watches League One football every week could rattle off half a dozen quality players in this division.

 

The skill is in signing good players who actually fit into what you want to do.

 

It might sound daft but, even going back to the Premier League managers I referenced in my initial post, there's far too many bosses and directors of football who are good at building a quality squad, but incapable of building a quality team.

[jambodinho]

Remember the excitement when we brought in Marcus Stewart and Michael Bridges! Or when steve coppell arrived with Nicky Hunt, David James, Albert, and Kalifa Cisse. What expensive flops all bar Albert turned out to be.

[Chappers]

What I have liked is that we have signed players in positions that need strengthening, not just added 'clubs to the bag' for the sake of it.

[Kid in the Riot]

Very good post. Steve is a man  with a plan alright, not just a case of signing player x because he's good but fitting players into a structure. Karl Robinson made an interesting point about Ayling and Williams not being typical centre halves but more like full backs so opponents are not able to isolate them, plus  that they are good at stepping into midfield, giviing us a man advantage. Steve went on to stress that we really do play 3, not 5, at the back. It struck me that our wing backs are more like wingers who defend than full backs who attack when he said that and that was clearly a key point in his planning.

 

Some regarded Steve as a tactical dinosaur when he arrived and maybe more so when he introduced 3-5-2, which had long been unfashionable. Yet lo and behold it worked and then we saw teams using it at the World Cup (I claim no cause and effect mind you!). The recruitment of Little and Ayling, and the positional change for Bryan, were clearly intended to fill key positions with players better suited to the system. The strenghening of the 3 midfield positions completed the plan, and lining up Agard to replace Baldock a further sign of meticulous planning.

 

This man is no country bumpkin but a deep thinker about the game on the evidence so far.

 

I'm not even sure we play with 3 at the back! Ayling and Williams aren't shy in getting forward. In reality it's only Flint who sits back and doesn't venture past the halfway line (set pieces aside)

 

A lot of the time you don't need 3 central defenders (particularly at home) as they're matched up against 1 or 2 strikers and so you have a defender or two doing nothing. But that's where our 3-5-2 works because Ayling or Williams simply, in effect, join the midfield.

[Ian M]

Absolutely this.

Let's all think of this on Wednesday when we reach the anniversary of his appointment.

Personally I think the summer of '89 which saw Gary Shelton, Dave Rennie and Dave Smith arrive to form three quarters of our best midfield since the first division days was pretty special in recruitment terms.

Don't know if its been posted elsewhere but Steve has now had a full season worth of League games since taking charge and has amassed 82 points from those 46 games. Quite incredible when you take into consideration that many at the time still thought relegation to league 2 was a real possibility with the squad he inherited.

P46 W22 D16 L8 GD+26 Pts82

[I am the mole]

['Orns]

Great post, Journalist

 

I really don't see how the summer could have gone any better for us. Every signing has made an impact, most of it was done in plenty of time, think Agard was the only late one, but we all know the reasoning behind that

 

I made a real point of watching Wilbraham on Friday night. That man is amazing, the job he does for the team is immense. I wasn't overjoyed when he signed, although I always see the benefit of having an experienced striker up front. He is so intelligent, the space he creates for his team mates, his positioning - everything about him is bang on. Watched the game with a Swindon fan, apparently they were in for AW too, after watching that performance he was gutted they didn't get him

 

They were all fantastic on Friday night, as good a team performance that I've seen in my time (25 years), they had the swagger and confidence of the great team that Jordan used to be able to put out. Solid in defence, pace down the wings and goalscorers up front. JJs team has been my favourite for too long now, it's about time that another came along and took their place. We may be seeing that now with this squad

[Simon79]

It is probably the best summer of signings I can remember. Certainly with the amount of signings and how they have all gelled so quickly. Not one bad signing so far IMO. I do think cotterill's timing into the job couldn't of been much better though. I mean we couldn't get any lower and last summer seemed to clear the decks of the big earners that seemed to tie the hands of a few managers. But credit to Cotterill, because you have still got to find the right player, then convince them to come and then gel a team. Something he has done as good as any manager in my time of watching City.

[ciderbeans]

People stating we will miss elliot, I just saw us destroy peterborough without him. Pack was very good, smith and freeman outstanding. Aside from that, we do have reid who will get better with regular game time on loan. It will be an easier transition than people think. It's wilbrahams experience, determination, composure and influence that will be missed up front. Would be doing well to replace him