Short term or Long term planning needed?

[Flagon]

When Cotts took over we were struggling badly.

A few loan signings and he eventually got us playing how he wanted, staved off relegation and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The squad got stripped back and he recruited players into his philosophy, letting go of some of the loans along the way who were evidently stop gaps brought in to save us.

Alot has been made by Cotts of the success of recruiting early that summer and getting the squad to really gel and clearly buy in to his philosophy.

We now find ourselves in a similar difficult position but in a higher division, albeit with a squad where you really can't fault their efforts, and a squad that is already Cotts. So do we now find stop gaps again to save us on a short term basis or recruit with a more long term view?

Much has been made of picking off the current cream of League One, probably attainable and these would likely be long term. Would they really be any better in the long term though? They could bring with them a bit of confidence and fresh optimism but once settled would we be in danger of starting to load the squad up again with more players that don't cut it in this league.

Going the short term route we may pay up slightly more for the prospect of getting a player with proven ability at this level and then letting them go while we again breath a collective sigh of relief and face rebuilding over the summer, hopefully alot quicker.

In either scenario whoever comes in is going to have to slot straight in and hit the ground running possibly into a high pressure game against Preston on the Tuesday night and then a really tough one against Boro on the Saturday. If they aren't in by then the following games could be even more pressure depending on those results and those around us. 

I can see us trying to get Bennett permanently or at least rest of season which would be a good start but how to plan from there? It's a pivotal month which could impact us for some time good or bad, particularly if Cotts went aswell as that would be a big upheaval. 

[Davefevs]

I would like some of whatever business we do to be done ahead of the PNE game.  That is a game that is more winnable on paper than some of the other.  Not suggesting it is a definite 3 points....we've only done that 4 times this season!

Gonna be a lot of Internet screen refreshing over the next month!

[beaverface]

Of course, one of the downsides of doing business in the January transfer window is exactly the OP suggested, players need to hit the ground running.

If we are looking to bring in nearly half a team (6) who'll start, then will they be familiar with our tactics and formation, or will they be used to playing all different kinds of formations?

You can guarantee that if you bring in six players, not all of them will be familiar with what we're asking them to do, and they're probably not going to be match fit in some instances, which makes this transfer window a gamble.

Unfortunately we've we only got ourselves to blame, and it's a case of damned if we do and damned if we don't !!

[Spoons]

unfortunately for me its short term(ie keep us up signings!) . To be fair I've given SC some stick recently but when he first joined us we were near bottom of league 1 and he used the January transfer window well. Hopefully he can do the same again!

[Inactive user]

Both. 

[Bar BS3]

We need a short term fix but with a long term plan in mind. (The summer) 

we HAVE to stay up. Going down would be disastrous. 

Pay the right people what they want to come here to the end of the season and rebuild then. 

It's far from ideal but it's vital. 

[1960maaan]

Pretty much agree with the above. Short term , vital we stay up so maybe pay over the odds for some short term experience to bolster the squad. Then when () we stay up some serious young talent to  rebuild the squad in the summer.

But really I'd just like to see a sign of planning, any sign ! any sign at all 

[redsapper]

Let's all remember that the club still need to keep an eye on both!

We need to sign some experence but we may need to break the plan (and bank) if a good player wants a longer contract we will just have to go for it. If stories on hear are to be believed this has Cost us players in the past!

[YorkshireSection]

We need players who can play a 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 and a manager who is familiar with winning from the back.

I didn't care for GJ much but he shore up our defence and in that magnificent season we did well not to concede so many goals (luck in part). If we'd leaked as many goals as SC team and scored the frugal amount we did, then we'd have not come anywhere near the play offs.

We need a SPINE to our team, we need quality through the middle, a commanding keeper, a man to hold the ball up who is athletic if not huge and we need some proper quality in midfield to partner Smith, without that we will get relegated.

Everyone has their limitations in life and SC has reached his at BCFC, we need a manger who can attract good quality loanees, experienced free transfers and someone who can build this club, because short term and long SC isn't the man who's going to establish us as play off contenders or even a team that pushes for promotion in a few years off. 

Le Sagrada Familia will be the most impressive cathedral in the world when it's finally finished but was impossible to finish in one stage, much like City establishing ourselves at this level, it may take a few managers to improve us little by little, it may take one but it certainly requires a man with a plan a,b and c if needed a man who realises the club is bigger than himself, a man willing to admit my work here is done and I gave it my best shot.

Of course as ever we will learn the hard way, get relegated, lose our best players and go through several managers trying to get to where we were at the start of the season, it's so predictable that forgive me if I am totally wrong, I've just seen it so many times it's becoming a bit farcical, all that's changed in the 35 years I've watch us is the seats are now a little more comfortable and we have a ground that wouldn't look out of place in the top tier.

Ive not given up but due to ill health and relocation it's time to let the unneeded stress out of my life and chose my games wisely (geographically). If none of the above happen then we've got one hope and that's there being 3 worse teams than us when it comes down to the crunch, we need to act fast and **** the budget, losing to the gas next year is not an option, as much as playing them is.