Perplexed

[Ivorguy]

Reading the current crop of threads the main theme is how perplexed we are at this almost halfway stage of the season.

Perplexed over how our encouraging start has stuttered to a halt

Perplexed how players recruited in the summer can't  get in the team on a permanent basis

Perplexed at the failure of a number of established players to improve

Perplexed that simple soccer skills, e.g. The taking of corners, do not seem to be able to be coached

Perplexed that the goalkeeping coach can't sort out continuing failings of our top two goalies - indeed so bad that one can't even make the bench these days

Perplexed that a multi million pound striker has barely played, even though we are short of strikers

Perplexed that LJ still doesn't know his best 11 or best formation for the players he has at his disposal

Just genuinely perplexed.  I wonder if SL shares our confusion?

 

 

 

[Lanterne Rouge]

9 minutes ago, Ivorguy said:

Reading the current crop of threads the main theme is how perplexed we are at this almost halfway stage of the season.

Perplexed over how our encouraging start has stuttered to a halt

Perplexed how players recruited in the summer can't  get in the team on a permanent basis

Perplexed at the failure of a number of established players to improve

Perplexed that simple soccer skills, e.g. The taking of corners, do not seem to be able to be coached

Perplexed that the goalkeeping coach can't sort out continuing failings of our top two goalies - indeed so bad that one can't even make the bench these days

Perplexed that a multi million pound striker has barely played, even though we are short of strikers

Perplexed that LJ still doesn't know his best 11 or best formation for the players he has at his disposal

Just genuinely perplexed.  I wonder if SL shares our confusion?

 

 

 

Judging by LJ`s new contract it would suggest not.

[Robbored]

Maybe the place to start is to go back to the start of season and try to remember what your expectations were for this current season.

Mine were to be safe as early possible with a mid table finish being perfectly acceptable.

Currently we mid table but obviously not safe yet.

That said - I was expecting there to be peaks and troughs throughout the season and bewilderiment at formations, selections and questions about why player X isn't playing and so on. In other words another season of SBC consolidation.

Like everyone else I get concerned if a trough continues over a number of weeks and City are looking down rather than up. So far that hasn't happened and hopefully won't happen at all.

Its easy to get perplexed when things City related don't seem to make sense but ultimately none of us have worked in the football industry and therefore have to let those employed who are employed in football  let them do their jobs - whether it makes sense to us or not.

 

[Shelton’s Love Gravy]

9 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Maybe the place to start is to go back to the start of season and try to remember what your expectations were for this current season.

Mine were to be safe as early possible with a mid table finish being perfectly acceptable.

Currently we mid table but obviously not safe yet.

That said - I was expecting there to be peaks and troughs throughout the season and bewilderiment at formations, selections and questions about why player X isn't playing and so on. In other words another season of SBC consolidation.

Like everyone else I get concerned if a trough continues over a number of weeks and City are looking down rather than up. So far that hasn't happened and hopefully won't happen at all.

Its easy to get perplexed when things City related don't seem to make sense but ultimately none of us have worked in the football industry and therefore have to let those employed who are employed in football  let them do their jobs - whether it makes sense to us or not.

 

Very sensible words indeed.

Now try this delicious fig relish:-

[Top Robin]

49 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Maybe the place to start is to go back to the start of season and try to remember what your expectations were for this current season.

Mine were to be safe as early possible with a mid table finish being perfectly acceptable.

Currently we mid table but obviously not safe yet.

That said - I was expecting there to be peaks and troughs throughout the season and bewilderiment at formations, selections and questions about why player X isn't playing and so on. In other words another season of SBC consolidation.

Like everyone else I get concerned if a trough continues over a number of weeks and City are looking down rather than up. So far that hasn't happened and hopefully won't happen at all.

Its easy to get perplexed when things City related don't seem to make sense but ultimately none of us have worked in the football industry and therefore have to let those employed who are employed in football  let them do their jobs - whether it makes sense to us or not.

 

Yeh but it's frustrating that we were actually playing pretty good football at the start of the season and were up there and now it's just fizzling out.

If we hadn't had a spell in the top 6 this season it wouldn't be so bad to be mid table but now it feels like we are messing up.

[Davefevs]

Perplexed, is that the plastic glass stuff they use at the top of the Vorms 

[Robbored]

44 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

Yeh but it's frustrating that we were actually playing pretty good football at the start of the season and were up there and now it's just fizzling out.

If we hadn't had a spell in the top 6 this season it wouldn't be so bad to be mid table but now it feels like we are messing up.

Peaks and troughs. The top  six spot was a peak and now one win in five is a bit of a trough.

No reason why City can't get back on a run of results and head up again. It's a cyclothymic process.

The only thing that really matters is where City are after 46 games.

[Davefevs]

It's a tough league, no matter what some say.  I go into each game with optimism, and by the time I've read the opposition squad in the programme, I'm very nervous.  There are some serious quality players in this division.  The reason they are playing at this level is consistency or rather lack of it.  If they turn it on in a game against us, these players can cause us big problems.

We are mid-table, on a downward turn, but capable of quickly turning that around.  We are joint 6th at home this season. Need to keep that going.

[Nogbad the Bad]

3 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

Reading the current crop of threads the main theme is how perplexed we are at this almost halfway stage of the season.

Perplexed over how our encouraging start has stuttered to a halt

Perplexed how players recruited in the summer can't  get in the team on a permanent basis

Perplexed at the failure of a number of established players to improve

Perplexed that simple soccer skills, e.g. The taking of corners, do not seem to be able to be coached

Perplexed that the goalkeeping coach can't sort out continuing failings of our top two goalies - indeed so bad that one can't even make the bench these days

Perplexed that a multi million pound striker has barely played, even though we are short of strikers

Perplexed that LJ still doesn't know his best 11 or best formation for the players he has at his disposal

Just genuinely perplexed.  I wonder if SL shares our confusion?

 

 

 

Interesting post Ivor because you are well known to have been a great supporter of LJ's appointment, and have since constantly urged this forum to share your belief in him.

On the other hand I was against LJ being appointed - though once the appointment was confirmed I stated I would support him - and I'm still waiting to be convinced he will ever take the club forward.

For me it's no more than a hope because I don't see he's established a style of play that would convince me that he either genuinely knows what he's doing, or indeed that he has a real plan to back up his often fine words. Selection seems to be hit and miss, and sometimes changes even turn out to be detrimental.

I think LJ's a good fit as the visible leader of the club in terms of personality and is a pleasant and enthusiastic chap, but I don't share his views on continual ( up until recently) squad rotation, I don't see the high pressing football we were promised, and on many occasions I haven't found games entertaining.

But we're doing OK, extremely unlikely we'll be relegated, and imo. we'll probably finish a couple of places higher than last season. So all reasonably good, some progress, if very little to get excited about.

At the end of the day though, alot of spending and no settled team or tactics has emerged, and have we progressed at all from the end of last season even with 13 new signings? How many more new players do we need, and will the squad be manageable, or increasingly unwieldy and problematical, if he gets them?

If he's the talented coach we were assured he is shouldn't we be seeing more evidence of individual players progressing (rather than constantly anticipating further signings),  and shouldn't we be witnessing a better quality of football, and greater consistency all round?

Is your post an indication that your belief is wavering? If so why? If not, do you still think we should all believe in LJ as someone who will demonstrably take City forward, and if so, what is such a belief based on?

 

 

 

 

 

[Davefevs]

Some good posts here.

We are going through a wobble, and as a result people are questioning their views, and that of Lee.

I said to a mate that I could sit and listen to Lee all day long, his detail, enthusiasm and bringing some of the inside world of football to the outside is a joy.

He will however and must be judged by results on the pitch.  I think we are showing the form of a newly built team, that is young and relatively inexperienced, that is, an inconsistent one.  Even within individual 90 minutes we've been inconsistent.  But there aren't many teams in this division that haven't in fairness.  Of course Lee himself is inexperienced too.

We have played some lovely stuff at times, and although we've had periods in games where it's been turgid, there have been times when it's been like the Alamo.

In fairness I've only been to one away game, and I sense from others that there have been a few dire games / performances.

the club overall is better placed than 12 months ago, and as a Cotts fan, I'm not sure I'd be as positive about our status as I am now.

Lets hope these two games at home provide a bit of a bounce to recent form.

 

[shelts]

4 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

Reading the current crop of threads the main theme is how perplexed we are at this almost halfway stage of the season.

Perplexed over how our encouraging start has stuttered to a halt

Perplexed how players recruited in the summer can't  get in the team on a permanent basis

Perplexed at the failure of a number of established players to improve

Perplexed that simple soccer skills, e.g. The taking of corners, do not seem to be able to be coached

Perplexed that the goalkeeping coach can't sort out continuing failings of our top two goalies - indeed so bad that one can't even make the bench these days

Perplexed that a multi million pound striker has barely played, even though we are short of strikers

Perplexed that LJ still doesn't know his best 11 or best formation for the players he has at his disposal

Just genuinely perplexed.  I wonder if SL shares our confusion?

 

 

 

No 

[Swede]

I think it's a measure of how far we have progressed on and off the field.

At the start of the season aiming for mid table would've seen as being a success by most.

As long as we keep picking up points there will be less pressure on having to get a result as it was against Ipswich which  definately had a bearing on LJ's team selection.

Witness his sigh of relief after the match.

The transfer window can't come soon enough & I expect there to be a few shipped out for experience and a few shipped out end of.

I expect a big money bid for one of our players.

I expect a striker to come in amongst others already identified as we continue to build.

[Rob k]

LJ has already stated that it will take 3 transfer windows to get this right and people are 'perplexed' were not there yet after 1 and unhappy at being 4 points outside the play off positions.

Id have bitten your hand off if offered this posistion at this point of the season in August. 

[Major Isewater]

20 minutes ago, Rob k said:

LJ has already stated that it will take 3 transfer windows to get this right and people are 'perplexed' were not there yet after 1 and unhappy at being 4 points outside the play off positions.

Id have bitten your hand off if offered this posistion at this point of the season in August. 

Another esteemed poster said that as we were in the top six now we appear to be on a slide .

If we'd  started off badly and clawed our way up the table the feeling would be one of a corner being turned and better times to come .

[samo II]

1 hour ago, Rob k said:

LJ has already stated that it will take 3 transfer windows to get this right and people are 'perplexed' were not there yet after 1 and unhappy at being 4 points outside the play off positions.

Id have bitten your hand off if offered this posistion at this point of the season in August. 

Agreed.

Maybe those posters here questioning LJ's ability to push us forward are simply a more ambitious lot than me, but I started the season hoping we would end up around mid table, like where we are now.

To do that we'll likely see a number of lost games, as you don't finish mid table winning the majority of those.

Think we'll finish about where we are, so am not panicking in what is traditionally a panicky time of year for clubs when it comes to managers.

Plenty more time on the board before this season can be truly judged.  A bit premature to make an assessment now for me.

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

Another esteemed poster said that as we were in the top six now we appear to be on a slide .

If we'd  started off badly and clawed our way up the table the feeling would be one of a corner being turned and better times to come .

Yup; my thoughts exactly.

Huddersfield was never going to be an easy game, despite their form; this side shot Blackburn to pieces yet somehow didn't win last week, and have some impressive results behind them already.

Like with Reading; we've gone away to a likely playoff position finishing team and lost - never a good thing, but the way we competed makes me think that the 'return legs' will be close affairs also.

It is a harsh league; every mistake is ruthlessly punished, as Saturday shows, but we are not being blow away every time, like we were repeatedly last season.

As said above; loads more time to go before this campaign is over. 

[shelts]

I'm more than happy with how things are shaping up at BS3. I had no real expectations of how are season would but knew it would be better than last season. Our league is very very tight and a few results either way could throw up a few scenarios . Disappointed by our away form for sure. 

Look forward to s good un against Brentford tomorrow. Keep the faith and believe. 

[Phileas Fogg]

49 minutes ago, Thatch35 said:

Maybe the signings are just not up to it. So far LJ has Tammy to thank that he still has a job.

Parody account 

[Bat Fastard]

Those of you blessed with children will have heard "are we there yet" every time you took them on holiday - this is a bit like that!  Many of the players recruited in the Summer are very young and will take a while to become established Championship players - so we are not there yet, and talk of two transfer windows to get the squad ready for a promotion push, indicates to me that everything should be in place for next season.  Just because we might have a squad to really compete next season does not mean that we can exceed relegated Premier League clubs with big budgets and parachute payments. Nothing is certain in this world!  Are we there yet?  Not yet but soon!

[Ivorguy]

10 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Interesting post Ivor because you are well known to have been a great supporter of LJ's appointment, and have since constantly urged this forum to share your belief in him.

On the other hand I was against LJ being appointed - though once the appointment was confirmed I stated I would support him - and I'm still waiting to be convinced he will ever take the club forward.

For me it's no more than a hope because I don't see he's established a style of play that would convince me that he either genuinely knows what he's doing, or indeed that he has a real plan to back up his often fine words. Selection seems to be hit and miss, and sometimes changes even turn out to be detrimental.

I think LJ's a good fit as the visible leader of the club in terms of personality and is a pleasant and enthusiastic chap, but I don't share his views on continual ( up until recently) squad rotation, I don't see the high pressing football we were promised, and on many occasions I haven't found games entertaining.

But we're doing OK, extremely unlikely we'll be relegated, and imo. we'll probably finish a couple of places higher than last season. So all reasonably good, some progress, if very little to get excited about.

At the end of the day though, alot of spending and no settled team or tactics has emerged, and have we progressed at all from the end of last season even with 13 new signings? How many more new players do we need, and will the squad be manageable, or increasingly unwieldy and problematical, if he gets them?

If he's the talented coach we were assured he is shouldn't we be seeing more evidence of individual players progressing (rather than constantly anticipating further signings),  and shouldn't we be witnessing a better quality of football, and greater consistency all round?

Is your post an indication that your belief is wavering? If so why? If not, do you still think we should all believe in LJ as someone who will demonstrably take City forward, and if so, what is such a belief based on?

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for excellent response to my opening post.

No, I have not lost faith in Lee.  Believe he is a good fit for City.

I, like many others, however, find the questions I raised difficult to understand

Yes, I think we will be midtable at season's end with Lee still in charge and with the third, and last window, opening.  

I am interested to see how Lee deals with the issues raised.  Every confidence he will because he is the most savvy of any manager/head coach we have had in over a 100 years. The test of a good manager/head coach comes when the going gets tough. 

Yes I still BELIEVE 

[samo II]

4 minutes ago, Bat Fastard said:

Those of you blessed with children will have heard "are we there yet" every time you took them on holiday - this is a bit like that!  Many of the players recruited in the Summer are very young and will take a while to become established Championship players - so we are not there yet, and talk of two transfer windows to get the squad ready for a promotion push, indicates to me that everything should be in place for next season.  Just because we might have a squad to really compete next season does not mean that we can exceed relegated Premier League clubs with big budgets and parachute payments. Nothing is certain in this world!  Are we there yet?  Not yet but soon!

Agree.

We have already improved on the squad and results from last season, even considering the fact we sold our top scorer without a direct replacement (pretty sure Engvall was not meant as such, and Tammy has kicked on more than expected).

We're five points off the play off placed, and but for two bad errors by two different keepers (Weds away, Huddersfield away), and a couple of defensive howlers (both Rotherham away) I'd wager we'd be even closer.

Other than those who have just been waiting for the chance to pull out their knives since LJ arrived, no one would be worried were that the case, and six points from the next four games would keep us in midtable come the turn of the year; a very decent position for me.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

10 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Interesting post Ivor because you are well known to have been a great supporter of LJ's appointment, and have since constantly urged this forum to share your belief in him.

On the other hand I was against LJ being appointed - though once the appointment was confirmed I stated I would support him - and I'm still waiting to be convinced he will ever take the club forward.

For me it's no more than a hope because I don't see he's established a style of play that would convince me that he either genuinely knows what he's doing, or indeed that he has a real plan to back up his often fine words. Selection seems to be hit and miss, and sometimes changes even turn out to be detrimental.

I think LJ's a good fit as the visible leader of the club in terms of personality and is a pleasant and enthusiastic chap, but I don't share his views on continual ( up until recently) squad rotation, I don't see the high pressing football we were promised, and on many occasions I haven't found games entertaining.

But we're doing OK, extremely unlikely we'll be relegated, and imo. we'll probably finish a couple of places higher than last season. So all reasonably good, some progress, if very little to get excited about.

At the end of the day though, alot of spending and no settled team or tactics has emerged, and have we progressed at all from the end of last season even with 13 new signings? How many more new players do we need, and will the squad be manageable, or increasingly unwieldy and problematical, if he gets them?

If he's the talented coach we were assured he is shouldn't we be seeing more evidence of individual players progressing (rather than constantly anticipating further signings),  and shouldn't we be witnessing a better quality of football, and greater consistency all round?

Is your post an indication that your belief is wavering? If so why? If not, do you still think we should all believe in LJ as someone who will demonstrably take City forward, and if so, what is such a belief based on?

Interesting post. I hope this isn't unfair but I've always had you down as an - at best - lukewarm supporter of LJ. I know you were a huge fan of SC and to me it felt that you were very annoyed at LJ being his replacement. I've always felt you kept quiet during the good times but have been waiting to express your views during a time of poor form.

If that's inaccurate I apologise and it's not a criticism as everyone is entitled to their view on here. What would you prefer the club do? Invest heavily this January and maybe push on into the top 10 or re-evaluate in summer assuming we don't get relegated?

 

[Northern Red]

1 hour ago, Thatch35 said:

Maybe the signings are just not up to it. So far LJ has Tammy to thank that he still has a job.

Jesus wept.

[reddoh]

19 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Jesus wept.

If he had been an Englishman is lip may have just quivered slightly and he may just bitten it lightly but he would not have wept.

[cidered abroad]

A lot of good points on this thread. I can't say I was deliriously happy when LJ was appointed. Neither was I totally disappointed so sitting on the fence?

I expected and hoped that we would be around the middle of the table, not low enough to be the slightest it concerned about the scrap at the bottom and only a minimal interest in the play-off slots.

However with only eleven points between seventh and twenty first place, this is not only a very tough league, but also one that a consistent team can do well in. However boom for the first eleven games and bust for the last nine is not the way forward.

We are now showing our inexperience, unable to grind out away draws or to nick a win against the odds. We need players with greater experience of this league, but that does not say that I believe that the way forward was, in hindsight, to recruit too many young lads with potential, nor is it to be relying on Wilbraham at 37 years. In my opinion, there have been some strange team selections and formations played. 4-4-2 against Huddersfield who used 4-2-3-1 was a big mistake. And remember that this is a side we slaughtered 6-0 at the end of last season.

We now have to grind out results especially away from home, otherwise the mini bust of the last nine games could turn into a helter skelter ride to the bottom of the tower. At this moment, with my lifelong experience of watching City f*** it up, I'm not too confident we will arrest the slide.

[Major Isewater]

2 hours ago, Thatch35 said:

Maybe the signings are just not up to it. So far LJ has Tammy to thank that he still has a job.

Balderdash and hogwash . 

[Major Isewater]

38 minutes ago, reddoh said:

If he had been an Englishman is lip may have just quivered slightly and he may just bitten it lightly but he would not have wept.

You are trying to tell us that Jesus was not an Englishman ? 

I just always assumed he was . Mary and Joseph are English names are n't they ? 

They must just have been on holiday when they had him . It was Christmas after all , a bit of winter sun never hurt .

 

[reddoh]

8 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

You are trying to tell us that Jesus was not an Englishman ? 

I just always assumed he was . Mary and Joseph are English names are n't they ? 

They must just have been on holiday when they had him . It was Christmas after all , a bit of winter sun never hurt .

 

I always thought if he had been English Londinium would have been Jerusalem and Manchester would have been Mecca.

[Nogbad the Bad]

33 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Interesting post. I hope this isn't unfair but I've always had you down as an - at best - lukewarm supporter of LJ. I know you were a huge fan of SC and to me it felt that you were very annoyed at LJ being his replacement. I've always felt you kept quiet during the good times but have been waiting to express your views during a time of poor form.

If that's inaccurate I apologise and it's not a criticism as everyone is entitled to their view on here. What would you prefer the club do? Invest heavily this January and maybe push on into the top 10 or re-evaluate in summer assuming we don't get relegated?

 

I see that as inaccurate PF.

As I said above I didn't want LJ appointed, but stated I would support him once appointed, and I have. I've completely moved on from SC's sacking and there are many things I like about LJ. As I say I see him as a good visible leader of the club but there are aspects of his decision making and management style that worry me and I'm certainly still waiting to be convinced by him. 

I haven't been waiting to express dissatisfaction at a time of poor form, but see it as quite natural that people will, as with any manager, and don't see those who voice concerns should be viewed as having an agenda against him and have just been waiting to put the boot in. Likewise those most in favour of his appointment should be able to discuss things sensibly when things are not going so well without first response being to accuse others of having an agenda. They might even perhaps be willing to temper their own previous views.

As for January, no I wouldn't be investing heavily at all. A couple of new players - maybe on loan -  where we all know we need them most would suffice because imo. we won't be making the play offs and shouldn't be going down and we need to give players like Brownhill, O'Dowda and Engvall more opportunities in what is likely to be a mediocre season, not stifle them further with yet more signings who LJ may feel obliged to play before them but who may prove to be no better.

I don't consider any of the 3 above to be too inexperienced or not ready providing they're fit. They all arrived with good reputations and are old enough to be given a run of games and to sink or swim, and there's little chance of them progressing without getting that opportunity. I also don't see a further much enlarged squad as a good thing for dressing room/squad spirit or that LJ would necessarily benefit personally from having too many more players to choose from.

LJ says he needs 2 more transfer windows, but of course much of the work should already have been done with the Summer's 13 signings. You'd think and hope that only 3-4 ready made Championship quality players are needed in the next 2 windows, preferably all in the Summer, to complete the job. That's where my money and priority would be going. If the thought is that up to double figures in new signings are still required rather than the younger signings making their mark through experience I'd be very worried because without shedding many of his previous signings on long contracts as not up to the job I don't see that as a manageable situation squad wise for LJ going forward.

 

[Nogbad the Bad]

1 hour ago, Ivorguy said:

Thanks for excellent response to my opening post.

No, I have not lost faith in Lee.  Believe he is a good fit for City.

I, like many others, however, find the questions I raised difficult to understand

Yes, I think we will be midtable at season's end with Lee still in charge and with the third, and last window, opening.  

I am interested to see how Lee deals with the issues raised.  Every confidence he will because he is the most savvy of any manager/head coach we have had in over a 100 years. The test of a good manager/head coach comes when the going gets tough. 

Yes I still BELIEVE 

Good for you Ivor, but being bemused yourself on certain matters you can probably understand why those of us without your unshakable belief require a fair bit more positive evidence from LJ before we'll share your conviction.

Several things in your favour, most crucially that SL evidently shares your belief and will therefore support LJ to the hilt both personally and financially.

He will be given every opportunity to succeed, let's all hope for the sake of BCFC he's genuinely capable of taking it.

[Phileas Fogg]

9 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I see that as inaccurate PF.

As I said above I didn't want LJ appointed, but stated I would support him once appointed, and I have. I've completely moved on from SC's sacking and there are many things I like about LJ. As I say I see him as a good visible leader of the club but there are aspects of his decision making and management style that worry me and I'm certainly still waiting to be convinced by him. 

I haven't been waiting to express dissatisfaction at a time of poor form, but see it as quite natural that people will, as with any manager, and don't see those who voice concerns should be viewed as having an agenda against him and have just been waiting to put the boot in. Likewise those most in favour of his appointment should be able to discuss things sensibly when things are not going so well without first response being to accuse others of having an agenda. They might even perhaps be willing to temper their own previous views.

As for January, no I wouldn't be investing heavily at all. A couple of new players - maybe on loan -  where we all know we need them most would suffice because imo. we won't be making the play offs and shouldn't be going down and we need to give players like Brownhill, O'Dowda and Engvall more opportunities in what is likely to be a mediocre season, not stifle them further with yet more signings who LJ may feel obliged to play before them but who may prove to be no better.

I don't consider any of the 3 above to be too inexperienced or not ready providing they're fit. They all arrived with good reputations and are old enough to be given a run of games and to sink or swim, and there's little chance of them progressing without getting that opportunity. I also don't see a further much enlarged squad as a good thing for dressing room/squad spirit or that LJ would necessarily benefit personally from having too many more players to choose from.

LJ says he needs 2 more transfer windows, but of course much of the work should already have been done with the Summer's 13 signings. You'd think and hope that only 3-4 ready made Championship quality players are needed in the next 2 windows, preferably all in the Summer, to complete the job. That's where my money and priority would be going. If the thought is that up to double figures in new signings are still required rather than the younger signings making their mark through experience I'd be very worried because without shedding many of his previous signings on long contracts as not up to the job I don't see that as a manageable situation squad wise for LJ going forward.

Fair enough, apologies for my inaccurate take on your views. I respect you as a good knowledgable poster so didn't mean it to be a criticism.

I feel that there are a few fans - not yourself - who do have an agenda, they didn't like him as a player and were pretty miffed that he's done well so far and had been waiting to emerge from the woodwork. 

Even as one of the bigger LJ fans on here (I even privately wanted him here before his name was mentioned) I think the striker situation is a worry for me. I feel, although we no doubt tried, failure to replace Kodjia was poor bordering on negligent. It was pretty obvious that Abraham was going to have lean spells, Wilbraham was too old and Engvall a complete unknown. I never bought into the Tomlin/Paterson being able to 'do a job' as forwards. 

I also feel perhaps we stockpiled too many similar players this summer. Many of which are talented in their own right but feel we're too heavy in central midfield and have too many wide midfielders when we could do with out and out pace and penetration on the wings.