What signings from the LJ/MA era have improved us?

[Phileas Fogg]

8 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

I'm not sure I agree. For a start - for now at least - we have a top 6 side. Granted, that might not last until the end of the season. 

Beyond that, I think you're potentially seeing a strength as a weakness. It is too early to judge but what has been impressive about Fielding, Bryan, Flint and Pack (also to an extent Smith but he was impressive from the off) is the way they have grown into the team over time. Pack was not even getting into the starting XI in the League One at the beginning of our title-winning season. Most of us wrote Flint and Fielding off as not good enough at one point or another, especially under SOD, and Joe Bryan has had difficult spells to say the least. But all of them over time have grown into being players as they've grown a little older, adjusted to the culture and become central to the club.

On the other hand, Tomlin quickly established himself as our key player and the lustre quickly faded. Going back further, Marvin Elliott looked amazing in his first season and then never hit the heights.

As far as I can tell, the club's strategy - which I think actually started under SOD, although the fruits were not there at the time - is to sign players who could grow into the club over time. Brownhill and O'Dowda have really shown this season they can do that. Of LJ's permanet signings, I think you can realistically categorise them as follows:

Showing clear signs of being a success:

Brownhill, O'Dowda, Steele, Diedhiou, Wright, Paterson, Baker

Potential to be a success:

Walsh, Eliasson, Moore, Hinds

Limited success:

Taylor, Djuric, Pisano

Either sold or not yet been a success and time running out:

Tomlin, Hegeler (great player, wrong system), Engvall, O'Neill

Cheap punt that did not work but nothing lost: Lucic, De Girolamo

 

I don't think that is a terrible record by any means.

Exactly - and even those you’ve listed are slightly harsh if anything. Djuric, O’Neil and Pisano’s injuries have been the main issues and there’s not much you can do to stop injury. 

I would put Engvall in the ‘potential’ group still. By those maths I make it 7 successes, 6 potentials* (I included Engvall and Diony), 1 limited success (Taylor), 1 first team failure (Tomlin)

I added another group which I’ll call ‘injured’ (Hegeler, O’Neill, Djuric, Pisano) I wouldn’t class any as failures or limited successes because I believe all of them add to the first team - but there are external factors there to consider. (I appreciate there has to be a point when you consider a perennially injured player a failure)

When you look at it like that, I’d say our transfer record is pretty good really. Lots of it comes down to how much you value ‘potential’ signings because we have a fair few.