Squad calibre - where have they come from? Where have they been?

[BigAl&Toby]

With little to do on this fine sunny Sunday I find myself thinking. Thinking hard…..

Where have we acquired the finest starting 11 we’ve ever seen grace the BS3 sward? And those same bunch. When they’ve been sent out on loan to learn their trade, where do they go…..

Is there a link between all of that nonsense, the ability they demonstrate week in week out, and should we really expect anything else?

We seem to have a number who were born locally and have come through the youth set up. Admirable.

But when they go out on loan where do they go? Non-league. To get playing time…..

And where do we recruit from? Oxford seems a favourite hunting ground. Oxford. **** me. The centre of the footballing universe.

But hang on. We’ve recruited from foreign shores too. And from clubs above us. Joe Williams for instance.

And the man of whom many just can’t get enough. He who came as part of a package from Chelsea……..

Neither of whom can either cross the ball or play a dead ball with any real degree of success…..

See? We buy players who at best are mediocre or are, at worst, others cast offs or who no one else wants. When we were last in a bidding war to get someone?

You buy mediocrity and guess what? You end up with mediocrity.

Imagine the conversation between Lewis Hamilton and his team. He’s just lost the FIA in dodgy circumstances.

Look boss. It’s the car. It ain’t good enough.

What you saying Lewis?

We need a better car boss. I can’t compete with that Ver Stappen chappie with this crock of shit.

Got it Lewis. We’ll see what we can do. How about this beauty? 

**** me boss. Where did you find that?

ebay Lewis. See mate. It’s even got your name on it. If Bristol City can buy beneath them and expect miracles then so can we…..

**** that boss. It’ll be a challenge. A real challenge. But I’ll give it my best shot.

And we all know how successful Lewis was.

Moral of the story? You can’t polish a turd. You buy a turd and guess what? It is a turd.

[Floatn Over]

Found myself thinking along similar lines yesterday, it’s understandable why lower league and other younger acquisitions have become our external recruiting model and it really has to be so to supplement in house developing players, but of the current squad it’s really only Rob Atkinson, JD at times and Williams when fit who have fulfilled the model.  In time Sykes, Wilson and Naismith may indeed become mainstay players but bringing in the occasional 28+ ish “been there and done it” including nasty bar-stewards and natural leaders (the Wilbs type) for the here and now might just help the cause.  Of course we’re broke financially which probably knocks this on the head.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Interesting thread.

I still haven't given up hope on a range of players but there isn't really a one size fits all for where we have received from, remember too we are working under ridiculous FFP constraints which narrows the pool massively.

That aside, we've tried many many approaches since our return to tbis level and while we have had some good players, as a collective bave yet done it over a period of time.

We have recruited from the following divisions and locations- these are just a few examples!

PL

The ex Chelsea trio

Ligue 1

Massengo and Diedhiou

Serie A

Pisano, Nagy, Djuric

Bundesliga

Hegeler

Many Championship and lower League players.

Other notables include Pereira on loan from Benfica, Eliasson from Sweden.

Some of these joined us in quite a food place. Internationals (yes I know International and good or suitable to a more physical game don't always overlap). From Leagues that while below the PL, aren't minnows either.

Naismith was Luton's POTY last year. Still think we miss him in terms of us having another dimension etc but the mistakes wouldn't have got him the POTY at Luton.

Williams wàs combative and technically sound with a string availability record at this level, prior to joining us. Then he joins us and has huge injury issues! Unbelievable.

Kalas when he joined was literally a high end Championship CB. He had gained 2 promotions and 2 play-off campaigns in 4 prior loan seasons and had or seemed to have, just the pedigree we needed at time of signing 4 years ago. He has had some significant issues which doesn't help.

In fact you probably could make a new thread, write a small book about our tribulations with injuries to new signings in the last few seasons or more! Bad luck or what...but you won't see the best of players if they are medium to long term injured, Both at the time of injury and post this, recovery or lack of etc.

Sure there are other examples too.

Some of the Lower League additions, either didn't get a fair chance or simply did not impress. Otoh I have hopes to varying levels for Tanner, Wilson, Sykes and Atkinson.

Webster was fantastic for example, and made us some good money and may well make us some more.

It's been a massive hotch-potch of types of additions in the last 6 seasons, NP has been somewhat restricted to say the least. I get that you can't or shouldn't restrict  to recruitment from one pool but come on.

[David Brent]

Plenty of good players for us have come from unfashionable clubs. You know that already. 

If you’re out of things to do then perhaps a walk or a good book?

[shelts]

We have to scrap around with the free transfers . Long gone are the days of competing with clubs for a big signing . Sign of the times I’m afraid . This is where you need a good team to identify players and get them early days and turn them into better players and sell them on . 
we are a selling club as most our apart from the elite