Dave L Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 After watching another insipid and all too familiar 90 minutes of huffing and puffing which led to a lot of pretty football in the first two thirds of the field and zero threat in the final third, I'm coming to the conclusion that the players at the club are just not what's required to take us any further. I understand there are a fair few contracts up at the end of this season, and its clear that there are some players in the first team squad whose City careers are over already, so why wait? If other clubs don't want them, let's pay up their contracts and get rid of them now, starting with that overpaid lardy waster Lee Matthews, who has been a joke, a liability and an insult to his profession since day one. Next to go, Simon Clist and Robin Hulbert. Tough on them both, but Danny has made it clear they don't figure in his plans. Next? Tommy Doherty. Since getting his new contract he appears to be wallowing in the comfort zone. He's made no effort to achieve proper fitness, his discipline is appalling, he gives the ball away far too often, and we only seem to be able to play him in the team if we have Joe Burnell to do his running for him. Solution? Get rid. Might even get a few quid for him, which would be a bonus. Who else? Mickey Bell. He's been a great player for the club, but given his average ability as a defender, the fact that he's lost his major asset as a player, pace and the abillity to get to the by-line means that he's of no further use. He's also hampering the development of Craig Woodman, who is showing the potentail to be next in a long line of legendary left backs. This might also send out a signal to some of our promising under achievers like Kevin Amankwaah (£1.5 million to Arsenal as a 17 year old Kevin? They wouldn't employ you as a tea boy now) Or Aaron Brown, who has one great game, one average one and three rubbish ones before getting suspended and missing the next three. If they don't pull their fingers out and play to their potential, they can be next to go. How to fund these departures? Sell Danny Coles. Use the money to pay off the contracts and bring in players who want to play for the club, and have the ability and more important the attitude which is so sadly lacking at the moment. Talking of attitude, Brian Tinnion was absolutely magnificent on Saturday, as was Joe Burnell. Here are two players who have taken enormous stick in their time, but never give less than 150% on the pitch. We need 11 players out there with the same approach. Last but not least, the manager. We've made steady progress under Danny Wilson, and we shouldn't underestimate the scale of the job he took on after the wasted year under Pulis. He should be given until the end of the season to see the job through. But if we don't go up next May, he should go too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granty Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Harsh - very harsh, but TRUE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Just a short reply to say, for what it's worth, that I agree with the above. But I would find it a little harsh if we have to sell Danny Coles to fund these changes, but like you I can't think of another way. I just wish there were other options. . :sport18: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 I understand there are a fair few contracts up at the end of this season, and its clear that there are some players in the first team squad whose City careers are over already, so why wait? If other clubs don't want them, let's pay up their contracts and get rid of them now, starting with that overpaid lardy waster Lee Matthews. How to fund these departures? Sell Danny Coles. Use the money to pay off the contracts and bring in players who want to play for the club, and have the ability and more important the attitude which is so sadly lacking at the moment. Last but not least, the manager. We've made steady progress under Danny Wilson, and we shouldn't underestimate the scale of the job he took on after the wasted year under Pulis. He should be given until the end of the season to see the job through. But if we don't go up next May, he should go too. How much would City get right now for Coles? Less than £650K in my view. The market is depressed,few clubs have much money and any likely amount for Coles would not cover the cost of dimissing all the players you suggest.Its not a feasable option and far too radical as well!. I do agree about Wilson though'. Give him untill the end of the season and then see where we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fRed Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 I does seem strange that some players don't seem bothered to give their all, especially when their contracts are up soon. Maybe they've all got rich grandfathers :Confused13: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucksred Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Put everyone on notice bar Tins, Danny, Craig and Joe, at the moment, none of them are exactly performing. Even Robbo, Leroy & Matty are tailing off. Peaccock aint a number 9 playing like he is. Wilkshire and Aaron aint impressing, Lee who?, El Loco, good lad love your attitude, shame about actually performing. Butler, you aint doing what ya should. Phillips you got a mean glare, but you need to show more passion bout the shirt. Never thought that much of Carey personally, but I'm in a minority. Better still put the manager on the same list, they are his to motivate. End of rant... Hope they do better on Sunday, it is a potential banana skin, they way City are playing, cos Bradford will be right up for it, I aint convinced we will be. Come on you Reds.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSN Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 I think buying everyones contracts up, weakens the squad (but then quality isnt there at the moment as you said dave L) and getting rid of Coles, your out of you mind arent you? no way should we want to sell one of our BEST players to help get rid of all of our RUBBISH players, thats just silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chivs Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Dave L, Right strategy, wrong personnel! I think these players are good enough to get us out of this poor division. The fault lies directly with Danny Wilson. He is clueless. What formation are we playing this week? Who's up front? Where is Wilkshire playing? All of these questions have straightforward answers but Wilson manages to find 3 different answers to each question (sometimes during the same game!). He is clueless. Wilson's indecision is being transmitted loudly and clearly to the players who are beginning to lose confidence. These are more or less the same players who just missed out on automatic promotion last season in a tougher division. Wilson is clueless. We should be terminating his contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Cloud Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 "pretty football in the first two thirds"? - thought the ball hardly touched these bits (by about 80ft vertically), for most of the game - sensibly aiming for the gigantic roberts & lita as we do most games now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Corner Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 DW's 4th year in charge now and managers usually reckon they shouldn't be judged until they've had 3 years in the job (that's what Pulis said, so it must be right, mustn't it ) DW may have been lumbered with an overpaid underperforming squad when he tookover, but he's now had ample time to get the squad in the shape he wants it. When DW tookover we were an upper mid-table 2nd division side. Where are we today, an upper mid-table 2nd div side and that in arguably the most mediocre 2nd division of recent times (and we should know having spent so long in the division). We might have taken a smallish step forward last year but we've taken a bigger one back so far this season. No one in the 2nd/3rd/Conference/Screwfix is going to pay the likes of Matthews the wages we are paying him and clearly no-one above the 2nd division are going to take him on, with his record. Hence we are stuck with him. Perhaps we should think about striking a deal with the likes of him to pay up his contract, but then to me there seems something fundamentally wrong with paying someone a lump sum for being nothing more than a failure. I suppose most squads around the country contain a few 'passengers' and I still believe that our current squad has the ability within it to comfortably secure an automatic promotion berth in a poor division. Whether the current management has it within them to get the best out of the squad seems to me to be the real issue. I hope they have but I have increasing doubts, as it could be a tad costly to pay up managerial contracts which are still only relatively recently signed, but then you wonder how long the club can afford to sustain losses of £1.9m to £3m each year, which seems an inevitable consequence of being stuck in this wastleland of a division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.