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Author Topic: I've Started....So I'll Finish...  (Read 11013 times)

Offline Wiggz

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  • Posts: 61
I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« on: May 15, 2013, 09:10:58 AM »
Morning All,

Way back at the start of the season I commented on a few sites (not sure which) and Twitter that what Lambert was attempting to do was a HUGE gamble.  No doubt brave, but could just as easily be foolhardy.  It's obvious that both Randy and Lambert are bought into the vision of youth at the club.  Not only in an attempt to run the club better but also to save oodles of cash in the process.  And why not; it's a business afterall.

My worry, back then, was that the gamble was flirting with relegation.

Thankfully it's paid off, and I couldn't have been happier when I saw the Arsenal result last night.

My question to all however is....what's phase 2 of the plan?  Is there a phase 2, or is this THE plan from now on?

  • Continue with the youth we have and squad for next season?
  • Bolster the squad with a couple of quality names?
  • Sell our bigger names outstanding talent and pull from youth/reserve ranks again?

I'd just love to see a sprinkling of premier league talent.  For example, Huddlestone, Olsson?  Our biggest positives this year have been Guzan, Wiemann and Benteke.  One of those came through the youth setup, one was brought in some years ago and not fancied until this season, and one was purchased for big bucks as a gamble.  2 out of 3 of those don't fit our model it seems.

I'm VERY positive for next season.  The youthful squad can sit in the dressing room knowing that THEY survived and as such are premier league material (however slight the survival).  My only concern is where we go from here.  I've got faith in Lambert however....I hope he's doing what we all hoped O'Neill would do; build a long term sustainable club.

Thoughts? :)

Offline mrastonvilla

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2013, 09:18:34 AM »
Youth don't stay youth forever, trust them and play them enough and they will become experienced premier league players.

Not all of them will make it so I would expect us to continue to buy more prospects and hope that we might supplement the starting 11 with a couple of older heads to help them develop.

Offline Greg N'Ash

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2013, 09:21:26 AM »
I think we can forget any big names arriving on big fee's or big wages. What we spent last summer was almost entirely off-set by what we brought in the year before and i believe that's the plan long term. If we sold someone like Benteke for stupid money then i could only see us spending a percentage of that fee. A more miserly version of the Everton model i'm guessing, with the emphasis still firmly on the youth team to keep us competitive and generate money.

Offline Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2013, 09:24:03 AM »
1 - Definitely no cast-offs from teams like Spurs (e.g. Huddlestone).
2 - Play football that's enjoyable to watch.

Offline myf

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2013, 09:27:15 AM »
A cup win and/or Europa qualification

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2013, 09:51:23 AM »
Progression is these players having a year's tough experience under their belts now. We suppliment with some young and hungry and some experienced and hungry players. We'll become the Dortmund of England.

Offline Wiggz

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2013, 10:03:17 AM »
@myf - You are kidding right?  I'll be happy for a nice gentle mid table stroll thanks very much.  Baby steps I believe should be our new mantra, not Be Prepared.

@Can Bent Be Bettered - The "cast offs" might be the supplements to the team we require in terms of experience.  It's no coincidence that when Vlaar came back into the team we looked more solid (not rock solid though) and when Gabby came back in we looked, dare I say, more cultured going forward.  Experience does count for something.

I agree that youth should be the way forward, and the guys will take huge confidence from the fact that they've kept us in the league.  I'd like to think that we don't want to follow the Wigan route of doing the same things every year and expecting different results.  Look where that got them this year. 

Realistically, anyone talking about big name Charlies and cup wins for next season, is having a laugh.  We're not at that stage yet...we're at the stage where we need to build slowly.  With that in mind we NEED to supplement what we have with a few more solid Premier League players in my opinion.

Offline tomd2103

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2013, 10:23:04 AM »
@myf - You are kidding right?  I'll be happy for a nice gentle mid table stroll thanks very much.  Baby steps I believe should be our new mantra, not Be Prepared.

@Can Bent Be Bettered - The "cast offs" might be the supplements to the team we require in terms of experience.  It's no coincidence that when Vlaar came back into the team we looked more solid (not rock solid though) and when Gabby came back in we looked, dare I say, more cultured going forward.  Experience does count for something.

I agree that youth should be the way forward, and the guys will take huge confidence from the fact that they've kept us in the league.  I'd like to think that we don't want to follow the Wigan route of doing the same things every year and expecting different results.  Look where that got them this year. 

Realistically, anyone talking about big name Charlies and cup wins for next season, is having a laugh.  We're not at that stage yet...we're at the stage where we need to build slowly.  With that in mind we NEED to supplement what we have with a few more solid Premier League players in my opinion.

We reached the semi-final of one cup this season, so why not?

Offline Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2013, 10:24:02 AM »
@myf - You are kidding right?  I'll be happy for a nice gentle mid table stroll thanks very much.  Baby steps I believe should be our new mantra, not Be Prepared.

@Can Bent Be Bettered - The "cast offs" might be the supplements to the team we require in terms of experience.  It's no coincidence that when Vlaar came back into the team we looked more solid (not rock solid though) and when Gabby came back in we looked, dare I say, more cultured going forward.  Experience does count for something.

I agree that youth should be the way forward, and the guys will take huge confidence from the fact that they've kept us in the league.  I'd like to think that we don't want to follow the Wigan route of doing the same things every year and expecting different results.  Look where that got them this year. 

Realistically, anyone talking about big name Charlies and cup wins for next season, is having a laugh.  We're not at that stage yet...we're at the stage where we need to build slowly.  With that in mind we NEED to supplement what we have with a few more solid Premier League players in my opinion.

Bollocks to experience. When we got hammered 7-1 by Chelsea under MON, the team was this:

01 Friedel
02 L Young
05 Dunneyellow card
25 Warnock
29 Collins
04 Sidwell
07 A Young
08 Milner
19 Petrovyellow card (Downing 63)
10 Carew (Delfouneso 63)
11 Agbonlahor (Beye 71)

How's that for experience?

Maybe we looked better when Gabby and Vlaar came in because they're better players than those who they took the place of.

Offline myf

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  • Posts: 2872
Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2013, 10:26:59 AM »
@myf - You are kidding right?  I'll be happy for a nice gentle mid table stroll thanks very much.  Baby steps I believe should be our new mantra, not Be Prepared.

@Can Bent Be Bettered - The "cast offs" might be the supplements to the team we require in terms of experience.  It's no coincidence that when Vlaar came back into the team we looked more solid (not rock solid though) and when Gabby came back in we looked, dare I say, more cultured going forward.  Experience does count for something.

I agree that youth should be the way forward, and the guys will take huge confidence from the fact that they've kept us in the league.  I'd like to think that we don't want to follow the Wigan route of doing the same things every year and expecting different results.  Look where that got them this year. 

Realistically, anyone talking about big name Charlies and cup wins for next season, is having a laugh.  We're not at that stage yet...we're at the stage where we need to build slowly.  With that in mind we NEED to supplement what we have with a few more solid Premier League players in my opinion.

I'm not joking.  If Swansea and Wigan can win cups why can't we?  Don't need big time charlies for that.

Offline ozzjim

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2013, 10:29:41 AM »
Solid Premier league players cost big wages. The club may well spend decent money on fees, I can see £30 million going out the door on fees this summer, but sell on value and their wages will be closely watched. Olsson is going to command 50k a week for example... is he really worth that? Is he that good? Not a chance in my opinion. Was woeful against Wigan and Norwich from what I saw. Huddlestone? Please god no. Awful for Spurs in the game at Wigan, and always battling with his weight. If we sign "older" players, I can see them being statesmen type players, maybe a bit like Barry who would be the model pro and teach the kids, or players that are still ready to prove a point to make international squads etc, and even then, I can't see us paying say Lescott 60k a week on a 4 year deal at 30. We are not in that marked now.

As for the model of following Everton but a more miserly version, I think probably Spurs 5-6 years ago would be a better example. Buy talent young, bring it through, sell high, re-invest into the side. It is the only way to become self sustaining. The new TV deal will help if using the money in a sensible way too.

Offline Walmley_Villa

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  • GM : 21.08.2017
Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2013, 10:34:40 AM »
Lambert deserves all the credit for keeping faith with 'his' players and keeping us up. He is correct in that there is a growing affinity between fans and players (something we have all complained about in recent seasons). PL has stated that he has learnt a lot from this season and so we shall soon see what as I think he will act quickly in the transfer market. With the rise in TV money he should get decent backing in the market aswell as moving on the remaining duds.

Personally I hope that we can get off to a decent start next season (unlike this season). If so, anything is possible (10 - 6)?

Offline not3bad

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2013, 10:36:03 AM »
The one place where I would agree it might be good to get some more 'solid' experience would be central defense (i.e. Lescott).  Apart from that, premier league experience?  Lowton, Westwood, Guzan, Sylla, Weimann, Benteke... name one player among that lot that hasn't got premier league experience.

Offline Phil from the upper holte

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2013, 10:38:44 AM »
Huddlestone and Olsen...No thanks

Offline AndyP

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Re: I've Started....So I'll Finish...
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2013, 10:42:03 AM »
Really interesting question - while it's tempting to think we can get 2 or 3 key players who will immediately take us to the next level, I don't think it'll happen. I'll go for 'continue with the current squad' - I'd like to think that Randy's long-term plan is for gradual development over 2-3 years, in particular Lambert showing he can do it, and he'll then chuck in £100 miilion for 2 or 3 real stars who will take us into the Champions League.

 


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