Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[ozzjim]

Against United Albrighton was almost unplayable. Downing was good, but Albrighton was brilliant.

[Damo70]

Sorry to try and be an optimist here, but-

-I don't think we are skint (in fact I think we have made a profit on transfers recently and more importantly have greatly reduced a wage bill that anyone in business will tell you was suicidal)

-I don't think RL has lost interest otherwise he would have let the GH situation play out instead of sorting it

-Seeing as clubs haven't been lining up to buy the likes of Warnock and Ireland I think AM has decided to give them a chance instead of giving them away

-I think he is also going to give the likes of Clark, Delph, Bannon, Delfouneso etc a chance too

-I think we will buy more than one more player this summer, I think we will go into the season with a competitive side and I also think that if it goes tits up we will sort it in January

Sleep well everyone, you have nothing to fear but fear itself

[pauliewalnuts]

Some of the kids are very promising, but relying on them coming through, and needing them to do so week after week because we don't want to be spending money on the squad is just asking for it.

No reflection on them, but have people forgotten what happened last year? They did very well for a while, but results went to shit when we found ourselves relying on them too much.

[paul_e]

The only problem with this is, even if all the players who have gone missing last year come back and play really well we need more in the squad.  Some of the kids can be counted in the numbers but not all of them.

GK - Given, Guzan, Marshall - Happy with this and Siegrist looks good as well

LB - Warnock - That's it.  Baker is a young centre back that can cover if needed but we shouldn't rely on him +1
RB - Young, Beye, Lichaj - Happy enough with this, Beye is an oxygen thief but I think Lichaj will be a really good player
CB - Dunne, Collins, Clark - If Cueller goes we need to replace him, baker can cover as 5th here +1

CM - Makoun, Petrov, Delph, Ireland, Bannan - Hogg and Herd as youth options as well.  Reasonably happy with this and with Gardner, Carruthers and Johnson (and the young spanish lad sounds a great prospect as well) all looking good we have quality coming through.  Lots of potential that we need to give until Jan to see if they can make it.
LM - Ermmmmm - All through the club the only left winger worth noting is Jordan Graham but he's still very young. +1
RM - Albrighton - Great player, had a rough 2nd half of the season but looked tired needs competition though.  I'd like someone to cover him and the incoming LM so will add a +1

ST - Bent, Gabby, Heskey, Fonz, Weimann - Happy with this, Weimann and Fonz have enough potential to deserve time on the pitch, Heskey for all his faults does give us a useful option of we need to lump it forward.

I make that 4 signings needed to have a well balanced squad as well as giving the youth a chance to shine.  Then ideally we'd be looking to upgrade but that isn't urgent, over the next few windows I'd want to replace Guzan, Petrov, Heskey and Beye, which would cost fees but we could probably cut a big chunk of the wage bill by doing it.

[Steve67]

Interesting that McLeish said " we're as close to signing N'Zogbia as we are to anything else we're looking at, as we've got to have alternatives".  Does this mean we're a million miles (or pounds) away, or reasonably close to several at once?  Probably the former I guess.

[bob]

Sorry to try and be an optimist here, but-

-I don't think we are skint (in fact I think we have made a profit on transfers recently and more importantly have greatly reduced a wage bill that anyone in business will tell you was suicidal)

-I don't think RL has lost interest otherwise he would have let the GH situation play out instead of sorting it

-Seeing as clubs haven't been lining up to buy the likes of Warnock and Ireland I think AM has decided to give them a chance instead of giving them away

-I think he is also going to give the likes of Clark, Delph, Bannon, Delfouneso etc a chance too

-I think we will buy more than one more player this summer, I think we will go into the season with a competitive side and I also think that if it goes tits up we will sort it in January

Sleep well everyone, you have nothing to fear but fear itself

Funny that you're telling everyone to sleep well when it's you that needs to wake up.

[dave.woodhall]

Interesting that McLeish said " we're as close to signing N'Zogbia as we are to anything else we're looking at, as we've got to have alternatives".  Does this mean we're a million miles (or pounds) away, or reasonably close to several at once?  Probably the former I guess.

I like the idea that we're looking at alternatives. For years it was one target, one price and if it didn't happen we were stuffed.

[Steve67]

Interesting that McLeish said " we're as close to signing N'Zogbia as we are to anything else we're looking at, as we've got to have alternatives".  Does this mean we're a million miles (or pounds) away, or reasonably close to several at once?  Probably the former I guess.

I like the idea that we're looking at alternatives. For years it was one target, one price and if it didn't happen we were stuffed.

I agree Dave, I also think it's a shot across Dave Whelans bow. 

[Compass]

Anyone else finding it really difficult to trust the board?

[dave.woodhall]

I remember the embarrassment of Gregory chasing Benni McCarthy like a lovesick teenager for a season. He made it so clear that we were desperate to sign him that Celta Vigo kept asking silly money.

[Lambert and Payne]

Sorry to try and be an optimist here, but-

-I don't think we are skint (in fact I think we have made a profit on transfers recently and more importantly have greatly reduced a wage bill that anyone in business will tell you was suicidal)

-I don't think RL has lost interest otherwise he would have let the GH situation play out instead of sorting it

-Seeing as clubs haven't been lining up to buy the likes of Warnock and Ireland I think AM has decided to give them a chance instead of giving them away

-I think he is also going to give the likes of Clark, Delph, Bannon, Delfouneso etc a chance too

-I think we will buy more than one more player this summer, I think we will go into the season with a competitive side and I also think that if it goes tits up we will sort it in January

Sleep well everyone, you have nothing to fear but fear itself

This is what I've been saying for weeks, I'm with you 100%

[Lambert and Payne]

Anyone else finding it really difficult to trust the board?

Not me, 100% behind them...

[pauliewalnuts]

Anyone else finding it really difficult to trust the board?

I trust them.

I just think they've decided to claw back as much of the money invested so far as they can. That's their prerogative, really, hugely disappointing though it is.

They've been pretty open about it, though, so it's not about not trusting them. They've spent months telling us how we need to cut back and appointed a manager who looks like the type who would be up for it, and, indeed, in the announcement of his appointment, the main thing trumpeted was his willingness to run the club sustainably.

Maybe AM is playing poker by saying this, but to be honest, if this hadn't come amongst a raft of "we're skint" stories, it might be more credible. As it is, it just sounds extremely believable.

[pauliewalnuts]

GK - Given, Guzan, Marshall - Happy with this and Siegrist looks good as well

LB - Warnock - That's it.  Baker is a young centre back that can cover if needed but we shouldn't rely on him +1
RB - Young, Beye, Lichaj - Happy enough with this, Beye is an oxygen thief but I think Lichaj will be a really good player
CB - Dunne, Collins, Clark - If Cueller goes we need to replace him, baker can cover as 5th here +1

8 players to cover the back four is nothing like enough (especially when you factor in that one of them is a sulky miseryarse who is desperate to get out, one is an oxygen thief who just wants another year of 40k a week, and two let us down massively last season).

[bob]

Hmmm... not sure I'd say they've been open about it. The last time the General was on here he said our ambitions hadn't changed didn't he? There's a fair few people in this thread that still believe we'll spend most of the money we've brought in this summer. That others may have worked out that we won't isn't because The General, Faulkner or Lerner have come out and told us they might be setting those ambitions lower.