Thetownend.com

Town no closer to new faces
           
           


  TOWN manager Mark Cooper admitted there has been no progress on potential deals for Jordan Turnbull, Brad Smith and Jack Stephens following Town’s 4-1 friendly victory over and Aston Villa XI this afternoon.

           

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/11384032.Town_no_closer_to_new_faces/?ref=rss
           
           
           

Even I'll admit to getting a little bit concerned now.

I think we can start the season with what we have, what worries me more is that the potential re-enforcements are all kids.

I think it is pretty obvious despite what he has done, Power has fuck all money.

It would appear so

Jittery now....can see us losing a lot of the early fixtures 1 zip...

I don't think I can remember a pre-season with as little transfer activity as this one.  Was expecting a small flurry of activity in late July, and it never came.

Power clearly has a youth-based philosophy, and he's sticking to it.  What I find bizarre is that there appears to be so little (or no) money for a few older heads whose presence will complement and develop the youth.  We seem to have significantly less financial clout than a plethora of clubs in the division with smaller infrastructure - ground capacity, catchment, fanbase etc. - than we have.  Punching well below our weight.  Disappointing.

We need a few older heads who can calm things down, dictate the play and get a few crunching tackes in otherwise we may end up a sort touch for some of these teams

Our wage bill must be minuscule compaired to pretty much everyone else in the division not counting the scholars we must be down to about 18. I do find it odd that LP won't find the money for a couple of experienced heads at CB and CF who could help bring the young lads on. I thought we played well in patches yesterday but the but Branco on his own in the middle of three does scare me especially away from home

I wonder whether getting Ward and Harley off our books will then see us go for an older head or two?
With Ward being a Di Canio signing, and the fact he turned down Brentford, I would imagine he's on a pretty steady wage.

I think that ironically we are needing to offload Ward and Harley from the wage bill before we can complete the deals due to our tiny (in comparison) wage budget, its ironic because they are exactly the type of experienced players we need.....albeit not the actual players we need as neither is good enough.

Thing is, can't really blame Power for not having money, not that anyone is of course. The alternative was let BS Jed spend us into debt.

Are Ward and Harley just sitting at home collecting their pension every Thursday now? Clearly neither are the answer, just wondered if they've been totally frozen out. Find that a bit odd to be honest.

edit: Ha, Venkman beat me to it!

Beaten to it by Quagmire :)

Oh yeah.

Giggidy, giggidy.

Not sure how we get Ward off the books though, his playing career is sadly over. He deserved better from us really.

Harley is wanted by Exeter and was at one of their friendlies recently watching but they are under umbongo and there is no way they can afford his wages unless we subsidise them pretty much defeating the point of getting rid of him.

Ward has done well for us over the last few years but as Batch states he is past his sell by date now and we need rid of him he must be on massive wages, I feel lower league like Dagenham or Stevenage closer to his home may consider a move for him but again neither will get anywhere near matching his wages so we may end up subsidising his wages until the end of his contract even if he does move on.

It's either bold or stupid, whichever way I suspect an exciting season ahead....it's important that we get the home form going from the off, because like last season, it's difficult to see this side winning too many on the road.  

Can we maintain our Div 3 status, or are we back on the Div3/Div4 yo-yo?

This completely.

It will be interesting to see how August and September go.  If we do poorly, the supporters will turn fairly quickly.  I think everyone appreciates we need to run things in a more sustainable manner, but you've only got to look at the significant decrease in season ticket sales to see that people see that as meaning we'll plod along as a League 1 club with no real chance of pushing on.  

Heaven forbid if we start to slip down League 1 and selling players as the season progresses.  There just doesn't feel like there's much to draw people back to the County Ground or even keep some of us longer term supporters there.  If I'm honest, I don't see it that changing without investment and there doesn't appear to be anyone around willing or able to put in.

In terms of Ward, having spoken to him at the school, he's pretty much been frozen out.  Unless somebody comes in for him that isn't the other end of the country, he'll continue to train and pick up his wages as his family are settled here.  Doesn't help us really, but can see why he would do that from a personal perspective.

One of my worries is that now Sherwood has left Spurs Power does not have as many contacts in the game as he has made out.

Sherwood and Les Ferdinand in stand with Cooper for first half of yesterdays game. No players from Spurs but some tactical input maybe?

The first XI doesn't look brilliant, not poor either.
The lack of signings is worrying but then a lot of clubs hold onto player until they are certain they don't need them and it some cases it's like buying a house with an onward chain!
I've no evidence back this up but I expect the majority of loan signings go through on deadline day. So I think we will get a few in.

The worry is, if/when we go get loan players in, we appear to be wanting/needing to build our team around them rather than having them slot into the team/squad that's already prepared for the season.

It's always good to have decent loan players like Pritchard last season but the issue is then replacing a vital part of your team, loan players should had depth rather than being the focus.

I think we will a few in on loan which may potentially disrupt anything we've done in pre season or leave us unprepared for the seasons start.

The depth is worrying - at the moment, one injury, one suspension and one player off form and we'll be throwing in the under 12s

We'll see what happens but think this is very much a bottom half of the table team.

You mean the Salver Cup Winners over Everton?  They might be skilled enough to make influential ball boys if ever we go that way.

I fear that a poor start could mean a long season (the sort Reg seems to imply is exciting) and a dip in numbers at the CG

The only plus for me is that I feared this at this stage last season which was quite creditable and even lucrative.

I think we will actually start well.
It's when the fixtures pile up and injuries hit us we will struggle.

We'll get the players we need and we'll be ok.

Many wrote last season off before it started on the basis we would build for 2014/15 and mount a challenge. While I am of course wary of speaking too soon it does appear increasingly likely any further incomings will be kids. It will be very interesting to see if we do start slowly (which I think we will), how patient the fan base will be...

The backline is frightening and I hope Cooper and Power can see that or we will struggle.

Also, I think we need a sweepstake for the date of the first rant about loaning out Storey...won't be long I am sure.

The danger is we dont start well and then implode when the fixtures pile up and injuries hit us

I said on Twitter this week that I worry we will struggle. Last season we had more quality. We had Pritch, Mason, Ranger, Troy, J Mac. Letting the latter of them go was a big mistake. J Mac would have been the perfect captain this season, an older head who showed leadership here last season.

We don't have that backbone of players now and that's what makes me worry. The midfield looks good but there are no wide options. Why don't we sign some proper wingers? Smith can bang a few in upfront but other than that I can't see where the goals will come from to be honest. The back line really worries me. No leadership and very mistake prone. We need Stephens to come in. Again I think we should have taken a punt on a 1 year deal for Troy as well.

Going with wing-backs this season it seems. Probably the best option for a smaller squad.

J Mac didn't want to stay but hasn't yet found a new club. I think he sold up and left the area pretty soon after the end of the season if memories serves correctly? We could have taken a punt on Troy but there was every chance we'd have ended up with a crock after half a dozen games and burdened with his wage. I think letting him go was probably the right decision albeit a risky one. Ranger should have been given the boot long before we eventually got rid of him and ditching both Harley and Ward is the correct decision.

The problem doesn't lie with the players we let go but the lack of recruitment but in recent years we've recruited key players at the last minute who have been important figures - Kasim, Ranger and Ajose last season for example.

I think Gladwin will be a good player this season and I still have hope for Williams.

Throw in the rest of the midfield and the leagues best keeper and we will be OK

I like your way of thinking

Being optimistic is risky. If you embrace negativity you can bask in the glory if the worst happens, telling everyone you knew it would happen.
Personally I think we'll be mid table at worst and am prepared to take the consequences if I'm wrong. I'm not overly concerned and the opening game won't change my outlook,  regardless of the result (Remember the opening game in our play off season against Gillingham?) We'll get the players we need and we'll be ok.

Opening month always throws up dodgy results. Always.

Norwich 1 Colchester 7..

Think I'll have a tenner on us getting relegated. Want kids to cime through and do well but think this could be a long hard season if new players are not brought in and quickly.

I understand what you say, and this maybe true for some. Before the start of last season I was openly pessimistic (some may have seen it as negative) partly and genuinely based on an objective assessment of the squad, manager and oposition. Also, in part due to a natural tendency to err on the side of caution and not be too disappointed if the season resulted in a relegation battle. There's no way I'd want to bask in the glory of predicting a disappointing season. I'm also happy to pay due respect to the management and players for doing as well as they did last season, especially with the behind-the-scenes bollocks (ownership, Jed the Shyster and Ranger for eg) that had to be endured.

If Cooper & Co can replicate last season with what appears to be a weaker squad, then they will deserve a hell of a lot of praise. (I wish he would chill a bit post-match, though!).

A week before the season started last year did we actually have a manager?  Jed putting out bollocks about Glen Hoddle being his mate and being in negotiations with Tisdale - which he promptly back tracked on when asked on the radio!!  We did better than I thought we would last season, let's hope those players still here have grown up a bit and we may be able to enjoy the season.

You might win back the tenner you lost last season then arriba. :-)

Do agree that we need to bring a few in though, especially a centre half or two.

Personally, whil everyone wants to see instant success, I would be ready to accept a mediocre season results-wise, and give Power (& Cooper) the chance to fulfil the promise that they are building for the future - a strategy which cannot be achieved overnight, or even on one season.

Our squad isn't too disimilar to the start of last season. As long as stuff is goign on behind the scenes to bring in some new players in the next few weeks I'm ok with that.

It's not like we're going to be buying anyone.

When the fixture list came out I did my usual "we will win here, nothing there, possible draw there etc. etc." and came up with 71 which looks a tad optimistic now!

Having said that, I watched the Southampton and Leeds games and the main problem currently, as we are all aware, is lack of cover in defence and in the forward line, other than that I am relatively happy providing we do not just sit with the squad as it stands.

 :hmmm: