The Prophet Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 11 minutes ago, Nucasol said: We had Callum Wilson for both those games. Now we have a void up front with a choice of taking an out of favour Championship level reserve or playing a non-goalscoring striker who has been our best midfielder, or ASM. Wilson hasn't started in five games this season and we've scored in all five of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxst Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 6 minutes ago, Pilko said: It does feel like the rumour mill and updates from The Athletic etc have dried up over the past 3 or so days. The Athletic have stated that we “are determined to sign a CB and striker before Watford”, and that the loss to Cambridge has “‘focussed minds’ as to securing signings”. Also “The board has reaffirmed it’s commitment to strengthening the squad imminently”, “There is a recognition that unless a forward is signed this week, they risk heading into a potentially season defining fixture without a match winner”. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 4 minutes ago, Yorkie said: Without Wilson I think the situation with our strikers is as desperate as I can ever recall. Looking back through squads down the years and I honestly dunno if it's ever been this bad (again, the situation at it is without Wilson). I'm sure we've always had someone waiting in the wings who was capable of at least holding the line and/or getting a shot on target, in the event our first choice was unavailable. At the moment it's a choice between ASM and Gayle, both of whom are a total disaster. I remember back in the day we loaned Scott Sloan for a month during one of our 3 monthly crisis periods and he was just terrible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Just now, Ben said: I remember back in the day we loaned Scott Sloan for a month during one of our 3 monthly crisis periods and he was just terrible. Someone else then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantail Breeze Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Who could have possibly foreseen going into a PL season with two strikers made out of Weetabix would become problematic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 People saying Edddie Howe is shite really need to have a word with themselves. Even if Emery came in or A.N. Other we would still be in the EXACTLY the same position when it comes to bringing players in. We would still be in EXACTLY the same position with regards to the state of the current playing squad. We MIGHT have a couple of extra points, but then again, we MIGHT NOT. As fans, we would STILL be moaning and groaning about all of the above. For fucks sake, we waited 18 months for the takeover and I know time is of the esssence but I thought we were more patient than this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdm Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nortoon Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Nobody has looked at squad balance since Rafa left. 1 usable left back. 1 striker, 5 centrebacks. We often resort to using 4 wingers. Wood would be the kind of 3rd choice striker we'd bring in on a free, unfortunately we might have to bite the sour apple and pay up for someone like that. Even under pardew we usually had 4 strikers for Christ's sake. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto2005 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 7 minutes ago, gdm said: Thanks Pete, knew all of this 3 days ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Biggsbond14 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 32 minutes ago, Yorkie said: Without Wilson I think the situation with our strikers is as desperate as I can ever recall. Looking back through squads down the years and I honestly dunno if it's ever been this bad (again, the situation as it is without Wilson). I'm sure we've always had someone waiting in the wings who was capable of at least holding the line and/or getting a shot on target, in the event our first choice was unavailable. At the moment it's a choice between ASM and Gayle, both of whom are a total disaster. I'd be absolutely smashing the panic button at this point, anyone will do going into the weekend, then put money towards a proper one before the month's out. Shane Long on loan, fuck it. Ellis Simms, Jay Rodriguez, Fabio Silva. Fucking anyone. Anyone but this shower of shit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Vlad Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 If we do have a budget of £100m, which has been reported a few times. I feel like we would be better off spending the big money on a striker and a midfielder. Then looking to also get a centre back and also a left back in, if that is possible. Our options are hardly inspiring. But at least we actually have some options at centre back. Centre mid is currently Shelvey who is back to his strolling around with a cigar on best. Then Willock who clearly can't play there in a two, or even play football, based on the last game. Longstaff is woeful and needs to be peddled. Oh then we have an injured Hayden who has been poor for a while and Joelinton who has played about 4 games at centre mid in his senior career and also won't be playing in a 2. As for striker, for the next two months at least. It's an injured/Covid infected/unreliable Gayle and..... ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxst Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 I haven’t seen mention of a £100m budget? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Underwhelming yes but don't think Solanke would be the worst buy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmesy Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 This is the thing that no one seems to be talking about. We know the squad is shit, but cracks have been papered over by three stand out players being in decent form. Two of those players are now out of form and the other is injured and now we get a proper warts-and-all view of how shit and thin our squad is. We are championship from front to back - Gayle, Murphy, Ritchie, Hendrick, Clark, Krafth, Lascelles, Darlow, Longstaff, Almiron, Manquillo, Fraser. 12 players who are Championship standard. Shelvey, Hayden, Schar, Dubravka, Fernandez, Willock are arguably PL standard but bottom half PL. ASM, Tripper and Wilson are arguably the only players that could play in a top half PL team. That is relegation fodder, Ashley and Bruce's legacy. Howe has come in with a new system that seemingly isn't working, but the players he is working with are probably incapable of executing his instructions because they're not good enough, intelligent enough, quick enough or have enough end product. In short, we are fucking desperate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdm Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Lack of links/updates today is frustrating. I expected it to be quite over the weekend but thought there would be more noise this morning Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Vlad Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 17 minutes ago, Lazarus said: People saying Edddie Howe is shite really need to have a word with themselves. Even if Emery came in or A.N. Other we would still be in the EXACTLY the same position when it comes to bringing players in. We would still be in EXACTLY the same position with regards to the state of the current playing squad. We MIGHT have a couple of extra points, but then again, we MIGHT NOT. As fans, we would STILL be moaning and groaning about all of the above. For fucks sake, we waited 18 months for the takeover and I know time is of the esssence but I thought we were more patient than this? Agree with all of this. I said I'd take relegation if it meant getting rid of Ashley. I know that doesn't mean we have to get relegated, it's not lik I made a pact with the devil or anything But it is still how I feel. To be honest, if it meant going down and having a total clearout and a proper rebuild. Then I am all for it. Too many of these players are not good enough, completely shot with bruised egos, shit attitude or just all of the above. Tear it down and start again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest reefatoon Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 1 minute ago, ManDoon said: Agree, also CM improves CB by proxy anyway. Yep, I would much rather go into the second half of the season with Schar and Fernandez than Shelvey and Longstaff. Midfield is in desperate need. Has been for years, it's been criminally neglected. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest reefatoon Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Just now, ManDoon said: Tiote used to give our CBs so much protection, it takes a ton of pressure off your CBs to have a good mid in front of them Totally agree, it's that extra wall of protection in front of the defence, but also lets your attacking players and your fullbacks push higher. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Pilgrim Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Lazarus said: People saying Edddie Howe is shite really need to have a word with themselves. Even if Emery came in or A.N. Other we would still be in the EXACTLY the same position when it comes to bringing players in. We would still be in EXACTLY the same position with regards to the state of the current playing squad. We MIGHT have a couple of extra points, but then again, we MIGHT NOT. As fans, we would STILL be moaning and groaning about all of the above. For fucks sake, we waited 18 months for the takeover and I know time is of the esssence but I thought we were more patient than this? Personally I think the people who are rolling over and accepting relegation and throwing their hands in the air and saying ‘well we’ve been shite forever we deserve to go down Eddie Howe doesn’t have to win games of football to be a winner but he is a winner’ are the ones who need a word with themselves. We’re the richest club in the world and relegation will be a total disaster and must be avoided at all costs, even if it means killing bambi after 4 months in charge. It comes down to to results, if Howe can’t get the players in, and then can’t win the games needed to stay up in the short to medium term, there is zero point in keeping him around, so far as I can see. Edited January 10, 2022 by Billy Pilgrim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 4 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said: Agree with all of this. I said I'd take relegation if it meant getting rid of Ashley. I know that doesn't mean we have to get relegated, it's not lik I made a pact with the devil or anything But it is still how I feel. To be honest, if it meant going down and having a total clearout and a proper rebuild. Then I am all for it. Too many of these players are not good enough, completely shot with bruised egos, shit attitude or just all of the above. Tear it down and start again. I said all this ages ago - even if we go down, so what? If gives us a full 12 months to get rid of the dead wood, to change the staff behind the scenes, the build the improved facilities and bring in better players then we'd start a PL campaign in a much better position than we are now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Venkman Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Just now, Lazarus said: I said all this ages ago - even if we go down, so what? If gives us a full 12 months to get rid of the dead wood, to change the staff behind the scenes, the build the improved facilities and bring in better players then we'd start a PL campaign in a much better position than we are now. Yeah but can you be arsed with the promotion season, the avoiding relegation season, and the consolidating season AGAIN? I can't. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Biggsbond14 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 2 minutes ago, Billy Pilgrim said: Personally I think the people who are rolling over and accepting relegation and throwing their hands in the air and saying ‘well we’ve been shite forever we deserve to go down Eddie Howe doesn’t have to win games of football to be a winner but he is a winner’ are the ones who need a word with themselves. We’re the richest club in the world and relegation will be a total disaster and must be avoided at all costs, even if it means killing bambi after 4 months in charge. It comes down to to results, if Howe can’t get the players in, and then can’t win the games needed to stay up in the short to medium term, there is zero point in keeping him around, so far as I can see. Hate the term “ richest club in the world “ As from the day we got taken over we haven’t got a clue what the long term aims are and I know amanda said we want to win the league etc but maybe spur of the moment having hundreds of cameras on her , secondly Howe probably doesn’t have any say on who comes in and his interview last week explained it’s a collective thing, thirdly what would be the point of sacking him if we didn’t stay up as this team is one of the worst in my memory Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxst Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 4 minutes ago, Lazarus said: I said all this ages ago - even if we go down, so what? If gives us a full 12 months to get rid of the dead wood, to change the staff behind the scenes, the build the improved facilities and bring in better players then we'd start a PL campaign in a much better position than we are now. Because even with the takeover, promotion would still be a lottery and not a given. Granted, we’d undoubtedly have a damn good chance of getting back to the PL, but imagine if we didn’t…? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Pilgrim Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Just now, Biggsbond14 said: Hate the term “ richest club in the world “ As from the day we got taken over we haven’t got a clue what the long term aims are and I know amanda said we want to win the league etc but maybe spur of the moment having hundreds of cameras on her , secondly Howe probably doesn’t have any say on who comes in and his interview last week explained it’s a collective thing, thirdly what would be the point of sacking him if we didn’t stay up as this team is one of the worst in my memory The point of sacking him is, if he can’t win more games of football then he is no use to man nor beast and there is zero gain to keeping him. This isn’t Rafa we’re talking about, it’s Eddie Howe, a man who has won nothing in his entire career and been sacked for relegating Bournemouth. He owes us, we do not owe him, and nothing in this world ever happens because you were nice when you should have been ruthless. Now I will say it’s still too early to make a call. He needs january to sign players and pick up points. But if we go into mid February and we’re still on one win and losing games to the likes of Watford then I want his sad little face on a plate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happinesstan Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 It's really not the end of the world if we don't sign anybody in time for Watford. We've turned up in all of our recent PL games, and even in the first half against Cambridge. Watford are ot going to be playing the way Cambridge did and we'll get more space to attack on the counter. Obviously it would be reassuring to get a striker, but it's pointless pissing the bed, just now. On Friday people believed the squad was good enough to beat Cambridge to such an extent they were happy to donate the gate, before a ball had been pumped up. Those people were wrong and now think we're not good enough to beat Watford. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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