Atkins interview on match and transfer window / deals

[longinthe toothblade]

the loan windows available soon , just means short term loans till its sorted january
conceded 1 goal in 4 league games so we should be able to muddle through
We arent short of options , we still have a large squad and lots of returning players on the mend

sometimes theres obstacles to signing players that our club cant do anything about

Arsenal still astound football just one signing this summer petre cech
they get by
perennial cl qualification and last 2 FA cups , , shows you can run it from a squad

Yep but it helps if you already have the 'quality' in such depth and available across the squad [and youth set up] - taken together the value is estimated at £300m+

 

[blade too long]

Disagree.
Chesterfield have lost Cook, Ryan, Roberts, Clucas, Doyle (in Jan), Darikwa etc.

Swindon have lost Luogno, Gladwin etc. and their fans said Byrne and Smith were playing for away and subsequently moved on.

Both are decent League 1 sides but I don’t think either will finish in the top six this season and would say Gillingham, Wallsall, Coventry, Donny, Barnsley, Burton, Bradford, Fleetwood and Wigan might all provide sterner opposition. In fact, Gillingham already have.

amazing , our fans can see great improvements in other teams , but think we are constantly going backwards and decry us beating teams now one of whom finished above us
burton bradford ,, really bradford look dire this season Burton will do well to remain top half , Gillingham are poor travellers , mainly as they only take 50 to away games

Coventry walsall are capable but none in that list should frighten us

 

[blade too long]

Yep but it helps if you already have the 'quality' in such depth and available across the squad [and youth set up] - taken together the value is estimated at £300m+

all relevant , top 4 spend that in a window or 2
compared to their peers Arsenal pay peanuts in transfer fees
Thierry Henry said it was the equivalent of Accrington spending 100 quid on players to mount a challenge

 

[longinthe toothblade]

............"and the harder I worked, the more I planned, the luckier we were"

 

[longinthe toothblade]

I think we must hold the record for most unlucky club in the world come deadline day.

You can't really believe that, do you? .........."and the harder I worked, the more I planned, the luckier we were"

 

[longinthe toothblade]

I think we must hold the record for most unlucky club in the world come deadline day.

You can't really believe that, do you? .........."and the harder I worked, the more I planned, the luckier we became"

 

[MobileBlade]

yes but it would be like us putting a bid of £25m in for Messi.... we all know it's likely to be rejected (but we can say to the fans look at us bidding on Messi... thankfully I dont think the majority of our fans would fall for it and see it for what it is.)

the Burn deal would be more likely if its £1m (considering I think he was in his last year of his current contract) (well based on the Sheffield United Value book) ;-)

Think you're getting us and the pigs mixed up.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

amazing , our fans can see great improvements in other teams , but think we are constantly going backwards and decry us beating teams now one of whom finished above us
burton bradford ,, really bradford look dire this season Burton will do well to remain top half , Gillingham are poor travellers , mainly as they only take 50 to away games

Coventry walsall are capable but none in that list should frighten us

Not saying they should frighten us or will finish above us. Just saying I think they might provide sterner tests than Chezzy n Swindon. Bradford have started poorly but having added Steven Davies and Devante Cole to their attacking options, I fancy them to be a threat going forward and to improve on last season.

I also expect we will improve on last season due to our increase in both firepower and attacking intent.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

You can't really believe that, do you? .........."and the harder I worked, the more I planned, the luckier we became"

No I think that was tongue in cheek. Having seen a lot of Pete's posts I know he doesn't subscribe to the "unlucky" theories.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

how do we know will they gel will a couple of them be happy playing second fiddle
your summising they will be good , no one knows

it gets me people "know" we wont be any good
but can see other teams doing great
when in quality numbers we more than match them

You're putting words in my mouth, mate.

I'm not slagging off our strikeforce. I'm praising Wigan's.

I surmised Billy would be very good for us, a 25-goal striker this season, before he got here. I still think he will be. We all make predictions of one sort or another.

And I still think Wigan have got 4 very decent strikers for this level, & credit to them for that. Very pleased to read though that they didn't get the James Vaughan deal over the line yesterday - he's a cut above for division 3.

There's nothing wrong at all in praising our opponents, where appropriate. And it really doesn't have to imply criticism of SUFC.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

i've had enough of this transfer window bollocks . it is all sky hype
if you think about this carefully, then if you are desperately making deals on the last day of the window then you haven't been planning properly eg man utd.

Likewise if you've not plugged your CH gap then you've not planned properly.

 

[super_pig]

Likewise if you've not plugged your CH gap then you've not planned properly.

perhaps there is a different plan.. that you dont' know about yet??

 

[blade too long]

You're putting words in my mouth, mate.

I'm not slagging off our strikeforce. I'm praising Wigan's.

I surmised Billy would be very good for us, a 25-goal striker this season, before he got here. I still think he will be. We all make predictions of one sort or another.

And I still think Wigan have got 4 very decent strikers for this level, & credit to them for that. Very pleased to read though that they didn't get the James Vaughan deal over the line yesterday - he's a cut above for division 3.

There's nothing wrong at all in praising our opponents, where appropriate. And it really doesn't have to imply criticism of SUFC.

no need to imply theres barrow loads of open criticism on here
we cant do right for doing wrong but we can find time to praise our opponents attempts
shows how magnanimous we are

 

[blade too long]

Likewise if you've not plugged your CH gap then you've not planned properly.

1 cracking goal let in against us since we re organised after gillingham and we have a gaping hole
where ?

 

[blade too long]

You can't really believe that, do you? .........."and the harder I worked, the more I planned, the luckier we were"

wee worked hard and asked nicely the luck comes in they have the decency to let us have them
circumstances made letting them go at this time a non starter
we arent desperate , and theres a plan of action ,

the we must get someone is the wrong course of action
we must sign who we need, not whos available at one moment in time

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

1 cracking goal let in against us since we re organised after gillingham and we have a gaping hole
where ?

One injury and one suspension at the same time - CH

 

[blade too long]

One injury and one suspension at the same time - CH

well we only have 1 game till the transfer loan window reopens so no problem
you left out aircrash and alien abduction


plus we won at hartlepool with the immediate stand bys

 

[PeteBlade]

well we only have 1 game till the transfer loan window reopens so no problem
you left out aircrash and alien abduction


plus we won at hartlepool with the immediate stand bys

We drew, if you're trying to compare to league games.

 

[blade too long]

We drew, if you're trying to compare to league games.

sure WE ARE IN THE DRAW we won
goalie saved 2 pens , no cover ha

 

[loyalblade95]

some of our fans go on like its the end of all hope we didnt get someone in now
theres 6 weeks of loan windows and a month in january and another loan window

its barmy saying our chance has gone

Has loan window opened yet or does it open in a few weeks or so

 

[PeteBlade]

sure WE ARE IN THE DRAW we won
goalie saved 2 pens , no cover ha

I do hope the management team doesn't share this scary complacency.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

The club is immeasurably heading in a much better direction.
New manager, new formation , new exciting tactics, new scout, some great signings, a new mood about the place, and lets just moan.

A few years ago I'd worked in some good places and some bad places when, for a few months, I was fortunate to work for a really great manager. I learned all sorts in that short time, but one disheartening fact was that no matter how good the environment, there would always be a small group of people off in a corner moaning about how crap everything was.

UTMB

 

[eric_oulthwaite]

So you dont think Wigan fans will be looking at us and our attacking options saying the same
which of those would you do a straight swop for che connor done mceverly and sharp
which of those is much better than ours
doubt if hiwula is better than higdon

answer that ,
we are one of the 2 best squads in this division without signing anyone today

I live near Wigan.
Both their fans were too busy watching the rugby to give a shit!

 

[RealMcCoy]

well we only have 1 game till the transfer loan window reopens so no problem
you left out aircrash and alien abduction


plus we won at hartlepool with the immediate stand bys

Now you've really jinxed us!

 

[blade too long]

I do hope the management team doesn't share this scary complacency.

complacency ?
im all for adding to our squad at any time and expect us to do so next week when the loan window opens ,
Just saying theres no meed to panic, Adkins has a plan
can it go wrong , possibly but I never understand why some blades seem to want it to desperately
so they can be right

just because weve come close and missed out recently , its not written in stone that we are doomed to fail, I just dont get the seemingly resigned nature of some that failure is the norm -
Try hard not to be so pessimistic , it gets people nowhere , we will succeed if the belief is there

 

[PeteBlade]

complacency ?
im all for adding to our squad at any time and expect us to do so next week when the loan window opens ,
Just saying theres no meed to panic, Adkins has a plan
can it go wrong , possibly but I never understand why some blades seem to want it to desperately
so they can be right

just because weve come close and missed out recently , its not written in stone that we are doomed to fail, I just dont get the seemingly resigned nature of some that failure is the norm -
Try hard not to be so pessimistic , it gets people nowhere , we will succeed if the belief is there

Not a single person has panicked really, just expressed disappointment.

As much as I get the sentiment if your last bit, in reality, that's all it is, cliche and sentiment.

We won't succeed if the belief is there. We've believed for several seasons and we haven't.
We believed in 2002-03 and we didn't.
We believed we'd stay up in the
Prem and we didn't.

It's all about the team, making sure we're adequately prepared, and the squad is strong enough.

Starting with the defence.

 

[BushBlade]

Wigan have got some serious options up front now, what with the business they did today:

Grigg, Craig Davies, Jordy Hiwula, James Vaughan, Haris Vuckic...

If Gary Caldwell can't get them firing with that sort of firepower, their Child Chairman's gonna find himself having to sack a manager twice his own age before too long.

My only concern is that they get a decent manager in. It won't take a genius to sort them out, just a competent, experienced manager who understands what's required in this league.
Hopefully they'll retain Caldwell until it's too late and the damage is done. I hope they really regret not going for Adkins when he was available.

 

[PeteBlade]

My only concern is that they get a decent manager in. It won't take a genius to sort them out, just a competent, experienced manager who understands what's required in this league.
Hopefully they'll retain Caldwell until it's too late and the damage is done. I hope they really regret not going for Adkins when he was available.

Let's hope they take as long to get one of those as we bloody well have done!

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

My only concern is that they get a decent manager in. It won't take a genius to sort them out, just a competent, experienced manager who understands what's required in this league.
Hopefully they'll retain Caldwell until it's too late and the damage is done. I hope they really regret not going for Adkins when he was available.

Yeah, very much agree. Best thing, I suppose, is that they just go stumbling along in mid-table/upper mid-table (a bit like they are now), with the prospect of improvement there but sort of not quite being achieved. And also hope that the chairman is quite close to the manager (very possible with Caldwell having been around so long, & Sharpe being so green) & hasn't got the bollox to make the decisive move of sacking him.

Like you, I reckon with a half-way decent experienced manager that Wigan squad could take off.

 

[BushBlade]

Yeah, very much agree. Best thing, I suppose, is that they just go stumbling along in mid-table/upper mid-table (a bit like they are now), with the prospect of improvement there but sort of not quite being achieved. And also hope that the chairman is quite close to the manager (very possible with Caldwell having been around so long, & Sharpe being so green) & hasn't got the bollox to make the decisive move of sacking him.

Like you, I reckon with a half-way decent experienced manager that Wigan squad could take off.

What I think is interesting is that Whelan, for all his experience in both business and football, ended up making similar mistakes to KM. In many ways, appointing MacKay was his Robson moment. When everyone with any knowledge of the game thought 'WTF'. Coyle was a poor appointment but understandable as he'd done a good job at Burnley. Rosler was a bit of a gamble and one that I predicted at the time would fail (living local I understood the influence Warburton had at the club) but MM was just daft. Like every 'fool' (and I use quotation marks because we're all a bit susceptible) he thought he was getting a bargain, a good manager who'd been unjustly toxified by a cruel media, when in fact, he was a bit of a twat.

I think I'm as guilty as anyone in vilifying KM for his poor decisions but if Whelan can show such poor judgement it shows that football can make anyone look a bit daft.