Ross Barkley

[Houston_Blade]

I thought he was OK
Sat deep shielded the ball against a half hearted press and used it well under little pressure
My reaction to him getting motm was that that's the difference between playing at a club like Luton and one like Everton or Chelsea where a largely anonymous ineffective performance like that would be under much greater scrutiny

You thought their first goal was an OG, you seem to struggle to see the obvious so I’ll ignore your opinions on who are good footballers and not.

 

[sheff_blade90]

this is revisionist history. not a chance if we signed him people would be happy. as you wouldve had quotes, about him being overrated, flopping at Chelsea & Villa, & ending up in the french league

 

[Sheffsteel]

Watched on TV, so maybe didn't get the best view, but I didn't see him do owt special.

He had a look of international class....showing for the ball and so comfortable on it.
Quick feet too.....thought both Barkley and Townsend stood out, you can see that even by PL standards they are top players.

A significant factor that needs to be considered though is geography.
You would imagine that both Barkley and Townshend were very keen to stay around the London area.
Really improves the quality of life when you dont need to relocate and can still see your family/ kids on a regular basis.

Would think that we were were near the Luton salary they would have chosen Luton over us.
We've have had to smash the Luton to make it a no brainer to join us.
Also lets not forget we've bought free transfers in the past, hardly any have been successful.

 

[steve26272]

Also lets not forget we've bought free transfers in the past, hardly any have been successful.

this - plus…

can’t recall anyone seriously suggesting them in the window

Townsend who hadn’t been signed by Burnley & Barkley who’s failed at Chelsea villa and Nice

The vitriol towards the club for accepting relegation by not going out and spending on young energetic players, and instead going for the cheap option of freebie has-beens would have been deafening

We’ve all got a degree in hindsight

 

[Houston_Blade]

this - plus…

can’t recall anyone seriously suggesting them in the window

Townsend who hadn’t been signed by Burnley & Barkley who’s failed at Chelsea villa and Nice

The vitriol towards the club for accepting relegation by not going out and spending on young energetic players, and instead going for the cheap option of freebie has-beens would have been deafening

We’ve all got a degree in hindsight

Rodwell and Morrison aren’t really comparable to Barkley and Townsend though.

We were scraping the bottom of the freebie barrel with the ones we signed.

 

[steve26272]

Rodwell and Morrison aren’t really comparable to Barkley and Townsend though.

We were scraping the bottom of the freebie barrel with the ones we signed.

Didn’t name check them??

I think that’s the point tho.

Had we been linked with Souza & Hamer, then gone for Barkley & Townsend scraping the barrel would have been touted - pound land prince an all that

My point is no one would’ve predicted the impact those 2 are having, not even the Luton fans

 

[SUFCinks]

Didn’t name check them??

I think that’s the point tho.

Had we been linked with Souza & Hamer, then gone for Barkley & Townsend scraping the barrel would have been touted - pound land prince an all that

My point is no one would’ve predicted the impact those 2 are having, not even the Luton fans

I think there was a few if us who wanted them both TBF and saw the value they would bring.

There was and still is clear gaps in our teams ability that they would both answer. I think rodwell, morrison etc have made most fans sceptical of these types of player. Which is understandable as they were both shocking transfers.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Didn’t name check them??

I think that’s the point tho.

Had we been linked with Souza & Hamer, then gone for Barkley & Townsend scraping the barrel would have been touted - pound land prince an all that

My point is no one would’ve predicted the impact those 2 are having, not even the Luton fans

Buy them as well as decent (non-bank breaking) signings like Luton have. There seems to be an acceptance that it’s one or t’other with us.

It was worth a £10m, 1 season gamble on a couple of experienced heads to keep us up. We’ve been told enough times that we can’t have both and as a fanbase we’ve now accepted that.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Didn’t name check them??

I think that’s the point tho.

Had we been linked with Souza & Hamer, then gone for Barkley & Townsend scraping the barrel would have been touted - pound land prince an all that

My point is no one would’ve predicted the impact those 2 are having, not even the Luton fans

Also going back further, we’ve had Speed, McCall, McGrath, Cresswell (I think he was free) and others I can’t remember off the top of my head. At the time these wouldn’t have been ‘cheap’ free transfers but there was a realisation that we needed them.

To the point that IdLiketoRogerMoore made earlier, you put some good, experienced PL heads around younger lads with football ability and physical prowess and you never know!

 

[steve26272]

Buy them as well as decent (non-bank breaking) signings like Luton have. There seems to be an acceptance that it’s one or t’other with us.

It was worth a £10m, 1 season gamble on a couple of experienced heads to keep us up. We’ve been told enough times that we can’t have both and as a fanbase we’ve now accepted that.

If the wage budget allows then yes

But imagine the feeling on day 1 when the team sheet read Osbourn, Norwood, Fleck, Barkley & Townsend

And I’m talking about not with the hindsight we now have

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Also going back further, we’ve had Speed, McCall, McGrath, Cresswell (I think he was free) and others I can’t remember off the top of my head. At the time these wouldn’t have been ‘cheap’ free transfers but there was a realisation that we needed them.

To the point that IdLiketoRogerMoore made earlier, you put some good, experienced PL heads around younger lads with football ability and physical prowess and you never know!

Exactly. Sticking experienced PL heads around experienced Championship heads would have been an absolute shambles....

 

[Bladesman]

Instead of Ross Barkley we signed Tom Davies. More brilliant transfer activity from our board.

Why is it the board?

I don't quite get this odd position some of our fans of taken.

Bad signings before Hecky's time here = Wilder's fault
Bad signings during Hecky's time here = The boards fault

I think Hecky had his list of targets this summer and I reckon he got over half of them. He couldn't gel that many players into a team properly.

 

[The Crab]

Not only was there no clamour, when they were suggested, the very idea was ridiculed as they were apparently not what we needed (not young, no resale value etc). Same applies to Wood. Now suddenly everyone thinks we should have signed them after all.

Much of what we have has got the resale value of a Rolf Harris Stylophone

 

[Houston_Blade]

If the wage budget allows then yes

But imagine the feeling on day 1 when the team sheet read Osbourn, Norwood, Fleck, Barkley & Townsend

And I’m talking about not with the hindsight we now have

Any team sheet with Fleck, Norwood and Osborn together deserves the derision it would get.

The wage budget I’m sure would allow us to speculate to accumulate, we seem conditioned as a set of fans to accept relegation on the cheap though.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Why is it the board?

I don't quite get this odd position some of our fans of taken.

Bad signings before Hecky's time here = Wilder's fault
Bad signings during Hecky's time here = The boards fault

I think Hecky had his list of targets this summer and I reckon he got over half of them. He couldn't gel that many players into a team properly.

Can we just blame Paul Mitchell for the lot? He’s the constant!

 

[sheff_blade90]

Rodwell and Morrison aren’t really comparable to Barkley and Townsend though.

ross barkley in july wouldve been on a par with fans with Rodwell

 

[Houston_Blade]

ross barkley in july wouldve been on a par with fans with Rodwell

Would have been proof that a lot of fans know nowt then!

 

[steve26272]

Would have been proof that a lot of fans know nowt then!

What, based on his previous at Chelsea , villa and Nice would lead you to believe that he would have been a good signing?

 

[JohnDenver]

Not only was there no clamour, when they were suggested, the very idea was ridiculed as they were apparently not what we needed (not young, no resale value etc). Same applies to Wood. Now suddenly everyone thinks we should have signed them after all.

Knowing we’d just sold our two best players and had no cash beyond the proceeds, I’d have been very unhappy if we’d focused limited resources on short term contracts for aging players.

Do I think this pair would improve us? Of course. Do I think we had any choice but to look at long term squad building? Not really.

In a parallel universe we signed players like this instead of Brewster and stayed up last time.

 

[Houston_Blade]

What, based on his previous at Chelsea , villa and Nice would lead you to believe that he would have been a good signing?

Wenzdeh fans said he was amazing

 

[Houston_Blade]

Knowing we’d just sold our two best players and had no cash beyond the proceeds, I’d have been very unhappy if we’d focused limited resources on short term contracts for aging players.

Do I think this pair would improve us? Of course. Do I think we had any choice but to look at long term squad building? Not really.

In a parallel universe we signed players like this instead of Brewster and stayed up last time.

I think the problem is that we signed some evidently poor ‘ones for the future’ and then gave Fleck and Osborn new contracts.

You’d also think that in the spirit of learning from mistakes we’d sign this kind of player this time after failing to do so last time.

 

[sheff_blade90]

Would have been proof that a lot of fans know nowt then!

if the rise of fan channels has told us anything. this is probably true

but with barkley, the question is why if Barkley is good as everyone is raving about, when established premier league clubs had the opportunity to sign barkley for free on 2 occasions, why did they pass, why did he end up at Luton.

 

[Carlton Blade]

if the rise of fan channels has told us anything. this is probably true

but with barkley, the question is why if Barkley is good as everyone is raving about, when established premier league clubs had the opportunity to sign barkley for free on 2 occasions, why did they pass, why did he end up at Luton.

He's been 'given the keys' at Luton. Everything goes through him and they rely on him. He deserves great credit for making that work and he's playing well. But it's a very different role to the more flair player/AM role he's failed at elsewhere. He's not expected to score and assist at Luton, more to keep the ball and get it into good areas. Maybe a better PL team gives him that responsibility next season? I doubt it

 

[Houston_Blade]

if the rise of fan channels has told us anything. this is probably true

but with barkley, the question is why if Barkley is good as everyone is raving about, when established premier league clubs had the opportunity to sign barkley for free on 2 occasions, why did they pass, why did he end up at Luton.

Because Jay Socik knows his shit!

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Also going back further, we’ve had Speed, McCall, McGrath, Cresswell (I think he was free) and others I can’t remember off the top of my head. At the time these wouldn’t have been ‘cheap’ free transfers but there was a realisation that we needed them.

To the point that IdLiketoRogerMoore made earlier, you put some good, experienced PL heads around younger lads with football ability and physical prowess and you never know!

All of which had a very positive impact on our performances and to which I would add Gordon Cowans .

All of these players clearly demonstrated that whilst not being at their peak , the fact that they were still quality footballers with natural abilities and experience enabled them to make a significant contribution to our cause.

Their is little doubt that our present squad is short on players with pace and athleticism , but I find the idea that these qualities alone are the answer to our problems somewhat misguided . Down the years , I have watched any number of players who had them in abundance but who were not particularly blessed in the footballing brain department.

Players who have all three of these qualities are rare and naturally attract far bigger clubs than ourselves . As such, I find the idea often suggested on here that we can afford to ditch a good percentage of our current squad and easily replace them with such talented individuals as ranging somewhere between being super optimistic and faintly ridiculous .

A couple of players from the former category is a far more realistic proposition and one which could provide significant improvements , as Luton have shown with their astute signings of Barclay and Townsend .

 

[LW_Blade]

I think we are seeing the better of Hamer though now Wilders moved him into a better position.
I reckon the opposite would apply, I think Wilder rates him.

But all I keep seeing is people saying he's playing him out of position?

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

This entire debate further emphasizes the point that we need a 'Director of Football' to oversee squad development, squad balance and take an impartial view on the right time to move players on.

Using this as an example, someone with the data and the experience could have seen Barkley as an upgrade on Norwood & Fleck and decided that was the direction to pursue. Instead we have Hecky rewarding his mates with extensions...