Well done Paul Mitchell. You've had a very good summer.

[Woodwardfan]

Take a bow Sir!

Our expectations have been exceeded and the shrewdness of each acquisition is there to see.

I'd love to hear you reflect how you and the manager set about the rebuild of the squad way back in 2016. The financial planning, the incremental improvement and the assessment of needs in the squad.

I wonder when you started planning for the Premier League, Stage 1 - Summer 2017 ? Stage 2 -Summer 2018 ? Then in earnest by the Xmas?

Thanks Paul, we are up and ready to go.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Take a bow Sir!

Our expectations have been exceeded and the shrewdness of each acquisition is there to see.

I'd love to hear you reflect how you and the manager set about the rebuild of the squad way back in 2016. The financial planning, the incremental improvement and the assessment of needs in the squad.

I wonder when you started planning for the Premier League, Stage 1 - Summer 2017 ? Stage 2 -Summer 2018 ? Then in earnest by the Xmas?

Thanks Paul, we are up and ready to go.

I speak to PL fans and most look at our signings and think we’ve had an awful Summer transfer window.

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).
So they are all confident that Robinson, Freeman, Osborn, McBurnie will really struggle.

Believe it or not many reckon our main signing and main hope is Phil Jagielka
They think we’ve bought him to be our defensive king pin. They are amazed when I tell them he’s back up and might hardly play.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I speak to PL fans and most look at our signings and think we’ve had an awful Summer transfer window.

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).
So they are all confident that Robinson, Freeman, Osborn, McBurnie will struggle.

Believe it or not many reckon our main signing and main hope is Phil Jagielka
They think we’ve bought him to be our defensive king pin. They are amazed when I tell them he’s back up and might hardly play.

What do you think?

 

[Lmaobob]

I'd be disappointed if he didn't start planning ahead for this season, in the league one season

 

[Sheffsteel]

What do you think?

I think they are using logic and it would normally make sense
But we’ve all seen what Wilder is capable of.
He buys players that fit our system perfectly, then he coaches them up to play exactly to their strength, round pegs in round holes.
The result is that players quickly improve and produce higher quality football than their normal reputational level.

Wilder has demonstrated that he CAN turn water into wine and anything is possible.
So it wouldn’t surprise me if most of our top Championship players quickly adapt to the PL and look really good.

Logic suggests we’ll finish in the bottom 6 and I’ve predicted we’ll finish 5th from the bottom of the league and stay up
However Wilder has always exceeded my prediction every year he’s been in management with us.
When you take into account the “Wilder factor” I wouldn’t be surprised if we finished comfortable mid table.

 

[super_pig]

Wilder buys top championship players who are obviously too good for the championship.. it's a no brainer. the top of the championship and bottom of the prem are much of a muchness anyway

 

[Manuel Azaña]

What was this season's transfer budget?
Anyone close to actually knowing?
£20m?

 

[GrayBlade]

Don’t most home-grown players become Premier League players after being signed from a Championship club or by coming through the club’s own academy and being loaned out to a Championship club before making the grade?
I bet it’s hard to find many British players in the PL who didn’t do their final groundwork in the Championship.

And who are these established PL players a newly promoted team should sign? PL clubs aren’t going to give up their quality players easily and signing a foreign player is just as big a risk if not greater. A lot of what’s been said by other fans is based on what they’ve read on social media from goons like those on Talk Sport, but if they think it through its bollox. Time will tell who will make the grade, my guess some players will even excel, but as in any difficult campaign, as long as there’s a decent balance between the good, bad and average we can pull through with good management and our support.

 

[Manuel Azaña]

Wilder buys top championship players who are obviously too good for the championship

Nay, nay nay... on that premise, why hasn't he been across the city and bought at least half-a-dozen of their superstars?
They keep on telling us.

 

[LondonBlade89]

I speak to PL fans and most look at our signings and think we’ve had an awful Summer transfer window.

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).
So they are all confident that Robinson, Freeman, Osborn, McBurnie will really struggle.

Believe it or not many reckon our main signing and main hope is Phil Jagielka
They think we’ve bought him to be our defensive king pin. They are amazed when I tell them he’s back up and might hardly play.

Most of my mates are "PL fans" and they know jack all about the players we've signed. Champ players = "struggle to step-up" is such as basic argument just to cover up the fact that they don't know anything about the likes of Luke Freeman, Callum Robinson or Oli McBurnie, let alone the players in our own side who were here last year.

 

[Ricky]

It's not just going to be Paul Mitchell though is it. The more well known our targets become, the more it's over to the manager. Wilder, Knill and Mitchell will all have known exactly how good Robinson, Freeman and McBurnie are for example.

Bettis must have done a great job as well. Played a blinder with Robinson in particular.

As for 'PL fans' and their judgement, it could't be worth any less and I tell them this. They're generally very ignorant and have no appetite for the game outside the top division. They're brainwashed into thinking signings can only be good if they cost a fortune and have been through the hype machine. They're idiots. Many think they're tactical experts though since they started watching their Gary Neville.

In reality we've recruited as well as we could have been expected to. And we have at least one significant signing left.

 

[Bladesman]

Don’t most home-grown players become Premier League players after being signed from a Championship club or by coming through the club’s own academy and being loaned out to a Championship club before making the grade?
I bet it’s hard to find many British players in the PL who didn’t do their final groundwork in the Championship.

And who are these established PL players a newly promoted team should sign? PL clubs aren’t going to give up their quality players easily and signing a foreign player is just as big a risk if not greater. A lot of what’s been said by other fans is based on what they’ve read on social media from goons like those on Talk Sport, but if they think it through its bollox. Time will tell who will make the grade, my guess some players will even excel, but as in any difficult campaign, as long as there’s a decent balance between the good, bad and average we can pull through with good management and our support.

We are expected to pick up the PL dross no other PL club wants anymore. Andy Carroll for example.

Also, they expect us to take players from the relegated clubs while over looking why those clubs got relegated in the first place.

 

[Snake]

Our recruitment has given us a fighting chance. If you look at our evolution and progression under CW/AK we now have a squad of players who give us options. In the first season (League 1) we very much played to 'our' system. We didn't really have a plan B until Hanson arrived in January. That system was easily good enough in that league though.

Then our first season in the Champ. Again, we played to 'our' system but with the better quality of the other teams we just fell short. A very commendable season it was for us, but ultimately we lacked options that season.

Last season we had a plan A, B and C. Particularly after January when Madine and Hogan were signed. An excellent and astute piece of work by Wilder and team.

This season the quality of opposition is of course even higher. The squad we now have gives us more options. We now have some pace, we now have some potential 'off the cuff' magic. We now have some hight and strength from game 1, not game 23.

Let the "PL fans" think what the fook they like. We are ready and digging in for the battle!!

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I'd be disappointed if he didn't start planning ahead for this season, in the league one season

Before that, he was thinking about this season when he was involved in the local Sunday league.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Our recruitment has given us a fighting chance. If you look at our evolution and progression under CW/AK we now have a squad of players who give us options. In the first season (League 1) we very much played to 'our' system. We didn't really have a plan B until Hanson arrived in January. That system was easily good enough in that league though.

Then our first season in the Champ. Again, we played to 'our' system but with the better quality of the other teams we just fell short. A very commendable season it was for us, but ultimately we lacked options that season.

Last season we had a plan A, B and C. Particularly after January when Madine and Hogan were signed. An excellent and astute piece of work by Wilder and team.

This season the quality of opposition is of course even higher. The squad we now have gives us more options. We now have some pace, we now have some potential 'off the cuff' magic. We now have some hight and strength from game 1, not game 23.

Let the "PL fans" think what the fook they like. We are ready and digging in for the battle!!

Good post....like how your noticed the gradual evolution of Wilders strategy, it proves that Wilder does learn and then adapts.

He mentioned in an interview the other week that a newly promoted PL club needs to find goals, a lack of goals is often the reason for relgstion.
So I think he’s targeted signings who are youngish and all have a decent eye for a goal.

I’m going to be interested if Wilder changes his style.
Will he still use overlapping centre backs and if yes, then how often?
Or will he go more for defending in numbers....,then quick direct counter attacks on the break.

Also what will Wilders attitude be away from home. We’ve seen for the past 3 years that Wilder is surprisingly offensive away from home clearly looking for the win instead of taking a draw but will this positive attitude continue in the PL? I suspect, initially yes but will he become cautious if we lose a few?

 

[mattbianco1]

I speak to PL fans and most look at our signings and think we’ve had an awful Summer transfer window.

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).
So they are all confident that Robinson, Freeman, Osborn, McBurnie will really struggle.

Believe it or not many reckon our main signing and main hope is Phil Jagielka
They think we’ve bought him to be our defensive king pin. They are amazed when I tell them he’s back up and might hardly play.

So what you're saying is people haven't got the slightest clue about us?

 

[Charlieblade]

Were they surprised when the likes of Jags, Lowton, Mcguire, Brooks and Walker joined from our lowly football league side, and failed to struggle in the prem?

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I speak to PL fans and most look at our signings and think we’ve had an awful Summer transfer window.

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).
So they are all confident that Robinson, Freeman, Osborn, McBurnie will really struggle.

Believe it or not many reckon our main signing and main hope is Phil Jagielka
They think we’ve bought him to be our defensive king pin. They are amazed when I tell them he’s back up and might hardly play.

Surely an awful transfer window would be getting nobody?

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I like what we’ve done as regards recruitment, spent sensible money on the right type & age of player. Theow in a good loanee and I’ll be ecstatic. However, I can see why the neutrals/pundits/other fans think the exact opposite, that we’ve wasted money on unproven players.

That’s football. We’ll only know for certain in May. What do I think? I think I’ll be very close between us staying up/going down. Quite probably 3 points or less. I’m sticking to my 40/40/60 target for safety, and will be ticking them off my wall chart.

As Alan Partridge said ‘the proof is in the pudding, and in this case, the pudding is a football’.

Bring it on! UTB ️

 

[Sheffsteel]

So what you're saying is people haven't got the slightest clue about us?

I’m saying they have no clue and a big disrespect towards the Championship and the players that play there.

They also have no idea what Chris Wilder is capable of, some have still hardly heard of him ha.
His record over the last 4 years must make him the best manager in the UK.

The Villa games last season were a prime example. On paper they have better players with a much better pedigree
So it doesn’t make sense how historically inferior players can outplay a supposedly better team with high quality attractive football.

 

[Snake]

Good post....like how your noticed the gradual evolution of Wilders strategy, it proves that Wilder does learn and then adapts.

He mentioned in an interview the other week that a newly promoted PL club needs to find goals, a lack of goals is often the reason for relgstion.
So I think he’s targeted signings who are youngish and all have a decent eye for a goal.

I’m going to be interested if Wilder changes his style.
Will he still use overlapping centre backs and if yes, then how often?
Or will he go more for defending in numbers....,then quick direct counter attacks on the break.

Also what will Wilders attitude be away from home. We’ve seen for the past 3 years that Wilder is surprisingly offensive away from home clearly looking for the win instead of taking a draw but will this positive attitude continue in the PL? I suspect, initially yes but will he become cautious if we lose a few?

Couldn't agree more mate. Wilder is a switched on bloke. He (and the excellent support team he has put together) know exactly what is needed, I'm sure of that. Whether we can do it, remains to be seen. But I would not be surprised one bit if we finished comfortably outside the relegation places (perhaps on 45 points ish). As I said, we now have options, and lots of them. Take the top 6 really big boys out of the equation (the rest of the division is a million miles behind them) and I think we'll be ok. I can't wait for Saturday!

 

[sheffielder]

Insane. Not many teams at the bottom of the premier league buy established premier league players.

Have Brighton signed any, ever?
Burnley always sign championship players
how have Bournemouth got on with brooks Wilson etc

I generally find premier league fans are thick, especially the plastic ones who have no idea about the championship

 

[Woodwardfan]

Good post....like how your noticed the gradual evolution of Wilders strategy, it proves that Wilder does learn and then adapts.

He mentioned in an interview the other week that a newly promoted PL club needs to find goals, a lack of goals is often the reason for relgstion.
So I think he’s targeted signings who are youngish and all have a decent eye for a goal.

I’m going to be interested if Wilder changes his style.
Will he still use overlapping centre backs and if yes, then how often?
Or will he go more for defending in numbers....,then quick direct counter attacks on the break.

Also what will Wilders attitude be away from home. We’ve seen for the past 3 years that Wilder is surprisingly offensive away from home clearly looking for the win instead of taking a draw but will this positive attitude continue in the PL? I suspect, initially yes but will he become cautious if we lose a few?

I think we will have to protect our back 3, guard against fast breaks and one- on- ones against pace.. To do that we might have to play deeper and counter attack more ourselves. We've got pace and strength up front.




When Bash and JO'c overlap watch the wing backs and Norwood drop back quickly. They always do that but more need now.

 

[YES Blade]

I'm more than happy with our summer and it has definitely exceeded mine and no doubt many other fans' expectations.

But as a ball hasn't even been kicked yet, I think it's a bit early to start patting anyone on the back for a job well done.

 

[super_pig]

Most of my mates are "PL fans" and they know jack all about the players we've signed. Champ players = "struggle to step-up" is such as basic argument just to cover up the fact that they don't know anything about the likes of Luke Freeman, Callum Robinson or Oli McBurnie, let alone the players in our own side who were here last year.

yet third division foreign players are expected to step up with ease. perplexing..

 

[super_pig]

It's not just going to be Paul Mitchell though is it. The more well known our targets become, the more it's over to the manager. Wilder, Knill and Mitchell will all have known exactly how good Robinson, Freeman and McBurnie are for example.

Bettis must have done a great job as well. Played a blinder with Robinson in particular.

As for 'PL fans' and their judgement, it could't be worth any less and I tell them this. They're generally very ignorant and have no appetite for the game outside the top division. They're brainwashed into thinking signings can only be good if they cost a fortune and have been through the hype machine. They're idiots. Many think they're tactical experts though since they started watching their Gary Neville.

In reality we've recruited as well as we could have been expected to. And we have at least one significant signing left.

Gary Neville was ranting that virgil van dijk was overpriced last season!

 

[Sheffsteel]

yet third division foreign players are expected to step up with ease. perplexing..

Agree.....but that seems to be the fashion.
Any manager or player with an exotic sounding foreign name.....especially if they cost a lot.......must be a good player........as you say, perplexing.

 

[nicksufc]

Insane. Not many teams at the bottom of the premier league buy established premier league players.

Have Brighton signed any, ever?
Burnley always sign championship players
how have Bournemouth got on with brooks Wilson etc

I generally find premier league fans are thick, especially the plastic ones who have no idea about the championship

Yes. Some of the comments from brainless PL fans are so cringeworthy it's untrue - backing us to go down easily because we're signing Championship players. We're signing the best Championship players which has been hugely successful for plenty of newly promoted teams. We also don't have much of an option. Are these fans really so thick as to think we're going to be buying proven PL players? I honestly do not understand their attitude - in the end I think it comes down to lack of knowledge of leagues outside the Premier League. And the fact we're not signing fancy foreign names like Callum Robinsoninho or Ravel de Morrison

 

[Camden Blade]

£80 million Harry Maguire was playing in L1 not so long ago. The players Wilder has chosen can make the transition. A lot of the big money foreign signings most PL clubs invest in fail to make the transition from French or Spanish Leagues to the Prem. Players like Robinson etc can play at a higher level. A lot remains to be seen but who knows better. You're average armchair Liverpool Man City / Utd Arsenal fan or CW/AK?

 

[Sheffsteel]

Are these fans really so thick as to think we're going to be buying proven PL players? I honestly do not understand their attitude - in the end I think it comes down to lack of knowledge of leagues outside the Premier League.

They think the best way to stay up is to buy PL has-beens on the way down Andy Carroll and Wayne Rooney.

Most PL fans think our best signing over the Summer is Phil Jagielka
and some do give us credit in a patronising way because they think at least PJ will able to strengthen our defence for a season or 2.

When I mention he was bought as back-up and probably won’t get any games, they think I’m showing off
Because how can defenders like JOC and JE, brought up in the Championship and league 1 can possibly be better than an ex England international.