Are we really broke or just coy ?

[Guesty]

Some fans will be saying things like “we need three centre backs”. We’re not getting three centre backs. You may not be massively into Robbo but as a first back up he’s perfectly fine for the level.

The problem is that one long term injury turns your first back-up into a first team regular, something that cost us dearly last season.

 

[Rodley]

I think the key thing is to give Ruben the chance and time to embed a new tactical system with new and existing players. If we’re going into the first game of the season with players who’ve not had a proper preseason or if we’ve still have plenty of business to do, then we’re not setting ourselves up with the best chance of exceeding last season and getting automatic promotion. No one wants playoffs this year.

 

[SwissBlade]

Chartering your own plane to Girona and back not signs that we are broke is it?

It’s perhaps not the cheapest way to travel but it’s certainly the most convenient when we’re taking a squad of around 20-25, staff of 10-15, the luggage for 40 people, the training kit, the balls and equipment for on pitch, the equipment for off pitch and to travel there

The aircraft was a 737-522, seating up to 56 by the looks of it and flew from east mids to girona. Total charter would be around £80k return

 

[skegblade]

Not broke but the Wembley fiasco have the new owners watching the pennies ,decent offers for players will be accepted,and looking in the bargain basement
Not expecting multi million bids for players,trying to be optimistic for the new season but in all honesty very pessimistic

 

[Champagneblade]

The problem is that one long term injury turns your first back-up into a first team regular, something that cost us dearly last season.

We did approach last season with just three to be fair.

We do need to be smart.

Can the next right back we gain also play at centre back? The QPR lad would have been good for that.

Can one of the fullbacks play centre back as an additional option? I’d wager McCallum could. He’s quick but he’s also excellent in the air.

Are any youngsters almost ready and can be considered 4th or 5th choice CB?

We have put faith in Baptiste with a new deal and at 21 he ought to be making a case. We seem to rate Sasnauskas as well.

We have Freckleton, Easton, Prunty, Okyere and Asante-Boakye. They can’t all be just making up numbers.

I think it’s a hard sell to get a player in of high standing when you already have Bindon, Robinson and Anel.

 

[Aston max]

I don’t know if we have some fans who just want the excitement of signings but I want to see the club spending money responsibly. I don’t want to see us wasting money on agents and changing for the sake of it.

We need a handful of players, not 7 or 8 or more and a total rebuild. That would be ridiculous.

Some fans will be saying things like “we need three centre backs”. We’re not getting three centre backs. You may not be massively into Robbo but as a first back up he’s perfectly fine for the level. We won’t be signing 3 potential Premier League centre backs. That’s totally unrealistic.

“We need to replace Souza”. No we don’t. For a start we don’t even know how many midfielders Selles’ system is going to require. Then at this level I’d make a strong case we don’t need a dedicated DM. We already have Hamer, O’Hare, Arblaster, Peck, Davies, Shackleton and Brooks who can play midfield.

Me, now we have Bindon, I’d like 3 players, max 4, all of which can be serious contenders to start. An additional right back would be one of them. Then the rest will depend how Selles wants us to play. It could be a winger or two and a striker. Who knows?

But let’s not just piss money away for the sake of it. Spend when we need to and replace if required.

IMHO we do need another centre half, a right back and from there probably a centre midfielder ( we've got sydie, tom atm ! If I'm I right blaster is looking at September ) .
From what I've gleaned jeff and Christian are doing quite well ( but competitive game time will tell)
We can put a "solid" 11 out with the fit players but we're still looking weakish in defence and central midfield back up
Cooper
Seriki, anel, bindon, burrows
Davies, peck
Ohare, hamer, brooks
Campbell

But one injury and we're looking thin ,we must have a good start !!
Still think we're top 6 but top 2 ? The next 3 signings will tell us a lot
Hopefully a few peripheral players will leave.

 

[Stretch]

I think we all need to keep our powder dry for a bit longer yet. I am not keeping up with all of the business being done, but it doesn't feel like a really busy market at the moment and I wasn't expecting much to happen until Selles had spent some time with the squad.

Bindon seems a solid signing, whilst Ukaki is more of an unknown, but potentially exciting. And it's not as if we haven't already got a core squad of very good players. In many cases we have amongst the best in the division. I am happy for us to take our time in making additions.

 

[Nick Jansky]

If we’re going into the first game of the season with players who’ve not had a proper preseason or if we’ve still have plenty of business to do, then we’re not setting ourselves up with the best chance of exceeding last season and getting automatic promotion. No one wants playoffs this year.

There will be quite a lot of clubs in exactly that position.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Only Sheffield United fans can come to the conclusion of being owned by a consortium of multi-millionaires = we're skint.

Same logic as Reuben Selles has never achieved anything and therefore never will. As has 90% of all football managers, but everyone that has was once someone who'd never achieved something in management at one point too.

 

[Sean Thornton]

It's not as luxury as a preseason tour to St. George's Park though, is it?

They only needed a black cab though!

 

[robbiez666]

We did approach last season with just three to be fair.

We do need to be smart.

Can the next right back we gain also play at centre back? The QPR lad would have been good for that.

Can one of the fullbacks play centre back as an additional option? I’d wager McCallum could. He’s quick but he’s also excellent in the air.

Are any youngsters almost ready and can be considered 4th or 5th choice CB?

We have put faith in Baptiste with a new deal and at 21 he ought to be making a case. We seem to rate Sasnauskas as well.

We have Freckleton, Easton, Prunty, Okyere and Asante-Boakye. They can’t all be just making up numbers.

I think it’s a hard sell to get a player in of high standing when you already have Bindon, Robinson and Anel.

Anel will be off so I guess you look for an experienced CB to partner Bindon. Worral, for instance. Use one of the younger lads as 4th choice.

 

[robbiez666]

When's the next Avengers film out? We'll have to wait for then for some money!

 

[Darren William]

Folk look at what is happening in Birmingham, often with envy and compare that with our situation. Let them get on with throwing everything at it, it will bite them on the bum eventually.

It might not come and bite them in the backside .I'd laugh my b@@@@ off of it got them up and proved they went at it properly and got just rewards .

 

[Bladeloyal]

Where did the plane fly from? Presume not Donny as there is no ATC or passport control. If it was Leeds, Manc or E Mids it would still presumably be a hassle going through security etc.

But I guess it is an indication that we have a bit of cash. Ryanair or Easyjet would have been well under 10k to get everyone there and back.

It flew from east mids private charter boeing 737

 

[AdamSufc1997]

Money is there but it's sensible to look at frees and loans first then spend money. Currently though i don't think the squad we have is enough for selles's ideas so need to get a move on with signings..

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Really broke.

The Cardiff kid said it.

 

[KMC-1889]

IMHO we do need another centre half, a right back and from there probably a centre midfielder ( we've got sydie, tom atm ! If I'm I right blaster is looking at September ) .
From what I've gleaned jeff and Christian are doing quite well ( but competitive game time will tell)
We can put a "solid" 11 out with the fit players but we're still looking weakish in defence and central midfield back up
Cooper
Seriki, anel, bindon, burrows
Davies, peck
Ohare, hamer, brooks
Campbell

But one injury and we're looking thin ,we must have a good start !!
Still think we're top 6 but top 2 ? The next 3 signings will tell us a lot
Hopefully a few peripheral players will leave.

Think this is a really good point. That first 11 is easy good enough to challenge for top six, any additions need to improve that first 11 and just add poor quality depth to push us into that top two.

I’m happy that the club is taking its time and thinking about the additions rather than just getting whoever’s going cheap.

 

[I should coco]

I don’t know if we have some fans who just want the excitement of signings but I want to see the club spending money responsibly. I don’t want to see us wasting money on agents and changing for the sake of it.

We need a handful of players, not 7 or 8 or more and a total rebuild. That would be ridiculous.

Some fans will be saying things like “we need three centre backs”. We’re not getting three centre backs. You may not be massively into Robbo but as a first back up he’s perfectly fine for the level. We won’t be signing 3 potential Premier League centre backs. That’s totally unrealistic.

“We need to replace Souza”. No we don’t. For a start we don’t even know how many midfielders Selles’ system is going to require. Then at this level I’d make a strong case we don’t need a dedicated DM. We already have Hamer, O’Hare, Arblaster, Peck, Davies, Shackleton and Brooks who can play midfield.

Me, now we have Bindon, I’d like 3 players, max 4, all of which can be serious contenders to start. An additional right back would be one of them. Then the rest will depend how Selles wants us to play. It could be a winger or two and a striker. Who knows?

But let’s not just piss money away for the sake of it. Spend when we need to and replace if required.

We did approach last season with just three to be fair.

We do need to be smart.

Can the next right back we gain also play at centre back? The QPR lad would have been good for that.

Can one of the fullbacks play centre back as an additional option? I’d wager McCallum could. He’s quick but he’s also excellent in the air.

Are any youngsters almost ready and can be considered 4th or 5th choice CB?

We have put faith in Baptiste with a new deal and at 21 he ought to be making a case. We seem to rate Sasnauskas as well.

We have Freckleton, Easton, Prunty, Okyere and Asante-Boakye. They can’t all be just making up numbers.
I think it’s a hard sell to get a player in of high standing when you already have Bindon, Robinson and Anel.

Far, far too sensible posts.

It won't catch on, on here.

 

[71Blade]

Money is there but it's sensible to look at frees and loans first then spend money. Currently though i don't think the squad we have is enough for selles's ideas so need to get a move on with signings..

If and it's a big if we did gain promotion at the end of next season it would mean another big rebuild even bigger if the loan players go back. Think im just old and like players to be our players im sick of watching players who we don't own go on to bigger and better. Fully appreciate that happens with our players too however at least we command some sort of fee.

I know Forest did this re many loans and have gone on to prove it can be done however would we spend like Forest have I doubt that but also ok with that.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I think the key thing is to give Ruben the chance and time to embed a new tactical system with new and existing players. If we’re going into the first game of the season with players who’ve not had a proper preseason or if we’ve still have plenty of business to do, then we’re not setting ourselves up with the best chance of exceeding last season and getting automatic promotion. No one wants playoffs this year.

In fairness to Selles, if we go into the season with a few players who haven’t had a decent preseason we’re doing exactly the same as last season (3rd) and the season before (shitshow) and the season before (promoted). It just seems to be the way we operate as a club having to wait for the better teams to make their moves before we see who’s left.

 

[Updemblades]

We travel in style these days!
View attachment 215792

‘Tales of the golden elephants’. It’s a fair old down grade or two on the ‘tales of the golden monkey’ plane. (Those old enough to know will know)

 

[Rodley]

In fairness to Selles, if we go into the season with a few players who haven’t had a decent preseason we’re doing exactly the same as last season (3rd) and the season before (shitshow) and the season before (promoted). It just seems to be the way we operate as a club having to wait for the better teams to make their moves before we see who’s left.

Yep I agree, it’s been the same for seemingly decades. My issue is that CW & Hecky were continuity managers. If Selles is going to move things up a notch tactically, as expected, hopefully to do what the previous manager couldn’t (insert usual cliches of philosophy and gratuitous use of progressive), we just need to give him as much time as possible.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

There is still time to sign players but at the moment it smells like they're trying to get promotion on the cheap. At the moment we're largely back to that point where we had nothing on the bench to change a game.

If that is the case, it’s probably more important who we (don’t) sell, rather than who we buy.

We’ve still got a strong squad, anyone we buy has to be as good as that to say the least.

 

[Rodley]

Folk look at what is happening in Birmingham, often with envy and compare that with our situation. Let them get on with throwing everything at it, it will bite them on the bum eventually.

TBF I think QPR, Norwich and Swansea have all got out the traps fast with really good business. Be interested to see how the £7m striker Norwich have picked up from Brondby will do along with the lad who cost them £2m from Man City.

Below the parachute payments teams contesting automatics it will be much more competitive next year as a fair few mid table teams are having a go at it. The dynamic in the Championship seems different this summer.

 

[Champagneblade]

Anel will be off so I guess you look for an experienced CB to partner Bindon. Worral, for instance. Use one of the younger lads as 4th choice.

In terms of me wanting just 3 or 4 ther doesn’t include replacing.

I think that’s a good suggestion and it also makes sense to not lose Anel for nothing. I’m not sure that playing 4 at the back gets the most out of Anel. He’s very comfortable on the ball. He’s ok defensively but not exceptional.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Anel will be off so I guess you look for an experienced CB to partner Bindon. Worral, for instance. Use one of the younger lads as 4th choice.

Worral played 13 games in 23/24 and 9 last season. Not sure I’d be interested.

 

[robbiez666]

Worral played 13 games in 23/24 and 9 last season. Not sure I’d be interested.

Not through injury though, was it? Look at the players in the Forest and Burnley teams he was behind!

 

[Nick Jansky]

Not through injury though, was it?

No, but not ideal preparation for a championship season. He’ll be way off what he was.

 

[robbiez666]

No, but not ideal preparation for a championship season. He’ll be way off what he was.

Maybe, but on the flipside he'll have more longevity in his legs and probably more determination and drive.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Maybe, but on the flipside he'll have more longevity in his legs and probably more determination and drive.

Maybe. I’d prefer someone who wouldn’t take quite so long to readjust & get up to speed. I’d imagine he wouldn’t come cheap. He has 3 years left on his contract. I would have liked him at the time he left Forest, but probably not now.