Michael Keane

[AWetFlannel]

Majority of the team that finished 9th I'd say...

So why had PL teams snubbed them throughout their careers, and then once we got relegated none of them were sought after by PL clubs?

I don't want to sound disrespectful to those players at all, but just like most promoted teams, it was full of players that aren't PL level.

 

[Paisley Blade]

"perhaps O'Connell".
Seriously?

The Jack O’Connell’s magic song will be sung for the next 50 years, just like the Eddie C promotion is soon song.

 

[Down the Channels]

So why had PL teams snubbed them throughout their careers, and then once we got relegated none of them were sought after by PL clubs?

I don't want to sound disrespectful to those players at all, but just like most promoted teams, it was full of players that aren't PL level.

It was a classic story of the team being greater than the sum of its parts. The system suited everyone, all the cogs worked beautifully for a while until JOC got injured. Enda wasn't the same player after that, neither was Fleck. It all had to work together as I saw it.
I suppose for that reason it was flawed to some degree but I think the aim was to evolve over 2-3 seasons and stay in the Premier League. Whenever any team goes back down after 1 or 2 seasons it cannot build properly.

 

[mancunianblade]

It's insinuating that though. It's irrelevant what he once went for.

If that’s the case tell that to everyone who refers to Brewsters price tag.

 

[Blade56]

Wrexham and Birmingham are buying good Championship level plays for two reasons.

1 to get promotion
2 to stay up once they have it.

Risky if promotion doesn’t come off. Even more so risky 10x doing it from Championship to PL.

Rember a puppy is for life not just for Christmas as is a 3/4 year deal for a player

 

[AWetFlannel]

It was a classic story of the team being greater than the sum of its parts. The system suited everyone, all the cogs worked beautifully for a while until JOC got injured. Enda wasn't the same player after that, neither was Fleck. It all had to work together as I saw it.
I suppose for that reason it was flawed to some degree but I think the aim was to evolve over 2-3 seasons and stay in the Premier League. Whenever any team goes back down after 1 or 2 seasons it cannot build properly.

I completely agree, but wouldn't call it flawed. A club like us, particularly having recently been in LG1, had no better choice than to build a team that was greater than the sum of its parts that could only work one way.

We make these criticisms because we actually got up and stayed up. Most clubs don't go up or stay up. Look at the Pigs, Derby, etc, who spent more than us for years without going up. They dream of having what we had and we spend most our time picking holes in it. (As a fan base, not you in particular).

 

[Down the Channels]

I completely agree, but wouldn't call it flawed. A club like us, particularly having recently been in LG1, had no better choice than to build a team that was greater than the sum of its parts that could only work one way.

We make these criticisms because we actually got up and stayed up. Most clubs don't go up or stay up. Look at the Pigs, Derby, etc, who spent more than us for years without going up. They dream of having what we had and we spend most our time picking holes in it. (As a fan base, not you in particular).

I meant flawed as in it started to some apart when just one or 2 cogs were missing.
I thought it was brilliant and you are right, there was no other choice for us. Wilder and his team performed miracles, with no shortage of ability. I loved every minute of that journey and was arguably my favourite time supporting the blades (first game in 72).

 

[AWetFlannel]

Wrexham and Birmingham are buying good Championship level plays for two reasons.

1 to get promotion
2 to stay up once they have it.

Risky if promotion doesn’t come off. Even more so risky 10x doing it from Championship to PL.

Rember a puppy is for life not just for Christmas as is a 3/4 year deal for a player

Birmingham are prepared to outbid most Championship teams which allows them to bring the odd one in.

We can't challenge Leicester, Bournemouth or Crystal Palace financially. Any Championship club that does is taking a massive risk even if they can afford it.

 

[Shadota]

Wrexham and Birmingham are buying good Championship level plays for two reasons.

1 to get promotion
2 to stay up once they have it.

Risky if promotion doesn’t come off. Even more so risky 10x doing it from Championship to PL.

Rember a puppy is for life not just for Christmas as is a 3/4 year deal for a player

I'm pretty confident in saying that a 3/4 year deal is not for life, or for Christmas. It's for 3 or 4 years.

 

[Mouth of the South]

Reminds me a lot of Egan - in their style of play and even looks.

Would be a v solid signing at Champ level - a huge upgrade on Robinson and would thankfully put the Grant Hanley rumours to bed

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Reminds me a lot of Egan - in their style of play and even looks.

Would be a v solid signing at Champ level - a huge upgrade on Robinson and would thankfully put the Grant Hanley rumours to bed

Thankfully the Hanley rumour is now ‘sleeping with fishes’ in the Brum canals

Grant Hanley: Birmingham sign Norwich's Scotland defender on short-term deal

Norwich City release Grant Hanley from his contract to allow the Scotland defender to join Birmingham City on a short-term deal.

www.bbc.com

 

['Doc' Pace my hero]

It’s impossible to prepare for the Premier League,the difference is alarming and becomes more impossible every year.The progress by Nottingham Forest is unique,their owner has invested an enormous amount of money and appears to have rolled the dice and won,but only time will tell.
It will become a regular event that 2/3 of all promoted teams will be relegated the year following promotion to the Premier League,it’s just a matter of £’s,the best you can hope for is to yo-yo and build slowly over several years.

 

[GymClassHero]

So why had PL teams snubbed them throughout their careers, and then once we got relegated none of them were sought after by PL clubs?

I don't want to sound disrespectful to those players at all, but just like most promoted teams, it was full of players that aren't PL level.

If they weren't PL level, it stands to reason we would have finished bottom? For that season, they showed in the right formation they could play at PL level.

 

[ekke287]

Is it any wonder that we are after Keane when we need an experienced centre half?

His position? Somewhere only we know…

 

[GrunkyPeep]

His position? Somewhere only we know…

Is it any wonder that we've been linked with him?

 

[ChezVegasBlade]

Everybody's changing in this window

 

[Slim Man]

Rember a puppy is for life not just for Christmas as is a 3/4 year deal for a player

That's the worst analogy I might've read so far this year

 

[jimmymuir]

It’s impossible to prepare for the Premier League,the difference is alarming and becomes more impossible every year.The progress by Nottingham Forest is unique,their owner has invested an enormous amount of money and appears to have rolled the dice and won,but only time will tell.
It will become a regular event that 2/3 of all promoted teams will be relegated the year following promotion to the Premier League,it’s just a matter of £’s,the best you can hope for is to yo-yo and build slowly over several years.

Agreed. Look at Ipswich, spent a lot of money recruiting top young players from the Championship - Delap, Philogene, Greaves, Clarke, but the gulf between PL and Champ is enormous, not to mention the five sub rule which only benefits the top Prem clubs with vast options. Still, they'll be in a good position to bounce back next season when they do go down.

 

[jt64]

Wrexham and Birmingham are buying good Championship level plays for two reasons.

1 to get promotion
2 to stay up once they have it.

Risky if promotion doesn’t come off. Even more so risky 10x doing it from Championship to PL.

The only risk is if the owners get bored.

Edit - in the case of the two clubs you mention, or any other club below the Championship perceived to be spunking munneh for that matter

 

[Paul1963]

Wrexham and Birmingham are buying good Championship level plays for two reasons.

1 to get promotion
2 to stay up once they have it.

Risky if promotion doesn’t come off. Even more so risky 10x doing it from Championship to PL.

Rember a puppy is for life not just for Christmas as is a 3/4 year deal for a player

So glad my pooch isn’t on a 3/4 yr contract,she will be 3 in May,she’d be demanding more treats,longer walks and more room on the sofa or she’s leaving on a free

 

[Snowflake]

That's the worst analogy I might've read so far this year

I doubt that it’s even analogous !

 

[Drachblade]

If this is true then it's either Luke Woolfenden or Andrew Omobamidele but that's only going off rumours

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

View attachment 202302If this is true then it's either Luke Woolfenden or Andrew Omobamidele but that's only going off rumours

Unless Kenny coming frees up Gilchrist for centre half? Not saying I’d like that but it could be the thought process

 

[Drachblade]

Unless Kenny coming frees up Gilchrist for centre half? Not saying I’d like that but it could be the thought process

Aye there is always that hopefully not though with him saying we're wanting 5 and he's confident we'll get 5

 

[Down the Channels]

Unless Kenny coming frees up Gilchrist for centre half? Not saying I’d like that but it could be the thought process

We have got to have more that Gilchrist, Anel, Robinson, Baptiste and Norrington Davies as the options. Need one more in that mix.
Not convinced with Keane.

 

[SGBlade]

It’s impossible to prepare for the Premier League,the difference is alarming and becomes more impossible every year.The progress by Nottingham Forest is unique,their owner has invested an enormous amount of money and appears to have rolled the dice and won,but only time will tell.
It will become a regular event that 2/3 of all promoted teams will be relegated the year following promotion to the Premier League,it’s just a matter of £’s,the best you can hope for is to yo-yo and build slowly over several years.

Sad but true.

There are several things that we can do which, over time, will help us take advantage of any good luck we have and improve our chances of long term success (cat 1 academy, larger and more innovative coaching staff, vastly improved scouting network, Prem class training facilities, major investment in data and analytics for both recruitment and matchdays). But signing players in the champ who are ‘premiership ready’ is, sadly not one of them. Too difficult, too costly and, if things go wrong, too risky.

It’s not how I’d like football to work but the reality is you just have to get players in to take you up and then think about the Prem when you get there.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Unless Kenny coming frees up Gilchrist for centre half? Not saying I’d like that but it could be the thought process

Wilder implied this in the presser earlier, no sure how I feel about it tbh.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Wilder implied this in the presser earlier, no sure how I feel about it tbh.

Me neither

 

[Large Mendonca]

I feel relieved to be honest.

 

[Weasel]

I got the impression that CW was still looking at a centre half coming in irrespective of whether JJK is landed. I think he was alluding to the fact that Gilchrist can come inside and play centre half also which is another option for Wilder if we are playing JJK or Seriki out on the right.

My money is on CW trying to bring in BBD and Cannon up top, Choudhury or Charles in midfield, JJK at right back, and another centre half. I wouldn't be surprised if that was Wolfy from Ipswich.