tick tock

[Ollessendro]

Is time running out for United in terms of building a new squad???

With the Blades flying to Malta on Monday the 12th of July there isn't that much time left to sign new players. Its Monday 28th today and that gives us 2 weeks til our pre season tour. KB publically stated he wants the majority of the signings to be complete before we go to Malta. Hence I'm expecting a busy few weeks.

Maybe we have a few things in the pipeline, but I am starting to get a little concerned. We heard the excuses about the play off final last year, now people are saying contracts end at the end of this month etc, but if you look at the current sqaud then we are in big trouble. Sure I've been pleasently surpirised by the useful additions of Boggy, Ertl and Britton, but we are still quite a way from having a squad anything like challenging gor promotion. Talked about additions such as Nosworthy, Simonsen and Surman would be a big boost but they haven't put pen to paper yet.

This is not at doom and gloom post, nor am I moaning or panicking. However we have a clear deadline (2 weeks time) and we are still a long way from our goal. By my calculations we need the following:

Goalkeeper.

3 or 4 defenders. A decent right back, 2 centre backs and a left back. Maybe Ertl would cover one of these positions, but there is cover and a much needed good CB to partner Morgs.

Another midfielder or 2. Maybe a right sided one, or left (then Yeates could play right). The midfield is looking pretty good with Ward (if fit), Monty, Britton and Yeates, but Quinn is unconvncing and Williamson can't be relied upon.

Depending on what happens to Sharp and Henderson we might have to buy another striker, although this is the area that needs strenghtening the least.

I hope KB has learnt from his mistakes from last year. Not having centre back cover cost us big time and put us on a hurrendous run. We opted for a thin bear squad last time around ("quality over quantity"!?) and when we got injuries we couldn't cope. There should be no excuses this time around. We need a good squad of 25+ players who are ALL capable and with decent cover for defensive positions. We've had the whole summer to prepare and still have 2 weeks left. Over to you KB/TB ........

 

[LouTheBlade]

Expect a flurry of activity after the 1st July. United will likely have a couple of players lined up to arrive in the next two weeks (prior to Malta). After that I think you will probably see on or two come in just prior to the start of the season. Its not ideal but this transfer market never makes things easy.

I wouldnt panic at this stage either, but they do need to get a wriggle on over the next few weeks.

 

[bladesman1889]

Apparently Simonsen is due to sign on July 1st because of some bonus in his contract owed by Stoke, but I'm not positive on that. I can remember reading something similar.
That would mean 2xCBs and 1xRB needed before the new season, possibly a new midfielder and/or striker as well.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Apparently Simonsen is due to sign on July 1st because of some bonus in his contract owed by Stoke, but I'm not positive on that. I can remember reading something similar.
That would mean 2xCBs and 1xRB needed before the new season, possibly a new midfielder and/or striker as well.

He'll sign 1 centre back, 1 right back, 1 left back and a goalkeeper.

After that, he'll probably draft one or two in on loan who are also likely to be defenders. He said he's done with midfield and I cant see him bringing in any more strikers.

A goalkeeper and a left back are the big priorities IMO.

 

[mattbianco1]

transfer windows not even open so how can we sign players yet? chill...

 

[Toronto Blade]

We didn't have a goalscorer in the top five last season although our attackers can't stay fit for any decent length of time, none of the midfielders put up good numbers,without goals we will have a tough time getting promotion will Boggy really be the difference?

 

[davidpinder]

Thought transfer window opened on June 1st? most contracts expire July 1st. United will do business after July 1st because all our signings will be free.

 

[SwissBlade]

Hold your fire Ollesendro.... Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes....

 

[Ollessendro]

If the majority of contracts finish on Thursday and the transfer window also opens then we should see a flurry of activity between then and next Monday. I suppose that leaves us 11 days to sign between 3 and 6 players. I suppose singing 4, even 5, players in that time is not unrealistic.

It appears that I am being a bit premature. I'll 'chill', 'wait to see the whites of their eyes' and come back a week from now to see how far we have progressed. Something tells me that we'll be in a similar position, but I'll not pre judge. Over to you King Kev and Trikcy Trev ....... (on Thursday that is).

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Talked about additions such as Nosworthy, Simonsen and Surman would be a big boost but they haven't put pen to paper yet.

Surman has put pen to paper...he's signed for Norwich!

 

[beightonblade]

same owd ?

 

[ListerBlade]

i think it might be another disappointing summer, i still think we need more in midfield as well as defense. would like to see the back of hendo and see another striker.

 

[Ollessendro]

Surman has put pen to paper...he's signed for Norwich!

Missed that one. Another embarassing venture into the transfer market. Now we have lost players to the mighty Leeds, Hueddersfield and Norwich.

....... Mind you, at this rate Norwich stand a good chance of finishing above us. I could hardly blame Surman for moving to a more attacking minded, football playing side with a decent manager than coming to see it hoofed over his head at BDTBL!?

 

[SwissBlade]

Missed that one. Another embarassing venture into the transfer market. Now we have lost players to the mighty Leeds, Hueddersfield and Norwich.

....... Mind you, at this rate Norwich stand a good chance of finishing above us. I could hardly blame Surman for moving to a more attacking minded, football playing side with a decent manager than coming to see it hoofed over his head at BDTBL!?

Why does it always have to be a bad thing that our players/ alledged targets sign elsewhere? Granted there are times when we miss out on players that turn into superstars, but is it really that often?

So we "missed out" on Surman (for whatever reason), but we signed Britton, perhaps then it wasn't so much missing out, perhaps Britton was the number 1 target.

Last season we had that Pancrate on trial at the same time as Camara, but Pancrate eventually signed for Newcastle, played 5 and scored 1. Camara played 9 and scored 4...

Undoubtedly we'll have 2-3 targets for each position, we won't get every target and perhaps there'll be a few red herrings thrown to the media to put them off the scent of our actual targets, but as mentioned previously, I'd suggest patience, the players we've brought in so far, for me have been the right ones. It looks like we're also trying to get the right money for players like Billy, which should mean more money for signings.

Of course IF we don't get the squad that we think is good enough by the time the transfer window closes then we'll have cause to complain, I'd be slightly concerned if we don't have a couple more in by the time we head out to Malta, but that also doesn't Kick Off until 16th July.

Plenty of time for business to be done yet.

 

[Ollessendro]

Why does it always have to be a bad thing that our players/ alledged targets sign elsewhere? Granted there are times when we miss out on players that turn into superstars, but is it really that often?

So we "missed out" on Surman (for whatever reason), but we signed Britton, perhaps then it wasn't so much missing out, perhaps Britton was the number 1 target.

Last season we had that Pancrate on trial at the same time as Camara, but Pancrate eventually signed for Newcastle, played 5 and scored 1. Camara played 9 and scored 4...

Undoubtedly we'll have 2-3 targets for each position, we won't get every target and perhaps there'll be a few red herrings thrown to the media to put them off the scent of our actual targets, but as mentioned previously, I'd suggest patience, the players we've brought in so far, for me have been the right ones. It looks like we're also trying to get the right money for players like Billy, which should mean more money for signings.

Of course IF we don't get the squad that we think is good enough by the time the transfer window closes then we'll have cause to complain, I'd be slightly concerned if we don't have a couple more in by the time we head out to Malta, but that also doesn't Kick Off until 16th July.

Plenty of time for business to be done yet.

It doesn't always have to be a bad things, but surely if you are prepared to sign someone you think they are good enough. Granted if we sign Nosworthy (as good or better than Connolly), another left back who is better than Naysmith (and as Britton is better than Surman) then you can tell me to shut the feck up, but I'm more worried about players not wanting to join us. Swiss, are you not concerned that players are turning down a move to us to join Leeds, Norwich and Huddersfield?

The squad and management fly to Malta on Monday the 11 the of July. KB has publicly stated that he wants the majority of signings to be done by then. However they return the following Saturday and that still leaves 2-3 weeks until the start of the season. There is clearly no need to start panicking at this stage, but we should be cautious.

 

[LouTheBlade]

It doesn't always have to be a bad things, but surely if you are prepared to sign someone you think they are good enough. Granted if we sign Nosworthy (as good or better than Connolly), another left back who is better than Naysmith (and as Britton is better than Surman) then you can tell me to shut the feck up, but I'm more worried about players not wanting to join us. Swiss, are you not concerned that players are turning down a move to us to join Leeds, Norwich and Huddersfield?

The squad and management fly to Malta on Monday the 11 the of July. KB has publicly stated that he wants the majority of signings to be done by then. However they return the following Saturday and that still leaves 2-3 weeks until the start of the season. There is clearly no need to start panicking at this stage, but we should be cautious.

What I find more worrying Olle, is his suggestion that midfield is now covered after signing one player (two if you consider Ertl a midfielder). I get the feeling he will sign a couple more players before the Malta trip and that will represent 'most of his signings.' Where United realistically needed about 10 new players to pad the squad out, he'll probably end up signing about 6 or 7 including loans.

How many more players do you think he will bring in? Personally, I think he will bring in another 4 tops and maybe one on loan. I cant see United doing much more business than that due to finances and time restraints. We'll still have a woefully small squad come August.

As for the players that have gone elsewhere, the reason is obvious:- they've been offered more money. United arent going to get involved in bidding wars at the moment. Their attitude is to offer what they feel a player is worth and if he goes elsewhere fuck him. Thats the mind set at the moment and is why we will miss out on at least half of our targets. I'm not saying whether its the right or wrong attitude but thats the impression I get.

 

[SwissBlade]

Am I concerned that players turn us down for Leeds, Norwich and Huddersfield? Not really
Will I be concerned if we don't have the majority of signings in place by 11th July? Slightly
When will I be concerned? When we have the same level of loanees as last season. When we haven't signed enough players to compete by the end of the transfer window.
Should we start the season with a full squad to compete by the end of the season? Not neccessarily, but we need to have enough good players in by the start to ensure that we hit the ground running

Will I be concerned if our management (Blackwell, Birch, McCabe) continue to make excuses? YES very

 

[Ollessendro]

What I find more worrying Olle, is his suggestion that midfield is now covered after signing one player (two if you consider Ertl a midfielder). I get the feeling he will sign a couple more players before the Malta trip and that will represent 'most of his signings.' Where United realistically needed about 10 new players to pad the squad out, he'll probably end up signing about 6 or 7 including loans.

How many more players do you think he will bring in? Personally, I think he will bring in another 4 tops and maybe one on loan. I cant see United doing much more business than that due to finances and time restraints. We'll still have a woefully small squad come August.

As for the players that have gone elsewhere, the reason is obvious:- they've been offered more money. United arent going to get involved in bidding wars at the moment. Their attitude is to offer what they feel a player is worth and if he goes elsewhere fuck him. Thats the mind set at the moment and is why we will miss out on at least half of our targets. I'm not saying whether its the right or wrong attitude but thats the impression I get.

The first bchoice midfield is pretty strong. An outfit of Ward, Willo, Britton and Yeates. However Willo cannot be relied upon and hence you should probably add Monty to that. Ward has also struggle with injuries recently. Then what? Quinn. Maybe he'll get his arese into gear if he is left out of the team. Yeates is versatile (either wing) and Quinn (at a push) can play CM and LM. I'd like us to sign another winger.

At the moment the defence is in dire straits. We have Morgs, Taylor, France and Ertl as contracted defenders. 1 (well actually 2) are nnot good enough and 2 are not natural defenders. Bringing in Nosowrthy, Seip and AN other would bolster things up but I'd even say we need 4 (possibly 5) defenders.

To answer your question I also think (like you) that he'll bring in another 4 players. This is despite himsaying he needed 11 a couple of months ago and we've only signed 3 to date.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: we're a long way of challening for play offs (never mind automatic). We need a good first team (which we don't have) and good cover (i.e. subs/squad players who can come in and actually do the job) in every position. We need a quad of around 25 players (we have 19 I believe now) of which 18-20 must be good enough for the first team (i'd say that 10 of those are good enough). By my calculations we are way short and need at least 6 good signings, but preferably between 8 and 10.

 

[LouTheBlade]

The first bchoice midfield is pretty strong. An outfit of Ward, Willo, Britton and Yeates. However Willo cannot be relied upon and hence you should probably add Monty to that. Ward has also struggle with injuries recently. Then what? Quinn. Maybe he'll get his arese into gear if he is left out of the team. Yeates is versatile (either wing) and Quinn (at a push) can play CM and LM. I'd like us to sign another winger.

At the moment the defence is in dire straits. We have Morgs, Taylor, France and Ertl as contracted defenders. 1 (well actually 2) are nnot good enough and 2 are not natural defenders. Bringing in Nosowrthy, Seip and AN other would bolster things up but I'd even say we need 4 (possibly 5) defenders.

To answer your question I also think (like you) that he'll bring in another 4 players. This is despite himsaying he needed 11 a couple of months ago and we've only signed 3 to date.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: we're a long way of challening for play offs (never mind automatic). We need a good first team (which we don't have) and good cover (i.e. subs/squad players who can come in and actually do the job) in every position. We need a quad of around 25 players (we have 19 I believe now) of which 18-20 must be good enough for the first team (i'd say that 10 of those are good enough). By my calculations we are way short and need at least 6 good signings, but preferably between 8 and 10.

The first choice midfield in your example (and its probably a correct assumption) looks a little light-weight to me and could do with some decent competition. Quinn and an injured Williamson doesnt fill me with much optimism that we have adequate cover. I'm not even sure that the four you mentioned represent decent balance in the middle of the park. We'll see but I still think it lacks something.

The defence is a shambles at the moment and we need a minimum of 3 players there just to start. In my mind, we need the following;

2 Goalkeepers (including a no.1 and maybe a young back up)
4 Defenders (including a right back, a left back and two centre backs)
2 Midfielders (including a centre mid and a left winger with a left foot)

We wont get this, as we both said he'll probably sign 4 more and I doubt any of them will be midfield players. 24-25 is a good number to have in the squad as you mentioned which should include 3 Keepers, 8 Defenders, 8 Midfielders, 5 Strikers. Those numbers provide the correct balance IMO but we seem to be a million miles away from this at the moment. KB will probably have a different view of the sort of numbers he needs but without this as a bare minimum I can see us having exactly the same problems as last season when we start getting injuries and suspensions.

I think there is some quality there, but the depth is sadly lacking at the moment. I know it is essential we give the club time but I really cant see us being in a better position than we were last august. Unless the club can pull 7 to 8 players out of their arse over the next 6 weeks

 

[SwissBlade]

Lou - Not sure who's suggested we're covered in midfield, although its probably the area where i'm least concerned. As Olle said we have options there.

Up front is slightly concerning as we have a number of strikers, but if Wardy is in Midfield then we have limited pace up front.

The back four and GK are my concerns, we also need pace and experience...

At the moment, i'm more optimistic about this season than I was last season. We need a kick up the back side and i think a lot of questions were asked at the end of the season. We seem to be bringing in the right types of players and the added confidence of agreeing deals with players like Morgs and Monty adds an amount of certainty and stability to the team. I don't think we have the same level of upheaval this summer and we have player that want to play for us... albeit of a lower ability level than the likes of the Kyles and Killa. We seem to be building a team without big time charlies and self proclaimed superstars... which I like to see.

The squad isn't big enough for a long season but I have no doubt that it will come together, a couple more permanent signings along with 3-4 loanees (that want to eventually sign for us) and a few enthusiastic kids should give a good balance.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Lou - Not sure who's suggested we're covered in midfield, although its probably the area where i'm least concerned. As Olle said we have options there.

Up front is slightly concerning as we have a number of strikers, but if Wardy is in Midfield then we have limited pace up front.

The back four and GK are my concerns, we also need pace and experience...

At the moment, i'm more optimistic about this season than I was last season. We need a kick up the back side and i think a lot of questions were asked at the end of the season. We seem to be bringing in the right types of players and the added confidence of agreeing deals with players like Morgs and Monty adds an amount of certainty and stability to the team. I don't think we have the same level of upheaval this summer and we have player that want to play for us... albeit of a lower ability level than the likes of the Kyles and Killa. We seem to be building a team without big time charlies and self proclaimed superstars... which I like to see.

The squad isn't big enough for a long season but I have no doubt that it will come together, a couple more permanent signings along with 3-4 loanees (that want to eventually sign for us) and a few enthusiastic kids should give a good balance.

Blackwell said it. It was in The Star last week. I dont see how we have a lot of good options or cover there but perhaps I dont have enough faith in the 5 or 6 available. Hopefully they will steer clear of injuries otherwise we're back to square one.

You dont necessarily need pace up front. Particularly not at this level as there are a very small number of teams with quick defenders. English football fans are obsessed with pace in the modern era! A lot of the greatest teams have got by without the need for pacey forwards and with the way we play it is far from a necessity anyway. I would argue we have fairly good balance and tactical options up front. It is the area that concerns me the least!

A goalkeeper is clearly a must. The back four is also very concerning I think we all agree on that. Its not so much pace that is needed, we just need more mobile and athletic players back there. Possibly in the form of Nosworthy or Bartley. Pacey defenders tend to be hard to come by if you're not a top flight club. In terms of experience, we have Morgs for that. Ertl also has a good few years behind him so that aspect doesnt worry me so much.

The midfield still needs a little attention though, I genuinely feel its thin in terms of quality. The positives are that we have Britton (a creative spark), Monty (the holding player) and Ward (a pacey winger) - which is all very well and good but what do we have after that????..........

We have Stephen Quinn who is so inconsistent it beggars belief, Lee Williamson who we cant rely on to stay fit; and Mark Yeates who I am not convinced of yet. People on here seem to put him in their default starting eleven but why?!!! He's had 2 good games since we signed him. Apart from that he's looked fairly mediocre. As soon as Wardy takes a knock and Monty gets suspended we will be thread bare again.

Also please dont suggest 3-4 loan players again. We went down this road last season and it was well documented how disruptive it was. Dont get me wrong I'm not all doom and gloom and I think we can have a good season if we bring in the right players but at the moment we're still a million miles away.

 

[SwissBlade]

Cheers Lou,

Didn't know that Blackie said that and surprised he did... but don't know why i'm surprised with anything he says nowadays

We need more depth in midfield, but i'm not unhappy with midfield.

Up front, true the nation is obsessed with pace, i'm not. We proved in the WC that pace alone is worth nothing without a decent touch. Huckerby and Kabba have proved that at our level previously...However, if you consider that Ward will no doubt be played on the wing then we have no pace amongst the strikers, some pace or pacey options would be nice...

As for Loanees, I should clarify that I think we need 3-4 long term Loaness, ideally i'd like permanents, but we can't afford a full squad of permanents. Plus successful loanees like Halford have proved their worth at times... Last season we had way more than 4 loanees and the frequency we changed them was like we had a revolving door at Shirecliffe! We need Loanees, necessary part of modern championship i'm afraid, but they need to be settled in like everyone else

 

[Scottyblade]

I think, in regards to midfield depth - it depends on Matt Lowton, based only really on his inclusion against Ipswich coupled with McCabe/Birches comments on youth etc makes me think he's being lined up for a bigger role next season, not first team necessarily but at least a viable squad option in which case we've got Ward/Yeates/Quinn/Reid/Lowton/Monty/Willo/Britton who can play there with France/Ertl & Cresswell at a push. But I don't know enough about him as I wasn't at Ipswich nor in KB's head and I thought he was a RB/CB before that game but i was told he was playing RM or right of a three that day? Point being if thats the case then assuming we follow-through (teehee) and bag 2 full-backs, 2 centres back and a keeper (preferrably 2)- we should be more than equippedt to kick off the season, with depth better than most in fact and certainly better than we had at any point last season, keeping in mind (i'm aware we're weary of this option) there's always the option of emergency loans if the worst happens again.

 

[LouTheBlade]

there's always the option of emergency loans if the worst happens again.

:shakehead:

NO!

 

[Ollessendro]

A goalkeeper is clearly a must. The back four is also very concerning I think we all agree on that. Its not so much pace that is needed, we just need more mobile and athletic players back there. Possibly in the form of Nosworthy or Bartley. Pacey defenders tend to be hard to come by if you're not a top flight club. In terms of experience, we have Morgs for that. Ertl also has a good few years behind him so that aspect doesnt worry me so much.

Can't emphasis this enough Lou. It is no coincidince that the time we finished 3rd under KB (miising out on automatic by a hares breath and getting to the play off final) was becuase we had a rock solid defence (back 5). Paddy with Naughton, Killa, Morgs and Naysmith was the best defence in the league and why we finished were we did. It meant that Blackwell could get away with his negative tactics and sneak 1-0 victories in games we probably didn't deserve to win. Unfortunately KB opted the same negative tactics with a shite defence last year and we got caught out. Again it is no coincidence that we had good spells when Killa, Morga and Walker were all fit. We have to presume that Blackwell will play the same boring, negative hoofball (why would he change after 3 years) and hence any (albeit very small) chance of success depends heavly on having a good quality back 4 (with a couple of decent repleacments).

 

[LouTheBlade]

Can't emphasis this enough Lou. It is no coincidince that the time we finished 3rd under KB (miising out on automatic by a hares breath and getting to the play off final) was becuase we had a rock solid defence (back 5). Paddy with Naughton, Killa, Morgs and Naysmith was the best defence in the league and why we finished were we did. It meant that Blackwell could get away with his negative tactics and sneak 1-0 victories in games we probably didn't deserve to win. Unfortunately KB opted the same negative tactics with a shite defence last year and we got caught out. Again it is no coincidence that we had good spells when Killa, Morga and Walker were all fit. We have to presume that Blackwell will play the same boring, negative hoofball (why would he change after 3 years) and hence any (albeit very small) chance of success depends heavly on having a good quality back 4 (with a couple of decent repleacments).

To be honest Olle, I think KB realises that he has to change the approach now. Ive been getting those vibes all summer from the players he has signed and from the ones he has targeted. My reservations and doubts are more about whether he has the ability to alter things. I think the motivation and realisation is finally there but I worry about whether changing his philosophy will prove too difficult a task.

I wouldnt even describe the football we played last season as negative. It was just a little primative at times and lacked imagination for the most part. We need to change the way we use the ball when we win possession back. There is too much haste in getting the ball forward and not enough originality. It made us predictable for most of the season but fortunately there were only a handful of teams good enough to make us pay for it.

I do agree that we need to establish a strong back 5. That is an absolute must for any side looking to cement a top 6 place. The only way you can get by without it is by having a potent attack in the manner Wolves did when they went up. With Morgs and either Noz or Bartley alongside him, we then require a couple of full backs who first and foremost defend properly. Butterfield and Dickinson have been mentioned and they would probably do a decent job. I know very little about this Belgian lad who we're rumoured to be signing so I'll reserve judgment but perhaps he could play a part!

 

[JohnDenver]

Can't emphasis this enough Lou. It is no coincidince that the time we finished 3rd under KB (miising out on automatic by a hares breath and getting to the play off final) was becuase we had a rock solid defence (back 5). Paddy with Naughton, Killa, Morgs and Naysmith was the best defence in the league and why we finished were we did. It meant that Blackwell could get away with his negative tactics and sneak 1-0 victories in games we probably didn't deserve to win. Unfortunately KB opted the same negative tactics with a shite defence last year and we got caught out. Again it is no coincidence that we had good spells when Killa, Morga and Walker were all fit. We have to presume that Blackwell will play the same boring, negative hoofball (why would he change after 3 years) and hence any (albeit very small) chance of success depends heavly on having a good quality back 4 (with a couple of decent repleacments).

Agree with that. Blackwell's method is very much reliant on not conceding. He's like the anti-Keegan.

There's no chance our back four is strong enough to rely on as we did in '08-'09, so next season we have to keep the ball better and show more goal threat. Otherwise it's another season like last, which no-one wants to see.

With regard to the comments about pace, it is something we can do without so long as our touch and passing are quick. Burnley showed how a team with few quick players can still play quickly, but we simply don't have the players with the skill or speed of thought. So pace is definitely a priority.

 

[Micalijo]

Cheers Lou,

Didn't know that Blackie said that and surprised he did... but don't know why i'm surprised with anything he says nowadays

We need more depth in midfield, but i'm not unhappy with midfield.

Up front, true the nation is obsessed with pace, i'm not. We proved in the WC that pace alone is worth nothing without a decent touch. Huckerby and Kabba have proved that at our level previously...However, if you consider that Ward will no doubt be played on the wing then we have no pace amongst the strikers, some pace or pacey options would be nice...

As for Loanees, I should clarify that I think we need 3-4 long term Loaness, ideally i'd like permanents, but we can't afford a full squad of permanents. Plus successful loanees like Halford have proved their worth at times... Last season we had way more than 4 loanees and the frequency we changed them was like we had a revolving door at Shirecliffe! We need Loanees, necessary part of modern championship i'm afraid, but they need to be settled in like everyone else

Sorry Swiss - I missed this scandalous attack on Kabba. Watch the DVD of the promotion season and come back to me. He was absolutely sensational for the first few months and, although I accept his longevity as a top player in CCC was virtually non-existant, he played a crucial role in our promotion. He was at his best a class act and his problems were injuries not a lack of touch. He wasn't the tidiest player but at his best he was brilliant and I can't believe you seem to think we could do better now.

 

[SwissBlade]

Sorry Swiss - I missed this scandalous attack on Kabba. Watch the DVD of the promotion season and come back to me. He was absolutely sensational for the first few months and, although I accept his longevity as a top player in CCC was virtually non-existant, he played a crucial role in our promotion. He was at his best a class act and his problems were injuries not a lack of touch. He wasn't the tidiest player but at his best he was brilliant and I can't believe you seem to think we could do better now.

I remember Kabba only too well... At best he was a clueless bundler with a touch that makes Monty look like Messi

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

As much as it pains me to say it, we should really look at Blackpool and the way they approached last season. They didn't have the best squad by a long way but developed a quick passing style, based around possession and movement and stuck to it and the majority of teams in the division didn't know what to do to combat it. WBA, another possession team, Swansea as well although ultimately they didn't have anything up front to make it pay.

No doubts KB will start with a solid defence as a base and I'm reasonably confident that if he gets that right, we have the players to score goals provided, and here we are again, we get the midfield right both in terms of possession and style. The final point remains the key, as ever.