Woodward,
I'm surprised you want to go there. My recollection is that all the transition talk under Wier was all a bit traumatic for you in the end..
In truth this is a rebuild. 16/17 out is a real cull. Only 7 in shows how bloated the squad was.
I reckon from here, its one in one out
Hardly 'traumatic', I was just a fan trying to explain to other fans on a fans forum what was happening at our club that's all; this is recreational, not traumatic!
Interesting use of a word though 'blade67' and the usage of the words 'Transition' and 'Rebuild' evokes such different reactions on here. I've provided dictionary definitions of the two words above and they are very similar; it's the perception and usage of the words which differ.
Looking back to 2012 I think we were in 'Transition' with a new manager invoking a new strategy in a job nobody else wanted. Why? Because the club had to start to pay it's own way once the high earners were cleared out as McCabe had removed his cheque book; that's what I call a 'Transition', transformational in fact The prince joined us and changed the strategy immediately with substantial investment and it bailed us out of a looming scary period where Weir had to plot our way forward somehow. Nobody knows where we would be now, some 4 years later. Nobody cares I suppose but the repeat of the 'transition' or 'rebuild' has taken 4 years to work through with millions of pounds lost in that period.
What we are seeing now is a 'Rebuild' by my personal definition. Again a change of strategy which now demands no more of the 'same ow'd' approach, no more fading football 'mercenaries' at the wrong stage of their careers; now mostly hungry, ambitious, optimistic players with character and a bit to prove in the future. The big difference is the money we have to spend as McCabe puts more in to match the prince, seemingly part of the deal they struck. Whilst we are now pulling the budget back within this new strategy, it's only slight compared to the brief Weir was working to.
Wilder has the greatest opportunity of his long managerial career and he is approaching it with the passion of a fan. He is at that wonderful stage when everything he does is positive while he goes round the leagues with money to spend on a squad which needed replenishing after a major clear out totalling maybe 17 players in due course.
I believe that clear out was instigated by the Board as part of a new strategy and was announced within days of Wilder's appointment, which in itself seems to have been clinched within a couple of days of approaching him. The manager made the announcement and put his name to it and no doubt influenced the positioning of a few players but the need for the clear out will have been identified by the Board prior to his appointment surely. I should stress this is only a personal view with no 'ITK' involved.
Any new manager usually has to work with what he's given by and large, plus a bit to spend; he usually takes time to assess his squad. Wilder has almost a blank canvas, two thirds blank anyway and he's on the crest of a wave with our fans applauding his every word and action; long may it continue, this is a golden opportunity for us all to get some enjoyment out of our support and commitment for a change and end the trauma!! Now these past 9 years have been 'traumatic' blade67 !!
