We've got thirteen games to go and if we we win our next two games we have a slim chance of the making the play-offs; so we should know by Tuesday evening. On the face of it we've got a tough 'run-in' but that could prove to be to our advantage as we will need to be beat the majority of teams above us in the league...Tuesday night was a good start.
I'm one of an increasing minority that, despite a number of mistakes, believe Cowley has done a better than average job. He was starting from a very low base point having lost one or two key players and contrary to what he and the CEO say he hasn't had a lot of help from our absentee owners. Nevertheless he has put together a squad that is clearly better than the squad that Jackett fielded at Wembley only twelve months ago and the team he put out for the final game of last season, ironically at home to Accrington. He has only been able to acheive this with freebies and loans but the performance the other night proved he has succeeded in putting together a half decent squad that, in my view, will only just miss out on the play-offs. A case of too little too late...and that wasn't his fault. A fully fit squad will challenge next season if DC controls his tinkering.
Now we've all heard Cowley say he needs three or four transfer windows and the CEO talking about 'buying young' and then inevitably selling on; a small club strategy. But we have the core of an experienced group of players comprising Ogilvy, O'Brien, Robertson, Tunnicliffe, Raggett, Thompson, Jacobs, Curtis and co and that is where we should focus. That said, we will have to bring in loan players like Bazuma, Romeo, Carter and Hirst (yes, Hirst!). Be nice if they stayed but it doesn't work like that in modern football, I'm afraid. If we start letting better players go we are unlikely to replace 'like for like' because the Eisners won't shell out the money in terms of fees of wages.
The dilemma is that we have a number of players that are out of contract at the end of the season and, once again, we are inviting the ludicrous situation of key players walk away for nothing as other clubs, even smaller clubs, offer improved terms and we don't even receive a fee...madness! We should be looking closely at all those players with a view to extending their contracts as well as those with only a year to go by extending their contracts as well. The current policy makes no sense at all and only means that Cowley could find himself back to square one in a more competititve transfer market this summer as Covid is nearly over and the majojority of clubs in League One are sadly more ambitious that us.
Good post Blue we can only project, and hope, that Mr E is a pragmatic realist.
He MUST be to get where he is and what he has achieved. If we do reach the Champ's then we all know , he included, that LOTS of pennies will need to be spent !
For the long term a well structured, secure and successful Academy is the sensible way ahead. And, if Jim Smith (RIP) were still here then he would already be drafting in some of the 'most promising' - that was his way.
Ooops many apologies, para.3 should have included Morrell as one of thre experienced players
(03-03-2022, 11:51 AM)blueandwight Wrote: [ -> ]Ooops many apologies, para.3 should have included Morrell as one of thre experienced players
No Williams ? too old ?
(03-03-2022, 11:56 AM)Isaac Hunt Wrote: [ -> ] (03-03-2022, 11:51 AM)blueandwight Wrote: [ -> ]Ooops many apologies, para.3 should have included Morrell as one of thre experienced players
No Williams ? too old ?
Williams is only on a one year contract and is 35. Can't see him getting a new deal here, in fact he could easily be retiring after an injury like the one he has got.
I think we need to win our next 4 or 5 to be in the playoff mix, then hope we win a couple of the head to heads. The Plymouth & Ipswich games seem the next biggies on the horizon.
The problem is that we still have a huge gap to bridge in order to be back in the race and can't really afford to lose our games in hand OR the head to heads. It's possible but it's a very very tough ask.
The planning for next season has been a complete and utter shitshow. Cullen has finally said that this year is a transition season. However, almost none of our signings have been made with this in mind.
Do we even have the spine of a team in place for next season? I would argue not. I fear that any progress made over the course of this season will have been eradicated by having to sign 15 or so new players in the summer.
(03-03-2022, 12:38 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]I think we need to win our next 4 or 5 to be in the playoff mix, then hope we win a couple of the head to heads. The Plymouth & Ipswich games seem the next biggies on the horizon.
The problem is that we still have a huge gap to bridge in order to be back in the race and can't really afford to lose our games in hand OR the head to heads. It's possible but it's a very very tough ask.
The planning for next season has been a complete and utter shitshow. Cullen has finally said that this year is a transition season. However, almost none of our signings have been made with this in mind.
Do we even have the spine of a team in place for next season? I would argue not. I fear that any progress made over the course of this season will have been eradicated by having to sign 15 or so new players in the summer.
Surely Blue&wight's list of 9 names, to which you can add Harness, Bass , Hume & Freeman, is the spine of a team. If we could keep Carter & Hirst on loan then even more so.
(03-03-2022, 12:45 PM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ] (03-03-2022, 12:38 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]I think we need to win our next 4 or 5 to be in the playoff mix, then hope we win a couple of the head to heads. The Plymouth & Ipswich games seem the next biggies on the horizon.
The problem is that we still have a huge gap to bridge in order to be back in the race and can't really afford to lose our games in hand OR the head to heads. It's possible but it's a very very tough ask.
The planning for next season has been a complete and utter shitshow. Cullen has finally said that this year is a transition season. However, almost none of our signings have been made with this in mind.
Do we even have the spine of a team in place for next season? I would argue not. I fear that any progress made over the course of this season will have been eradicated by having to sign 15 or so new players in the summer.
Surely Blue&wight's list of 9 names, to which you can add Harness, Bass , Hume & Freeman, is the spine of a team. If we could keep Carter & Hirst on loan then even more so.
Not really, no. I wouldn't consider that a decent spine or decent planning for next year. If you look at the 8 players listed, only about 5 will be guaranteed to be here next year.
Bazunu - Won't be here next season
Bass is 250 miles away
Hume, yes
Freeman - not good enough
Carter - not ours so don't understand how you can say he is part of our plans for next year.
Hirst - ditto
O'brien is a free agent in the summer
Jacobs is heavily linked with an exit
Harness also heavily linked with an exit
The recruitment team really have to pull their collective finger out in the summer. I just can't see how there will be enough continuity in the squad, let alone starting XI to build on any anything achieved this year.
Pedders - I would think that the decisions by the quoted, individual players, and/or the club will be heavily determined by our finish to the season and final league position.
Players who found themselves here cannot be considered - for varied reasons - to be the host clubs top priorities for new contracts.
So, realistically if Pompey finish well and/or... even ...... ( Oh what am I saying).....then their option to remain would be stability and the most sensible decision ?
Bazanu - agreed but no-one mentioned him
Bass will be back, that has already been announced as the intention.
Freeman. sort of agree but a useful squad member all the same
Carter has said this week that he would be keen to return here on loan next season
Hirst is clearly happy here, but any further loan would depend on when his contract at Leicester ends (anyone know when that is?). If his contract is up would he take the cut needed to come here ? Would anyone offer him more ?
DC has already said he would like to do a deal to keep O'Brien here next season.
Yes, Jacobs may go if he can find a club willing to take a risk on his fitness
Harness - we have an option for an extension, and have said we would like to keep him and no-one has offered enough money yet so dangerous to assume they will now, especially with his form dipping a bit. Personally I'd get rid for £1m if offered because moves too often break down when he has the ball.
If things go well the defence & midfield will be very much based on players that are here this year with Bass, Carter?, Raggett, Robertson, Ogilvie, Hume, Thompson & Morrell, and more forwards will be needed to complement (or replace?) Curtis & Harness and O'Brien.
Yes, there will lots of new signings needed but I really do not see how you can say there will be no continuity.
Today's news conveniently answers my question about Hirst's contract ... he's got 2.5 years to go so the chances of signing him permanently would appear to be slim even thought DC sounds very keen to do so. But another loan must be a distinct possibility, why would he choose to go anywhere else on loan after establishing himself here ?
I’m sorry but we must be able to get better than Hirst for less, he ain’t that great.
It was reported that Hirst is on £11000 per week at Leicester, there's surely no way we can compete with that on a permanent transfer. It would have to be on another loan , but how much of his wages are we paying now?
11k a week doesn't seem like value for money to me. IMO it would be far better to sign O'brien as the priority (although I doubt he will be cheap either) and work out who is best to play along side him. That may well end up being Hirst, depending on how the season pans out.
value for money is a big issue.
If we want champ level players to come down, that's the inflated wages which most clubs cannot actually afford. Note Charlton who are a London Club (ie a huge catchment) with a decent ground, lost £8 million and more the year before.
Have to agree we don't seem to have moved forward toward a team for next season really.
Bass,
Raggie, Robertson, Ogilvie, Freeman, Vincent
Curtis, Harness, Thompson, Morrell, Tunnicliffe Jacobs, Mingi
O'Brien, Reeko ?, Reid
Mnonga?
Actually having written them down (I think we own all of those?)
that's not too bad a basis for a squad in most positions except up front where we need to find some value over the summer.
Of course some are going to move on (I think the three of Harness, Curtis and Jacobs will possibly all move on, probably two depending on their pre covid wage deals)
AS before Hammie I think our finishing position, and next seasons prospects will have a significant effect on player transfers - In and Out.
Will we be able to add Callum Johnson to the squad next season? I thought he was steady last season.
I think Johnsons contract expires in the summer and he wants to be oop norf.
We need a new/ fresh front 4.
I’d take the money for Curtis and Harness. Offer O’Brien a contract and get someone else in instead of Hirst.
Hirst has really improved but I want my strikers to score and although you can’t fault Hirsts work rate his ability to convert the numerous chances he’s had is very poor.
(04-03-2022, 11:44 AM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]I think Johnsons contract expires in the summer and he wants to be oop norf.
Ah yes I think I remember that now. Cheers.
(04-03-2022, 01:46 PM)bluetagagain Wrote: [ -> ]We need a new/ fresh front 4.
I’d take the money for Curtis and Harness. Offer O’Brien a contract and get someone else in instead of Hirst.
Hirst has really improved but I want my strikers to score and although you can’t fault Hirsts work rate his ability to convert the numerous chances he’s had is very poor.
Every aspect of Hirst's game is improving as he settles into his first ever decent run in a first team ... so no reason why his finishing shouldn't too. But if he can play like he played on Tuesday every week then we should definitely be keen for a second loan year even if he is not prolific because it doesnt matter who scores the goals as long as the team is scoring.
He has scored 6 in his last 20 appearances (many of which were as sub) so if he can improve on that his goalscoring would not be an issue.
I understand were you're coming from Deep,but with a small squad we can't afford passengers or indeed players who may or may not make the grade. I believe this is his best spell with any club and he's no longer a nipper. If he does improve his goalscoring adequately by the end of season then maybe he should be considered, however, he's apparently he's on 11k a week at LC which is both remarkable and worrying. As regards other team members scoring,that's great if it happens,however, its only in our recent purple patch that we've really been prolific, other than that our goals scored record so far for this season is 44, nothing to write home about.
Marcus Harness 11
Ronan Curtis 5
Michael Jacobs 5
Reeco Hackett-Fairchild 5
John Marquis 4
George Hirst 4
Sean Raggett 4
Lee Brown 3
Aiden O'Brien 3
Ryan Tunnicliffe 1
Ellis Harrison 1
Hayden Carter 1
Louis Thompson 1
Connor Ogilvie 1
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/tea...op-scorers
Rumour circulating in media that Cowley is considering leaving out Ogilvy tomorrow.
Sometimes this guy (Cowley) doesn't help himself.
Ogilvy is a better central defender than Robertson and far and away a better left-back (or wing-back) than Hume.
(04-03-2022, 03:52 PM)blueandwight Wrote: [ -> ]Rumour circulating in media that Cowley is considering leaving out Ogilvy tomorrow.
Sometimes this guy (Cowley) doesn't help himself.
Ogilvy is a better central defender than Robertson and far and away a better left-back (or wing-back) than Hume.
Disagree.
Robetrtson & Ogilvie are equally good at centre back, it doesn't weaken the team at all when he rotates them. Robertson is a specialist centre back with the advantage that he is a leader who 'captains' the defence and whose distribution is the best of all our defenders. Ogilvie is a specialist left back (and if we ever play a back four should be the first name on the team sheet in that position) who can also play very well at centre back. He is not a wing back by any stretch of the imagination. Rotating between the two of them makes perfect sense.
People looking to criticise Cowley for dropping Roberston or dropping Ogilvie are basically just looking for an excuse to criticise Cowley full stop.