Tbh I think that’s all we can hope for first season back I might be wrong and we storm the league But there’s helluva lot of questions marks against all of them tbh
I guess a lot will rest on how long the momentum and winning mentality that McCann has engendered lasts into the new season. That could fuel good results against immensely paid but disaffected former Premier League teams and failed playoff contenders. The tactics are important too - Barnsley have shown that you can succeed with a plan that other teams can’t deal with. McCann has achieved something similar at League One level, remains to be seen whether he can repeat the trick in the Championship. It’s gonna be fun whatever happens - scream if you wanna go faster!
Worked on the waltzes a million years ago and we was encouraged to “ spin um boys, spin um “ thems were the days!!!!
I think the fact a lot of them have a point to prove. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If we add the loan lads back, get another striker and replace anyone else that invariably moves on. I would be happy with that.
I'd also hope that playing regularly in L1 would help Honeyman and Magennis settle better into the Championship next season. The year before they were in and out, it was difficult for them to put a mark on the team. In terms of some of the other players, that really was KLP's first full season, he'll have learnt a lot although I don't think we should expect too much too soon from him in the Championship. He might do well, but he'll definitely find it a big step up. Wilks will also have benefitted from a full year being in a settled team, he's still young. I do think signing a winger would help push them further. I think Whyte is a good idea. I think we need to add a touch of Championship experience through our core, so a centre Back and centre midfield for absolute definite and ideally a striker who's scored regular (if not loads of) goals in the league for a few years, although they cost. Someone like Chris Martin 5 years younger. Maybe an experienced adaptable full back in case ours lose a bit of form. Other than that, I'm fairly happy with the squad we have now.
I suspected as much, you could tell in the Championship he was trying a little too hard, almost to prove something. I think he'll be a lot better next season.
Yes, he's absolutely in love with the club and is extremely grateful for the platform we gave him last season. This time next season... It could be another outcome
Well hopefully if he has a good season that will mean we as a club did, then wish him all the best if he gets a chance to move on to bigger things.
It's been a great season but I think it'll be one of the busiest summers for a while. We've got a really good core of 12/13 who'll do well in the Championship but there's a lot of lads who didn't feature much this season and need to play. Long, Clark, Fleming (loan), McLoughlin (loan), Flores (loan), Scott (loan), Eaves (loan), Mayer (loan) all need to go out and play and there are the 3 loanees who need replacing too. Then there's a lot of the younger lads which need first-team experience too, the likes of Salam, Chadwick, Smith, C Jones, Wood etc. We're going to need to be bringing in 8-10, mainly to add depth. What a year in League 1 has shown me, is that there are a whole host of players who are capable of stepping up to the Championship. We definitely have to be realistic about incomings though, we'll have one of the smallest wage bills in the league, so signing experienced Championship players is highly unlikely. That being said, it's not a strategy that works anyway. I'm hoping we stick to top L1 players to improve the group
Clark won't be staying I wouldn't have thought, I don't recall him even making a matchday squad and while he'd make decent cover, Fleming would be coming back from injury so I don't know if he's even needed. Flores I think will go, Mayer might stick around as cover, Scott will probably go out on loan, Eaves will be kept, the youngsters will go out. I'd be surprised if we weren't working towards something for Whyte and Slater because that's two signings that know the club and can slot straight in. If you look at the starting XI, you could play the side that started against Wigan and it would be pretty competitive. Not title winning, but it'll give anybody in the division a game. I'm not saying that we don't need signings, but 8-10 is a lot when you think about cost, players staying etc. For me, a striker should be the priority, as Magennis has injury worries and we know Eaves isn't a ready made replacement at Championship level. Niasse is available on a free, he'd do a job for us. Signing Whyte adds depth to the wings, while Slater adds to the midfield trio. A bit more cover at centre half would be useful, I'd look at getting Sonny Bradley back from Luton, which would increase the home grown quota too. I haven't see if we have sorted Alfie Jones out a new contract, presumably that's also a priority now that the season is over.
No chance of getting Niasse back, he might be on a free but he'll be able to go to Turkey and get £15-20k a week comfortably. Can't see us being able to offer Sonny enough either if Luton can't. Plus he's a left-footed centre half and we've got Greaves so it wouldn't make sense either. Really want to see us get Slater back, difficult to find a player with his attributes in the deeper midfielder role. Not fussed about Whyte though, he's levels below KLP & Wilks, and they're only getting better. He also failed to score but got 1 assist for Cardiff in 32 games for them (roughly 1400 minutes) Screams of someone who's not good enough for the level. Plus, they signed him for £2m and will want to recoup a big chunk of that. I liked him in L1, and I'd wouldn't mind if the fee was £300/400k but can't see Cardiff doing that. Striker wise, Dion Charles is the one. He fits our system perfectly but still has plenty to work on and improvement in him. He'll be about £1m but he's got 12 months left, and there's no chance he'll renew so Accrington will want to flog him as it's huge money to them.
Yes, mainly because there's no point selling them. For example, Eaves has another year left plus an option of another. If we shifted him permanently, we wouldn't get a fee for him. Let him go on loan for a year to a side who plays direct and preferably 2 up top and he'll score goals in L1. Every chance we'll be able to get £200k for him next summer and if he has a poor season, we'll release him. He was barely getting a game for us this year, we know he's not good enough and at least this way we can potentially see a fee. No real difference to what was done with Jordy. It was some deal for us to get any fee at all.
If we made one signing and it was Charles, I'd be happy with that (loans aside), I think he really could be the missing piece.
If you think this club, or any promoted club, is going to loan out 8 players and get in another 8-10 players, most of which will be permanent signings, then... well, it’s unlikely, let’s say that.