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Post by TugPhase on Sept 25, 2020 18:05:40 GMT
Leon Clarke? Just joined Shrewsbury
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 21, 2020 17:12:29 GMT
Not what is required. We need more experience and leadership. Good luck to the lad. Damn, too late
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 21, 2020 17:11:10 GMT
Quick, someone find a YouTube video that makes him look really good before people start moaning and writing him off!
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 15, 2020 14:07:53 GMT
Me please
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 11, 2020 12:42:10 GMT
People are getting far too easily sold on Youtube videos. I'm not saying this guy is bad but you could make anyone look good but cutting together ten minutes of footage from a season. They just cut out all the bits where he gives the ball away, scores own goals and balloons shots way wide. Unless of course everyone has been following his career and seen more of him during live games, but I doubt it.
I think a couple of Humphrys videos convinced some that he is going to be a world beater. Maybe we need to make a Hanlan highlights video for those that aren't impressed...
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 11, 2020 8:49:43 GMT
The biggest criticism that's been levelled at Hanlan (currently) is his finishing ability. That doesn't bode well for someone we really do need to be getting 18+ goals minimum for us next season. As a result, I really hope we've got someone else with goals in them lined up - but I don't think we do in all honesty. I think that's why my first choice would have been someone like Humphrys (although I accept that if he does want a move up north, that was a non-starter). What makes you so confident that Humphrys would get 18+ goals? One(ish) good(ish) season with Southend? We have to be realistic. If there is a player that is 'guaranteed' to score that amount of L1 goals then it is unlikely that we will be able to get them - we will be in a queue behind some Championship and the big L1 teams. But the good news is that all other teams similar to us are in the same boat, we all have to scout and pick out players and HOPE they are the next JCH - a lot of them won't turn out to be. The closest I can think of is Pitman, who recently joined Swindon. Guaranteed goals but he is older, and doesn't fit our style so has some big disadvantages. Anyone that ticks all the boxes and is guaranteed that amount of goals is way out of our reach - for example Ivan Toney, we're only about £5.8m+ short of getting him. We have to trust our scouts and support Hanlan. He is fast, he works hard and will work well in a 'fluid' front three.
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 10, 2020 9:02:51 GMT
Not a single person predicts top 10 currently. Glad to see some realism at least A couple of weeks ago some were saying playoffs at a minimum and anything less would be a disastrous season! Mind you, we will probably beat Sunderland now and it will go back to that... Doom and gloom vs unrealistic expectations. Not sure which is worse.
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 9, 2020 9:37:37 GMT
Reality check - we are unbeaten in the league this season ...... Not only that, we're currently sitting fourth in the table. And people still complain....
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 9, 2020 7:38:14 GMT
I'd tell him to ignore the fan base as they have ridiculous expectations. They expect a team with mostly new players coming from a far from ideal pre-season due to Covid-19 to be fully fit and playing like world beaters before the League campaign even starts. I'm sure he is doing that already. Amen. I think having no fans in the ground may benefit us judging by some people on here, at least they won't be on the team's back from the off. It's embarrassing. We haven't played a minute of league football yet. We're out of the League Cup to a good league 1 team and we drew in the cup that nobody (normally) cares about and people are acting like it's the end of the world. Chances are we will lose again in the next few games, that's how football works. We should give it a few months at the absolute minimum. If his record continues as it was last season (it won't) then we can react, and get someone in before January. If it improves (it will), then we can make a reasonable, fair call on how happy we are and whether we want to continue with BG.
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 4, 2020 15:49:39 GMT
Swindon close to signing Pitman. Can't help but feel we missed a trick there... Really? The bloke’s even less mobile & even more unsuited to Garner’s style than JCH was. No pace, can’t press & no resale value. Would have been stunned had we been interested in him. Agree that he doesn't suit the style, and that is most important. But still when a proven goal scorer is available, and you need one, it seems painful to let the chance to by. In a couple of months we could look back and think 'what if..'. Also, not sure resale value matters when they're free? Would not be at all surprised if he bags 20+ goals if he plays regularly..
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 4, 2020 13:52:41 GMT
Good news. He's earned that after a promising pre season. However, it's important we don't expect too much too soon. He's still very young and I think he'll be used mainly from the bench this season with maybe the odd start in the cup. I don't think people will expect too much, or even expect him to play. I think this is more about tying down a potentially valuable young asset to ensure he doesn't disappear for pittance.
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 4, 2020 13:40:06 GMT
Surprised Brett Pitman doesn't get mentioned more. Free agent after being released by Pompey, proven goalscorer, 32 so not too old. Sounds ideal to me! Swindon close to signing Pitman. Can't help but feel we missed a trick there...
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 4, 2020 10:06:59 GMT
I'm actually more confident after Garner's remarks. I think by "not necessarily like-for-like" he simply means it won't be a battering ram of a forward - ala JCH. In all honesty, that's no surprise. JCH - for all his ability - wasn't really a Garner player IMO and I doubt he'd be here if he wasn't already (i.e. I'm not sure we'd have signed him if Garner had been in charge at the time). If we're going to go "all in" on Garner's philosophy (and given the board are backing him, we have to) then we need a forward who has different attributes to JCH - but hopefully can still get the same quantity of goals! Makes you wonder what would have happened if JCH signed the contract and had stayed. He wouldn't have been able to drop him so I assume he would have adapted the system to accommodate, which sounds far from ideal. JCH's departure could well be a blessing in disguise. Completely agree on going 'all in'. It's a bit of an experiment, but it's certainly exciting...
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 4, 2020 9:25:51 GMT
Garner on replacing Clarke-Harris. We’re looking to strengthen the squad still. I don’t think it will be a direct replacement in a like-for-like. The important thing for us is having the tools we think we need. I read into that as: we're kind of looking into it still, but don't get too excited about it. Interesting comment, for sure. Does "not like for like" just mean not a big, strong no. 9 and instead a smaller poacher type? Or does it mean not a number 9 at all, and if that's the case what formation are we going to be playing? You'd think that Ayunga won't be a starter, so will we be playing with no strikers à la Spain from a few years ago?! Or current Liverpool with emphasis on the wide players getting the goals and the 'forward' dropping back and linking play?
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Post by TugPhase on Sept 2, 2020 16:19:12 GMT
Had a look at the top scorer odds earlier on Skybet and it emphasised how desperately we need to get someone in. JCH is favourite for the golden boot at 10/1, joint with Mo Eisa. Our shortest odds are Ayunga at 100/1.
To give some context... - There are a bunch of 'also ran' players at 100/1, for example Byron Moore who plays as a wing back! - Only three teams don't have any players at shorter odds than us; Shrews, Rochdale and Wimbledon (all three are among the favourites to go down) - Fourteen teams have 2 or more players more fancied than any of ours - Blackpool have 6 (!!) players at shorter odds than Ayunga, Sunderland and Charlton 4, Posh, Ipswich, Pompey, Hull, MK Dons all have 3
We all know we need someone anyway, but I found it interesting.
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Post by TugPhase on Aug 28, 2020 18:19:22 GMT
Tyler Walker has signed on a perm for Cov. Well they've done well...bit jealous. Don't worry, now he has Coventry on the CV we will almost certainly sign him
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Post by TugPhase on Aug 28, 2020 10:52:26 GMT
Surprised Brett Pitman doesn't get mentioned more. Free agent after being released by Pompey, proven goalscorer, 32 so not too old. Sounds ideal to me!
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Post by TugPhase on Aug 17, 2020 15:47:21 GMT
Posh are the perfect example to all clubs on how to buy players on the cheap and sell them for a massive profit. They seem to manage it season after season Not sure about 'cheap'. They apparently signed Toney for £650k. But they speculate to accumulate and seem to have a habit of being really good at it.
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Post by TugPhase on Aug 15, 2020 7:35:04 GMT
Some very unrealistic expectations.
We appear to have strengthened this summer (incomings look better than outgoings), but people don't factor in the starting position. We have improved a squad that finished 14th so to suddenly expect playoffs as a minimum is ridiculous. What about all the teams that finished above us? What about the teams relegated from the Champ? What about the unknown in the teams coming up from L2?
Realistic is mid table, I would be happy with top half and delighted to be in with a sniff of the playoffs.
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Post by TugPhase on Aug 11, 2020 17:58:57 GMT
Is it their first team against our U23s? Are we that good now?
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