General Jan transfer window

With two major assets leaving and just one potential coming in (Atkinson), the player development model ( which cannot be 100% successful) is slightly losing ground to loanees after this window.

Clearly disappointing not to bring in a permanent right back and striker for the player development model, puts a bit more pressure on the academy to produce players who can make the step up to the 1st team squad.
 
If we had sold Shandon and Fosu yesterday and on the same day brought in Brown, Holland and Kelly, I think people on here wouldn’t be so pissed off.

We didn’t address the priority positions which Karl was adamant we needed, that’s why fans are disappointed, pissed off and cheated AGAIN.

When Karl comes on the radio later and says he was fully supported by the board, thousands of fans will say in their head “f**k off Karl” with a smirking smile.
 
We didn’t address the priority positions which Karl was adamant we needed, that’s why fans are disappointed, pissed off and cheated AGAIN.

When Karl comes on the radio later and says he was fully supported by the board, thousands of fans will say in their head “f**k off Karl” with a smirking smile.

Yep Karl better hope the team performs today and doesn't lose otherwise the phone in going to be interesting after the game. Karl obviously is going to say the board backed him as he would be going against his contract if he told the truth to the fans. Its the board that sold Fosu, Baptiste and didn't pay for anyone at rb or striker not KR so no blame should be aimed to him. We could of went down the loan route but we already had to many loans in the club as it is. Its the morning after the night before and Im still not happy, only thing that will solve this is a good performance and result today.
 
Been saying that for an age. Robinson wanted Steve Gallen from Charlton 18 months ago. Regardless of whether or not that was a realistic aim, it shows that even he realised we needed somebody to singularly head that sort of stuff up. I would doubt that he’s changed his mind since then. I think a decent DOF type would be the most important signing we could make as a club.

Surprised to see Josh Clarke released. Could we? We certainly know that the board has seen the frustration of the fan base in the last day or two, to the point where they’re making hasty twitter comments to try to calm things. Could there be a right back yet?

KR simply suffers from being hugely in control - of everything. Obviously due to a pretty absent owner but since he has been here he is the spokes person of the board, the manager of the team and travels all over the place scouting. I don’t know who handles contracts etc but if you are so intent on ‘finding developing and trading’ players then you need someone that can actually do that effectively.

For example, with O’Donnell, you would maybe ascertain pretty early on if he was willing to come south? With Grigg you would learn probably after the first WhatsApp that they won’t let him go to a rival. Just seems very naive and disjointed.

We might see a right back...that back line is not far away from calamity (injury or suspension) to be very light. Considering we all pretty much knew the Cadden situation when he came in the RB spot is a huge failure
 
We didn’t address the priority positions which Karl was adamant we needed, that’s why fans are disappointed, pissed off and cheated AGAIN.

When Karl comes on the radio later and says he was fully supported by the board, thousands of fans will say in their head “f**k off Karl” with a smirking smile.
Couldn't agree more, he has known for two years that we need a striker, fair play he got Matt Taylor but he is clearly one of those who has injury problems and KR seems to prefer the ineffective Mackie anyway. For those who love Mackie's "shithousery" sorry but I prefer someone in the box who can put the ball in the net whether it comes of there knee, backside, or back of the head it doesn't matter but you ain't gonna score when you trying to wind someone up on the touch line.
I had started to take to KR in recent months as he seemed to building a decent team playing nice football and at last got his tactics right but he has gone back to Biily BS mode kidding everyone that he was in for some decent players and didn't need to sell.
Hopefully we will be proved wrong and the play-offs are still possible but we are not making it easy and the "big boys" (apart from Wycombe) are gathering at the top of the table.
 
Yep Karl better hope the team performs today and doesn't lose otherwise the phone in going to be interesting after the game. Karl obviously is going to say the board backed him as he would be going against his contract if he told the truth to the fans. Its the board that sold Fosu, Baptiste and didn't pay for anyone at rb or striker not KR so no blame should be aimed to him. We could of went down the loan route but we already had to many loans in the club as it is. Its the morning after the night before and Im still not happy, only thing that will solve this is a good performance and result today.

Woodburn, Holland, Browne, Kelly, Taylor. With Woodburn for a few weeks out I'd say we should have tried to get one more in. Then when Ben is back fit we'll be rotating the wingers/CMs in and out of matchdays squads anyway.
 
What saddens me is that this forum has got to a point where some are as good as telling our own fans to foxtrot oscar and they wont be missed and remove themselves from this very forum of debate.
Just because a persons opinion differs from yours does not make a right or wrong it's an opinion on the very football club we all love and want the best for, why the need to create a them and us scenario? We could go on another unbeaten run or likewise thinks go pear shaped neither of which makes either point of view to be right or wrong as it was just an opinion expressed on a given subject.
There was a feel good factor with most of us that has now changed for some which should be respected.
 
Well the dust has now settled on another transfer window and I don’t think anyone can really deny it ended in quite a deflating way for all of us. Especially after all the rhetoric coming out of the club only a couple of weeks ago. One of the most concerning things for me was Robinson saying on Thursday night that it might take a few weeks for things to settle down on Thursday’s disappointment. It almost sounded as though he was admitting that challenging for promotion would be a bonus now, rather than aimed for.

I think it’s now very important that Tiger and the board communicate with the fans as soon as possible. What are their aims and ambitions for the club, do they remain the same as they have always been, or have things altered. If so, why? In short, where are they, and the club, at in the grand scheme of things regarding the ‘project’
Agree with that ^^^ ....catch 22 being the board need to urgently communicate, but some will be sceptical ,(well i will be!) Regarding how honest they are being .......after falling for them stating players will only be sold if offers are exceptional and also the aim this season is promotion (to the championship) then what happened & also no players coming in despite being desperate for a striker and full back, i really have lost any trust in any of them
 
The thing that concerned me was an interview given by Robinson recently where he said something along the lines of "we're ahead of where we expected to be at this point in the process".

Alarm bells rang immediately because it made it sound that if we missed out on minimum of playoffs this season, then there wouldn't be too much concern across the club.


Just guessing but could he mean that the club is progressing much quicker on the field than was planned or expected, and that the academy (which has had a lot of investment) is a season or two behind in producing players ready for the 1st team.

After all the investment in the academy is a key part of the policy to make the club sustainable along with buying young players for development and resale.
 
Agree with that ^^^ ....catch 22 being the board need to urgently communicate, but some will be sceptical ,(well i will be!) Regarding how honest they are being .......after falling for them stating players will only be sold if offers are exceptional and also the aim this season is promotion (to the championship) then what happened & also no players coming in despite being desperate for a striker and full back, i really have lost any trust in any of them

I don’t actually think there has been any intentional lies or deceit. I think we’ve just been a bit naive and incompetent.

The club will be fully aware this was a stick or twist window - you can’t continue to state about acting as a big club, having funds available, then manage to fail in filling key parts of the squad. If there isn’t money, just say. If we’ve missed out on targets and prefer to stick what we have, just communicate it...at least it doesn’t give such a poor impression
 
That’s okay then, but what about the other 2 or 3 RB’s that Karl has earmarked at the start of the window that were virtually done deals, and strikers?

I thought there was a list of 20 RB potential options that KR mentioned at one point?
 
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Agree with that ^^^ ....catch 22 being the board need to urgently communicate, but some will be sceptical ,(well i will be!) Regarding how honest they are being .......after falling for them stating players will only be sold if offers are exceptional and also the aim this season is promotion (to the championship) then what happened & also no players coming in despite being desperate for a striker and full back, i really have lost any trust in any of them

The problem though Sarge is the board are only going to say things along the lines of nothing has changed for them and the aim is still promotion and we have decent players and manager, we tried hard to get players in etc etc none of which achieves anything because as fans we either decide to run with those words or think opposite..For some reason it all reminds me of the first few days/weeks of the takeover and we are as much in the dark now as back then.
When your manager who is normal so positive tells us 24 hours before a window closes that we are unlikely to do anything having let 2 assets go that sets alarm bells ringing

I know we are in a minority but when the manager says to the board it's time for ambition and show we are a big club and the board failed to deliver no rhetoric or spin from the board today will alter that opinion.
 
Agree with that ^^^ ....catch 22 being the board need to urgently communicate, but some will be sceptical ,(well i will be!) Regarding how honest they are being .......after falling for them stating players will only be sold if offers are exceptional and also the aim this season is promotion (to the championship) then what happened & also no players coming in despite being desperate for a striker and full back, i really have lost any trust in any of them
Josh Clarke available RB/LB/wing just left brentford by mutual consent would be a bargain.
 
If we had sold Shandon and Fosu yesterday and on the same day brought in Brown, Holland and Kelly, I think people on here wouldn’t be so pissed off.

Was waiting for someone to say this. Just isn't true - we still wouldn't have brought in players in the two position that we needed to strengten, and have known we needed to for far longer than a month.
 
Youll all be glad to know that i fished my season ticket from the bin this morning. Damn Birthday beers and Baileys! Still pretty fuming regarding these last couple of days however.


You’re no better than Tiger, Zaki,, KR et alina.

Raising all our hopes and expectations like that, the good honest folk of these boards have been lied to & cheated.;)
 
Just guessing but could he mean that the club is progressing much quicker on the field than was planned or expected, and that the academy (which has had a lot of investment) is a season or two behind in producing players ready for the 1st team.

After all the investment in the academy is a key part of the policy to make the club sustainable along with buying young players for development and resale.

KR after the game on Saturday was making noises which made me think a playoff place would be a bonus

I wish I could hear it back but it sounded like what a fantastic season we’ve had beating WHU drawing with Newcastle playing well against City, good cup runs selling out 4 times and if we don’t go up it our fans will have had a great time watching great football or words to that effect.

In fact this season reminds me of Jim Smiths second year (first time round )when we had great cup runs but fell short and fell away second half of the season.

The difference here is that JS didn’t have to sell and could build a squad, maybe that will happen in the future but because we haven’t strengthened especially up front I can see us making playoffs at best and then who knows.
 
Youll all be glad to know that i fished my season ticket from the bin this morning. Damn Birthday beers and Baileys! Still pretty fuming regarding these last couple of days however.
I would not say we are particularly "glad" you retrieved the ticket as , at times, you can be a complete a**e. However, lucky for you that it was not cut up. Enjoy the match.
 
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