Let's be honest - there are way, way too many unknowns for next season to make any reasonable predictions today.
When will it start?
Will fans be allowed?
If not, what will that do to everyone's budgets? And transfer fees? Will anyone fork out for Dickie & Brannagan if everyone in the EFL is having to cut their cloth?
And will there be a hard salary cap in place, and a cap on player numbers as the Telegraph reported, and will everyone be forced to adhere to it?
Hopefully we'll get answers soon, but until we do it's going to be impossible to predict what our squad's going to look like. Or anyone else's.
It's just B*****s that we're going to be playing it in League One.
Don't get me wrong - it's a fun league. It's just a season or two in the Championship was so close, it was there for the taking and we blew it.
Surely all clubs need the season to restart to get ST sales, advertising income etc? Not playing = no income.Well if most league 1 teams voted to end the season. What chances are of the season restarting? Unless all fans are allowed in the ground by September but I can't see it. Then if we have a second wave around November it could all be stopped again.
Also the day after a gutting loss is not the time to be making snap decisions and writing off players!Let's be honest - there are way, way too many unknowns for next season to make any reasonable predictions today.
When will it start?
Will fans be allowed?
If not, what will that do to everyone's budgets? And transfer fees? Will anyone fork out for Dickie & Brannagan if everyone in the EFL is having to cut their cloth?
And will there be a hard salary cap in place, and a cap on player numbers as the Telegraph reported, and will everyone be forced to adhere to it?
Hopefully we'll get answers soon, but until we do it's going to be impossible to predict what our squad's going to look like. Or anyone else's.
It's just B*****s that we're going to be playing it in League One.
Don't get me wrong - it's a fun league. It's just a season or two in the Championship was so close, it was there for the taking and we blew it.
Also the day after a gutting loss is not the time to be making snap decisions and writing off players!
It is clear from a number of interviews given by KR, that there was some form of 2 or 3 season plan, and by getting in the play-offs this season, we'd moved ahead of the plan. I imagine his point around sitting down and deciding what the approach from the football club is around does that plan now change, i.e. instead of playoff attempt in season 2, it's actually, automatic promotion attempt in season 2 or does it stay the same. I get the sense that if we remain on plan (not adjusting budget to target higher) then he will be extremely annoyed and in all honesty, I could see his relationship with the board breaking down. It was clear that he was extremely irritated by the Baptiste and Fosu sales and especially the timing of them.
We need;
Another keeper, not necessarily to replace Eastwood but to at least compete with him.
A new right back, another Cadden type. Long decent back up though.
A new left back. Ruffles has great consistency but we just need that bit more.
An experienced centre back to partner Moore, a real organiser and leader.
Sign Kelly on a permanent as an option to Gorrin every game.
Brannagan will go and could be one of the hardest to replace.
A Gavin Whyte type winger. Less tricks, more pace.
A game changer in behind the striker(s)
Two strikers, one of which has to be a cast iron guarantee of 20 league goals.
The other, a bigger target man as something different. Bit like the job Ryan Taylor did.
Oh and keep Robinson but have a bit of a reshuffle among the coaching staff to freshen it up. Officially promote Mous, wave goodbye to Faz and bring in an outsider with a serious reputation as a number two.
Well the board need to be careful here. We need to kick on next season not go backwards. Otherwise we will be back to 6k crowds (once everyone's allowed back in) I don't mind if we sell a couple of players like Dickie and Brannagan aslong as we re invest in the team. We need more depth in are squad and not just youngsters making up the numbers. Need clarification on the stadium issue it's not just going to go away, either a new lease where a 4th stand is built and the rest of the stadium is bought up to standard or a new stadium. Obviously we're in difficult times but so is every other club going through the same. Now is not the time to cash in on players and lower are wage bill for the season and blaming corona. Over to you board.
Totally agree, however, it is very easy to spend other peoples money. This summer will really show what kind of force the board have as a collective. Although equally, will they want to show their trump card when we're not in the league above?
I would hope we say to Dickie and Brannagan that we're only accepting price X and they can only go when we've inked their replacements contracts.
For me, it's about spending money smartly, not for the sake of it. Moore and Atkinson were smart buys in this season, as Brannagan and Dickie were. Cadden for a million would not be. COVID has impacted our cashflow, but equally there will be deals to be made also.
Perhaps we can move on a player like Hanson to at least reduce wage bill.
Some really tough decisions to be made!