So that is that.

Whingit

Whingit

Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Window closed, everyone happy? Now it's finished I'll be less perturbed by moaning because the window can be assessed as a whole.

I'm pretty happy with what we've got, and I imagine the club already have plans for January. Optimistic for the season.
 
I'm still slightly concerned. Up front still seems light to me (unreliable Obika, unknown quantity Smith, either unfit or past it Mackie and possibly the very young Lopes) and central midfield (despite signing the currently injured Hansen) looks a bit porous. Maybe a couple of loans to come (although we've enough of those already).

Signing Holmes of course boosts us and Hansen looks like he should add a bit of steel in the middle. I am interested to see the team in a couple of days.
 
Happy, do feel we may not have the firepower up front but willing and hoping it will click !
 
Agree about being a striker light, but I'm happy enough giving what we've got a chance and maybe adding in January.
 
Slight moan regarding people (traitors?) inside the club giving away info that they shouldn't be, many more ITK than before.
 
Excuse my ignorance but how many games did Hanson or Holmes feature in last season?
 
tonto said:
Excuse my ignorance but how many games did Hanson or Holmes feature in last season?
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Holmes was a regular for KR at Charlton last season before signing for Sheffield Utd in January.

Hanson has played 20 odd times for Derby as well as a loan spell at Wigan iirc. Although don't know how many he played last season.

Edit: According to Wiki, he played 17 times on loan at Wigan last season.
 
Yeah happy with that Tiger has backed Karl with the players he wanted so over to the management team now to make it work they cant have many complaints or excuses.

Ill admit to being worried that we have started the season under prepared but we have got there in the end and hope we will now be able to start to compete and hold our own at least safely midtable with a bit of an interest in the playoffs COYY
 
Compared to last year it's clear this squad has so much more potential than last year, when it was obvious that roster was full of old crocks and sub standard players. That said potential is worth nothing if it isn't realised.

I've only had the benefit of seeing the game versus Leeds youth team thus far and we were woeful given the lack of prime opposition. Luke Garbutt was watching the game pass him by, Norman was found out in the 2nd half and even Dickie was second best, to name just a few. Looking at the comments following the Barnsley game not much appears to have changed.

Even though Obika had a good pre-season that is likely to be a false dawn and we will need to rely more heavily on Smith & potentially Mackie to fill the void. Obika has had his chance and needs to revert to the bench (as we are so light in terms of forwards) and then out of the door at the end of the season.

However personally I like the way Karl Robinson is going about things. His openness and honesty is a refreshing change compared to clueless Clotet. Sure he is probably too open sometimes and maybe the odd fanciful comment, but nobody is perfect. I'm hopeful the mainly new managerial team will get the more (than last season) talented squad to come together over the next few games and we will start to get the results. It's probably too early to expect that to happen in time for Fleetwood given the headless chickens performances that have preceded it, but we don't need to panic just yet.

I would have liked more experience and size being brought into midfield too.

Given the limited number of players in key positions our season may be defined by how the main players can stay clear of major injuries. Clearly losing Carruthers isn't a great start. However regardless KR has done the right thing to put his resources into a smaller and more talented squad, rather than spread it too thinly on mediocre shite.

However I'm much more optimistic than 12 months ago and I'm looking forward to the roller coaster ride it is likely to be.
 
ZeroTheHero said:
I'm still slightly concerned. Up front still seems light to me (unreliable Obika, unknown quantity Smith, either unfit or past it Mackie and possibly the very young Lopes) and central midfield (despite signing the currently injured Hansen) looks a bit porous. Maybe a couple of loans to come (although we've enough of those already).

Signing Holmes of course boosts us and Hansen looks like he should add a bit of steel in the middle. I am interested to see the team in a couple of days.
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with Holmes (and the injured Carruthers) on loan from The Blades , Id hope they do add more than a bit of steel to our midfield ;)
 
ZeroTheHero said:
I'm still slightly concerned. Up front still seems light to me (unreliable Obika, unknown quantity Smith, either unfit or past it Mackie and possibly the very young Lopes) and central midfield (despite signing the currently injured Hansen) looks a bit porous. Maybe a couple of loans to come (although we've enough of those already).

Signing Holmes of course boosts us and Hansen looks like he should add a bit of steel in the middle. I am interested to see the team in a couple of days.
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Very much the same with you on this Striker wise is a worry in terms of is there enough goals in there compared to last seasons 19 from the fab 4, think that’s the only area where I think we should of spent a few quid on a decent centre forward but hopefully Smith will be the answer

Wouldn’t surprised if another CM comes in by end of August KR wanted 2 so might be a loan player or free agent (Rohan Ince or someone like that)

Overall very happy with the squad we’ve got specially out wide with the likes of Hall Holmes Browne Whyte all got pace & goals in them compared to last season
 
Kamal said:
Don't think this is the end of our activity. Still expect another loan and maybe a free agent (ST or CM will do)
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couple of st's that i wouldn't mind, Jay Emmanuel Thomas or Steve Davis the two stand outs. JET a very good striker if you put your arm round him and he focuses on his football and not get distracted by other things going on [bit of a primma dona] but he's probably the best striker available at the moment and been training with Billericay.
 
RCYellowRC said:
couple of st's that i wouldn't mind, Jay Emmanuel Thomas or Steve Davis the two stand outs. JET a very good striker if you put your arm round him and he focuses on his football and not get distracted by other things going on [bit of a primma dona] but he's probably the best striker available at the moment and been training with Billericay.
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Billericay? Getting up to speed with Alfie P...think we can do better
 
Holmes is a cracking signing, whilst Hanson appears to fit the bill for an aggressive midfielder with a bit of presence.

I think Smith will be a good signing, although we do still look a bit light in numbers up front.

Browne & Garbutt will probably take a little while to adjust to League 1 football.

Overall I’m fairly happy with just the downer of Carruthers injury, bit of blow to be honest. However we’ve certainly got more quality in the squad than last season and providing we don’t pick up injuries to key players I’m hopeful for a decent & entertaining season. I suspect it will be a few games before we hit our stride.
 
Browny said:
Judgement of the transfer window possibly can be made by the absence of the usual doom merchants who have been very active in recent days but seemingly quite quiet today

They must have hated the work done today
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Sadly they are just hibernating - pessimistic buggers are a species that find refuge beneath a rock when the sun is shining...waiting for drizzle to call a typhoon ?
 
It has been some transfer window. Especially on here.
Some priceless comments (I can't be bothered to go and look at all of them)
My favourite was somebody suggesting that the Holmes loan was a hoax and an old trick and was never on in the first place. All to put off the supporters and pretend that Tiger had money when in reality he didn't.
The trouble is I expect that we will get the same from the same person next year whoever it was...
 
Like many I think we need another striker, Obika scored against lesser teams but once put up against better teams including Leeds mainly youngsters, we were left wanting, wanting him to shoot, stay on his feet or dare I say score, in fairness he has put himself about, but he’s there to score against league 1 teams and I just can’t see him doing it, hopefully he will come off the bench, once in a blue moon, and shoot on target and possibly even score !!!!!!!!!
 
I think it's very much work in progress. Considering who we've lost and the mess we found ourselves in last season we're doing very well to look as strong as we do.
The team is a bit lopsided at the minute although players can cover it's not ideal. Positions are according to transfermarket and soccerbase. But obviously some players can switch wings or from one position to another but according to their official position:

3 Keepers

4 Centre Backs (Dickie, Nelson, Raglan and Mousinho)

3 Right backs (McMahon, Norman and Long)
1 Left back (Garbutt)

5 Central Midfielders (Brannagan, Browne, Carruthers, Ruffels and Hanson)

3 Right Wing (Hall, Whyte, Henry,)

1 Left Wing (Holmes)

3 Forwards (Obika, Makie and Smith)

3 Out on loan (Kelleher, Napa, Pekalski)

3 U23's listed on the first team home page (James, Little and Baptiste)

I would expect us to bring in an out and out left winger and perhaps a striker. If not on loan then in Jan.
KR is right. We need to give them time and support.
 
Some suggesting that players would be leaving (Henry, Hall, Nelson, Ruffels) but we only lost Carroll who was on the fringes at best.

Some suggested that we were stuck with the loan market or free agents, but we have spent big money on Hanson and KR talks up our budget this year.

Some suggested that players didn't want to come to a mid table league 1 side, but Holmes says that he turned down better offers from other clubs and every one of those coming in have talked of the professional approach that sold the club to them.

I just hope that those who have got this summer so hopelessly wrong think before trolling every bad game or poor performance because they have proved that they know very little about football, and care little about our club.
 
Obika may not be a prolific goal scorer (to say the least), but he is a reasonably good hold up man imo. With that in mind, an Obika with an attacking midfield 3 of Holmes, Henry and Hall (HHH?) playing just behind him is a front 4 that I reckon could wreak havoc in this league - especially if Hanson (another H!) provides the cover for Brannigan to get forward and play a bit more. Also, having options off the bench like Smith, Browne, Caruthers (if he doesnt start once he's back), maybe even Whyte, etc, is very exciting in an attacking sense.

After watching that pumping last weekend, I am feeling far more optimistic about this season than I was 24 hours ago. As exciting as Holmes is (and he really is - he's a WOW signing for me), I'm particularly pleased with Hanson. I said after that match that we needed more physicality in the team, and he fits the bill perfectly. If the positive comments I'm seeing generally on social media are accurate, it honestly sounds like he could take this league by storm. An excellent acquisition.
 
Be good to see our players being backed to the hilt and even in the bad times being supported. But that will nevery happen with some who claim to be U's fans....
 
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