Squad for next Season

[EanieMeany]

This does seem a decent signing, but unless Imrie thinks/thought he can/would have been able to move somebody else on, then no matter what you think of Blues, it's just so hard to justify keeping him on when there is literally not a single recognised striker in the squad.

Even if Crawford turns out to be really good, it's a signing which seems to add to the imbalance of the squad unless there's another 2 attackers coming in. We've a whole batch of midfielders and next to nothing up front...which isn't to say we don't need another midfielder, but that's a result of Imrie's choices. If he doesn't like what he has, he should have got rid of what he could have in the summer.

Again, unless there's another couple of signings to come then the buck really has to stop with the manager for the mess we've got even if there is a whole load of other factors.

Edited August 18, 2022 by EanieMeany

[Jamie_M]

3 hours ago, HeidTheBaw said:

it’s looking potentially very grim. 

There’s still time before the window shuts but I don’t have a great deal of optimism at the moment at how the club is being run. 

 

2 minutes ago, HeidTheBaw said:

Pretty happy with that one, good age, plenty experience. 
Striker next please. 

3 hours.

[SpoonTon]

I'm happy with that.

 

[Madton]

Happy with that.

Needed another option in there as realistically only Blues, Lyon and Gillespie are regular starter options and both Lyon and Blues have shown inconsistencies already this season. Healthly competition with McGrattan and King to back those 4 up too.

Tells me there will almost certainly be a striker coming in too as if he only had  budget for one, I highly doubt he would have signed another midfielder when we are crying out for a striker so hopefully another to follow before the deadline.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Madton

[HeidTheBaw]

39 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

 

3 hours.

What’s your point?

Crawford feels like a decent signing for a position we need filled, and is an upgrade on Jacobs. 

The club is in a worrying position, leaving the manager with a threadbare squad, no CEO, no development team and no programs. 
 

Both of these things can co-exist. Just because there’s negatives doesn’t mean the positives don’t bear commentating on.  

[dunning1874]

I'm happy with that. While he's not the out and out creative number 10 type that you could argue we needed, we're still going to be able to offer more creatively with him in the team and with the way the squad is looking any established Championship player who has proven themselves to be a solid performer at worst over several seasons at this level (and higher) is a very welcome addition.

All attention turns to who we can add at centre forward now, but the midfield certainly looks a lot healthier with Crawford in the squad.

[Jamie_M]

34 minutes ago, HeidTheBaw said:

a worrying position....

 

no programs. 

 

[HeidTheBaw]

Just now, Jamie_M said:

So you’ve not really got a point. Good yin ya fat, speccy, baldy mutant . 
 

 

 

. 

[Jamie_M]

7 minutes ago, HeidTheBaw said:

So you’ve not really got a point. Good yin ya fat, speccy, baldy mutant . 
 

 

 

. 

[so72]

A good striker on loan (as in, one who scores 10+) and luck with fitness plus suspensions then we could keep ourselves in that safe no-mans land with the outside chance of 4th.

[HamCam]

Not a game changer but a welcome addition. The priority however remains a striker. Until we have a competent goal-scorer in the starting line-up we will struggle this season. 

[SassenachTon]

32 minutes ago, HeidTheBaw said:

Ya fat, speccy, baldy mutant . 
 

 

 

. 

I’m not fat. I’ll give you the others, though.

[Nornirontons]

Decent signing that....did someone know I was coming over for the game on Saturday

[Drew Busby's Moustache]

1 hour ago, HeidTheBaw said:

So you’ve not really got a point. Good yin ya fat, speccy, baldy mutant . 
 

 

 

. 

Now look what you've gone and done!  

[EanieMeany]

2 hours ago, Madton said:

Happy with that.

Needed another option in there as realistically only Blues, Lyon and Gillespie are regular starter options and both Lyon and Blues have shown inconsistencies already this season. Healthly competition with McGrattan and King to back those 4 up too.

Tells me there will almost certainly be a striker coming in too as if he only had  budget for one, I highly doubt he would have signed another midfielder when we are crying out for a striker so hopefully another to follow before the deadline.

As much as I agree a proper centre-forward is the clear priority, it's not impossible that opting for Crawford could end up being the best choice if we were only getting one more body in. A good midfielder isn't too far behind a striker in terms of urgency, so you could just about see the logic in picking a potentially really good option for the former over wasting money on a dodgy one for the latter...although that said, I don't think it's what's happened here. It's still a good couple of weeks to soon to be making that kind of leap, if nothing else.

I think we'll get one more player in as I can't imagine we were seriously going to try to go without a forward coming in - no matter how tight funds are, the cost of someone who might score occasionally has to outweigh the cost of not having them - and Jacobs leaving will have freed up another space. I doubt Easdale leaving frees up enough for a player on its own but it may well allow release just enough funds to get a third addition that might not have been possible otherwise.

If we can even just get a remotely competent striker in, then them and Crawford make the picture look a bit brighter, if still not particularly vibrant; if we're able to get two more decent quality players, then we should be able to feel a lot more comfortable with our chances than we have so far.

Edited August 18, 2022 by EanieMeany

[vikingTON]

58 minutes ago, EanieMeany said:

I think we'll get one more player in as I can't imagine we were seriously going to try to go without a forward coming in - no matter how tight funds are, the cost of someone who might score occasionally has to outweigh the cost of not having them

We signed/re-signed Quitongo, Muirhead and Kabia to do at least some of that though. While I think Quitongo is a good fit for what Imrie wants/the likely budget available, we'd have nobody to blame but ourselves if Muirhead is being expected to fire us up the league table in September. 

[Drew Busby's Moustache]

2 hours ago, vikingTON said:

We signed/re-signed Quitongo, Muirhead and Kabia to do at least some of that though. While I think Quitongo is a good fit for what Imrie wants/the likely budget available, we'd have nobody to blame but ourselves if Muirhead is being expected to fire us up the league table in September. 

I think VT has partially nailed it here.

I reckon Imrie always saw Quitongo as being our main threat up front.

Begs the question who the providers are going to be?

[RossMcC1874]

Decent signing someone with good experience who has played in this league before and should fit in well. 

On the striker front I'm actually trying to think of who would be available that would be a realistic option for us. 

[Alibi]

3 hours ago, RossMcC1874 said:

Decent signing someone with good experience who has played in this league before and should fit in well. 

On the striker front I'm actually trying to think of who would be available that would be a realistic option for us. 

Ugwu still not got a club?

[SpoonTon]

Crawford's not going to have come cheap. We've freed up a bit by shifting Jacobs on loan and Easdale leaving (and Crawford in for those two looks like good business) but there's not necessarily anything left for a striker. 

I think managers at our level will nearly always sacrifice a little bit of balance in order to get better players in. We absolutely could do with a good striker, it would make a massive difference. But we absolutely don't need a rubbish striker. Hopefully we can figure out something on loan at some point, but signing a striker just for the sake of it won't help.