[LiamTheBaggie]

Surely will depend on what the situation is with Pereira and Johnstone. If we get a bagload of cash for them, would seem strange not to re-invest it.

I’m with you - if we do incur some sales then there is no doubt he would want that money investing.

He must realise we’re short in several areas.

[WBArgo]

Hopefully VI's comments were merely political regarding Pereira and his potential suitors.

Remember last time in the Championship we also started with Ferguson who was great until he left, as well as playing Krovinovic who was also good at this level. Surely this isn't it?!

[baggie82]

Hopefully VI's comments were merely political regarding Pereira and his potential suitors.

Remember last time in the Championship we also started with Ferguson who was great until he left, as well as playing Krovinovic who was also good at this level. Surely this isn't it?!

Last time in the championship we also had a dynamite midfielder called Pereira who won us many many points. All things being equal he might be available for selection again from September onwards.

[Standaman]

Ismael tends to mean what he says. He does not do politics as you might have noticed with the Pereira situation in general. If he said we are done for the window my view is that is what he meant.

There is a possibility  that he finds the questions about transfers tedious particularly until either Pereira or Johnstone is sold there aren't going to be any and he is rightly is only concerned with the players that has got and not the ones he hasn't, but I wouldn't bet on it.

There are 20 Senior Pro's on the books at the moment the depth options (4/5) will come from the under 23's Ingram, Tulloch, Shotton, Taylor, Gardner-Hickman, Castro, and Richards etc.... 

It is not the end of the world and is the thing we have needed to do for the last decade but we have never had a coach with the courage to do it. 

[seteefeet]

Sorry to repeat, but this is potentially a big deal, is Val on record as saying we are done? Or did he just imply that he is happy with the squad so no desperation for new recruits? Was he talking about Friday or the end of the window?

If we are totally done, with the uncertainty around MP and SJ, and without, at least, taking advantage of the loan market, then I just find that inconceivable.

[Standaman]

Sorry to repeat, but this is potentially a big deal, is Val on record as saying we are done? Or did he just imply that he is happy with the squad so no desperation for new recruits? Was he talking about Friday or the end of the window?

If we are totally done, with the uncertainty around MP and SJ, and without, at least, taking advantage of the loan market, then I just find that inconceivable.

That is what Tom Ross said he said.

None of the print journalists have picked up on it but the way they organise press conferences is Broadcast media as one session and Print as a separate one. There may have been two slightly different answers to the same question (both would have asked about transfers) that it why I caveated my earlier post. 

[Atomic]

I'm not worried about our squad except up front. We clearly need a CF and we could do with another forward that is better than what we have. Easy to say, much harder to get. I would be happy if we got Delap on loan (not looking likely), I'd be nearly satisfied then.

The rest of the squad is fine. We have two players for every position, players in reserve who can at least come in and do a job to get us by. A few youngsters emerging as well.

It's just the forwards that worry me. We have enough of them but they dont convince me.

[johnny Cash]

I'd be fairly confident in predicting that Diangana, Philips and Snodgrass will at some point during the season miss a minimum of 6 games through injury. It may not be in one go, but its almost certain to happen. Hopefully it doesn't happen at the same time.

 

[seteefeet]

I'm not worried about our squad except up front. We clearly need a CF and we could do with another forward that is better than what we have. Easy to say, much harder to get. I would be happy if we got Delap on loan (not looking likely), I'd be nearly satisfied then.

The rest of the squad is fine. We have two players for every position, players in reserve who can at least come in and do a job to get us by. A few youngsters emerging as well.

It's just the forwards that worry me. We have enough of them but they dont convince me.

Who covers Furlong at, right side up and down running back?

[lewisant]

I'm not worried about our squad except up front. We clearly need a CF and we could do with another forward that is better than what we have. Easy to say, much harder to get. I would be happy if we got Delap on loan (not looking likely), I'd be nearly satisfied then.

The rest of the squad is fine. We have two players for every position, players in reserve who can at least come in and do a job to get us by. A few youngsters emerging as well.

It's just the forwards that worry me. We have enough of them but they dont convince me.

I don't know much about Delap but from reading he seems a natural goalscorer and is pretty tall so him or somebody like him seems the missing piece of the starting 11. I would rather we improved on the "wing-backs" and got in another CB as there are question marks over O'Shea, Kipre and even Bartley in this sort of system but a goal-scoring CF should be our priority.It seems a loan is the only possibility until anybody is sold but even then a loan may still be the best option.

[lewisant]

Who covers Furlong at, right side up and down running back?

Gardner-Hickman and Ingram. Even potentially Matty Phillips.

[Atomic]

Who covers Furlong at, right side up and down running back?

Gardner-Hickman. Ingram another possibility.

[gazberg]

I do like the look of Gardner-Hickman. He seemed well up for it in the friendlies.

[seteefeet]

Gardner-Hickman and Ingram. Even potentially Matty Phillips.

Matty could probably do a job there but wouldn't last the full 90, so, who will cover the other 80 mins? 

[WorcsWBA]

The general outcome for our academy players is that they end up in League 1 or below. Therefore, it requires a huge leap of faith that 4 or 5 of them are suddenly going to be of Championship standard without the players in question ever having played at this or any other senior level. It would be a very risky strategy to be reliant on more than a couple of the young players to provide cover.

I'd be particularly wary of an academy player being cover at RWB, as wing-back is a pivotal position for Valerien's style of play. I just can't see Phillips having the oomph to play a whole game as a wing-back. I'm not certain, but I think I'm right in saying that he hasn't been played there in the pre-season games?

Ultimately, though, I trust Valerien's judgement on who he thinks is up to the arduous task ahead in each position.

[tambag]

The general outcome for our academy players is that they end up in League 1 or below. Therefore, it requires a huge leap of faith that 4 or 5 of them are suddenly going to be of Championship standard without the players in question ever having played at this or any other senior level. It would be a very risky strategy to be reliant on more than a couple of the young players to provide cover.

I'd be particularly wary of an academy player being cover at RWB, as wing-back is a pivotal position for Valerien's style of play. I just can't see Phillips having the oomph to play a whole game as a wing-back. I'm not certain, but I think I'm right in saying that he hasn't been played there in the pre-season games?

Ultimately, though, I trust Valerien's judgement on who he thinks is up to the arduous task ahead in each position.

The worry I have is the squad is going to be needed.  With a high press you need players to be fit all the time and to be kept fresh, I presume last season Barnsley would have used all five subs on most matches to keep players fresh, we only have three available this season, so we will need players to play more with games coming twice a week, we will need the squad players to step up.

I can't see how Furlong and Townsend for an example can play at max on Saturday for 90 mins and then play again on Tuesday and then the following Saturday.

[Standaman]

I think there is a certain amount of chicken and egg with youth development. If you push players out to League one that is the standard you are setting if you keep them in a Championship squad that is the expectation you are setting.

If we are serious about youth development then that means a minimum of two academy products under the age 23 in every matchday squad (ideally more and younger). If we don't do this then close the academy and fund the couple of journeymen pro's that's worth to us but absolutely stop complaining about promising youngsters leaving for better wages elsewhere.

Not a single one of the youngsters are first choice it is hardly a terrible risk. 

[lewisant]

I think there is a certain amount of chicken and egg with youth development. If you push players out to League one that is the standard you are setting if you keep them in a Championship squad that is the expectation you are setting.

If we are serious about youth development then that means a minimum of two academy products under the age 23 in every matchday squad (ideally more and younger). If we don't do this then close the academy and fund the couple of journeymen pro's that's worth to us but absolutely stop complaining about promising youngsters leaving for better wages elsewhere.

Not a single one of the youngsters are first choice it is hardly a terrible risk.

Completely agree and in all reality it's Gardner Hickman and Ingram replacing the likes of Peltier and before that Mears - these journeymen have held back our youth and stunted their development. Hence why they end up in lower leagues.

[WorcsWBA]

Not a single one of the youngsters are first choice it is hardly a terrible risk.

As tambag has just said, we can't be expecting our first choice players in positions which expend the most energy to play 3 games a week, so the success of a high-pressing approach is dependent on the quality of your whole squad. Valerien said that himself the other day. Therefore being reliant on too many unproven academy players, particularly in the most key positions, is high risk in my view.

Conditioning will be crucial, not just from a stamina perspective but also with regard to minimising the chance of injuries.

[WBArgo]

I'm all for developing kids, but you should bed them in with a loan or two first before throwing them in unless they're fantastic. I do worry about too many kids at once I remember seeing it at Birmingham and it didn't end well.

[Standaman]

Yes, the academy graduates will get minutes (that's the whole point of them being in the squad) but the likely alternatives will be a Mears etc...We absolutely won't have two peak age top line pro's in each position. We have that level of depth in some positions but that should be seen as the exception rather than the rule. 

Ultimately the kids are in the squad and as such not carrying the bulk of the minutes. Using Barnsley as reference point at least 7 of the squad made more than 75% of minutes yes they used about 20 players but the most rotated position was Goal Keeper. Looking at other high pressing teams Leeds used the core of their squad throughout the season and barely used the fringe.  There is no reason to think the core of the squad won't cope with the work load.

 

[baggiemart]

For us to do any good this season we need a spark from somewhere.

When we got promoted Pereira was that spark. The season before that Gayle and Rods goals gave us that spark.

In both cases without the above we would never have been anywhere near the play offs.

I can't see Pereira coming back into contention after what has been said.

Mid table for us next season.

[baggiebof]

I think one or two youngsters amongst senior pros is absolutely fine. Unless an injury crisis hits, we are unlikely to be fielding multiple youth players in a league game and I expect we will o a little bit of business once the Pereira money is in.

[paulosull]

Where are the loan signings from Prem?

[WorcsWBA]

I think we still need a RWB, central midfielder and at least one centre forward. Hopefully having some money will enable us to progress these quickly now. Maybe we can find some clubs who are as desperate for funds (any funds) as we seem to be!