2023/24 ins & outs discussion

[joewarkfanclub]

11 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

I know we've obviously tried to sign another striker, but the club has let strikers go before replacements were in the door. This is very poor. We needed options up front for these next two crucial home games. To think of all the special players we have had up front in the past to be going into the remaining games with a project player, an untried player and a player who is always injured is shocking. Scunnered to say the least. 

I have some sympathy with this.

However, Mika was recalled and Shaw injured so not much we could do about those.

Wilkinson is the one we had a choice on, but I think at the time of his move he was so far out of the picture that you can understand why he wanted away and we didnt want to stand in his way.

I guess it would have been prudent to have someone else lined up / signed before we let him go, but I guess the club werent expecting Biereth to be recalled or Shaw to get injured almost immediately.

The one big criticism that the manager/club cant avoid is the signing of Obika. I like the big guy but he is no use to us if he is never fit and even if he was now, I dont see him and Bair playing together.

Hopefully there is one still in the pipeline or we can pick up a free. To bolster what we have.

[grizzlyg]

From being a project , Bair is now the man we need to save our season.  Come on Theo.....make yourself a legend 

[Spiderpig]

1 minute ago, robsterwood said:

Very poor indeed. Van Veen deal was possible. Now we short up front.

For me we dodged a bullet with KVV, he's been shit at Groningen since he left in the summer, got his deal on past glories which he is very unlikely to repeat, but fair play to him for cashing in.

This window has highlighted just how skint we are, we get the players we can afford, ie those on realistic wages or favorable loan deals, plus is coming to play in the Shire an attractive option for some.

My main concern is that in 5 months time we will go through this whole nonsense again with another rebuild , we need stability and time to build a team, but only time will tell if we learn from previous mistakes and for me I don't think the current structure/ governance etc at the club is up to the challenge.

 

[couttsy]

As others have said, deeply concerning for the window to have closed leaving us with Bair, Vale and Obika as our only striking options.

I get things have conspired somewhat against us with Biereth being recalled, and Killie blowing us out the water for KVV, however the decision not to push the boat out and get a deal done for someone better than what we have may come back to bite us come May time. Sincerely hope I’m wrong. 

[wellfan]

3 minutes ago, Spiderpig said:

My main concern is that in 5 months time we will go through this whole nonsense again with another rebuild , we need stability and time to build a team, but only time will tell if we learn from previous mistakes and for me I don't think the current structure/ governance etc at the club is up to the challenge

Given we’ve got a manager who doesn't have a fucking clue how to sign a proper striker, there's a good chance we could be spending the summer preparing for the Championship. 

[Yoshi-1991]

Just now, wellfan said:

Given we’ve got a manager who doesn't have a fucking clue how to sign a proper striker, there's a good chance we could be spending the summer preparing for the Championship. 

This is it. Everyone keeps going on about stability but there fuck all we have seen that suggests we had it in the first place. "Canny keep sacking managers" aye, but doesnt mean we need to stick with one thats clearly in over his head. 

[Mccus28]

3 minutes ago, wellfan said:

Given we’ve got a manager who doesn't have a fucking clue how to sign a proper striker, there's a good chance we could be spending the summer preparing for the Championship. 

Loves a fullback though!!!!!

[fizoxy]

If we do go down, at least we have an almost clean slate of a squad without any terrible contracts, and I don't think the management team is under contract past the summer either.

[stv]

How long til KVV gets a strain ,a pulled muscle or a knee twist on that shiter of a pitch.

[bobbybingo]

6 minutes ago, wellfan said:

Given we’ve got a manager who doesn't have a fucking clue how to sign a proper striker, there's a good chance we could be spending the summer preparing for the Championship. 

The answer seems obvious, but I have to ask - what's a proper striker?

[wellfan]

1 minute ago, fizoxy said:

If we do go down, at least we have an almost clean slate of a squad without any terrible contracts, and I don't think the management team is under contract past the summer either.

If we go down, and the current penny-pinching bean counters are still in charge, I am absolutely certain that they’ll reward Kettlewell with a 2-year deal because it'll be the easiest option. History doesn't lie, and fools don't learn from their mistakes. 

[wellfan]

Just now, bobbybingo said:

The answer seems obvious, but I have to ask - what's a proper striker?

At the very least, and given three went out the door, I could be forgiven for thinking that we might have signed someone with a bit more experience and profile to support Vale and Bair, but we got nothing. 

[texanwellfan]

5 minutes ago, stv said:

How long til KVV gets a strain ,a pulled muscle or a knee twist on that shiter of a pitch.

And don’t forget the suspensions after silly yellows

[bobbybingo]

Just now, wellfan said:

At the very least, and given three went out the door, I could be forgiven for thinking that we might have signed someone with a bit more experience and profile to support Vale and Bair, but we got nothing. 

Right, I thought you were referring to the summer too.

Unless there's someone we haven't been informed about tonight, there's no way of spinning a strikeforce of Bair, Vale, Ferrie and Mr Glass as a deliberate choice. Once again, our survival will probably have as much to do with others' deficiencies as our own abilities. The 3 below us appear to have had shit windows too.

[Kmcalpin]

25 minutes ago, joewarkfanclub said:

Wilkinson is the one we had a choice on, but I think at the time of his move he was so far out of the picture that you can understand why he wanted away and we didnt want to stand in his way.

He should never have been signed. Thats no reflection on him as there is a player in there. However he just didn't suit our style of play. That should have been known before he was invited to put pen to paper.

Obika? We knew full well that he had serious injury problems. Why then give him a 2 year deal?

Biereth? A year long loan with a club like Arsenal who have previous for recalling players -  a bit risky.

Bair  - a long term project, who performed better than expected.

Shaw - a panic signing. 

We are where we are with strikers, but I hope we have someone lined up to come in over the next few days. If we don't, thats a serious failure.  

[purestate]

Lots claiming to have followed the team/ football for years but still don't seem to have a f__king clue how squads and transfer windows work. 
 

Let me spelL it out to the angry idiots clambering for more and more forwards.   
We’ve scored 3 fewer goals than the team in 3rd but conceded 15 more. 
 

maybe the management team have concluded we can use the 6 forward players in first and development squad plus attacking midfield to get the goals but maybe, just maybe, the defence needs some better options. 

Yes it would be great to get an established striker who has been banging them in consistently at Scot Prem level and wants to try a new experience playing in front of a bunch of roasters (not you ppower obviously as you’ve already fkd off) but there probably aren’t many about.  

it’s all very well having an opinion but there are so many totally deluded on this forum 🫨
 

[wellfan]

3 minutes ago, purestate said:

Lots claiming to have followed the team/ football for years but still don't seem to have a f__king clue how squads and transfer windows work. 
 

Let me spelL it out to the angry idiots clambering for more and more forwards.   
We’ve scored 3 fewer goals than the team in 3rd but conceded 15 more. 
 

maybe the management team have concluded we can use the 6 forward players in first and development squad plus attacking midfield to get the goals but maybe, just maybe, the defence needs some better options. 

Yes it would be great to get an established striker who has been banging them in consistently at Scot Prem level and wants to try a new experience playing in front of a bunch of roasters (not you ppower obviously as you’ve already fkd off) but there probably aren’t many about.  

it’s all very well having an opinion but there are so many totally deluded on this forum 🫨
 

Your argument would make sense if we signed some experienced central defenders, but the reality is we have the same central defenders and a shitload of fullbacks. 

[El Grew]

34 minutes ago, wellgirl said:

He said he saw potential in Bair. 

Just been reading through the posts on this topic and you’re all over it like a bad fitting suit. You seem to have a need to pass comment got on everything and I’ve yet to see anything constructive in your posts - which thankfully are brief - just having a pop at other posters whose views don’t conform to yours. You’d do well to remember that this is an open public forum and people are free to hold and express views different to you.

[fizoxy]

We have 2 fit strikers (for the time being) so we are pretty much forced to play one up front, with one attacking option on the bench, and pray to God that no one gets injured or suspended, or that we have to make tactical changes during a game.

Not addressing that issue is a total failure on the part of those that's job it is to build our squad. They have had plenty of time to do something about beireth, shaw , and Wilkinson going, but we dragged it to the last minute and it bit us on the arse. They are also responsible for signing obika, Shaw and Wilkinson.

I'm fine with the other signings we've made, but we now have a bunch of full backs who might as well cross the ball to each other.

[Mccus28]

11 minutes ago, purestate said:

Lots claiming to have followed the team/ football for years but still don't seem to have a f__king clue how squads and transfer windows work. 
 

Let me spelL it out to the angry idiots clambering for more and more forwards.   
We’ve scored 3 fewer goals than the team in 3rd but conceded 15 more. 
 

maybe the management team have concluded we can use the 6 forward players in first and development squad plus attacking midfield to get the goals but maybe, just maybe, the defence needs some better options. 

Yes it would be great to get an established striker who has been banging them in consistently at Scot Prem level and wants to try a new experience playing in front of a bunch of roasters (not you ppower obviously as you’ve already fkd off) but there probably aren’t many about.  

it’s all very well having an opinion but there are so many totally deluded on this forum 🫨
 

Ehhhhh sorry to point out the glaring flaw in your rant but our joint top scorer and joint 2nd top scorer are away so I dont think its unreasonable to require some strikers

[Kmcalpin]

2 minutes ago, purestate said:

Lots claiming to have followed the team/ football for years but still don't seem to have a f__king clue how squads and transfer windows work. 
 

Let me spelL it out to the angry idiots clambering for more and more forwards.   
We’ve scored 3 fewer goals than the team in 3rd but conceded 15 more. 

Maybe the management team have concluded we can use the 6 forward players in first and development squad plus attacking midfield to get the goals but maybe, just maybe, the defence needs some better options. 

Yes it would be great to get an established striker who has been banging them in consistently at Scot Prem level and wants to try a new experience playing in front of a bunch of roasters (not you ppower obviously as you’ve already fkd off) but there probably aren’t many about.  

it’s all very well having an opinion but there are so many totally deluded on this forum 🫨
 

"I'm sure we'll get a 30 minute video in September explaining this whole shambles of a day."

"Yep - there is no spin that can take away from the fact that we didn't manage to get a main striker in"

"As others have said, I'm happy with the incomings, but not shoring up the forwards is piss poor. I'm not buying any hard luck stories either, this is an issue of competence, and we fucked it."

"If Spittal gets injured then we might not score again this season"

"Strap yourself in for a play-off defeat to Raith Rovers."

"Looks like we’ve absolutely fucked it unless this Vale guy turns out to be decent."

"I'm quite happy with all our incomings but the lack of a striker is absolutely shambolic when Mika left on the 18th of January."

"Looks like we’ve fucked it. "

"Looks like there's a lot of weight on Theo's shoulders now.  If he gets us through the season without a relegation, I reckon we ought to get a statue up of him." 

These are quotes not from these boards but from the venerable patrons of P & B tonight.

Their concerns, as are many of those on here, may be misplaced or premature, but they do demonstrate widespread concern.  

I know sourcing a striker is far, far from easy, but hopefully we'll hear something in the next day or two. 

 

[The African]

Perhaps it won’t be a popular opinion, but from this distance it looks like the unpleasant truth is that we currently have a budget which is below that required to survive long term in the Premiership. If this doesn’t change then it is a matter of “when” not “if” we find ourselves in the Championship. It looks as if we have been trying to do transfer business at a level that just doesn’t exist and therefore it is hardly surprising that we have failed to fill the obvious holes in our squad. Fair play to those involved for not squandering our limited resources on dead wood and filler but anyone can now see that we are running on a squad so thinly spread that any injuries or suspensions will make selection beyond interesting.

Maybe that is just how things are in Scottish football and the Championship, or below, is our financial level. I like the idea of fan ownership, but it needs to be sustainable and the cringe inducing begging email suggests that those in charge have accepted that this is not the case. Perhaps we need to accept this too.

[purestate]

11 minutes ago, wellfan said:

Your argument would make sense if we signed some experienced central defenders, but the reality is we have the same central defenders and a shitload of fullbacks. 

Nope - as pointed out by a few we have older less mobile/dynamic players who can fit in with a central three. So perhaps the full backs are attempt to stop the crosses coming in and provide better forward support. 

[wellfan]

4 minutes ago, purestate said:

Nope - as pointed out by a few we have older less mobile/dynamic players who can fit in with a central three. So perhaps the full backs are attempt to stop the crosses coming in and provide better forward support. 

Square pegs into round holes, but okay. And does the multitude of fullbacks make up for the fact we didn't adequately replace three outgoing strikers? 

[purestate]

8 minutes ago, Mccus28 said:

Ehhhhh sorry to point out the glaring flaw in your rant but our joint top scorer and joint 2nd top scorer are away so I dont think its unreasonable to require some strikers

Wrong. Obviously Biereth , a now known quantity at our level would have been preferable, but Bair (6) and Spittal (5) are still at the club.  Have a look at our goal scorers.   Who knows if Vale can chip in but some seem to want to write him off already.