Time for our Club to 'grow a pair'...

[A Quiet Monkfish]

yesterday's result aside, I'm at a loss to fully understand why we are so inept in our transfer dealings. Agreed we have a lower wage structure and Warnock's playing style isn't to everyone's taste, but we are a Premier league club outside the bottom 3 with half a season gone.

We make excuse upon excuse why players don't join us, yet Huddersfield who are in deep, deep trouble, are able to get a Liverpool England under 23 full back and Jason Puncheon from Palace already. And I can't see that living in Huddersfield would be any more attractive than Cardiff.

One thing's for certain - Burnley, Fulham, Southampton, all look like they're on the up even before any new signings. We haven't got a chance without significant additions to the squad, but don't give me all this 'I won't bring in anyone who isn't better than what we've got'. We don't have a single fit striker on our books [apart from Healey], so anyone, even a league 1 or championship striker is worth a punt.

I just hope the club hasn't bought into the 'bounce back' concept. It won't happen with this squad. We need to hang on to our Premier League status, and that means going out there and bringing in 2/3 new faces at least..

[The Lone Gunman]

Warnock's comments yesterday were embarrassing. It was almost exactly the same story from him with Grujic and Abraham. He doesn't do himself any favours with this crap, that's for sure, but maybe it underlines why he's struggled at the top level throughout his career. When you consider signings like Tomlin, Madine and Reid, it seems he's out of his depth in the modern transfer market. He works wonders with some of the players he brings in, but they're almost always free transfers or cheap buys. Spending money seems a weakness, while sorting out decent loan deals seems almost beyond him. I think he got really lucky with both Arter and Camarasa. When you consider how late they arrived, it suggests he was more than a little fortune to secure their services.

[Lawnmower]

yesterday's result aside, I'm at a loss to fully understand why we are so inept in our transfer dealings. Agreed we have a lower wage structure and Warnock's playing style isn't to everyone's taste, but we are a Premier league club outside the bottom 3 with half a season gone.

We make excuse upon excuse why players don't join us, yet Huddersfield who are in deep, deep trouble, are able to get a Liverpool England under 23 full back and Jason Puncheon from Palace already. And I can't see that living in Huddersfield would be any more attractive than Cardiff.

One thing's for certain - Burnley, Fulham, Southampton, all look like they're on the up even before any new signings. We haven't got a chance without significant additions to the squad, but don't give me all this 'I won't bring in anyone who isn't better than what we've got'. We don't have a single fit striker on our books [apart from Healey], so anyone, even a league 1 or championship striker is worth a punt.

I just hope the club hasn't bought into the 'bounce back' concept. It won't happen with this squad. We need to hang on to our Premier League status, and that means going out there and bringing in 2/3 new faces at least..

Your post may have a point, but I don’t see Puncheon as a good example. This board would have been in meltdown if we’d brought him in.
Saying that, watch him score the winner next Sat 😕

I think everyone is aware we need strengthening. Including the decision makers at the club

Bringing in a L1 striker who’s clearly not good enough won’t help either. We’ve tried that enough times in the past.

[goats]

Warnock's comments yesterday were embarrassing. It was almost exactly the same story from him with Grujic and Abraham. He doesn't do himself any favours with this crap, that's for sure, but maybe it underlines why he's struggled at the top level throughout his career. When you consider signings like Tomlin, Madine and Reid, it seems he's out of his depth in the modern transfer market. He works wonders with some of the players he brings in, but they're almost always free transfers or cheap buys. Spending money seems a weakness, while sorting out decent loan deals seems almost beyond him. I think he got really lucky with both Arter and Camarasa. When you consider how late they arrived, it suggests he was more than a little fortune to secure their services.

Some managers just work better with small budgets, I think frank burrows was the same? Remember swinkendorf?

[Father Dougal]

Some managers just work better with small budgets, I think frank burrows was the same? Remember swinkendorf?

That huge signing for 100k? But yes that was big money way back in the year 2000!

[Father Dougal]

Your post may have a point, but I don’t see Puncheon as a good example. This board would have been in meltdown if we’d brought him in.
Saying that, watch him score the winner next Sat 😕

I think everyone is aware we need strengthening. Including the decision makers at the club

Bringing in a L1 striker who’s clearly not good enough won’t help either. We’ve tried that enough times in the past.

How’s eoin Doyle doing these days?

[islandblue]

How’s eoin Doyle doing these days?

League 1 Bradford these days

[Bald Barry Bastad]

Totally agree with Monkfish. Sick and tired of hearing excuses from Warnock. I don't care. Just go out and sign some bloody players and stop moaning. Yes life can be hard. So what. Just get on with it.

[Father Dougal]

League 1 Bradford these days

He had about 20 league 1 goals before Christmas didn’t he?

[Father Dougal]

Totally agree with Monkfish. Sick and tired of hearing excuses from Warnock. I don't care. Just go out and sign some bloody players and stop moaning. Yes life can be hard. So what. Just get on with it.

Yes everyone says it was just distraction techniques. Maybe partly that was his intention.

However what he’s actually done is expose to the world how naive we are as a club in our transfer dealings.

While warnock is going around making verbal agreements other clubs are coming in to actually sign them.

[goats]

Yes everyone says it was just distraction techniques. Maybe partly that was his intention.

However what he’s actually done is expose to the world how naive we are as a club in our transfer dealings.

While warnock is going around making verbal agreements other clubs are coming in to actually sign them.

More like the Bournemouth manager and Liverpool doing over the old guy, I guess old school agreements don’t really cut it in the modern world. I’m glad Neil speaks his mind, the industry has been ruined by cash. Just look at the precious flakes bellers has to deal with? Giving Bristol City a hard time is now bullying ffs....

[Bald Barry Bastad]

More like the Bournemouth manager and Liverpool doing over the old guy, I guess old school agreements don’t really cut it in the modern world. I’m glad Neil speaks his mind, the industry has been ruined by cash. Just look at the precious flakes bellers has to deal with? Giving Bristol City a hard time is now bullying ffs....

That's all very good but I couldn't give a crap about any of it. We're desperate for players. I thought we would have had a couple ready for Jan 1st like other clubs. And I couldn't give a **** about any reasons why it hasn't happened so far. We had that last summer. Just get on with it!

[Father Dougal]

More like the Bournemouth manager and Liverpool doing over the old guy, I guess old school agreements don’t really cut it in the modern world. I’m glad Neil speaks his mind, the industry has been ruined by cash. Just look at the precious flakes bellers has to deal with? Giving Bristol City a hard time is now bullying ffs....

Maybe what Liverpool did is morally right, maybe it’s not. As we can see here though we don’t really care.

I am sure Liverpool and bournmouth would have their own interpretations of what actually happened and the precise sequence of events anyway.

It’s immaterial though. I understand Neil wanted to distract from yesterday’s performance but not sure this was the way to do it.

[The Lone Gunman]

More like the Bournemouth manager and Liverpool doing over the old guy, I guess old school agreements don’t really cut it in the modern world.

The transfer window opened on 1st January. Clyne signed for Bournemouth on 4th January. I wonder why the old guy didn't sign Clyne on 1st, 2nd or 3rd January if he genuinely did have an 'old-school' agreement with Liverpool? Seems a bit strange to me.

[Hilts]

Could be worse could have signed Jason Puncheon.

Maybe we'll get lucky with fortunate signings like Camarasa and Arter.😂

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Unless Tan dips his hand in his pocket, there is no way we can compete financially. Bournemouth eg have spend 100s of millions since they got promoted etc, we've spent peanuts. The club is a Championship set up in every sense, including recruitment.

[DubaiDai]

Can understand the frustration. Not long ago (I think 7-8 weeks) Warnock stated the both him and his staff were actively attending matches and speaking to clubs so we could get ahead of the January wait.
I have always suspected that excuses would come tumbling out with us finally making an insignificant signing around the third week of the month.
I am beginning to think all the banter, links and now excuses are a PR exercise to keep the fans thinking we are continually being thwarted by the football world.

[Lawnmower]

The transfer window opened on 1st January. Clyne signed for Bournemouth on 4th January. I wonder why the old guy didn't sign Clyne on 1st, 2nd or 3rd January if he genuinely did have an 'old-school' agreement with Liverpool? Seems a bit strange to me.

A very good reason would be that Liverpool wanted to keep him until they were sure their injuries had cleared given he played for them 2 days earlier

[Bald Barry Bastad]

A very good reason would be that Liverpool wanted to keep him until they were sure their injuries had cleared given he played for them 2 days earlier

They aren't the only players available!

[Des Parrot]

I just hope the club hasn't bought into the 'bounce back' concept. It won't happen with this squad. We need to hang on to our Premier League status, and that means going out there and bringing in 2/3 new faces at least..

This, absolutely this.

We have one of the oldest squads in the Premier League, we have a manager who will probably retire and a squad of players who are predominantly Warnock style players.

If we get relegated, a potential re-structure is required and significant investment.

Bounce-back is a myth, there are a few recent successes, Newcastle, WBA, Burnley, maybe Leicester but there are far more failures, Stoke, Swansea, Villa, Bolton, Sunderland, Coventry, Portsmouth, Hull, Reading, Derby & others.

The funding gap between 17th in the PL & top of the Championship is around £90M. To not spend significant money to try to stay there makes no sense.

IMHO we need an absolute minimum of 2 strikers & a Joe Allan type player over any defender.

[William Treseder]

Without being accused of negativity and not being a city fan, I totally agree with the gist of this thread. Last time we went down even with some magnificent displays from Marshall, and this time round we’ve Had Etheridge to thank for keeping us in certain games.
As much as I like Paterson and his comittment, we have the middle of a donoughts chance of surviving with him up front.
I really enjoyed all our seasons in the championship, but if we want to stay in the prem, we have got to strengthen right now.

[The Lone Gunman]

A very good reason would be that Liverpool wanted to keep him until they were sure their injuries had cleared given he played for them 2 days earlier

So you're saying they wouldn't allow Cardiff to sign him on 1st, 2nd or 3rd January, but would allow Bournemouth to sign him on 4th January as their injuries had suddenly cleared up by then? Can't see it myself.

Here's a question for you: as Warnock was apparently left hanging by Liverpool over Grujic and Chelsea over Abraham, how come he's allowed this sort of thing to happen again?

Here's another question for you: as Warnock has publicly accused both Chelsea and Liverpool of lacking class in their dealings with him, do you reckon he thinks it's classy to go whinging to the press about those clubs?

[Electric Blue]

I agree that we’re totally inept but Warnock can’t take all the blame. My question is what experience has Mehmet Dalman got that suits him to dealing with our transfer business?

[goats]

Unless Tan dips his hand in his pocket, there is no way we can compete financially. Bournemouth eg have spend 100s of millions since they got promoted etc, we've spent peanuts. The club is a Championship set up in every sense, including recruitment.

Well you reap what you sew I guess in the money league. If Tan was gung ho for the premier league I’m sure he’d blow millions like Bournemouth etc...do the Leicester’s and Watford’s spend loads too? Do we need too? We definitely need a striker, it cost us last time and it will again by the looks....

[life on mars]

We have always struggled in the transfer market due to our geographical position ,lack of potential and being in Wales .

You can see the same in businesses , they ain't coming our way , if they can set up in the Midlands, North England and South West as there's more potential, better access and profit.