The game showed Harris' limitations

[blue lewj]

yes ideally we would have brought in something a bit different in central midfield, but given the mess in the squad and the fact that all the players there have at least 2 more years on their contracts it isn't surprising that we didn't bring anyone in.
Even this summer we will need to bring in at least 2 probably 3 fullbacks, at least 2 wingers and probably 2 centre backs, so I doubt we will be able to address our central midfield then either.
A lot of this is Warnock's fault.

I agree a lot of the deals under Warnock and the transfer committee are a large part to blame for how tight things are. The Bacuna deal jumps out as one that springs to mind.

One tell tale sign of us paying too much is we can't seem to move players on, sometimes for free. Almost no players go from here and get better money elsewhere.
It seems getting the player in seems the aim rather than thinking ahead and we get our pants pulled down into the bargain.

[Rjk]

I agree a lot of the deals under Warnock and the transfer committee are a large part to blame for how tight things are. The Bacuna deal jumps out as one that springs to mind.

One tell tale sign of us paying too much is we can't seem to move players on, sometimes for free. Almost no players go from here and get better money elsewhere.
It seems getting the player in seems the aim rather than thinking ahead and we get our pants pulled down into the bargain.

There does seem to have been a bit more forward thought under Harris.
We had 2 goalkepers on big wages, which was a waste of salary as obviously we can only play one, so we moved one on and brought in a very capable understudy who will probably take over from Smithies at the end of his contract.

We're losing both LBs in the summer, so we've started bringing through a youngster in that position, meaning we will only need one (or one to re-sign).

We've realised that Flint and Morrisson can't play together, so Flint as been moved on (temporarily) ,and signed Nelson on for another season.

I think if Warnock had still been here he would probably have offered Hoilett and Bamba another year by now as well.

So in one curtailed transfer window we've managed to sort out the Centre forward position and goal keeper position for a few seasons. Made a start at sorting out cenre back as well.
This january/summer we'll have to address fullbacks, wings and probably centre backs again (for cover), then if there's time/money available we can look at the central midfield.

[the other bob wilson]

I'll see your midfield and raise you Ian Gibson and Ivor Allchurch.

It would have been a different game on Saturday with one of those two in blue for sure Clive - we may still have lost, but we would have done so while giving them a lot more to worry about than they had on Saturday.

[LeningradCowboy]

I agree a lot of the deals under Warnock and the transfer committee are a large part to blame for how tight things are. The Bacuna deal jumps out as one that springs to mind.

One tell tale sign of us paying too much is we can't seem to move players on, sometimes for free. Almost no players go from here and get better money elsewhere.
It seems getting the player in seems the aim rather than thinking ahead and we get our pants pulled down into the bargain.

Bacuna is far from being our worst signing in the last couple of years.

[the other bob wilson]

There does seem to have been a bit more forward thought under Harris.
We had 2 goalkepers on big wages, which was a waste of salary as obviously we can only play one, so we moved one on and brought in a very capable understudy who will probably take over from Smithies at the end of his contract.

We're losing both LBs in the summer, so we've started bringing through a youngster in that position, meaning we will only need one (or one to re-sign).

We've realised that Flint and Morrisson can't play together, so Flint as been moved on (temporarily) ,and signed Nelson on for another season.

I think if Warnock had still been here he would probably have offered Hoilett and Bamba another year by now as well.

So in one curtailed transfer window we've managed to sort out the Centre forward position and goal keeper position for a few seasons. Made a start at sorting out cenre back as well.
This january/summer we'll have to address fullbacks, wings and probably centre backs again (for cover), then if there's time/money available we can look at the central midfield.

After Saturday, I'd make central midfield the first priority.

[Rjk]

After Saturday, I'd make central midfield the first priority.

Like I said, in an ideal world absolutely. If we want to improve we need something different in there.

But come the summer we will have 1 full time fullback (who's played 2 games), 2 wingers who are both very much out of favour and potentially no cover at Centre back.
I don't think we've realistically got any choice but to sort that lot out first

[blue lewj]

Bacuna is far from being our worst signing in the last couple of years.

Definitely not.

I was talking more the length of deal and the first one that sprang to mind as being odd at the time.

[Enoch Mort]

Bacuna is far from being our worst signing in the last couple of years.

.

Bacuna is not a bad player by any means. IMHO the only aspects of his transfer I have a problem with is the amount we paid for him, the length of his contract and, if the recent published figures are to be believed, the amount we are paying him. His agent got him a very good deal. Who is he ?

[surge]

After Saturday, I'd make central midfield the first priority.

But does that mean you don't replace one of the offensive players or you don't bring in new defensive cover? That leaves you with a side more reliant on Murphy and Whyte (it might work) or Flint is back as one of our main defenders.

As far as I can see, Harris has targeted players who are better on the ball but next year we either use youth ranks a lot more or alternatively end up with a Warnock base of midfield or Warnock defence and the aim to play expansive football.

My other suggestion is that Bacuna goes to RB so we only have to bring in one RB and opens up gap in midfield, Ralls is sold as one of our most attractive asset to open another gap/raise funds and we have a very busy summer.

If we are going to be replacing 8/9 players it might be an ideal time to find a manager we want longer term but am still struggling to see how we don't have same complaints next year.

[blue lewj]

.

Bacuna is not a bad player by any means. IMHO the only aspects of his transfer I have a problem with is the amount we paid for him, the length of his contract and, if the recent published figures are to be believed, the amount we are paying him. His agent got him a very good deal. Who is he ?

It was more this type of thing I was hinting at as opposed to any slight on the player.

Good luck to players for getting as much as they can from any deal as it is a short career. They certainly strike it lucky when City come knocking that's for sure.

[cardiff55]

The players who have left in 2020 are Madine at Blackpool in Div2, Decordova-Reid for £10m, so we got out money back although he was on loan from earlier last year and seems a good player, Peltier to WBA free, barely plays, Richards and Connolly on frees who don't have clubs, Bogle to Charlton on a free, Coxe to Solihull Moors on a free, Ward to Huddersfield on a free, surprisingly doesn't play much,Mendez-Laing contract terminated and no club at present, Etheridge for £800k, and Paterson for £500k.

So we got our money back on Reid, lost c £8.5m on the others but made £900k on Etheridge and Paterson.. That's a lot off the payroll, and of the c£8.5 lost on fees, c£8m were Warnock's signings, but then so were the signings we mad a profit on.

We brought in Moore and loans for Wilson, Ojo, Benkovic, Osei-Tutu on loan, two of which have worked and two haven't. No right back and central midfielder though.

We still have Hoilett, Bamba, Bennett, Cunningham out of contract next summer and are still lumbered with Tomlin for I don't know how long. None of those will be offered new contracts I expect to reduce the wage bill even further.

So next summer will see a huge change in personal i think.

No parachute payment next season either so looks tough UNLESS.. we get promoted!! Then the club will re-sign Bamba and Bennett again no doubt. But we'll need to replace the loanees.

And if w don't go up we'll have a squad of Smithies, Phillips, Morrison, Nelson, Bagan, Vaulks, Ralls, Bacuna, Murphy, Moore, Pack, harris , Whyte and Glatzel.

[Enoch Mort]

The players who have left in 2020 are Madine at Blackpool in Div2, Decordova-Reid for £10m, so we got out money back although he was on loan from earlier last year and seems a good player, Peltier to WBA free, barely plays, Richards and Connolly on frees who don't have clubs, Bogle to Charlton on a free, Coxe to Solihull Moors on a free, Ward to Huddersfield on a free, surprisingly doesn't play much,Mendez-Laing contract terminated and no club at present, Etheridge for £800k, and Paterson for £500k.

So we got our money back on Reid, lost c £8.5m on the others but made £900k on Etheridge and Paterson.. That's a lot off the payroll, and of the c£8.5 lost on fees, c£8m were Warnock's signings, but then so were the signings we mad a profit on.

We brought in Moore and loans for Wilson, Ojo, Benkovic, Osei-Tutu on loan, two of which have worked and two haven't. No right back and central midfielder though.

We still have Hoilett, Bamba, Bennett, Cunningham out of contract next summer and are still lumbered with Tomlin for I don't know how long. None of those will be offered new contracts I expect to reduce the wage bill even further.

So next summer will see a huge change in personal i think.

No parachute payment next season either so looks tough UNLESS.. we get promoted!! Then the club will re-sign Bamba and Bennett again no doubt. But we'll need to replace the loanees.

And if w don't go up we'll have a squad of Smithies, Phillips, Morrison, Nelson, Bagan, Vaulks, Ralls, Bacuna, Murphy, Moore, Pack, harris , Whyte and Glatzel.

As you quite rightly say no parachute payment next year. If we don’t go up this season I don’t expect us to keep Smithies sadly. He is, supposedly, the highest paid player at the club, His contract is up in June 2022 so we can get some form of fee for him this summer and get him off the wage bill as well.

[Former Labour leader]

. The board pushed the boat out this year on wages. Next year we will be in the shite and austerity will really bite. We will be down to the bare bones. We cannot expect Tan to subside the club forever.
I firmly expect Harris to be out the door if we are not in a challenging position, at or near top6 in January.

[Ianto13]

We did try to play more possession football earlier in the season. The results were not good, which is why Harris switched to 4-4-2 and going more direct. You can demand that we play a more expansive game as much as you like, but it isn't going to happen until we find some unsuspecting clubs to take Pack and Vaulks off our hands and we sign a couple of replacement who can actually pass the ball.

Agree that Harris and board wanted to play more football but it didn’t work so changed to 442, worked for 4 games then disaster! I think Harris’s signings have generally been good unlike Warnock’s but he doesn’t seem to want to change his team even when his tactics are obviously not working like on Saturday. Yet he was all for using 5 subs,I think he has until January window to be challenging otherwise a change will be made but whether new manager will improve things who knows? A lot were shouting for experienced managers Chris Houghton or Tony Pullis to replace Warnock but both are struggling with their new clubs!

[billy.ronson]

Other than Stoke, we rely on scoring first. Once again, we conceded a soft early goal that defenders could have done better to stop.
The second came after we had the ball near the Swansea box but went sideways not forward, lost it and the gap just opened up!!
Our wide men need to be braver and take the full backs on more

[LeningradCowboy]

Agree that Harris and board wanted to play more football but it didn’t work so changed to 442, worked for 4 games then disaster! I think Harris’s signings have generally been good unlike Warnock’s but he doesn’t seem to want to change his team even when his tactics are obviously not working like on Saturday. Yet he was all for using 5 subs,I think he has until January window to be challenging otherwise a change will be made but whether new manager will improve things who knows? A lot were shouting for experienced managers Chris Houghton or Tony Pullis to replace Warnock but both are struggling with their new clubs!

Harris doesn't want to change the team because we have a load of passengers on the bench.

[BLUETIT]

Other than Stoke, we rely on scoring first. Once again, we conceded a soft early goal that defenders could have done better to stop.
The second came after we had the ball near the Swansea box but went SIDEWAYS not forward, lost it and the gap just opened up!!
Our wide men need to be braver and take the full backs on more

I know I had a few ciders whilst watching the game on Saturday, but I think you’ll find Harry Wilson gave possession away for the second goal, by trying to play the ball through the middle, about 10 yards outside their box.
Easily intercepted, straight through the middle, GOAL.
Nothing to do with going wide, in fact going wide might have been the better option!!!

[Elwood Blues]

Interesting you say that about them defensively. They were fantastic.

I notice they were happy to foul just inside their own half and leave us launch aimless free kicks towards the box. They defended a high line. We got 4 or 5 flick ons into the 6 yard box to no-one as a result. When we did have throw-ins, corners and free kicks close to their box, I noticed how much of a height advantage we had. They doubled up, timed their leaps well and nullified our set pieces. They did the ugly things very well. Their game management was very good, too. It's no surprise that they've won lots of games 1-0.

They were a good side and were very good defensively

Fantastic is pushing it a bit

[Rjk]

Coventry was a far worse performance, and result