Quote Originally Posted by RonnieBird View Post
No. I didn’t ever say that.
I said we risk a slide which we couldn’t fix unless we’ve got a plan B.

Anyone can go unexpectedly into a spin but so many new and untested players is POSSIBLY increasing this risk. Difference is that we should have retained a strong spine and some old hands such as Sol whom we might not expect to play normally but COULD step in to “settle the horses”.

It’s only common sense and unless I’m wrong I think you’re perfectly intelligent enough to grasp what I’ve said without rearranging the words into something to argue the toss about.

We have 'retained a strong spine'.

We have got 'old hands'. Not as old as last season, but old enough.

Wilson is a loss, as are (in my opinion) Ojo and Bennett. Hoilett, Williams, Osei-Tutu and Bamba hardly contributed last season. If he proves his fitness, I would not be surprised to see Bennett get another contract (on the club's terms, not his agent's).

Collins and Giles look like excellent signings. Just what we need. McGuinness looks promising. Wintle more of an unknown quantity but his record at Crewe (and Crewe's record of producing top players over decades) is also very promising.

We have a clutch of younger players who broke through last season, and another four given shirt numbers this summer - with maybe four or five on top of that given first team match time in pre-season. From all I have seen and read from posters who have watched the u18s and u23s in recent times I am looking forward to Ratcliffe, Bowen, Evans and Davies establishing themselves in the squad like Colwill, Bagan and the others - with one or two becoming regular starters.

If after all that we still need another Plan B - there are more free agents knocking around this summer than in living memory.

I would love us to win the league, but if this is a year of consolidation and blooding a group of quality youth players, that is fine. We can't always have everything all at once. By accident (of finances) or design (we have a plan!) the club seem to have finally created that pathway from the Academy to the first team. Overdue but welcome!

And of course, Bale is due any day soon!