I hate the way my team play at the moment.

[the other bob wilson]

Not at all!

Blue Lewj makes the point that if the board sign players for Mick this off-season we might just be continuing the cycle of boring football - though Watkins was edged out recently so no guarantee that happens - and that they doubt Mick can play more exciting football, though the Walesonline article in OP disagrees with that.

If Mick is truly a pragmatic manager then football should be defined by players available. It's therefore encouraging that looking to recent past and near future we can see that the spine of the team changing by:

- Etheredge and Patterson being replaced by Phillips and Moore,
- Flint and/or Morrison being replaced by McGuinness and/or Denham ("unlike their seniors, they were all pretty comfortable passing out from the back")
- At least one of Pack, Ralls and Vaulks being replaced by Wintle ("chosen" by Neil Critchley, formerly Liverpool youth manager) and maybe Bowen.

It's encouraging to read things like "They have also, however, rather quietly been doing some other more progressive recruitment, bringing down the average age and wage of a creaking squad from the Warnock era, and adding more technicality to the team." about our side from QPR fans on LoftforWords and hear "I really like their signings, I really liked their signings last January as well - the recruitment is good" from Notthe20 podcast in pre-season.

Notthe20 asked whether Mick was the force of old and that plus injuries/covid/small squad might be where we're being let down now and next season too seeing as it's unlikely we buy him out of contract.

But I struggle to see how a side with U23's pleasing people with results and style, a genuine pathway for appearances into the first team and our recent senior signings being praised from outside doesn't have hope for the future. The one thing missing really is the 90minutes for the senior side, but how doesn't that change if other things are going reasonably well?

That's a very rose tinted view if I may say so. You're making a huge assumption in thinking that McGuiness and Denham are going to help us become more of a passing side while also maintaining what have been pretty high defensive standards with Morrison and Flint.

It's the same in midfield where you're thinking that a player, who has never played at this level before this season and is not considered good enough for the moment to challenge for a first team place and a talented kid who is just getting into the first team can improve (because that's what we're talking here) on a midfield group that, for all that I moan about them, have got the experience of hundreds of Championship games between them,

[surge]

That's a very rose tinted view if I may say so. You're making a huge assumption in thinking that McGuiness and Denham are going to help us become more of a passing side while also maintaining what have been pretty high defensive standards with Morrison and Flint.

It's the same in midfield where you're thinking that a player, who has never played at this level before this season and is not considered good enough for the moment to challenge for a first team place and a talented kid who is just getting into the first team can improve (because that's what we're talking here) on a midfield group that, for all that I moan about them, have got the experience of hundreds of Championship games between them,

I think it's very hard to predict whether things will become a success and, just like Arsenal, putting too much hope that kids with high potential will change things for the better can be a tricky path so I appreciate your post.

But one poster earlier asked why I got my hope from and hearing several positive comments about our youth system and our transfer business is my answer. John1959 said something I agree with in the 5 years' profit/loss thread (https://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.ph...ases-and-sales) and maybe them saying it in a less abrasive(?) manner allows people to see some encouraging moves are being made which hopefully will filter into the 90 minutes.

[Rjk]

I think it's very hard to predict whether things will become a success and, just like Arsenal, putting too much hope that kids with high potential will change things for the better can be a tricky path so I appreciate your post.

But one poster earlier asked why I got my hope from and hearing several positive comments about our youth system and our transfer business is my answer. John1959 said something I agree with in the 5 years' profit/loss thread (https://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.ph...ases-and-sales) and maybe them saying it in a less abrasive(?) manner allows people to see some encouraging moves are being made which hopefully will filter into the 90 minutes.

yeah I was thinking about the similarities with Arsenal the other day.
they were in a great position but messed it up, and are now faced with a difficult task to get back to where they want to be.
buying ready made elite talent is one way, but it's difficult, as you are competing with richer clubs for the same talent, and if one or two moves don't work out then suddenly your entire budget is blown for a year or so.
concentrating on youth has its own risks but presumably arsenal see it as a better bet to get back to the champions League places than the alternative.

it feels like we are doing the same, but instead of champions League we are trying to get back to the top end championship/parachute payments etc.
we can't compete with the finances of the other parachute payments clubs so we are having to try a longer term strategy