Are we throwing in the towel?

newyddion said:
We’ve needed a big squad to cope with the injuries.
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Yeah i just think theres alot of the squad who aren't good enough, so if we strengthen the starting XI then that inevitably makes the squad better. Obviously every club in the world is trying to do this.

When you look at the squad page on the MFC website, there is alot of players i wouldn't like to have in the starting XI next season but perhaps my standards are too high.
 
Do I think the team will go out and try to win every game we play between now and the end of the season? Yes.

Did I think the recently closed transfer window was the time for betting high stakes on slim chances? No. Actually, there's never a right time for that, but that's what we'd have been doing by investing heavily at that time.

Whether that, or planning for not being in the PL next season, constitutes throwing in the towel is a decision for the individual.
 
VestasBoro said:
Yeah i just think theres alot of the squad who aren't good enough, so if we strengthen the starting XI then that inevitably makes the squad better. Obviously every club in the world is trying to do this.

When you look at the squad page on the MFC website, there is alot of players i wouldn't like to have in the starting XI next season but perhaps my standards are too high.
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Dieng/Glover

RB/Ayling
Fry/Clarke
RVDB/CB
Engel/Thomas

Hackney/MF
O’Brien/MF

Forss/Jones
AM/Azaz.. maybe
McGree/LW

ST/Latte Lath

Dijksteel - Ben Johnson?
McNair - Charlie Cresswell or Nathan Wood?
Howson - Josh Brownhill?
Barlaser - Ardon Jashari or academy
Crooks - no idea*
Greenwood - Micah Hamilton?
Hoppe - Ajay Matthews**

*we must have some academy assist kings on the horizon! who? tho

**plus a nother.. the German Cameron Archer?

who fits in that number 10? Finn Azaz backed up by an academy lad?

Maybe we’ve got more academy ladds coming through that we might think!
 
Whether were are planning for next season or not, I think it is truly remarkable we are only a few points of playoffs bearing in mind the horrendous start we had and how we have navigated through months of an incredible injury list. You could argue at least 5-6 players from each game would not start under normal circumstances. that is half of the team. The squad is in a really good place for a playoff push once the injured come trickling back.
 
PhillySpecial said:
Whether were are planning for next season or not, I think it is truly remarkable we are only a few points of playoffs bearing in mind the horrendous start we had and how we have navigated through months of an incredible injury list. You could argue at least 5-6 players from each game would not start under normal circumstances. that is half of the team. The squad is in a really good place for a playoff push once the injured come trickling back.
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McGree will be huge

Latte Lath to th make the load off Coburn

and then Jones to drive us home!
 
I do not think we’ve thrown in the towel, but not getting a proper striker before the season began was not a great move ,but having had 3-4 months then not strengthening the side in January doesn’t suggest there is a sense of urgency at the Riverside.
Some of the signings seem to be just making the numbers up. For instance Ayling is OK to fill in for a few months, but we really need young blood in the line up.
Perhaps the “powers that be” have looked at the league and decided that with 4 or 5 of the top 6 places now looking unattainable, it may be that the bad start to this season has made a flat out attempt at promotion not feasible and we shall put our real effort into 2024/5 season.
 
yeah this is the least optimistic I have felt all season I have gone from top 3, to top 6 now top 10 lol, and with us selling Rodgers and only picking 2 points from the last two home games and now possible Crooks leaving feels like we can't even keep our better players all doom and gloom although couple of wins on the bounce and I will probably have us for top 6 again :) nowt like a fickle football fan ....
 
newyddion said:
Dieng/Glover

RB/Ayling
Fry/Clarke
RVDB/CB
Engel/Thomas

Hackney/MF
O’Brien/MF

Forss/Jones
AM/Azaz.. maybe
McGree/LW

ST/Latte Lath

Dijksteel - Ben Johnson?
McNair - Charlie Cresswell or Nathan Wood?
Howson - Josh Brownhill?
Barlaser - Ardon Jashari or academy
Crooks - no idea*
Greenwood - Micah Hamilton?
Hoppe - Ajay Matthews**

*we must have some academy assist kings on the horizon! who? tho

**plus a nother.. the German Cameron Archer?

who fits in that number 10? Finn Azaz backed up by an academy lad?

Maybe we’ve got more academy ladds coming through that we might think!
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Smith, Bangura, McNair, Dijksteel, Barlaser, Howson, Crooks, Coburn, Hoppe, Greenwood, Gilbert, Silvera not listed - that's a lot of outgoings, but its perhaps what we need. Keep the spine, the real quality and then refresh those on the edge of the first team.

Dijksteel/Smith/Ayling - I think we keep hold of 1 and go out for a proper RB. New signing required.
Bangura - If a club comes in for him i think we'd let him go
McNair - Release him. I can see an academy player being used here, the backup to Clarke, Fry, VDB...
Barlaser - I think he stays but cover needed. New signing required.
Howson - I've give him 1 more year but a major new signing required.
Crooks - New signing required.
Coburn - Good enough for a spot in the squad, but starter I'm not sure. New signing required.
Hoppe - I don't even register him as a player anymore but we need 2 new strikers
Greenwood - I think he'll stay at Leeds, leaves McGree back with Silvera as cover?
Gilbert - Loan him out
Silvera - Not seen enough, don't think he's done too much wrong to play a part.

Others:
Coulson - Will probably leave
O'Brien - Not sure. I think MC likes him but i don't like what I've seen so far. Don't really think we've seen the best of him and wish we'd tried a bit harder to keep Mowatt if that was even a possibility.
Sol Brynn - Who knows
Zach Hemming - As above
Liam Roberts - probably leaves, i can't see much changing in the GK situation next year with Dieng no1, Glover no2 and Jones the experienced no3
Bilongo - Could play a bigger role next year if we need CB cover and we let Coulson and/or another LB go. If we try to keep Thomas if he does well and let 1 of Bangura/Engel go, Bilongo is an option here

U21 to step up?
Joe Gibson 22, Isaac Fletcher 21, Cain Sykes 21, Terrell Agyemang 21, Jack Hannah 21, Pharrel Willis 20, Sam Collins 20, George Gitau 20, Frankie Whelan 20, Daniel Nkrumah 20, Ben Beals 20, Fenton John 20.
No idea if any are anywhere near ready to be the next Hackney. There'll be someone else with far greater knowledge than me but those above 20-21yr old if they're not knocking on the door to be in and around the first team squad next year you'd think they'll be moving on in some capacity.
Off the top of my head you'd imagine Gibson, Agyemang and Nkrumah will have hopes to break through or get the chance to go out on a fairly high profile loan - especially as their positions are all spots we're looking at in the summer.

PS, that took ages.
 
I've said it all season (and last season) that we have a massive gulf in star quality in our squad. Last season it was mostly provided by the loan players and Akpom. We have very few players that a team like Leicester/Southampton/Leeds would have in their starting 11s. We have quantity which is why our season hasn't been so terrible with all the injuries. Our 1st and 2nd string are roughly equal in ability. Our 2nd string is definitely good enough for a promotion push to fill in gaps where needed but our 1st 11 is not.

We either need some of these development players to make Hackney/Akpom like improvement jumps in quality or we need to find some stars when we recruit this summer. We can't have 11 star players in our team, we could never afford that but the players we have are good enough if you add a bit of quality in and around them. It might only be 3 players needed. Basically an Archer, Akpom and younger version of Howson added to the team might be enough.
 
Let’s not forget that in September some fans were saying we were League one bound.

In that context, it’s been some turn around given the injuries and replacement of our best players from last season being nowhere near the same level. Some of those are improving though, and you’d hope some kick on again next season.

I don’t think we are throwing in the towel, but realistically, I don’t think I’ve seen enough consistency from us this season to convince me we will land a play off spot.

As we all do, I’ll continue living in hope and supporting the team and I’m sure Carrick and the players will keep trying to get there. Even if we do get there, the other 3 sides will be very tough and arguably more settled sides in recent times.

I do think the club would have gambled a bit more had we been further up the league come January but I do think resources will be better spent in the summer.

I’ve thought for a number of months that if we managed the play offs, it’d be a bonus and nothing changes that. This is a transitional season and was always going to be a tall order with the amount of talent we lost last season.
 
Personally speaking, I think we can still challenge for a play off spot. 50/50 chance of making it, but I don't think we have the quality to turn over Soton or Leeds, or Coventry for that matter.
 
Realistically - we are not one of the best six teams in the Championship so another season to consolidate and for Carrick to gain experience and get more faces in and deadwood out seems a fair assumption. Not wanting to appear defeatist but I had ambition and hopes at this stage in recent seasons but I have more pessimism and acceptance of who we are and what we can realistically achieve this time around. Strongest Championship for some time and fully expect the 3 who came down will go back up.
 
BiggEggo said:
Personally speaking, I think we can still challenge for a play off spot. 50/50 chance of making it, but I don't think we have the quality to turn over Soton or Leeds, or Coventry for that matter.
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our first team can beat them.. but have we got our first team available!

Jones, McGree, Latte Lath.. also we need Finn Azaz to be CLASS
 
Well some of our fans have thrown the towel in.

I am sure the leadership at the club can hold 2 thoughts in their mind at the same time and plan for promotion and another year in the championship.
 
Laughing said:
Well some of our fans have thrown the towel in.

I am sure the leadership at the club can hold 2 thoughts in their mind at the same time and plan for promotion and another year in the championship.
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just felt like the tone and talk and actions of the club were feeling a bit like that.. then they let Matt Crooks b***r off!
 
Did any club spend during the transfer window? Record low spending from prem - EFL. I guess everyone is now fearing FFP (apart from City 😂).

I imagine the knock on effect of prem clubs not spending is that they won't sell/loan fringe players.

The football spending is finally being rained in. All the better for it. Some shocking spending over the last few years. Boro included. It's not that long ago we were paying 7mil each for the likes of Saville / Fletcher and Flint.

7mil for fecking Flint..... Rav cost around 1-1.5mil....that's madness.
 
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