The summer has been much as I predicted.
A lot of movement - a squad overhaul. Mostly free signings or loans with sensible purchase options set up. Modest fees paid with performance related elements for the only significant fees.
Mid term contracts not very long ones.
Overall the amortisation and wage bill will be lower
Wage and amortisation savings from hideously overpaid detritus like Assombolonga and Fletcher. Gone.
Players who are not good enough moved on but at least covering their book value, like Saville and Morsey. Gone
No sentiment re players like Johnson, Akpom, Wing, Coulson and Spence. Gone, or wages covered. Gone.
Loanees or out of contracts, who took the team backwards, like Bolasie, Kebano, Mendez Laing, Bettenelli and Archer. Gone.
Good loan moves for excellent young players like Wood and good lads like Hackney.
We have retained our core group of good players. Fry, Tavernier, Watmore, Bola, Dijksteel.
Howson, McNair and Hall offer experience too, as does Stojanovic who is still here.
The youthful promise of Jones has been a revelation.
Fisher and Brown are injury issues, but are squad members nonetheless. That is 12.
None of us know whether the 12 signings will work out, but most of us know the ones who have gone will not be missed anyway.
The two goalkeepers, only time will tell; but they can't be anything else but better than what we had.
In defence, Peltier and Bamba look shrewd back up for a back 4 or 5 that picks itself.
In midfield, Siliki, Payero and Crooks are all signings to make the miseries upbeat.
Out wide, Hernandez and Olusanya are exciting. Jury out on Ameobi's fitness (and end product).
Up front, Ikpeazu and Sporar promise something much more than we had.
Add to that the younger players who are clearly close to the squad, like Coburn and Malley and you have a squad of 26 players.
Warnock now has a big squad of mostly fit players.
Credit really should go to everyone involved in this overhaul.
The rubbish has gone, the quality has remained, the potential and cover has been recruited. The budget has been cut again, Gibson will lose less money, we will be FFP secure, the new manager will not have expensive amortisation, wages and long contracts to cycle and there is a better recruitment set up in place.
Gibson could inject equity and have a right old go next season if he he wants to and we don't sneak up this year.
Congratulations to MFC for a very good looking and competent window, the exact opposite of summer 2016, 2017 and 2018.
