[Archived] Write Off!

[CapeTownRover]

With x amount of games still remaining, there is still a possibility of reaching the playoffs. However, realistically it does seem, that based on performances that we might have to write off this season.

At the beginning of the season, I thought to myself that our plan should have been to buy some championship players. If one looks at it, the wages we have spent on Murphy, Etuhu and some of our other players, we could so easily have convinced those players who missed out on PL football, to join us.

We needed players who were hungry(not Dunn Hungry), but who would have wanted to have a real chance with a club who should be up there with a chance of going up.

Next season, if we don't go up, then we seriously have to clear out our squad. We have to look at players in the championship and lower leagues, and hope it sticks. This notion, that we have to have big name players is nonsense. We just need a squad of players, who will know how to string a few passes together, and put in a good performance on a consistent basis.

[Waggy76]

Venkys have to go , before any hope of a promotion challenge....

If not , they are going to have to bite the bullet and appoint a manager who has crediblity in the game !

In my lifetime , we have got out of this division twice , Dalglish and Souness were the managers !

I wrote this season off , when Kean was not sacked !

Bergs appointment was to apease the fans ,Appletons appointment , still trying to work out !

[RoversSG]

Even if we somehow miraculously make the play-offs and go up, i have no confidence in our current squad to do anything in the premier league.

I rather Appleton does a Souness ie use this season to clear the deadwood from the squad then build a young, hungry team to mount a promotion challenge next year.

IMO, that's the best scenario we can hope for.

[Mike E]

Even if we somehow miraculously make the play-offs and go up, i have no confidence in our current squad to do anything in the premier league.

I rather Appleton does a Souness ie use this season to clear the deadwood from the squad then build a young, hungry team to mount a promotion challenge next year.

IMO, that's the best scenario we can hope for.

Even if we go up, that gets us a 90m guarantee. We could probably do with yoyoing if we aren't gunna stay up.

Getting there is extremely difficult, however :/ Appleton needs to exact a big change in the squad's attitude.

I don't care if he hasn't done much before us. If this squad won't at least try to play for him then shame on them.

[Ricky]

Our show of intent in the summer was misguided. Championship strikers do not cost £8m. Chris Woods has shown that with his performances at Millwall and Leicester.

We could have bought far better for the money and wages we spent. We needed a CB and a box to box midfielder, we got neither.

[Gally]

I'm not 100% sure a full clearout is needed, but there certainly need be significant changes this year.

First, pre-season needs to be used properly to get all of our players fit, which as someone rightly pointed out the other day hasn't been the case since Sam left.

Other than that, a good box to box midfielder (not sure if this is at all realistic, but Dorrans has been mentioned) a dominant centre half and a replacement for Kazim could be enough to see us mount a challenge.

I like Lowe, and think he may be a useful player for us at some stage, but a lot of our failure this year has come down to Murphy trying to do too much on his own. Murphy isn't good enough to outpass teams by himself, and Rhodes for all his quality can't have long balls hoofed up to him. For me, this has led to a lot of our problems this season, and getting Best back along with getting someone good alongside Murphy will go a fair way in solving it.

[LeChuck]

Almost every relegated club has to write off their first season in the Championship. There is so much upheaval and you are coming up against well organised teams that have been settled and preparing for promotion for years. Bolton and Wolves are finding it equally tough for the same reason. All three of us have bloated squads unfit for this league. We've all got far too many players we can't shift because they're on near PL wages but not good enough for that league. It takes time to sort out.

The biggest mistake we made - led by Shebby - was going all out for promotion this year instead of making it a two year plan. Rebuilding a team is at least a two year job. I don't know how anyone expected us to completely rebuild our midfield and attack yet challenge for promotion.

[McClarky]

We need to rebuild our squad, particularly in midfield and attack, which will take some time and probably save us a fortune in wages if done properly. I would get rid of as many of our midfielders/strikers as we can and replace them with specialists who either play in central midfield, on the wing or up front and not a combination of all 3. That includes all the show ponies like Rochina, Simon and Formica who contribute nothing to the team other than a few fancy flicks and ambitious and wayward long shots. I am sick of going to games where we create a mximum of 4 or 5 proper chances in 90 minutes while other teams seem to be able to carve us opne at will. I am certain that if Rhodes had played for Charlton on saturday they would have beaten us by 4 or 5. We need people who can make the right decision when they get the ball and do it consistently. I think King looks OK and Rhodes is a great finisher but apart from them (and Best) I would be happy to change the lot as the current group we have just aren't good enough even at this level. Hope the new manager is ruthless enough to reaise this and is given time over now and the summer to try and fix things.

[CapeTownRover]

Well that's exactly the way I see it LeCuck. However, like I said in my OP, that we made a big mistake with buying Premier league rejects, when for that amount of money, we could have bought good championship players. I'm not disappointed with 8mill for Rhodes, as I think he is probably the only one, along with Henley and recently Jake Kean, who can hold their head up high. The rest are far too inconsistent, and have no desire to change that it seems

[OJRovers]

The only objective now is to finish this season undefeated to Burnley.

[roverandout]

Even if we somehow miraculously make the play-offs and go up, i have no confidence in our current squad to do anything in the premier league.

I rather Appleton does a Souness ie use this season to clear the deadwood from the squad then build a young, hungry team to mount a promotion challenge next year.

IMO, that's the best scenario we can hope for.

trouble is when souey was here we already had jansen, duff and dunn as the fulcrum of the team, all we had to do was build around that, along with a world class goalkeeper in friedel, and walkers money to strengthen, this time we have no real stars to fall back-on, just a load of overpaid primadonnas, cant see next season being any different than this unless there is a complete overhaul of our current playing squad bar one or two, which will cost time and money, something we dont have!!!

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

The only objective now is to finish this season undefeated to Burnley.

Well said OJ, though I fear that if we play like we did against Charlton we will struggle to achieve this.

[Rover_Shaun]

It's going to stick in the throat at the end of the season to find that if it wasn't for Kean's points tally we would have gone down

[Bwfcdanny]

Our season is well and truly over. Building for next season now.

[Amo]

Almost every relegated club has to write off their first season in the Championship. There is so much upheaval and you are coming up against well organised teams that have been settled and preparing for promotion for years. Bolton and Wolves are finding it equally tough for the same reason. All three of us have bloated squads unfit for this league. We've all got far too many players we can't shift because they're on near PL wages but not good enough for that league. It takes time to sort out.

Quite ironic how Newcastle bounced straight back (and in some style) despite the furor that took them down.

[roverandout]

and west ham

[Hasta]

Almost every relegated club has to write off their first season in the Championship. There is so much upheaval and you are coming up against well organised teams that have been settled and preparing for promotion for years. Bolton and Wolves are finding it equally tough for the same reason. All three of us have bloated squads unfit for this league. We've all got far too many players we can't shift because they're on near PL wages but not good enough for that league. It takes time to sort out.

In the last four seasons 7 out of the 12 teams relegated from the Premier League finished in the play offs or above.

25% of the teams relegated in this period got promoted at the first time of asking.

It's tough but not that tough.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Take Berg and Appleton out of the equation and we've picked up 2 points a game under the other 3 managers, good enough for 2nd as things stand. This season shouldn't and wouldn't have been a write off without some shocking managerial appointments. Still, its only £50m, I'm sure Venkys will make up the shortfall and keep us competitive, sounds like their bag.

[Doug]

I would accept a mid table finish now, as long as the squad has been assessed ready for the summer transfer window.

I'd like to see what MA can do, not over one or two games but to the end of the season. By then, he will have had time to look at the squad, and, by his selections, we should have a good idea what his plans are.

We have had far too much change this season, but, if he can shift a couple of the non-performers out I'll see that as positive.

I've reduced my expectations to avoiding relegation!!

[den]

The club's in big trouble, in my view. It was this season or bust. Next season will see a scaling down as the PL money is drying up. As for the season after that, anyone care to guess what the club's income streams might amount to?

[LeChuck]

Quite ironic how Newcastle bounced straight back (and in some style) despite the furor that took them down.

True, although they managed to keep most of their squad together. They didn't go for a radical overhaul like we did (Murphy, Etuhu, CKR, Rhodes, Best etc).

They were also very lucky that Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan struck up such a good understanding immediately. They're first choice for a top ten PL side at the moment - I don't think that will ever be said about any of our current front men.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

The club's in big trouble, in my view. It was this season or bust. Next season will see a scaling down as the PL money is drying up. As for the season after that, anyone care to guess what the club's income streams might amount to?

Parachute payment - £8m, Ticket income - £5m, Merchandise/Sponsorship - £2m

About £15m, so less than half our current wage bill I'd imagine. Sure Appleton will manage it, after all he looks hard

[den]

Parachute payment - £8m, Ticket income - £5m, Merchandise/Sponsorship - £2m

About £15m, so less than half our current wage bill I'd imagine. Sure Appleton will manage it, after all he looks hard

The parachute payments run out at the end of next season don't they? I was asking about the prospects if we don't go up next season.

Armageddon comes to mind.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

The parachute payments run out at the end of next season don't they? I was asking about the prospects if we don't go up next season.

Armageddon comes to mind.

£16m for the first 2 seasons, £8m for the next 2 as far as I'm aware.

[den]

Ah yes, getting ahead of myself there.