Our model a total failure!

[Martinmalta]

During the past years the fans were giving the impression that we bring in young talent to sell for a profit. It only worked well with the sale of Eze, and maybe Smithies and Freeman. However, there are too many cases were players we paid good money for ended leaving us for free. Washington, Robinson, Bonne, Manning, BOS, Amos and I am sure there others as well. If this model is not giving us the desired results, what is the point in keep insisting about it. We go for free players and they leave as free players. That's should be our model. If by coincident, a player is valued for good money, we must sell and not wait until his last year of the contract.

[SheepRanger]

Didnt Willock get injured when he was flying at worth decent money?

I think your free transfer in and free transfer out may play out this summer. Im not convinced we'll even see a £500k signing this summer. Although it would be interesting to know how much Richards has cost us up front...!

[Isleworth116]

Didnt Willock get injured when he was flying at worth decent money?

I think your free transfer in and free transfer out may play out this summer. Im not convinced we'll even see a £500k signing this summer. Although it would be interesting to know how much Richards has cost us up front...!

Field, Dykes and Willock, might sell them.

[Abseits]

OP is right. Model only works if you let your best players go when they are hot property. We should have cashed in on Dieng/Chair/Willock this time last year but I feel the club decided to keep them and have a blast at promotion instead.

The model does also require the club to provide an attractive "shop window" for the players by playing attractive winning football and we obviously failed badly on that front this past season too. Consequently Dieng and co. have haemorrhaged a lot of the value over the year by looking quite mediocre members of a failing unit.

All this could change if Armstrong kicks on next season but fans need to prepare themselves for the prospect of us flogging him at Christmas if he starts terrorising defences and banging goals in.

[topperharley]

OP is right. Model only works if you let your best players go when they are hot property. We should have cashed in on Dieng/Chair/Willock this time last year but I feel the club decided to keep them and have a blast at promotion instead.

The model does also require the club to provide an attractive "shop window" for the players by playing attractive winning football and we obviously failed badly on that front this past season too. Consequently Dieng and co. have haemorrhaged a lot of the value over the year by looking quite mediocre members of a failing unit.

All this could change if Armstrong kicks on next season but fans need to prepare themselves for the prospect of us flogging him at Christmas if he starts terrorising defences and banging goals in.

Les admitted as much in his big interview.

It was incredibly short sighted, despite how well we were performing under Beale the depth of the squad was so poor there was no way we'd have been capable of promotion, same under Warbs. Easy to say in hindsight but someone at the club needs to be making big boy decisions.

[Isleworth116]

Squad has plenty of depth, end of season 29 players in first team squad. Quality and character missing.

[222lepo]

Squad has plenty of depth, end of season 29 players in first team squad. Quality and character missing.

I can not understand why we keep renewing contracts to fringe players like Charlie Kelman who is 169 cm and plays as a forward. Loaned out to Leyton. O in leauge 2. 43 games 26 from start 7 goals.

[Springboks2002]

Squad has plenty of depth, end of season 29 players in first team squad. Quality and character missing.

WOW

so wrong

1 left back of any note
2 centre backs that are available at all times.....no cover
no centre forward that can score (Lowe and Martin added far too late and lowe is not an out and out striker)
no wingers except Albert
no ball winning midfielders with exception of Field

[Sleeping Giants]

WOW

so wrong

1 left back of any note
2 centre backs that are available at all times.....no cover
no centre forward that can score (Lowe and Martin added far too late and lowe is not an out and out striker)
no wingers except Albert
no ball winning midfielders with exception of Field

Yeah but apart from that, it's all great

[topperharley]

So if this 'model' is all wrong, and given our current state, what should our model actually be?

I would suggest the same, we need to be scouting better in the lower leagues and Europe, even Australia and ther US for now, we need to push our youth development (the training facility will surely help?) for the future and we need to be savvy with free agents and loan signings. Which sounds totally simple but clearly it isn't.

Scouting needs an overhaul or a new remit, and serious decisions have to be made by those that are supposed to be making serious decisions.

[Sleeping Giants]

So if this 'model' is all wrong, and given our current state, what should our model actually be?

I would suggest the same, we need to be scouting better in the lower leagues and Europe, even Australia and ther US for now, we need to push our youth development (the training facility will surely help?) for the future and we need to be savvy with free agents and loan signings. Which sounds totally simple but clearly it isn't.

Scouting needs an overhaul or a new remit, and serious decisions have to be made by those that are supposed to be making serious decisions.

Passing a medical needs to be a bit more difficult as well.

[Isleworth116]

I can not understand why we keep renewing contracts to fringe players like Charlie Kelman who is 169 cm and plays as a forward. Loaned out to Leyton. O in leauge 2. 43 games 26 from start 7 goals.

Completely, Kelman joined 2020. Gubbins debut Jan 2020. How long do coaching staff need to make a decision.

[djp]

During the past years the fans were giving the impression that we bring in young talent to sell for a profit. It only worked well with the sale of Eze, and maybe Smithies and Freeman. However, there are too many cases were players we paid good money for ended leaving us for free. Washington, Robinson, Bonne, Manning, BOS, Amos and I am sure there others as well. If this model is not giving us the desired results, what is the point in keep insisting about it. We go for free players and they leave as free players. That's should be our model. If by coincident, a player is valued for good money, we must sell and not wait until his last year of the contract.

Yep it hasn't worked at all, we have been taking this approach since 2015. As you say it has only worked wth Eze, Smithies and Freeman. Also think we made a small profit on De Wijs. And for every Eze free transfer, we have had a JET, Gobern, Blackwood, Hall, Oteh, Kane, Ball, Masteron, Owen, Thomas - all left on a free and have been largely a waste of wages. And then the financial disaster signings such as Washington, Luongo, Bonne, Wszolek, Borysiuk, Sylla, Bidwell, Cousins, Amos, Polter - all signed for decent money and left for a major loss. And you just know Dozzell is another that will be added to that list before long.

On the plus side, we could however still turn a profit of Dykes, Dieng, Field, Dickie, Willock, JCS, Paal. But these are all going to be Smithies/Freeman type profits rather than Eze type ones. Chair and Armstrong are the only potential significant profits to come over the next couple of seasons.

[Springboks2002]

Wszolek

i loved that guy and wasnt that expensive think we got back what we paid

as for the current crop

Definatley make on Dieng as i dont think we paid any money for him
We will make money on Field
possibly Willock

Chair i hope we eventually sell him but the thing is who will buy him? nobody in prem league hes too small i think a Watford Southampton or whoever comes down will take a punt
or if boro dont go up this season they might try and take him off our hands but cant see him going for any more than 4 million possibly even as low as 3

[djp]

Wszolek

i loved that guy and wasnt that expensive think we got back what we paid

as for the current crop

Definatley make on Dieng as i dont think we paid any money for him
We will make money on Field
possibly Willock

Chair i hope we eventually sell him but the thing is who will buy him? nobody in prem league hes too small i think a Watford Southampton or whoever comes down will take a punt
or if boro dont go up this season they might try and take him off our hands but cant see him going for any more than 4 million possibly even as low as 3

Don't get me wrong, I really liked Wszolek too but I have seen that he cost us around £1.75 million from Hellas Verona and we let him go back to Legia Warsaw on a free. Don't know how true that is though.

Willock I think cost around 750k, so we are not going to make a great deal on him either. Chair I am still hopeful for something like £8 million from someone like Southampton. I think at moment just sell Chair, Willock and Dieng. Unless we get decent bids for Dykes, Field, Paal, Dickie, JCS then keep (extend contracts if necessary) and pray they have decent seasons and are worth more next Summer.