Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 I have found this the most frustrating season since Glen Roeder was running a bunch of misfits and loans and relegation was certain. Today, like then, it is like watching a car crash in slow motion. And whilst people will argue the toss until mathematical certainty kicks in- the season is only going one way. And that is deeply frustrating because it means that YET AGAIN the club have looked the gift horse of promotion in the mouth by not making a good go of staying up. So for me the blame really does lie with the level of investment this summer. It was embarrassingly poor and every commentator mentions it. All my neutral friends say it is suicidal and feel our board slapped fans in the face. They can't believe the board aren't getting a harder time. It is so hard watching our talented young players give their all, and Farke try to work something out of not much, when it is obvious we are just not up to the standard required and needed 3/4 decent lads with experience at this level to bolster us. In hindsight it seems many got carried away with one season of good performances and over achievement. And many have also fallen for the idea that we are doing something clever by running our club on a shoestring budget that leaves us uncompetitive. Again neutrals suggest that eventually we will find our own level- that is what underspending does. And on current spends that level is league one not even championship. Some like to suggest its all fine though because apparently we will go down and magically jump back up. On what do they base this belief? Is there not just as much evidence to suggest we might do a Stoke and plummet further? Our spend in the summer was bottom half of champ- forget Premiership! Bottom line. Our board come from an era of national football and are falling behind in an era of global football. Fresh air is needed at top in my opinion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FenwayFrank 2,426 Posted December 26, 2019 This is a million miles away from when Roeder was here 7 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lake district canary 4,520 Posted December 26, 2019 Roeder? You must be joking. The quality of football we are playing, especially recently, is some of the best I have seen from us in this division. People have to be patient and try and understand what the club is doing rather than try and apportion blame all the time. It is no-one's fault, there is no-one to blame, we are just competing at the highest level, that is all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firedawg 3 Posted December 26, 2019 But what he says is correct isn't it. No investment no chance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff the Canary 63 Posted December 26, 2019 9 minutes ago, Firedawg said: But what he says is correct isn't it. No investment no chance. Exactly! Whilst the comparison to Roeder may be a bit off, the main points of the post are sound! The lack of investment has defined this season, and the finger of blame can only be pointed at a certain two people! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sonyc 5,447 Posted December 26, 2019 The Roeder era in my opinion marked a nadir. Even worse than Hamilton and Grant. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 I never said this is as bad as the Roeder era- I agree a million miles off. I said it is as frustrating. And it is - because we are only 3/4 signings away from making a decent fist of it but have left it too late AGAIN. So frustrating 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flying Dutchman 744 Posted December 26, 2019 Nope. Not even close. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 7,456 Posted December 26, 2019 It's the most frustrating since our last season in the top flight where we borked our chances by not improving the team on the summer again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 Agreed king canary - but this time was even less investment than then. At least I believed the signings might help Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenny Foggo 1,105 Posted December 26, 2019 14 minutes ago, lake district canary said: Roeder? You must be joking. The quality of football we are playing, especially recently, is some of the best I have seen from us in this division. People have to be patient and try and understand what the club is doing rather than try and apportion blame all the time. It is no-one's fault, there is no-one to blame, we are just competing at the highest level, that is all. Physically not able to cope at this level and making the same mistakes over and over. We play some nice football but the idea of the game is score and not let in, something we are the worst in the league at doing. This will be our owners 4th relegation from the top flight, when does it become unacceptable? 6th, 7th, more? To compete in this league you have to invest, its not an option to stay in the league if you do not. I believe our owners are very happy being in the championship, it suits their none investment mode. All a bit predictable. Like I said, the owners have stabilised the club and should be thanked but if we are ever to reach our potential we need new ideas, a sensible amount of investment and a target higher than top 26. Such a bit they have not learnt previous lessons and stopped our upward momentum. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenny Foggo 1,105 Posted December 26, 2019 Pity not bit... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spillay 168 Posted December 26, 2019 5 minutes ago, Dean Coneys boots said: I never said this is as bad as the Roeder era- I agree a million miles off. I said it is as frustrating. And it is - because we are only 3/4 signings away from making a decent fist of it but have left it too late AGAIN. So frustrating I know you get a lot of stick on here DC but these are my sentiments exactly, we really are just a few players short of being genuinely competitive. Its what Sheff U did this summer, they didnt go mad like Fulham and spend OTT, they strengthened sensibly but improved their squad in the process. We failed miserably to do that and are paying the price. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HertsCanary93 222 Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) Deleted Edited December 26, 2019 by HertsCanary93 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenny Foggo 1,105 Posted December 26, 2019 5 minutes ago, king canary said: It's the most frustrating since our last season in the top flight where we borked our chances by not improving the team on the summer again. Yep. I always hoped our owners would actively look to give us a chance by looking for good owners able to give us a sensible amount of investment, or indeed, given the historically low level interest rates borrowing a sensible amount to invest but it seems they are happy with the model that will always see us fail in the top flight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 Once again - I was NOT comparing this team to Roeders. They are nothing alike. I was comparing “how frustrated I felt then and now” The similarity is my sentiment not the football standard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kingston Yellow 211 Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) Totally agree with the OP. And in the same way Delia, Michael and Webber took the plaudits last season, this season they’re equally responsible for the disaster this season is proving to be. Such a shame that, yet again, we fail to get behind an exciting young manager and show any real ambition, a la Lambert, Neil and now Farke. Edited December 26, 2019 by Kingston Yellow Typo 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hector Brockelbank 95 Posted December 26, 2019 Investment does not guarantee success. Fulham spent over £100 million and went down, Villa the same and are a long way from staying in the division, Everton have spent around £500 million the last 4/5 seasons have they made any progress? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 Of course spending doesn’t guarantee success but it does make you competitive. And for every Fulham there is a Wolves! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kirku 1,331 Posted December 26, 2019 Wolves? Behave. Spending a bit of TV money doesn't make up the difference between Fosun and Delia Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kingston Yellow 211 Posted December 26, 2019 Don’t think anyone’s suggesting we should have spent £100m. What Shef United have done is incredibly impressive. And with less than fashionable Chris Wilder setting the strategy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 Exactly - we needed 3/4 decent signings. some people don’t seem to realise that a sensible middle ground exists between spending loads waste fully and spending nowhere near enough I for one think this club has the potential to be a mid table side - but every time we get an opportunity to push on and do it- the board capsize us. they know they can’t compete at this level but they also won’t move aside and let anyone else take us forward so we live in a perpetual loop of promotion followed by relegation. Frustrating because I believe it is not the limit of the club but the owners that is now holding us back Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JF 694 Posted December 26, 2019 The so called model was based on the idea that we would develop talent and then sell that talent on for large profit to fund the running of the club. So quite why we didn’t go out and buy 3/4 players at between £5 - £10 million and look to develop those players into potential £20 million plus players is baffling. Seems to me that we got promoted and abandoned the so called model, Took the money and ran Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terminally Yellow 2,440 Posted December 26, 2019 I’m not terribly fussed about investment levels - but I do think the players you bring in have to be better than what you’ve got. Sam Byram has proved an absolute steal at £750k. I suppose it’s possible to argue Fahrmann has given Krul the competition needed to push him to the next level - but I bet he’s being paid quite the wage to warm our bench. Drmic has hardly got a sniff and when he has he’s looked uninspiring, Amadou has failed to improve on Tettey and Trybull and Roberts might as well not be at the club. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I think part of our problem is not getting the right people in over the summer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Surfer 1,547 Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) She’d Utd significantly outspent us in the Jan 2019 transfer window too. So you either believe the club when they say there is very little money or you don’t, but IMO it’s very concerning that our best midfield combo is Trybull and Tettey and not Amadou and Leitner for example..... p.s I thought we missed Godfrey today, Hanley was OK, but he’s not my first choice for a CB. (Yeah I know Godfrey is injured) Edited December 26, 2019 by Surfer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 It wasn’t that we didn’t get the right people in - it’s that our budget made it impossible to even attempt it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Surfer 1,547 Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) Ah yes the budget. As the Dutch would say “it is what it is” - and very frustrating it is too. So how do we break out of that loop? D&M do not have the money to break it on their own. The current plan was clearly laid out - get rid of the financial overhang from the last time we were in the PL and start over. Which we have, and we are where we are. Which is just not quite good enough to turn pressure into wins. Don’t expect us to buy in January, it’s not the financial plan we are following. But come the Summer I think there will be a clear out of the older players, we will continue to get younger and maybe more physical rather than older. Edited December 26, 2019 by Surfer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terminally Yellow 2,440 Posted December 26, 2019 15 minutes ago, Dean Coneys boots said: It wasn’t that we didn’t get the right people in - it’s that our budget made it impossible to even attempt it! Disagree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,382 Posted December 26, 2019 4 minutes ago, Terminally Yellow said: Disagree. Fair enough - care to elaborate? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dame to Blame 94 Posted December 26, 2019 36 minutes ago, Surfer said: She’d Utd significantly outspent us in the Jan 2019 transfer window too. So you either believe the club when they say there is very little money or you don’t, but IMO it’s very concerning that our best midfield combo is Trybull and Tettey and not Amadou and Leitner for example..... p.s I thought we missed Godfrey today, Hanley was OK, but he’s not my first choice for a CB. (Yeah I know Godfrey is injured) I though Hanley did ok to be fair to him. I dont think Godfrey would have made much difference 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites