Poor squad

[CANARYKING 639]

With all the injuries yesterday it highlighted how poor the squad that Webber has lumbered us with. Hernandez, Fassnacht, Springett, Placheta, Long, Forshaw, and Bath would struggle to make the bench at many other Championship clubs.Jury is still out on Fisher. Trouble is our current financial situation does not bode well for any January signings 

[cambridgeshire canary 6,741]

Such a poor squad and yet..

 

They still could not beat us

[Pyro Pete 1,897]

10 minutes ago, CANARYKING said:

With all the injuries yesterday it highlighted how poor the squad that Webber has lumbered us with. Hernandez, Fassnacht, Springett, Placheta, Long, Forshaw, and Bath would struggle to make the bench at many other Championship clubs.Jury is still out on Fisher. Trouble is our current financial situation does not bode well for any January signings 

What injuries, yesterday?

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,774]

To be fair we are without arguably our 2 first choice CBs in Hanley and Gibson, first choice left back and the form Hwang was beginning to show before his injury ,possibly 2 first choice Strikers in Sargent and Hwang.

When all 5 of them return our overall squad/bench will look stronger

Also, when you have a few out injured, being able to name 9 subs probably makes it look weaker stilll further, when your'e filling it up with players who ordinarily wouldnt be around the squad

[Thirsty Lizard 3,165]

10 minutes ago, Pyro Pete said:

What injuries, yesterday?

Gianoullis, Hanley, Gibson, Sargent, Sorenson and Hwang. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

6 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

When all 5 of them return our overall squad/bench will look stronger

By the time all five if them are back, chances are another five players will be injured. 

No club will ever have a fully fit squad. There'll be times when some clubs don't have many, and there'll be times when they have loads, but across the course of the season, things will generally even themselves out.

I'm sure that a lot of clubs will look at their bench when they've got a few regular starters out injured and think the bench looks weak.

[Pyro Pete 1,897]

2 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

Gianoullis, Hanley, Gibson, Sargent, Sorenson and Hwang. 

They weren't injured yesterday.

[Branston Pickle 3,661]

2 minutes ago, Pyro Pete said:

They weren't injured yesterday.

All 6 were missing because they are injured. Four of those are definite starters when fit. You’re being deliberately obtuse.  

[Thirsty Lizard 3,165]

3 minutes ago, Pyro Pete said:

They weren't injured yesterday.

You're being pedantic. He meant they were out injured yesterday. 

[Branston Pickle 3,661]

5 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

By the time all five if them are back, chances are another five players will be injured. 

No club will ever have a fully fit squad. There'll be times when some clubs don't have many, and there'll be times when they have loads, but across the course of the season, things will generally even themselves out.

I'm sure that a lot of clubs will look at their bench when they've got a few regular starters out injured and think the bench looks weak.

That’s true, but when you have 3 of your first choice defence and perhaps 2 of your starting strikers out, that’s going to hit any side.  I’m quite interested to see Sarge and Hwang play together.

 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

3 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

That’s true, but when you have 3 of your first choice defence and perhaps 2 of your starting strikers out, that’s going to hit any side.  I’m quite interested to see Sarge and Hwang play together.

Oh, I agree. When you're missing several key players, it's going to make a difference, but every side is likely to go through a rough spell over the course of the season. Some may get hit harder than others for longer, but I'm sure that some of our opponents over the last couple months must've been missing some key players when we played them as well.

[BroadstairsR 2,178]

We have so many players we need to unload at once, perhaps more than I can ever remember, that it is likely to be costly as few will attract any meaningful dosh whilst many might need paying off.

The OP's list might not be the tip of the iceberg, but it represents only part of it. So many 'underwhelmings' including Fassnacht, Placheta  (great attitude though,) Forshaw, Long, McCallum etc., plus an overload of ageing centre backs.

We have to hope that there are a few decent youngsters in the pipeline, that Knapper is more adept in the transfer market with decent connections and know-how than Webber ever seems to have had and that we hang on to our best, especially Sara and Rowe (and Sargent could well be in demand if he picks up where he left off.) in order to avoid another season of Chumps mid-table mediocrity with falling ticket sales and losses resulting in a period of austerity.

I'm hoping that the South American venture will not dissipate with SW's departure, but can see the Academy going from strength to strength and perhaps American money could be more generous than we anticipate. 

Every straw needs clutching at, even a rather lucky point at Portman Road, and wouldn't a lucrative little run in the F.A. Cup be nice for once? My glass remains half-full, but it needs regular topping up.

Hic!

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by BroadstairsR

[pete 319]

When and if Hanley and Gibson return what does that do for Batth.  4th choice CB on a largish wedge sitting out warming the bench.  Given how often he has played I would suggest a total waste of money we cannot afford.

[pete 319]

Thanks Broadstairs for reminding me Forshaw is the one with the one year contract.  Batth here for more than one season therefore.

[Mason 47 1,384]

Its not the best squad we've had but certainly not the worst. I'd say that there's a few aching issues but it's not all that bad in fairness.

The fact we have 3 functionally identical CBs + Gibson is one issue, for example. Having the mobile left-footed option makes such a difference, as has been seen with Kenny, so quite why we bought 2 extra Hanleys I'm unsure.

[Branston Pickle 3,661]

I think what we have missed so far this season has been the signing of a decent youngster or two on loan.  We woefully underused that market in the summer, and it could well be where we go in January.  Supplementing what we have with a bit extra could be the difference between finding ourselves inside or outside the playoffs.

[ged in the onion bag 855]

Yes, it’s a poor squad.    Interested to know the direction of travel Knapper intends for us.    
 

Going to take some seriously brave decisions.

[Branston Pickle 3,661]

5 minutes ago, ged in the onion bag said:

Yes, it’s a poor squad.    Interested to know the direction of travel Knapper intends for us.    
 

Going to take some seriously brave decisions.

Hopefully a couple of January loans, both in and out.  You might  or like them, but they are a fundamental reason we are where we are this season.

[daly 505]

Worst squad  for years

Yesterdays result papered over the cracks

imagine this crowd playing Leeds in a playoff 

[ged in the onion bag 855]

Just now, Branston Pickle said:

I think what we have missed so far this season has been the signing of a decent youngster or two on loan.  We woefully underused that market in the summer, and it could well be where we go in January.  Supplementing what we have with a bit extra could be the difference between finding ourselves inside or outside the playoffs.

Couldn’t disagree more!    Last thing we need is chasing promotion with this squad.    We need to develop our own, not other teams players.
 

Skipp helped get us promoted… we didn’t have the money to replace him or the recruitment to facilitate improvements and wasted the opportunity.

Ramsey didn’t help us get promoted but got in the way of us developing.

Hayden didn’t help us get promoted.

Marquinhos…. Say no more!    

We couldn’t compete with this squad and we don’t need the distraction of another failure right now.   

 

[Nuff Said 5,146]

2 hours ago, CANARYKING said:

With all the injuries yesterday it highlighted how poor the squad that Webber has lumbered us with. Hernandez, Fassnacht, Springett, Placheta, Long, Forshaw, and Bath would struggle to make the bench at many other Championship clubs.Jury is still out on Fisher. Trouble is our current financial situation does not bode well for any January signings 

So Batth would struggle to get into many other Championship clubs? The team in 7th might disagree.

[ged in the onion bag 855]

6 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Hopefully a couple of January loans, both in and out.  You might  or like them, but they are a fundamental reason we are where we are this season.

No they aren’t!   Recruitment is the reason we are in this mess and loans are recruited.    We haven’t proved very good at it have we.

[norfolkngood 1,087]

1 minute ago, ged in the onion bag said:

No they aren’t!   Recruitment is the reason we are in this mess and loans are recruited.    We haven’t proved very good at it have we.

exactly the recruitment has let us down 

players like Rashica and Tzolis and Hayden was when it went badly wrong big money for us no return 

 

 

[The Real Buh 3,444]

The balance of pretty much everything is off in the squad and it’s solely at the door of Webber and probably at least to some extent Wagner (his input will have been involved)

our scouting network isn’t what it was, all of that management level is just toxic at the moment. I’m giving Knapper the room he needs to get this done, it’s a big job.

[Gordon Bennett 786]

I don't think it's as bad as some would like to make out, especially with key players back from injury. There are one or two positions that obviously need recruiting for but I think with a better coach this is a play off squad with a couple of additions.

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

I don’t think the squad is as bad as people are making out. I think it’s a couple of additions away from being a team that compete for automatic places. 

[Branston Pickle 3,661]

28 minutes ago, ged in the onion bag said:

No they aren’t!   Recruitment is the reason we are in this mess and loans are recruited.    We haven’t proved very good at it have we.

Point me any side in the top half of the table without decent effective loans: binners have 3, Leicester 4 .  You are in complete denial about how things are in the real world.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Branston Pickle

[canarydan23 4,060]

2 hours ago, CANARYKING said:

and Bath would struggle to make the bench at many other Championship clubs

I mean, Webber has undeniably equipped up with a shocking squad for the task ahead (for a fourth time as well), but did you mean to include Batth on your list? The Batth who played 40 games and was voted player of the season for a club who finished in the Championship playoffs last season?

[RobJames 881]

A poor squad ? Unbeaten in 7 games, which have delivered almost title winning points over those games - and that is with a number of what might be thought automatic choices. One of the strengths of Lamberts promotion winning side was having players like Martin who never thought they would make the PL. Clough took a team of unknowns to European Champions.

Over the past few seasons, we have watched signings from outside of the UK fail to deliver. Why ? Probably because in the back of their mind they can pick up another well paid contract elsewhere (Europe). Without the desire, you will not win games.  Duffy epitomised that spirit yesterday. And to talk of out of contract players being on a hefty wedge is absurd. You take what is on offer. You have virtually no bargaining power. Three regular Scottish internationals have stayed, as have two South Americans. Watch again the response to the last minute goal at Bristol. The determination to get something from yesterday was not that of a poor squad.

Individually, these are not the most talented squad we have had. However, needs (financial) must. And I would choose them over Norman, Rashica, Gilmour, Kabak, Tzolis.

 

[ged in the onion bag 855]

15 minutes ago, Gordon Bennett said:

I don't think it's as bad as some would like to make out, especially with key players back from injury. There are one or two positions that obviously need recruiting for but I think with a better coach this is a play off squad with a couple of additions.

It’s a mid table squad and it’s still in decline right now!    

What on earth is ‘a play-off squad’?   What’s that mean and what’s the point if it’s so far off an EPL squad?