Paper Thin!

[John Boubepo 0]

A good start after 5 games but who else feels that Leons exit makes our paper thin squad look anorexic? surely even Martin Hunter can only do so much.

[Huddy 0]

GK   Gallagher, Lewsis

DR   Colin, MLJ (if ever fit), Fleming, spillane, rossi ,Cave-brown (now injured) - adequate cover

DC   Doherty, Shackall, fleming, halliday- Short in numers

DL   Drury - Wrap him up in cotton wool

MC Etuhu, safri, robinson, hughes, fisk - not much quality in reserve

FL:   Huckerby, Mcveigh, Eagle   - Fine

FR   Croft, Henderson, mcveigh - fine

S   Earnshaw, Ryan Jarvis, thorne, mcveigh? - Considerable lack of depth.

Time to Panic - 90 minutes to go

[charlies dad 0]

Hang on, its not midnight yet, lets see if we can sell somebody else!!  

[greenTshirt 2]

maybe an extended run in the squad is what Peter Thorne needs ... he did score once last year didn''t he?(straws/clutching/eternal optimist)

[Pyro Pete 1,925]

[quote user="greenTshirt"]maybe an extended run in the squad is what Peter Thorne needs ... he did score once last year didn''t he?(straws/clutching/eternal optimist)[/quote]Yes he did indeed. From about two yards out. I remember it well. And we still lost that day.

[greenTshirt 2]

[quote user="Pyro Pete"][quote user="greenTshirt"]maybe an extended run in the squad is what Peter Thorne needs ... he did score once last year didn''t he?(straws/clutching/eternal optimist)[/quote]Yes he did indeed. From about two yards out. I remember it well. And we still lost that day.[/quote]a few minutes after he''d missed a sitter if i remember rightly

[charlies dad 0]

Paper thin is putting it mildly. We probably employ more chefs than footballers. Since the disaster of last season, the club has lost the services of Ward, Jarrett, Green, Mckenzie, Charlton, Johanneson and Rehmann. A motley crew by and large, but one which has been replaced by ..... Croft. Bearing in mind that we ran out of players last season, culminating in 3 first team debuts for kids against West Ham in the FA Cup, is it not unreasonable to expect the same to happen with a smaller squad? Ralph Wright will tell you it is. the inhabitants of Planet Earth however will tell you different. Mckenzie had to go, yes, rotten apple? undoubtedly, but to dangle hal heartedly all our funds at some nobody from Bristol whilst ignoring the fact that we need, a left back, a goalkeeper and a striker, at least three players, is incompetent, ignorant, stupid, crass ineptitude on behalf of all concerned. some berk will try and tell us how difficult it is to sign players... tell that to Roy Keane. You bungling fools.  

[Huddy 0]

and Now we can look forward to some to pquality loan signings.On second thoughts, Kevin lisbie, Zesh Rehman (the clown in QPR''s scum beaten defence), johansen (money wasted and not played), our recent loan signings havent been great.

Lets just hope for some Huckerby, crouch type dealings to keep us up the league.

[Evil Monkey 52]

That''s what I find remarkable really - Worthy and Doomcaster always

harp on about the signing of players being a tough job, and I''m sure it

is.

But Worthy''s been in this game for the best part of ten years, and has

been with us over 5.  Roy Keane has been manager at Sunderland for

a day and signs 6 players...

[nutty nigel 7,645]

As I see it Ward was replaced by Lewis, Croft has replaced Charlton and Etuhu replaced Jarrett. The loan players you mentioned will probably be replaced by loan players, which will leave Mckenzie and Green not replaced! We did sign some acadamy players on pro contracts at the end of last season which people never seem to mention unless its to slate the manager for not playing them. I believe if we had signed Cotteril and then a couple of loans the club would have been happy with the squad size for this season, as for me, i''m not so sure! Lets hope they stay fit!

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="canary cherub"]

As I see it Ward was replaced by Lewis, Croft has replaced Charlton and Etuhu replaced Jarrett. The loan players you mentioned will probably be replaced by loan players, which will leave Mckenzie and Green not replaced! We did sign some acadamy players on pro contracts at the end of last season which people never seem to mention unless its to slate the manager for not playing them. I believe if we had signed Cotteril and then a couple of loans the club would have been happy with the squad size for this season, as for me, i''m not so sure! Lets hope they stay fit!

[/quote]

Cherub, I''ve seen the ex-Academy boys and while they look promising none of them are anywhere near a first team place, and that includes our second choice goalkeeper Joe Lewis.  There is absolutely no way that they should be regarded as potential cover for injuries at this stage. 

[allways travelling 0]

Who ever is reasponsible for failing to replace leon in my opinion should be bombed out of the club.We have been told since the season started and pre season things are being done to strengthen the squad. Here we are five games in begin of sept and still only one signing.Ok things at the moment on the field of play have improved rapidly but we all know suspensions and injuries are just round the corner.most clubs with any savvy add players to there squad even when things are going very well.I have a feeling our lot will wait until we start to falter before trying to do anything about it which to me is absolutely insane.Getting fed up of all the promises and excuses being used at our club its about time they came clean about the real reasons for lack of signings. 

[dr livingstone 0]

yes from 2 yards. and he nearly missed.

[nutty nigel 7,645]

[quote user="mystic megson"][quote user="canary cherub"]

As I see it Ward was replaced by Lewis, Croft has replaced Charlton and Etuhu replaced Jarrett. The loan players you mentioned will probably be replaced by loan players, which will leave Mckenzie and Green not replaced! We did sign some acadamy players on pro contracts at the end of last season which people never seem to mention unless its to slate the manager for not playing them. I believe if we had signed Cotteril and then a couple of loans the club would have been happy with the squad size for this season, as for me, i''m not so sure! Lets hope they stay fit!

[/quote]

Cherub, I''ve seen the ex-Academy boys and while they look promising none of them are anywhere near a first team place, and that includes our second choice goalkeeper Joe Lewis.  There is absolutely no way that they should be regarded as potential cover for injuries at this stage. 

[/quote]

You are probably right although some players can surprise you when promoted to the first team, I have seen countless players who look good for the reserves not make it at 1st team level. Adrian Coote readily springs to mind! In recent times Ian Henderson has been far more succesful in the first team than Ryan Jarvis and that would have surprised me a few years ago! Potential cover for injury I guess depends on who is injured but I doubt if we could have brought in anyone who would have offset the loss of a Huckerby or an Earnshaw! So lets keep our fingers and toes and everything else crossed that they stay fit!