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Jim Smith

Definite theme to the players we are being linked with

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Generally speaking either young and up and coming lower league players or players enjoying the best spells in their careers who may have peaked later than others. Either way lambo seems to go for leaders or potential but with something to prove. Latest link to the lad from Exeter (their fans really seem to rate him - much more than Seaborne) coupled with the Daggers winger suggests there will be very few big name ex prem player type signings this summer.

I don''t have a problem with it myself - getting back to the old days where we used to pick up players on the cheap and turn them into better players. Yes some of them won''t come off and some might ultimately lack that bit of quality but in Martin and Hoolahan we have attacking quality and if it can be supplemented with athleticism and strength in the other positions I think it might be a good mix. For me pace is the one thing we really lack at the moment so hopefully Lambo will recitify that!

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Good post.I agree and disagree. My problem is if you look at Matt Taylor for example Exeter is by far the highest level he''s played at having had spells at the following clubs (according to Wiki)

2000–2003Burscough
2003–2004Rossendale United
2003–2004Matlock Town
2004–2005Hucknall Town
2004–2005Halifax Town
2005–2006Guiseley
2006–2007Team Bath
He may have done well at Exeter in league 1.. but he''s never seen anything like the likes of the best Championship strikers.

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i think its brilliant, its an almost win win situation, if the player flops wich lets behonest every player has the potential to do so if they dont settle etc then the transfer fee isnt huge, if what a lot of lower league players do and play well then if we move them on a huge profit can be made. On another not i hope Millwall dont go up i want morrison from them and abdu. Perfect replacement for russel and morrison and holt would be insane :)

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I know what you are saying and I agree it would be dangerous to have a team made up entirely of these types of players. I think they need to be mixed in with a sprinkling of experienced pros who have cut it at a higher level. For this reason i was surprised to see the Doc let go but can only assume he was after too much money given that Lambo maybe sees him as a squad player this season. I also think that we need to sign a decent right back as am not sure Russell Martin is up to championship level defensively. I think Nelson will also struggle although was proven wrong about him last season so will wait and see. In general though I think filling the squad with players who have something to prove and who have real desire is definitely the way to go. Generally speaking all the players we seem to be linked with have been voted player of the season or have captained their clubs at some point. This time 18 months ago we had no real leaders in the squad. now we have loads.

Personally i think they have earmarked Whitbread as a starter at CB for this season. Ok he''s looked a bit shaky at times so far but he''s not been fit and a full pre-season and some strength work could make all the difference for him.

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Andy Hughes was our team captain at one stage and the Doc has been player of the season. I trust that Lambo will look past these types of accolade, so far his success record on transfers (while somewhat subjective) must rank amongst the highest in our history.

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[quote user="Tumbleweed"]Andy Hughes was our team captain at one stage and the Doc has been player of the season. I trust that Lambo will look past these types of accolade, so far his success record on transfers (while somewhat subjective) must rank amongst the highest in our history.[/quote]

 

Not really. I think he''s been hit and miss in the transfer market so far to be honest. No overwhelming successes other than Forster. Jury still out on quite a few and a few very everage signings in Rose, Elliott and Martin.

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Totally agree with this Jim. My real concern is that we must inject some pace in the squad. Our coaching staff have performed miracles producing a team with little pace and hiding that fact by making the most of what we''ve got.

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Oh! Just read your latest comments and don''t really agree with that!! (First time ever I think) His signings have worked for what he wanted ie to get out of League 1

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[quote user="Bury Yellow"]Totally agree with this Jim. My real concern is that we must inject some pace in the squad. Our coaching staff have performed miracles producing a team with little pace and hiding that fact by making the most of what we''ve got.[/quote]

Definately believe we need some more pace into the squad, McNamee is the only wide player we really have and up front the only players with pace are Cody & Oli whom I both rate but can only see being impact players.

We need a natural right sided player and another striker.

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[quote user="Bury Yellow"]Oh! Just read your latest comments and don''t really agree with that!! (First time ever I think) His signings have worked for what he wanted ie to get out of League 1[/quote]

 

Fiar enough I suppose they have done the job needed I just don''t think they are good enough players for our club but then maybe thats me talking with my snobbish "championship" hat on!

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I agree Jim, I''d rather hungry players full of desire than expensive Fulham / Wigan / Spurs cast offs.

 

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Just playing Devil''s Advocate, but arguably the greatest clutch of Norwich signings ever (Crook, Culverhouse, Bowen, Polston) were Spurs cast offs................Agree we need more pace in the centre though. Lappin still worries me a little at LM for that reason as Drury isn''t getting any younger.

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That''s a fair point about the Spurs cast off''s but these days you don''t get a Crook or a Bowen, they keep them because squads are bigger, you get the one''s they know are not good enough!

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Hungry players if they are nowhere near Championship standard will get us relegated , at this moment i think we will make Peterborough''s season look brilliant. Have we got a player in the squad that is truly Championship standard ? Drury ? maybe 3 or 4 years ago but probably not now .In the old days yes we used to find one or two lower league gems to fit into the side but an entire squad of untested lower league players is asking for trouble. The Board saying they want players who have not been there before is just a nice way of saying we are skint and cannot compete , do you honestly believe if he had a budget to push for a top six spot Lambert would be targetting these types of player , no me either.

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[quote user="Ncfc"]Hungry players if they are nowhere near Championship standard will get us relegated , at this moment i think we will make Peterborough''s season look brilliant. Have we got a player in the squad that is truly Championship standard ? Drury ? maybe 3 or 4 years ago but probably not now .In the old days yes we used to find one or two lower league gems to fit into the side but an entire squad of untested lower league players is asking for trouble. The Board saying they want players who have not been there before is just a nice way of saying we are skint and cannot compete , do you honestly believe if he had a budget to push for a top six spot Lambert would be targetting these types of player , no me either.
[/quote]

Forster (if we get him back on loan), Drury, Whitbread (apparantly), Russell, Hoolahan, Smith, Martin, Holt....

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It reminds me of the charge levelled at Fergies Man Utd when they lost 3-0 at Villa on the opening day "You win nothing with kids..."

I think Blackpool have proved what you can do with team spirit and a manager that knows what he''s doing. I don''t want journeymen footballers with "Championship experience" but hey ho you knows....

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[quote user="AndyCanary"]Good post.

I agree and disagree. My problem is if you look at Matt Taylor for example Exeter is by far the highest level he''s played at having had spells at the following clubs (according to Wiki)

2000–2003Burscough

2003–2004Rossendale United

2003–2004Matlock Town

2004–2005Hucknall Town

2004–2005Halifax Town

2005–2006Guiseley

2006–2007Team Bath


He may have done well at Exeter in league 1.. but he''s never seen anything like the likes of the best Championship strikers.
[/quote]

You can discount everything which as happened before he played for Team Bath. He was a goalkeeper before then. So to be honest considering that he has played centre back for four and has reached league 1 I think his potential is absolutely frightening.

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Taylor:

2006 -07   Team Bath               3 starts           3 goals

2007-08   Exeter - league         43                  9 goals

2008-09   Exeter - league         29+2              2 goals

2009-10   Exeter - leage          46                   5 goals

 

Out of contract 2010

 

 

 

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[quote user="freddyf105"]

[quote user="Ncfc"]Hungry players if they are nowhere near Championship standard will get us relegated , at this moment i think we will make Peterborough''s season look brilliant. Have we got a player in the squad that is truly Championship standard ? Drury ? maybe 3 or 4 years ago but probably not now .In the old days yes we used to find one or two lower league gems to fit into the side but an entire squad of untested lower league players is asking for trouble. The Board saying they want players who have not been there before is just a nice way of saying we are skint and cannot compete , do you honestly believe if he had a budget to push for a top six spot Lambert would be targetting these types of player , no me either.[/quote]

Forster (if we get him back on loan), Drury, Whitbread (apparantly), Russell, Hoolahan, Smith, Martin, Holt....

[/quote] Forster -  has never played at that level yet . Drury - best days are well and truly behind him .Whitbread - is only a maybe. Russell and Hoolahan - in the team that got relegated from the Championship -Smith - maybe in a year or two . Martin - another maybe .Holt - will be too slow and cumbersome and no threat whatsoever in the Championship.If we really want to push for top 6 we need to bring in a little quality take our strikers Holt ,Martin,Johnson and MacDonald , will there be a weaker strikeforce in the division ? No .

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[quote user="Ncfc"][quote user="freddyf105"]

[quote user="Ncfc"]Hungry players if they are nowhere near Championship standard will get us relegated , at this moment i think we will make Peterborough''s season look brilliant. Have we got a player in the squad that is truly Championship standard ? Drury ? maybe 3 or 4 years ago but probably not now .In the old days yes we used to find one or two lower league gems to fit into the side but an entire squad of untested lower league players is asking for trouble. The Board saying they want players who have not been there before is just a nice way of saying we are skint and cannot compete , do you honestly believe if he had a budget to push for a top six spot Lambert would be targetting these types of player , no me either.
[/quote]

Forster (if we get him back on loan), Drury, Whitbread (apparantly), Russell, Hoolahan, Smith, Martin, Holt....

[/quote] Forster -  has never played at that level yet . Drury - best days are well and truly behind him .Whitbread - is only a maybe. Russell and Hoolahan - in the team that got relegated from the Championship -Smith - maybe in a year or two . Martin - another maybe .Holt - will be too slow and cumbersome and no threat whatsoever in the Championship.
If we really want to push for top 6 we need to bring in a little quality take our strikers Holt ,Martin,Johnson and MacDonald , will there be a weaker strikeforce in the division ? No .
[/quote]

Another poster made a really useful post on another thread about strikers easily being able to play just as well in higher leagues and get as many goals. Look at Chris Iwelumo, Gary Hooper and Jason Scotland, fr that reason I can easily see Holt and Martin being able to make the step up.

Drury hasn''t really put a foot worng this season and has proved how good he can still be if he can keep fit. Last time round he had that knee problem, but if he keeps fit this time I can''t see how his performances won''t beof Championship standard. It''s wrng to say his best days are behind him when in my opinion he''s had some of his best days this season!

Russell and Hoolahan have been major parts of the team that has got us promoted, and neither were that much at fault when we were relegated (hence interest for both players last summer) Both hae good Championship experience and I think it tells that their good enough when other championship clubs are still eager to get their signatures.

Smith, Whitbread and Forster haven''t been tested in the Championship before, but that''s no reason for them to be doubted. Smith''s quick feet will be well suited to the championship with his part in the team very similar to say Gylfi Sigurdsson at Reading, he should do well.

Whitbread is a bit of a dark horse as we still don''t completely know what to expect, however reports from last season suggest that he''s more than capable to play league one (bearing in mind he was in a team that only missed out on promotion in a play-off final) and the fact that he was one of Millwall''s top performers last season- in a promotion chasing season- surely suggests that he is ready to make he step up.

Finally Forster, Forster has had quite a bit of League one experience now, and as we''ve seen in the past it''s not to hard for Keepers to adapt and grow in the championship. That''s the reason why you increasingly see teams putting faith in younger/ second keepers if their first choice retires or moves on. A move up the league for a goal-keeper is very much like a mov up the league for a striker, not oo muchy should chage, and let''s bear in mind Forster has been trained and developed by Newcastle, essentially a Premiership club.

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Tumbleweed wrote the following post at 24/05/2010 12:26 PM:

Just playing Devil''s Advocate, but arguably the greatest clutch of Norwich signings ever (Crook, Culverhouse, Bowen, Polston) were Spurs cast offs................Agree we need more pace in the centre though. Lappin still worries me a little at LM for that reason as Drury isn''t getting any younger.

You forgot the best of the lot, Martin Peters.

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To those people who say Lambert''s approach is going to flop...

Real Madrid splashed some £250 million on "proven" players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso & Karim Benzema.

Tell me exactly how many trophies they won this season?

I''l give you a clue it starts with Z

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[quote user="Tumbleweed"] so far his success record on transfers (while somewhat subjective) must rank amongst the highest in our history.[/quote]

LOL

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[quote user="Lambo"]

Tell me exactly how many trophies they won this season?

I''l give you a clue it starts with Z[/quote]

How much did they turn over? Clue....£180m

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[quote user="Ncfc"]Hungry players if they are nowhere near Championship standard will get us relegated , at this moment i think we will make Peterborough''s season look brilliant. Have we got a player in the squad that is truly Championship standard ? Drury ? maybe 3 or 4 years ago but probably not now .In the old days yes we used to find one or two lower league gems to fit into the side but an entire squad of untested lower league players is asking for trouble. The Board saying they want players who have not been there before is just a nice way of saying we are skint and cannot compete , do you honestly believe if he had a budget to push for a top six spot Lambert would be targetting these types of player , no me either.
[/quote]

we do have a budget to compete with the top 6 and we did in the relegation season. Blackpool dont have a budget in the top half of the Champ so that does just show you that money isnt everything. The difference between league one and champ isnt very big at all especially when you consider the gulf between the champ and prem, top players in league one even with out experience frequently go on to perform in the championship within top teams, peterborough had what 3, 4 managers in one year and i bet they would of done a lot better if they stuck with Fergie.

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How much did they turn over? Clue....£180m

 But like Lambo said, what have they won? And that turnover figure only applies from december 08- december 09(when they won the super cup and signed a new deal with bwin.com with upfront payments) I also believe they received extra payments for the sale of their training ground (or was that barcelona?) either way first and foremost what do fans want their club to make money or their club to be succesful on the field?

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agree Jim , take for example our squad in the late eighties early nineties .

players came through the youth ranks with something to prove or bought from lower league clubs with points to prove .

Andy Linighan , Steve Bruce , Phelan , Drinkell,

to name a few

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