Forum | My big question now is... by BondiBlue

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My big question now is... 06:11 - Sep 28 with 5000 views

...how on earth do we strengthen in the january window? Our reserves are beating prem teams in the cup and our first team is absolutely smashing it every week. There's surely a great argument that we don't strictly need to bring anyone else in. I'd be scared to touch it. I'd be scared to breathe too close to it.

Poll:

Which would you accept?

My big question now is... on 11:56 - Sep 28 with 1055 views

BrockleyBlue78

My big question now is... on 10:00 - Sep 28 by tractorboy1978

The well run clubs (and I believe Barber may have said this before too) are always looking to improve the 'weakest' couple of players in their starting 11 each window - it's how you get constant rolling improvement of the squad without ever making wholesale changes or affecting team cohesion. That's what we did last January. I expect Hutchinson will work his way into our 'strongest' 11 shortly and Luongo/Clarke are holding Taylor/Williams off at the moment!

[Post edited 28 Sep 2023 10:01]

Good approach. So….who do people think are the weakest couple of players in our starting XI currently?!

My big question now is... on 12:03 - Sep 28 with 1036 views

BondiBlue

My big question now is... on 11:48 - Sep 28 by itfcjoe

This just of the top of my head so may have got a couple wrong but we have a number of players out of contract in the summer:

GK
Walton - with an option
Hladky

DEF
Tuanzebe
Burgess - with an option
Donacien

MID
Morsy
Evans
Ball
Luongo

FW
Jackson
Aluko

So 11 out of our 25 man squad - obviously in there you have Walton, Burgess and Morsy who you'd expect to extend, then Hladky and Luongo playing very regularly currently.....take out the unknown in Tuanzebe....but leaves JD, Evans, Ball, Jackson and Aluko who feel likely prime for replacement as a minimum

Evans and ball - worth factoring in that morsy and luongo are both also the other side of 30. So a CM, probably a battler.

Only problem with that is you end up with a player you don't actually need this season and we've got squad limits and FFP to think about. Unless you're saying we look to move one or both of ball or evans on in jan.

Poll:

Which would you accept?

My big question now is... on 13:08 - Sep 28 with 967 views

portmanroadblue

Lots of room for improvement, Burnley walked the league last year, but struggling in the prem. We are conceding far to many goals at home and for me, not scoring enough away and I am not sure why. Think its down to us being more defensive away with less possession and more attacking at home leaving open spaces in defence, but I am sure KM is looking at it and as long as we win by 1 goal everything remains rosy.

My big question now is... on 13:50 - Sep 28 with 928 views

Help

My big question now is... on 13:08 - Sep 28 by portmanroadblue

Agree. Kieran has a fantastic system that our players are implementing magnificently. However individually are our players prem class. The process will only get you so far.

Burnley as an example. Goodness morsy told us the Sunderland game came as a shock to the players. I think we have seen both 1st and 2nd 11 have sometimes not started games well for whatever reason. Not being awake?

Quality players with that little bit extra having that extra ability against us. Compare the cost of some of our players against the value of some of the opposition we have played against. It is not individuals, but the combination of. Manager. players. Ability. System. Attitude etc.

Would I love us to get promoted. Yes. Would it be to soon. Possibly. Would we get beat every week. Unsure. It is a massive jump to compete in the prem. See the table for an example.

Am I loving it at the moment. Yes and relishing it. Wallowing in it. But cautious of what may be round the corner. Not to high and not to low. Level headed and considered.

But there is a long way to go and anything can happen between now and may.

My big question now is... on 13:55 - Sep 28 with 911 views

Kieran_Knows

My big question now is... on 11:48 - Sep 28 by itfcjoe

Am I going mad, but I'm sure Phil mentioned a little while ago that whilst we renegotiated Morsy's deal in Summer 2022 - which wasn't made public - Phil initially thought we didn't extend the length of contract, only for it to be that we did by an extra year?

Poll:

We’ve got super KM, he knows exactly what we need. Woolfie at the back…

My big question now is... on 13:57 - Sep 28 with 903 views

Kieran_Knows

My big question now is... on 13:55 - Sep 28 by Kieran_Knows
Am I going mad, but I'm sure Phil mentioned a little while ago that whilst we renegotiated Morsy's deal in Summer 2022 - which wasn't made public - Phil initially thought we didn't extend the length of contract, only for it to be that we did by an extra year?

I was correct for once, as per Phil's story from earlier this summer ...

'Morsy, who joined the Blues from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2021, has another two years left on his Town contract, promotion to the Championship having triggered a clause in the new deal he signed last summer giving him an additional season.'

Morsy: Reports of Saudi Interest News to Me 21st Jul 2023 12:12
Town skipper Sam Morsy says reports of interest in him from Saudi Arabian clubs was news to him and that his full focus is on the season ahead at Portman Road.

[Post edited 28 Sep 2023 13:58]

Poll:

We’ve got super KM, he knows exactly what we need. Woolfie at the back…

My big question now is... on 14:01 - Sep 28 with 881 views

GavTWTD

My big question now is... on 11:48 - Sep 28 by itfcjoe

Don't we have an option on Tuanzebe?

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My big question now is... on 14:42 - Sep 28 with 835 views

mutters

I've got the same problem in CM 01/02.

I've picked up the usual gems (Mike Duff, Kennedy Bakircioglü, Tonton Zola Moukoko, Maxim Tsigalko) and also bought in known names. I've got Roy Keane, and Patrick Viera being kept out of the team by Matty Holland, Vieri can't even make the bench and Ronaldinho is only playing a bit part due to Kim Kallstrom.

[Post edited 28 Sep 2023 14:43]

Poll:

At what price would you sell our 32 year old Leading Scorer Murphy this summer?

My big question now is... on 14:46 - Sep 28 with 829 views

nodge_blue

My big question now is... on 06:58 - Sep 28 by PrideOfTheEast
Surely the plan would be to buy better players than the ones we have in certain positions, obviously. Of which there are plenty. So a continuation of what we have been doing in the last few windows, eg replacing the likes of Donacien, Jackson, Evans etc who continue to serve a purpose but are much less prominent.

I don't agree. Theres no point in buying better reserves. Players will want to come here thinking they can play. So really you have to target the weakness in the first team.

Poll:

best attacking central midfielder?

My big question now is... on 08:44 - Sep 30 with 675 views

Vic

It’s been obvious for a while now that we are only looking to buy players that upgrade or have the potential to upgrade, what we have. Gone are the days of treading water and getting in like for like players. So if we’re serious about getting into the Prem it follows that pretty much any of the current first team squad are likely to be replaced in the medium term - unless they show over the next few months that they really are going to be good enough to step up again.

The one big thing that week by week shifts in our favour is the reputation of our manager. A year ago he was a pretty much unheard of young manager in the 3rd division. Now he is being spoken of by most of the big influencers at the very highest level as one of the best young managers in the country, with a track record that is going to be very, very appealing to a much better calibre of player.

Poll:

Right now, who would you rather have as Prime Minister?

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