Challengers next season?

[Didledee]

18 points off automatic and no Bradley and Trafford

Too early to call right now, need not only to replace them two, but also bring in much better players for the first team and squad, the January TW players were not great.

Pace and players who can unlock defences and also some squad players who can change a game off the bench, not target men like Jerome, players who attack their man and can get in behind.

If our game plan isn't working, a lot of times we go long ball to 2 lone strikers, I think a creative pacey player just off the front 2 would be great, not just to get the knockdowns but also give Morley and Dempsey an option through the middle, instead of hitting it to our wing backs.

Edited May 23 by Didledee

[woolli]

As it stands already, we are 2nd favourites behind Derby.

[radcliffe white]

Readings wage bill reportedly 290k a week 

[Rizlar]

Now Lee as gone we need a number 10 who can score and be a playmaker so Dempsey can slot into the 2 in midfield another striker (Stockton) I would like and I would be confident of a good go at automatic promotion . 

[gonzo]

See the cunts down the road have got Critchley back.

Thats not a bad appointment at all tbh.

[L/H White]

i don't we'll be having a serious go at defending the pizza cup next season

he'll want far less games to have a proper go at promotion 

[RUREADY2ROLL]

58 minutes ago, L/H White said:

i don't we'll be having a serious go at defending the pizza cup next season

he'll want far less games to have a proper go at promotion 

No we will win the league and FA Cup

[Big E]

I would like to think we would try and defend the cup as it was a good money earner

[bwfc2003]

41 minutes ago, Big E said:

I would like to think we would try and defend the cup as it was a good money earner

And a bloody good weekend awayt

[gonzo]

1 hour ago, Big E said:

I would like to think we would try and defend the cup as it was a good money earner

The next papa johns game ill go to is the final

[SatanGreavsie]

15 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Reading and Wigan are financial basket cases so as things stand I don't see them challenging. Particularly hope I am correct on the latter. Blackpool seem solvent with steady ownership. They're not actually that big a club though when it boils down to it - perhaps top six challengers.

Derby and whoever stays down out of Sheff W and Barnsley are nailed on challengers. Peterborough? I think they'll fade a bit. Wycombe had started to fade towards the end of this season. Then you're in to the League 1 under achievers of recent years in the form of Portsmouth and Charlton. I think at least one of those will be push on.

Looking it up, the Charlton takeover seems to be a bit rocky, with ownership of the ground an issue? But if they sort that then you could imagine someone having the good sense to invest some serious money into a club that is London based. There aren't many of them to pick up after all. Pompey must look back on a season where they finished, what 6 points behind playoffs?, but drew 19. If they'd converted a draw to a spawny win every few months they could have been at Wembley. As you say, Wycombe if they gain consistency, and you won't want to play Orient early on in the season (but they'll fade, bit like Shrewsbury did). Get rid of Wednesday and there's no reason to put us behind Derby and Barnsley in terms of automatics (as it stands anyhow - hopefully still saying that at the end of September!).

[Lostock Whites]

I wouldn't think of the pizza cup or whatever it will be next season is a distraction, just look at the day we had a few months ago, that day was one of the best days of my life.

With the cup, we were able to use our squad fully to compete and play in all those matches, making a stronger squad overall.

Also the pizza trophy ended up generating millions for us.

The league is always the priority, it get that but we are in 2/3 cup competitions each year, are cups just a distraction? Our football clubs history prides itself on the 4 fa cup wins that we have to our name. That's as many as Derby, Wigan and Portsmouth together, would we swap all those cups for stronger league finishes those years? Fuck no.

We haven't had a good run in the Fa cup & League Cup for a while, and I'd also take those seriously. The league is the priority but I don't think that means we should just throw all the cups out of the way, what's the point? 

Edited May 24 by Lostock Whites

[Newton White]

With  all the good vibes being taken back to city/liverpool by traff and bradley I would think they will be fighting to loan us their best youngsters for the season - so two 30 goal a season strikers and an attacking midfielder please.

 

[Whitesince63]

17 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Reading and Wigan are financial basket cases so as things stand I don't see them challenging. Particularly hope I am correct on the latter. Blackpool seem solvent with steady ownership. They're not actually that big a club though when it boils down to it - perhaps top six challengers.

Derby and whoever stays down out of Sheff W and Barnsley are nailed on challengers. Peterborough? I think they'll fade a bit. Wycombe had started to fade towards the end of this season. Then you're in to the League 1 under achievers of recent years in the form of Portsmouth and Charlton. I think at least one of those will be push on.

Aren’t Derby still under embargo though and I’ve heard that Barnsley are looking to move some of their better players on and cash in. Even Duff could be away so I’d say the Barnsley possibility is up in the air. As you say Wigan and Reading will have to clear out and Blackpool I’m not that worried about. I don’t fancy the chances of any of the promoted sides so in fairness if we get the summer signings right we have to be one of the favourites for the automatics. I think last season was exceptionally strong so I suspect nobody will need anywhere near the points total obtained this year.

[ex_midlandwhite]

Think Derby had all restrictions lifted a couple of weeks ago. No idea why so quickly

[TrickyTrotter]

37 minutes ago, ex_midlandwhite said:

Think Derby had all restrictions lifted a couple of weeks ago. No idea why so quickly

Think like us a few years back, they can now trade but every transfer is subject to EFL scrutiny against the submitted business plan.  They ain't spending big.

Reading have been under a transfer embargo since 2021, but think that may be lifted this summer along similar lines, but seeing as their 6 point deduction this last season was for breaching their business plan, they can expect very close EFL scrutiny.  They've still got Andy Carroll contracted to June 24, he won't be cheap.

 

[radcliffe white]

2 minutes ago, TrickyTrotter said:

Think like us a few years back, they can now trade but every transfer is subject to EFL scrutiny against the submitted business plan.  They ain't spending big.

Reading have been under a transfer embargo since 2021, but think that may be lifted this summer along similar lines, but seeing as their 6 point deduction this last season was for breaching their business plan, they can expect very close EFL scrutiny.  They've still got Andy Carroll contracted to June 24, he won't be cheap.

 

I mentioned further up reportedly weekly wages of 290k reading are paying out 

Edited May 24 by radcliffe white

[TrickyTrotter]

2 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

I mentioned further up reportedly weekly wages of 290k reading are paying out 

Yes staggering.  £15m a year on crowds averaging 14k.

[DomRepWanderer]

9 hours ago, Newton White said:

With  all the good vibes being taken back to city/liverpool by traff and bradley I would think they will be fighting to loan us their best youngsters for the season - so two 30 goal a season strikers and an attacking midfielder please.

 

Aye that Salah and Firminho ain't too shabby.

[Leyther_Matt]

1 hour ago, TrickyTrotter said:

Think like us a few years back, they can now trade but every transfer is subject to EFL scrutiny against the submitted business plan.  They ain't spending big.

Reading have been under a transfer embargo since 2021, but think that may be lifted this summer along similar lines, but seeing as their 6 point deduction this last season was for breaching their business plan, they can expect very close EFL scrutiny.  They've still got Andy Carroll contracted to June 24, he won't be cheap.

 

They mustn’t be paying much attention given how much they outbid us on wages for yon mon from PNE last year

[Wanderlust]

Absolutely no idea how competitive we’ll be next season.

We’’re losing two of our better players and a few more besides plus I’ve absolutely no idea how our finances are looking so there’s little point in speculating. 
What I do know is that the team we have today would struggle so we need to layer it up with signings and loanees to compete and that costs money that we may or may not have.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[Biggish Dave]

Anybody can win it next year........except Wigan

[Whitesince63]

20 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Absolutely no idea how competitive we’ll be next season.

We’’re losing two of our better players and a few more besides plus I’ve absolutely no idea how our finances are looking so there’s little point in speculating. 
What I do know is that the team we have today would struggle so we need to layer it up with signings and loanees to compete and that costs money that we may or may not have.

Interesting times ahead.

 

Nah, I disagree Lusty, with a decent keeper even with what we’ve got now I believe we’d still be challenging for top six. We don’t even need to replace Bradley directly in reality, just a decent wing back and maybe sign a quality player in another position who can trouble the defenders. I trust IE to bring in more quality in the middle and up top this summer so I think even without our two super loans we should still be strong enough for the automatics.

[TrickyTrotter]

Not a challenger.  Another club up for sale and f**ked.  Fleetwood Town

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65723365

 

[Wanderlust]

On 25/05/2023 at 18:16, Whitesince63 said:

Nah, I disagree Lusty, with a decent keeper even with what we’ve got now I believe we’d still be challenging for top six. We don’t even need to replace Bradley directly in reality, just a decent wing back and maybe sign a quality player in another position who can trouble the defenders. I trust IE to bring in more quality in the middle and up top this summer so I think even without our two super loans we should still be strong enough for the automatics.

Very few thought Argyle would dominate the league or Posh would make the playoffs and we won’t know how we’ll stack up against the other teams until all the transfer business is done and we have a few games under our belt so I’ll take your speculation with a pinch of salt. Would be nice though.