Out of interest, what do we think will be different next season?
HMS Piss the League was all at sea, rudderless and taking on water, until it inevitably hit the rocks.
What significant thing is going to change? An investor, like Belokon brought in? A recruitment strategy that actually works? The spine of the team ready in for the start of the season? No mad panic in January? Strikers who actually know where the goal is? Defenders who can actually defend like they’d not been thrown together 5 minutes before kickoff? A team that can take reasonably dangerous set pieces? Youth players sensibly integrated, with a plan that goes beyond farming them out? The end of the non-stop sideways crab football? A set of players and formation that works and isn’t shoehorned from the UEFA coaching playbook? A Plan A, B & C? In-match changes and substitutions which have a positive effect? Not sitting back to defend slender leads? Entertaining football?
There’s no evidence to suggest Sadler even believes there’s even a problem. Critchley won’t walk out on his 4-year deal, without taking the compensation. Even he’s not that stupid.
We will continue to paper over the cracks. Piling sand into the gaping sink hole of our hopes and dreams.
Player wise we need good footballing players, but the right type, we can often be a bit too nice, lightweight.
Recruitment needs to be on point, it won't be easy but somehow if you can get big, intelligent, strong, fast players who can play too you can use those physical advantages.
Sometimes it may be a bit much asking asking get all elements in one player at our level, but that should be the goal for me.
You look at the way some other sides build their teams and we rarely seem to get similar players, the younger with huge potential players with many attributes and just some coaching and a positive style to get the most from them. Peterborough spring to mind in some ways in the recruitment they wanted and they aren't a bigger club but the recruitment seems superior.
I guess we invested in a goal scorer but sadly that hasn't paid off, you need someone proven who's scoring many goals and still is young enough to be able to run fast, as good a Rhodes is that's his weakness.
Pace is a big factor, if we have many players quicker than most and they can play, then this can make things far easier.
It seems too many we sign don't hit enough of these factors, not tall, often not particularly fast or strong, if a striker then not prolific. Even Fleetwood managed to get some half decent looking players with many of those factors on their budget.
The problem is they then have to be played correctly and NC also doesn't seem to sign many players like this in his time here and if the team reflect him it won't be big, strong, fast etc.
It's then about getting the right balance and mix.
But you look at teams who've done well like Luton, they have a certain way and used physical advantages, although you can have a bit of everything and be a footballing side with height, pace.
It's all about that recruitment and it'll need us to get deals done and spend a bit and also having the right manager with enough personality and vision to build that team and get the best from it.
oh and substitutes on 70 minutes
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