where would you be happy?

[dickos1]

It's not in the clubs plans no but at the minute it's looking more and more likely. It's there for us all to see we haven't got enough players in the squad at the minute, if we started the season tomorrow we would have one of the biggest wage bills in the league but we would obviously struggle to stay up just because of how lightweight our squad is.
Just because we have a few players on a massive wage doesn't mean we have a Devine right to have a successful season.

[grayx]

Mid-table. Rebuilding takes time.

Thats how I see it,at best to be honest.
This "biggest budget" talk is to do with existing players who are being paid more than they are worth.

[hoolahoop]

Bottom half possibly relegation at the rate the squad is not being assembled oh and we've still got................the clown. 

[steve@dcfd]

This "biggest budget" talk is to do with existing players who are being paid more than they are worth.

The budget is design without the high wage earners, that's the plan. The three owners will find it difficult to achieve if they are still here. That was said in the forum meeting.

[dickos1]

At the minute we are over our 'biggest budget' regardless of what their plan is if nobody comes in for any of the high earners there's nothing they can do. They will have to increase the budget even more or make dean start the season with a squad of 15

[monkeytennis]

After reading the back page of the DFP this week I'd be happy not to get relegated! A couple of injuries early doors and that's us screwed!

[steve@dcfd]

We have more than 15 players now. 12 contracted last year + Beye?+   3 new signings?+5 first years + Keegan that's a total of22 players. 3 GK and 19 outfield players. May not be all Deans choices and in his words some average players, but he has a Squad.

[dickos1]

The 5 youth players are going out on loan, bêye without doubt would of had a release clause in his contract if we got relegated. So really we have 16 players 2 of which are goalies so we have 14 outfield players currently, we're desperate for at least 5 more players, if we don't get them were obviously going to struggle.

[steve@dcfd]

I hope we can get more players, but the five first year professionals can only go on loan if we sign players. If Beye is not returning I hope we are not paying him now. His contract should be cancelled and the money used for another player.

[Mr1Croft]

I'm actually starting to worry, I still think we are going to struggle for depth. I mean we need about 5 more players, so if the 3 highest earners leave can we bring in 8 players for this level? We were all happy to admit that in the past we signed too many players that were only here to make up the numbers. We must be realistically hoping we can now do that just to have enough players. I know we are cost cutting and still have a big budget but lets just imagine if we would have been throwing money we didn't have a few years back, getting into administration and then being relegated thanks to a point deduction. Transfer embargo aside would our transfer activity be any different? Of course that is just a hypothetical joke and I would never wish administration on our club...

[dickos1]

I hope we can get more players, but the five first year professionals can only go on loan if we sign players. If Beye is not returning I hope we are not paying him now. His contract should be cancelled and the money used for another player.

Correct they can only go if we sign players, but if we don't and then they stay then surely you will have to acknowledge that our expectations should just be to stay up. Regardless of budgets if we only have a squad of 14 outfield players and 5 first year pros were going to struggle.

[steve@dcfd]

I expect Dean to get the best out of the squad he has.

Gk. Woods, Sullivan, Maxted

RB. O'Connor + one
CH. Martis,Friend,Wakefield
LB. Spurr, Husband

CM. Stock,Keegan,Syers,Woods
WM. Coppinger, Cotterill, Bennett,Mullen,McCormick

Forwards. Brown,Ball,Blake

Now we need a right back, for cover and to replace Jimmy if he goes.
We need another Centre half at least especially if Martis injury record continues and if Friend leaves.
We have to look at midfield although it is least priority at the moment, but with the injury record of Stock, Woods and Keegan, we made need players especially if we lose Stock and Coppinger
We need another striker at least.
Dean has already signed 10 out of the 21 players in the squad, so he is getting his players. If he can sign more then top six with our budget should be the target anything less than top ten will mean he has not got the best out of the squad.

[dickos1]

You expect him to get the best out of the squad, in my eyes the best out of that squad would be survival.
But your expecting him to finish top 6 with that squad?
Who are the ten players? I can only see 3 in that squad that he has signed for now
The 5 youth team players weren't signed for this season they will be nowhere near ready yet,

[steve@dcfd]

Quote
You expect him to get the best out of the squad, in my eyes the best out of that squad would be survival.
But your expecting him to finish top 6 with that squad?I wrote if he can sign more
Who are the ten players? I can only see 3 in that squad that he has signed for now
The 5 youth team players weren't signed for this season they will be nowhere near ready yet,

5 first year professionals, Husband,Keegan,Syers, Cotterill and Blake, that's 10. Please stop calling them youth team they are now part of our first team squad. You are doing them an injustice, I appreciate they have a lot to learn. But if we are left with the high earners they will be sat on the bench unless the board decide to improve what is a good budget for the top teams in this league, not my words, but Gavin's.

[dickos1]

Dean has been given one of the best budgets in this league. Therefore he must be aiming for a top six finish. Anything less will not be good enough. We must win all or a majority of our home games, to encourage more supporters. It will not be easy but with his players he must show he can win games in this league.

No mention here of if he can sign more players. The budget is totally irrelevant if we don't sell some players, as we're over budget with no players at the minute.
Your just contradicting yourself because you say we should be finishing top 6 and then your showing our squad which obviously shows we will be nowhere near top 6.
If the first years end up staying it won't be good for their development.
It's pretty ridiculous to suggest he has signed ten players so he is now getting the players he wants.

[steve@dcfd]

No contradiction
Quote
Dean has already signed 10 out of the 21 players in the squad, so he is getting his players. If he can sign more then top six with our budget should be the target anything less than top ten will mean he has not got the best out of the squad.


Quote from: steve@dcfd on July 11, 2012, 11:15:08 PM
Dean has been given one of the best budgets in this league. Therefore he must be aiming for a top six finish. Anything less will not be good enough. We must win all or a majority of our home games, to encourage more supporters. It will not be easy but with his players he must show he can win games in this league.

I did write with more players and in the quote you used I wrote with his players. So I do expect him to sign more players. The squad suggest we do need more players that's all but 11 of the players were in the squad at the start of last season, which some said at the time was the best squad we had for along time. Sean was sacked because he was not getting the best from the players. Yet now these players are not good enough when Dean is in charge contradiction there I think.

[dickos1]

The problem is not the quality of player, it's the numbers I have no doubt copps, stock friend spurr etc would be more than good enough in league one but the squad is thread bear. When they get injured we have nothing to replace them with, it has nothing to do with sod almost a year has passed now since he left.
The problem I have is people saying things like we should be top 6 or dean will have failed its ridiculous it's a very tough league look how long Leeds, Wednesday's, forest, Huddersfield were stuck in it with massive squads and massive budgets.
If people are looking at our squad now and saying anything but top 6 is a failure then we have no chance, the problems were going through now we should be aiming for top 20 and anything better than that will be a successful season.
On the other hand if dean is allowed to bring in the 5 or 6 players he knows he needs then maybe expectations can be altered but right now expectations should be staying up. We have a good first 11 and after that we have players that should really be playing conference at the minute.

[The Red Baron]

The problem is not the quality of player, it's the numbers I have no doubt copps, stock friend spurr etc would be more than good enough in league one but the squad is thread bear. When they get injured we have nothing to replace them with, it has nothing to do with sod almost a year has passed now since he left.
The problem I have is people saying things like we should be top 6 or dean will have failed its ridiculous it's a very tough league look how long Leeds, Wednesday's, forest, Huddersfield were stuck in it with massive squads and massive budgets.
If people are looking at our squad now and saying anything but top 6 is a failure then we have no chance, the problems were going through now we should be aiming for top 20 and anything better than that will be a successful season.
On the other hand if dean is allowed to bring in the 5 or 6 players he knows he needs then maybe expectations can be altered but right now expectations should be staying up. We have a good first 11 and after that we have players that should really be playing conference at the minute.

This is what I posted last week:

That's about how I see it. I think our season will be similar to Scunny's last term. Struggles early on, maybe a spell in the bottom four and finally pulling clear to finish somewhere between 12th and 20th.

I know I'll get hammered for this, but the only way I can see this scenario being avoided is for the board to loosen the purse strings now and allow Saunders to bring in some of the players he wants. Then gamble that we will get offers for some of the high earners between now and the end of August.

Although I'm not quite predicting a doomsday scenario- relegation to League 2- I still think the effects of a poor season in League One would have serious repercussions in terms of lost support. We simply HAVE to be competitive this season or we risk throwing away everything we've achieved since 1998.

Having seen the sort of team we fielded at Cleethorpes, I think I was being overly optimistic. The point about the Board still stands. Unless the manager is allowed to bring in more players, we will struggle to compete.

[mrfrostsdad]

Further to my last re Martis.
According to 'unnofficial' site today, Martis will be out for 'several weeks' due to have damaged his calf in training last week. That's another player less to start the season with.
As I said, he will be out most of the season (again) The man tears or pulls something every time he breaks into a trot.
I'm 56 and I reckon I'm fitter than him. I do't pull my hamstring every time I go to the gym that is for sure!!

[DearneValleyRover]

We need to bite the bullet and get a few in. The 2 from Stevenage and Tiawo would be ideal. If we got these I'd be very confident, if not and we don't even get at least 1 more centre half then it will be as big a struggle as last season.

[IDM]

I'll be happy with a few more wins, and some better entertainment, especially at home.  Confidence will grow and the table will look after itself. 

[MrFrost]

Offering Martis a three year deal was nothing short of ludicrous.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Big H speaks a lot of sense. I think we'll end up finishing between 16th and 10th. Our natural level is there is such a thing I'd say is currently upper mid league 1 - achieving that would be a success.

Its a consolidation season where hopefully some younger hungry players will begin to spark, the team will develop a rhythm, the fans will feel more connected with the club. Over the next couple of seasons we have the be strong enough for another assault on play offs.

So far I'm very happy that DS hasn't gone picking up useless squad players. Could do with a couple more quality additions, but I reckon we'll be using loanees a fair bit this season.

[BobG]

Well, given the circumstances, anything outside the bottom 4 will do for me. We're nowhere near reaching the turning point yet.

BobG