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Post by Wimbo on Jul 25, 2020 9:07:37 GMT
I agree with Wimbo's assessment, particularly having a replacement/cover for Rae. I spoke to some of the players at the railway station after the Middlesborough game and they clearly recognised the difference Rae made. Incidently, we didn't miss Izzy Brown when he'd gone, did we? I tend to agree too - but I think Izzy Brown could improve - the way Sluga and Bree have improved - if NJ gives him a similar wake up call as he did to Bree. There were some games early on where he showed he can run through defenders and pick a great pass - we seem to have forgotten that with his fading under Graeme Jones, he wasn't the only one to slip backwards under that manager. He has massive creative potential but also has to build an engine like Pelly's and learn how to cover defensively. There can be no free pass for creative players "just to create" in this division - Berry showed what can be done, and Cornick, great and energetic defensive work. If NJ can coach that level of awareness and grit then Brown could be a better creative link than Shinnie, who also seems to have gone backwards this season - I think Brown has more potential to be a top Championship creative midfielder than anyone else we have or could get, but he needs some strong coaching to discover the player he can be. I honestly think our finances will be stretched to the limit and that means no Sluga style purchases. we need Mick to keep coming up with some young undiscovered genius - and bring them in and blood them, bring them on. - It's something Luton have been pretty damn good at throughout the time I've been watching, from Rioch and Macdonald to JJ and Stacey But we are feeling good now in a way that I had not imagined possible from Christmas to June. and I just hope that we can do as well next season as we did these last 9 games. Offpat; wise words: There can be no free pass for creative players "just to create" in this division.
I think there is a lot of very creative footballing talent residing within Izzy Brown and as I see it there are two ways to release that talent. One way is to have Izzy playing in a team at the top of its form filled with players who are dominating midfield; then Izzy can flourish with his creative talents and his ball-winning weakness will not be a detriment to the team. That’s what happened in Huddersfield’s promotion-winning side; they loved Izzy. The other way is, if possible, to change the player's mindset. I remember watching Shinnie in his early away games; lots of creativity but not much ball-winning. Collins when he first arrived, the ball had to be right to him and that was that; similar the development of Cornick. With good coaching and development, these two have turned into real workers for the team. In a similar way who would have thought that Lee would be tackling back and covering the left flank as he has in recent games. So, the question is for me. Could Izzy be coached and developed to add that ball-winning hard graft element to his game? If he could then great, if not then he is mainly a 70-minute substitute on a Luton bench. |
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Post by bernardshakey on Jul 25, 2020 9:34:36 GMT
Liz, add to that list Jake Peck who is very highly regarded but was out for nearly a year with a broken leg. He is back to fitness now.
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Post by 8two on Jul 25, 2020 10:17:10 GMT
Liz, add to that list Jake Peck who is very highly regarded but was out for nearly a year with a broken leg. He is back to fitness now. Yes missed him bernard and having checking see that he is listed under the Academy. Would imagine that none of those deemed talented enough from the youngsters will be discarded especially since I assume we are now a higher category coaching club. |
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Post by Wimbo on Jul 25, 2020 10:31:12 GMT
Picked this up on twitter about our squad as we went into the final game:  |
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Post by CURLZ on Jul 26, 2020 17:55:23 GMT
I would let the following players leave & if any remaining contract issues seek a mutual consent departure: Galloway: if he ain't going to recover & play why keep him: perpetual sick note & 1 year left on contract. Cranie: ( 1 year left on contract): fair player but his pace has gone. & I reckon we could do better. McManaman: done ok but probably won’t do much more than we have seen. Tunnicliffe: ( 1 year left on contract): not good enough Butterfield: hardly got a game under either manager: time to go Hylton: love what he has done but time to move on to a L2 club Try to retain on new contracts the following OOC players: Rea
Berry
LeeTake up I year option on LuaLuaPlayers with 1 year left on their contracts: either renew or sell if we can get a taker otherwise they are free to move on in summer 2021: Collins, Pearson, Bradley, Potts, Pelly, Moncur, Shinnie. I would like to keep this group if they want to stay and extend their contracts. As for newcomers, once the above is all sorted then we surely need to really strengthen in the attacking wing-back area if we are to make any use of Collins. I would like us to sign Bree, always looked a good player to me when playing at RB. We need a CCV type CB; could we get him back on loan? If not then really need for similar quality as Pearson & Bradley are very willing but a touch limited (top end of L1 players IMO). Holding midfield: desperate shortage especially if Rea departs. This was IMO the greatest mistake that GJ made; he just did nothing about that position in either transfer window. Creative midfield: another needed, maybe two. Strikers: need another one to support the hopefully staying Collins. May well sound a bit harsh but we have to make the move from a very good L1 side to a reasonable level Championship side. I pretty much agree with all of those thoughts Bill, and having already let 5/6 go another 5/6 would allow us a little Leeway in the Market. I was Particularly thinking about how much we are saving by going down this route. I'm guessing in the region of £20-£25 Grand a week. As Dawn pointed out when She Zoomed in, a number of targets have already been Identified, mind you I guess that could be anywhere between 2 and 6 If a couple of those are from the Bargain Basement... I just have a feeling Nathan will not want to hang around on this... |
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Jul 26, 2020 20:56:42 GMT
GK position - looks okay unless rumours of interest in Sluga from abroad have substance. If they do then it may be worth cashing in IMO - recoup what was paid and look for a PL reserve on loan with Shea as his adequate back-up. Not an anti-Sluga comment - just that the market may never be the same after Covid-19 so recouping the initial outlay may be a prudent move IF an offer came along. Also, getting GKs on loan does seem to be easier than filling other positions so that could be a way of freeing up funds for better quality outfielders.
FB positions - need both a RWB and a LWB. I see Kioso as back up to a regular RWB - ditto Potts for LWB. Don't know what to think about Galloway - looked a bit lightweight in challenges and not sure you can trust him to be available from week to week.
Quite surprised to see Bree wasn't on Villa's released list last week, although that may change now that they've secured PL football for next season. Bree is decent and has improved under NJ compared to GJ (then again, so have I) but I don't see Bree as quite fitting the wing back role. Maybe that's because we still look a tad soft at CB so both backs have had to play as FBs rather than WBs - unfortunately, they seem to get sucked into the middle to help out the CBs, thus leaving plenty of room for opposition wingers to pepper our penalty area with crosses. This season, that can be levelled at Bolton, Bree, Potts, Cranie and Sheehan so I'm not sure whether it's a trait of our tactics/training.
CB positions - Pearson and Bradley are decent L1 CBs and both seemed to be 'adequate' in the Championship with CCV alongside them. However, as a pair (without CCV's reading and positioning) then I doubt we'd keep many clean sheets. Not their fault but just a fact that the quality of opposition forwards and midfields will turn them inside out! With Lloyd Jones released and CCV gone then it is a position that we must fill with Championship quality players - probably needing two CBs, ones who have some pace about them as well. CCV will end up at a club who can afford his wages so that's us out of the equation! As he is OOC, he won't sign for another club for a big salary and then be made available on loan - so it's either permanent on a silly salary or not at all ... I guess the latter!
DMF position - crucial that we hold on to Glen Rea and get a step-in for him for when he is unavailable. Vital position to fill and shows its importance with an analysis of results with and without Rea. Was thinking about Flynn Downes (only because I've seen the lad and know how well he reads the game) but probably out of our reach.
Sticking the round thing into the net thing position - shore up the defence and we may just about cope with what we have. Expecting our current forwards to score more than we concede (pre-CCV and then Rea) is ridiculous. Unfortunately, it is just as ridiculous to expect Luton Town to attract the sort of quality forwards we need for the salary we can afford. Unless Collins signs an extension, get rid to bring in funds as we cannot afford to lose him on a free in 2021 - if there are no other/better proven options then Hylton may be worth another year's contract. But he isn't a starter, more a throw-of-the-dice forward when we either need a goal or need someone who excels in shithousery.
Unknowns - O'Kane and Galloway. To a degree, LuaLua is also an unknown - his agent appears to have enormous sway on his decisions: he messed us about for both of the last two summers and LL lost pre-seasons because of it.
Elliot Lee is an odd one to me - NJ clearly likes him but I still need to be convinced that we cannot find better. Yes, he has provided some important goals and has great application but I believe we need a player with a bit more mobility and pace ... one who doesn't fall over expecting sympathy and free kicks from the officials that leaves the team outnumbered when the free kicks don't arrive.
NJ may put a lot of trust in the current players but I wouldn't be surprised to see a completely new back 5 IF funds allow. Mind you, nor would I be surprised to see a back 5 of Sluga, Cranie, Pearson, Bradley and Potts.
Berry is a must try to re-sign - again, he is trusted by NJ and knows the system. He also has good ground coverage and fairly versatile - not shoddy at defending, not shoddy at attacking.
Pelly and Harry - already rubber stamped onto the teamsheets.
Youngsters - much that I'd like to see some opportunities for the 2 or 3 youth players that we have, I cannot see any of them being ready for Championship football. Maybe a 6 month loan elsewhere (and by that I mean FL clubs, not Biggleswade) and then reassess. Josh Neufville has incredible pace and we all know that is one of Luton's biggest handicaps within our current A-team squad - however, Josh needs to know how/when/where to use this asset: the few times I've seen him, he bursts into a sprints but then needs a bit of recovery time. Harry was the same but he has improved his decision making on when to chase and when to recover.
Still think we will rely upon loans with, maybe, a couple of lower league captures. But I haven't a clue whether we will attract them if last summer was anything to go by: the young defender from Coventry who signed for Sunderland because they offered double what we offered simply highlights why we will struggle to fill the voids that we really should fill.
Not sure when LTFC's release/retain list is announced but I don't expect to see Butterfield, Moncur or McManaman in a Luton shirt again.
COYH.
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Post by starhootsman on Jul 26, 2020 21:50:01 GMT
I am pretty convinced Harry will become a major asset next season with his pace, by working on his finishing he will turn out to be a real gem, maybe alongside Danny ? Whatever, looking at the teams in the League next season surely gives us reason for optimism, no more Little Luton.
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Post by ickle on Jul 27, 2020 8:48:34 GMT
Proud, forget Flynn Downes Ipswich say that even the £4million valuation being talked in the press about would not buy him!
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Jul 27, 2020 9:23:19 GMT
Ickle, I thought it may be a pipe dream. As I can only see us fishing in lower league rivers for a DMF, he was the only one I could relate to - I haven't a clue who else may be decent in that role at that level. There are bound to be released players from the Championship downwards who would queue for an interview but there's a reason they've been released!
FWIW, a one-legged McCormack would be better than the scattergun selections for that role by GJ/GB/Dell/HP/Asus/Commodore 64.
We needed three important signings last summer to replace the outgoing players and those three position are still the ones we need to fill. However, now we have seen the standard in this division, there are a couple more to add than we thought last close season. Technical ability, pace (in particular), strength and cleverness won't come cheap!
Eddie Howe has been criticised for his 'inability' to get the best out of supposed superstar players on silly wages yet he can relate to his original squad of lower league players stepping up. To me, that sounded familiar to NJ and his attempts at Stoke to get players to work hard and adapt - for that reason, I guess we will always have an assembly of wannabes ... but hasn't that always been the Luton Town blueprint and it's sales itch to potential signings? It's just that The Championship is a hard environment for lesser mortals to learn as every mistake seems to be punished.
We can only hope that every 'small' team is in the same position - once you get past Wycombe, Rotherham and Coventry then I do start scratching my head as to who else may be so financially strapped.
COYH.
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Post by buzzhatter on Jul 27, 2020 10:57:02 GMT
Ickle, I thought it may be a pipe dream. As I can only see us fishing in lower league rivers for a DMF, he was the only one I could relate to - I haven't a clue who else may be decent in that role at that level. There are bound to be released players from the Championship downwards who would queue for an interview but there's a reason they've been released! FWIW, a one-legged McCormack would be better than the scattergun selections for that role by GJ/GB/Dell/HP/Asus/Commodore 64. We needed three important signings last summer to replace the outgoing players and those three position are still the ones we need to fill. However, now we have seen the standard in this division, there are a couple more to add than we thought last close season. Technical ability, pace (in particular), strength and cleverness won't come cheap! Eddie Howe has been criticised for his 'inability' to get the best out of supposed superstar players on silly wages yet he can relate to his original squad of lower league players stepping up. To me, that sounded familiar to NJ and his attempts at Stoke to get players to work hard and adapt - for that reason, I guess we will always have an assembly of wannabes ... but hasn't that always been the Luton Town blueprint and it's sales itch to potential signings? It's just that The Championship is a hard environment for lesser mortals to learn as every mistake seems to be punished. We can only hope that every 'small' team is in the same position - once you get past Wycombe, Rotherham and Coventry then I do start scratching my head as to who else may be so financially strapped. COYH. Presumably Birmingham and Sheff Wednesday may find their finances under even greater scrutiny next season, (a points deduction for Wednesday must surely be announced in the next week or so), but no, I can't see any other clubs who will not be able or willing to pay higher salaries than us. Our best bet will probably be deals to secure lower league starlets on the promise of... spend a season with us as a springboard to the Prem. |
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Post by CURLZ on Jul 27, 2020 14:03:53 GMT
Buzz I'm sure its going to be a case of sell before you buy with those two Bandits, as they will obviously still under the microscope regardless of when the Neanderthals finally come up with a decision to determine which league they will be attempting to bend the rules in next season.
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Post by offpat on Jul 28, 2020 12:08:25 GMT
Just a note on Bree... I am not a huge believer in the "Transfer market" website's accuracy - particularly their estimates of market value, which do not appear to take into account salary, contract lengths, or factors like Covid... but this was of interest - is it an automatic expectation or some sort of knowledge?  |
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Post by CURLZ on Jul 28, 2020 19:29:25 GMT
OK Folks, In the body of My post I said Steve Rutter should be our first appointment if possible. ... Admittedly My Greek is a bit Rusty but the Guy that replaced Steve Rutters Long term work partner at Atromitos FC, Anastasiou, A Guy called Savvas Pantelidis has just left the Club. I would like not to get too excited but surely there must now be a chance of SR coming back here with the upheaval going on in that club.
Fingers crossed on that one.
COYH
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Aug 3, 2020 7:45:30 GMT
I keep reading comments on various forums about us signing CCV as he's entering his last season under contract at Spurs and he's so far down their pecking defensive order that the next person in line is their kitman.
Sorry, but let's get real! Even if the transfer fee being bandied around (£1.5m-£2m) is correct, apart from ridiculous wages demands, he would command a similarly ridiculous signing on fee. Our club would have to compete with many larger clubs for his signature and I simply cannot see that he would want (or need) to sign for us to fight a season-long relegation battle when there would be better clubs who would be in better league positions, possibly with a tilt at the Championship PO places.
CCV put himself in the shop window during his loan with us and did himself a massive favour ... and us at the same time! A the CBs we had at the time he arrived, he was another level (or two) up and it showed. That wouldn't have been missed by wealthier Championship clubs.
Would I like him to sign for us? Hell, yeah! Do I think we'll be playing against him next season? Hell, yeah!
We need at least one better central defender than Pearson and Bradley but it will be a 'Mission Impossible' to get someone as good as CCV on loan (assuming we approach PL clubs) or on a permanent (dipping into lower leagues).
Bree is also on silly wages at Villa so trying to make him a permanent signing would push our club's finances to it's limits even if he, too, is entering his final season under contract. In case of relegation, we would need to move players like CCV and Bree on and one season deals (unless there is genuine potential to make profits on them) isn't going to entice them to KR. Also, if signing on fees are in the "wow, really?" category, then playing players like them for just one season makes a massive impact as the club may then have to repeat the process in 12 months and cough up yet more signing-on fees for replacements ... and that assumes they can be moved on, of course. When you consider that one of our January flops' signing-on fee cost the club an average £5K per game played then what would that figure be for a Championship quality player if it was spread over just one season?
Sorry, but we are the Wycombe of the Championship (even if they are as well, now!) Next season will be about unearthing a some lower league gems with a work ethic that mimics our last nine games (except Reading) but, hopefully, a bit better mobility and pace. I have little doubt that NJ will be able to organise the troops better than GJ allegedly managed and that improvement will be key for us - but endeavour and sheer determination doesn't always overcome quality and that's what we will be facing again. Minimum 5 signings required IMO and that's without Glen Rea leaving ... it's a hell of an ask.
COYH.
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Post by 8two on Aug 3, 2020 8:55:46 GMT
I keep reading comments on various forums about us signing CCV as he's entering his last season under contract at Spurs and he's so far down their pecking defensive order that the next person in line is their kitman. Sorry, but let's get real! Even if the transfer fee being bandied around (£1.5m-£2m) is correct, apart from ridiculous wages demands, he would command a similarly ridiculous signing on fee. Our club would have to compete with many larger clubs for his signature and I simply cannot see that he would want (or need) to sign for us to fight a season-long relegation battle when there would be better clubs who would be in better league positions, possibly with a tilt at the Championship PO places. CCV put himself in the shop window during his loan with us and did himself a massive favour ... and us at the same time! A the CBs we had at the time he arrived, he was another level (or two) up and it showed. That wouldn't have been missed by wealthier Championship clubs. Would I like him to sign for us? Hell, yeah! Do I think we'll be playing against him next season? Hell, yeah! We need at least one better central defender than Pearson and Bradley but it will be a 'Mission Impossible' to get someone as good as CCV on loan (assuming we approach PL clubs) or on a permanent (dipping into lower leagues). Bree is also on silly wages at Villa so trying to make him a permanent signing would push our club's finances to it's limits even if he, too, is entering his final season under contract. In case of relegation, we would need to move players like CCV and Bree on and one season deals (unless there is genuine potential to make profits on them) isn't going to entice them to KR. Also, if signing on fees are in the "wow, really?" category, then playing players like them for just one season makes a massive impact as the club may then have to repeat the process in 12 months and cough up yet more signing-on fees for replacements ... and that assumes they can be moved on, of course. When you consider that one of our January flops' signing-on fee cost the club an average £5K per game played then what would that figure be for a Championship quality player if it was spread over just one season? Sorry, but we are the Wycombe of the Championship (even if they are as well, now!) Next season will be about unearthing a some lower league gems with a work ethic that mimics our last nine games (except Reading) but, hopefully, a bit better mobility and pace. I have little doubt that NJ will be able to organise the troops better than GJ allegedly managed and that improvement will be key for us - but endeavour and sheer determination doesn't always overcome quality and that's what we will be facing again. Minimum 5 signings required IMO and that's without Glen Rea leaving ... it's a hell of an ask. COYH. That's all a bit to logical for a football message board Proud. Have you ever thought about posting on 'Outlaws'?  |
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