|
Post by Lake on Apr 8, 2021 14:49:32 GMT
NJ: "We’re in a decent position and we’re quite excited about what we can do in the summer. It’s not because we’ve got a load of money to spend, but there will be scope to go out and fish like we do reasonably well. The pandemic’s hit everyone, and hopefully what’s happened, is that there’ll be a little bit more of an even playing field. It brings a certain type of player into our realm that wouldn’t necessarily have been in that.”
|
|
|
Post by proudhattersince74 on Apr 8, 2021 16:27:50 GMT
For goodness sake, Lake! What made you print that here? Now Nathan's excited, I'm excited and if I'm excited then the world needs to hide!
The way I interpreted those comments suggests that NJ and Gary have acquired Trigger's broom following last weekend's miserable Easter performances and we'll be seeing plenty of new faces.
Alternatively, the cynic in me thinks NJ may be teasing us into believing that garbage so that we renew our season tickets in the hope that Augero will, after all, be affordable. Me, an old cynic? Oh yes, sir!
|
|
|
Post by Wimbo on Apr 9, 2021 6:01:36 GMT
Haha Proud, I love the Trigger’s Broom sketch. Yet I am even more optimistic than Nathan about the opportunity this time around to improve our squad following a season when clubs in the EFL especially the lower leagues have had very limited income and like us, have much of their own talent OOC.
Looking at our dozen or so players OOC, I would reckon that no more than two would be seen as attractive by other Championship clubs. Maybe a handful will stay with us whilst a lot more than a handful will not be offered new contracts IMO.
As NJ & MH have had a season to evaluate and check potential targets for recruitment, I reckon we will see at least six quality “Lockyer/Clark/Adebayo” types arrive and yield a more capable Luton team compared to the one that has had to operate at 110% to compete in this league.
Hopefully, we can have a fully committed performance on Saturday and gain a point or three and thereafter let some of those who will be departing have the remainder of the season on light duties and take a look at the “stick or twist” fringe players.
|
|
|
Post by proudhattersince74 on Apr 9, 2021 11:24:24 GMT
Dear Mick Harford, here's a right back straight out of Sol Davis's masterclasses who may be able to do a job for us.
Audition:
Can't see NJ ever accusing this geezer of being flaky when being challenged at Stoke ... he certainly doesn't look like he doesn't 'want it'!
|
|
|
Post by Lake on Apr 9, 2021 11:35:25 GMT
Straight out of the Wycombe play dead manual, lie prostrate and then after one minute jump up and run at the ref.
|
|
|
Post by biscot boy on Apr 10, 2021 11:11:02 GMT
Looked a good tackle to me.
|
|
|
Post by proudhattersince74 on Apr 11, 2021 16:49:54 GMT
I think my man-crush on Moncur is because he has been such an important game changer in many of his (all too few IMO) appearances: Pompey, Fleetwood, Wigan, Wycombe plus his overall performance and interaction with KDH in the match vs Norwich at KR this season. All his goals were highly important ones in the context of how the results were affected.
All of that adulation noted, yesterday's opponents are going back to L1 - Wycombe should not be considered your week-in, week-out Championship quality opposition and I keep asking myself whether our two first scorers would have stood out against, say, Boro or QPR, even if they were down to 10 men.
NJ cleverly evaded a direct answer about the futures of Moncur and LuaLua by commenting about the squad/team/club having to evolve to survive in the Championship and I fully agree with that IF IT IS POSSIBLE without breaking the bank! From NJ's swerve of that question, I doubt that BOTH will be offered terms for next season - possibly one as I guess it would be a relatively cheap 'risk' vs signing an unknown quantity: George would get my vote as LuaLua has been too anonymous in too many games when he has come on for relatively short cameo appearances.
53 points at this stage of the season is incredible given our position at lockdown last season and that's without major surgery to the squad and suffering a much greater injury list than GJ had to contend with. many of this season's injuries have been medium term recoveries in vital defensive positions where proper cover has been in quite short supply. Compare those worries to GJ only having to fret about how long Izzy Brown was going to be out to save our status.
All in all, extremely good progress has been made this season.
Yes, there are concerns about some of the players who are not OOC and who are likely to be with us next season. Some of those concerns were highlighted vs Wycombe, especially some players being easily out-muscled and/or bullied off the ball. But I guess we may simply have to persist with those players as there are probably going to be plenty of other changes brought about by OOC leavers.
I just hope NJ and MH can secure many of their desired signatures early in the close season so that we don't have to wait a month into next season for any last minute signings to get up to fitness.
Biggest worry? Obviously that would be being KDHless next season. Finding someone who is mobile enough to cover the box-to-box area, has the vision and dead ball delivery skillset will not be easy. The closest player I've seen to KDH this season to KDH is Bannon (Sheffield Wed): everything goes through him from front-to-back and side-to-side. Bannon would be light years outside our finances - let's hope there are similar players lined up on MH's clipboard.
Seeing how much KDH has improved this season, I hope he stands us in good regard to borrowing other PL youngsters. Much though it is detrimental to develop another club's asset and it will hurt to see KDH depart, he is also tangible proof that our club can be the right environment for a youngster who has no real chance of playing in the PL for some time.
COYH.
|
|