Recruitment (in January)

[Argy1e]

So what's been smarter? We were told we had contingency for all outcomes. We didn't have contingency for the most damaging (and most likely) i.e. manager leaving. We didn't have contingency for losing our loan players in January. We used the success of last season to develop this "we are smarter rhetoric". Last season was largely down to SS and how he was able to galvanise the players and attract new. The smart ones have proved to be Blackburn, Stoke, Wednesday, Millwall, Swansea, QPR and maybe even Birmingham.

It's not that 'we are smarter', it's always been that 'we have to act smarter'. Meaning if we're going to compete, given the budget we have in comparison to these clubs we need to do things better. If you look at the number of points teams have got in comparison to their budget we'd probably be right up there at the top. These clubs have budgets that dwarf ours. But they're also losing millions. We have been acting smarter. We'd have been down a long time ago otherwise. We may still end up going down, and we have certainly made mistakes along the way. But if you look at how many million all of those clubs have lost this season compared to us, I think most would probably be embarrassed that we've been able to compete for this long. And we may even still end up staying up. For the scale of the achievement of what we're up against that probably is better than us winning the league last season.

 

[mutley marvel]

Underestimated the gulf in quality between the Championship & League 1
Our budget dictated the quality of players we could attract
Signing U/20 PL kids to fill the gaps in our squad appears was the only viable option as we did not have the money to sign the seasoned pros required to make us competitive
SH & his team will have learnt a lot from this season

 

[MGM]

For me recruitment needs reevaluation.

The reason for me is simple. It’s the type of player we bringing in. In midfield now for years l question why permanently we haven’t any athletic, physical midfielder that is able to cover the defence.

l look at other teams. They have players able to head in the ball in both boxes. Argyle in an opposition penalty area get a nose bleed when ball is in the air & slung into the box.

We watch teams with their speed merchants in wide areas. Argyle don’t seem to have that threat. Our forwards are too lightweight when it comes to a physical battle.

For a side who want to pass the ball we don’t have that player who dictates the play.

We ended up recruiting potential, without any plan for some of them how they impact our system. Devine for example, is he a number 10? Is he a central midfielder? Surely we could have utilised him better.

We have made mistakes & hopefully we learn from these. Yet, l think it shows you in some respects given our level of budget the diffcult nature it is to compete in a league we are simply financially overwhelmed by.

Without serious investors onboard by the summer, what changes so Argyle can compete?

 

[Said old Green]

Underestimated the gulf in quality between the Championship & League 1
Our budget dictated the quality of players we could attract
Signing U/20 PL kids to fill the gaps in our squad appears was the only viable option as we did not have the money to sign the seasoned pros required to make us competitive
SH & his team will have learnt a lot from this season

Apart from the fact that we don't have the budget to compete at this level , what do you think they have learn't and will.do differently next time?

 

[Biggs]

Apart from the fact that we don't have the budget to compete at this level , what do you think they have learn't and will.do differently next time?

Well every decision from December 19th onwards was wrong, which at least were honest mistakes next to the deliberate decision the previous manager made to shaft us.

It’s clear there wasn’t actually a contingency plan in place for an SS departure, given the muddle of January and not even having coaching staff for several weeks. And linked to that, we need to have a clearer recruitment strategy which should be informed by our year’s experience in the division.

Basically we got to where we were through superb decision making made by the right people appointed in the right positions, somehow that all went out of the window in January and we need to use that experience to ensure it never happens again.

 

[Greenlou64]

What recruitment no proven players no striker which we were desperate for but no money Schumacher was told for strengthening.

 

[Cobi Budge]

It’s pretty inexplicable that we’ve had two windows since Ennis and Cosgrove left and we’ve still not brought in another striker. And before somebody says “Championship strikers are expensive” I’m not actually suggesting that we go out and buy one, sign someone from L1, sign someone from L2, sign someone from abroad, bring in a loanee, take a punt.

 

[Greenlou64]

When in league one build a team ready for the Championship like Ipswich forward thinking too much to do when you are there

 

[demportdave]

It’s pretty inexplicable that we’ve had two windows since Ennis and Cosgrove left and we’ve still not brought in another striker. And before somebody says “Championship strikers are expensive” I’m not actually suggesting that we go out and buy one, sign someone from L1, sign someone from L2, sign someone from abroad, bring in a loanee, take a punt.

Somebody might correct me, but I think it was Dewsnip who said in September after the summer window had closed without signing another striker that we didn't actually need one because of the way we play, i.e. only one up front.

 

[Greenlou64]

We are a one trick pony we don’t have a striker who can win a ball when upfront on his own. We are one dimensional lack of a striker really taking it’s toll

 

[jimsing]

Apart from the fact that we don't have the budget to compete at this level , what do you think they have learn't and will.do differently next time?

You don't win anything with kids.

 

[jimsing]

When in league one build a team ready for the Championship like Ipswich forward thinking too much to do when you are there

Have you seen how much it cost Ipswich to do that?

 

[Greenlou64]

If you want to be Championship team it costs money that’s modern football.

 

[Greenlou64]

Look at the league table 3 lowest spenders down the bottom the days of doing a Wimbledon are not possible in this modern day

 

[memory man]

If you want to be Championship team it costs money that’s modern football.

And spending money you dont have or won't be able to repay if borrowed, it could cost our existence. We got away with it once. Doing the same again would be, at best, careless.