Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 12:35 am  

Dave K. wrote:

I know covid hasn't helped, but Pearson has made some big errors, kept Radford at least a year too long and Hodgson.

Would love to see what Smith could have done with the resources they both had.

Totally agree....
Pearson and/or Clark have made garguantuan errors, appointing 3 Assistant coaches with zero man-management skills, and another failure to appoint a General Manager, which had similar attributes to Motu Tony.Since Motu left in 2017, our recruitment and retention has been shambolic, this has led us to where we are today.....
Smith is doing a great job,with the available resources at his disposal , however my major concern is the unnecessary pressure from Pearson to make the 6. IF Smith is replaced, I have zero confidence in the hierarchy , to make a suitable replacement .

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 1:31 am  

Irregs#16 wrote:

Really not sure on Litten. He could do with a year in Championship for me

I agree.Jury out for me on Litten.The more i see him the more i am convinced he will be another who ends up in the Championship.
Not a centre,not a wing so should concentrate his efforts at full back
London have just lost their full back to Long term injury.Would be a decent move for him and the two clubs

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 7:51 am  

Think its pretty harsh to write Litten off yet. He turned 20 half way through last year and looked comfortable in most of his games last season.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 7:55 am  

Irregs#16 wrote:

Really not sure on Litten. He could do with a year in Championship for me

Agreed.

Can’t fault his enthusiasm.

But too many mistakes just at the moment which are a result of over excitement.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 7:59 am  

Played far too many games for his age, started the season really well, but towards the end looked tired or lacked confident, but that could be said about most of the side

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:04 am  

We seem to have a gap between the Youth and first team. For me that is represented by the 4 or 5 years of poor first team coaching and lack of opportunities given. If you look at the better sides in the League some of there youngsters are in there third or fourth pre season with the first team. This is a gap Cummins and Smith needs to plug, which looks like something they are doing. If you take into consideration the scoreline last time we sent a youth team to Bradford pre season to this season, seems some progress at least.

We seem to have 17 first teamers, a coule of fringe players and the rest is very raw and inexpierenced youth players. That gap needs plugging which im sure if given the time, patience and guidance can happen.

The club just need to stop being spin doctors, come out and say what the long term plan is we are where we are at and what our aim is. Instead of coming out with big statements and just creating unrest amongst supporters when we lose 5 or 6 in a row.

To solve this problem, Pearson has to back Smith till at least the end of 2025 IMO. Not think of pass sales and just the future.

[Chris71]

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 11:15 am  

bonaire wrote:

I agree.Jury out for me on Litten.The more i see him the more i am convinced he will be another who ends up in the Championship.
Not a centre,not a wing so should concentrate his efforts at full back
London have just lost their full back to Long term injury.Would be a decent move for him and the two clubs

Still a little too early to judge Davy Litten as he was pretty much dropped in at the deep end so to speak.

Think Litten started off well but like most young players coming through struggled to maintain the consistency. That's no slight on him given that due to our lack of depth from poor recruitment and Hoys long term injury, meant he played far more games than Smith would have wanted him too. On top of that he was put in a side that we all know was pretty poor which won't have helped either.

I agree that a season at a Championship club would be beneficial to get regular games which will help in his development.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 12:16 pm  

pmarrow wrote:

We seem to have a gap between the Youth and first team. For me that is represented by the 4 or 5 years of poor first team coaching and lack of opportunities given. If you look at the better sides in the League some of there youngsters are in there third or fourth pre season with the first team. This is a gap Cummins and Smith needs to plug, which looks like something they are doing. If you take into consideration the scoreline last time we sent a youth team to Bradford pre season to this season, seems some progress at least.

We seem to have 17 first teamers, a coule of fringe players and the rest is very raw and inexpierenced youth players. That gap needs plugging which im sure if given the time, patience and guidance can happen.

The club just need to stop being spin doctors, come out and say what the long term plan is we are where we are at and what our aim is. Instead of coming out with big statements and just creating unrest amongst supporters when we lose 5 or 6 in a row.

To solve this problem, Pearson has to back Smith till at least the end of 2025 IMO. Not think of pass sales and just the future.

Bang on about Smith needs a total rebuild and we are one year in.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 12:52 pm  

We seem to have a problem with academy players where they seem to be amazing at academy level, receive representative honours etc, have a great couple of games in first team then either end up becoming an average squad player or being released and playing in the championship/league 1...it's something that the club need to improve on, managing that transition from academy to being a top first grade player.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Fri Feb 09, 2024 1:36 pm  

Steve0 wrote:

We seem to have a problem with academy players where they seem to be amazing at academy level, receive representative honours etc, have a great couple of games in first team then either end up becoming an average squad player or being released and playing in the championship/league 1...it's something that the club need to improve on, managing that transition from academy to being a top first grade player.

A start would be having more professional and better first team players.