ITEN Column: What Constitutes a Good Season?

[RoversAlias]

Hi folks,

In the latest installment of my regular column on the site, I'm asking the question of what league finish means we can call this a "good" season, and whether or not our expectations line up with reality at present. You can check it out at the link below:

https://www.intotheemptynet.com/post/musings-from-the-south-stand-3-1920

This is all just my opinion of course, but I'm quite satisfied with the direction of the club at the moment and accept that teething problems are going to happen when implementing the long-term vision that the club appears to have. Time will tell if that faith is justified or not.

Many thanks as ever for reading and please do let me know your thoughts, I'm keen to see if many people agree with my stance or if I'm in the minority. Sometimes it's hard to tell either way on this one, it's something we often seem to debate in amongst other discussions.

 

[dickos1]

I struggle with the point of view that we’re building for the future and we have a long term plan, while also criticising the short sightedness of Saunders and Dickov.
The current squad is by far the most “short term plan” squad we’ve had in recent times.
We’ve 6 loan players who’ll all be toddling back to their clubs in the summer, we have a number of first team players out of contract in the summer. The number of current first team players  contracted to the club is as low as it’s been for many years.
So I can’t see how any of that is looking at the long term and building for the future, in my eyes it’s the complete opposite

[bpoolrover]

We definitely have a massive rebuilding task in the summer, hopefully we will get the players in early and not wait around to see if we might get them this time

[keith79]

It seams Every summer is a massive rebuilding project at the rovers.

[Alan Southstand]

We can’t keep saying that we’re going for top 6, when the strategy is anything but!

[steve@dcfd]

The clubs aim at the beginning of the season was a top six finish, even after appointing DM. Good players left the club, so instead of building onto a good team we started all over again. So with 12 games to go a top six finish will be hard now.
We have relied on loans again this season a strategy that does not lead to consistency and moving forward. The club take to long in either sorting out contracts or getting new players in.
Supporters are expecting we will get players in this summer. But are we competitive enough to attract good players, will we continue with strategy of loans with no hope to buy them. Massive rebuilding again especially if better players leave.
Contracted players Halliday Wright Anderson James Whiteman Gomes Taylor Okenabirhie Cole?  U23 Horton Hasani
Out of Contract players Lawlor Jones Blair Coppinger Sadlier Kiwomya Cole? U23 Blaney McClean Amos Greaves Watters Gibbons Boocock.

[drfchound]

....and from that list of contracted players I think other clubs will try to attract Anderson and a Whiteman and we won’t be able to match what they will be offered.

[RoversAlias]

Thanks for the responses folks.

On the overall matter at hand, I think that the club gave a reasonable explanation for relying heavily on the loan market this season. We can't say that it hasn't benefitted us as Dieng, Sheaf, Ennis and John have all provided significant contributions so far, and Ramsey has made a promising start too. Gavin Baldwin said not too long ago that the aim is to not rely on these short-term loans too much going forward, and we will have to see if he and the club live up to that intention in the summer.

Dickos - There is a key difference between a short/long term vision and labelling something as short-sighted.

In the article I'm referring to a few things from the Saunders/Dickov eras - chiefly the 'Experiment', the most short-term, short-sighted load of guff we've seen at the club in the 21st century. Then you add the squad rebuild which Saunders then undertook, a successful one but very much a "win now" strategy bringing in players who could be immediately successful but of whom very few, if any, stuck around with any worth more than 2 seasons. Dickov signed very few players of quality and certainly didn't look towards young talent that he could develop.

My point was that the club did not try and plan long-term then, whereas now they continually stress that they are looking towards a more sustainable long-term playing squad with younger players that can be developed and progress alongside the club. I see no reason not to believe that is the case as the recruitment from Ferguson onwards has matched that, by and large. The very appointment of Darren Moore proves that intention, in my opinion.

Steve/BpoolRover/Keith - I agree that we have taken too long over these aspects in the transfer market this season, ending up missing out on strikers in the summer and waiting till late to bring players in in January, although we got players in the end that are good additions on the face of it and our form through January was not hindered by players not arriving earlier. We have seen a managerial change the last two summers which causes upheaval, the two seasons prior to that we were changing division, naturally facilitating high player turnover. It isn't ideal but it hasn't been down to our own lack of foresight in my opinion.

Alan - I believe we may have already discussed this on Twitter a bit yesterday, but I don't personally think anything in our "strategy" or our overall effort this season suggests we aren't trying to make the Play-Offs. I just don't think it's fair to say we are intentionally not pushing on, if that is in fact what you mean.

Hound - I appreciate that it may be different in the summer, but we held onto Whiteman under quite a bit of interest from Championship clubs this season and tied him down to a new contract which protects our investment should he attract interest again.

[dickos1]

Our recruitment 3/4 years ago was very good, whiteman, Wright, marquis, Andrew, mason, Rowe,

We’re certainly not following that philosophy anymore, and you do have to wonder why.

The offering of new contracts is also dreadful from the club in my opinion,

[Bristol Red Rover]

A new manager can bring in a bunch of his ex players, ones who're used to his style, and that can be enough for a necessary boost in the squad's potential - IMO there's a chunk of luck attached to that being successful enough. Beyond that it's all about building, where a change in manager tends to upset the momentum.

We can easily look back and see the departures of DF and GM as upsetting the building of the squad and ethos, and that those changes happened quickly impacted stronger. Will DM build a successful squad? Next season will tell.

A lesson to learn, and one I sense the club are progressing with, is to minimise the impact of change and keep the basics of building going as a more established side of the club, not quite so dependent on the manager. For example, getting contracts sorted in a more organised way, having the youth and development sides in place, and having the talent spotter more independent of the manager. Then when it comes to a managerial change, there is less disruption with any new manager chosen being one who is choosing to enter the overall set up rather than being someone who demands wholesale changes.

[BobG]

I like that analysis BRR. Thank you. It makes sense of what we see but often don't understand.

BobG

[bpoolrover]

I think change is out of the clubs hands as the manager is on a one year contract, yes he could leave anyway but it could be made harder, Blackpool approached Karl Robinson but were refused permission same with Richie Wellens, get a manager on a longer contract and at least force the competition to pay decent compensation

[keith79]

Big things often happen in small steps. I feel we are heading in the right direction.  The preseason we had a top half finish would be a good season 

[scawsby steve]

Big things often happen in small steps. I feel we are heading in the right direction.  The preseason we had a top half finish would be a good season

Not according to the board's ambitions.

[since-1969]

....and from that list of contracted players I think other clubs will try to attract Anderson and a Whiteman and we won’t be able to match what they will be offered.

It’s not what they’ll be offered but how much other teams value them At
£2m Whiteman £500k Anderson

[scawsby steve]

....and from that list of contracted players I think other clubs will try to attract Anderson and a Whiteman and we won’t be able to match what they will be offered.

It’s not what they’ll be offered but how much other teams value them At
£2m Whiteman £500k Anderson

If we accepted £500k for Anderson it would be a scandal. He's the best centre back in League 1.

[drfchound]

....and from that list of contracted players I think other clubs will try to attract Anderson and a Whiteman and we won’t be able to match what they will be offered.

It’s not what they’ll be offered but how much other teams value them At
£2m Whiteman £500k Anderson

I was thinking more about what the two players would be offered in wages.