Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: Jonathan on May 13, 2024, 09:15:29 am
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Despite the obvious disappointment in the outcome on Friday, this club has built up some incredible momentum over the last few months. It feels like everyone is talking about us, everyone is interested, and we saw that the people will turn out in the masses to watch a successful team.
First and foremost, retaining our manager is the single most important thing. I’m sure there’ll always be some level of interest in him as he’s a quality manager. But, further to the raw post match interview, it was good to see him put out a tweet indicating he’s already looking to next season with us. I’ve never known our fan base to fall in love with a manager quite like we have with McCann, and his whole persona is absolutely crucial to our success.
I can see exactly why McCann has imposed tight deadlines on the reminding players that we are wanting to sign onto new deals. We need to know where we stand ASAP so we can crack on with building on the recent momentum. Depending on what happens there, the team may not need major surgery, but we need to strike quickly and keep that buzz around the place ready for next season.
As I see it, these are the areas we need confirmation on as soon as realistically possible.
GK - if there is any chance at all of signing TLT then what an investment that would be. If not then we need to secure a commanding presence in goal. It sounds harsh, but we won’t get promoted with Jones or Lawlor as number one.
RB - we need someone to come in and compete with Sterry like Senior will with Maxwell on the left
Craig - he won’t be coming back so we need to replace him. He was a massive part of our upturn in form with his ability to both receive the ball and win the ball.
Biggins - he’s genuinely played his way into contention for a new deal. If we don’t keep him then we need to replace with some energy in the middle.
Molyneux - hopefully he signs a new deal. If he doesn’t then we need to bring in a replacement.
Haks - as above. If the price is reasonable then we need to sign him. If not then look elsewhere.
Biamou - personally I’d offer a deal when fit and I’d be happy with him, Ironside and Miller competing up front.
Whilst there’s work to do, that’s nowhere near the major surgery that’s been needed in other recent close seasons, and much of the above is dependent on retention rather than revolution. Let’s get our business done and then have a real crack at this league next season. We have a real chance to rebuild a club that makes Doncaster proud and I’m confident that’s exactly what Terry Bramall is wanting.
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Players and agents will see how we finished the season, and in comparison to other League 2 clubs, we would be an attractive option. Much more than a club hovering around the relegation zone in January - even then we picked 3 winners.
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Our end of season form, Mccann as manager an owner who says he wants to push on (now he has to show that this summer), a fanbase that's well behind the club and turning out in numbers, best facilities in league 2 and already a strong squad in place.
It think we're in a great place for next season and if you're a player who wants a shot at a title, can handle the pressure playing for a side that's got that push upwards then you'd want to come here I'd think.
I'd even go so far as say that if you've an offer for a struggling league 1 side or us, we're probably more attractive right now. We must, must, must keep the momentum up and have a good transfer window ready for a strong start next year. We can't afford to be mid to lower table early on again.
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Our end of season form, Mccann as manager an owner who says he wants to push on (now he has to show that this summer), a fanbase that's well behind the club and turning out in numbers, best facilities in league 2 and already a strong squad in place.
It think we're in a great place for next season and if you're a player who wants a shot at a title, can handle the pressure playing for a side that's got that push upwards then you'd want to come here I'd think.
I'd even go so far as say that if you've an offer for a struggling league 1 side or us, we're probably more attractive right now. We must, must, must keep the momentum up and have a good transfer window ready for a strong start next year. We can't afford to be mid to lower table early on again.
I think if I was Terry i'd be far happier this summer handing Grant the extended budget on the evidence of this last few months than giving it to Schofield last summer. If nothing else it has shown that the public will show up for Donny if they give us something worth watching.
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We have the right manager in McCann with the right winning attitude. How can you not love the guy to lead us into next season. He had a mammoth task this season to reverse years of losing mentality that was rife throughout the squad.
Do I expect him to maintain the same momentum into next season? Yes, and a great ride it should be.
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I haven't been able to face the forum since Friday night. Partly that's because I was away at the coast for the weekend but it's more due to the feeling of emptiness I've had since that final penalty. I was actually quite alright walking out of the ground; I've seen enough twists and turns over the years to know better than to expect it to all go to plan but it really hit me on Saturday.
It'll take another day or two to truly get over the disappointment but as per the consensus above, I'm looking forward to next season with McCann in the driving seat and Terry backing him in the transfer market. The appetite for a successful team in Doncaster was clear for all to see last week and we have the right people running the show to really go and make our mark next season.
It was encouraging to hear Grant saying that he has some targets in mind even though some of those were more geared for League One so may not be as realistic now. The coming weeks will be quite exciting as we see who stays and who joins. Job one for Grant was turning around a club that was in a downward spiral. He's done that with panache and he's not satisfied yet. No doubt there'll be enquiries from other clubs but I would hope that his experience since he left us last time and the vociferous backing he's had from the supporters and the board even when we were flirting with relegation will instill in him the belief that there's a long way he can go with this great club of ours.
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Our average home gate all season has been around 7,000. We had around 10,000 Rovers fans at that last game and could have had maybe more if we had more capacity. It was a great atmosphere. The fans will come to see a winning team. Just a shame some will have come to "see if we are any good" and won't return next season after that result from 2-0 up.
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Think Grants got quite a tough job for next season. Everybody's fizzing with what happened in the last few weeks but the players who had a substantial effect on the turnaround are unlikely to be here. Not to say Grant & Cliff wont recruit well but no guarantee it'll click as dramatically. Lot of players still here that were pretty dreadful for 6 months. We've got the best man to do the job thats for sure but the stratospheric trajectory of last 2 months will be a very hard act to follow.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
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Agree with pretty much all of the opening post.
I do wonder what role Broadbent will play next season. McCann seems to rate him very highly, however we're yet to see it from him with any real consistently. One to watch, perhaps.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
Yes. We won’t get crowds like we did on Friday all season will we but on the opening game of the season it’s not impossible to get close. If we just treat it as the next match and live in hope that many of the floating fans that were there on Friday come back, we have missed the boat.
I would plan some sort of carnival day. Get some entertainment on the pitch before hand. Loads happening outside the stadium. Big build up. 20k half time draw prize and everyone gets a free entry. Loads that can be done.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
I also think it's down to us regular supporters to keep that level of noise and atmosphere going.
Now the fan divide isn't so bad, maybe it's time for the Black Bankers to get together and organise ourselves. Maybe a couple of meet ups in the BVB to arrange flags, surfers and come up with original new songs.
When kids in the east stand see it, they'll want to be a part of it and naturally migrate to the south when they are old enough.
Everyone needs to capitalise on the feel good factor.
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We've put ourselves in a good position. We all said we need a strong finish to carry that momentum forward, and by eck, did we get it.
This should help us sign good quality players and sell tickets. We could argue the marketing has already been done as it can't have escaped many peoples notice how we finished the season.
McCann now has a much better starting point and can be more selective with his recruitment. I believe the finances are there and we were already planning for League One with targets already identified. Yes, he did say it might rule out one or two now but I get the feeling that's more due to those players being sought by the likes of Mansfield, Stockport etc, rather than just a financial reason.
Sure, the budget would have been enhanced with a higher solidarity share in L1 but, we should now be one of the more attractive propostions in L2.
How persuasive McCann can be, remains to be seen but it's clear, as Jonathan says, where we need the quality.
If we as fans can support that with increasing the attendance average by 1000, tapping into those who revelled in the atmospheres created towards the end of the season, then we're doing our job to back TB and McCann.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
Yes. We won’t get crowds like we did on Friday all season will we but on the opening game of the season it’s not impossible to get close. If we just treat it as the next match and live in hope that many of the floating fans that were there on Friday come back, we have missed the boat.
I would plan some sort of carnival day. Get some entertainment on the pitch before hand. Loads happening outside the stadium. Big build up. 20k half time draw prize and everyone gets a free entry. Loads that can be done.
Totally agree with this. One I hope those involved at the club will get on top of.
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Carrying on the momentum and good feeling then we need to add to the squad 11 players out of contract. So Molyneux Biggins and possibly Biamou are the only three we should try and sign.
Jones or Lawlor are not good enough for a league two side so should not be considered for team aiming to win the league
Competition for Sterry
Midfield we need a good replacement for Craig ( can’t see him coming back)
Rowe and Biggins if he goes. So we will need possibly 3 players
The negative thing for me was the signing of Westbrooke who hasn’t got the pace for our first team and that showed on Friday night
Forwards will be down to contracts offered and signed
We must start the season like we finished it.
We scored in the last 19 games yet in the 20th we failed to do so and we are still in league 2.
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I despise the word momentum. It’s meaningless in the context of football really. Obviously what is seen as its effects can be broken down and then discussed but if “momentum” meant anything we would have won promotion. Denmark literally had a player die mid game and still went on to do what they did at that tournament. If that’s not a momentum stopper, I don’t know what is. Discussion topic for another day though.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
BFYP we averaged 7.100 this season in the 23 home league games.
We only had big away support from Notts C, Mansfield, Grimsby, Stockport, Bradford & Wrexham.
Next season the away support could be down on average with, Stockport, Wrexham & Mansfield all promoted. They will be replaced with only Chesterfield who will bring a large following.
If we are are top end of the league consistently then I think we can attract 7,500 ave at least home fans.
I would be disappointed if our ave gate isn’t over 8.000 to 8.500 next season. I think the Grant McCann factor is massive. I have never seen a manager who is so popular at DRFC before in my time, inc Billy Bremner & SOD
Think just the fact that GM is the manager puts 1.000+ on the gate.
Would we have been averaging 6.000 gates between August and January if we had Scofield, McSheffrey or even Wellens as our manager with the results we were getting. I don’t think so. We would have been down to 4.500 gates.
Can’t wait for next season. I am sure if we don’t get the current loanees back then GM will get his recruitment right and they will be adequately replaced.
14/1 for the title. That’s good value for those that like a bet. We should be 7/1 imo.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
BFYP we averaged 7.100 this season in the 23 home league games.
We only had big away support from Notts C, Mansfield, Grimsby, Stockport, Bradford & Wrexham.
Next season the away support could be down on average with, Stockport, Wrexham & Mansfield all promoted. They will be replaced with only Chesterfield who will bring a large following.
If we are are top end of the league consistently then I think we can attract 7,500 ave at least home fans.
I would be disappointed if our ave gate isn’t over 8.000 to 8.500 next season. I think the Grant McCann factor is massive. I have never seen a manager who is so popular at DRFC before in my time, inc Billy Bremner & SOD
Think just the fact that GM is the manager puts 1.000+ on the gate.
Would we have been averaging 6.000 gates between August and January if we had Scofield, McSheffrey or even Wellens as our manager with the results we were getting. I don’t think so. We would have been down to 4.500 gates.
Can’t wait for next season. I am sure if we don’t get the current loanees back then GM will get his recruitment right and they will be adequately replaced.
14/1 for the title. That’s good value for those that like a bet. We should be 7/1 imo.
Think there will be money for us if we sign well. Remember there’s only a 6% implied chance increase between 14/1 and 7/1. It’s not a huge difference.
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Despite the obvious disappointment in the outcome on Friday, this club has built up some incredible momentum over the last few months. It feels like everyone is talking about us, everyone is interested, and we saw that the people will turn out in the masses to watch a successful team.
First and foremost, retaining our manager is the single most important thing. I’m sure there’ll always be some level of interest in him as he’s a quality manager. But, further to the raw post match interview, it was good to see him put out a tweet indicating he’s already looking to next season with us. I’ve never known our fan base to fall in love with a manager quite like we have with McCann, and his whole persona is absolutely crucial to our success.
I can see exactly why McCann has imposed tight deadlines on the reminding players that we are wanting to sign onto new deals. We need to know where we stand ASAP so we can crack on with building on the recent momentum. Depending on what happens there, the team may not need major surgery, but we need to strike quickly and keep that buzz around the place ready for next season.
As I see it, these are the areas we need confirmation on as soon as realistically possible.
GK - if there is any chance at all of signing TLT then what an investment that would be. If not then we need to secure a commanding presence in goal. It sounds harsh, but we won’t get promoted with Jones or Lawlor as number one.
RB - we need someone to come in and compete with Sterry like Senior will with Maxwell on the left
Craig - he won’t be coming back so we need to replace him. He was a massive part of our upturn in form with his ability to both receive the ball and win the ball.
Biggins - he’s genuinely played his way into contention for a new deal. If we don’t keep him then we need to replace with some energy in the middle.
Molyneux - hopefully he signs a new deal. If he doesn’t then we need to bring in a replacement.
Haks - as above. If the price is reasonable then we need to sign him. If not then look elsewhere.
Biamou - personally I’d offer a deal when fit and I’d be happy with him, Ironside and Miller competing up front.
Whilst there’s work to do, that’s nowhere near the major surgery that’s been needed in other recent close seasons, and much of the above is dependent on retention rather than revolution. Let’s get our business done and then have a real crack at this league next season. We have a real chance to rebuild a club that makes Doncaster proud and I’m confident that’s exactly what Terry Bramall is wanting.
Momentum ? It’s back to the drawing
board I think .. all the loan players are gone Biggins & Molyneux are still not certain and the huge loss of potential income from promotion will need even more cash from Terry Bramhall . I trust McCann has had a plan B if things went tits up against Crewe . But Momentum imo left the building last Friday !!
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
BFYP we averaged 7.100 this season in the 23 home league games.
We only had big away support from Notts C, Mansfield, Grimsby, Stockport, Bradford & Wrexham.
Next season the away support could be down on average with, Stockport, Wrexham & Mansfield all promoted. They will be replaced with only Chesterfield who will bring a large following.
If we are are top end of the league consistently then I think we can attract 7,500 ave at least home fans.
I would be disappointed if our ave gate isn’t over 8.000 to 8.500 next season. I think the Grant McCann factor is massive. I have never seen a manager who is so popular at DRFC before in my time, inc Billy Bremner & SOD
Think just the fact that GM is the manager puts 1.000+ on the gate.
Would we have been averaging 6.000 gates between August and January if we had Scofield, McSheffrey or even Wellens as our manager with the results we were getting. I don’t think so. We would have been down to 4.500 gates.
Can’t wait for next season. I am sure if we don’t get the current loanees back then GM will get his recruitment right and they will be adequately replaced.
14/1 for the title. That’s good value for those that like a bet. We should be 7/1 imo.
Think there will be money for us if we sign well. Remember there’s only a 6% implied chance increase between 14/1 and 7/1. It’s not a huge difference.
Gaz, what is implied increase in chance and how do you get 6%?
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
BFYP we averaged 7.100 this season in the 23 home league games.
We only had big away support from Notts C, Mansfield, Grimsby, Stockport, Bradford & Wrexham.
Next season the away support could be down on average with, Stockport, Wrexham & Mansfield all promoted. They will be replaced with only Chesterfield who will bring a large following.
If we are are top end of the league consistently then I think we can attract 7,500 ave at least home fans.
I would be disappointed if our ave gate isn’t over 8.000 to 8.500 next season. I think the Grant McCann factor is massive. I have never seen a manager who is so popular at DRFC before in my time, inc Billy Bremner & SOD
Think just the fact that GM is the manager puts 1.000+ on the gate.
Would we have been averaging 6.000 gates between August and January if we had Scofield, McSheffrey or even Wellens as our manager with the results we were getting. I don’t think so. We would have been down to 4.500 gates.
Can’t wait for next season. I am sure if we don’t get the current loanees back then GM will get his recruitment right and they will be adequately replaced.
14/1 for the title. That’s good value for those that like a bet. We should be 7/1 imo.
Think there will be money for us if we sign well. Remember there’s only a 6% implied chance increase between 14/1 and 7/1. It’s not a huge difference.
Gaz, what is implied increase in chance and how do you get 6%?
7/1 has a 12.5% chance of happening.
14/1 has a 6.67% chance of happening.
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Somehow we need to find a way to replicate the attendance and atmosphere of Fridays game in the first home game.
Although it’s will be difficult it won’t be impossible. It will just take creativity and hard work. One for the marketing team to get stuck into over the next few months.
Fully agree. I feel like the club has started to build and get to a place where people in Doncaster are getting on board with it. The atmosphere in the stadium has been really strong from the fans most of the season and there's a feeling in me we can get back to 7000 crowds again. The stadium is fine when we start to get towards that kind of crowd, the 5000s feel too sparse and we should be getting bigger than that.
BFYP we averaged 7.100 this season in the 23 home league games.
We only had big away support from Notts C, Mansfield, Grimsby, Stockport, Bradford & Wrexham.
Next season the away support could be down on average with, Stockport, Wrexham & Mansfield all promoted. They will be replaced with only Chesterfield who will bring a large following.
If we are are top end of the league consistently then I think we can attract 7,500 ave at least home fans.
I would be disappointed if our ave gate isn’t over 8.000 to 8.500 next season. I think the Grant McCann factor is massive. I have never seen a manager who is so popular at DRFC before in my time, inc Billy Bremner & SOD
Think just the fact that GM is the manager puts 1.000+ on the gate.
Would we have been averaging 6.000 gates between August and January if we had Scofield, McSheffrey or even Wellens as our manager with the results we were getting. I don’t think so. We would have been down to 4.500 gates.
Can’t wait for next season. I am sure if we don’t get the current loanees back then GM will get his recruitment right and they will be adequately replaced.
14/1 for the title. That’s good value for those that like a bet. We should be 7/1 imo.
Think there will be money for us if we sign well. Remember there’s only a 6% implied chance increase between 14/1 and 7/1. It’s not a huge difference.
Gaz, what is implied increase in chance and how do you get 6%?
7/1 has a 12.5% chance of happening.
14/1 has a 6.67% chance of happening.
Got it, thanks
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Don't know if its been mentioned on another thread but I think Sky are opening a new football channel where every EFL team will be shown 20 times next season. Knowing how sky work with the Premier league i.e. 8pm Saturday kick offs i wonder how this will pan out for us.
If we are going to have 10 home games televised I can see us having some unsual Days/times arranged, I'm thinking we can expect the usual Sat/Tues fixtures to be a thing of the past.
This could also have a big effect on our home attendances, some supporters may think twice about coming to watch us on a cold winters night if they've got Sky.
I hope I have read the article correctly.
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I really hope they don’t start switching some of our games to Sundays.
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It's the gateway to removing the 3pm blackout IMO.
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No the blackout is retained, mostly.
Across L1 and L2 19 (out of a possible 24) fixtures will be at 3pm on Saturday.
https://efl.com/how-to-watch/sky-sports-q-and-a
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Despite the obvious disappointment in the outcome on Friday, this club has built up some incredible momentum over the last few months. It feels like everyone is talking about us, everyone is interested, and we saw that the people will turn out in the masses to watch a successful team.
First and foremost, retaining our manager is the single most important thing. I’m sure there’ll always be some level of interest in him as he’s a quality manager. But, further to the raw post match interview, it was good to see him put out a tweet indicating he’s already looking to next season with us. I’ve never known our fan base to fall in love with a manager quite like we have with McCann, and his whole persona is absolutely crucial to our success.
I can see exactly why McCann has imposed tight deadlines on the reminding players that we are wanting to sign onto new deals. We need to know where we stand ASAP so we can crack on with building on the recent momentum. Depending on what happens there, the team may not need major surgery, but we need to strike quickly and keep that buzz around the place ready for next season.
As I see it, these are the areas we need confirmation on as soon as realistically possible.
GK - if there is any chance at all of signing TLT then what an investment that would be. If not then we need to secure a commanding presence in goal. It sounds harsh, but we won’t get promoted with Jones or Lawlor as number one.
RB - we need someone to come in and compete with Sterry like Senior will with Maxwell on the left
Craig - he won’t be coming back so we need to replace him. He was a massive part of our upturn in form with his ability to both receive the ball and win the ball.
Biggins - he’s genuinely played his way into contention for a new deal. If we don’t keep him then we need to replace with some energy in the middle.
Molyneux - hopefully he signs a new deal. If he doesn’t then we need to bring in a replacement.
Haks - as above. If the price is reasonable then we need to sign him. If not then look elsewhere.
Biamou - personally I’d offer a deal when fit and I’d be happy with him, Ironside and Miller competing up front.
Whilst there’s work to do, that’s nowhere near the major surgery that’s been needed in other recent close seasons, and much of the above is dependent on retention rather than revolution. Let’s get our business done and then have a real crack at this league next season. We have a real chance to rebuild a club that makes Doncaster proud and I’m confident that’s exactly what Terry Bramall is wanting.
Agree with all your points, Jon and I would add:
Keeper - absolute no-brainer and have nailed my colours to the mast on this subject right back in early season. Despite being told I was negative and various other things, I think it’s been proven beyond reasonable doubt that we needed a bit more quality behind the defenders.
RB - I would prefer a new first team right back, but not as a priority.
Midfield - still very much a work in progress, but, again, it’s now been proven what we were missing, with the arrival of Craig. That really leaves me wondering why Grant re-signed both Close and Westbrooke! Biggins has proved, also, that he ‘fits’ that attacking role (we don’t possess his like) so it’ll be interesting to see what happens next. Priority area for me.
Last, but not least, we could see a massive (necessary) overhaul of the attacking 3, if we miss out on both Mols & Haks. That’s worrying, from the point of view of trying to keep as many as the first team together as we can. When we look at it as an attacking 4, including Biggins, we could be potentially left with just Ironside! That’s something that leaves me a tad concerned.
Whatever happens, I have faith in the management team to sort it out, but the more changes we have to make, the less likely we hit the ground running next season.
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You don’t think Miller will add owt then Alan.?
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No the blackout is retained, mostly.
Across L1 and L2 19 (out of a possible 24) fixtures will be at 3pm on Saturday.
https://efl.com/how-to-watch/sky-sports-q-and-a
No, by gateway I mean people will voice their dissatisfaction with the amount of changes and within a couple of years the EFL will OK through the end of the 3pm blackout. Nothing will happen anytime soon.
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IDM, I wasn’t even thinking about Miller, as it wasn’t in the context of what I was saying. Of course Miller could have an influence, but GM would maybe have to change his beloved 4-3-3 system to accommodate him. Likewise, I can see a case for giving Biamou another contract, as he’s ’something different’ to Ironside. But his injuries are a concern. However, if he was used ‘sparingly’ then him signing makes a lot of sense.
The real concern, from an attacking perspective, is the huge ‘creativity’ hole we’d have by losing Biggins/Molyneux/Adelakun and, of course, Craig. Yes, they can be replaced, but, for continuity’s sake, I think it would leave us some serious work to do. It’s far better to build on what you have than to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. We’ve had enough of that over the last 2 or 3 seasons, havn’t we?
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I agree about continuity but even if none of those players re-sign, we have plenty of others albeit in different positions.
Maybe Grant will unearth players of similar qualities, the next Wilks/Kane combo. Or end of season form won’t have gone unnoticed in the wider football context and there will be players wanting to come here, clubs wanting to loan players here too.
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IDM, I wasn’t even thinking about Miller, as it wasn’t in the context of what I was saying. Of course Miller could have an influence, but GM would maybe have to change his beloved 4-3-3 system to accommodate him. Likewise, I can see a case for giving Biamou another contract, as he’s ’something different’ to Ironside. But his injuries are a concern. However, if he was used ‘sparingly’ then him signing makes a lot of sense.
The real concern, from an attacking perspective, is the huge ‘creativity’ hole we’d have by losing Biggins/Molyneux/Adelakun and, of course, Craig. Yes, they can be replaced, but, for continuity’s sake, I think it would leave us some serious work to do. It’s far better to build on what you have than to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. We’ve had enough of that over the last 2 or 3 seasons, havn’t we?
I broadly agree about Biamou. A fully fit Biamou would really give us an extra dimension but by the sounds of it, McCann won't compromise on fitness and trying to 'manage' players through the season. We said much the sane about Anderson and Wood but they've both come through the high intensity run in to the end of the season. Whether David Rennie has been an integral part in keeping them fit, who knows, but his advice to McCann about Biamou could be a big factor in whether he's offered a contract.
I wonder about Kane, whether he could be persuaded to drop a league to reunite with McCann. The midfield combinations are so important. It took Craig's presence to really see Bailey fulfil what we thought he was capable of and provide a platform for Biggins to improve. Without Craig, finding the right combinations that help us get the ball from back to front, whilst being strong without the ball is the key issue. You wonder how much Close and Westbrook would have benefitted from playing alongside Craig for longer periods but filling his boots somehow will be a priority I hope.
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Are we really going to be prioritising central midfield? He’s given the vote of confidence to Close and Westbrooke with new contracts. Broadbent he continues to defend strongly. And then there is Bailey, our player of the season. That’s four there, all of which next season will be expecting to start.
Laying out on another senior midfielder doesn’t seem realistic at all. Maybe a loan but even then with them all fit, one at least contracted midfielders isn’t making the squad. And that’s assuming Biggins and Rowe don’t re-sign.
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We do not possess a ‘Craig’ in our midfield, currently. Neither Close or Westbrooke are that type of player and I’ve already said in other threads that signing both is a mystery to me, because they’re similar players. If it’s 3 in midfield, we need 6 in the squad.
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The goalkeeper position is the most important one, Jones and Lawlor are of little use to us. They make the back 4 nervous, and mistakes creep in when you know your back up is weak, we have to get rid of Lawlor and replace him with TLT or an extremely good keeper, this is the most difficult one to do, teams are not keen on losing good keepers, it may have to be another loan.
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Are we really going to be prioritising central midfield? He’s given the vote of confidence to Close and Westbrooke with new contracts. Broadbent he continues to defend strongly. And then there is Bailey, our player of the season. That’s four there, all of which next season will be expecting to start.
Laying out on another senior midfielder doesn’t seem realistic at all. Maybe a loan but even then with them all fit, one at least contracted midfielders isn’t making the squad. And that’s assuming Biggins and Rowe don’t re-sign.
Yes I think we will be prioritising a central midfield player.
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Are we really going to be prioritising central midfield? He’s given the vote of confidence to Close and Westbrooke with new contracts. Broadbent he continues to defend strongly. And then there is Bailey, our player of the season. That’s four there, all of which next season will be expecting to start.
Laying out on another senior midfielder doesn’t seem realistic at all. Maybe a loan but even then with them all fit, one at least contracted midfielders isn’t making the squad. And that’s assuming Biggins and Rowe don’t re-sign.
Yes I think we will be prioritising a central midfield player.
I think so too.
I can see Grant's first moves being getting in a goalkeeper, centre midfielder, winger (possibly two depending on LM), and possibly another right back, and then build out the strength-in-depth from there as required.
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For me one of the mistakes we made is giving Close and Westbrooke a contract. Our 20 game run started when they got injured and we saw what a good midfield could do instead of accepting average midfield. We needed pace aswell as skill those two don’t have pace. It showed last Friday when Westbrooke came on for Craig he slowed our game down. So yes we need midfield players. If Rowe and Biggins leave and Craig we will need three players all better if we are determined to be Champions as Grant wants. Let’s aim big not settle for second best. Bringing in TLT Craig and Adelakun plus injured players returning to defence showed what a real team could do, wasn’t quite enough but gave us all enjoyment in the process.