Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: donnyguy on June 09, 2026, 05:34:58 pm
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Just put this message
Anyone want another update. Then pic of Irish flag
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Aye tis Neill Byrne.
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Neill Byrne Signed today.
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Confirmed 2 year deal
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He did alright last season as a short-term option, but I don’t really see how this and the Husband signing are matching up to GM’s bold statements about being ready for the Championship.
2 year deal for a 33 year old as well. So we’ve not changed tack from signing Pearson on a 2 year deal last summer.
Unless we are looking to offload a few this means we’re going into next season with the same pool of defenders, except Husband for Maxwell, in an area that needed a hell of a lot of improvement.
Hope I am proven wrong but I’m struggling a bit with this one.
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Honking bit of business
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Championship ready.
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Awful signing given our supposed ambition
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Such a regressive signing. I do like McCann, but his approach to recruitment is massively holding the club back.
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Was hoping to see something new better this year not the same as last year. One can only hope the best is yet to come. We shall see. :rolleyes:
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Decent defender to have in squad but it does seem to indicate more hoofball, probably best to see who else comes in before judging the window
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Good signing for those that know what they are on aboutis there anything the club can do without the same people moaning, its quite boring now.
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Good signing for those that know what they are on aboutis there anything the club can do without the same people moaning, its quite boring now.
Not moaning but we can't be having statements like signing Championship ready players and bring in the three that we have.
Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit and the six others will be Championship ready.
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I said at the end of the season I’d take him, improved the defence when he came in, got pelters before he kicked a ball and proved them wrong, getting pelters again, I don’t get it, we just need a quick centre half to play alongside him
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Ahh only fans with positive opinions know what they are on about. Silly comment mpc.
I like Neill Byrne. I don’t like our defensive options as a group & they certainly cant be considered “Championship ready” to quote McCann.
Sterry
Nixon
Pearson
Byrne
McGrath
Grehan
Faulkner
Senior
Husband
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I said at the end of the season I’d take him, improved the defence when he came in, got pelters before he kicked a ball and proved them wrong, getting pelters again, I don’t get it, we just need a quick centre half to play alongside him
I agree but how likely is that when we’ve 5 permanent senior centre backs. Are we going to have 3 early 20’s centre backs sat about with little game time? Or have Pearson on his wage doing nothing?
This recruitment can’t continue. It really can’t. It’s going to f*ck up all the extra money and effort Bramall has been throwing in these last couple of years to make amends.
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I said at the end of the season I’d take him, improved the defence when he came in, got pelters before he kicked a ball and proved them wrong, getting pelters again, I don’t get it, we just need a quick centre half to play alongside him
I agree but how likely is that when we’ve 5 permanent senior centre backs. Are we going to have 3 early 20’s centre backs sat about with little game time? Or have Pearson on his wage doing nothing?
This recruitment can’t continue. It really can’t. It’s going to f*ck up all the extra money and effort Bramall has been throwing in these last couple of years to make amends.
In my opinion two of those will go out on loan
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To be championship ready, first of all we have to do a job at the top end of League One first. When we won the League Two Championship, I'm sure there were plenty who could say many of our players weren't League One ready. Some weren't but some also defied that tag and progressed. If Byrne contributes to limiting those goals against, giving its a better chance of winning games, just as he did last season, then we have a better chance of getting into the top 7.
We have to allow McCann to evolve and refine the squad as he sees fit then judge it when it's finalised and performing, or not.
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Not really worried by the Byrne signing he’s steady enough and better on a few options than we have
My concern is if he thinks sterry and Nixon are good enough one of those should be back up to a new Rb the defence is still weak all over
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Reasonably happy with Byrne coming in, not Earth shattering, but there’s no denying his arrival in January improved things defensively. For me, it will not be the signing that defines where we’re going to be in the league next season. The 2 keepers and 2 strikers will. Add to those 4 another goal-scoring attacking midfielder and I’ll be a little more optimistic.
We’ve got 3 through the door now and Grant wants 9 incomings, so the next 6 have got to be a big improvement on what we had last season. We can’t be starting with Hanlan as the main striker next season - if we’ve got to spend good money, one of the strikers and the No1 keeper have to be quality.
Out of the possible next 6, I can see 3 or 4 of those being loans, so hopefully we’ve learned our lessons about untried and untested young lads from last summer!
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Maybe some ‘Mouth watering ‘signings are due
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For me 3 bottom of league 1 signings to date and along way from “Championship ready pushing for promotion” players. Could be a long season rather than an exciting one but agree we should judge in 2 months time. Like the majority keeping my fingers crossed on the final 6 signings
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Reasonably happy with Byrne coming in, not Earth shattering, but there’s no denying his arrival in January improved things defensively. For me, it will not be the signing that defines where we’re going to be in the league next season. The 2 keepers and 2 strikers will. Add to those 4 another goal-scoring attacking midfielder and I’ll be a little more optimistic.
We’ve got 3 through the door now and Grant wants 9 incomings, so the next 6 have got to be a big improvement on what we had last season. We can’t be starting with Hanlan as the main striker next season - if we’ve got to spend good money, one of the strikers and the No1 keeper have to be quality.
Out of the possible next 6, I can see 3 or 4 of those being loans, so hopefully we’ve learned our lessons about untried and untested young lads from last summer!
Tend to agree with all of that. McCann has already indicated we might have to be patient with one or two who might be holding out weighing up their options.
I do wonder whether he might compromise on the 9 signings, if it means he gets the right no 9 where we need the quality and the goals.
Thing is, the window hasn't officially opened yet!
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Good signing for those that know what they are on aboutis there anything the club can do without the same people moaning, its quite boring now.
Not moaning but we can't be having statements like signing Championship ready players and bring in the three that we have.
Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit and the six others will be Championship ready.
Number 1. We are not clever enough to even know if any of the players could play in the championship.
2. If you expect EVERY player we sign to be championship then get ready for a 15m to 20m loss this year of which no doubt you would moan about anyway.
Its so simple what Mccann was saying, its not his fault if some of the fan base dont get it but most do.
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For me 3 bottom of league 1 signings to date and along way from “Championship ready pushing for promotion” players. Could be a long season rather than an exciting one but agree we should judge in 2 months time. Like the majority keeping my fingers crossed on the final 6 signings
If you can find me somewhere that says theu are bottom of league 1 signings and can guarantee that, then fair enough, you can't.
Mccann is trying to put a team together that works together. No matter where they jave been or played doean't mean thats their final place or cant play well top of league 1. As Byrne showed last year.
Byrne is a solid player.
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@ mpc123 you raise a fair point and I agree Byrne is a solid player. My benchmark though and
to be at the top of the league and promotion, is Lincoln and I personally cannot see any of the 3 getting into Lincoln reserve team let alone first team so at present I’m disappointed. I trust McCann though and fingers crossed he builds a team to progress on last season
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@ mpc123 you raise a fair point and I agree Byrne is a solid player. My benchmark though and
to be at the top of the league and promotion, is Lincoln and I personally cannot see any of the 3 getting into Lincoln reserve team let alone first team so at present I’m disappointed. I trust McCann though and fingers crossed he builds a team to progress on last season
How many seasons were Lincoln in League One?
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We don't look strong defensively do we? Sterry is decent but not very robust and is always going to miss a period injured. Nixon is nowhere near good enough and always injured. Somehow none of our 5 centre backs appear to be "first choice" centre backs to me.
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I said at the end of the season I’d take him, improved the defence when he came in, got pelters before he kicked a ball and proved them wrong, getting pelters again, I don’t get it, we just need a quick centre half to play alongside him
I agree with most of that, Filo, but who's the quick CB to play alongside him?
GM only mentioned signing one CB amongst his 9 new signings, so NB must be it. Apart from the 2 keepers to come, this is it for the defence.
Does it look promotion class to you?
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Its the same defence for top 6 form
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I said at the end of the season I’d take him, improved the defence when he came in, got pelters before he kicked a ball and proved them wrong, getting pelters again, I don’t get it, we just need a quick centre half to play alongside him
I agree with most of that, Filo, but who's the quick CB to play alongside him?
GM only mentioned signing one CB amongst his 9 new signings, so NB must be it. Apart from the 2 keepers to come, this is it for the defence.
Does it look promotion class to you?
Grehan is developing into a good defender. If he gets the chance, I think he'll continue to improve his all round game. Plus he's got his long throws. Could be worth a few quid in a season or two.
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@ mpc123 you raise a fair point and I agree Byrne is a solid player. My benchmark though and
to be at the top of the league and promotion, is Lincoln and I personally cannot see any of the 3 getting into Lincoln reserve team let alone first team so at present I’m disappointed. I trust McCann though and fingers crossed he builds a team to progress on last season
Would he get into Bolton or Cardiff, Stockport, stevenage,
Bearing in mind he wont have to be getting in those teams for us to get in the playoffs. Its about how the teams play and who with if they gel, if all the best players play for Lincoln then noone else must have a chance then?
Its embarrasing as hell, that Mccann mentions in his interview that Byrne shut a few people up based on the reaction of the signing of him.
Its disgusting and also proves the fans know nothing. people need to grow up and realise they dont know everything and dont have to be right.
Support the players, welcome them in, support them in tough times, youll get a boat load more out of them.
We will be lucky if any good players sign for us base on those types of stories, have fans slag off players before they have played and when they prove a point and help get to top 6 form over half a season, then slag him off again when he comes back.
It is so embarrassing, for me we are lucky he has come. back.
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Not very inspiring just feels like an easy signing to make. Unless we move on lots of our centre half’s I just don’t get it.
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Not very inspiring just feels like an easy signing to make. Unless we move on lots of our centre half’s I just don’t get it.
He just must not trust Grehan, Jay, Flint or Bobby.
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If McCann said he wanted to take stock in league 1 and build over the next few seasons into a promotion contending team, I’d be happy with the signings to date and Husband and Byrne would fit into this thinking for me as good seasoned pros to keep us around mid table. BUT that’s not what he is saying and I personally question like others, if these signings and our defence as a whole, would make us into a promotion contending team next season. 6 more signings to go and in McCann we have to trust
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If McCann said he wanted to take stock in league 1 and build over the next few seasons into a promotion contending team, I’d be happy with the signings to date and Husband and Byrne would fit into this thinking for me as good seasoned pros to keep us around mid table. BUT that’s not what he is saying and I personally question like others, if these signings and our defence as a whole, would make us into a promotion contending team. 6 more signings to go and in McCann we have to trust
That defence gave us top 6 form 2nd half. So effectively that should bring us top 6 defense based on last year when they were together.
If you dont agree with that its like saying Lincolns players werent ood enought the 2nd half of the season.
If you just want to be excited by a signing rather than proof someone can do it here, just say. Rather than saying they are not good enough. Obviously there are or that wouldn' t have happened last season
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I hope your right as we all want the same thing and seeing success for Rovers
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Everything all in James Husband and Neill Byrne are likely costing us more than £400k over the next 2 seasons. It’s a fair whack of money that Bramall would expect to see real results from.
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I can understand Jay and Grehan Gaz, but not to trust Bobby and Flint would point to not looking at stats, not watching their games. and not taking any notice of reports from the loan clubs who rated them highly.
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I can understand Jay and Grehan Gaz, but not to trust Bobby and Flint would point to not looking at stats, not watching their games. and not taking any notice of reports from the loan clubs who rated them highly.
Or you not trusting Mccann.
What your saying there is trust the loan managers assessment more than Mccanns.
All it means is.... remembering Bobby may play every game in league 1 next year, nobody knows...... Mccann likes others more than Bobby, at the same time much be OK with Bobby, he is still ours.
Quick question, is Bobby a saleable asset, have those clubs put their money where their mouth is and offered good cash for him, if not, that may give you the answer you need.
I personally don't know how good Bobby is, but I trust Mccann.
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From what I’ve seen of Faulkner (which isn’t that much) he’s the type of player who could be Pearson’s replacement. Both Pearson and Faulkner have 1 year left and I doubt Pearson will be here after next season. GM is still talking about Bobby as being part of the back-up centre backs, so that infers him staying around longer, in my view. He may well break through this next season - that’s up to him!
If he was as good as Selby says he is, he’d be in the USA now, with England! ;) :)
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In Grants interview he talks about agents and their demands for players we are in a competitive market have we got the funds to get Championship ready players. Talk about Lincoln they paid transfer fees as well as wages to bring in their players can we afford to do that. If Grant can’t get his selected players he will move on. We need goal scorers as a priority they will cost. Aspirations of Championship ready players and achieving that in a competitive market will not be easy.
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So up to Xmas in the last season we were leaking too many goals to win matches, we then brought in Byrne along side Pearson and all of a sudden we start winning matches and in the rest of the season we were all but in the top 6. So how is his signing "disappointing" and "This recruitment can’t continue." I am neither disappointed or think that recruitment can't continue, I tend to believe a good manager and not keyboard warriors.
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I can understand Jay and Grehan Gaz, but not to trust Bobby and Flint would point to not looking at stats, not watching their games. and not taking any notice of reports from the loan clubs who rated them highly.
The two lads have not done a bad job, but have time and a bit more maturing to do, no doubt as good loanees again this season, they are the future, but not necessarily for a push this season.
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So up to Xmas in the last season we were leaking too many goals to win matches, we then brought in Byrne along side Pearson and all of a sudden we start winning matches and in the rest of the season we were all but in the top 6. So how is his signing "disappointing" and "This recruitment can’t continue." I am neither disappointed or think that recruitment can't continue, I tend to believe a good manager and not keyboard warriors.
You seem to be attributing a change in results on Neill Byrne. It won’t just be that, as said, and I am a fan of Neill Byrne. You’ve also got to factor in an over performance from a player who was 6 months away from being unemployed. We were a shop window.
Obviously this recruitment can’t continue. Huge amounts (hundreds of thousands) committed to players in their 30’s that have zero resale value as well as definitely not having the current ability to improve us massive amounts and take us up to where we want to be? If you’re committing that amount on old players you need them to be a real game changer. Neither are.
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From what I’ve seen of Faulkner (which isn’t that much) he’s the type of player who could be Pearson’s replacement. Both Pearson and Faulkner have 1 year left and I doubt Pearson will be here after next season. GM is still talking about Bobby as being part of the back-up centre backs, so that infers him staying around longer, in my view. He may well break through this next season - that’s up to him!
If he was as good as Selby says he is, he’d be in the USA now, with England! ;) :)
I'm not keen on what GM said. I'd like to think every player starts with a clean sheet and will compete for a shirt. Using the time up to the end of the transfer window to decide who might need to go out on loan or leave should be the way forward.