We have some parts of

[Sammy Chung was King]

The 'Team jigsaw' in place to be successful, my thinking on recruiting players is ''Can they play in the league above''?, if they can then this division takes care of itself.

We have players in place capable of jumping a division, and also probables, and maybe/not good enough or too old.
Definites for me, Stuckmann, Taylor-Sinclair, Butler, Forrester, Stewart, Williams, Evina, Tyson.
Probables Lund, Coppinger, Keegan, Wellens(all three maybe a season as back up)
Maybe N'Guessen, Middleton, Mandeville, Main, P.McKay, J.McKay, Marosi, and other youth players.

The board for me need to show ambition now, get the players needed to get us promoted, build that team now, even if it means paying fee's for players, do it now, as a long term vision for a new team, that needs to be built.
Players i would suggest off the top of my head.

LEFT WING-Callum Harriott
For some reason Charlton have loaned him to Colchester, he is not just a championship player, he is potentially one of the best at that level***Get an offer in to loan him until the transfer window opens, pay more to loan him and get a fee agreed.

STRIKER Adam Armstrong
On loan at Coventry, again offer more than Coventry to loan him so it's terminated, and agree a fee with Newcastle, before he scores any more and the value goes up.

CENTRAL DEFENCE Bongani Khumalo
If possible try and find a way he can be signed, the work permit there must be a way he can be signed, worth paying his club a fee, because he is championship class.

RIGHT BACK Stephen Kelly
Still without a club, definitely championship standard, good at going forward, and very good defensively.

WINGER Adam Hammill
Again definitely of the standard needed for the league above, get him signed, a good crosser of the ball, can beat a player, and scores a goal here and there.

We also need an attacking central midfielder while Harry is out, N'Guessen could solve that problem, or Coppinger who i feel could influence things better centrally than out wide.
Defensive midfield is a problem area, Gobern may yet be the answer, but if not Keegan needs to be replaced in the long term, i also see us needing a better quality back up for goalkeeper.

The board can either think back to this time and think
''I Wish we had bought players then''!,
Or they can look back thinking ''We did the right thing, it was just the right time to rebuild the side for the long term''!!.
I am hoping it's the latter option, the club can gain nothing from either staying in this league, or worse still being relegated
The extra revenue from gates, tv money, merchandise and also making the managers job easier recruiting better players can only help the club.

Our club is ''Punching above it's weight'', at that level but if the long term plan is better, the right players are already in place, we could have a good chance of staying in that league!.
We are in the bottom four, no need to panic, but start making the positive decisions needed, to get us back up the league!.

[mrfrostsdad]

I admire your optimism Sammy, but the way we are playing at the moment (and at home last season) a lot of them are not good enough for this division let alone any higher.
As I've just commented in another thread: with the exception of Stuckmam, I don't think we have a single player who could ply his trade in the Championship

[Sammy Chung was King]

The reason some don't seem good enough, is that the guy he is partnered with isn't the right one, Butler for example is good enough, but he needs somebody like Khumalo at the side of him.

[NickDRFC]

If Butler was good enough he would have played there before. Given he's what, 28/29 and hasn't to me tells you what you need to know. I think it's a real stretch at the moment to say that we have more than 1 or 2 who would definitely be good enough on the basis of what we have seen so far.

[DRNaith]

I don't understand this "the board must show ambition" stuff when Dickov and Jones both stated that they could get other players in and chose not to.

[dickos1]

Taylor sinclair isn't even close to be good enough

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Taylor sinclair isn't even close to be good enough

He's solid, but unspectacular I would say.  Has some good attributes and some weaknesses.  It's tough for us to get better, but I wouldn't say he's awful at all.

[the vicar]

The 'Team jigsaw' in place to be successful, my thinking on recruiting players is ''Can they play in the league above''?, if they can then this division takes care of itself.

We have players in place capable of jumping a division, and also probables, and maybe/not good enough or too old.
Definites for me, Stuckmann, Taylor-Sinclair, Butler, Forrester, Stewart, Williams, Evina, Tyson.
Probables Lund, Coppinger, Keegan, Wellens(all three maybe a season as back up)
Maybe N'Guessen, Middleton, Mandeville, Main, P.McKay, J.McKay, Marosi, and other youth players.

The board for me need to show ambition now, get the players needed to get us promoted, build that team now, even if it means paying fee's for players, do it now, as a long term vision for a new team, that needs to be built.
Players i would suggest off the top of my head.

LEFT WING-Callum Harriott
For some reason Charlton have loaned him to Colchester, he is not just a championship player, he is potentially one of the best at that level***Get an offer in to loan him until the transfer window opens, pay more to loan him and get a fee agreed.

STRIKER Adam Armstrong
On loan at Coventry, again offer more than Coventry to loan him so it's terminated, and agree a fee with Newcastle, before he scores any more and the value goes up.

CENTRAL DEFENCE Bongani Khumalo
If possible try and find a way he can be signed, the work permit there must be a way he can be signed, worth paying his club a fee, because he is championship class.

RIGHT BACK Stephen Kelly
Still without a club, definitely championship standard, good at going forward, and very good defensively.

WINGER Adam Hammill
Again definitely of the standard needed for the league above, get him signed, a good crosser of the ball, can beat a player, and scores a goal here and there.

We also need an attacking central midfielder while Harry is out, N'Guessen could solve that problem, or Coppinger who i feel could influence things better centrally than out wide.
Defensive midfield is a problem area, Gobern may yet be the answer, but if not Keegan needs to be replaced in the long term, i also see us needing a better quality back up for goalkeeper.

The board can either think back to this time and think
''I Wish we had bought players then''!,
Or they can look back thinking ''We did the right thing, it was just the right time to rebuild the side for the long term''!!.
I am hoping it's the latter option, the club can gain nothing from either staying in this league, or worse still being relegated
The extra revenue from gates, tv money, merchandise and also making the managers job easier recruiting better players can only help the club.

Our club is ''Punching above it's weight'', at that level but if the long term plan is better, the right players are already in place, we could have a good chance of staying in that league!.
We are in the bottom four, no need to panic, but start making the positive decisions needed, to get us back up the league!.

Lets just think about getting out of the position we are in and up the table first

[Donnywolf]

If Butler was good enough he would have played there before be playing there NOW. Given he's what, 28/29 and hasn't to me tells you what you need to know. I think it's a real stretch at the moment to say that we have more than 1 or 2 who would definitely be good enough on the basis of what we have seen so far.

Agreed. One to Two at best Stuckmann and (...........pyo name here)

They say playing within a better Team improves you but even so it would not help certain members of our current squad who are (as my dad used to say) "over the hill" or very nearly at the top of it and the ones with no ability to go higher

[dickos1]

The last 2 games sinclair has been terrible and his distribution is just awful
Puts us in trouble far too often

[Sammy Chung was King]

I don't understand this "the board must show ambition" stuff when Dickov and Jones both stated that they could get other players in and chose not to.

The problem is i don't think the board will want a manager who wants money to spend, Dickov didn't rock the boat, and it seems Rob will be just as grateful for getting the job if he does, we need a manager strong enough to say what's needed to improve the team, not one that clings onto the job!.

[silent majority]

I don't understand this "the board must show ambition" stuff when Dickov and Jones both stated that they could get other players in and chose not to.

The problem is i don't think the board will want a manager who wants money to spend, Dickov didn't rock the boat, and it seems Rob will be just as grateful for getting the job if he does, we need a manager strong enough to say what's needed to improve the team, not one that clings onto the job!.

Dickov didn't rock the boat? How do you know what he did? He had money made available every time he asked for it, it was his choice not to spend it. Ludicrous claim that the board don't want a manager with ambition. Sorry Sammy, all wrong I'm afraid.

[Sammy Chung was King]

It's just how i see things from afar as a supporter, i don't know anything as a fact, just what i see from interviews etc, if he had money and didn't see the need to spend it, then Paul is even worse than i thought.
It's obvious to us supporters that certain areas in the side need strengthening, i often wonder why managers can't see it, are they too close?.

[silent majority]

No, they see it as well. Sometimes the right person isn't currently available and they'll hold back until they feel they can achieve the right result.

Maybe people see what we see, and maybe somebody is doing something about it??

[Alan Southstand]

Dickov didn't rock the boat? How do you know what he did?

Why the constant cross examination of every statement someone writes, particularly if you don't like it? We certainly do know what PD didn't do, because he was pretty consistent.

None of us are on the inside, so none of us know, but we are all entitled to our opinions and, for what its worth, I agree with Sammy. If you know for definite then come out and enlighten the lot of us, otherwise I'd take it as it was meant, SM.

[bobjimwilly]

Isn't this just another WAP thread? 

[bpoolrover]

It makes me wonder sm only because it's clear were several players off a decent team,no senior right back a bench full of young lads none of the managers want to play unless a last resort,no assistant manager?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I don't understand this "the board must show ambition" stuff when Dickov and Jones both stated that they could get other players in and chose not to.

The problem is i don't think the board will want a manager who wants money to spend, Dickov didn't rock the boat, and it seems Rob will be just as grateful for getting the job if he does, we need a manager strong enough to say what's needed to improve the team, not one that clings onto the job!.

Dickov didn't rock the boat? How do you know what he did? He had money made available every time he asked for it, it was his choice not to spend it. Ludicrous claim that the board don't want a manager with ambition. Sorry Sammy, all wrong I'm afraid.

It's that word ambition again.  How is it defined?  It means different things to me and you and bpoolrover and bobjimwilly.  That ultimately is the problem, we all have different expectations - almost a new thread worthy that.

In my mind sacking a failing manager showed they have ambitions to improve, can't knock that.  No doubt many of us will have different opinions on what we will expect from a new manager and that will again please some and not others.  Ambition is an easy one to throw at them though (I'm guilty on that in some ways), it's an easy one to use when in reality it's a differing of expectations or methods.

[RobTheRover]

It makes me wonder sm only because it's clear were several players off a decent team,no senior right back a bench full of young lads none of the managers want to play unless a last resort,no assistant manager?

All valid points, bpool, and I can assure you that the club are acutely aware of what is required.  Like SM says, PD was given funds but its sometimes not as easy as saying "get a left back in".  There are a lot of factors to build in to assess who to get in and, as stated, managers will tend to hold on to the cash and "mend and make do" if they think the right player could be shortly available.  I know its frustrating for us as supporters because it looks like nothing is happening, even when that isn't the case.

[DRFCSouth]

Going back to the OP, love the optimism but rather than glass half full, its overflowing and has poured another pint! ;-)

The definites listed have come in for regular criticism on here. I'd say we have a few who could make the jump. The rest would likely put us in a relegation battle.

I worried for us when we went up the first time, and look at the team we had then.

[silent majority]

Dickov didn't rock the boat? How do you know what he did?

Why the constant cross examination of every statement someone writes, particularly if you don't like it? We certainly do know what PD didn't do, because he was pretty consistent.

None of us are on the inside, so none of us know, but we are all entitled to our opinions and, for what its worth, I agree with Sammy. If you know for definite then come out and enlighten the lot of us, otherwise I'd take it as it was meant, SM.

I'd be a very busy man if I 'constantly cross examined' every statement someone makes Alan. However I do think its worthwhile to counter an argument that clearly has no evidence, is contrary to the facts as we know them and the opposite has been confirmed publicly by manager and CEO.

[Bentley Bullet]

Going back to the OP, love the optimism but rather than glass half full, its overflowing and has poured another pint! ;-)

The definites listed have come in for regular criticism on here. I'd say we have a few who could make the jump. The rest would likely put us in a relegation battle.

I worried for us when we went up the first time, and look at the team we had then.

The question of is the glass half empty or half full splits opinions because every one has differing ideas over the size of the glass.

I get the distinct impression that our owners believe that the glass would be too big for Championship football, and that we would all be happier measuring our success from a smaller glass in the lower divisions.......Where we belong.

[DRFCSouth]

What, a shot glass?!

[Sammy Chung was King]

Dickov didn't rock the boat? How do you know what he did?

Why the constant cross examination of every statement someone writes, particularly if you don't like it? We certainly do know what PD didn't do, because he was pretty consistent.

None of us are on the inside, so none of us know, but we are all entitled to our opinions and, for what its worth, I agree with Sammy. If you know for definite then come out and enlighten the lot of us, otherwise I'd take it as it was meant, SM.

I'd be a very busy man if I 'constantly cross examined' every statement someone makes Alan. However I do think its worthwhile to counter an argument that clearly has no evidence, is contrary to the facts as we know them and the opposite has been confirmed publicly by manager and CEO.

I don't see it as a cross examination Silent, just an opinion looking at things really from afar, all supporters know little of the facts, so we piece things together and sometimes they add up, and sometimes 2+2 makes 15!.
I can understand as one of the other posts said, prioritising other positions, and making do at times, personally i would have made right back a priority.
Because Lund needed the experienced hand to learn from and improve.
Incidentally, the defence on goals conceded isn't our major problem, it's scoring goals, i prefer if anybody disagrees with me to give their point of view, it doesn't bother me, but many may not bother, because the amount i write, i make specsavers a fortune!.