SHA Small Heath Alliance

Once again, Dan, well written. The anger and disappointment/frustration could be felt last night, and for once, not the result, the feeling that Davies has been let down by the recruitment. I heard it a few times around the Kop fan park and then on the way home.

Yes, I know we can sign one more player after the window, but that wouldn’t solve anything, and looking at the free player list outside the ones who are out of our level, there’s no one I can see who would improve us.

And my last thought, how low must the morale be of the players who were told they can leave and then had their moves reversed at the last minute?

We have had since February to get the targets in place and since June to start putting them plans in place. Yes, I know that the market is a tough place and stupid people spreading false ITK getting fans hopes up and not forgetting fees and wages are skyrocketing, and we did spend big in January. However, I honestly don’t think we are strong enough to push for a top 8, even a top 10 this season.

As you are quoting Oasis, I shall quote The Stones: You can't always get what you want.
I was a bit cheesed off last night after the latest transfer fell through, but have calmed down now. The players we signed in January have settled in and have improved greatly, Beadle and BOS have improved and fingers crossed those we have signed this window will, once settled in, will improve the team.
My main gripe is that Knighthead keep raising expectations by the language they use and do not follow through with actions. They then shouldn't be surprised when some people start to voice that disappointment.

So we were saving the money at the top end of the pitch and didn't want to waste it for the sake of it, fine, completely agree.

However, are we saying we couldn't find a suitable alternative to Gelhardt and Osman out of the thousands of footballers on the planet to go for?

I just find it mad that they couldn't get what they needed with 7 months notice of knowing what division they were in.

I would have been disappointed if we paid more than 10m for Osman.

To me he was a luxury and we got the better 'long term value' player, permanently, in Solis.

For me, Osman just went quiet in games. He's a flash moment player, where as Solis ticks like a diesel engine - not always fancy but ticking and he will be developing all the time.

I think Millar is more than capable of giving us what Osman did for zilch - and for that reason I'm happy Brighton decided to keep him.

I agree we could be light in places, over the winter period if we sustain injuries, but that's the clubs problem to work out.

I think this window may well seem better in retrospect.

Over the last ten years of so Blues have had a consistent massive turnover of players. We spend a lot of each Autumn bring new players up to speed and integrating them only for most of them to leave within a year.

There are significant advantages to continuity in the squad, just in knowing what players can and can't do and how they play.

Crucial to this is not discarding players if they don't initially work out or if you've had a minor row with them.
Gray, Roberts and Vicente seem a pretty strong set of wingers. There is a question on fitness, but they've been good so far. We just have to play them.

Similarly Solis, Iwata, Paik & Bird seem a decent set of central midfielders.

And we are wells et at the back as well.

Up front I feel we are short of a strong forward. I would like to have seen Ducksch replaced with someone physically stronger, I am also unconvinced Priske will be strong enough to lead a play off chase. I feel we are a bit light up front, even if Stansfield starts scoring. I am happy he will. He's getting the chances and one or two will start going in. I do not want him on the left where when he doesn't get chances we do not replace them.
I would look to strengthen in January,.

It's also a good opportunity for our manager and coaches to show what they can do with a bit of continuity. I see that as a positive.

I would have preferred a little bit more, but I don't think we've done that badly. We have good players and when we play well we are a strong side. This side should easily be in the top half as it is. We can then look in January where we can improve.

Of course it might all go horribly wrong,, but Brentford aside we've done ok so far.

"Davies has been let down by the recruitment."

I can't think of many managers in the Championship who would agree with you when you look at the amount of money he has had to spend and the number of players he's got through

I'd say it's more like "recruitment has been let down by Davies" ... perfectly good players have been signed, wasted, and under-utilised.

I’m only saying what was being said around the ground before and after KO

Deprivedkro

However, I honestly don’t think we are strong enough to push for a top 8, even a top 10 this season.

We finished tenth last season. I really don't see how the squad is worse now than it was at the back end of last season.

People need to get a grip. The squad to me looks well padded out now from back to front, with the possible exception of what is nowadays described as a "number 10", but Stanno (sitters missed aside) is showing in his last two games how he can really make hay there.

If we get to January at least in touching distance of the top eight, there is nothing stopping us adding to what we have already (which is already the basis for a very competitive Championship squad).

I’m only saying what was being said around the ground before and after KO

Well they're morons,

and i'm sorry for disagreeing with you when you were only posting what you overheard other fans saying - rather than your own opinion

Way too sensible - we’ve only paid one players contract off in this window what’s going on!!!

Well reasoned piece mate.
The bit about padding out the 18’s and 21’s especially resonates. As you know because I keep mentioning it m, I said Reyes Cleary should be picked up when at Albion and with them in the shit financially over 2 years ago. You have to occasionally be able to offer the much mentioned’pathway’. Otherwise there’s no point having those junior sides and the dick swinging Cat A Academy

Nikola Zigic

Nice. Contemplative. We all get a bit knee jerky at times. I didn't think myself we'd go for both Millar and Fusiemi, on the face of it, Millar makes the 'safer' bet.
If Fusiemi tears it up at Derby, I'll be eating those words, so will the club. Them's the gambles.
We have thrown a lot of money at players that we've then had to move on not long after.
Maybe they are trying to learn lessons?

They were signing Fuesini on loan, earlier in the day everyone was wisely nodding about how low risk that was?

It looks a baffling position to pull the plug on a bloke who can play all across the forward line. Hope it doesn’t bite us on the arse

I dont mind millar as a alternate to osman, hes a solid player at this level. I think the real criticism for me is not bringing in another gelhardt type player in this system, they've let themselves down in that regard.

Yeah I don’t get that one. We’ll see how he performs this season for Derby.

Fry is a Klarer clone. Lots would replace him for Neumann but then you have no pace at all. We need a left footed pacy bastard. A Temu Mickey Van de Ven. That costs money. Neumann is undroppable for his pace. Now he’s bullying people too (hands up here I didn’t think he could change his game at his age but he ragged Larin by the paddocks , Klarer stylee last night) he’s tremendous but does need a ball player like Klarer next to him. They compliment each other brilliantly and playing Robinson over him still blows my mind