03-12-2014, 14:12
I would agree with the majority of your assessments, but probably "demote a couple" I would be tempted to move Baird From Squad to Flop (going on quality) and Billy Jones from Hero to Squad - I think he looked good because of the squad around him and our other options, and he also had some horrid times.
I find it hard to put Ridgewell down as "squad" too, when if we had Poco, or Even Davidson / Wisdom they would of been in every game over him. :/
That said (Making our recruitment percentages worse) Ashworth was a massive blow yes. I honestly don't think with JP's criteria (must cost less than a couple of million) that the current crop can find the type of players we have been missing over the last few years.
It's why we've been in for the likes of El Ghannasy (Loan), Sinclair (Loan) Vela (Loan) Anelka (Free) Samaras (Free?) and they have all to an extent been flops (with us)
In the last 4/5 years, we have probably BOUGHT 1 player, that has proven premiership quality (Ben Foster - Think he proved it with Blues) Gardner can be argued - but I think he was free. Maybe 2 including Sessegnon. The rest have been cheap, and / or a gamble. Shane wasn't that proven, and Gera was getting on and a free again.
I find it hard to put Ridgewell down as "squad" too, when if we had Poco, or Even Davidson / Wisdom they would of been in every game over him. :/
That said (Making our recruitment percentages worse) Ashworth was a massive blow yes. I honestly don't think with JP's criteria (must cost less than a couple of million) that the current crop can find the type of players we have been missing over the last few years.
It's why we've been in for the likes of El Ghannasy (Loan), Sinclair (Loan) Vela (Loan) Anelka (Free) Samaras (Free?) and they have all to an extent been flops (with us)
In the last 4/5 years, we have probably BOUGHT 1 player, that has proven premiership quality (Ben Foster - Think he proved it with Blues) Gardner can be argued - but I think he was free. Maybe 2 including Sessegnon. The rest have been cheap, and / or a gamble. Shane wasn't that proven, and Gera was getting on and a free again.