Thelwell talking strategy

[Shogun]

Wouldn't be surprised if Cornet finally happens, though he apparently has a contract until 2027! (Terrible from West Ham)

[AjaxAndy]

I don't even think we need that much additional quality, just good premier league bottom half players and a fair few of them, ideally 25 or under.

Obviously quality would be much appreciated, but the fact is we need to be able to take out Myko when he's injured and slot in someone of a similar standard, same with McNeil, same with Gana etc etc.

I know people will get riled up about the idea of 'Dyche type' signings, but half our issues have stemmed from having to play the likes of Young in multiple positions, Godfrey at full back, McNeil playing 90 mins week in week out.

I'd love for us just to sign a half dozen premier league standard quality players on lowish fees and wages, they don't need to be fancy and have upwards value... Just be good enough to fill out the squad with genuine options.

[Bluedylan1]

I think there's a legit concern about a disconnect in our recruitment. Last summer Thelwell brought in Danjuma, Beto and Chermiti from European markets and Dyche barely played any of them.

We just can't afford to be doing that. Anyone we commit any money to from now needs to be heavily contributing to the first team, and making us better.

[superpull]

I'd argue 100% of players we bring in need to have been bought with the intent of selling at a profit.

Now, they can only really do that by adding value to the team.

But we're just not in a place with filling out the squad is enough. It's too short-term.

[AjaxAndy]

I'd argue 100% of players we bring in need to have been bought with the intent of selling at a profit.

Now, they can only really do that by adding value to the team.

But we're just not in a place with filling out the squad is enough. It's too short-term.

It's not short term if they're under 25 and premier league quality though... We'd have them for multiple seasons and it'd take the pressure off recruiting for depth moving forward, allowing us to buy potential with upside the following seasons.

I don't feel we're in a position to be buying to sell as the main priority right now, they're either going to be a massive gamble or cost a premium like Onana which has a knock on effect of adding further players.

The squad is an absolute shit show at the moment, and we need to address that above and beyond anything else. If one or two of those move on for profit that's ideal, but we don't have anything resembling a squad currently which for me takes precident.

[superpull]

We'll start most seasons on minus points if we don't start making profit from player trading very soon though.

We can do that by adding bodies like Bolasies, Schneiderlins, Gomes' of the world.
Or we can go down the Lookman, Deulofeu routes.

Now, don't get me wrong, the Godfrey's and Kean's of the world fall into the latter as well. So it's not a guaranteed success.

But my point is, every purchase - without exception, has to be around the financial model of resale, not through bulking out the squad with similar level players to those we have.

[AjaxAndy]

We'll start most seasons on minus points if we don't start making profit from player trading very soon though.

We can do that by adding bodies like Bolasies, Schneiderlins, Gomes' of the world.
Or we can go down the Lookman, Deulofeu routes.

Now, don't get me wrong, the Godfrey's and Kean's of the world fall into the latter as well. So it's not a guaranteed success.

But my point is, every purchase - without exception, has to be around the financial model of resale, not through bulking out the squad with similar level players to those we have.

I'm talking more of the types like the Luton LM / LB people mentioned, solid good players on lowish wages... That's a million miles from the likes of Bolasie and Schneiderlin.

We can sell Branthwaite and Onana now to satisfy PSR, invest in a squad that avoids relegation and the financial death pit it'd bring and then build sensibly from there.

[Jamokachi]

I think there's a legit concern about a disconnect in our recruitment. Last summer Thelwell brought in Danjuma, Beto and Chermiti from European markets and Dyche barely played any of them.

We just can't afford to be doing that. Anyone we commit any money to from now needs to be heavily contributing to the first team, and making us better.

I think including Chermiti there is a bit harsh as he's a prospect and has been given the sort of minutes you'd expect a youth prospect to be given in our circumstances.

Danjuma, 100%.

[Toddacelli]

What a fucking problem/opportunity we have now.

We will likely have to sell some profitable players.
A bunch of them are out of contract/ending contracts.
Our squad is threadbare as it is.

This all adds up to a major squad churn over the next 12 months or so. The squad that walks onto the pitch at BMD is likely to be all but unrecognisable from the squad we have today. How this is handled will be critical, not only to how the team performs on the pitch but also how the club performs off it in terms of whatever batshit ffp rules they bring in the future to replace the current batshit ffp rules.

Thelwell, I’m fairly happy with doing this, but the manager will also have influence and as has been said - they do not appear to always be on the same page. I hope they get their shit together for this.

It keeps coming back to how critical or next recruitment is (although if the academy could weigh in with some heavy contributions that would be awesome). Recruitment, of course, being something we are shit at and has landed us with points deductions.

What a fucking problem/opportunity.

[Kerryblueboy]

Can’t have managers bringing in their own players that’s how we got into this mess

[StirlingBlue]

Can’t have managers bringing in their own players that’s how we got into this mess

Equally so we can’t have Thelwell signing players that the manager won’t play, like Maupay & Danjuma

[brap2]

Think we'll have to find the balance between -

Soldiers. Slot in, follow instructions, be at least relegation battling standard. Likely to be either young but without obvious upside (Garner) or older but in financially appropriate situations and without any sell on (Tark, Gueye - both much better than relegation standard like).

Upside, future investment. Very very tough but we need to look to the future at least a bit or we will be fucked. We need to start getting these players one move earlier I think. Don't get them for 20, 30, 40 and hope to sell them for 60,80. Go and get them earlier for 8, 10, 15 and hope to sell for 20+, hit some home runs and turn 10 into 60.

I think dyche's "needs" are going to be quite straight forward which makes it easier. He probably doesn't need a silky ten. He probably doesn't need a rampaging full back. He probably doesn't need a wide forward who gets 10 goals in the prem.

[Bluedylan1]

I think including Chermiti there is a bit harsh as he's a prospect and has been given the sort of minutes you'd expect a youth prospect to be given in our circumstances.

Danjuma, 100%.

Yeah it's not a diss on Chermiti (or any of the players for that matter). It's a comment on the use of our resources.

I'm a big advocate of signing young players from abroad, and always having re-sale in mind, but you could argue that our position is so disastrous and precarious, we possibly can't even afford mildly speculative project players like Chermiti. Every penny has to be spent with maximum intentionality and efficacy.

[Gary1878]

The objective next season is mid table on the pitch (same as this season without the points off) and break even in the transfer window but an improvement in amortisation on the P&L. Which probably means selling Onana and replacing with a free. Also bring wages right down.

It’s a challenge but not impossible at all.

[brap2]

Sadly we will be getting a pointy deducty again next year most likely, at least one maybe more