Hob Nob Anyone?

SCIAG wrote:

Notts Royal wrote:
As Snowflake has said, there’s not 1 player we currently have that is indispensable. We have some good players but not a Gylfi or a Long at the mo.

And of course we dispensed with both of those two after less than a year of good performances.

Don’t think we should underestimate how reliant we have been on Swift this year. If we lose him then we have to rebalance the squad. It can be done but it is a challenge.

True, we'll have to rebalance the squad.

But that can only be a good thing as has been probably the most unbalanced bizarre squad I've known us have for a long time. We still don't have a clear shape/ plan/ system and maybe part of the problem is feeling compelled to play certain players because they're good.

Perhaps it will be a blessing in disguise to lose Swift.

SCIAG wrote:

Notts Royal wrote:
As Snowflake has said, there’s not 1 player we currently have that is indispensable. We have some good players but not a Gylfi or a Long at the mo.

And of course we dispensed with both of those two after less than a year of good performances.

Don’t think we should underestimate how reliant we have been on Swift this year. If we lose him then we have to rebalance the squad. It can be done but it is a challenge.

Gotta do that anyway

Millsy wrote:

SCIAG wrote:

Notts Royal wrote:
As Snowflake has said, there’s not 1 player we currently have that is indispensable. We have some good players but not a Gylfi or a Long at the mo.

And of course we dispensed with both of those two after less than a year of good performances.

Don’t think we should underestimate how reliant we have been on Swift this year. If we lose him then we have to rebalance the squad. It can be done but it is a challenge.

True, we'll have to rebalance the squad.

But that can only be a good thing as has been probably the most unbalanced bizarre squad I've known us have for a long time. We still don't have a clear shape/ plan/ system and maybe part of the problem is feeling compelled to play certain players because they're good.

Perhaps it will be a blessing in disguise to lose Swift.

Exactly. We might replace him with someone not quite as good, but the overall impact could be more positive.

I always remember when we sold Gylfi and then signed Ian Harte...we all thought WTF! But it was a master stroke by Brian

Hard to trust that the club are intelligent about this nowadays, but rebalancing the squad doesn’t always come at a high cost and is the reset we certainly need

CountryRoyal wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote:

John Smith wrote: Absolutely. Goals in the Championship are the hardest and most important thing to come, it's why clubs always used to sign Kevin Phillips for a promotion campaign.

But sure, Ross McCormack is the highest scoring championship player and he has never been promoted. Goals may be important but never should be valued above the team. Swift makes this team work.

To what end though? Our average finishing position since he’s been here has been 14th. Just because he’s one of the better performers In THIS team doesn’t mean we couldn’t perform overall better with different players in a different style.

I wouldn’t be sorry to see Swift go one bit.

This is a bit of an old comment of mine and I have accepted a move up is something he deserves.

On the "average position" thing thats nuts. He was good in his first season, injured in his second, learned how to run differently so he isnt constantly injured and has been the most consistently bright spark in our team since he joined.

Arsenal have been underperformed for a while, guess they shouldn't try keep Aubameyang because they might do better as a team without him.

NewCorkSeth wrote:

CountryRoyal wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote: But sure, Ross McCormack is the highest scoring championship player and he has never been promoted. Goals may be important but never should be valued above the team. Swift makes this team work.

To what end though? Our average finishing position since he’s been here has been 14th. Just because he’s one of the better performers In THIS team doesn’t mean we couldn’t perform overall better with different players in a different style.

I wouldn’t be sorry to see Swift go one bit.

This is a bit of an old comment of mine and I have accepted a move up is something he deserves.

On the "average position" thing thats nuts. He was good in his first three months, picked up an injury on international duty and struggled to find form after his return, injured in his second, learned how to run differently so he isnt constantly injured and has been the most consistently bright spark in our team since he joined.

Arsenal have been underperformed for a while, guess they shouldn't try keep Aubameyang because they might do better as a team without him.

Corrected for you

tbh it hasn't been working for the last 5 years. A different approach and team is no bad thing. It's time for a change. if it means we lose some of our better players? meh, who gives a oxf*rd. there is no one in the squad that I'm worried about losing. I'm fairly sure we could achieve a similar league position next year with a team mostly made up on the existing first-team academy products that have come through and some freebies/bargain basement players supplementing some of our fringe players.

In summary, just hurry up and get him out the door and start building for next year

WoodleyRoyal wrote:tbh it hasn't been working for the last 5 years. A different approach and team is no bad thing. It's time for a change. if it means we lose some of our better players? meh, who gives a oxf*rd. there is no one in the squad that I'm worried about losing. I'm fairly sure we could achieve a similar league position next year with a team mostly made up on the existing first-team academy products that have come through and some freebies/bargain basement players supplementing some of our fringe players.

In summary, just hurry up and get him out the door and start building for next year

Exactly. Get Warnock in and let's start playing some traditional football - none of this fancy knocking it about the back four nonsense.

John Smith wrote:

WoodleyRoyal wrote:tbh it hasn't been working for the last 5 years. A different approach and team is no bad thing. It's time for a change. if it means we lose some of our better players? meh, who gives a oxf*rd. there is no one in the squad that I'm worried about losing. I'm fairly sure we could achieve a similar league position next year with a team mostly made up on the existing first-team academy products that have come through and some freebies/bargain basement players supplementing some of our fringe players.

In summary, just hurry up and get him out the door and start building for next year

Exactly. Get Warnock in and let's start playing some traditional football - none of this fancy knocking it about the back four nonsense.

Warnock is never going to be a good fit for Reading, animosity towards him started in the 05/06 season and by the time it drops sufficiently enough for him to be a viable choice as manager, he'll have already retired...probably.

Besides, why would he take a massive sideways move right now?

Warnock's the guy you get in for 6 months to stay up.

Or if you're close to promotion but not quite there.

He's not a guy to bring in for long term, or to rebuild. Not anymore.

I'd love to get Ainsley Harriott in but it'll never happen.

WoodleyRoyal wrote:tbh it hasn't been working for the last 5 years. A different approach and team is no bad thing. It's time for a change. if it means we lose some of our better players? meh, who gives a oxf*rd. there is no one in the squad that I'm worried about losing. I'm fairly sure we could achieve a similar league position next year with a team mostly made up on the existing first-team academy products that have come through and some freebies/bargain basement players supplementing some of our fringe players.

In summary, just hurry up and get him out the door and start building for next year

This 100%.

This team needs major surgery and the underachieving mediocre lazy shit removed.

leon wrote:

WoodleyRoyal wrote:tbh it hasn't been working for the last 5 years. A different approach and team is no bad thing. It's time for a change. if it means we lose some of our better players? meh, who gives a oxf*rd. there is no one in the squad that I'm worried about losing. I'm fairly sure we could achieve a similar league position next year with a team mostly made up on the existing first-team academy products that have come through and some freebies/bargain basement players supplementing some of our fringe players.

In summary, just hurry up and get him out the door and start building for next year

This 100%.

This team needs major surgery and the underachieving mediocre lazy shit removed.

Yup. I'll be concerned if Swift is still here when the window closes. If it becomes a protracted deal across the window to get a larger fee, fine. But we need to manage FFP and rebuild; selling Swift seems like an obvious way to do this

I'd also worry about his motivation tbh. Prob the best chance he'll get to play PL if he moves this season.

Another season of struggle in the lower reaches of the champ are unlikely to be where his head is at

TalkSPORT reporting that we've rejected a £4m bid. Good on us. Not enough.

WestYorksRoyal wrote:TalkSPORT reporting that we've rejected a £4m bid. Good on us. Not enough.

So they’ve raised the offer by £500k...pathetic. If they can afford £10m for Matty Cash, they can seriously up their offer for Swift

£4M is derisory, Sheffield United can oxf*rd right off with that amount. Even with Covid-19 affecting finances we should be holding out for £6M minimum as a guaranteed fee.

We'll unfortunately be seeing other clubs who are aware that we are close with FFP trying to hold us to ransom and hard balling with fees. Watch Leeds offer us £2M for Olise next!

Royal_jimmy wrote:£4M is derisory, Sheffield United can oxf*rd right off with that amount. Even with Covid-19 affecting finances we should be holding out for £6M minimum as a guaranteed fee.

We'll unfortunately be seeing other clubs who are aware that we are close with FFP trying to hold us to ransom and hard balling with fees. Watch Leeds offer us £2M for Olise next!

If Leeds offer £8m for Swift and Olise combined.....would you take it?

WestYorksRoyal wrote:

Royal_jimmy wrote:£4M is derisory, Sheffield United can oxf*rd right off with that amount. Even with Covid-19 affecting finances we should be holding out for £6M minimum as a guaranteed fee.

We'll unfortunately be seeing other clubs who are aware that we are close with FFP trying to hold us to ransom and hard balling with fees. Watch Leeds offer us £2M for Olise next!

If Leeds offer £8m for Swift and Olise combined.....would you take it?

dont be silly

WestYorksRoyal wrote:

leon wrote:

WoodleyRoyal wrote:tbh it hasn't been working for the last 5 years. A different approach and team is no bad thing. It's time for a change. if it means we lose some of our better players? meh, who gives a oxf*rd. there is no one in the squad that I'm worried about losing. I'm fairly sure we could achieve a similar league position next year with a team mostly made up on the existing first-team academy products that have come through and some freebies/bargain basement players supplementing some of our fringe players.

In summary, just hurry up and get him out the door and start building for next year

This 100%.

This team needs major surgery and the underachieving mediocre lazy shit removed.

Yup. I'll be concerned if Swift is still here when the window closes. If it becomes a protracted deal across the window to get a larger fee, fine. But we need to manage FFP and rebuild; selling Swift seems like an obvious way to do this

Especially if we resign Ejaria

Will be disappointed if we start 2020/21 with Swift, Ejaria and Olise all in the XI again, it just doesn’t work

Think Swift could flourish under a manager like Bielsa or Wilder. He looked a different player under Gomes but he’s been quite disappointing since the Christmas run in

WestYorksRoyal wrote:

Royal_jimmy wrote:£4M is derisory, Sheffield United can oxf*rd right off with that amount. Even with Covid-19 affecting finances we should be holding out for £6M minimum as a guaranteed fee.

We'll unfortunately be seeing other clubs who are aware that we are close with FFP trying to hold us to ransom and hard balling with fees. Watch Leeds offer us £2M for Olise next!

If Leeds offer £8m for Swift and Olise combined.....would you take it?

In a heartbeat.