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bungle
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« on: May 02, 2021, 08:04:40 am » |
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A few points from my perspective:
1. We spent transfer fees on Rose, Ashley-Seal and Sowerby in a season when a lot of lower-league clubs spent zilch due to pandemic belt-tightening.
2. Budget wise, I would say that we have probably been in a 'mini-league' with Swindon, Rochdale, Wigan, AFC Wimbledon, Crewe, Accrington and Gillingham. To have finished significantly higher that those clubs would realistically have taken a dangerously risky level of outlay which would have put the club at financial risk at a time of zero gate receipts.
I would argue that the primary reason that we've finished second-bottom of this 'mini-league' is down to poor recruitment rather than budget.
3. The forward area is the best case in point. This year we've had Smith, Rose, Ashley-Seal, Nuttall, Edmondson, Miller, A. Jones and Chuks on the books, two of which cost transfer fees. Last year we had Oliver (on peanuts), Williams, Morton (unknown young loanee) and Smith. The outlay has clearly been a lot greater but we've ended up with vastly inferior quality because the scouting has been piss poor.
The thing that still staggers me is that Curle went into this season trying to play hoofball without anything resembling a proper targetman/centre forward! I suspect that the Oliver switch caught him by surprise and his plan B, Nuttall, was a panicky signing which was rushed through without due dilligence.
Gillingham and Wycombe have proven that you can get results at this level with a lower budget direct style if you have the right personnel.
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