Looking to next season?

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Bluemike
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Looking to next season?

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:24 am

Town are reportedly showing interest in Tranmere Rovers striker James Norwood, currently the highest scorer in the top four divisions.

According to the EADT, the Blues are keen on the 28-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer.

Norwood has netted 27 times for the League Two side this season having bagged 23 last term when they returned to the EFL via the play-offs following three years in the Vanarama National League. He scored the winner in the 2-1 victory over Boreham Wood in the final.

Eastbourne-born Norwood, who is 5ft 9in tall, was a youth player with Brighton, Crystal Palace and hometown club Eastbourne Town before breaking into EFL football with Exeter, with whom he made three starts and one sub appearances.

During two years with the Grecians, he also spent time on loan in non-league at Sutton United, Forest Green Rovers and Eastbourne Borough, before joining the Green Devils on a permanent basis in 2011.

Following his release by Forest Green, the seven-times-capped, four-goal England C international joined his current club in the summer of 2015.

Speaking about his future earlier in the season, Norwood said: “I’m not too sure. I love the club, love the lads, love playing for the gaffer. My head’s here. I’m here until the end of the season, and I just want to be a part of something at this club.”
Scores goals for sure, don't know an awful lot about him.

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derick_ipsw
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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by derick_ipsw » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:29 am

He is at his level Mike my mate goes Tranmere and has told me he needs 3 0r 4 chances a game to score 1.

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Bluemike
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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:49 am

Yeah that is the concern, I just worry if we are in a position to attract anything better than this type of player or what we already have.

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AylesburyBlue
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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by AylesburyBlue » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:55 am

I’ll pass on this one. We need a big brute centre forward to go with Jackson and Harrison pace.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by marko69 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:13 pm

Freddie Sears might find his “shooting boots” level next season. Don’t rule him out just yet. I think maybe 4 of his goals this season were quite clinical finishes.

And fairly sure with Ipswich Town being a considerably bigger League One club, better players from League One itself could be attracted over the summer. Over to you Paul Lambert.

Paul: Remember what I done at Norwich in League One?
Player: Got humped 7-1 from Colchester?
Paul: Aye, but AFTER that.
Player: won the league?
Paul: Aye, and got promoted to the even bigger league. Fancy some of that action here?
Player: Yer fkin too right, Paul.
Paul: That’s good. Good choice.
Player: im so excited. When can i start?
Paul: Right now if you want. Could you go down the corridor and tap Mevans’ door. Ask for League One dough.
Player: League One dough? Is that a South Korean player?
Paul: Naw!! It’s your wages ya bawbag.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by K L Blue » Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:26 pm

marko69 wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:13 pm
Freddie Sears might find his “shooting boots” level next season. Don’t rule him out just yet. I think maybe 4 of his goals this season were quite clinical finishes.

And fairly sure with Ipswich Town being a considerably bigger League One club, better players from League One itself could be attracted over the summer. Over to you Paul Lambert.

Paul: Remember what I done at Norwich in League One?
Player: Got humped 7-1 from Colchester?
Paul: Aye, but AFTER that.
Player: won the league?
Paul: Aye, and got promoted to the even bigger league. Fancy some of that action here?
Player: Yer fkin too right, Paul.
Paul: That’s good. Good choice.
Player: im so excited. When can i start?
Paul: Right now if you want. Could you go down the corridor and tap Mevans’ door. Ask for League One dough.
Player: League One dough? Is that a South Korean player?
Paul: Naw!! It’s your wages ya bawbag.

The thing is MArko, He Humped Norwich 7-1 when he was Col U Manager

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marko69
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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by marko69 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:46 pm

Is that right? I knew Colchester humped Norwich but didn’t know Lambo was their boss. Shows how much I pay attention to the finer details.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:14 pm

I really hope Sears is moved on tbh, I am just bored of him and one or Two others, we need a new start.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Ando » Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:47 pm

Lambert likes him and he signed a new deal so I can't see him going anywhere.

Do we need another striker from the lower leagues? Probably need someone with a bit more experience but saying that proven championship strikers do not come cheap.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:49 pm

Sears signed a new contract ?

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Steve and Jo
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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Steve and Jo » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:36 pm

No he hasn't, far as not heard anything. I think Ando meant that year option that was triggered before Sears got injured

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Ando » Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:36 pm

Must have dreamed it

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Tangfastic » Wed Mar 20, 2019 10:52 am

Steve and Jo wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:36 pm
No he hasn't, far as not heard anything. I think Ando meant that year option that was triggered before Sears got injured
Yes, you’re right. He’s contracted until the summer of 2020. Should be back fit for the promotion push after Christmas eager to get a new contract. Like a new signing. Something for Mike to look forward to :).

TBH.... I would have moved Freddie on last summer. I actually though this season -compared to most ‘senior’ players - he did OK. I think he might have been up there competing as our MOTM quite a few times in games.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Bluemike » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:17 pm

Bloody hell Tang, I wont be looking forward to it trust me, there are certain players I never want to see in a Town shirt again, Spence, Sears, Knudsen, Bialkowski, Ward to name but Five, was gonna put Adeyemi but I doubt I need worry on that score.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by number 9 » Fri May 03, 2019 3:37 pm


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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by hallamblue » Fri May 03, 2019 10:37 pm

marko69 wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:46 pm
Is that right? I knew Colchester humped Norwich but didn’t know Lambo was their boss. Shows how much I pay attention to the finer details.
Yes he was marko...1 month later scum had poached him!

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Frosty » Sat May 04, 2019 1:18 am

Ok, I can only judge from afar, and dont get the opportunity to watch players for extended periods, but I do fear a bit for next season.

This year, the basis of our squad, ie the one's that are contracted for the next couple of seasons couldn't save us from relegation from the Championship, therefore, how many quality Championship players do we actually currently have in our playing roster?

I am making some assumptions here, correct me if I am wrong, but I do read everyones comments on here and have probably missed some players.

Bart - Lost it?

Skuse/Chambers - at the point in their careers probably reducing in ability to L1 standard

Spence, Adymei, Gerkin, Dawkins, Ward - all out of contact - any of them L1 standard?

Roberts, Jackson, Harrison, Kenlock, Nsiala, Sears, Dozzell, Nolan, Edwards - only L1 standard at best?

Lankester, Downes, Bishop, Huws - probably are (or when fully fit) - Champ material?

I hate being negative about our chances, and hope to be proven badly wrong, but I doubt next seasons basis of a playing roster is hugely advanced on the other 23 League 1 teams?

One would assume there will be a continuation of limited transfer signings next season whose ability at best will probably be mediocre Championship quality players.

When you look at the likes of a Sunderland that aren't guaranteed to go up from League 1 this season, it does show how tricky this league can be.

Combine this with stupid competitions like the Checktrade trophy which further tests squad depth and increases injury risk from a concentration of fixtures.

The reality is that with our assembled League 1 & League 2 squad that Hurst put together at the start of the season we will probably be competitive, but do we really have enough Championship quality players which is a basic requirement to get promoted from this league? No different to Wolves for example assembling a Premiership squad to get promoted from the Championship last season.

Assuming we don't spend much on signings, I really hope PL can convince 4 or 5 quality loans to join us for the next campaign.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Bluemike » Sat May 04, 2019 8:22 am

Frosty, I think quite a few people share your concerns and it is easy to see why after this torrid season and while things are going to be far from easy in League one I do feel a fair bit more confident than yourself. For me we have a fair few players within our squad that are or will be plenty good enough for the Championship, I think it is far from Black & White to think they haven't been good enough to save us from the dreaded drop and while of course that is the reality of it I do think there are mitigating circumstances as to why we are where we are.

What we have to remember is that we tried to do it the wrong way by not only bringing in a manager who proved to be out of his depth at certain things but who also had to bring in far more league one players than he wanted to, integrating Nine or Ten into the squad at once was such a gamble, he wasn't planning on that many as Waghorn, Garner and Webster were without question part of his plans despite what some of the stupid press articles say and for that to gel from the off was probably never going to work. We than had players like Bart, Spence, Knudsen, Ward and Chambo all making error after error when they should have been the mainstay of the squad, most of those have either gone or are leaving, some revealing they didn't even want to be here when getting selected !!

I believe we have the core of a good squad which should be easily good enough to at least make the play offs if not better, Judge, Bishop, Nolan, Edwards, Skuse, Downes, Nsiala, Lankester etc are all perfectly capable of being big players in League One, no question, I think this season will actually help us toughen up for the rigours of next season, others who can and hopefully will step up are Dozzell, Woolfenden, Morris, Kenlock, Jackson and El Mizouni, compliment them with Five new faces as Lambert wants to freshen the squad up and we should be very competitive as long as the boss gets the striking options right, that is the main issue we have to correct. I am and alwasy will be a glass half full person but I don't see us struggling or fading into League One mediocrity at all.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Tangfastic » Sat May 04, 2019 8:33 am

Frosty wrote:
Sat May 04, 2019 1:18 am
Ok, I can only judge from afar, and dont get the opportunity to watch players for extended periods, but I do fear a bit for next season.

This year, the basis of our squad, ie the one's that are contracted for the next couple of seasons couldn't save us from relegation from the Championship, therefore, how many quality Championship players do we actually currently have in our playing roster?

I am making some assumptions here, correct me if I am wrong, but I do read everyones comments on here and have probably missed some players.

Bart - Lost it?

Skuse/Chambers - at the point in their careers probably reducing in ability to L1 standard

Spence, Adymei, Gerkin, Dawkins, Ward - all out of contact - any of them L1 standard?

Roberts, Jackson, Harrison, Kenlock, Nsiala, Sears, Dozzell, Nolan, Edwards - only L1 standard at best?

Lankester, Downes, Bishop, Huws - probably are (or when fully fit) - Champ material?

I hate being negative about our chances, and hope to be proven badly wrong, but I doubt next seasons basis of a playing roster is hugely advanced on the other 23 League 1 teams?

One would assume there will be a continuation of limited transfer signings next season whose ability at best will probably be mediocre Championship quality players.

When you look at the likes of a Sunderland that aren't guaranteed to go up from League 1 this season, it does show how tricky this league can be.

Combine this with stupid competitions like the Checktrade trophy which further tests squad depth and increases injury risk from a concentration of fixtures.

The reality is that with our assembled League 1 & League 2 squad that Hurst put together at the start of the season we will probably be competitive, but do we really have enough Championship quality players which is a basic requirement to get promoted from this league? No different to Wolves for example assembling a Premiership squad to get promoted from the Championship last season.

Assuming we don't spend much on signings, I really hope PL can convince 4 or 5 quality loans to join us for the next campaign.
If we compare ourselves with Sunderland alone on paper then it seems like we’re in for a tough ride, but there’s Luton to look at as an example.

I don’t know Luton’s players, but I’m betting on paper they don’t have scream Championship quality as individuals. Is it better to compare ourselves with a Barnsley than a Sunderland? They’re promoted, too, and are a smaller club than Sunderland. Is it really Championship players that you need or a well-balanced, confident group of League 1 players. Don’t know... we’re heading into unknown territory. To be honest, Sunderland will be in the play-off’s and I would take that now if given the choice.
Play-off’s would be fine for me

We need some players brought in, but don’t think there will be that much. Mediocre Championship players could be more than decent signings in League 1... I’m not getting sniffy about that. We’re a League 1 team now... we need to accept it and get over it. I’m more worried that we have a losing mentality due to this season and we need to get a good start and shake that of as soon as possible.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by Frosty » Mon May 06, 2019 7:07 am

Thanks Mike and Tang, makes one a bit more confident after reading your posts chaps.

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Re: Looking to next season?

Post by AylesburyBlue » Mon May 06, 2019 9:09 am

For me:

New Keeper

Emmanuel (Shrewsbury and Rotherham so why not)
Chambo
Nsiala
New LB

Bishop
New CM (defensive minded)
Nolan

Judge
Edwards
New striker

Bench:
Wright, Kenlock, woolfenden, Downes, Lankester, Jackson, Harrison.

Anyone not mentioned sell or release.

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