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2022/23 Kevin Thelwell

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brieverton said:
I read on social media he had committed to giving an interview before 30th June that hasn't materialised?

It's important he communicates now and then, but if we truly are skint, then he can't come out and say that, no more than he could if we'd struck oil.

If business is going to be late, then it's going to come at a cost of yet again forfeiting vital points in August whilst we wait for some ugly deadline day scramble.

Clearly he lacks both resource and freedom to do the job. It begs a question as to how long you want to simply pick up your salary in that position, before eventually deciding that you cannot function in the role and go elsewhere.
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Based on history, one example being Moshiri’s interview in the summer saying "we need a striker, we will get a striker", i would rather hear nothing from anyone at the club as they have proven to not be trustworthy and instead judge them solely on what they do.
 
To be honest i think a lot of the criticism of him thus far is unjustified. The only mistake i think he has made is Maupay and i think, given what we had available for a back up stiker, Maupay was a reasonable choice. Jan i put down to external events, it was absolute chaos and we prob couldn't have organised a pizza in the door never mind a player.

Things i like, he seems to have a focus on young players with potential, Garner, Onana and McNeill. The links this summer in Toure, Gnoto and one or two others i see a continuation in that thinking - whether we get them or not - is anyone's guess, but another layer of similar on those three improves us. Some of the senior signings - Coady Gueye have been grand and papering over the cracks for a season or two, needs must.

I also like that hes been able to do deals out. Both good loans for lads to develop careers, selling academy players but also being able to raise funds - its been a problem for us with other DOF's.

Given our context and limits i think hes prob as good as it could be and its not slap dash - seems like their is logic behind some of the signing profiles. All the while slashing costs and reducing our cost bill.

Really is a huge job. So far im satisfied.
 
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Neiler said:
To be honest i think a lot of the criticism of him thus far is unjustified. The only mistake i think he has made is Maupay and i think, given what we had available for a back up stiker, Maupay was a reasonable choice. Jan i put down to external events, it was absolute chaos and we prob couldn't have organised a pizza in the door never mind a player.

Things i like, he seems to have a focus on young players with potential, Garner, Onana and McNeill. The links this summer in Toure, Gnoto and one or two others i see a continuation in that thinking - whether we get them or not - is anyone's guess. Some of the senior signings - Coady Gueye have been grand and papering over the cracks for a season or two, needs must.

I also like that hes able to deals out. Both good loans for lads to develop careers, selling academy players but also being able to raise funds - its been a problem for us with other DOF's.

Given our context and limits i think hes prob as good as it could be and its not slap dash - seems like their is logic behind some of the signing profiles.

Really is a huge job. So far im satisfied.
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We also needed at least one more player for across the front 3 and everyone knew that a back up striker with some physicality was needed and not a shadow striker. We were desperate. That was a big mistake as everyone could see that's the one place we really needed it. A DoF should of made that a priority and not another midfielder we were already stacked with.
We could of done without Onana if it meant we could of got a half decent lump up front.
I do wonder if the signing of the short, misfiring striker was someone else's doing because as you said the others turned out okay in the end. Nobody saw Dwight coming good so if that was down to Kev, then good on him.
 

Noble Savage said:
We also needed at least one more player for across the front 3 and everyone knew that a back up striker with some physicality was needed and not a shadow striker. We were desperate. That was a big mistake as everyone could see that's the one place we really needed it. A DoF should of made that a priority and not another midfielder we were already stacked with.
We could of done without Onana if it meant we could of got a half decent lump up front.
I do wonder if the signing of the short, misfiring striker was someone else's doing because as you said the others turned out okay in the end. Nobody saw Dwight coming good so if that was down to Kev, then good on him.
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Id accept that mate, its fair point on Onana. They put to many eggs in the DCL basket and thought Maupay was sufficient as insurance it wasn't. They planned and budgeted that wrong.

Onana was a good signing as we will make money, but as you say it wasn't a priority - particularly with Doucoure at the club - when the mist cleared on the Lampard reign i think its evident it was Lampard who didn't fancy the Duke and that may be the crux of the Onana deal. I guess its easy to forget we also lost Delph and Allan last summer to - i suppose you can throw Gomes, Gbamin and Dele in there to. I guess we want the DOF and the manager to work together - maybe that the result.

But yeah fair point.
 
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It’s not as simple as just making a list of players we’ve signed under his watch and deciding if they’ve been a hit or not (and those that are have only scraped over that bar btw)

Essentially it’s his responsibility that we put a decent side out on the pitch and we have a balanced squad. We were miles short on both counts last season.
 
Neiler said:
To be honest i think a lot of the criticism of him thus far is unjustified. The only mistake i think he has made is Maupay and i think, given what we had available for a back up stiker, Maupay was a reasonable choice. Jan i put down to external events, it was absolute chaos and we prob couldn't have organised a pizza in the door never mind a player.

Things i like, he seems to have a focus on young players with potential, Garner, Onana and McNeill. The links this summer in Toure, Gnoto and one or two others i see a continuation in that thinking - whether we get them or not - is anyone's guess, but another layer of similar on those three improves us. Some of the senior signings - Coady Gueye have been grand and papering over the cracks for a season or two, needs must.

I also like that hes been able to do deals out. Both good loans for lads to develop careers, selling academy players but also being able to raise funds - its been a problem for us with other DOF's.

Given our context and limits i think hes prob as good as it could be and its not slap dash - seems like their is logic behind some of the signing profiles. All the while slashing costs and reducing our cost bill.

Really is a huge job. So far im satisfied.
Click to expand...

Sorry for repeating myself but I think January was down to him, but in a good way. No-one that we wanted and who was clearly better than what we had here was available, so we didn't buy anyone.

This was a clear improvement over previous seasons where we did panic and paid a lot of money for crap who made us worse. We were better off as the result of Danjuma, Sulemana etc giving us a massive swerve; indeed we might have stayed up as the result of it.
 

MACCA75 said:
It’s not as simple as just making a list of players we’ve signed under his watch and deciding if they’ve been a hit or not (and those that are have only scraped over that bar btw)

Essentially it’s his responsibility that we put a decent side out on the pitch and we have a balanced squad. We were miles short on both counts last season.
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We've been short of that for about 10 years though mate. It is it fair expectation to magic wand it in one summer, with a limited budget. Is it an event or a process?

The limits and context we find ourselves in are the consequences created by others. I think there is significant context that has to be applied in any assessment and i think hes made in the majority sound investments and some good calls holistically, while reducing costs. Thus far like...
 
Wat Tyler said:
We have four loans allowed, he has to use every single one.
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Is this actually true? The PL says the following:
1688477691494.webp

www.premierleague.com

How many loans are allowed for Premier League clubs?

Find out how Premier League clubs are limited in the number of players they can bring in on loan from English clubs
www.premierleague.com www.premierleague.com

Pretty sure this means you can have 4 players on loan from English clubs in a season with at most 2 at a time.
But loans from non-English clubs, don't count against this.
 
tsubaki said:
Sorry for repeating myself but I think January was down to him, but in a good way. No-one that we wanted and who was clearly better than what we had here was available, so we didn't buy anyone.

This was a clear improvement over previous seasons where we did panic and paid a lot of money for crap who made us worse. We were better off as the result of Danjuma, Sulemana etc giving us a massive swerve; indeed we might have stayed up as the result of it.
Click to expand...

Its an interesting insight mate. In hindsight, it suits the business, but if we went down it would have been a catastrophe and we were a kick of the ball away from that. I do think nobody wanted to touch us in Jan personally.
 
Neiler said:
To be honest i think a lot of the criticism of him thus far is unjustified. The only mistake i think he has made is Maupay and i think, given what we had available for a back up stiker, Maupay was a reasonable choice. Jan i put down to external events, it was absolute chaos and we prob couldn't have organised a pizza in the door never mind a player.

Things i like, he seems to have a focus on young players with potential, Garner, Onana and McNeill. The links this summer in Toure, Gnoto and one or two others i see a continuation in that thinking - whether we get them or not - is anyone's guess, but another layer of similar on those three improves us. Some of the senior signings - Coady Gueye have been grand and papering over the cracks for a season or two, needs must.

I also like that hes been able to do deals out. Both good loans for lads to develop careers, selling academy players but also being able to raise funds - its been a problem for us with other DOF's.

Given our context and limits i think hes prob as good as it could be and its not slap dash - seems like their is logic behind some of the signing profiles. All the while slashing costs and reducing our cost bill.

Really is a huge job. So far im satisfied.
Click to expand...
If it wasn't for the striker situation I would agree with you, but after Maupay last summer (which was so obviously a bad fit) and then the sale of Gordon and the arrival of N. O. Body in January it is very hard to be satisfied. Not saying it is all Thelwell's fault but he is the DoF and the buck ultimately stops with him.
 

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