Time for a clear-out?

[The Great Mass Debater]

So I am only playing Devil's Advocate and certqainly not wishing to encourage any hysteria. BUT, its been said that it is time we looked at the players and laid the responsibility for under par performances at their door. Not sure I agree, but, if it is the players, perhaps we would be better off with a clear-out?

If people blame the players and we have a number of over-valued over-paid pros a number of which have been accused of not wanting to be here - would we be better off starting from scratch?

We have a new boss who is bringing in new ideas. Do we really want a hangover from previous regimes holding him back? If we back our manager, and the players dont want to buy into his ideas, then perhaps they should clear off?

Maybe the time is right for revolution. Having played so recently in the Premier League it is arguably a time we stand to make the most profit from player sales. Recent Premiership pedigree, not under financial pressure to sell - we could arguably at this stage still be getting top dollar for our players.

Purely theoretically, would we be worse off selling out entire squad for (plucking a number out of thin air) £50m, and using it to rebuild with players who will respect Alex Neil as he brought them in, or brought them on if they are youth players. He will be able to pick his own players with the attributes he wants and the attitudes he wants, and he wont have people undermining him - as would seemingly be a big risk at present.

If we were to essentially take an approach like this. Would it be a catastrophe?

Most of the time clubs are loathed to be losing their best players. But given the discontent - is it time for new heroes? Time to let Neil form his own dynasty?

Thoughts?

 

[BroadstairsR]

It's tempting, but surely the two biggest assets / advantages that the Club have at the moment are our finances and the fact that most of our players have Premier League experience.

The latter doesn't seem to be of much use at the moment but a complete clear-out would place us firmly in the pack.

This is, however, a consideration if we have failed at the end of the season.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

It's tempting, but surely the two biggest assets / advantages that the Club have at the moment are our finances and the fact that most of our players have Premier League experience.

The latter doesn't seem to be of much use at the moment but a complete clear-out would place us firmly in the pack.

This is, however, a consideration if we have failed at the end of the season.

If we think this season has gone though, and plently do, are we not better off surrendering our top assets at January prices?

 

[Yellow Fever]

A clear out would be a bit of a panic measure, given that there are only a few days left in the transfer window, and to be a bit brutal, there's no guarantee that Neil will be our manager beyond this season if things don't go well. There may be one or two players come in, more if some leave, but Neil has enough resources to see this season out if he's anything like the manager we're told he is.

Also, given that we've taken 16 points from the last 8 games there seems no reason for a clear out. The players need to face up to their part in the Brentford shambles, but Neil must also face up to his part in that. Birmingham will tell us more about how the last 19 games are likely to go.

 

[Canaryboy]

A 'clear out' doesn't appeal to me, perhaps a slight reconfiguration. All this talk of a 'clear out' will start giving me nightmares about the next generation of Matty Pattison's, Andy Hughes's and Jason Jarrett's. Or even worse, the Ian Murray's, Juan Velasco's and Chris Killen's. 

Lets try to keep the nucleus of our decent squad together for as long as we can, if only to delay the inevitable slide into complete mediocrity.

Alex Neil has a 12 month rolling contract. If this gamble goes tits up lets ship him out in the summer, possibly McNally with him, and have another go with our last year of £22m parachute payments and our best players still at the club. 

Allowing a manager that nobody has confidence in to sell our best players and replace them with inferior players seems like the opposite to what we should be doing. Giving him a little bit of leeway to bring in a couple of his own faces, and seeing what he can do with our very good squad, is the way forward.

Do any of us have the necessary trust in Alex Neil at the moment to allow him to start completely rebuilding our squad? We probably only get one shot at doing that right. Peter Grant had a go at rebuilding Worthington's squad, that didn't end well. 

 

[Din]

I don't think we need a clear-out at all. In fact I don't think we really need to sell anyone. All the players are there that went on the fantastic run at the start of the season, it's just a case of finding a formation and style that fits them, and playing each one of them in a position that they're comfortable in. 

 

[Lake District Canary]

Maybe not a time for a clear out, but a time to define a few roles at the club, with some discipline involved.  Get players to be more responsible for the team.  I've witnessed at a few matches I've been to where players have been strolling around or standing still when they should getting back or supporting the play more.  Its almost like they are saying, well you've got the ball, you do something with it, rather than actually helping.  Not all the time obviously, but generally its a lack of responsibility.   One match I was staggered at the lack of  movement from the team in support of their team mates - Ollson - who has been criticised a lot - being left on his own covering a wide area of the pitch by himself.  I truly think that this manager has to be given carte blanche to assess the squad and if he detects a lack of effort, then those players should be shifted out asap.

 

[morty]

I don't think so, but I do think its time for a fresh face or three.

 

[Paul Handscombe]

Out:

Whitaker

Becchio

Grabban

Miquel

Garido

In:

RB

LB (as Olson will go)

RM (as Redmond will go)

possilby a striker as well

We will have an extra £15m potentially with Olson and Redmond on top of the transfer budget already given.

 

[Yellow Fever]

Disagree with any outs unless they are replaced by better players, which would involve exorbitant prices at this time. If O'Neil does have a broken foot and Tettey and Odjidja-Ofoe are going to be out for any time we need at least a loan as cover. There's also the possibility of Andreu from Hamilton as a goal-scoring AM on a permanent, which could be useful. A LW could also be useful, as we never replaced Pilks. Otherwise it's up to Neil to get this squad going again.

 

[Canaryboy]

It would be nice if we could find a new home for Becchio, we simply don't need him. 

I wouldn't be completely against allowing Lewis Grabban out on loan for the remainder of this season as long as we brought in a striker on loan, perhaps going and scoring some goals somewhere would see him return a better player for the next campaign. 

 

[GJP]

Out:

Whitaker

Whittaker averages more tackles, more interceptions, more clearances and more aerial duels than Olsson.

He also averages more tackles, more interceptions and more aerial duels than Martin.

 

[Canaryboy]

Whittaker averages more tackles, more interceptions, more clearances and more aerial duels than Olsson.

He also averages more tackles, more interceptions and more aerial duels than Martin.

Charlie Austin averages more shots per game than Diego Costa, doesn't mean that he's as good. 

Although I'm one of the few people (it seems) who considers Olsson to be massively overrated. If he lost a yard of pace I think his lack of positional sense would be exposed. 

That said, I suppose if Adam Drury had the pace of Olsson then he wouldn't have been playing for Norwich City, he'd of been playing for Man Utd and England. 

 

[ZLF]

Whittaker averages more tackles, more interceptions, more clearances and more aerial duels than Olsson.

He also averages more tackles, more interceptions and more aerial duels than Martin.

+ he (and Martin) is far more effective as an attacker too having more assist and more goals.  The olsson love in leaves me bemused.

 

[GJP]

Indeed. Although for me it's more about the Whittaker "hate" in.

If you look at the Brentford game Whittaker made more tackles than Johnson and his passing accuracy was much higher than Johnson's (but that's a given really).