I wouldn't judge anything from a pre season friendly

Newcastle getting thumped 6-1 by orient last season springs to mind

There's been plenty of these types of pre-season results. Mean nothing.

Grayson seems pretty furious in todays YEP.

We are too light wieght in midfield. Howson isn't good enough for this division, and I'm not sure Johnson is either. We need people with experience at this level with a point to prove. Is Robbie Savage available?

I'm not sure they mean nothing, but they're certainly not worth the level of knee jerk on here, or on other forums

I hope you're including Simon Grayson in that.








The man whose opinion counts disagrees with you.

Hughes and bromby made more appearences than Crowe last year and were not reserves so Connolly replaces them at RB.
Bessone was a regular for Swansea injury permitting a team that challenged for the play-offs up until the end of the season and clearly a better LB than either Hughes OR Johnson hopefully Parker will eventually get fit and fight it out for the LB spot with him.
Sam who's performed in the Championship is poop iyo yet you rate an overweight scouser who had a good couple of years in the lower leagues?


Collins played a part in our promotion and was a regular in the Sunderland AND Wolves teams that got promoted to the Prem whereas Lubo has been found out big time since his return.
Paynter was a freebie who scored 29 goals last year and actually scored more league goals than Beckford and SG has already stated he isn't Beckfords replacement which leaves Enoch who's gone and Kandol who's on his way.
These are all FACTS mate nothing more nothing less check their respective appearences etc and i agree we need to add quality to the team/squad but the players altready signed are clear improvements in their respective positions/players they replace.

As I said in the part of the quote you chose to leave out I don;t think the defeat means nothing, and I'm sure Grayson feels the same.

I'm sure he won't be banging on Bates' door demanding him to leave, or making some impulse signings like many suggest after one poop performance.

Hahaha.

Why does Newcastles 6-1 defeat at Orient spring to mind?

Good win last night. We're going to win the league.

Billy Paynter out for 6 to 8 weeks, and Davide Somma (3) Max Gradel (4) miss the first few league games through suspension. At the moment only Becchio and Grella are available for Derby County.

i wouldn't expect them to get more than 12 goals in the season between them!

I don't know tbh mate especially Paynter,granted he's untried at this level but with the right service i reckon he could get 15.
On the plus side with him now injured hpefully we'll see a quality 9 brought in.

Very light up top now. Need a proven striker at least.

Saw on WACCOE were after a Premiership loanee or two.

we will get freebies or has beens. he won't be given any money for decent signings

Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2006 Port Vale 144 (30)
2005–2006 → Hull City (loan) 9 (3)
2006 Hull City 13 (0)
2006 → Southend United (loan) 1 (0)
2006–2007 Southend United 8 (0)
2007 → Bradford City (loan) 15 (4)
2007–2010 Swindon Town 121 (45)


not been great up to last season. one season wonder?

Goop points bud and maybe ,i saw an interview with Danny wilson in the YEP and he said that paynters problem was always that he wasn't selfish enough and once they'd eradicated that from his game last seasons goals was the result so i hope he can kick on and get a few.

i read that too. but look at the others. grella is ok,becchio works hard but not good enough for this level in my opinion and as for somme

THere seems to be high hopes for Somma mate he's getting decent reports in pre-season so who knows.

SommA will play & score more than Grella this season.

5-0 Up against Hartlepool Becchio x2,Howson,Snodgrass and Johnson.

won't have to get many to do that

We need a few more signings before the season starts and they need to be quality signings or we'll really struggle this season IMO. Infact i think with the current squad we've a good chance of going back down.
We've spent nothing again except for the Collins fee which will have been small. The players we've added are unproven at this level apart from Collins and Connolly who couldn't get a game at there respective clubs. The players we had last year struggled through the second half of last year and relied on Beckford's goals to win us promotion.
The defence worries me, full back was a massive problem for the whole of last year. Crowe wasn't good enough for league one. Hughes was forced to do a job but was terrible at times, he's far too slow and it's Larry's fault as Hughes is never a full back. Connolly was poor at Derby so i've heard and was farmed out on loan. Bessone i cant comment on as i haven't seen him play but if he isn't good enough we're stuffed because Parker is injured constantly and White has looked promising but could get badly exposed moving up a level. Still think we need a better centre back to start with Paddy when he's fit, Collins did a job last year but Naylor's career is on it's last legs Bromby is okay as a sub but not a regular.
Midfield was lightweight last season and we lost games because we were over-run in there, the only player that could put a tackle in was Doyle and he's gone. The friendlies this week have seen Howson, Killa and Johnson in the midfield, if Grayson thinks he will get away with relying on them 3 to win the midfield battle during games this season then more fool him as it will be him who's out of a job by Christmas. They couldn't run the midfield in League One so they certainly wont do it in this division. Kilkenny is a good passer and can create things but to play him we need someone sitting and it cant be Howson or Johnson. Neither offer anything playing out wide and we've got better players than them out wide anyway in Snoddy, Sam and Gradel. It's a shame that Montgomery from Sheff U didn't join us as he's just the type of player we need but someone has to be brought in for that position and possibly another for when we get injuries.
Upfront we need a proven goalscorer who's done it in this league, Paynter may score plenty like last season but it's a massive risk. He's had one good season in League One and they'll be massive pressure on him to fill the loss Beckford. Becchio will battle away but this is a level too high for him IMO, i hope i'm proved wrong but again, would of liked to see someone brought in. Somma and Grella will be subs and given the odd chance to prove themselves but you cant expect them to be a hit straight away. Why they didn't go all out to get Billy Sharp or Hooper in i dont know, atleast they've scored goals in this division before.
Grayson hasn't spent anything again and if he's been given nothing then you cant blame him if we have a poor season but why come out and say he's got money if the right players are available and then not spend anything when the squad clearly needs quality adding to it.