ToffeeWeb

I think if Branthwaite had been fit this season, we would have already secured a Euro spot. That’s how fine the margins are, his absence has to have been worth at least 10 points.

With a squad currently as thin in top quality as ours though, a couple more key injuries and we could have been in trouble again.

I wonder if Moyes, was told to play one of the fullbacks he already had Brian, because he surely must have asked for another one such has been his reluctance to play Patterson there?

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it suits him to play Jake O’Brien there? It’s not David’s fault then that we haven’t got a natural right back because everyone can see that Patterson, is shite.

I’m just guessing, are things rosy behind the scenes because the signings we made last summer haven’t really had much game time? Or is the Leopard changing his spots, and moulding a team, away from the spotlight, and is just getting those younger players ready?

I could carry on writing but the one thing I will keep coming back to is, why didn’t we bring in more players in January? If supporters like ourselves could see a real chance developing, then surely the people that matter the most must have been aware of this themselves?

Unless they aren’t really bothered, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, or maybe they just aren’t very good? Or maybe the people in charge of recruitment are not totally aligned with the manager?

Comparisons with the likes of Bournemouth and Brentford are interesting. Bournemouth’s ownership have been in place for 3 and a half years, our owners have been in place just over a year, so the correct comparison with them will be at that point. Brentford’s owner has been in place since 2012 (taking over from fan ownership), so a much slower rise.

Both clubs have small stadia and rely on selling to buy, with an analytics-based approach to recruitment. Bournemouth are part of multi-club ownership and have recently benefited from this model by the aquisition of Junior Krupi for a small fee (c£12m) when other clubs outside the group were offering far more (c£30m). Brentford’s owner had an interest in FC Midtjylland until 2023. Bournemouth also have a strict salary cap of £100k per week and Brentford have a similar approach to sustainable wages.

Both teams remind me of Wimbledon in their pomp, in the way they set up and play – tall, fast, physical athletes all over the pitch, with a sprinkling of genuine quality. They are direct and press high.

So what, I hear you say? Well, if this is what we aspire to be, then it is not exactly ambitious, given the relative size of the clubs, the stadia, the fanbase and even (in the case of Brentford at least) the assets of the owner (c£280m) compared with us. We are also much earlier in our journey of new ownership, so should expect improvements in performance both on and off the pitch in the next few years.

Things we can learn from the 2 B’s, though, is that you need to recruit based on analytics, have a defined style of play (regardless of manager) and be prepared to sell players when their stocks are high to re-invest, at least as we stabilise and improve our position.

If we really want to break into the elite, however, I don’t think it will be the Bournemouth or Brentford model that will get us there. We will have to take more risks on players, paying higher wages (which is sill the biggest correlating factor in where you end up in the EPL).

I think the next few years are going to be very interesting for us as club and fanbase (and hopefully more fun!).

Good for you Bob, well in.

As opposed to the negative approach (30 minutes v Man City excepted) that has seen us get 1 point out of the last 3 games, I’ll take that all day.

Let’s be positive. 9 points from the last 3 games. 😀🍾🥃🥂💤