Thoughts....sorry quite long!

I have not bee contributing much recently...end of season malaise!
But seeing the comments on Knapper,his involvement in new signings and others views on who we need and don't need has spiked my views again,cant help myself Sorry.
So four areas of comment.
1.Knapper/Manning and appointments
2.Big Phil and Player improvement/new signings
3.Needs
4.Yoof
Fanatastic that we got Big Phil and out of jail and I am
genunily exited about next season..here goes tin hat on!
1.Knapper Manning and Appointments
Knapper was a very inexperienced appointment and is clearly learning on the job. The appointment of Manning was wrong on human grounds he was not ready to be back at work fully. However this is with Knapper senior managers need to take responsibilty. The pre season training would have been agreed admitted with JHT originally but it was woefully inadequate for the reality and toughness of a Championship season. Moving on to the actual during season training this was also clearly lacking and something again the Director of Football or whatever Knappers title is ,should have been all over.The level of fitness of the players was sorely lacking as we all saw in second halves and an issue Big Phill grasped immediately.
I feel now that MA has probably ensured that Big Phill has a major role in recruitments which can only help Knapper.He has made some good signings...Mattson...Makoma..et al.
2.Big Phil player improvement and signings
The main man has improved the performance of the squad and I for one during the Manning reign felt they were not bad players but were being poorly managed. Too often from Manning quotes were made about on field decisions being up to players which clearly did not work. They now all know what is expected ,when where and how and have fitness goals to achieve quite basic good man management form Big Phil.
The improvement in players such as Slimane,McConville,Fisher clearly shows how good man management improves players confidence and thus their abilties. Fisher looked awful under Manning and is now interesting some prem sides.
Jurasek ,controversial!!..There were signs of him improving under Big Phil before his injury, glimpses admittedly but maybe a good pre season will see him flourish.Schwartau look a real player in the making at such a young age. Looking forward to how Topic and Crnac perform for Big Phill
3.Needs
A fit left back...if one of the two we currently have cannot stand up to a full pre season which we should know now then go out and get another first thing..I dont know who!
A creator..an Emi..a Maddison ..a Wes..a Pritchard..was missing before and is still missing..The Swansea home game really brought it home.
A left footed centre back and move on Medi
A centre forward with more physicality.
So not wholescale changes please
4.Yoof
We still do not get enough bang for our buck from the academy, only time it ever delivered was when Neil Adams was in charge. We can all quote one offs 'making it' but when needed this year defensively predominantly there was no one standing up begging to be selected as good enough ie at Left Back .The cup winning 11 have nearly all had decent football careers some better than others but not with us as we dallied with the Prem and considered them not good enough.Was Harry Toffolo really any worse than the full backs we brought in during his career period.
Yes we have had some ,quite a number on the bench this year , but none really played a part..excepting Mundle..but they made the bench due to the number of injuries we had and not on ability , in my view.

There we go head above parapet exited with the age of our squad and the talent within it, even Kvvist who is a good player having a poor run will improve if he stays and provides another option.
OTBC

Posted By: The Ghost MP1969 on May 5th 2026 at 14:18:56

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