Yesterday (Saturday) the Hatters played the last of their raft of pre-season friendly fixtures, losing 3-1 at Kenilworth Road, to Celta Viga.
The start to our 2024/2025 EFL Championship season is now, as I type, just 8 days away.
As is the case every summer, the close season just flies by, especially so this summer as we’ve been entertained by Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics.
Of course our aim, this coming season, is gain promotion and bounce straight back into the top flight of English football, the Premier League.
But pre-season has not, in my opinion, gone as well as we would have hoped.
The results, along with the performances, have been mixed and the squad has been besieged by injuries.
The injury situation being so bad that already there is talk of a defensive crisis when it comes to players that are available, something that has seemed to afflict us on a regular basis.
When it comes to new signings, there has not been the plethora of players joining us that we have, at this time of the year, become accustomed to.
Now, I know there are almost four weeks to go before the transfer window slams shut and that, behind the scenes, the recruitment department will be working hard trying to bring in the right type of players instead of panicking.
I also know that pre-season results should be taken with a pinch of salt, but in finishing I have a big question you all:
Am I the only one worried that this season isn’t going to be as plain sailing as we might have all hoped?
Your thoughts on the subject matter would be most appreciated, please feel free to have your say in the comment facility beneath this article.
COYH
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A Draw!
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It is always hard not to feel concerned but traditionally things work themselves out.
SO FAR I am amazed that none of our first team squad has left barrring Barkley, which we xpcted, and those out of contract or released or on loan. That is not to say they won’t, but we can’t know whether there are contingency plans in place, or a decision made NOT to allow in contract players to move. The lack of information from the club is once again winding up all the bad news bunnies, but it has always been thus since 2020 took over. It is their way and has been very successful to date. There may be a lot or very few signings in the pipeline, we don’t know and they will not tell us. I will only be truly concerned if there are further exits and no incoming. Remember that loans traditionally arrive as close to the season beginning as possible so not to have to pay them too early and therefore save money.
Morning MH, As Alan an I discussed yesterday this year as I pointed out agents and clubs are trying to hold our club to ransom because we have become a rich? Club following our sojourn in the premier and now a high profile club. The owners are refusing quite rightly to pay over the odds . This has led to this situation whilst injuries have mounted there is as Scotty says loans ongoing but won’t happen yet. As for signings talks are ongoing but agents are being ridiculous in demands.So are we fans going to keep moaning or realise that the club is doing it’s best.This is the worst preseason I can remember since the new owners took over. But can we continue to blame them or except that things are out of our control.
victims of our own limited success?
Another defensive injury added to the already long list doesn’t bode well, 2 silly mistakes for the last 2 CV goals. We seemed a bit sluggish still, but that’s preseason for you. 8 games played by the end of September will soon get us up to speed. Would have liked to see more of Joe Taylor yesterday and disappointed not to see MacAtee on the bench, which would suggest he isn’t in the managers plans this coming season.
Losing both Osho and Barkley plus the injuries we have at the moment has left me less than confident for this coming season. Edwards does not seem to be able to sign players to improve the team. Any players we sign should be able to go in and improve the team. Baptiste looks great in midfield and does improve, but looking at our midfield behind Clark/Nakemba and Babtiste we do not seem very strong at this level, then there is the big x-factor around Tom Lockyer. No news is bad news the way I see it with him and I am thinking he would prefer to retire.
Which leaves our defense really bare bones before we start. 2 new CBs and probably another CM is needed.
I’d be amazed if Lockyer opted to play on, he’s had his warning!
All the hype about bouncing straight back was to sell tickets , the plan is to consolidate , develop youth and wait until Power Court launches . You can’t survive in PL on 10k gates .
I can understand that clubs are setting ridiculous prices ,same happened to Newcastle when Saudi’s arrived .
Anyway , proof of pudding , we now have no senior centre halfs fit for Burnley unless Mengi rises from the table and with what I witnessed yesterday are likely to put 5 past us .I expect us to lose Ade , Carlton and Doughty late in the window ,possibly Mengi if somebody thinks they can keep him fit .So i expect us to be bottom 8 by mid Sept . Still I trust Sweet and Edwards to keep us mid table and build for the future . I’m quite happy to float mid table for a couple of years if Power Court is advancing . We brought in Nakamba and Mengi and possibly Baptiste knowing they had dodgy injury records , whilst Burke seems to have same problem .I thought Anderson was a regular at Barnsley but he seems cursed by our defence woes as well . I suspect a few minds will be focused around 10pm next Monday .
I didnt see yesterdays game as being relevant other than to show that a certain player is still gifting goals to the opposition even this early in the season. We just dont know the true situation as RE always keeps his cards close to his chest – we saw Jacob Brown and others all out on the grass in Slovenia and training – cant see any players going out except maybe Woodrow on a short term loan- we dont need to sell any player financially so cant see anyone leaving except maybe Campbell and Krul so they can get first team football and maybe a couple of the others – I see the town being top at Xmas and holding that position until the season end.
Bournemouth seem able to survive on lesser gates than us.
If we lose all the players you quote, we’ll be down by Xmas.
My first thoughts of the game yesterday I was quite positive, but as the game progressed it was absolutely clear that the defence definitely needs an overhaul. We have players but are injury prone and don’t have a strong center half holmes gave the ball away far too easy, and there is no drive from the back three very disappointing, we need 2 defenders and a play maker in midfield
I trust in RE and the process – not all players need minutes before they play and he has suprised us before when players are suddenly available to play!
What is not acceptable is a player that keeps making silly mistakes and gifts the opposition with goals such as our first game in the Prem Last season and the second goal yesterday! These stupid errors must be eradicated as soon as possible.
An what sort of players do you think the club has been trying to get in people!!!!!!! A £20mill striker capable of 30 goals a season!!!! .do you seriously think the club can’t see where the problem lies.There is still hope a premier defender could arrive soon and no not Maguire lol but obviously people aren’t reading the posts frustrated at people not seeing what is in front of them.
The injuries in defence are a problem and we need a left sided CB as a minimum. But the back 3 are missing a real shield in midfield with Nakamba out and this needs addressing. Apart from that the squad on paper looks strong, injuries will hit all teams. hopefully ours will clear up soon, but in the short term a good opportunity for Walters and Johnson to get some games.
I’m not worried about going straight back up to be honest, I enjoyed the Prem but I’m just as happy in the Championship. That said I’m confident we’ll be up the right end of the table.
Sadly yesterday was a little bit annoying, the problem seems to be What do ,the owners really want, the team that played yesterday certainly won’t be worrying many of the others in our league,two freebies are hardly going to do the trick. My thinking is to have get rid of Potts Berry And Campbell who would certainly be fine in the Championship doesn’t seem the wisest, move,the only thing is that Mr Edwards has a new contract to he in on a winner he can’t lose .
I think keeping the backbone of this squad together was/is more important than any signings. With the sprinkle of talent, acquired, such as Reuell Walters and Shandon Baptiste plus letting some of the youth breakthrough into first team is perfect for me.
Im sure there will be a late addition or 2 as well… live within our means… develop talent and build the stadium 🙂
Have to say it was Pelly who handed Celta Vigo the win in the end… poor headed back pass and didn’t track the midfield runner for the 3rd… not good enough for a season or 2 now.
if we don’t lose any of our big players in this window then despite not being able to land most of our main targets I’ll still happily take that.
So much of our play goes through Doughty and to lose him would be a be a disaster, the same can be said for Adebayo, when he got injured last year we looked severely weakened up front.
My main concerns as it stands are the injured players we desperately need who’ve missed pre-season coming back and breaking down due to the relentless Championship schedule and end up back in the treatment room.
The club could do alot worse than trying to get Alan Campbell back on side to plug that holding midfield role
Edwards’ failure to bring in more players is insanity. Barkley, Osho, Campbell, Lokonga, Kabore, Giles, Potts, Berry and Onyedinma gone/going; Taylor, Krul, McAtee and Townsend up for grabs; Lockyer’s futire uncertain; Andersen, Brown, Bell, Burke and now Mengi injured. Despite two freebies, we will play the early games of the season with a net minimum of fifteen down on the main squad and it could be as high as nineteen. Even with a fully available squad, we will still be e net minimum of ten down. Drameh, Willock, McNair, Ingram and Godden were available for free/peanuts. I hope I’m wrong but I think we will struggle to make the play offs.
We need more players in to many have gone and theres still a few may be going are the club only interested in money coming in we may be mid table to botten team at this rate there also must be a question of fitness with all the injuries perhaps its to much for the players we have dont put your hopes up unless we get a better players the prem was a lesson but i dont think the board understands perhaps its just money as i say
Guys guys guys do you not read posts the club and rob are not to blame it’s not that they don’t want to spend it’s greedy agents and clubs causing the lack of incoming. Do you people want us to end up back where we started or a responsible club. We know it’s not ideal but all this we should have never let so and so leave. it was a thought through process and players wanting to play and not getting game time .As for calls for Campbell to play sadly he’s never settled down here and doesn’t want to be here so the simple solution is find him a club in Scotland.
Absolutely agree ? To be honest ! If we had addressed the injury crisis earlier ? We could of stayed up .However surely we know who is leaving now and lets start getting quality players in .There has to be a reason why a player is free ? Injury prone?
good to see all the fickle fans have appeared. nobody likes the uncertainty this time of the season brings, but lets all suck it up. whatever happens with transfers, it is what it is. the championship is the toughest league, i will be happy to stay in it. lets play some entertaining football. and a bit of positive thinking.COYH.
52 year old life long hatter here. Just put a £20 bet on us to get relegated. Long long season ahead.
Not a chance we’ll get relegated, especially if we keep Mengi, Chong and Doughty. We do need 3 maybe 4 new signings and we need them quickly, the one player we definitely can’t afford to lose is Kaminsky.
Clark been awful since his injury and watching him yesterday was painful. Hopefully he will turn it around.