Ex Player Mark Sykes

[brightonyellow]

Sykes is a good L1 player imo, but won't cut it in the Championship. Not quick enough or big enough. His 'move' from NI to the Republic was not very well thought through. He would have got 30-40 caps for NI, and he's unlikely ever to make the squad for the Republic. Sounds like he was badly advised by his agent. He'll probably go in the summer- he's a decent L1 player, but no more than that.

Completely disagree - I think he's come on leaps and bounds since the cold shoulder Robo gave him a couple of seasons ago. He'd be one i'd be looking to tie down longer term. Agree with the poor advise from his agent though.... not quite sure what that was about.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Well Mowatt didn't look a better player and Atkinson has huge potential but to me didn't look ready to be a starter in the Championship.
You really don't know how they will do unless they get a chance.

I agree that you don’t know until they get the chance, but you can’t argue that Atkinson was way more important to our team than Sykes has ever been, and performed at a much higher level, more consistently, than Sykes has for us (so far)

 

[werthersoriginal]

Those other players were all obvious stars and clearly too good for our level. Sykes is a decent player but not necessarily the first on the team sheet - he's at the right level for now. Of course he may choose to turn down a new contract and get a good signing on fee to join MK Dons, Plymouth, or whoever.

 

[Nadi-]

Those other players were all obvious stars and clearly too good for our level. Sykes is a decent player but not necessarily the first on the team sheet - he's at the right level for now. Of course he may choose to turn down a new contract and get a good signing on fee to join MK Dons, Plymouth, or whoever.

Could of put the likes of Ipswich in there, if the rumour was true.
Which says to me Bristol city may of had a eye on him, when watching Atkinson
(Ashton)

 

[m]

Could of put the likes of Ipswich in there, if the rumour was true.
Which says to me Bristol city may of had a eye on him, when watching Atkinson
(Ashton)

The arguments that 'Bristol City were looking at Atkinson so may have been looking at Sykes' and 'several other ex-players have thrived in the Champ, why wouldn't Sykes?' are not persuasive to me.

I hope we offer him a new contract based on the season so far but I'd think him a country mile away from being offered a chance by a Champ team at the moment.

 

[Nadi-]

Callum

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Wycombe nearly stayed up ( with mainly the team that scraped up from L1) and Blackpool are now 10th and 3 points off 5th in the Championship having also gone up in the play offs and with a lot of their L1 players, it is more than possible for decent L1 players to be successful in the Championship.

Coventry are also fourth in the Championship while Luton are in the top half, and both of those clubs went flying past us after being in L2 while we were in L1. One of them was ground sharing on the other side of the midlands from their home city when they got promoted to the Championship, while the other has a stadium with a capacity of barely 9,000.

But according to some not getting promoted is generally a good thing, because we could never compete, would immediately go bankrupt and would only get smashed every week along the way.

You know where you stand with Accrington.

 

[m]

Coventry are also fourth in the Championship while Luton are in the top half, and both of those clubs went flying past us after being in L2 while we were in L1. One of them was ground sharing on the other side of the midlands from their home city when they got promoted to the Championship, while the other has a stadium with a capacity of barely 9,000.

But according to some not getting promoted is generally a good thing, because we could never compete, would immediately go bankrupt and would only get smashed every week along the way.

You know where you stand with Accrington.

Anybody who says we shouldn't try for promotion, or don't want promotion, is an idiot. Period.

It is a fact though that the majority of teams promoted from this tier struggle in the one above.

 

[bazzer9461]

Anybody who says we shouldn't try for promotion, or don't want promotion, is an idiot. Period.

It is a fact though that the majority of teams promoted from this tier struggle in the one above.

But tbf if we get promoted we would need a pretty decent overhaul of our playing staff to compete and try and avoid relegation at the end of the 1st season.
If we are able to stay in the championship we would with the extra funds be able to start competing rather than worrying about relegation. Luton and Coventry seem to have managed and with Blackpool doing so well in their first season it shows they had a top side last season in L1

 

[Paul Cannell]

Seems to me that being promoted did Wycombe no harm at all. The World has gone from being surprised they're in the top half of div 3 to expecting them to challenge for the play-offs. How did that happen? Why aren't they bust?

 

[oufc1991]

But tbf if we get promoted we would need a pretty decent overhaul of our playing staff to compete and try and avoid relegation at the end of the 1st season.
If we are able to stay in the championship we would with the extra funds be able to start competing rather than worrying about relegation. Luton and Coventry seem to have managed and with Blackpool doing so well in their first season it shows they had a top side last season in L1

I don’t agree I think we would just need a couple of additions eg another striker or two another LB and RB sign player like Holland and Whyte , Kane on permanently We’ve got a very good team just need a couple of extra quality players and I think we would finish anywhere between 12th-20th in our first season in the championship

 

[m]

I don’t agree I think we would just need a couple of additions eg another striker or two another LB and RB sign player like Holland and Whyte , Kane on permanently We’ve got a very good team just need a couple of extra quality players and I think we would finish anywhere between 12th-20th in our first season in the championship

Again stating that we absolutely 100% want promotion(!) I think you're under-estimating the gulf. Peterborough and Hull looked a class above last season and look where they are. Blackpool are a great encouragement of course, although they were certainly a class above us come the end of last season!

 

[oufc1991]

Again stating that we absolutely 100% want promotion(!) I think you're under-estimating the gulf. Peterborough and Hull looked a class above last season and look where they are. Blackpool are a great encouragement of course, although they were certainly a class above us come the end of last season!

Of course we want promotion what’s the point of starting every season if you don’t want to progress and imo the only way we can progress is by gaining promotion we’ve been in the play offs two seasons in a row so the next step has to be getting promoted and if we do go up and come straight back down at least it would be a fun journey

 

[oufc1991]

Again stating that we absolutely 100% want promotion(!) I think you're under-estimating the gulf. Peterborough and Hull looked a class above last season and look where they are. Blackpool are a great encouragement of course, although they were certainly a class above us come the end of last season!

And with regards to hull they had a championship team similar to Rotherham this season but Peterborough yeah they was very good last season

 

[m]

And with regards to hull they had a championship team similar to Rotherham this season but Peterborough yeah they was very good last season

My point is that one or both are seemingly at risk of relegation - even considering Derby and Reading's woes.

 

[oufc1991]

My point is that one or both are seemingly at risk of relegation - even considering Derby and Reading's woes.

I will admit I didn’t actually realise hull were in the relegation zone I thought they was mid table I suppose we will
Just have to wait and see how we do once we get there

 

[bazzer9461]

My point is that one or both are seemingly at risk of relegation - even considering Derby and Reading's woes.

I would say Derby definitely Reading however got away with a six point suspension they should have been given the full 12 points

 

[Nadi-]

Again stating that we absolutely 100% want promotion(!) I think you're under-estimating the gulf. Peterborough and Hull looked a class above last season and look where they are. Blackpool are a great encouragement of course, although they were certainly a class above us come the end of last season!

No question there is a gulf.
Blackpool brought in Bowler, Lavery and Wintle from Cardiff on loan.
The addition on Lavery has given them real competition up front, and Bowler causes problems out wide.
Good start to the season even without Ballard or Simms.

 

[MJB]

God, I dearly hope we don’t pick up three points tomorrow.

Winning at football - shudders - so very, very unbecoming.

 

[harrymark1]

Regardless of which division we are in next season, Sykes needs to be offered a contract which means he signs. He is our most natural successor to James Henry, his versatility as well is a bonus. He seems to go under the radar but he has matured this season and his decision making is much better.