The completed squad - Your verdict

[Jayboy]

I want to believe I really do, but I just dont understand this philosophy Fox has or hiring or re hiring bang average players! how on earth can the Steelers org management and owners not see what the fans see... We see articles weeks, sometimes months after the fact vindicating the fans opinions at the time and yet we still see the same signs now...

These names we have signed and or linked with are nothing to get excited about!
Yet didn't Tony himself express his concern about the need for a new look squad, especially a actual first line that could put numbers up on a regular basis and at the very least make the top 10 scoring forwards stats? unless we have a an unbelievable set of forwards on the way we dont know about, were screwed for another year!!

[Jayboy]

What is your verdict of the players we have in our squad so far...

I have to say, for me I am completely underwhelmed, for me there is not one top line player in that list and I can't even get to excited about any of the rumoured prospects we may sign...

Forwards
12 Daniel Ciampini
24 Mark Simpson
25 Brett Neumann
27 Cole Shudra
74 Brandon Whistle
75 Robert Dowd
88 Marc-Olivier Vallerand

Defenders
06 Kevin Tansey
44 Sam Jones

Netminders
01 Matt Greenfield

[smbmetal]

I want to believe I really do, but I just dont understand this philosophy Fox has or hiring or re hiring bang average players! how on earth can the Steelers org management and owners not see what the fans see... We see articles weeks, sometimes months after the fact vindicating the fans opinions at the time and yet we still see the same signs now...

These names we have signed and or linked with are nothing to get excited about!
Yet didn't Tony himself express his concern about the need for a new look squad, especially a actual first line that could put numbers up on a regular basis and at the very least make the top 10 scoring forwards stats? unless we have a an unbelievable set of forwards on the way we dont know about, were screwed for another year!!

I don’t think the Steelers organisation see what we see.

I’ve listened to most of the new signings and other players interviews whether that be reading in the local rag or Pete Spencer’s interviews. Comments such as ‘we weren’t that far away’ and suggesting that we only need the odd tweak here or there shows that the organisation don’t believe we need much of an overhaul.

I said and created threads last season that I personally didn’t want to see Fox back at the club for this season. He’s had more than enough time at the club and I don’t believe he knows how to change it up or doesn’t have the right recruitment contacts or the player budget available. If he’s not got 3 high quality players lined up (for the EIHL) then I think we’ll be well behind.

The Steelers organisation lack ambition under Tony Smith. He runs it as fantastic business, which even makes a small profit (his words). Unfortunately that appears to be at a cost of regular success/trophies on the ice. The turning down of a European competition place says it all for me.

[smbmetal]

Very underwhelmed so far. Wonder if the player budget has been cut?

[Steve49]

It seems to me that Fox holds back waiting to sign the Stud Players who don’t get snapped up, but when they do, he’s at a loss and settles back to the same ‘old’ same ‘ old’ (pun intended).

[Morpheous]

What is your verdict of the players we have in our squad so far...

I have to say, for me I am completely underwhelmed, for me there is not one top line player in that list and I can't even get to excited about any of the rumoured prospects we may sign...

Forwards
12 Daniel Ciampini
24 Mark Simpson
25 Brett Neumann
27 Cole Shudra
74 Brandon Whistle
75 Robert Dowd
88 Marc-Olivier Vallerand

Defenders
06 Kevin Tansey
44 Sam Jones

Netminders
01 Matt Greenfield

Like to see the rest of the squad announced until I make my decision. If we’ve already signed our top line we’re in trouble. If no top line players announced yet looking a decent squad.

[jas]

Obviously, there are announcements yet to be made, but they will need to be extremely good for me not to be, like others, underwhelmed. Fingers crossed though for some big-name signings

[House_of_Steel]

It seems to me that Fox holds back waiting to sign the Stud Players who don’t get snapped up, but when they do, he’s at a loss and settles back to the same ‘old’ same ‘ old’ (pun intended).

That’s been my thoughts for awhile now, it’s a poor recruitment Strategy probably forced upon him to be fair, but how is waiting for a player to chose our club because he has no other choice, create a winning mentality? These players don’t want to be here, their here because they have no other/limited options. Signing players early means you get a good pool pick of the players available to our league Belfast are leading the way in this, and I’m sick to death of hearing myself say it, our budget is spread too thin we don’t recruit young up a coming players because they cost more than has beens with limited options. Nottingham recruited like this for years, unfortunately if we were to recruit younger players they would not be the standard required has proven in Paul Thompsons Fateful last tenor.

I do think we’re at the point now though pending on the last recruits we sign as to who needs to be held accountable for where we are, for me personally the ownership now needs to be questioned because blaming a coach who has limited resources yet still publicly expected to challenge for the league and win trophies just isn’t fair to him, you can explore as many systems as you want and install plan bs different tactics until the cows come home if your players arnt good enough none of that makes a difference. I’ve heard many people question Aaron’s style of play this again goes hand in hand with the quality of player you sign, any style is hard to implement well if you don’t have the quality needed and are struggling to even match the opposition.

[Brian]

Seems to me as SMB writes there is a mismatch between what we on the forum see and what the Organisation sees. We sign players who were “, crowd favourites “, to put bums on seats. Unfortunately being a crowd favourite does not make you a top EIHL player.

[Doom]

What is your verdict of the players we have in our squad so far...

I have to say, for me I am completely underwhelmed, for me there is not one top line player in that list and I can't even get to excited about any of the rumoured prospects we may sign...

Forwards
12 Daniel Ciampini
24 Mark Simpson
25 Brett Neumann
27 Cole Shudra
74 Brandon Whistle
75 Robert Dowd
88 Marc-Olivier Vallerand

Defenders
06 Kevin Tansey
44 Sam Jones

Netminders
01 Matt Greenfield

Like to see the rest of the squad announced until I make my decision. If we’ve already signed our top line we’re in trouble. If no top line players announced yet looking a decent squad.

That's where I'm at.

We have a good netminder in Greenfield.

If we were to add Saucerman, Nevalainen and Petgrave I'd be very comfortable with our defence, especially if the final guy is of decent quality.

The forwards all depend on how many 1st line players have already signed. If it's two or more we're in trouble.

We need at least two top end players capable of 25+ goals if we don't want to get left behind.....that's not Allen or Kristo.

On my predictions I've currently only got one player down at 25 goals and that's Neumann.

Vallerand in the past would have been 30, but last season his output was looking like high teens. There may have been reasons, but it's also worth remembering he's another year older. If Fox has pencilled him in as a top scorer, I think that is very worrying.

Let's hope there are some nice surprises, but I'm not convinced. As potential targets drift elsewhere, I can see Fox going back to his safety net of Allen and Kristo, which basically means we've not changed a thing.

I hope to be proved wrong.

Regards

Doom