Is Merson right?

Telegraph have us predicted 13th for the season... seems bit optimistic to me

 

Pessimism is Understandable. Id rather link our woeful ability to defend set peices to a lack of tactics/preparation on Mazerri's half. Considering in our first season we were dominant in the air against nearly all teams. We do desperately need a striker and a winger or two. However id be happier with sacrificing a winger in order to get a CB to pair with prodl and a back up LB.

That being said I still dont think our team is as bad as others.

 

How ******* dare they? Clueless.

 

Just cancelled my telegraph subscription. Thick *****.

 

People have to remember that should we need to strengthen in January we are likely to be in a much better position to than other clubs in the dangerzone

 

We're definitely in a precarious position and are likely to be in a relegation battle but looking at the teams around us, we're not alone.

Stoke:

In real trouble I believe, Arnie a big loss. Shaqiri blows hot a cold. Lost Walters & Whelan, two experienced heads in the dressing room. Relying on Crouch for goals, my tip for relegation.

Huddersfield:

A LOT of new faces. No top level defenders, hoping Mounie & Ince come good for goals. A lot of unknown Prem quantities in there.

Brighton:

Signed nobody of any significance. Seriously lacking all across the whole team.

Burnley:

Surely can't repeat that home form, recruitment has been okay, Walters a decent addition but two seasons of Turf Moor being a fortress seems unlikely. No idea where goals are coming from especially if Gray leaves.

Newcastle:

On paper, is a same squad that at times struggled in The Championship so hardly guaranteed safety, surprised people assume they will be safe just because they pull in 50k fans. If Gayle doesn't fire, where else are goals coming from?

Swansea:

Pretty awful, awful squad on paper. Clement got the best out of them last season, remains to be seen whether he will do the same again. Sigurdsson pretty much off, safety depends on how wisely they invest but who can they sign that wants to go to Wales and won't be tempted by other teams around then. Unlike others, do have a decent goal scorer in Llorente.

By my calculations we're one of 7 teams in a relegation fight this year and I expect us to finish above all these teams.

In conclusion, yes we have issues and desperately need sorting if we're going to enjoy this season. Will we get relegated? Nope. I just don't think we're as poor as the others.

 

We are a striker(maybe 2) away from being safe in my mind. Defence is average and prob worse, midfield is solid and mid/lower tableish, but upfront we will be weaker than anyone without additions

 

I believe that what Merson has predicted is correct as he is still sticking with what he said when Silva was first appointed to be the Hull coach, what does he know about the Premier League? And Hull were relegated so he feels justified! Why would he change his stance on that when he saw how much of a shitstorm we were under Mazzari!

In my mind if Silva can get his principles across quickly and get the squad working to the way he wants and they are willing to take what he says on board, knuckle down and really commit to it then we will see a better aptitude than last season from the players we already have!

Without the injuries to the whole team and especially the back four and creative positions we hopefully will have a more settled team. We all can see that we need some obvious additions to our wing play and the need for another fast, pacey attacker but these have been neglected for the previous two seasons due to QSF and Mazzari tactics. Silva's preferred style of play which has been well documented is not like what we have been playing since we have been promoted so it will take a little time to re-educate this system back into the squad, in my opinion.

Once all the negativity from last season and a more progressive style of play which everyone is able to see and adapt to we will see a much improved squad but it will take a little time and I hope it doesn't take too long! Bit of a long one but hey its still pre season!

 

Let me remind you of some of Merson's predictions for 2016/2017: (the numbers in brackets are his predicted finishing position prediction)

I like West Ham (7th) and with their new stadium they should be playing Champions League football within four years because of the money they should turn over.

I like the look of Middlesbrough (13th) and I think the Riverside Stadium will be rocking in the Premier League this season. I think they could have a similar season to what Bournemouth had after being promoted last year.

David Moyes is a good manager and this is a perfect job for him without the pressure of a club like Manchester United. He will make Sunderland (14th)hard to beat and they will collect good results along the way.

I like Burnley (20th), but they haven't invested enough and I'm interested to see if Andre Gray can step up from the Championship to the Premier League. We've seen centre-forwards struggle to step up in the past and it'll be interesting to see what they can do. They will have to work hard every week to get a result and that could take its toll.

He's an idiot.

 

Very unfair...to idiots.

A man with a natural gift with a football who has gambled,snorted and drunk his not inconsiderable fortune away.

He now steals a living as a gibbering jester amongst many other nitwits under the paternal eye of Stelling.

He manages to make Lord Percy Percy heir to the Duchy of Northumberland look like Bernard Levin.

I cannot bear the sap.

 

And yet there a women who have bred with him and he still gets employed to spout his drivel!

 

He's probably hired purely FOR his ineptitude as a pundit. The producers are probably loving it letting him turn himself into a laughing stock and it keeps them current and talked about on places like this.

There's no such thing as bad press apparently!

 

Yep. Read Jeff Stelling's book and he pretty much says this.

 

Merson doesn't take himself seriously. That's his attraction. I quite like his buffoonary. I'd much rather that than someone who thinks they are a sage like some of the BBC pundits. Merson is just a football fan at the end of the day.

 

Good summary and pretty much aligned to my views. I think Bournemouth, WBA and Palace will have good seasons and the relegation spots will be contested by the teams you mention. I'm not as confident as you though that we will end up on the right side of the line but it's wide open.

 

Ha really?! Book any good? On holiday next week so need some reading material.

 

Or maybe we could just hold the channels to a higher standard and get talking heads who understand the subject matter without thinking their farts smell like roses. It doesn't need to be an either/or choice.

 

Yes, that position is near London... Unlike some others

 

Merson is wrong.
We were the only team he outright said in the first line we would be relagated. That's rubbish.

Last year I thought we could be top 10 and without the incredible amount of injuries and the Head Coach, and the players response after we were safe, we would have done.

However I do feel more aprehensive this season - I saw both the last two games and Silva is drilling the team something rotten. With all the subs the formation didn't change and how the full backs got forward with our 2 DM's filling in. There was also some striking firm passes to players, one in particular from Britis to Holabas. Also Pereyra is clearly head & shoulders our best player and if he stays fit we will be top half and unless we win something he will go to a top six side for big money next year. That said, it would be very difficult to say what his starting line-up will be next weekend but it will be competetive. From yesterday's starting line-up I would say Okaka will come in for Johnson and maybe, if he is fit, Silva will throw a curve and play Kabasale alongside Prodl. Lastly he may play Capoue in place of Cleverley but maybe just a 2nd half sub. If our new Brazilion has completed the move then that will change but expect him off the bench first game.

Only after 6 games is it worth looking at the table and I think after that, yet again we won't trouble the bottom 3.

Top 10 prediction

 

Eh?

 

Yeah it's a decent enough read. The Jellyman Throws A Wobbly book. Read it years ago when Soccer Saturday was at its peak.

 

I also feel Okaka will start ahead of Johnson.

 

Gary Neville could suggest we'll be relegated and we'd get a bunch of butthurt comments about how he doesn't know what he's talking about.

It's shocking that people get so laughably upset about it.

 

** Sinclair! Not Johnson

Sorry. Idiot, tierd Sunday evening brain!

 

I'm deeply butthurt by your comments. You don't know what you are talking about.

 

Even more upsetting is that some of you actually listen/read what the Soccer Saturday pundits actually have to say?

 

"A person with a natural gift with a keyboard who has gambled,snorted and drunk theyre not inconsiderable fortune away.

He now steals a living as a gibbering jester amongst many other nitwits under the paternal eye of 424TheBeautifulGame"

Found this quote somewhere.

 

Not only that, Pozzo ownership widens our choice considerably.

 

Beautifully put.

 

I like it. You are all very lucky.

 

Whilst he may have a couple of valid points, the likes of Merson and Savage probably pick us automatically to get relegated each year the minute the previous season finishes. Not saying it isn't going to happen this year but the manner in which it is delivered doesn't shout balanced view either.

 

The WBA fan who did their fans preview in the Guardian seemed very pessimistic, and openly said that morale seemed to be at a low under Pulis, having let Fletcher go and not provided competition for the misfiring Rondon. An interesting one.

 

Merson calling Walters move to Burnley "one of the signings of the season" is hilarious.

 

You have to admit she is a brilliant comic actress and a great foil to Victoria Wood.