Yeah, I did it over 38 games I think, wishful thinking. Either way I’m not convinced we’re getting relegated.
I'm surprised you don't think this squad is as good as the one we had in 14/15. Right now, we're playing a very young side....probably too young. But even with this, we're looking dominant and are controlling games. Teams are struggling to break us down. Where we've failed so far is creating chances and taking them, which has been a problem for some years. I believe we have the players already on the books who could change all that....at Championship level. We're not going to blow many teams away, we don't have the cutting edge for that, however, we should be doing a lot better than we are with the squad we have. From what I've seen of Murray, he's not going to help us, however I'm hoping he'll improve. He surely can't really be that bad? I'm one of the few who thinks Deeney will do very well in this league and if we can get Welbeck playing for us, he's clearly Premier League quality. I've been pleasantly surprised from what I've seen from Perica, apart from the silly red card of course.....and we can't forget Gray. He won't suddenly start taking chances, but he will cause problems, where others may profit from. Add Pedro and Sarr to the mix as your wide players, then it does start to look good. Key to any squad is the midfield. Gutted about TDB, as he just started to look like the real deal, but now we've lost him for this season. A huge setback for him. However, if we keep Hughes and Capoue, that will probably nudge us into the top two....probably as Champions. We keep those two players, I think we go up. Lose them both, and our chances of even a playoff place, with what we have left, look bleak. Defence is strong though, and even if we do need a LWB, Sema and Femenia are good players who can play this role comfortably. We do need to keep Foster fit though, as I'm not sure about Bachmann and Parkes. Having said that, we could probably get away with me in goal right now, as our defensive shape is so strong. Keeping players like Sarr, Hughes and Capoue are what it's all about for me now. Keep that quality and we've got a right good chance. We're probably as good as anyone, if not the best team, in all areas apart from maybe central striker. That's not a bad start position.
The squad is far better in terms of ability than 2014/2015 overall. The difference is that squad quickly looked like a 'team'. This lot just look like a load of decent players thrown together right now. I still think people are putting too much faith in Perica being good and the jury is firmly still out on that one. Deeney too - unfit and a restless summer where his motivation hasn't been focussed on the club and what he can do to help. Gray, possibly. But again, no certainty he can replicate previous Championship exploits given the setbacks to his career over the last 2-3 seasons. I think when you look at promotion winning sides, 9 times from 10, you look at them and say 'right, he's scoring the goals and this other guy is creating them, 100%' - I look at our squad and I can't say that with confidence about any of them. We have quite a few with potential to step ups and do it...but I think we need more than that. The club clearly at one stage wanted to keep Suarez and Estupinan this summer. So it stands to reason those 2 players need replacing. TDB's loss can be compensated with Capoue staying but we still need a No.10/Creative type player. A lower league Grealish if you will.
Yeh I think the squad was better in terms of firepower and creativity We had three 15-20 goal strikers , Almen abdi who was one of the best in the championship and got about 10 goals from memory Toszer the free kick expert and Forestieri , so we would never have any problems scoring goals with that side . There are still quite a few tweaks to make to get this side firing . However I agree with your optimism as I think we still have a very talented squad and it will come together .
A lot of it is going to depend on how many injuries we get to our key players once the main team is up and running as that stop any momentum. It showed up last season when Delefeo got injured, and Deeney (key player for Pearson) playing on 1 leg.
Yes somebody pointed out early I’d ballsed the calculation up. Either way I don’t think we’ll be relegated, in the same way Spurs and Chelsea sitting on seven points after four games probably won’t win the league, but probably won’t be relegated either.
A proper striker in that team and we would of easily had two or three against the scum and would of had a couple against Reading before they even got the chance to attack us. Conceded one with a heavy deflection. I can't see what all the panic is from some posters on here.
Haven’t heard otherwise. But was injured in an EFL Cup game (I think the one v Oxford). Apparently, Sierralta played very well for Chile against Uruguay (and the ‘original’ Luis Suarez). Of course, he could just be another Belkalem but seems like he could be a pretty decent fifth choice CB after T-E, Cathcart, Wilmot and Kabasele.
He is still listed as our player on the official club website. So I guess he needs to be added to your list, I would suggest in the back up category!
Thanks hjw I will add him at the end of the week if he is still here, when I do my final update post.
So the window's closed and all-in-all I don't think it was too bad. Keeping Sarr, Hughes & Capoue is massive! Three players that would walk into ANY bottom half Premier League side (Sarr into any side outside top 4). Add that to the likes of Ngakia, WTE, Kabasele, Sema, Garner, Pedro & Foster you'd have to say we've got a very good Championship side that SHOULD be able to gain automatic promotion without getting in to third gear. I get it's not as simple as that. Could've been a lot worse. The only players we are really moaning about losing never ever played a competitive game for us anyway, so no real loss when you take the emotion out of it. Quite content.
Agreed. Although disagree about automatic promotion. Our business has been great and we should be looking at winning the division at a canter. No team can get near us. Think we could see an invincible season too.
Quiet old window part 2. Wish we'd signed a left back and got Deeney's wages off the books. But overall looking ok. Lot resting on Sarr now. I'm confident he's up to it.
I would not be surprised if we still brought in a player or two from the many who are now free agents, as I expect there will be quite a few decent players who find themselves out of a job now that the window is shut. My reasoning is that so many teams are in such financial straights that they will be releasing or paying off players where they can to get their wage bills down, in a similar way to how we released Welbeck, making them out of contract and hence free agents.
Asamoah, Balotelli, Pato, Borini, Wilshere to name some. Only one I think of any we go for would be Asamoah. Maybe a very slim chance of Balotelli
The Voice of ReasonFirst Team Captain FINAL UPDATE 16/10/20 Foster - No1 GK without a doubt Ngakia - 1st choice RB IMO, how did we get so lucky getting this guy Navarro - doubt he will be used unless in an emergency. Troost-Ekong - Probably a 1st choice starter, but will be a regular in the match day squad at very least IMO. Wilmot - Almost certainly regular in match day squad, but not sure if he will be a regular starter. Cleverley - As Wilmot above. Deeney - A regular bench warmer and late impact sub, but probably only a starter when other choices are injured. Joao Pedro - Probably as Wilmot and Cleverly, but only because I don't want to burn him out. Also like Sarr IMO he should be a wide man not a central striker. Masina - Again as Wilmot and Cleverly, though probably 1st choice LB in a back four, if we don't bring in someone better. Sema - Our new Mr Utility, a definite regular in the match day squad, but might not always start depending on our formation. Chalobah - Such a shame about this guy, as not the player he was before his bad injury, but still a very useful squad man. Cathcart - A 1st choice CB, in all formations. Garner - Once again like Wilmot and co., almost certainly regular in match day squad, but not sure if will be a regular starter. Murray - So far looks like a big mistake, but if he can get back to anywhere near the player he was could still be useful as impact sub. Gray - Will he finally find his shooting boots? If he can then will be more than useful in a front two, but I wont hold my breath. Hughes - If comes back all guns blazing after injury, a 1st choice in MF, so lets hope he fully recovers. Quina - At the moment probably in and out of the match day squad, but lets hope he can make the break through and fulfil his potential. Femenia - Another Mr Utility, and probably a regular in the match day squad, but maybe not a regular starter? Sarr - 1st choice as a wide player, but don't think he should be used as an out and out striker, except in an emergency. Dele-Bashiru - Such a shame this kid got injured, as he was really beginning to look the part, I just hope he comes back fully fit physically and mentally, as I would hate for him to come back like Chalobah has so far. Perica - I have a feeling he could become our main man up front and net a decent amount of goals, I thought he was looking better and better before he got banned. Bachmann - A bit hit and miss, and might not ever get to be our No1 even when Ben goes, but a reasonable No2 for now. Kabasele - A 1st choice CB for me in a back three but maybe not in a back four. Capoue - Great he withdrew his transfer request, as he has always been a 1st choice in CMF for me. Sierralta - Apparently he played very well for his country recently, so maybe his has hidden talents and might make a decent squad member after all. Parkes - Don't know anything about him, but I expect he will be OK as a No3 Success - Needs to go, lets just pay up his contract. Will anyone else go, and will we bring anyone else in I hope the answer yes in both cases, but it looks like it has been NO!!! *************************************************************************************** Welbeck & Janmatt have been given free transfers and Dawson has gone on a season long loan to West Ham with an option to buy. I have removed all three from my list above in which I said I would be happy for Janmatt & Dawson to go, and that I hoped Welbeck would stay, but you can't win them all. No new departures or additions yet, but maybe we might pick up a player or two from the out of contract pool of players?
In this current formation I can see Ivic rotating Garner and Quina. Three up front would suit Sarr and Pedro much better so hoping a 4-3-3 at some point.
Quina is going to be one of those players who I think we will have to endure at times when he’s chucking in a 5 or 6 out of 10. He will only get to fulfil his obvious potential with regular game time. Taking him out or only giving him 50% of the games could be counter productive. I see Garner rotating more with Chalobah personally in terms of what they bring to the team. But I think all our CM’s are pretty much interchangeable.
