I am aware of this. Just pointing out which areas we need to improve on. The 15/16 squad is a logical comparison as it was the first year after promotion.
Prem quality has improved considerably since 2015/16. Comparisons are interesting but that squad would have finished bottom if it had kicked off in 2021/22. Just watch the recent Newcastle, Burnley, CP and Brighton performances.
Personally I think the quality of the PL is atrocious. Newcastle have only started performing because they were in danger of going down, they've been woeful for 90% of the season.
They're fairly solid defensively, then completely reliant on Saint-Maximin and Wilson for goalscoring threat. Their poor runs this season have generally coincided with one or both of them being injured; they hugely missed Wilson in particular while he was out. We have a comparable threat to Saint-Maximin in Sarr, but of course we currently have no CFs anywhere near to being able to do what Wilson has done for them this season - 12 goals and 5 assists despite playing only 2086 minutes so far.
It's been a poor watch without the crowds and of course there will always be teams at the top and teams at the bottom in a league table but the quality in those teams I quoted is way above where we are and I suspect they will strengthen further in the summer. It was great that we got promoted as it fixes major financial problems but I'd be surprised if the 3 promoted teams don't go back down again.
Generally I think you're right. The level has improved and, to add to that, in seasons 2 to 4 as an 'established' PL club we could often see the gulf in quality, particularly when we faced those teams at home. See wins against Cardiff, Huddersfield, Brighton etc. But we also know very well that performances fluctuate widely over the season for the bottom feeders and the aim is only to stay in touch with them, which is what Sheff Utd/WBA/Fulham have failed to do this season. In my view the clubs you list are playing now with far more freedom than they normally would because they've been at little risk of relegation for months. Only really Newcastle came close to being sucked in.
Yes the only clubs who have survived promotion in the last 3 season are the 3 biggest clubs with the fanbase and investment to fund squad overhauls eg Wolves/AV and it looks like Leeds are now re-established as a top flight club. The other 6 smaller clubs have all been relegated - Sheff Utd surprised many last season but were well and truly found out this season.
Teams with squads miles better than ours have struggled in large parts of this season such is the obscene quality in the EPL these days. I love Xisco but no doubt his tactical inexperience will cost us a few points next season, which is fine, but we will need to seriously improve the team in order for those points to not matter in the grand scheme of things. Fulham recruited really well imo and still are going down without much fight.
Fulham left it all far too late (something we are also prone to doing). Doesnt matter if the squad they are finishing the season with a decent squad when most of their best players missed the start of the season. Just like with Sarr last year - players missing pre-season and coming in last minute really hamstrings you.
I agree with this in general, for sure, although I do feel like one distinction is that I would say Fulham recruited well for Fulham, relative to their other recent attempts, but they have still fundamentally been nowhere near good enough for the majority of matches - they play well at times and have some fight, but at the same time they're going to go straight back down because they have very little resilience and their team isn't built well enough to see out games or be 'professional'. A lack of goalscoring strikers there is a clear warning for us (not that we need it), and relying on Ivan Cavaleiro as a regular/starting player is serious profligacy in itself.
Also on the Fulham game tonight Burnley took both strikers off ended the game with eleven English players on the pitch unbelievable jeff
Anderson would cost a ******* fortune. Lyon paid a lot for him and some big clubs sniffing around him. Lookman flatters to deceive a bit. He is very good at getting into dangerous areas but doesn't really do enough when he gets there.
They had a lot to do when most of those players came in, I wonder if the dynamic would have changed had they not had a mere 6 weeks to prepare for the season and if they had a competitive squad from the start. They were always under pressure, I wonder if the squad they have now, with a bit more margin for error, would have stayed up
They would have given more of a fight of it for sure - but I am not sure it would have been a telling difference. Their form over the last few months still has them in the relegation zone. Burnley and Newcastle both had injuries to key players and since they came back have always been pulling away really and then Southampton who have dropped to 17th were surely capable of turning it back on if Fulham were really breathing down their necks.
They have been in relegation form, but my point is, if that squad had been there from the start, they'd have a much more level playing field, would those players have responded to it well? I struggle to think that squad would have done so poorly without the pressure of being bang up against it from the start
I still just dont think it would have made that much difference. Their defence is decent and they play nice football but they dont score goals and they dont really have anyone capable of scoring goals in that squad bar Mitro (whatever happened between Mitro and Parker happened during the championship season prior and he looked totally disinterested all season). I am not sure an extra few weeks fixes that problem. I think Fulham should serve as a very clear warning to our owners (as if the season before last and this season weren't enough) of what happens if you do not have a premier league quality striker.
Just noticed a Prem record could be set this season. Derby hold the record with the fewest goals scored (20 in 2007/08) and Sheff Utd are on 18 with Everton and Newcastle away to play and Burnley at home. Can’t see them getting many out of that lot...
Mitrovic is definitely a good Prem striker under the right circumstances, but if not, he's an immobile lump not unlike Deeney. Our defence is OK, just like 2015-16, but we desperately need a goalscorer a la Ighalo (OK, I do appreciate 15 goal Prem scorers don't just appear out of nowhere!) or else we're in for a season of desperate struggle...
I've always been terrified of Sarr getting injured, but fair ******* play, since making his comeback to the starting XI on that famous night against Liverpool, he's played almost every game of any meaning to us (and two of the games he missed were when he had to go back home anyway)
The Deeney penalty miss versus Spuds had, I believe, an additional disastrous consequence. Not only did it cost us 2 points, it also indirectly led to Sarr being injured for the next 4 league games. Up until then, Pearson had always taken Sarr off after about 80 minutes. In this game, probably going for the goal that would get us the win, he kept him on beyond that & it was in the 89th minute that he suffered a hamstring pull, chasing back & tackling trying to prevent a Spurs break. Had Deeney converted the penalty, I don't think Sarr would have been on the pitch by the time he got injured. I don't think it's any coincidence that we picked up only 1 point in those 4 games, and upon his return stuffed Liverpool.
We did score in three of those four games, but we rarely looked comfortable, the lack of the double threat on the wings killed us meant we always had more pressure on us defensively. Yeah, in the second half against Liverpool, Deulofeu wasn't there, but we'd built up plenty of momentum and got the crowd going with those two on the pitch...
And Pereyra came on against a back-line who'd already done more defending & back-pedalling than they were used to, so managed to continue what GD had started & played at a level he rarely managed in all his time with us.
Yep, next game against Leicester he played left-wing from the start, they doubled up on Sarr (who had a decent game all considered), but Justin (who at the time was only in the team because Pereira got a bad injury) completely and utterly nullified him. There is criticism to be had for letting Deeney play every game up top, but our only decent alternative was kind of needed out wide such was the lack of alternatives without Deulofeu...
How many players to we need to sign in order to be competitive, and by competitive I mean good enough to stay up? I’m going for 5 Premier League standard players to come in, including Young. So the other 4 gave to be a striker, left winger and two midfielders. If we manage to get the right quality in these positions, I expect we’d stay up. Basically, replacements for Doucoure, Capoue, Deulofeu and Welbeck. For me, that’s the bare minimum.
I’d put a keeper at the end of that but as the least priority. So Ashley Young ( lb) Hernandez (Lw) Borre (fw) Just the midfield to replace. The keeper I’d like to move for Gazzanigga Midfield de Paul would be phenomenal but unlikely also with udinese links Wallace could add depth. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree with a lot of that. Pillaging Udinese would make sense. I still think De Paul could happen, As for the keeper, not so sure we need one but Musso was supposed to have signed for us before we went down. Maybe that could still happen. If not him, Sam Johnstone from WBA is in his last year of contract. He’d be a good signing I think.
Sam Johnston will get snapped up by a bigger club I think. He’s had a great season. Musso would be good. Need to find the doucoure and capoue replacements. They need to be better than what we have and be able to come straight in to keep Hughes and chalobah on their toes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
