I hardly post or read on here anymore as slowly but surely I fall out of love with all things Premier League, so many things that rankle with me, I've even given my season ticket away for this Saturday, team selection and tactics against City being the final straw,
But I was thinking after the team was announced on Saturday, "Have we made fundamental mistakes in our recruitment of players ?"
For me we were one player away from being an automatically promoted side last season, and that position was a right winger with pace to burn, it was the only position that we were crying out for (bar an injury to either Ream or Odoi)
We've spent well over £100 million plus various loan fees, and yet we still lack an out and out right winger with pace to burn,
We pursued Targett all summer, far longer than we should have done it seemed to make us blind to all our other failings, then on deadline day blind panic seemed to set in, with Bryan and Fosuh-mensah almost being brought in as after thoughts,
The back 4 is a complete dogs dinner of a mess , with Jokanovic and all the supporters seemingly having no idea as to what the best defence should be, with the back 4 that started on Saturday we would have lost to anybody, and I've no doubts whatsoever that that back 4 will see us relegated,
Then of course we have Anguissa and the £20 million spent there , somebody must have seen something in him and yet he can't get in the side in front of either McDonald or Johansen,
I think we've got it horribly wrong in the summer and can't see things improving before January,
Last summer Kline was the scapegoat for a poor window last summer , well he's no more and Khan backed Jokanovic to the hilt this summer with unprecedented spending, and yet we still have so many problems all over the pitch,
We're in a mini league with Burnley, Huddersfield and Cardiff , and it's a league that we must win.
Whilst I do understand where you are coming from, I think you will end up being pleasantly suprised. But, it may take a month or so
The only thing that will stop me being a season ticket holder is the club wacking up the prices to the post early bird levels this season annd that's down to affordable level.
I would never stop watching Fulham any other way.
I understand your reasoning and early doors last season people were questioning slav then big time but then slav sorted it which I expect him to do this season as well.
Quote from: BedsFFC on September 18, 2018, 12:50:26 PM
Whilst I do understand where you are coming from, I think you will end up being pleasantly suprised. But, it may take a month or so
I agree, although the continuous system which has brought us success was never going to succeed against Man City.
We gave them too much space and that was probably one of the best performances I've seen from any team for a long time.
They were sensational, it could easily have been 10 and they'll clobber many a team this season.
Sess at full back when he scored all those goals last season ?
I really couldn't understand the team selection, was it stubbornness ? I think it was certainly naive.
and was never going to compete with Rene's teams performance against Man Utd a while back.
As for the rest of the season, Saturday was not a benchmark and we will have enough good days to easily
stay up, if Joka can be a bit more flexible, starting with Watford this Saturday,
I think it is still too early to say how we will do with the new players, and also to see how last seasons players manage the Prem.
I think our recruitment exceeded all expectations.
Fitness issues have hampered the bedding down process, plus Slav does like to tinker a lot.
Once things have settled down, we'll be fine, as long as the tinkering subsides
I am sure some mistakes have been made
All 12 signings will not work out
But many will work out and we have a good backbone from last season .
It will take time to come together - Burnley win was a bonus for me . And even when it does come together we will not be beating Man C away .
I am not giving away my season ticket and will support the team and enjoy the ride
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
I do share the concerns of anyone at this time, who do question various issues with regard to the team and management.
A week in football is a long time.
In my humble opinion I would not have tackled the City match with that starting lineup or system of play.
Now some may ask, what do I know that Slavisa does not, who am I to question his judgement.
My answer to them is, I haven't the foggiest, I haven't a clue.
However, as we all know this isn't rocket science.
Pundits and coaches and managers will try and convince us it is, but they would do that wouldn't they, because they earn a very lucrative living out of it.
Certainly some of the first issues to be tackled.
Are Fulham match fit for a Premier Division Level Match.
Because the first 90 plus minutes are the most important.
Of course we all also know that the ball never gets tired.
So then whatever level you may play at, you have to get the basics right, right from the start, and there are many basics.
I cannot name them all, there are far too many.
But it could be getting your first touch and your timing up to speed. Supporting the man on the ball at all times.
He needs to have at least three players to pass to when he is on the ball. It's things like talking and communication, getting your throw ons right, not throwing it at somebody's chest or stomach as I have often seen.
Throwing to feet is generally the best option, the ball is quicker to control and you can literally control and pass in one movement.
If in doubt when taking a throw, then work the line, where heading the ball on comes into contention.
Simple things like concentration at set pieces for and against, and also at restarts. Play to the whistle.
Basics like, if our full back gets beat like so often happened on Saturday, do not run in the slip stream of the player that has just creamed you, go inside to the centre back position, as your centre back should automatically come across to cover you, show the guy the line, delay him long enough for you to get into his position to restore the balance depth and shape in defence. By delaying him your centre back is buying time for the rest of our players to get back and pick up these markers.
By doing that he either forces the opponent to put in an early cross which should be meat and drink to out Keeper and defence. But also it may force the opponent to recycle and move the ball across to the other side.
By then our team have their shape back.
Another important aspect is good habits. We have to adopt good habits. That is a fundamental requirement.
So it shows it's a simple game, not rocket science, providing the players are prepared to run through a brick wall for the Manager, and come out fighting on the other side.
Because if the players are not prepared to do that, then the manager does have a problem.
If a players is having a bad game, he can still run around. That's basics. How many times do we see players deliberately standing next to an opponent, so nobody can pass to him, because he is saying don't pass to me I am being marked.
But actually he doesn't want the ball because he has lost confidence.
Of course on the other side of the coin, in Slavisas defence, he did not know that Seri was going to have a bad game by his standards. He did not plan to concede an early goal. Plus he cannot be judged on playing City, that's a hell of an ask.
But Managers are there to manage, on and off the pitch.
I reckon we need to leave it until about the 16th match before jumping off Beach Head.
But I reckon that won't need to happen, because we do have enough quality players, more than at least six other teams.
We will certainly have a far better picture of where we are by then.
There are so many basics, that is just a few examples.
Please remember, " Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan ".
In answer to OP, NO
Quote from: KingofCheese on September 18, 2018, 02:50:13 PM
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
Having been a artist and furniture maker for the last 33 years I could not have said it better myself. 082.gif If only I could afford a jet flight and a place to stay I'd be all over that ticket to Fulham. Ahh! the hardship of some.
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:11:44 PM
Quote from: KingofCheese on September 18, 2018, 02:50:13 PM
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
Having been a artist and furniture maker for the last 33 years I could not have said it better myself. 082.gif If only I could afford a jet flight and a place to stay I'd be all over that ticket to Fulham. Ahh! the hardship of some.
If your a furniture maker you could earn a small fortune making Armchairs for Supporters of all clubs, there should be a huge demand.
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on September 18, 2018, 03:18:16 PM
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:11:44 PM
Quote from: KingofCheese on September 18, 2018, 02:50:13 PM
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
Having been a artist and furniture maker for the last 33 years I could not have said it better myself. 082.gif If only I could afford a jet flight and a place to stay I'd be all over that ticket to Fulham. Ahh! the hardship of some.
If your a furniture maker you could earn a small fortune making Armchairs for Supporters of all clubs, there should be a huge demand.
I don't do upholstery.
A year ago we lost 2-1 to Burton Albion. Now we've lost 3-0 to Manchester City.
Clearly we're going backwards as a team and should jack it in and go play netball.
To be fair, few players come to prem from abroad and clicked in like that. Seri, LM, Anguisa are new to prem, England, style of game, Fulham. It takes some time to adjust to all these things.
Others were not first choices in their previous clubs.
It is a mistake to think that last season team needed just few changes to make it in the prem. SJ is solving a bit of puzzle at the moment, and he will do a great job, I have no doubt. I followed his work in Partizan Belgrade and in Wofford. It takes time but gives a results, as you all remember from last season.
P. S. Sorry for the spelling errors, didn't write in English for a while.
I don't think fundamental mistakes have been made. We are not looking for a settled back four. We are looking for a back four who can play against the team they are facing. That is according to our coach. While we could have always done with more or better players. I think the speed in which we moved for alternative players when deals fell through was astonishing. I don't believe we are missing in any position but yes it would be good to be stronger in all positions. I am not sure a club like ours could have done much better.
But I do agree that mistakes are made in tactics and selection. Fans must remember that even last season our coach was apt to make a few odd selections, substitutions and make the occasional mistake. Those fans who cannot see that or agree that that happens I am afraid will have to come to the realisation soon enough. No that doesn't mean he should be sacked or that there is a list of better coaches ready to take his place. But he does make mistakes and I thought we were poor Saturday. Yes I was happy to only lose by three goals but frankly twice that would have been a fairer result.
However we can't legislate for injury to Ream or Carney. We are always going to be in trouble when certain players are injured. We are a very small fish in a big ocean. We will need to survive a few seasons before we can compete well at this level. But our first plunge will have a few fights for survival but I am not sure we made any real mistakes as we were ready to take that plunge.
Hmmm, don't think any fundamental mistakes has been made. Fulham's 100m as a newly promoted club, and UTD's, Liverpools or even clubs like Everton or Watford 100m are not the same.
So far I think Seri is a pure quality but my modest opinion is that he is not a relegation battle player and that when/if things (start) are going bad he'll be useless so unless team start picking some wins soon he'll be worse and worse instead of better and better. Anguisa, yet to be convinced he's worth any of the money payed for him, so far didn't see anything useful coming from him, but that's kind of player you can buy (overpay) for 20m as a newly promoted team, I know people are excited about this guy but in my opinion worst acquisition so far, I'm totally willing to eat all the poo i pooped if proven otherwise and will be happy to. Also Christie really need to work on his crossing, I ignore city game, whatever Jokanovic's plan for that one was is irrelevant but in a Palace Game I really felt like with at least one Solid cross game could have been changed. Also this short distribution from the last 4 is cool but seriously, like 2-3 goals this season came after lazy horrible short passes from the back being intercepted. Much bigger teams with better players don't do risky passes for no reason in the last 30.
Aside of that, I think Fulham should be between 12th and 16th spot this year, sorta think Hudder and Cardiff are going down for sure, and one of these: Newcastle, Brighton, Southampton even and Burnley are gonna be taking 18th spot, pretty sure West Ham is staying up too.
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:47:20 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on September 18, 2018, 03:18:16 PM
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:11:44 PM
Quote from: KingofCheese on September 18, 2018, 02:50:13 PM
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
Having been a artist and furniture maker for the last 33 years I could not have said it better myself. 082.gif If only I could afford a jet flight and a place to stay I'd be all over that ticket to Fulham. Ahh! the hardship of some.
If your a furniture maker you could earn a small fortune making Armchairs for Supporters of all clubs, there should be a huge demand.
I don't do upholstery.
Quote from: Del-boy on September 18, 2018, 04:14:12 PM
To be fair, few players come to prem from abroad and clicked in like that. Seri, LM, Anguisa are new to prem, England, style of game, Fulham. It takes some time to adjust to all these things.
Others were not first choices in their previous clubs.
It is a mistake to think that last season team needed just few changes to make it in the prem. SJ is solving a bit of puzzle at the moment, and he will do a great job, I have no doubt. I followed his work in Partizan Belgrade and in Wofford. It takes time but gives a results, as you all remember from last season.
P. S. Sorry for the spelling errors, didn't write in English for a while.
I thought for a minute you had written Walford, I was going to say you have been watching Eastenders again.
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:47:20 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on September 18, 2018, 03:18:16 PM
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:11:44 PM
Quote from: KingofCheese on September 18, 2018, 02:50:13 PM
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
Having been a artist and furniture maker for the last 33 years I could not have said it better myself. 082.gif If only I could afford a jet flight and a place to stay I'd be all over that ticket to Fulham. Ahh! the hardship of some.
If your a furniture maker you could earn a small fortune making Armchairs for Supporters of all clubs, there should be a huge demand.
I don't do upholstery.
Upholsterers never die, they fully recover.
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on September 18, 2018, 04:31:06 PM
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:47:20 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on September 18, 2018, 03:18:16 PM
Quote from: IKnowNothing on September 18, 2018, 03:11:44 PM
Quote from: KingofCheese on September 18, 2018, 02:50:13 PM
My other hobby is brewing and I thank the universe that brewer's are not so pessimistic as football fans as otherwise no beers would ever get made just because one or two batches turn out poorly!
Having been a artist and furniture maker for the last 33 years I could not have said it better myself. 082.gif If only I could afford a jet flight and a place to stay I'd be all over that ticket to Fulham. Ahh! the hardship of some.
If your a furniture maker you could earn a small fortune making Armchairs for Supporters of all clubs, there should be a huge demand.
I don't do upholstery.
Upholsterers never die, they fully recover.
Ta da ba Boom! And now you tell me. :005:
Good grief! We lose to possibly the best team in the world while trying to actually play them rather than hide and park the bus and the negatives come charging out. Who here thought at any time that we would be competitive against the likes of Citi? If I had told you a month ago we would lose 3 nil to Citi everyone here would have agreed and not been concerned. This team WILL finish mid table. We are quite possibly better than ten or so teams in this league and will demonstrate that over the balance of the season.
Better yet, lets panic and hire back Felix.
Nope, more of Only fools and horses fan :003:
Slav knew that we were not going to beat ManCity. He also knew that players that do not play start to feel as though they are not part of it. So he included some marginal players in order to keep up morale. It's not always about picking your best eleven and watching them get hammered. There are a lot of tactics in being a premier league manager. I don't understand why somebody deliberately doesn't attend a winnable match
Quote from: Riversider on September 18, 2018, 12:45:43 PM
I hardly post or read on here anymore as slowly but surely I fall out of love with all things Premier League, so many things that rankle with me, I've even given my season ticket away for this Saturday, team selection and tactics against City being the final straw,
But I was thinking after the team was announced on Saturday, "Have we made fundamental mistakes in our recruitment of players ?"
For me we were one player away from being an automatically promoted side last season, and that position was a right winger with pace to burn, it was the only position that we were crying out for (bar an injury to either Ream or Odoi)
We've spent well over £100 million plus various loan fees, and yet we still lack an out and out right winger with pace to burn,
We pursued Targett all summer, far longer than we should have done it seemed to make us blind to all our other failings, then on deadline day blind panic seemed to set in, with Bryan and Fosuh-mensah almost being brought in as after thoughts,
The back 4 is a complete dogs dinner of a mess , with Jokanovic and all the supporters seemingly having no idea as to what the best defence should be, with the back 4 that started on Saturday we would have lost to anybody, and I've no doubts whatsoever that that back 4 will see us relegated,
Then of course we have Anguissa and the £20 million spent there , somebody must have seen something in him and yet he can't get in the side in front of either McDonald or Johansen,
I think we've got it horribly wrong in the summer and can't see things improving before January,
Last summer Kline was the scapegoat for a poor window last summer , well he's no more and Khan backed Jokanovic to the hilt this summer with unprecedented spending, and yet we still have so many problems all over the pitch,
We're in a mini league with Burnley, Huddersfield and Cardiff , and it's a league that we must win.
I thought I was negative.
Pfff,some of us are very negative...it was just 1 lost game...not first and unfortunatelly not last of this season...why so many of you judging everything after 5 games..and we are not in relegation zone...
How many players came at last day of transfer window or just day or 2 before?Do you know how many of them speking english badly or cant understand a word of it?how many didnt play big roles or have good preseason becouse waited for transfer?
Give them some time..Remember where was Fulham on championship table in late november last year...did you even imagine game against City (not some cup game...prem game)???
Its easy to Totenham not to spend 1$ or buy just 1 player when he have 25 topstar players...100 mil are nothing if you really plan to stay and to be important in this ligue
Quote from: YankeeJim on September 18, 2018, 05:07:55 PM
Good grief! We lose to possibly the best team in the world while trying to actually play them rather than hide and park the bus and the negatives come charging out. Who here thought at any time that we would be competitive against the likes of Citi? If I had told you a month ago we would lose 3 nil to Citi everyone here would have agreed and not been concerned. This team WILL finish mid table. We are quite possibly better than ten or so teams in this league and will demonstrate that over the balance of the season.
Better yet, lets panic and hire back Felix.
Good post original post could easily be a joke and i wouldnt be surprised.
If there's a worrisome error from our summer, it's that we don't have anyone to replace Cairney when he's injured and we look like garbage when he's not in.
I don't think we can play the same exact system if Tom's not available. So far, Joka doesn't seem to agree with that hypothesis.
Quote from: Denver Fulham on September 18, 2018, 08:07:13 PM
If there's a worrisome error from our summer, it's that we don't have anyone to replace Cairney when he's injured and we look like garbage when he's not in.
I don't think we can play the same exact system if Tom's not available. So far, Joka doesn't seem to agree with that hypothesis.
Hmm. And yet there is also a view that Seri and Cairney are too similar, with Seri being the more talented (other than giving the ball away against City)
For gods sake we brought in 12 new players to the club. It takes time and we now have a squad not just starting eleven.How can it be claimed that we have had a disastrous transfer window? Ridiculous post IMO,sorry.This is the premier league and its going to be tough no matter who we bring in.
I think we have made some unbelievable signings and I hope that the power wielders at the club have more patience and understanding of the game than the original poster !!!
I have no worries, we have good enough players, and have more than enough talent in the ranks to stay in the Premier League.
Of course there will always be unforeseen injuries that will prevent key players from playing.
Having said that, to mould our defenders into a solid defensive unit is a priority, and I include the defensive midfielders who are there to shield the Back Division, and I include all players whose job is to tuck in and funnel back in a V shape to pick up their markers and delay opposition attacks.
By doing that we add depth to the defence, and at the same time, restore our shape and balance.
When we resolve that issue, and the goals against dry up, the points we need to accrue will add up a lot quicker, and that 40 point target will not seem that far away.
It wouldn't be much fun if the football world was the epitome of perfection, and FFC would not be the Club we love so dearly, either. Mistakes are commonly called far too fast these days as the human race is apparently unable to make judgements of itself with just a wry smile followed by 'I must do better', and, instead, engages in witch hunts or worse to find blame even where none exists. We see it every day in a world obsessed with what may go wrong via decision making instead of calling out what is already wrong and causing mayhem to countless people and actually changing it. We also see it in football where money has been the be all and end all for far too long.
Note all the things 'have been wrong' for quite awhile now and are not fresh off the press like how Fulham are fairing in the PL for example. The transformation to a truly competitive PL team was always going to take time and none of us can truly say how long it will take since there is always something to go wrong. I am optimistic that the side will become more settled with time and may be quite a little different to what some of us may have thought when all the transfers and loans arrived. I am also confident we will finish better than just 'survivors'.
Agreeing with YankeeJim here. We are not, nor should be, a team that plays scared, parks the bus and tries to absorb a team everyone considers 'better'.
The *only* complaint I have with the Man City lineup is that we gave away the midfield. Could have clogged it up more by pulling Schurrle and Vietto underneath Mitro instead of having them out wide. Also, agree that this thing with Sess in the back is terrible and needs to change. If he was in midfield and allowed to play, he would have pulled the field wider, allowing Shurrle, Seri and Vietto to own the center.
Or - maybe it's complete madness - you could have run a 3-2-4-1, having MacDonald and Johansen as center defensive mids running distribution and dropping to fill gaps when Silva and Sane were making runs.
That being said - if we parked the bus, we would have lost. And it would have been a grinding and demoralizing game. We came out and played. We tested some things out. There were some flashes of what-could-be, and that's what needs to be built upon next time we go up against a "Top 6".
Quote from: Riversider on September 18, 2018, 12:45:43 PM
I've even given my season ticket away for this Saturday, team selection and tactics against City being the final straw
Sorry mate, I didn't bother reading anymore once I saw this bit - hope you managed to get it all off your chest, but can't take anyone seriously who has given up on our team and manager after 5 games, or 4, as it seems the final straw came even before kick-off on Saturday :023:
Quote from: Chesh on September 19, 2018, 02:02:00 PM
Quote from: Riversider on September 18, 2018, 12:45:43 PM
I've even given my season ticket away for this Saturday, team selection and tactics against City being the final straw
Sorry mate, I didn't bother reading anymore once I saw this bit - hope you managed to get it all off your chest, but can't take anyone seriously who has given up on our team and manager after 5 games, or 4, as it seems the final straw came even before kick-off on Saturday :023:
if I remember rightly Riversider has never been a fan of Slav and would have liked him gone last autumn. Be it five or 15 games I don't think patience is something he has or wants to give to the team. Hopefully he will correct me if I'm wrong.
Quote from: Snibbo on September 19, 2018, 03:32:13 AM
Quote from: Denver Fulham on September 18, 2018, 08:07:13 PM
If there's a worrisome error from our summer, it's that we don't have anyone to replace Cairney when he's injured and we look like garbage when he's not in.
I don't think we can play the same exact system if Tom's not available. So far, Joka doesn't seem to agree with that hypothesis.
Hmm. And yet there is also a view that Seri and Cairney are too similar, with Seri being the more talented (other than giving the ball away against City)
Opinions can vary, but I don't think Seri and Cairney are similar at all. Tom is a possession-based center mid. Seri is a box-to-box type. And when Tom is out, we either have Seri playing in front of two DMs with very little attacking punch (Anguissa and McD) or Johansen comes on and is a huge dropoff (so far, at least). We also get much sloppier in possession. Tom has been a vital release hub for us in the middle of the park. Opposition last week aside, we played MUCH better offensively in the first three matches than we have in the last two, and that's largely due to Tom's absence.
If we make one move in the January window, I'd like to see us add another No. 10 type so we're not this exposed to Cairney's health/form.
There were one or two team selection mistakes made against City but these are relatively uncommon for Jokanovic.
With regards recruitment, we probably overpaid for Anguissa but were there or there abouts for Seri and Mitrovic. Ie you can't win them all.
I do agree with the full back recruitment being a big error and actually I'd go further and say that that is where we are really struggling this year. None of our full backs currently threaten in attack while still being solid in defence. TFM threatens on occasion up front but loses his man repeatedly when tracking back. Christie appears to give both a really good go but there is a limit to what he can do as he's a good Championship full back. Bryan seems to defend quite well but struggles to impact the game past the half way line. Our formation demands quick, threatening full backs like Fredericks. I am not saying Fredericks should've stayed as we've discussed a number of times on here. However, we spent money in the summer and we were never really linked with the kind of players we truly needed at full back .. and it's going to hold us back from reaching the top half of the table.
Seems to be that the very very late signings were a bit contrived
Surely these players weren't scouted and studied long term ?
Quote from: Baszab on September 19, 2018, 06:54:07 PM
Seems to be that the very very late signings were a bit contrived
Surely these players weren't scouted and studied long term ?
Of course they were. They likely were not our first (or second) choice at their positions, but rather off an approved list of several options at each that we dipped into late after initial targets couldn't be landed.
I think that if the season ended before January, the OP would have a point about the Burnley, Cardiff, Huddersfield mini-leauge to escape relegation. Might add in Newcastle for good measure. With as much change that has been made to bring in talent to "do more than survive", we will continue having a slow start to the season.....as we have had each season that Slavisa has been with us. We'll likely be in touch with the relegation fodder thru to the new year, I'd imagine.
However, I do believe in Slav's approach and the players he's brought in and believe we'll be a top half team, on form, for the remainder of the season and finish middle of the pack.
Just need to get Ream healthy so that Slav can find his best back four.
Free Joe Bryan!!! Let the lad play!
049:gif
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on September 19, 2018, 09:13:19 PM
I think that if the season ended before January, the OP would have a point about the Burnley, Cardiff, Huddersfield mini-leauge to escape relegation. Might add in Newcastle for good measure. With as much change that has been made to bring in talent to "do more than survive", we will continue having a slow start to the season.....as we have had each season that Slavisa has been with us. We'll likely be in touch with the relegation fodder thru to the new year, I'd imagine.
However, I do believe in Slav's approach and the players he's brought in and believe we'll be a top half team, on form, for the remainder of the season and finish middle of the pack.
Just need to get Ream healthy so that Slav can find his best back four.
Free Joe Bryan!!! Let the lad play!
049:gif
Our schedule has also been quite difficult. Away matches at Spurs and City, plus Brighton. Home opener against a settled Palace side with Zaha where we should have had at least a point. We thrashed Burnley. Now we get hot Watford, at Everton (never taken a point there) and Arsenal.
The schedule should soften right when we get everyone healthy and sorted, so I expect results to start coming beginning with the match at Cardiff.
there must a lot of stuff going on at training that we are obviously not aware of. I think the squad has enough quality to survive in the PL, but we need more consistency. Especially in the backline; clearly Christie can not cross a ball, so i would bench him and was hoping to see more of Bryan so that Sess can play left winger again. On the Midfield its clear that when we miss TC its more difficult to play our passing game, and i have serious doubts if KMaC is a real PL player, he lacks pace and can not press, that was already very clear in the first game against Palace. I know he is a great leader and all, but he is just too slow. Ian Wright pointed this out at MOTD. I have seen a lot of positives with Sri, Mitro, Schurlle, Betts, lets get more consistency quickly ..... Saturday will be a real good test against Watford and a win playing out style will give a big boost. see you there
Quote from: Milo on September 19, 2018, 05:53:53 PM
I do agree with the full back recruitment being a big error and actually I'd go further and say that that is where we are really struggling this year. None of our full backs currently threaten in attack while still being solid in defence. TFM threatens on occasion up front but loses his man repeatedly when tracking back. Christie appears to give both a really good go but there is a limit to what he can do as he's a good Championship full back. Bryan seems to defend quite well but struggles to impact the game past the half way line. Our formation demands quick, threatening full backs like Fredericks. I am not saying Fredericks should've stayed as we've discussed a number of times on here. However, we spent money in the summer and we were never really linked with the kind of players we truly needed at full back .. and it's going to hold us back from reaching the top half of the table.
I also subscribe to the view that the 'right' kinds of full backs are vital to the way SJ sets up his sides which makes the sale of Malone, the loss of Fredericks, and the failure to retain Targett all the more significant when judging our transfer dealings, but, that is water a long way under the bridge. I thought RS played pretty well at LB last weekend, better than he played at LB last season. The proverbial problem is that we cannot play him in two places at once and so miss his link up play in midfield. However, I am not sure we have seen how well the new recruits could knit together once players get to know each other better and we do have a settled nucleus to the side which is also why we are missing TC so critically right now. I just feel that we are looking messy and sloppy in defence and midfield because we still haven't got the balance Targett and Fredericks gave us in the latter half of last season. However I don't believe you often see new recruits fit together so well so quickly as Targett did especially when there are quite a few of them to settle in.
I know it looks a bit sketchy but Joka has never been that quick off of the mark in finding his best team. He is methodical.
With this many new signings I think that will happen again.
I said it on Saturday and will say it again. Imo he was tinkering against city. I believe he had already let the game go, we are not going to win at Citeh. So he gave outsiders a chance to play and show their desire to play for the club and he rested others he has already decided on. Also a change in tactics against "the" top team.
No need to panic about wrongness of squad. We have a great squad and the new boys, Anguissa etc will take a time to acclimatize to the speed of the PL.
We'll be ok.
COYW!
Quote from: Skatzoffc on September 20, 2018, 07:57:30 AM
I know it looks a bit sketchy but Joka has never been that quick off of the mark in finding his best team. He is methodical.
With this many new signings I think that will happen again.
I said it on Saturday and will say it again. Imo he was tinkering against city. I believe he had already let the game go, we are not going to win at Citeh. So he gave outsiders a chance to play and show their desire to play for the club and he rested others he has already decided on. Also a change in tactics against "the" top team.
No need to panic about wrongness of squad. We have a great squad and the new boys, Anguissa etc will take a time to acclimatize to the speed of the PL.
We'll be ok.
COYW!
I just don't believe that Slav didn't play a team he thought could best get a result at City. I'm 100 % sure that he wouldn't send a team out for any game with the idea that they would definitely lose, so he would give squad members a run out.
If he did, then fans like me, who went to the game, would be asking for our match ticket money back.
Whatever, of course Slav makes mistakes, to err is human, but I leave picking the team to him with his and his colleagues' professional judgement, and working daily with the players.
I think he is a manager who will take risks though - rather than relying on being defensive when you're a small club, like so many managers who specialise in getting success with smaller clubs do.
And, our attacking, close passing style, has won us success, as well as plaudits - we got into the Prem, and now go to places like the Etia, and are not disgraced - which I don't think we were.
Quote from: Denver Fulham on September 19, 2018, 11:56:13 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on September 19, 2018, 09:13:19 PM
I think that if the season ended before January, the OP would have a point about the Burnley, Cardiff, Huddersfield mini-leauge to escape relegation. Might add in Newcastle for good measure. With as much change that has been made to bring in talent to "do more than survive", we will continue having a slow start to the season.....as we have had each season that Slavisa has been with us. We'll likely be in touch with the relegation fodder thru to the new year, I'd imagine.
However, I do believe in Slav's approach and the players he's brought in and believe we'll be a top half team, on form, for the remainder of the season and finish middle of the pack.
Just need to get Ream healthy so that Slav can find his best back four.
Free Joe Bryan!!! Let the lad play!
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Our schedule has also been quite difficult. Away matches at Spurs and City, plus Brighton. Home opener against a settled Palace side with Zaha where we should have had at least a point. We thrashed Burnley. Now we get hot Watford, at Everton (never taken a point there) and Arsenal.
The schedule should soften right when we get everyone healthy and sorted, so I expect results to start coming beginning with the match at Cardiff.
Someone put up a poll with the next several matches, asking how many points we'd take from them. My initial thought was that I'd take 3 if they all came from Goodison. Obviously, I want more but, we need to get that monkey off our backs.
I get the frustration. I definitely would rather be competing for spots in Europe right now, but realistically I think our best shot at real progression won't come from a change in tactics or a new player (bar a Messi transfer). Getting frustrated that we lost to arguably one of the best premier league sides ever in City is, in my mind, a waste of time. Our season and our future didn't really hinge on that match at all. Patience, hard work, and focus on a long term goal of competing for european spots is our best plan at the moment in my opinion, and unfortunately part of that plan probably means getting slaughtered by an oil club every once in a while.
As for the idea that our tactics were why we lost to city, I disagree. Any formation and player combination we sent out there would have had a formation and player combination response from City that would have been just as terrifying as what we came up against. Like, whatever team we put out, city's would've been better. So I think pointing the finger at tactics is borne mostly out of unwarranted frustration and helps no one. What's most important is can SJ stay focused, and can he keep the team focused on long term goals of stability in the top half of the premier league? I think so, but I don't know SJ, and I don't know the players, so really I can't answer that.
On a side note, City look to be on the down turn for a bit here. Don't think a CL title is coming anytime soon for them, because let's face it, at some point playing under the best tactician in the world is tiring to the point that it's not worth putting in the performances necessary to execute. I think that's what we're starting to see with City, still think they'll win the league this year though.
