Last season vs This season

[filham]

biggest mistake in my opinion is not replacing Targett and Fredericks adequately. Because of this centre backs are nervous, and can't pressure and pass the ball, and this leads to an unstable midfield (Kmac-TC-Stef was a well oiled machine). the whole thing is so unbalanced ... No wonder that Ream/ Odoi and the new boys are struggling. Last year Sess was sensational with Targett behind him. At the moment we don't have fullbacks that can solve this problem; MLM-christie-Fosu not good enough to play in this system (or in the PL at all !!). By the time we get this fixed will be too late if we keep playing in Slav's system.

I agree the main summer failure was in replacing the quality full backs we lost which means our back four is inferior to last season.
In midfield we are waiting for Seri and Anguissa to perform and until they do last season's engine room of Cairney, McDonald and Johanson was vastly superior.


The only player of value we seemed to have got from the 100m spend is Mitrovic.

[Statto]

Last year's playoff final team would beat our current team. The way we play requires confidence and understanding and the difference between those aspects of both teams is huge.

I'd say Rico and Schurrle are upgrades, both full-backs are downgrades, so it depends whether you think Anguissa and Seri are better than KMac and Johansen. Either way where oh where did that £100m go???

Bettinelli vs. Rico - BETTER
Fredericks vs. Fosu-Mensah/Christie - WORSE
Odoi vs. Odoi - NO CHANGE
Ream vs. MLM - NO CHANGE
Targett vs. Sessegnon - WORSE
KMac vs. Anguissa - controversial, Id say BETT ER
Johansen vs. Seri - again controversial but I'd say BETTER
Cairney vs. Cairney - NO CHANGE
Sessegnon vs. Vietto - NO CHANGE
Kamara vs. Schurrle - BETTER
Mitrovic vs. Mitrovic - NO CHANGE

[@jolslover]

Last year's playoff final team would beat our current team. The way we play requires confidence and understanding and the difference between those aspects of both teams is huge.

I'd say Rico and Schurrle are upgrades, both full-backs are downgrades, so it depends whether you think Anguissa and Seri are better than KMac and Johansen. Either way where oh where did that £100m go???

Bettinelli vs. Rico - BETTER
Fredericks vs. Fosu-Mensah/Christie - WORSE
Odoi vs. Odoi - NO CHANGE
Ream vs. MLM - NO CHANGE
Targett vs. Sessegnon - WORSE
KMac vs. Anguissa - controversial, Id say BETT ER
Johansen vs. Seri - again controversial but I'd say BETTER
Cairney vs. Cairney - NO CHANGE
Sessegnon vs. Vietto - NO CHANGE
Kamara vs. Schurrle - BETTER
Mitrovic vs. Mitrovic - NO CHANGE

Agree with all your summaries. Better on both CMs.

[AnOldBrownie]

Last year's playoff final team would beat our current team. The way we play requires confidence and understanding and the difference between those aspects of both teams is huge.

I'd say Rico and Schurrle are upgrades, both full-backs are downgrades, so it depends whether you think Anguissa and Seri are better than KMac and Johansen. Either way where oh where did that £100m go???

Bettinelli vs. Rico - BETTER
Fredericks vs. Fosu-Mensah/Christie - WORSE
Odoi vs. Odoi - NO CHANGE
Ream vs. MLM - NO CHANGE
Targett vs. Sessegnon - WORSE
KMac vs. Anguissa - controversial, Id say BETT ER
Johansen vs. Seri - again controversial but I'd say BETTER
Cairney vs. Cairney - NO CHANGE
Sessegnon vs. Vietto - NO CHANGE
Kamara vs. Schurrle - BETTER
Mitrovic vs. Mitrovic - NO CHANGE

I wish the team did use Schurrle sparingly like they did AK47 last year.    He's a better player...yes, but as a STARTER who must play with MITRO...other than shooting he's been poor, and football is a team sport.

To be fair to Andre...I think he'd flourish more because I think Ryan Fredericks would try to overlap with him more than Fosu does.

Unfortunately...that would dry up when Ryan realized Andre' had no intention of passing the ball to him on the overlap.

Oh well.

Last years team ended up being more cohesive than this team currently is.    More effort as well.

[Twig]

last seasons team would win comfortably IMO
BUT
Last seasons team were not good enough for the prem, maybe we would have scrapped enough points but the squad needed much attention and that is what we have done exept the new guys are completely wrong! There is not a single addition I wouldn't willing replace with an alternative more sensible choice. even seri is a disapointment.

Got it on the nail Nose.

[Twig]

This sums it up, we had an awful summer, our squad is worse despite the £100mil spent. Somebody has to be held to account for this.

It is not worse. Ridiculous comment.

So you think the current team would beat last season's as per the OP? It's not a ridiculous comment at all.  With the possible exception of Rico where else are we demonstrably stronger (leaving out the signing of Mitro who was already with us)?

[Facts Not Fiction]

This sums it up, we had an awful summer, our squad is worse despite the £100mil spent. Somebody has to be held to account for this.

It is not worse. Ridiculous comment.

So you think the current team would beat last season's as per the OP? It's not a ridiculous comment at all.  With the possible exception of Rico where else are we demonstrably stronger (leaving out the signing of Mitro who was already with us)?

Not related to my post.

Saying that the squad is worse is ridiculous. The squad itself is significantly stronger, be it not playing well.

[Twig]

This sums it up, we had an awful summer, our squad is worse despite the £100mil spent. Somebody has to be held to account for this.

It is not worse. Ridiculous comment.

So you think the current team would beat last season's as per the OP? It's not a ridiculous comment at all.  With the possible exception of Rico where else are we demonstrably stronger (leaving out the signing of Mitro who was already with us)?

Not related to my post.

Saying that the squad is worse is ridiculous. The squad itself is significantly stronger, be it not playing well.

If they are not playing well (which is self evident) on what evidence can you say they are significantly stronger?  You and I have had this sort of discussion before and I just don't get what criteria you are using or how you conclude the are significantly stronger when very few have shown us a performance; Chambers rubbish, Mawson recovered from an injury but little appearance time since, Fabri laughable, Seri started okish but has gone rapidly backwards, Zambo consistently ineffective, Rico decent, Bryan waiting to see, MLM shows promise, TFM very error prone, Vietto lightweight and a defensive liability, Schurrle decent going forward but an even greater defensive liability.

I am not writing all these players off, but as yet few have shown us actual evidence of their alleged ability and that is why I don't see how you can say the squad is significantly stronger.