- Jun 8, 2021
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- 12,794
Enters thread. Sees there’s talk about who did what for the Florida Flying Squirrels and quickly exits.
Don’t ever knock the squirrels.
Enters thread. Sees there’s talk about who did what for the Florida Flying Squirrels and quickly exits.
Maybe Ange playing 4D chess making sure he burns out a lot of players to speed up Levy opening his chequebook to get the squad Ange wants faster then season 3 boom tweaks it, no one gets injured and we win the lot with a fantastic squad.
They'll go nuts...Don’t ever knock the squirrels.
Not sure we've lost before a ball has been kicked. League cup semi finals have seen some unbelievable performances from us in the past.He can talk about getting help in all he likes, but after tonight we'll have lost our second significant fixture since the window opened
He's certainly increasing expectations
Richarlison coming back next week will be like a new signing- rusty, tentative, 20 mins if you're lucky type of new signing
Not sure we've lost before a ball has been kicked. League cup semi finals have seen some unbelievable performances from us in the past.
You gotta believe......
Im pretty sure we will win tonight 5-0 & Ange and Slot will hold hands jumping around a circle shouting "Levy in" after the game. Dreamt about itHe can talk about getting help in all he likes, but after tonight we'll have lost our second significant fixture since the window opened
He's certainly increasing expectations
Richarlison coming back next week will be like a new signing- rusty, tentative, 20 mins if you're lucky type of new signing
I'm not sure we'd survived the last 20 playing like Newcastle did with our players, though. They have solid players more used to the low block, and it was still havoc at times. I'm pretty sure we would have crumbled and probably would've had a better chance trying to get hold of the ball.I’m definitely Ange in at present but having seen Man U hold Liverpool with 5 at the back then Newcastle playing the last 20 minutes in a 5 5 formation, I do wish Ange could “adjust” sometimes. Bur I know he won’t!
All true, I’m mildly hopeful if we do keep Ange longer term that given for example the recent GK signing and Solanke this summer that at least when we do sign players they are mostly a good fit for what we need, the issue imo is that the rebuild hasn’t gone fast enough and so we are now struggling a lot, if we signed a : CB, LB, CM and 2 top attackers and moved on: Davies, Reggie, Richy, we’d look like a totally different team imo so I’m mildly hopeful that over this Jan and next summer we can essentially ‘complete’ the rebuild more or less and this seasons pain right now will have been worth it but if we just add only one more top player between now and end of next summer a la another Solanke, then we will still be miles off where the squad needs to be to compete in Europe and the league.It's not that we're short in numbers but more that we're short in terms of players who fit how we play. For example Forster can't play out as well so it results in us now going long more often than we would with Vicario. Dragusin and Davies are both too slow for the high line so with VdV and Romero out their natural instincts are to drop when opponents attack. Same for Gray who is just filling in to be fair. We have Reguilon but he's never used probably because he's really not good infield. In midfield nobody really covers the ground Sarr does , maybe Bergvall will but he's still growing. Then when you look at who is great at pressing there's a real drop off from the likes of Solanke, Richarlison, Kulusevski and Sarr to Maddison (who I think looks physically unable too), Son (who does at least try but doesn't have the legs now), Johnson and Werner.
This is all the result of us not fully backing the manager. We only do so much and then it's opportunistic players who are on loan or associated with Base agency etc. That leads to the wrong profile of player and a squad that doesn't fully align to the system.
All very fair points and we are indeed short of numbers and quality in certain areas of the squad which is really costing us right now."It's not that we're short in numbers but" actually we really are, due to a ridiculous number of injuries / bouts of illness in specific areas.
Forster (ill) wasn't available for our last game, so his suitability for how we play was irrelevant. Austin was thrown in for a short-notice debut, but was really only ever supposed to be a member of the training squad only. In fairness, the club has been swift in rectifying that in the opening days of the January transfer window, when they could have opted to "make do" until Vicario returns.
Dragusin (ill + carrying a knock) had to play despite being far from 100%, because he was the least injured / ill CB in our squad. He soldiered through the first half, then went off at half-time, so clearly his suitability for how we play was the least of his problems that day.
Davies is out injured, so his suitability (at CB or LB) for how we play is currently irrelevant.
Gray is having to play out of position at CB, because he's the least bad option available. We've also had Bissouma filling in at CB, so clearly our squad would benefit from with more CBs.
Spence has been sporadically playing out of position at LB, so clearly our squad would benefit from another LB.
Reguilon is not wanted by the manager (or the previous couple of managers), and there are rumours about his attitude / application, but we've failed to offload him. Clearly our squad would benefit from replacing him, irrespective of his (lack of) suitability for how we play.
Richarlison is almost constantly injured, so we have to play someone out of position (and ill-suited to the CF role in Ange's system) whenever Solanke is unavaialble. Clearly our squad would benefit from either an extra CF or Richarlison being replaced with someone less injury-prone.
Son never offered much in the way of pressing, but that was historically balanced out by Lamela / Moura on the other flank. This is the one position where I think the suitability of our core players is currently hurting us. For every other position listed above, we genuinely need another body in the squad - ideally who is suitable for the system, but actually anyone of PL quality would be helpful right now.
iirc many turned their nose at Hudson-Odoi when we were linkedAll very fair points and we are indeed short of numbers and quality in certain areas of the squad which is really costing us right now.
Agree on the wingers, even though numbers wise they’ve not put up amazing numbers compared to Johnson or Son etc, I think if we had Hudson-Odoi and Elanga for example, our pressing and attacking would be way better, granted Forest play a different style to us but those wingers both are very good at take ons and creativity and effecting a game overall whereas Son and Johnson and Werner all run in straight lines and it limits what we can do under Ange, ESPECIALLY when we have zero options off the bench to mix it up.
Believe cheap, believe twice, I believe the saying goes!You forgot to add we need to believe twice!
I agree we need to reinforce, but it's important to remember that next season the likes of Gray, Bergvall, Moore and Odobert (if he is not knocked back too far by his injury) will be a year older and more capable of carrying a share of the load. The trick will be continuing to integrate youth, such Yang, Vuskovic, Philips, Devine, Donley and Lankshear, without sacrificing squad strength.All true, I’m mildly hopeful if we do keep Ange longer term that given for example the recent GK signing and Solanke this summer that at least when we do sign players they are mostly a good fit for what we need, the issue imo is that the rebuild hasn’t gone fast enough and so we are now struggling a lot, if we signed a : CB, LB, CM and 2 top attackers and moved on: Davies, Reggie, Richy, we’d look like a totally different team imo so I’m mildly hopeful that over this Jan and next summer we can essentially ‘complete’ the rebuild more or less and this seasons pain right now will have been worth it but if we just add only one more top player between now and end of next summer a la another Solanke, then we will still be miles off where the squad needs to be to compete in Europe and the league.
Yes but our squad is still miles off it, these youngsters will take time to improve, they shouldn’t be starting every week at this age.I agree we need to reinforce, but it's important to remember that next season the likes of Gray, Bergvall, Moore and Odobert (if he is not knocked back too far by his injury) will be a year older and more capable of carrying a share of the load. The trick will be continuing to integrate youth, such Yang, Vuskovic, Philips, Devine, Donley and Lankshear, without sacrificing squad strength.
Miles off what? The title?, sure, top 4? Possibly, top 6/7? Nah.Yes but our squad is still miles off it, these youngsters will take time to improve, they shouldn’t be starting every week at this age.
Foden didn’t and even the most talented like Saka who did play a lot is now absolutely buggered.
Yes mikes of competing for the title and other cup competitions with a deep and robust quality squad, because that is where we should aim to get back to. We were there under Poch and Levy’s awful decisions have set us back big time, with the revenue the stadium now brings in, with some good recruitment and and aligned plan, no reason why in theory we can’t get back up there competing for the title or there abouts.Miles off what? The title?, sure, top 4? Possibly, top 6/7? Nah.
Yes, that's the dilemma. Non-CT youngsters take up squad places, at least in the Europa, which is precisely the competition where they are most likely to get games. If we are in the Europa or the Conference next season and are still integrating youngsters, then we will need a bigger squad with more senior players. So either we need more CT A-listers, or to leave senior players out of the Europa squad, at least in the initial phase. The only quick way to get more CT A-listers is to resign former trainees. There are plenty around who I would happily have played in the last couple of months, but not many I see as a potential part of our future. Maybe Dennis Cirkin, but I am not sure how suited he is to the inverted fullback role.Yes but our squad is still miles off it, these youngsters will take time to improve, they shouldn’t be starting every week at this age.
Foden didn’t and even the most talented like Saka who did play a lot is now absolutely buggered.