Bedding in New Players

[Holmowl]

In each of the last two seasons we have been chasing the top sides from September due to very poor starts.

 

15/16 - 5 points from first six games

 

16/17 - 8 points from first six games

 

That put us 8/10 points outside the top two and we never looked like bridging that gap.

 

Here is how we played some key players in the first six games.

 

Bannan

CM x 4

LM x 1

RM x 1

 

Abdi

CM x 2

LM x 3

Sub 1

 

Forestieri

SS x 2

LW x 2

Sub x 1

Missed x 1

 

And look at Reach's first six matches

 

LM x 2

LB x 3

Sub x 1

 

And this was our starting strikers for the first six matches 

 

Fletch FF

Joao Hooper

Fletch Hooper

Fletch FF

Joao Fletch

Fletch (+Abdi deeper)

 

You couldn't have a more unsettled start to a season. Partly through getting to know players, partly through injuries, and partly through the FF saga.

 

This has to be avoided this coming season. We have made the same mistakes in each of the past two seasons, and this year we need a settled and balanced side from Preston away. Certainly no squeezing players in by playing them out of position.

 

Unless we buy some clear-cut superstar must-pick front six player, I would pick the tried and tested players, and wait for any new blood to tear the starting spot away from them. We ended the league season with a very settles approach and a largely settled line-up. I would start there and wait for poor form or brilliant training to force a change.

 

If we can take 12 points from the first six matches it puts us right in contention from the off.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Holmowl

[sweetsheri]

I just pray we play better at Preston than we did there last season

Was a truly woeful performance

[Guest wilyfox]

What new players? 

[Dutch McLovin]

Makes 100% sense.... however this is Carlos how will he drop Lee Hutch or Bannan ?? 

 

Answer - he won't.

[SBOwl]

I can see us getting 13/18 points in the first 6 games. That would be a decent return and prevent us having to play catch up all season. 

[vid80]

I would settle for some new players to bed in.

[Holmowl]

1 minute ago, SBOwl said:

I can see us getting 13/18 points in the first 6 games. That would be a decent return and prevent us having to play catch up all season. 

 

I agree we are capable of such a start, but not if we have four or five different midfields and four or five different strike partnerships in the first six games, as we did in each of the past two seasons.

 

Use the friendlies wisely, pick a balanced team, stick largely with it for these matches.

[frastheowl]

 

Good opening post, and it's a very good point, but to me, comes back to our biggest issue...recruitment.

 

The first season can be excused. Carlos came in, implemented a whole new system, and changed a bang average Championship side into promotion contenders. However last season, was a very poor start to the season, which ultimately cost us. 

 

Because we don't seem to focus our recruitment on whats needed, more whats available, Carlos often doesn't know how he's going to fit them into the side. 

 

Go back 11 months, many of us were enthusiastic about the signings we made, but we're sceptical of how they'd fit in. And it proved right. Only Reach, from our last summers signings, was a regular...although that was in a variety of positions, and without setting the world alight, in any of those positions.  

 

Looking at the rumours this season, I'm fearful that the same issue will occur, and we'll end up with a old, ageing squad full of very similar players, that don't fill a specific role. Long way to go, and we haven't signed anyone yet. But we cannot make the same mistakes for the second year in a row.

[oldishowl]

While I have some sympathy with the OP we play Preston and Burton away early doors.

Both sides absolutely bullied us last season. We had a makeshift defence at Burton but midfield got bullied both games. We know exactly how both teams will play.

 

We need to sign some strong , physical players and get them in.

 

We should get our house in order and new players on the pitch .

Other teams do it.

[WalthamOwl]

14 minutes ago, oldishowl said:

While I have some sympathy with the OP we play Preston and Burton away early doors.

Both sides absolutely bullied us last season. We had a makeshift defence at Burton but midfield got bullied both games. We know exactly how both teams will play.

 

We need to sign some strong , physical players and get them in.

 

We should get our house in order and new players on the pitch .

Other teams do it.

 

100% this. Our team needs improving in vital areas and these players need to be bought in and starting games asap. I just hope we dont leave key signings until a few days before the season kicks off. We need them to have as much of a pre-season as possible with us.

[cookeh]

43 minutes ago, frastheowl said:

The first season can be excused. Carlos came in, implemented a whole new system, and changed a bang average Championship side into promotion contenders. However last season, was a very poor start to the season, which ultimately cost us.

 

In the opening 6 we had 2 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses.

8 points from 18.

We finished 13 points (12+1 for gd) off 2nd place.
Even if we'd won every single game of the 6, and had that 10 extra points from an absolutely crazy start which would have seen us winning 9 of the first 10 games, then we would still not have finished in 2nd place.

 

So regardless getting a few more points from the opening 6, we would have finished in the playoffs anyway.

We got (in the view of basically everyone) the best draw in the playoffs, so.. how did it cost us, exaclty?

[Owl999]

Don't think our pre season is up to much, we looked a yard off the pace and unfit in the first half of the season, don't think Wagner introducing the continental idea of double training sessions pre season at Huddersfield was a coincidence with how they performed all season, think the players get quite an easy ride under Carlos .

[Ian_D]

Title would have been more interesting without the word 'in' 

[Plonk]

1 hour ago, Dutch McLovin said:

Makes 100% sense.... however this is Carlos how will he drop Lee Hutch or Bannan ?? 

 

Answer - he won't.

 

Why should he drop our three best players? Why didn't you include tom Lees in the list?

[cookeh]

58 minutes ago, SBOwl said:

I can see us getting 13/18 points in the first 6 games.

 

You're a lot more confident than me, the first two months of the season look pretty painful on paper to me. In fact the league this season looks pretty horrible as a whole.

 

Preston away isn't easy. We nicked a 94th minute equalizer to draw it last season.
QPR aren't rubbish, tho you'd hope we could nick a 1-0 again.

Sunderland are a massive unknown. Could be in chaos, but also some quality players at this level and enough money to bring in game changers.
Fulham away is a tough point.
Burton away seems like a bogey fixture for us.

We then have forest, cardiff and brentford. 2 of whom are pulling out the stops to try and challenge and the other is always a tight game.
Then the derby.. in which anything could happen despite our quality.
Then Birmingham under 'arry and then Leeds.

It's not an easy opening by any means. I hope we take at least 11 from the opening 6 games, but part of me fear we might be struggling to get 1 from the opening 12. With Reading, Middlesborough, Deby, Hull Villa and Norwich still to be played. Hoping for some signings that will give me confidence at the moment.

 

[CrosbyKitchens]

29 minutes ago, WalthamOwl said:

 

100% this. Our team needs improving in vital areas and these players need to be bought in and starting games asap. I just hope we dont leave key signings until a few days before the season kicks off. We need them to have as much of a pre-season as possible with us.

I think the key players that need bedding in are already here.

[Dutch McLovin]

6 minutes ago, Plonk said:

 

Why should he drop our three best players? Why didn't you include tom Lees in the list?

Because if we're playing 442 then 3 cm into 2 positions doesn't work.

 

i believe Lee and Hutch are 2 of our best players (I'm not a Bannan fan) but I do believe fitting people into the team when it's not there position doesn't work (Reach and Bannan have been consistently used out of position under Carlos).

 

Myself I believe Abdi will come good this year which will increase the pressure in this area. And I can't see for example Lee or Bannan being on the bench for 6 games with Abdi ans Hutch in Cm. Not saying that's what it should be but if that did work in the first couple I can't see CC sticking with it he'll find a way to get Bannan in

[striker]

Definately need players in for pre season. We cant afford to play the first month without a full squad as has been the case over recent seasons. 

 

Points dropped in this period could be the difference  between playoffs and top 2.

[peacock1961]

2 hours ago, Holmowl said:

In each of the last two seasons we have been chasing the top sides from September due to very poor starts.

 

15/16 - 5 points from first six games

 

16/17 - 8 points from first six games

 

That put us 8/10 points outside the top two and we never looked like bridging that gap.

 

Here is how we played some key players in the first six games.

 

Bannan

CM x 4

LM x 1

RM x 1

 

Abdi

CM x 2

LM x 3

Sub 1

 

Forestieri

SS x 2

LW x 2

Sub x 1

Missed x 1

 

And look at Reach's first six matches

 

LM x 2

LB x 3

Sub x 1

 

And this was our starting strikers for the first six matches 

 

Fletch FF

Joao Hooper

Fletch Hooper

Fletch FF

Joao Fletch

Fletch (+Abdi deeper)

 

You couldn't have a more unsettled start to a season. Partly through getting to know players, partly through injuries, and partly through the FF saga.

 

This has to be avoided this coming season. We have made the same mistakes in each of the past two seasons, and this year we need a settled and balanced side from Preston away. Certainly no squeezing players in by playing them out of position.

 

Unless we buy some clear-cut superstar must-pick front six player, I would pick the tried and tested players, and wait for any new blood to tear the starting spot away from them. We ended the league season with a very settles approach and a largely settled line-up. I would start there and wait for poor form or brilliant training to force a change.

 

If we can take 12 points from the first six matches it puts us right in contention from the off.

 

 

 

 

 

The largely settled side that you mention was 10/11 for the play off semi that appeared in the previous seasons final. CC just has to bite the bullet and give Abdi a chance to get our forwards going, because his 3/4 favourites in midfield just didn't link up last season. (possible exception of Lee). For me Pudil/Wallace/Loovens are getting a bit tired and old. Hutchinson and Bannan both want to play defensive midfield and don't seem to want to get forward. We need the link up play that Abdi/Hooper/FF provide if we are to do anything this season.   

[Holmowl]

Just now, peacock1961 said:

The largely settled side that you mention was 10/11 for the play off semi that appeared in the previous seasons final. CC just has to bite the bullet and give Abdi a chance to get our forwards going, because his 3/4 favourites in midfield just didn't link up last season. (possible exception of Lee). For me Pudil/Wallace/Loovens are getting a bit tired and old. Hutchinson and Bannan both want to play defensive midfield and don't seem to want to get forward. We need the link up play that Abdi/Hooper/FF provide if we are to do anything this season.   

 

No I referred to the settled league side. Not the play-off side. That was awful.