Full Squad, All Fit, Full Pre-Season

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

35 minutes ago, modboy said:

 

no i think we are group of individuals rather than a team who now and again have produced moments of magic rather than sustained quality

 

But if the individuals are as poor as you're suggesting, then we're up against it to challenge for the top six, aren't we?

 

I'm not being funny - just trying to understand where you're coming from.

[RUMBELOWS91]

1 hour ago, heppers said:

I think with the squad we have, all fit and a full pre season with everyone in place next year could be our year.

Great 

[robster_owl]

That's assuming that we hold on to our best talent... or the 'Gel' issue will raise it's ugly head next season again.

[modboy]

8 minutes ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

But if the individuals are as poor as you're suggesting, then we're up against it to challenge for the top six, aren't we?

 

I'm not being funny - just trying to understand where you're coming from.

 

yes we are struggling for the top six

 

Especially if as rumoured FF and Abdi are out for the season

[Roscoe P. Coltrane]

1 hour ago, Greenhgate Owl said:

next season we will have Norwich,villa,losing playoff teams and 3 premier league relegated teams to compete against

 

this season Is rare with no parachute teams in the playoffs ,a perfect opportunity to go up.but we are making a reyt meal of it.

now relying on teams messing up for us to have a chance

Absolutely spot on THIS is our big chance and we seem to be blowing it .

[gurujuan]

1 hour ago, modboy said:

 

probably the wrong phrase i used. I just meant that the quality higher. Even "rubbish" teams have come to S6 this season and looked better than us

 

Problem is as has been said before is teams like Villa and Derby will sort themselves out next year, plus the 3 relegated teams, and the teams currently in the top 8. It gets harder and more expensive every season

 

I do wonder if Carlos has tried to be too clever for his own good. I have always considered him a tactically astute coach, and he came with that reputation. Indeed, he even wrote a book on it, where he talks about the fluidity of the 4-3-3 4-2-3-1 systems.

After signing a dozen players, seemingly to fit that system, a few games into the season, he changes the system, having just bought Forestieri, a player you'd have thought was made for that system. Anyway, the 4-4-2 clicked, although right from the start, it wasn't a regular 4-4-2 and we continued to have success with it, reaching the play off final. By then, I could see that there were problems with the system, or perhaps the personnel within it. It seemed to me that the majority of players, still looked better suited to the original system.

Come the summer, I thought we would remedy this, as the shortcomings were clear, and could quite easily have been put right.

However, when we signed Abdi, a player renowned for his inability to fit into a 4-4-2 system, I presumed we'd be returning to Carlos's favoured system. It wasn't the case, and Abdi, like others, was shoehorned into a position that was, if not totally alien to him, didn't actually get the best from him. If we wanted to play a 4-4-2 system, like perhaps Brighton, why wasn't he signing the combative midfielders to make that work.

So we end up with this hybrid 4-4-2 system, but without the pace and strength, and too many players playing out of position. Carlos does seem to believe that he has stumbled upon a new way of playing, and to be fair, it's been fairly successful in a slightly negative way. Maybe he believes it's just teething problems. Personally, I hoped, he'd return to his original way of thinking, as it would better suit most of the players we currently have. The signing of Jordan Rhodes and Sam Winnall though, seems to have scuppered that. My hopes now are, if we are to play 4-4-2 and we want to get the best out of Rhodes and Winnall, then get the right ingredients in, big defenders, combative midfielders and fast direct wingers. Perhaps most importantly, we're gonna play that way, FFS don't over complicate it, because it's beyond the ability of the players we are signing

Edited March 18, 2017 by gurujuan

[modboy]

1 minute ago, gurujuan said:

My hopes now are, if we are to play 4-4-2 and we want to get the best out of Rhodes and Winnall, then get the right ingredients in, big defenders, combative midfielders and fast direct wingers. Perhaps most importantly, we're gonna play that way, FFS don't over complicate it, because it's beyond the ability of the players we are signing

 

exactly, football doesnt need to be complicated. Lack of pace is our real downfall this season however

[Holmowl]

1 hour ago, modboy said:

footballing wise our CBs arent good enough

 

Our RBs cant take on a man and cross a ball

 

Our CMs cant drive forward and pass a ball towards goal

 

Our own wingers cant take on a man and deliver a decent cross

 

Our target men cant head a ball into the net

 

The championship has move on and we are getting left behind

 

CBs - I'm assuming you mean they are not good enough with the ball at their feet. I don't disagree at all, but why oh why do we play an approach that gives our CBs so much flippingball then? Throw in after throw in, free kick after free kick - they all come back to our flipping CBs, who then look like rabbits in the headlights. 

 

RBs and wingers - I disagree here. The problem for the most part this season has been our wingers (one of whom was often a third CM anyway) tuck in under instruction. When our wingers play wide we get crosses in. Got plenty in last night.

 

CMs - Bannan drives forward. 

 

Target men - loads of headed goals recently. Two or three great saves and blocks last night from headers.

 

Viewed over 38 matches, we have been a mess. Players out of position, lop sided teams, dreadfully slow build-ups, first movements backwards not forward, no building of key partnerships. The individual players are fine, in fact more than fine.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Holmowl

[heppers]

1 hour ago, Greenhgate Owl said:

next season we will have Norwich,villa,losing playoff teams and 3 premier league relegated teams to compete against

 

this season Is rare with no parachute teams in the playoffs ,a perfect opportunity to go up.but we are making a reyt meal of it.

now relying on teams messing up for us to have a chance

 

How many relegated teams do you normally get from the Prem?

[modboy]

i wouldnt class Rhodes as a target man, in fact thats our downfall at the moment, get him in the box ffs. Him and Winnall aint working together.

 

Bannan passes backwards too much this season. No where near the same levels as last year

 

CBs, good at stopping, bad at passing, thought Hutch was the answer here and CC should have brought in another DCM

 

Really dont rate Hunt at all

 

 

Edited March 18, 2017 by modboy

[optimisticowl]

No club ever has a fully fit squad, players pick up injuries in training as well as in competative games, that is why we have a large squad. Our problem appears to be that we have most of our best players injured at the same time, it won't ruin our chances if we have the likes of George Hirst on the bench, if Everton are looking to pay money for him he must be worth a place in Carlos's plans.