Season 2018/2019

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Lower West
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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Lower West » 20 Jul 2018 23:46

Brain Traysers The hosts don't rate Clement, and don't see any creativity in our team.


Not particularly concerned by that currently. Defensively we look in much better shape with a backbone to the team. Not losing games through gifting soft goals away will be a major step forward.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Zip » 21 Jul 2018 02:08

Brain Traysers We come up as the 'best value' bet for relegation (based on 5-1 currently available) in the 'Not The Top 20' podcast - Championship Betting Preview 2018/19

Overall its a fairly good listen, with chat switching to the relegation market at around 30mins, where you will also hear i) praise for Parky and the job he did last season, and ii) praise for the "wave of positivity" that Adkins creates wherever he goes (before one of them then picks Hull for relegation regardless :lol: ).

The hosts don't rate Clement, and don't see any creativity in our team - the difference from last season is that the clubs promoted from League One are seen as less likely to struggle than Burton and Barnsley did.



I think we will be harder to beat this season because the team will be fitter than last season but the creativity problem has not been remotely addressed by Clement. Our central midfielders created very little last season and we were overly reliant on Barrow. That hasn’t been addressed.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by CountryRoyal » 21 Jul 2018 06:29

Zip
Brain Traysers We come up as the 'best value' bet for relegation (based on 5-1 currently available) in the 'Not The Top 20' podcast - Championship Betting Preview 2018/19

Overall its a fairly good listen, with chat switching to the relegation market at around 30mins, where you will also hear i) praise for Parky and the job he did last season, and ii) praise for the "wave of positivity" that Adkins creates wherever he goes (before one of them then picks Hull for relegation regardless :lol: ).

The hosts don't rate Clement, and don't see any creativity in our team - the difference from last season is that the clubs promoted from League One are seen as less likely to struggle than Burton and Barnsley did.



I think we will be harder to beat this season because the team will be fitter than last season but the creativity problem has not been remotely addressed by Clement. Our central midfielders created very little last season and we were overly reliant on Barrow. That hasn’t been addressed.


This was highlighted by the Derby fans as a trait of Clement’s teams. Hard to beat and would often dominate the game without creating much. He had a strong reliance on players like Ince etc to create opportunities through individual brilliance.

We don’t really have any players like that.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Hound » 21 Jul 2018 07:32

Agreed, creating chances in the concern for me

I think PC is relying on Swift, Barrow and Aluko - 2 of whom had very poor seasons last time out. If they click then we may be ok

We’ll be a lot harder working this year, if that I’m sure. I can understand from outside why we look like we might be candidates to go down, but I think we’re far too good for that personally and will be comfortable mid table

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Snowflake Royal » 21 Jul 2018 09:08

I think we can expect to be slightly more creative all over the park. Which is better than bringing in one creative player and relying on them performing.

Yiadom - looks likely to offer more going forward than Gunter
Obita - not fit for the start of the season but we should get a lot more out of him than last year
Aluko - he can't possibly be as bad as last year again and actually looked handy in a preseason game
Swift - again, can't be as useless as last season with any luck
Bacuna - with Yiadom in we can actually use him in midfield rather than wasting him at RB... could be our new (and improved) Williams
Harriott - might actually play a part
Popa - I'm not convinced but he has a knack of scoring and seems like we may actually use him to push Aluko this time
Kelly - if the team plays better as a whole Kelly will create more
Clement - having a decent preseason by most accounts and now familiar with the Championship
Meite - more experienced and having a decent preseason, gives competition to Bod
McNulty - someone who can score goals, gives us more options upfront.

Individually none of that counts for much but incrementally, even if only half of it pays off, that still adds up.

We're not going to be Man City or liverpool creative, but we should be better all over and avoid the bottom 5/6


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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Zip » 21 Jul 2018 09:25

Snowflake Royal I think we can expect to be slightly more creative all over the park. Which is better than bringing in one creative player and relying on them performing.

Yiadom - looks likely to offer more going forward than Gunter
Obita - not fit for the start of the season but we should get a lot more out of him than last year
Aluko - he can't possibly be as bad as last year again and actually looked handy in a preseason game
Swift - again, can't be as useless as last season with any luck
Bacuna - with Yiadom in we can actually use him in midfield rather than wasting him at RB... could be our new (and improved) Williams
Harriott - might actually play a part
Popa - I'm not convinced but he has a knack of scoring and seems like we may actually use him to push Aluko this time
Kelly - if the team plays better as a whole Kelly will create more
Clement - having a decent preseason by most accounts and now familiar with the Championship
Meite - more experienced and having a decent preseason, gives competition to Bod
McNulty - someone who can score goals, gives us more options upfront.

Individually none of that counts for much but incrementally, even if only half of it pays off, that still adds up.

We're not going to be Man City or liverpool creative, but we should be better all over and avoid the bottom 5/6



Yep you may well be right. I wonder whether Bacuna is going to be sold though. He hasn’t played much of a part preseason. Harriett has another injury and I think he is going to struggle to make any impact and I can see him being loaned out.
Let’s hope the likes of Swift, Aluko and Kelly raise their game this season. They need to.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Denver Royal » 21 Jul 2018 14:51

Lower West
Brain Traysers The hosts don't rate Clement, and don't see any creativity in our team.


Not particularly concerned by that currently.


I am, as I was last season

Also concerned there is, and will be, too much 'At least we're better than last season, and that's good enough for me' stuff. We were rubbish, so incredibly low bar to set. All teams need to improve every season, else you are standing still/going backwards.

More pertinent will be 'How many teams are we better than?'. Some in here picking us 10th, so with our signings, are we now really better than 15 other teams in this division? I'm not seeing it right now, but we'll see. Who are we actually confident of beating?

Have we done enough? Time will tell, but doubt we've scared anyone with our recruitment. As was said, Baldock and McNulty are finishers, and won't create much on their own.

Ian, imo, part of why Bacuna was in def was cos he wasn't much in midfield. Assuming he's still here, that needs to change, cos he likely won't dislodge Yiadom at RB this year. Bod needs to step up, at 6'3 heading a football would help. Agree, Aluko should improve, but to what extent? Swift could be anything.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Hound » 21 Jul 2018 15:22

I’d say we’ll be better than Blackburn, Rotherham, Wigan, Bolton, Millwall, Sheff Utd, Preston, Ipswich, Brentford, QPR and a couple of suprises like West Brom and end up about 13th at a guess

Meyler and Yiadom and huge step ups from what I have seen so far and I think Swift and Aluko will have fat better seasons than last year

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Ascotexgunner » 21 Jul 2018 16:04

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Brain Traysers The hosts don't rate Clement, and don't see any creativity in our team.


Not particularly concerned by that currently.


I am, as I was last season

Also concerned there is, and will be, too much 'At least we're better than last season, and that's good enough for me' stuff. We were rubbish, so incredibly low bar to set. All teams need to improve every season, else you are standing still/going backwards.

More pertinent will be 'How many teams are we better than?'. Some in here picking us 10th, so with our signings, are we now really better than 15 other teams in this division? I'm not seeing it right now, but we'll see. Who are we actually confident of beating?.


This /\/\/\/\/\/\ its a much more diplomatic answer than I was going to give.


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Re: Season 2018/2019

by windermereROYAL » 21 Jul 2018 16:36

Might have missed it, but did Bacuna feature much in Austria? don't recall seeing him too much.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Snowflake Royal » 21 Jul 2018 16:59

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Brain Traysers The hosts don't rate Clement, and don't see any creativity in our team.


Not particularly concerned by that currently.


I am, as I was last season

Also concerned there is, and will be, too much 'At least we're better than last season, and that's good enough for me' stuff. We were rubbish, so incredibly low bar to set. All teams need to improve every season, else you are standing still/going backwards.

More pertinent will be 'How many teams are we better than?'. Some in here picking us 10th, so with our signings, are we now really better than 15 other teams in this division? I'm not seeing it right now, but we'll see. Who are we actually confident of beating?

Have we done enough? Time will tell, but doubt we've scared anyone with our recruitment. As was said, Baldock and McNulty are finishers, and won't create much on their own.

Ian, imo, part of why Bacuna was in def was cos he wasn't much in midfield. Assuming he's still here, that needs to change, cos he likely won't dislodge Yiadom at RB this year. Bod needs to step up, at 6'3 heading a football would help. Agree, Aluko should improve, but to what extent? Swift could be anything.

Belief and organisation can easily be the difference between finishing 12th and 20th in the Championship. It didn't take much to take us from 3rd to nearly relegated. There's no reason to believe small changes can't see us mid-table. Hell, McDermott got us from about 22nd to 9th in about half a season with minimal changes. Also, 10th would see us better than 14 teams. And it's an aspirational hopeful prediction.

Bacuna played in defence because we had no decent other options.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Snowflake Royal » 21 Jul 2018 17:06

Oh, and I think some people may have missed the point of my post. Not all of those improvements will happen. But we don't need them all to pay off. Some of them will do and we're not done searching for improvements yet.

No one says we'll suddenly be great. This will take time. Stepping stones.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Royalwaster » 21 Jul 2018 17:12

Now I know that pre-season friendlies are not 'important' and also that getting draws against Rubin and Besiktas are 'good' results but isn't it a bit worrying that we've not won a single game? I mean even though these games are not important as such it could mean that we simply have lost the winning feeling or am I reading too much into this?


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Re: Season 2018/2019

by bobby1413 » 21 Jul 2018 18:19

Royalwaster Now I know that pre-season friendlies are not 'important' and also that getting draws against Rubin and Besiktas are 'good' results but isn't it a bit worrying that we've not won a single game? I mean even though these games are not important as such it could mean that we simply have lost the winning feeling or am I reading too much into this?


I know what you mean and agree.

I've said before, pre-season results mean nothing really, that it doesn't matter if you lose 20-0, it's about having a play around with tactics, trying formations, trying out the stuff you've been training for.

However, as you do approach the start of the season, I do think you should start to establish a near-100% fit and ready squad. You've got your team sorted, your formation, you're ready to go basically.

As a fan, I think it's natural and understandable to get worried about not having won ANY of the games.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by muirinho » 21 Jul 2018 18:31

bobby1413
Royalwaster Now I know that pre-season friendlies are not 'important' and also that getting draws against Rubin and Besiktas are 'good' results but isn't it a bit worrying that we've not won a single game? I mean even though these games are not important as such it could mean that we simply have lost the winning feeling or am I reading too much into this?


I know what you mean and agree.

I've said before, pre-season results mean nothing really, that it doesn't matter if you lose 20-0, it's about having a play around with tactics, trying formations, trying out the stuff you've been training for.

However, as you do approach the start of the season, I do think you should start to establish a near-100% fit and ready squad. You've got your team sorted, your formation, you're ready to go basically.

As a fan, I think it's natural and understandable to get worried about not having won ANY of the games.

Thought last season we won most or all of our friendlies - didn't help in real games.
Tbh drawing with teams like Besiktas is surely more of a morale boost than beating a National League side or the like would be.

Maybe I'm just clutching at straws...

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Snowflake Royal » 21 Jul 2018 19:20

I'm not too concerned. Results don't matter that much and the ones we lost were the early and fairly meaningless fitness only ones.

Drawing against two teams better than most of what we'll face is pretty good. I don't see failing to win any friendlies affecting us.

Results in our first 5 league games will affect us, not in our half a dozen friendlies. Going winless in those first 5 won't be down to morale because of not winning any friendlies. It'll be down to not being good enough.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Snowflake Royal » 21 Jul 2018 19:20

I'm not too concerned. Results don't matter that much and the ones we lost were the early and fairly meaningless fitness only ones.

Drawing against two teams better than most of what we'll face is pretty good. I don't see failing to win any friendlies affecting us.

Results in our first 5 league games will affect us, not in our half a dozen friendlies. Going winless in those first 5 won't be down to morale because of not winning any friendlies. It'll be down to not being good enough.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by CountryRoyal » 21 Jul 2018 19:38

bobby1413 As a fan, I think it's natural and understandable to get worried about not having won ANY of the games.


It’s ok bobby, we’ll beat Palace 1-0 and then best Derby 3-1.

Faith. 8)

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Victor Meldrew » 22 Jul 2018 11:44

Hound I’d say we’ll be better than Blackburn, Rotherham, Wigan, Bolton, Millwall, Sheff Utd, Preston, Ipswich, Brentford, QPR and a couple of suprises like West Brom and end up about 13th at a guess

Meyler and Yiadom and huge step ups from what I have seen so far and I think Swift and Aluko will have fat better seasons than last year


It takes a huge leap of faith to believe that we will finish above the likes of Wigan, Brentford,Sheff Utd and Preston IMHO.
I hope you are right but Gunter will still play, as will the keeper and we have added John O'Shea so I feel less confident than you and have joined the "at least it is better than last year" club in the hope that we don't get relegated.

Never one to be over-optimistic about a new season and have no reason to feel differently now but that could change if in the next 2 weeks we bring in a new keeper, a new striker , a new left-back and keep Moore-at the same time making sure that Joey can no longer be considered.

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Re: Season 2018/2019

by Snowflake Royal » 22 Jul 2018 12:23

We could be relegated, we could finish in the Play Offs, we'll very probably do neither, that's the joy of the best second tier in the world. And why every new season is exciting and worth going into upbeat.

There'll be plenty of time to be miserable during the season if it goes badly, so why borrow trouble?

We seriously underperformed last season and we've made good if unspectacular signings to a clear plan, I see no reason to assume we'll be worse.

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