Forum | Season Over. by itfcsuth

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Season Over. 11:18 - Feb 23 with 3776 views

For me the season is now done - not because of yesterday, but yesterday all but confirms that imo.

Cannot fault the players application, their endeavours and desire to be the best version of themselves every single week is clear. We have competed in so many games, but ultimately just not quite good enough for this level right now.

Whether you like it or not it feels like a wasted opportunity with our recruitment. The opportunity to spend £170m+ on a squad building exercise is a luxury, but to rip apart the soul of squad that had been on a journey with us, to replace them, but not upgrade on them is devastating. For that there is a responsibility to KMc, Werhun, Probert & Ashton.

Next objective is to return to the Championship, settle on a group of players that we can find that real connection with as fans once again, to take us on the next step of the journey, and WHEN we return to the PL, learn lessons about our recruitment and add real upgrades to that group, rather than tear it apart.

I think KMc is one of the brightest young managers in Europe, I hold him in the highest regard. He is still young, he is still learning himself, there are things he has got right and things he’ll probably wish he’d done differently. But make no mistake, Kieran McKenna is absolutely untouchable in my opinion!

COYB!

Season Over. on 12:04 - Feb 24 with 539 views

grow_our_own

Season Over. on 15:21 - Feb 23 by FrimleyBlue

Personally think KM has shown alot of his rawness this season.

The needless dropping of some players. The return of others who then got dropped again.
The classic like for like subs.
Some very late subs
The refusal to test a different left side
Despite many signings the way we concede goals hasn't really been address despite promotions.
The midfield duo being strict and not trying a third.
He's also the one behind building this side and hasn't had the luxury of using players purchased by the previous manager and his signings are all very samey and imo He's not made the most of signing one of the hottest scorers in the champ in Sammy. Same with j clarke. And he's brought in two fullbacks who are as bad as each other and not even upgrades on the right back he's loaned out.

He's done a cracking job but he's made alot of mistakes. As young managers do.

I think McK is great. The team selectionsubs issues you raise are very subjective. I think our main problems this season were:

1. McK signing two right-back duds. He was unlucky with Ogbene's injury, but Johnson, and looking like Godfrey were poor choices. Burns wasn't great this season, but he persevered with Johnson despite him being one of the worst one-on-one defenders I've ever seen. Totally devoid of pace, which cost us many goals conceded. We've only one adequate right-back (Axel), and it's it's pretty calamitous when he's unavailable as we saw on Sat.

2. McK signing a dud keeper in Muric. I think this was his biggest mistake. Muric was woeful. Not a matter of opinion, even having not played for weeks, he's still the top mistake maker of any player in the Prem (not just keepers): https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/error_lead_to_goal
In some games we've played well, but has come to nothing because of our dodgy keeper.

3. Late start in the summer. Due to the will-he, won't-he stay in early-mid summer, we recruited late, and the lack of gelling was evident in early season. Eg being knocked out of Carabou cup in the first round at Wimbledon then led to further lack of gelling time for the squad.

[Post edited 24 Feb 12:09]

Season Over. on 12:05 - Feb 24 with 537 views

Pippin1970

Think we will play now with nothing to lose. Let the shackles off.

Time to view season in a different way, FA Cup, and a series of ‘cup’ games on 12:13 - Feb 24 with 508 views

Exiled2Surrey

Time to view season in a different way, FA Cup, and a series of ‘cup’ games on 11:37 - Feb 24 by unstableblue
Treat every game as a one off A chance to improve as a team Store up experience for our return in a few seasons And get some points

Sort of agree, but there is a contradiction there.

In a one off game you employ tactics and a team selection that is designed to win that game specifically - you play players you feel are ideal for this one opponent, perhaps risking those that are on the edge to get this one result.

If you are trying to develop particular patterns of play over a 12 game programme and improve as a team, you might have to suffer a little short term for longer term benefit and a higher exit velocity.

But then you need to factor in the impact of confidence...

Horrible balance to hold - glad we have a decent fella in place to navigate it....

Season Over. on 12:35 - Feb 24 with 480 views

roblenton

Season Over. on 11:31 - Feb 24 by itfcpaul

I agree!!

Massive step up, no time to prepare a Prem squad with getting promoted far earlier than expected and not having the parachute payments both Leicester and Southampton has, making it extra difficult, but we are above both of them and no too far away from Wolves, so all is not lost!!

Would have been nice to sign more players with Prem experience and build, rather then reply on the best of the Championship and a huge lump of L1 players, always going to be tough, but if you think back to the way we dug in against Villa, Spurs and Arsenal away, we can defend if set up to defend initially but the ability to break away which we have shown we are capable of.

I like the idea of Hirst up front and Delap on the right, but can see the massive risk that could be with not having a 3rd striker of their mould, but it is getting worrying close to the end of the season and maybe, just maybe, a change may help us force some points from teams we wouldn't do playing as we are?

FA Cup still on. COYB
Strong team at Forest to get a win then a home Qrtr final and who knows

Season Over. on 12:42 - Feb 24 with 457 views

HighgateBlue

Season Over. on 12:05 - Feb 24 by Pippin1970
Think we will play now with nothing to lose. Let the shackles off.

I felt like we did that at the outset against Spurs, and I was pleased to see it, despite the risks. However, we didn't take our chances. We didn't score when we were on top, and the failure to do that has always been fatal in the Premier League. I remember Alan Hansen chiming in with it pretty much every week on Match of the Day.

Ho hum, we are where we are. Salvaging a couple of draws will not save us. Only a good slug of wins, and for that we need to go for it, so I do agree this is what is needed.

Season Over. on 12:51 - Feb 24 with 441 views

HighgateBlue

Season Over. on 09:38 - Feb 24 by IPSWICHFANITFC

I think Wolves will win their game tomorrow too. The 5 point gap is a reach as it is, but 8 points confirms our fate for me.

Wolves look better than us and are more in form than us. 2 more wins for them this season probably see's them safe. We need at least 3 wins with a couple of draws from our remaining 12 to stay up in my opinion - which MUST include taking 3pts from the Wolves game as 1 of those wins. Tough ask looking at the fixtures.

Yes agreed. An 8 point gap when we've got just 1 point from our last 6 league games, and we only have a dozen league games left? That would be the end.

We're the only Premier League team not to have won in 2025, and March is nearly upon us. Sadly, the stats have us sinking just at the time when Wolves are recovering. An objective, rather than blue-tinted, view of our predicament, probably has us down already, but if Wolves beat Fulham, that is surely that.

Winning the FA Cup would be a nice consolation though :)

Season Over. on 13:14 - Feb 24 with 420 views

IPSWICHFANITFC

Season Over. on 11:09 - Feb 24 by joshITFCporter

Wolves also still have to play southampton, so can pretty much chalk that one off as a win straight away. The season itself isn't over, can still breed confidence into the squad if we can pull off a few more wins, and got the FA Cup still, but I feel the players know now that it'd take a miracle to survive.
Saying that, great escapes have happened in the past relatively regularly, so we keep fighting until the fat lady sings

They also have Leicester at home too. They have better fixtures than us.

Poll:

If selling Jackson meant getting in a wide man, would you be happy with Garbutt?

Let’s use the rest of the season work on taking chances and defense on 13:16 - Feb 24 with 398 views

unstableblue

Season Over. on 12:42 - Feb 24 by HighgateBlue

I agree McKenna’s game plan worked, bar two things:

1. Without Axel, thenGodfrey wasn’t good/sharp enough to keep Son at bay, and Davis let his man go
2. We didn’t finish the chances in the first ten mins

These are two areas we can work on and improve, so let’s use the rest of the season to do that and see where we end up

Poll:

What level of support are you bringing to Portman Road today?

Season Over. on 13:16 - Feb 24 with 398 views

roblenton

Season Over. on 12:51 - Feb 24 by HighgateBlue

Forest have Arsenal this week then Man City on the 8th. After yesterday I hope they rest a few for the cup and we go strong and go to it.

Season Over. on 13:23 - Feb 24 with 385 views

IPSWICHFANITFC

Season Over. on 12:51 - Feb 24 by HighgateBlue

We need a back to back win somewhere. Something to cling on to and put Wolves on their toes.

In their last 10 games, they've picked up 4 wins and 1 draw. picking up 13 points. Their defeats were to Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool - which is expected.

In our last 10 games, we've picked up 1 win and 2 draws picking up 5 points. It's just not enough and isn't going to be enough at this rate.

Our only saving grace is we play Man United tomorrow who have only put 2 wins and 2 draws together themselves in the last 10 games. It's a big ask away at Old Trafford, but it's our best opportunity ahead of the upcoming run afterwards.

Poll:

If selling Jackson meant getting in a wide man, would you be happy with Garbutt?

Season Over. on 13:35 - Feb 24 with 368 views

baxterbasics

Season Over. on 12:35 - Feb 24 by roblenton
FA Cup still on. COYB Strong team at Forest to get a win then a home Qrtr final and who knows

Now an FA cup win would put is in Europe next year, right?

Imagine that - 2002 all over again!

	zip
Poll:	Your minimum standard of 'success' for our return to The Championship?

Season Over. on 13:37 - Feb 24 with 360 views

Exiled2Surrey

Season Over. on 13:14 - Feb 24 by IPSWICHFANITFC
They also have Leicester at home too. They have better fixtures than us.

there is an argument you are better off playing Leicester at their place given their form there over the last handful of games!

Season Over. on 14:54 - Feb 24 with 307 views

OldFart71

Totally disagree with the opportunity with recruiting being wasted. Yes some haven't worked out as was expected, some have got injured. But we had to get at least a dozen players in due to some that we had simply not being good enough. Every man and his dog were barking that Hutchinson should be signed. He was. Delap has in the main proven himself and very few of the others recruited did I hear people say "Oh they are no good, we shouldn't have brought him in" Philogene should be given time but so far all I see is comments like he's too lightweight etc. He's had two starts and one sub appearance for heaven's sake. We got what we got for around £20 million each. That's what you get for that sort of money. Phillips and Grealish cost City nearly £150 million. One is trying to resurrect his career with us and the other is not getting a regular place at City despite them not exactly ripping the Premier League up this season. There needs to be more of a reality check happening.

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