| And now, the glass half empty 10:50 - Jun 19 with 2540 views | itfc_bucks |
Realistically, I'm not convinced we're any stronger in the Championship than we were last time out and, frankly, we had a season build on tremendous team spirit and a boatload of luck (except for penalties, which we're apparently not allowed anymore).
Is Greaves an upgrade on Cam?
We're weaker in the middle of the park (as it stands) than last time out.
We have a plethora of lightweight wingers, who despite the hype, I'm far from convinced by.
Long term injuries to Burns and Ogbene, who might never get back to where they were.
Our forward line has more than a few concerns in terms of both talent and availability.
I'm sure we'll make signings, but let's really not get ahead of ourselves... |  | | |  |
| And now, the glass half empty on 12:12 - Jun 19 with 430 views | baxterbasics |
Striker shortage aside, we have a monster attack full of Championship bossmen. Provided the injury situation improves and none of our AMs want away (particular nod to Omari) then we should be fine. |  |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 12:23 - Jun 19 with 398 views | Parmigiano |
| And now, the glass half empty on 12:12 - Jun 19 by baxterbasics |
Striker shortage aside, we have a monster attack full of Championship bossmen. Provided the injury situation improves and none of our AMs want away (particular nod to Omari) then we should be fine. |
Absolutely.
And even if Omari does go, we still have Clarke, Philogene, Broadhead, Szmodics, Chaplin, Burns and Ogbene fighting for three positions. Which is ridiculous. All seven would walk into every other team in the league. |  | | |
| And now, the glass half empty on 12:42 - Jun 19 with 327 views | Coastalblue |
This is so Ipswich/Suffolk.
For the first time in years and years we go into a season arguably stronger for the league we're about to compete in than most of our rivals and there's doom and gloom?
If you can't enjoy this current era then maybe a different interest?
As for no stronger than last time out, I disagree but last time out we got automatic promotion. |  |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 12:56 - Jun 19 with 267 views | baxterbasics |
| And now, the glass half empty on 12:42 - Jun 19 by Coastalblue |
This is so Ipswich/Suffolk.
For the first time in years and years we go into a season arguably stronger for the league we're about to compete in than most of our rivals and there's doom and gloom?
If you can't enjoy this current era then maybe a different interest?
As for no stronger than last time out, I disagree but last time out we got automatic promotion. |
It's not something we are used to, being favourites, so it's taking a bit of adjusting! | |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 13:18 - Jun 19 with 227 views | Lord_Lucan |
Half empty or half full?
Same same
Anyway, as a borderline alcoholic it's panic stations either way. |  |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 13:19 - Jun 19 with 215 views | BiGDonnie |
So, instead of getting ahead of ourselves we should be uber negative and start with the moaning? |  |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 13:26 - Jun 19 with 197 views | NthQldITFC |
| And now, the glass half empty on 11:30 - Jun 19 by itfcjoe |
Squad at end of summer window in 2023 compared to now
GK -Hladky, Walton, Slicker
RB - Clarke, Donacien, WIlliams
LB - Davis
RCB - Woolfenden
LCB - Burgess, Edmundson
RCM - Ball, Morsy
LCM - Evans, Luongo, Taylor
RW - Burns, Jackson
R10 - Aluko, Chaplin, Hutchinson
L10 - Broadhead, Harness
ST - Hirst, Ladapo, Scarlett
Squad now
GK - Muric, Palmer, Slicker, Walton
RB - Johnson, (Tuanzebe), Clarke
LB - Davis, Townsend
RCB - O'Shea, Woolfenden
LCB - Greaves
RCM - Morsy
LCM - Taylor
RW - Philogene, Ogbene, Burns
R10 - Chaplin, Hutchinson
L10 - Broadhead, J.Clarke, Szmodics
ST - Hirst, Al-Hamadi
GK
The situation is a bit of a muddle, but we started that season with people wanting to go to the loan market to sign a keeper when Walton got injured. Talent wise we have 3 guys easily capable of being a number 1 in the Championship. In Muric's last season there he was in the team of the season. In 23/34 Palmer jointly won the golden glove with 18 clean sheets.
Verdict - Stronger
RB
Much of a muchness, had Williams been able to be available all season then he looked like he could be better than Johnson, but he wasn't. Tuanzebe signed after window shut, and is still not signed for next season
Verdict - Roughly the same
LB
Leif Davis is better than he was, we now have an excellent back up
Verdict - Stronger
RCB
Woolfenden has improved, O'Shea is better than him
Verdict - Stronger
LCB
At the moment it probably looks a bit weaker as not much between Burgess and Greaves and Edmundson was a good back up
Verdict - Weaker
RCM
Much of a muchness, Morsy has improved but no back up
Verdict - The same
LCM
Weaker currently
Verdict - Weaker
RW
Burns was far and away key man here, Jackson not really up to much, now Burns is prob number 3 in the pecking order
Verdict - Stronger
R10
Omari has gone on to a different level and if he stays will be the best player in the league
Verdict - Stronger
L10
Ridiculous difference - Marcus Harness replaced by Jack Clarke and Sam Szmodics. Ludicrous
Verdict - Stronger
ST
A lot riding on Hirst currently, but he looks like a top quality striker now when 2 years ago he was seen as a flop in the CHampionship having had 2 failed loans there
Verdict - About the same
Bearing in mind we haven't signed anyone yet, and will likely bring in 8-10 new players, every single one of those positions will be far stronger than they were in at this stage in 23/24 |
Excellent response, based on actual facts and considered assessments rather than angst. |  |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 13:32 - Jun 19 with 177 views | Reuser_is_God |
| And now, the glass half empty on 11:31 - Jun 19 by Herbivore |
There's a narrative developing among some fans that 2023/24 was some kind of massive one-off fluke. It's very odd. I was at every home game that season, and bar a handful of exceptions, we battered most sides. For every deflection in our favour you can point to one that went against us. And don't get me started on our lack of penalties. |
Also, the OP referred to how difficult the championship is (rightly so) then contradicts themselves by saying it was due to luck that we went up last time. |  |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 13:48 - Jun 19 with 138 views | TheBoyBlue |
Greaves will be an upgrade on Burgess, he's got 5 years on him and started fantastically last season, it was a pity that injury disrupted his season. Although I am sorry to see Cam go.
Philogene and Clarke have already shown how good they are in the Championship and are an upgrade on what we had and several years to get better too. It's whether they're up to the Premier League that was the issue, although as mentioned there is time to get better and besides I thought Clarke improved as the season grew.
You're right about Ogbene and Burns, that is always the danger after big injuries, but both of them could be like new signings at the start of next season, just without the need to settle in!
I imagine that we are looking to improve all round and this time round we will be far more attractive to the type of signings we want than we were two years ago when we'd only just come up from League 1.
None of this is to say we are guaranteed to go straight back up or even to be in with a chance, you never ever know in football and life in general. So much could happen. But I would say we are far better placed for a promotion push than we have been for many years, possibly ever. | |
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| And now, the glass half empty on 14:01 - Jun 19 with 114 views | Vaughan8 |
Give it a couple of games (if even pre season ones) before you come out with this nonsense.
Just like people who do the "pick your team for the first game" nonsense.
Chill out. We don't know who is coming in/out yet. Those lightweight winders should be very good players in this league.
The Championship you get away with more, and get more opportunities. The gulf in class from PL to Championship works both ways.
I'll put my neck on the line and say players like Johnson, who were lrgely exposed in the PL, will be very good players in the league.....! [Post edited 19 Jun 14:01]
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