| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons 23:43 - Aug 23 with 1244 views | The_Romford_Blue |
It’s obviously different players but it really is chalk and cheese.
- In that season we looked like a side who could score at will. We were willing to be caught out at times because the belief seemed to be ‘if you score two, no worries we can and will score three’.
- Davis would find space in behind and feed our attackers chance after chance. Then last year he played deeper and not as side.. This year he’s doing the same. I think it’s tactical. I don’t like it.
- We look so much slower. Everything is done with two or three touches too many. At our best two years ago we were so fast to run at teams and make two or three key passes and then create a chance. Today we looked like we could play for 2 hours longer and still wouldn’t create enough clear cut chances.
- We look better defensively. I put that down to us having more of the ball though. And perhaps less willing to take risks in attack and as such are better defensively and more solid. I don’t see us conceding many goals this year.
- The players we’ve got now are a higher quality transfer fee wise (Clarke, Philogene) etc but are they more fun than our previous lads in the same position like Broadhead, Burns and Chaplin? I enjoyed us more two years ago than now. Not necessarily the winning even but the way we played was genuinely at the envy of fanbases everywhere across the country. We were that must-see team who you’d guaranteed would be involved in great games. We’ve not been in four games this season and all of them have been poor spectacles.
- Ultimately.. I just think we’re so very different and sadly just not as enjoyable as before. Hopefully a couple of signings and it might click again. But I can’t help but fear that momentum and that incredible two year run we had where everyone was enjoying such a crazy incredible ride (fans, players, staff) that the winning feeling and momentum we had is just not something we can just get back. |  |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 23:53 - Aug 23 with 1170 views | StNeotsBlue |
When we sold Omari, which was inevitable, I was genuinely amazed at the amount of people who thought it wasn't an issue and wouldn't effect the team, in terms
of quality. [Post edited 24 Aug 0:25]
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 02:25 - Aug 24 with 1010 views | Ryorry |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 23:53 - Aug 23 by StNeotsBlue |
When we sold Omari, which was inevitable, I was genuinely amazed at the amount of people who thought it wasn't an issue and wouldn't effect the team, in terms
of quality. [Post edited 24 Aug 0:25]
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The side that gained promotoon from L1 didn't have Omari & were much, much, much more exciting and enjoyable to watch than now.
Squad back then did evolve into a cohesive well oiled and drilled unit.
So far this season the squad's looking about as cohesive, well oiled and drilled as a jigsaw puzzle chucked into a loose bag.
Hardly surprising considering we're 3 league games into a rebuild, with several replacement pieces not yet having had time for their rough edges to be knocked off or to synch smoothly with their nearest partners. Not to mention a couple of other replacement pieces not having even arrived in the building yet (Agent Evri is bad enough at domestic deliveries; any package from Norway is inevitably going to discombobulate them & might land over a garden fence somewhere in Aberdeen).
Need to be patient & not lose heart. |  |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 10:48 - Aug 24 with 743 views | TractorFrog |
A season like 23/24 is as exciting as it can possibly get. It would be unfair to compare any season to that one. |  |
| They'd all laugh at me if they knew what I was trying to do. To create a new strain of super-wine in half-an-hour with a fraction of nature's resources and a FOOL for an assistant. 'Bernard Black, he's mad,' they'd say, 'he's insane, he's dangerous.' Well I'll show them! I'll show them all! | | Poll: | Who should start in CM with Cajuste? |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 14:31 - Aug 24 with 662 views | Ryorry |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 10:48 - Aug 24 by TractorFrog |
A season like 23/24 is as exciting as it can possibly get. It would be unfair to compare any season to that one. |
Any football fan knows there are Upson Downes  | |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 15:30 - Aug 24 with 570 views | FoghornGleghorn |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 10:48 - Aug 24 by TractorFrog |
A season like 23/24 is as exciting as it can possibly get. It would be unfair to compare any season to that one. |
I agree with you totally...but the last couple of games I've been bored. Didn't think I could or would ever get bored watching a McK side play football. Still got faith it'll pick back up, but hope it's soon. |  | | |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 15:46 - Aug 24 with 531 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 23:53 - Aug 23 by StNeotsBlue |
When we sold Omari, which was inevitable, I was genuinely amazed at the amount of people who thought it wasn't an issue and wouldn't effect the team, in terms
of quality. [Post edited 24 Aug 0:25]
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Same for those who seemed adamant at the end of last season that Delap was overrated and Hirst was better for our system lol. |  |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 15:47 - Aug 24 with 528 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
Right hand side imbalance.
Until that right hand side is sorted this team won't function. It can't. | |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 16:00 - Aug 24 with 478 views | ArnieM |
How many of that double winning team were players brought into the club by Paul Cook? We seem to have lost that " team" feel since Ashton / Mckenna have been going up market and spending an average £20m per player on supposedly " better quality" ... |  |
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 17:50 - Aug 24 with 410 views | mellowblue |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 15:47 - Aug 24 by TRUE_BLUE123 |
Right hand side imbalance.
Until that right hand side is sorted this team won't function. It can't. |
Yes without Tuenze and Burns, we can't release Leif and have the defence shuffle across to cover. Okay we couldn't do it so much last year due to high class opposition, but this year it is a miss. | | | |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 18:24 - Aug 24 with 321 views | EddyJ |
We sold or released all our scrappers, fighters and winners and bought a load of floaty ineffective wimps.
The number of 50/50s Philogene and Clarke duck out of is insane. Burns never did that.
When we were playing badly or losing, you could count on one of Morsy, Chaplin or Broadhead to pull something out of the bag; score a goal with a bit of magic or a deflected long shot. None of the new players have that will to win. [Post edited 24 Aug 18:25]
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| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 19:17 - Aug 24 with 246 views | darkhorse28 |
McKenna getting on his own way…, inverting players, and trying to develop them as more rounded and flexible players, which is desiirable, but not at the expense of the essential winning games, and still getting the best out of the cote qualities of players.
Clarke told us all last season. I’m learning a new inverted role.
That didn’t work. So now he’s getting wider, and Leif is inverting, and that doesn’t work either, he has no right foot, and was one of the most creative forces at this level, ever.
It’s that the Clarke experiment lasted so long that’s the worry.
Taylor as a CDM is the same issue. It’s not a role he has the core attributes for, not great spacial awareness or facing his own goal, his qualities lie elsewhere in a role we don’t really play (an 8).
It’s a worry.
McKenna is a coaching obsessive and clearly has developed some really well, like Massimo, but Mass had great spacial awareness and loved it on the half turn…, the coaching just brought that out, the attributes were there though.
McKenna seems to think if it doesn’t work, more work on the training pitch is the answer.
Sorry. But all these issues.., they aren’t solved in training.
It’s buying badly, very expensively, where we don’t buy for our system, we try to get quality and make them adapt.
McKenna clearly likes that challenge, and that’s an indulgence that has sacrificed getting the basics right, getting the best out of what players are really good at and costing results as a consequence.
Clarke, Greaves, a few other too, Philogene, and Sammie …., they’ve DESTROYED this division before.., and they and others have regressed under McKenna.., we might not like it, but it’s true and it’s over 42 games is it? So not a small sample size, and yes that’s a level above, but it’s also over a year of coaching them, and they are all worse versions of their EFL selves.
McKenna wants complexity in training.
For maybe 2 years.., where has the support and voices above him been to say.., ok .., these things aren’t working, and some of them are 100% on you and your methodologies.
That’s the real issue.
Not McKenna. He’s young, a baby in these terms, it’s above him.., there’s a vision, strategy, knowledge, and support vacuum,
In my opinion at least. | | | |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 19:35 - Aug 24 with 209 views | Ryorry |
| 2023/2024 team & 2025/2026 team comparisons on 19:17 - Aug 24 by darkhorse28 |
McKenna getting on his own way…, inverting players, and trying to develop them as more rounded and flexible players, which is desiirable, but not at the expense of the essential winning games, and still getting the best out of the cote qualities of players.
Clarke told us all last season. I’m learning a new inverted role.
That didn’t work. So now he’s getting wider, and Leif is inverting, and that doesn’t work either, he has no right foot, and was one of the most creative forces at this level, ever.
It’s that the Clarke experiment lasted so long that’s the worry.
Taylor as a CDM is the same issue. It’s not a role he has the core attributes for, not great spacial awareness or facing his own goal, his qualities lie elsewhere in a role we don’t really play (an 8).
It’s a worry.
McKenna is a coaching obsessive and clearly has developed some really well, like Massimo, but Mass had great spacial awareness and loved it on the half turn…, the coaching just brought that out, the attributes were there though.
McKenna seems to think if it doesn’t work, more work on the training pitch is the answer.
Sorry. But all these issues.., they aren’t solved in training.
It’s buying badly, very expensively, where we don’t buy for our system, we try to get quality and make them adapt.
McKenna clearly likes that challenge, and that’s an indulgence that has sacrificed getting the basics right, getting the best out of what players are really good at and costing results as a consequence.
Clarke, Greaves, a few other too, Philogene, and Sammie …., they’ve DESTROYED this division before.., and they and others have regressed under McKenna.., we might not like it, but it’s true and it’s over 42 games is it? So not a small sample size, and yes that’s a level above, but it’s also over a year of coaching them, and they are all worse versions of their EFL selves.
McKenna wants complexity in training.
For maybe 2 years.., where has the support and voices above him been to say.., ok .., these things aren’t working, and some of them are 100% on you and your methodologies.
That’s the real issue.
Not McKenna. He’s young, a baby in these terms, it’s above him.., there’s a vision, strategy, knowledge, and support vacuum,
In my opinion at least. |
That is at least a very interesting and thought-provoking post.
Haven’t seen us playing enough, nor know enough of how things work behind the scenes, to assess if you’re correct or not. | |
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