| Rating the current team 06:55 - May 26 with 1602 views | Churchman |
Looking back at the end of the season, we played 3 away games in 6 days, 2 of which were against form teams. QPR was only 4 days later. In the final month it was P8 (5 away), W4, D4, L1. A lot of matches and 2 points a game. Average, good or exceptional? I’d say good.
Having a bit of time on my hands last night I decided to rewatch one of them. Charlton away and to try and be objective as possible.
Overall, after a comedy start, we bossed the game. They showed grit and togetherness that wasn’t there just a few months before. KM alluded to it and mentioned new team forming etc in his post match. Charlton had fed off crumbs and were outclassed.
Individually Furlong and McAteer were a real handful, Matusiwa despite fitness issues excellent and when he came on, Clarke was unplayable. For me he’s a better player than JP, even if the latter is blessed with more talent. Both are good though.
On the downside we were sloppy at times. We are kind of careless with our play. You can’t do that in the Premier or give cheap goals away. We also lacked truly effective players in front of Matusiwa. We need two better midfielders and a couple of goalscorers along with a right sided challenge or upgrade on McAteer. I like Azon. Good player, but he will get eaten alive in the PL.
In conclusion though, this current team is stronger than two seasons ago. We were mostly on top of the best teams in the division unlike 23/24 when we certainly weren’t. At seasons end we were devastating in spells and that came about through good players getting to know each other.
Looking at that fixture run, I hope this team is appreciated more than it has been and is enhanced and added to, not totally replaced. I believe we are better placed than some think. |  | | |  |
| Rating the current team on 07:02 - May 26 with 1538 views | Wallingford_Boy |
You think this team is better than the one with Morsy, Hutch and Delap in?
I’d say Azor is a pretty decent replacement for Morsy, but our right and up front we are way off.
Overall, the side from two years ago wins it for me. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 07:15 - May 26 with 1458 views | Nutkins_Return |
| Rating the current team on 07:02 - May 26 by Wallingford_Boy |
You think this team is better than the one with Morsy, Hutch and Delap in?
I’d say Azor is a pretty decent replacement for Morsy, but our right and up front we are way off.
Overall, the side from two years ago wins it for me. |
He's comparing to the last champ season. We didn't have Delap. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 07:26 - May 26 with 1421 views | Churchman |
| Rating the current team on 07:02 - May 26 by Wallingford_Boy |
You think this team is better than the one with Morsy, Hutch and Delap in?
I’d say Azor is a pretty decent replacement for Morsy, but our right and up front we are way off.
Overall, the side from two years ago wins it for me. |
Delap wasn’t in the last promotion side. At season’s end this team was stronger than Morsy’s men in my view.
There was no you score three, we will score four about it this season. We became more compact and against better sides more controlled. There were messy exceptions I grant you (Stoke, Portsmouth, Wrexham), but the current team improved rapidly at season’s end which is where I base my comparison.
Morsy’s team struggled against the stronger teams. Even Saints at home we were outplayed for a good chunk of it. Leeds murdered us, as did WBA away and while we got draws at Leicester they were fighting points for an inferior team. Not this time.
The main weakness was that while Hirst improved, we were weak at CF throughout the season. Omari and younger Luongo would have course add to the current team too. | | | |
| Rating the current team on 07:51 - May 26 with 1334 views | Herbivore |
| Rating the current team on 07:02 - May 26 by Wallingford_Boy |
You think this team is better than the one with Morsy, Hutch and Delap in?
I’d say Azor is a pretty decent replacement for Morsy, but our right and up front we are way off.
Overall, the side from two years ago wins it for me. |
No but it's stronger than the one with Lewis Travis, Kayden Jackson, and Ali Al Hamidi in it. That's the difference, the squad we had at the end of 2023/24 had a lot of squad players whose ceiling is lower half of the Championship and only a couple with genuine potential to be Prem regulars. The overall quality of the squad and the starting XI is higher now which means we can focus our business on adding proper quality that will move us forward. The summer of 2024 we were playing catch up and had to upgrade the squad filler as well as the starting XI which meant a lot of business and not all of it very effective. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 07:55 - May 26 with 1315 views | DJR |
Unlike the previous team, we didn't blow many teams away last season, but then again we aren't going to do that in the Premier League.
But our team proved to be very resilient and I am inclined to think that resilience, in contrast to the previous team's flair, will suit us better in the Premier League, especially if coupled with key signings in places where we are weak. [Post edited 26 May 7:56]
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| Rating the current team on 07:58 - May 26 with 1299 views | homer_123 |
| Rating the current team on 07:02 - May 26 by Wallingford_Boy |
You think this team is better than the one with Morsy, Hutch and Delap in?
I’d say Azor is a pretty decent replacement for Morsy, but our right and up front we are way off.
Overall, the side from two years ago wins it for me. |
We are a better 'team' this time around. Deeper strength across the board and a more pragmatic approach to playing that will likely give us a better chance next season.
Delap wasn't in that squad by the way. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 08:01 - May 26 with 1284 views | vapour_trail |
I’d be confident starting the captain and Matusiwa for our first game in August. Maybe Leif.
Nobody else. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 08:05 - May 26 with 1261 views | Herbivore |
| Rating the current team on 07:55 - May 26 by DJR |
Unlike the previous team, we didn't blow many teams away last season, but then again we aren't going to do that in the Premier League.
But our team proved to be very resilient and I am inclined to think that resilience, in contrast to the previous team's flair, will suit us better in the Premier League, especially if coupled with key signings in places where we are weak. [Post edited 26 May 7:56]
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Actually, last season we won 7 games by more than 2 goals compared to only 3 wins by more than 2 goals in 2023/24. I think we look back on 2023/24 and misremember it at times, there was a relentlessness to that team and we won a lot of points late in games as a result but we didn't dominate loads of games from start to finish, far from it, and were second best when we came up against parachute sides for the most part. This season we've been pretty dominant in many of our games despite some disappointing halves (and whole games from time to time) and have won several games very comfortably as a result. I think be expectations of us this season versus in 2023/24 do cloud our perceptions of the two seasons. | |
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| Rating the current team on 08:07 - May 26 with 1250 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
The squad is stronger. That's the benefit of bouncing up and down. Your squad continues to develop you have better players coming off the bench. This time its Jack Clarke not Marcus Harness. Its maybe Nunez or Matusiwa instead of Luongo. No disrespect meant to any player I mentioned.
The team is still a way off though. To be expected we have only had one season in the top flight in a long time. That Charlton performance would have got us absolutely battered in the Premier League. We have to keep upgrading, the suggestion that we may be looking for a challenger to McAteer as opposed to an upgrade is crazy, has to be an upgrade. The idea that we shouldnt be looking to upgrade the defence is also mental. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 09:45 - May 26 with 1032 views | ringwoodblue |
Comparing the two promotion sides, I think the 25/26 team had a stronger defence but a weaker attack than the 23/24 team. |  |
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| Rating the current team on 09:53 - May 26 with 1008 views | RobTheMonk |
If Azon could finish and wasn't coming up against keepers making the best saves of their careers, it would look much different.
Back line since Wrexham has been excellent. O'Shea really grew into the captaincy.
I would have loved to have seen prime Matusiwa, Morsy and Mass in the same squad. |  | | |
| Rating the current team on 10:50 - May 26 with 853 views | DJR |
| Rating the current team on 08:05 - May 26 by Herbivore |
Actually, last season we won 7 games by more than 2 goals compared to only 3 wins by more than 2 goals in 2023/24. I think we look back on 2023/24 and misremember it at times, there was a relentlessness to that team and we won a lot of points late in games as a result but we didn't dominate loads of games from start to finish, far from it, and were second best when we came up against parachute sides for the most part. This season we've been pretty dominant in many of our games despite some disappointing halves (and whole games from time to time) and have won several games very comfortably as a result. I think be expectations of us this season versus in 2023/24 do cloud our perceptions of the two seasons. |
Interesting. Maybe then the main difference was that the previous team was more cavalier but that didn't translate to the Premier League.
The current team is a bit more dogged but an underlying doggedness is probably what is needed. | | | |
| Rating the current team on 11:05 - May 26 with 795 views | BseaBlue |
Expectation is the reason why this team isn't as romanticised as the 23/24 team. Nobody expected us to be getting back to back promotions so there was probably more of an affinity then.
The important thing for me is that it is clear we have tried to be more pragmatic with our approach and I'd say that is down to having a manager that understands the need for adaptation to have another crack at the Prem. We are definitely in a better place in terms of our style of play.
However, there is still so much work to do with the squad. The recruitment plan last time of signing quality championship players has enabled us to bounce back at the first time of asking, so the plan worked! Now we will have to be slightly braver though if we want to crack on. I think we need at least 8 starters to enable us to be competitive. |  | | |
| Rating the current team on 12:17 - May 26 with 645 views | billlm |
This seasons team is comfortably a better team than the last promotion team better players, play and squad will give us a chance next season,
But no way can you disrespect the desire hunger of a band of brothers laying it down for each other, |  | | |
| Rating the current team on 12:33 - May 26 with 592 views | PioneerBlue |
I definitely feel like this current group was more defensively minded, more controlled and streetwise but less swagger. This current group seemed intent on giving fewer chances away. Interesting the goal difference is almost identical but done in different ways.
2023/24
W28 L6 GF92 GA57 GD35
2025/26
W23 L8 GF80 GA47 GD33 | |
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| Rating the current team on 12:41 - May 26 with 561 views | grow_our_own |
| Rating the current team on 07:51 - May 26 by Herbivore |
No but it's stronger than the one with Lewis Travis, Kayden Jackson, and Ali Al Hamidi in it. That's the difference, the squad we had at the end of 2023/24 had a lot of squad players whose ceiling is lower half of the Championship and only a couple with genuine potential to be Prem regulars. The overall quality of the squad and the starting XI is higher now which means we can focus our business on adding proper quality that will move us forward. The summer of 2024 we were playing catch up and had to upgrade the squad filler as well as the starting XI which meant a lot of business and not all of it very effective. |
2024 was better than this team going forward. 2026 is better defensively. Hutchinson wipes the floor with anything we had at right 10 this season. Clarke/Philogene are better than Broadhead at left 10 but not by much. In all other attacking positions and box-to-box CM (Luongo), 2024 beats 2026. Hirst was in better form in 2024, and Burns & Chaplin were firing on all cylinders. Hence 2024's much better goals scored total.
Defensively, O'Shea and Kipre/Greaves are better than Burgess and Woolfenden. Leif is good as ever, and Furlong gives a better defensive balance on the right than Clarke who, like Davis, marauded and left us exposed. Walton is a better keeper in 2026 than Hladky. Hence 2026's significantly better goals conceded total.
The current team will be relegated because it won't score enough, not because our defence/keeper aren't up to it. Attack is where we need to focus our spending this window. [Post edited 26 May 12:44]
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| Rating the current team on 12:48 - May 26 with 515 views | Herbivore |
| Rating the current team on 12:41 - May 26 by grow_our_own |
2024 was better than this team going forward. 2026 is better defensively. Hutchinson wipes the floor with anything we had at right 10 this season. Clarke/Philogene are better than Broadhead at left 10 but not by much. In all other attacking positions and box-to-box CM (Luongo), 2024 beats 2026. Hirst was in better form in 2024, and Burns & Chaplin were firing on all cylinders. Hence 2024's much better goals scored total.
Defensively, O'Shea and Kipre/Greaves are better than Burgess and Woolfenden. Leif is good as ever, and Furlong gives a better defensive balance on the right than Clarke who, like Davis, marauded and left us exposed. Walton is a better keeper in 2026 than Hladky. Hence 2026's significantly better goals conceded total.
The current team will be relegated because it won't score enough, not because our defence/keeper aren't up to it. Attack is where we need to focus our spending this window. [Post edited 26 May 12:44]
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Clarke and Philogene are both significant upgrades on Broadhead, imo. | |
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| Rating the current team on 13:01 - May 26 with 436 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
| Rating the current team on 12:41 - May 26 by grow_our_own |
2024 was better than this team going forward. 2026 is better defensively. Hutchinson wipes the floor with anything we had at right 10 this season. Clarke/Philogene are better than Broadhead at left 10 but not by much. In all other attacking positions and box-to-box CM (Luongo), 2024 beats 2026. Hirst was in better form in 2024, and Burns & Chaplin were firing on all cylinders. Hence 2024's much better goals scored total.
Defensively, O'Shea and Kipre/Greaves are better than Burgess and Woolfenden. Leif is good as ever, and Furlong gives a better defensive balance on the right than Clarke who, like Davis, marauded and left us exposed. Walton is a better keeper in 2026 than Hladky. Hence 2026's significantly better goals conceded total.
The current team will be relegated because it won't score enough, not because our defence/keeper aren't up to it. Attack is where we need to focus our spending this window. [Post edited 26 May 12:44]
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I thought 23/24 Morsy was a better player than 25/26 Matusiwa. Maybe that's controversial but to me Morsy has more to his game.
We do also need to focus on defence and keeper. Need a backup Left Back. A new starting right back and a new starter next to Dara. As well as a new GK. [Post edited 26 May 13:03]
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| Rating the current team on 13:18 - May 26 with 367 views | BluedanW |
| Rating the current team on 10:50 - May 26 by DJR |
Interesting. Maybe then the main difference was that the previous team was more cavalier but that didn't translate to the Premier League.
The current team is a bit more dogged but an underlying doggedness is probably what is needed. |
We were more cavalier in the championship in 23/24, however Mckenna's tactics were more negative when we got to the premier league.
This time around the current team are more capable of playing a defensive block when needed in the premier league than the players a couple of years ago. I just hope we do play on the front foot more than 2 years ago.
I think we need 3 new strikers, 2 at least. right back, right winger too. furlong as back up.
another left winger with philogene and clarke rotating, another defensive midfielder to play alongside matisuwa. I can't see Cajuste being offered a contract, Taylor deserves to be a squad player. plus a better centre back to play alongside O'shea. Greaves as good cover. [Post edited 26 May 13:27]
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