| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool 21:28 - Aug 2 with 1931 views | unstableblue |
Clearly pre-season is a little off plan, with perhaps two games a tad ambitious on consecutive days, and we have badly let down Munchengladbach - but injuries, absentees, and a difficult market mean we are not on plan for a Premier ready 22 to integrate. A 22 who could have managed the 2 Bundesliga games in a row, with a few yoofs thrown in.
But it’s not time to panic or dissent - some are concerned on the squad strength, some are hurting from having been moved from long held seats, some who just can’t get seats, and some are concerned that the Portman Road refurb is going to the wire - West Stand was surely intended to be open for OGC Nice. But fans, players, and management need to get laser focussed on the path to the Liverpool game, stick together, block out the noise.
Let’s hope Szmodics and a few more can be brought in early next week to allow time to get up to speed on McKenna ball. Whatever happens starting tomorrow against Hoffenheim, into two weeks at Playford Road (with OGC Nice in between) - we need a laser focus on Liverpool.
Arne Slot is doing the opposite of us, zero squad change (bar returning loanees), consistent teams doing well in high level pre-season game. They are the only Premier League team to have done zero inward transfers. With their wealth and leverage this is odd, a strategy? - a couple of £50m players are still likely. But they spent a lot last summer. And maybe he feels with change in the coaching staff, leverage what we’ve got, keep momentum.
But back to us, block out the negativity, acquire players where possible, but get focussed on ways to beat a mega club who won’t be perhaps as challenged by change as we expected. [Post edited 2 Aug 2024 21:34]
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 21:54 - Aug 2 with 1781 views | Guthrum |
And even Liverpool lost to Preston in their first pre-season game. |  |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 22:20 - Aug 2 with 1680 views | unstableblue |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 21:54 - Aug 2 by Guthrum |
And even Liverpool lost to Preston in their first pre-season game. |
Indeed, pre-season is pre-season. They did use 25 players at Deepdale, with youth, and early for them in terms of having the group together beforehand.
But a win against Real Betis, and an impressive 2-1 performance and win over Arsenal in Philadelphia. With 70mins for most of the ‘first 11’. And returning loanee Carvalho baggin a goal.
But as per my ramble we need to circle the wagons, focus on ourselves, and get the McKenna magic working on a strategy and system to give us the chance of a result.
Our survival is all about fine fine margins. Slot has a lot to prove and a lot of pressure. But he seems to be doing a clever and steady job already.
Sunderland could have easily have gotten away from on the last seasons starter, under the cosh, battered, but we stuck in there, stuck to the plan and won. And it snowballed. | |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 07:16 - Aug 3 with 1365 views | PioneerBlue |
You raise interesting points on why the negative pre ko vibes but this all started with the near temping away of the manager. It took the gloss off the first part of promotion. Securing Omari was a big plus as was additions of other highly regarded champ talent.
There is nothing really to worry about, last season we had no idea how the team would step up and adjust to the Champ. Appreciate this step is bigger still but it’s the same concern. I don’t think MA and KMck have ever said this season will be anything other than a massive challenge but exciting in itself. This is the type of uncomfortable excitement we live for as ITFC supporters!
Step back take a wide view nothing is all about this summer, this month, this year even. Taking this step back to the prem will have fast forwarded our club massively no matter what happens on the pitch between now and May. We all win, even if we lose a lot! |  |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 07:38 - Aug 3 with 1318 views | Churchman |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 07:16 - Aug 3 by PioneerBlue |
You raise interesting points on why the negative pre ko vibes but this all started with the near temping away of the manager. It took the gloss off the first part of promotion. Securing Omari was a big plus as was additions of other highly regarded champ talent.
There is nothing really to worry about, last season we had no idea how the team would step up and adjust to the Champ. Appreciate this step is bigger still but it’s the same concern. I don’t think MA and KMck have ever said this season will be anything other than a massive challenge but exciting in itself. This is the type of uncomfortable excitement we live for as ITFC supporters!
Step back take a wide view nothing is all about this summer, this month, this year even. Taking this step back to the prem will have fast forwarded our club massively no matter what happens on the pitch between now and May. We all win, even if we lose a lot! |
Two and in fact three years ago we went into the season with financial muscle, lots of new players and hope after decades of decline. The stress was the desperate desire to get out of that piddly division. Like dragging yourself out of quicksand - but we were always going to.
Last season we went into it knowing we had a good Championship team and the only question was how well would we do in our first season back.
This season it’s totally different. We are one of the weakest teams in the division and certainly the weakest club. We have nearly lost the manager, lost the Chairman, lost a lot of familiar faces, fans have lost their seats. We’ve even lot dear old Pat G, the training ground is portacabin, the football ground a mess. Our pre season looks messy, both fixtures and a catalogue of injuries. Missed transfers? We just don’t know. Rumour and guesswork doesn’t cut it for me.
This long winded post is really saying there is an awful lot of change happening in and out of the club. That always unsettles in that people’s default setting is negative. Their expectations have also been raised to astronomic levels. Nobody is moaning about lack of tickets for the New Lawn (Forest G).
It’ll sort itself. I’d love to know where we are on all of the above and a bit of communication from the top of the club wouldn’t go amiss, but Ashton, Schwartz, McKenna and the heads of dept will know and I suspect overall we are not a million miles off.
Player wise, there’s a simple summary of players in, players out. We could do with a few (four) additions, but there’s a month of the transfer window left. What will be will be. |  | | |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:17 - Aug 3 with 1232 views | BlueBoots |
We are so far ahead of schedule, it has left us far behind schedule... (if that makes sense)
Off the pitch, I'm sure the club would have made gradual improvements to get the club Prem ready if we were still in the Champ, but instead we have had to undertake a massive task to complete all this work in just a few months. As you say, some of this work will impact fans, but the vast majority seems to understand and accept the situation.
On the pitch, we have been recruiting correctly; until we signed Townsend (who has a bit of Prem experience), all young players who are already good, but with the scope for improvement under our coaching (which we've seen with pretty much every player under KMcK). Seen their potential resale value mentioned here quite a bit, but not the fact that we have signed players who could potentially be with us for 8-10 years as long as they're happy at the club, and, as we've seen with Hirst / Hutchinson, once they're through the door it seems like it's the only place they want to be.
It's much easier to recruit staff to build a press room or paint a stand - it's a set task with an end result. Bringing the right players in to improve a squad isn't a set task, as you're constantly looking to evolve / improve, and in our case without harming the spirit that has been built over two promotions. As we've seen over the last couple of years, we've become very good at identifying during the first half of a season where we need to strengthen when the winter window opens; the Prem is unknown territory to most of our players - I'm sure the majority will cope with the step up, but we may have a few surprises either way which we can then address.
So I suppose what I'm trying to say is, focus shouldn't really be on Liverpool, the first month of the season, or arguably the season ahead. Promotion has given us the finances to develop the long term future of the club on and off the pitch - the club are working incredibly hard at doing that, but patience is required in some areas. On the pitch, we'll just be continuing our "one game at a time" mantra, so whatever squad we start the season with against Liverpool, we know the players and staff will have prepared as well as possible. |  |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:37 - Aug 3 with 1163 views | ElephantintheRoom |
Seems odd that with all the right on fitness coaches and performance directors that the club can’t muster another players to fulfil its contractual obligations and has so many players unfit at the very time they are supposed to be getting fit.
Also seems a trifle unfortunate that despite having a team of blokes with green glasses number crunching fatuous stats that the club ends up taking expensive punts on players of dubious fitness provenance…..Hirst and Broadhead for example
Hopefully they wont do to much damage to themselves in the remaining weeks | |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:39 - Aug 3 with 1163 views | MK1 |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:17 - Aug 3 by BlueBoots |
We are so far ahead of schedule, it has left us far behind schedule... (if that makes sense)
Off the pitch, I'm sure the club would have made gradual improvements to get the club Prem ready if we were still in the Champ, but instead we have had to undertake a massive task to complete all this work in just a few months. As you say, some of this work will impact fans, but the vast majority seems to understand and accept the situation.
On the pitch, we have been recruiting correctly; until we signed Townsend (who has a bit of Prem experience), all young players who are already good, but with the scope for improvement under our coaching (which we've seen with pretty much every player under KMcK). Seen their potential resale value mentioned here quite a bit, but not the fact that we have signed players who could potentially be with us for 8-10 years as long as they're happy at the club, and, as we've seen with Hirst / Hutchinson, once they're through the door it seems like it's the only place they want to be.
It's much easier to recruit staff to build a press room or paint a stand - it's a set task with an end result. Bringing the right players in to improve a squad isn't a set task, as you're constantly looking to evolve / improve, and in our case without harming the spirit that has been built over two promotions. As we've seen over the last couple of years, we've become very good at identifying during the first half of a season where we need to strengthen when the winter window opens; the Prem is unknown territory to most of our players - I'm sure the majority will cope with the step up, but we may have a few surprises either way which we can then address.
So I suppose what I'm trying to say is, focus shouldn't really be on Liverpool, the first month of the season, or arguably the season ahead. Promotion has given us the finances to develop the long term future of the club on and off the pitch - the club are working incredibly hard at doing that, but patience is required in some areas. On the pitch, we'll just be continuing our "one game at a time" mantra, so whatever squad we start the season with against Liverpool, we know the players and staff will have prepared as well as possible. |
Well put. We will all learn about our squad and staff as the season goes by. Can't see KM being the type of manager to give players a free hit against anyone, so expect us to come out of the traps firing on all cylinders. We will give it our best shot and if that means survival, great. If we go down, our squad will be at the level expected in our progression.
Doesn't seem right, but our quick rise has hurt us a bit, but if the players truly believe and can maintain their all for one attitude, then anything is possible.
I will certainly enjoy the ride either way. |  |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 09:19 - Aug 3 with 1102 views | unstableblue |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:17 - Aug 3 by BlueBoots |
We are so far ahead of schedule, it has left us far behind schedule... (if that makes sense)
Off the pitch, I'm sure the club would have made gradual improvements to get the club Prem ready if we were still in the Champ, but instead we have had to undertake a massive task to complete all this work in just a few months. As you say, some of this work will impact fans, but the vast majority seems to understand and accept the situation.
On the pitch, we have been recruiting correctly; until we signed Townsend (who has a bit of Prem experience), all young players who are already good, but with the scope for improvement under our coaching (which we've seen with pretty much every player under KMcK). Seen their potential resale value mentioned here quite a bit, but not the fact that we have signed players who could potentially be with us for 8-10 years as long as they're happy at the club, and, as we've seen with Hirst / Hutchinson, once they're through the door it seems like it's the only place they want to be.
It's much easier to recruit staff to build a press room or paint a stand - it's a set task with an end result. Bringing the right players in to improve a squad isn't a set task, as you're constantly looking to evolve / improve, and in our case without harming the spirit that has been built over two promotions. As we've seen over the last couple of years, we've become very good at identifying during the first half of a season where we need to strengthen when the winter window opens; the Prem is unknown territory to most of our players - I'm sure the majority will cope with the step up, but we may have a few surprises either way which we can then address.
So I suppose what I'm trying to say is, focus shouldn't really be on Liverpool, the first month of the season, or arguably the season ahead. Promotion has given us the finances to develop the long term future of the club on and off the pitch - the club are working incredibly hard at doing that, but patience is required in some areas. On the pitch, we'll just be continuing our "one game at a time" mantra, so whatever squad we start the season with against Liverpool, we know the players and staff will have prepared as well as possible. |
Great point about readiness Bloots. The project is 2 seasons perhaps ahead of schedule. And things like the press box could have been done during a championship season as with the hospitality boxes. Crucially further incremental improvement of the squad, for example develop Delap for a year in the Championship in a McKenna system.
Focus should be on Liverpool and blocking out any negativity because it is our ‘one game at a time’ mantra that has served us so well. And whatever the result, getting some real positive from our display, that make us feel we have a right and a fight in the Premier League is important. Our two opening games are free hits no doubt, but we need to get something from Fulham - not ‘must win’ need of course it’s August, but early points are critical.
I think the point I was trying to make is football is fine margins, our Premier survival will be by a fine margins. Blocking out negativity at this stage, focussing on how we get what players we do have to perform at our very best against a strong Liverpool side is the laser focus. If we play out of our skin, in a McKenna system, in front of a partisan home crowd who are fired up - we have a chance. | |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 09:28 - Aug 3 with 1059 views | unstableblue |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 07:38 - Aug 3 by Churchman |
Two and in fact three years ago we went into the season with financial muscle, lots of new players and hope after decades of decline. The stress was the desperate desire to get out of that piddly division. Like dragging yourself out of quicksand - but we were always going to.
Last season we went into it knowing we had a good Championship team and the only question was how well would we do in our first season back.
This season it’s totally different. We are one of the weakest teams in the division and certainly the weakest club. We have nearly lost the manager, lost the Chairman, lost a lot of familiar faces, fans have lost their seats. We’ve even lot dear old Pat G, the training ground is portacabin, the football ground a mess. Our pre season looks messy, both fixtures and a catalogue of injuries. Missed transfers? We just don’t know. Rumour and guesswork doesn’t cut it for me.
This long winded post is really saying there is an awful lot of change happening in and out of the club. That always unsettles in that people’s default setting is negative. Their expectations have also been raised to astronomic levels. Nobody is moaning about lack of tickets for the New Lawn (Forest G).
It’ll sort itself. I’d love to know where we are on all of the above and a bit of communication from the top of the club wouldn’t go amiss, but Ashton, Schwartz, McKenna and the heads of dept will know and I suspect overall we are not a million miles off.
Player wise, there’s a simple summary of players in, players out. We could do with a few (four) additions, but there’s a month of the transfer window left. What will be will be. |
Agree an awful lot of change, some elements negative
But as per my points as fans, like manager and players, need to throw all that over the shoulder and focus on Liverpool game and being the best of where we are at that point | |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 10:07 - Aug 3 with 1002 views | unstableblue |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:37 - Aug 3 by ElephantintheRoom |
Seems odd that with all the right on fitness coaches and performance directors that the club can’t muster another players to fulfil its contractual obligations and has so many players unfit at the very time they are supposed to be getting fit.
Also seems a trifle unfortunate that despite having a team of blokes with green glasses number crunching fatuous stats that the club ends up taking expensive punts on players of dubious fitness provenance…..Hirst and Broadhead for example
Hopefully they wont do to much damage to themselves in the remaining weeks |
Not sure keeping calm, blocking out the negativity, and focussing on huge support during the Liverpool game is working out for you?! | |
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 10:08 - Aug 3 with 1000 views | BlueOura |
Pre- season has been not far off a shambles to be honest and our transfer dealings so far are nowhere near good enough, assuming the aim is produce a competitive Premier league squad,
I hate to be the negative one but as it stands currently I don't see us as having any realistic chance of beating Liverpool and i'm dreading City away, lets hope they are not fully firing and settle for a 2/3 nil win. Unfortuantely I can only see two heavy defeats and a rather demoralising start to life at the top table. I hope I am wrong. [Post edited 3 Aug 2024 10:28]
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| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 10:34 - Aug 3 with 938 views | MK1 |
| Keep Calm and Focus on Liverpool on 08:37 - Aug 3 by ElephantintheRoom |
Seems odd that with all the right on fitness coaches and performance directors that the club can’t muster another players to fulfil its contractual obligations and has so many players unfit at the very time they are supposed to be getting fit.
Also seems a trifle unfortunate that despite having a team of blokes with green glasses number crunching fatuous stats that the club ends up taking expensive punts on players of dubious fitness provenance…..Hirst and Broadhead for example
Hopefully they wont do to much damage to themselves in the remaining weeks |
Has your club got any injury worries? (asking out of politeness really) | |
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