| Let's be brutally honest 16:59 - May 18 with 1240 views | redrickstuhaart |
We have been close and there have been some real "sliding doors" moments (hate that phrase), starting with the awful and arguably dishonest reffing against Leicester at home.
However, we have spent a fortune. How many of those we have bought are a clear improvement on what we had before? I am really not convinced, other than Delap, that we would have been worse off with Burgess instead of Greaves, Wolf instead of O'Shea, Broadhead instead of Clarke, Hladky or Walton over either keeper.
Pi ss poor tbh. |  | | |  |
| Let's be brutally honest on 17:00 - May 18 with 1178 views | pointofblue |
The goalkeeper situation seems similar to 2001/2002 to be honest. £10.5m on two keepers and we certainly haven't seen that amount of improvement on Hladky. | |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 17:55 - May 18 with 1004 views | bournemouthblue |
The defence is stronger depthwise, O'Shea for me is a decent defender, Greaves has a lot of good attributes but switches off at times
People are questioning the partnership too, does Greaves need a better ball player next to him? He started the season so well
As good as Hladky was with his feet, I'm not convinced he was a PL keeper and we probably made the right choice to let him go, albeit Muric was not the right replacement, contrast that with Southampton who went and got Ramsdale |  |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 18:05 - May 18 with 960 views | Churchman |
| Let's be brutally honest on 17:55 - May 18 by bournemouthblue |
The defence is stronger depthwise, O'Shea for me is a decent defender, Greaves has a lot of good attributes but switches off at times
People are questioning the partnership too, does Greaves need a better ball player next to him? He started the season so well
As good as Hladky was with his feet, I'm not convinced he was a PL keeper and we probably made the right choice to let him go, albeit Muric was not the right replacement, contrast that with Southampton who went and got Ramsdale |
Ramsdale cost double our three keepers put together and they got relegated. The keeper really wasn’t the problem people make out. It was all about having no midfield whatsoever and a good back up/alternative to Delap, given Hirst’s injury record.
Where I do agree with you is Hladky. I know he attracted some sort of hero status last season, but he was getting found out playing out from the back second half of that season and made errors. As a goalkeeper he was not as good as any of the three we have now in my view.
I also agree that the defence is stronger, depth wise. I believe Greaves and O’Shea are good players but received little cover from midfield and we also suffered from never playing a settled defence. It wasn’t just injuries. I think McKenna was trying to rotate players, but we never had a settled base from the start. |  | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 18:20 - May 18 with 891 views | TheBoyBlue |
For the umpteenth time, this team hasn't been assembled just for this season. Of course we would've loved to gather a core of experienced Premier League ready players, but they weren't going to come here. What we have though is a young talented team who should improve with us over the coming seasons and/or make us a lot of money.
Not good enough for this year, but I believe the future is bright. | |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 18:31 - May 18 with 849 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Let's be brutally honest on 18:20 - May 18 by TheBoyBlue |
For the umpteenth time, this team hasn't been assembled just for this season. Of course we would've loved to gather a core of experienced Premier League ready players, but they weren't going to come here. What we have though is a young talented team who should improve with us over the coming seasons and/or make us a lot of money.
Not good enough for this year, but I believe the future is bright. |
Not sure what that has to do with what has been said. | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 19:27 - May 18 with 751 views | TheBoyBlue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 18:31 - May 18 by redrickstuhaart |
Not sure what that has to do with what has been said. |
They said they weren't good enough to keep us up, I was pointing out that that wasn't necessarily why this squad was assembled. Would've been great to stay up with them but as we couldn't then they put us in a good place for the future. | |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 19:42 - May 18 with 696 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Let's be brutally honest on 19:27 - May 18 by TheBoyBlue |
They said they weren't good enough to keep us up, I was pointing out that that wasn't necessarily why this squad was assembled. Would've been great to stay up with them but as we couldn't then they put us in a good place for the future. |
And I was pointing out that I am unconvinced the players brought in are actually an upgrade, even with youth on their side.
Clarke will never be a prem regular. | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 19:43 - May 18 with 693 views | Vic |
Recruitment - agree with the others who’ve said that what we really did was give added depth to the squad . We all knew that Jackson, Harness, AAH, H Clarke, Ladapo, Bilbao, Fridge, Baggott, Janoi, etc, etc we’re not going to be good enough. Their replacements were all upgrades on them. What we weren’t really able to do was significant upgrades on the first choice players. It’s just a fact.
Recruitment has been found wanting in midfield. We took a punt on Philips, hoping he’d be our Ross Barclay. Sadly he has not been what we needed. Cajuste has been good, but we really needed a couple of prep proven players in there.
Likewise upfront - we all know we’re short there, but the players we’ve brought in have been better - imo Clarke is better than Harness, Enciso better than AAH.
Simple facts are that they just haven’t been good enough. Plus we’ve been really badly affected by injuries spdown our right side and Lief has had his limitations exposed on the left.
Plus I th8nk we should admit that Kieran hasn’t been the tactical magician that he had been for the previous 2 seasons. Next year will show what he’s real made of. I expect us to be top 6 after a settling in period and to stay there all season. I hope we’ll be pushing hard for auto’s - but think it would be arrogant to expect us to be top 2. |  |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 20:03 - May 18 with 624 views | TheBoyBlue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 19:42 - May 18 by redrickstuhaart |
And I was pointing out that I am unconvinced the players brought in are actually an upgrade, even with youth on their side.
Clarke will never be a prem regular. |
The players we have in are great, we owe them so much and they're not done yet, they still have much to offer. But they've reached their peak.
Players like Clarke, Philogene, Hutchinson, Greaves, etc will - all being well, injuries aside, etc - get better. We're in a far stronger place going into the next Championship season than we were going into the last Championship season. | |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 20:10 - May 18 with 593 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Let's be brutally honest on 19:43 - May 18 by Vic |
Recruitment - agree with the others who’ve said that what we really did was give added depth to the squad . We all knew that Jackson, Harness, AAH, H Clarke, Ladapo, Bilbao, Fridge, Baggott, Janoi, etc, etc we’re not going to be good enough. Their replacements were all upgrades on them. What we weren’t really able to do was significant upgrades on the first choice players. It’s just a fact.
Recruitment has been found wanting in midfield. We took a punt on Philips, hoping he’d be our Ross Barclay. Sadly he has not been what we needed. Cajuste has been good, but we really needed a couple of prep proven players in there.
Likewise upfront - we all know we’re short there, but the players we’ve brought in have been better - imo Clarke is better than Harness, Enciso better than AAH.
Simple facts are that they just haven’t been good enough. Plus we’ve been really badly affected by injuries spdown our right side and Lief has had his limitations exposed on the left.
Plus I th8nk we should admit that Kieran hasn’t been the tactical magician that he had been for the previous 2 seasons. Next year will show what he’s real made of. I expect us to be top 6 after a settling in period and to stay there all season. I hope we’ll be pushing hard for auto’s - but think it would be arrogant to expect us to be top 2. |
Enciso is a loan. Clarke is not better than Broadhead or even Sarmiento arguably. | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:11 - May 18 with 588 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:03 - May 18 by TheBoyBlue |
The players we have in are great, we owe them so much and they're not done yet, they still have much to offer. But they've reached their peak.
Players like Clarke, Philogene, Hutchinson, Greaves, etc will - all being well, injuries aside, etc - get better. We're in a far stronger place going into the next Championship season than we were going into the last Championship season. |
Clarke Philogene and Hutchinson, in the prem, will never work. We have seen time and again the stark difference in physicality. We can get away with one or two little guys, but not all three. | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:15 - May 18 with 547 views | TheBoyBlue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:11 - May 18 by redrickstuhaart |
Clarke Philogene and Hutchinson, in the prem, will never work. We have seen time and again the stark difference in physicality. We can get away with one or two little guys, but not all three. |
That's something McKenna and his staff have got at least a year to work on. I'm slightly confused by this notion that these young players that are clearly good enough to have been considered for Premier League football are to be written off from ever playing in the Premier League season after just one year in it. | |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 20:25 - May 18 with 507 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:15 - May 18 by TheBoyBlue |
That's something McKenna and his staff have got at least a year to work on. I'm slightly confused by this notion that these young players that are clearly good enough to have been considered for Premier League football are to be written off from ever playing in the Premier League season after just one year in it. |
I dont see enough in Clarke to overcome his physical deficiencies. If you are that small and soft, you need to be really clever, or really quick, or surprisingly robust and able to maradona your way through situations with a low centre of gravity. He has none of those things.
The biggest lesson to learn for KM I think, is that the physicality in the prem is on another level. The difference between good champ players and prem players, is often that the prem players are 3 inches taller, 10% stronger and 10% quicker. | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:28 - May 18 with 494 views | mellowblue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:11 - May 18 by redrickstuhaart |
Clarke Philogene and Hutchinson, in the prem, will never work. We have seen time and again the stark difference in physicality. We can get away with one or two little guys, but not all three. |
Absolutely, which was why I was surprised we went in for Philogene having already experienced how teams like Palace, Everton, Forest etc turned us over with ease just because of physicality. Seemed a strange decision to me especially when he made is debut and I saw how light he was. | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:33 - May 18 with 458 views | TheBoyBlue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:25 - May 18 by redrickstuhaart |
I dont see enough in Clarke to overcome his physical deficiencies. If you are that small and soft, you need to be really clever, or really quick, or surprisingly robust and able to maradona your way through situations with a low centre of gravity. He has none of those things.
The biggest lesson to learn for KM I think, is that the physicality in the prem is on another level. The difference between good champ players and prem players, is often that the prem players are 3 inches taller, 10% stronger and 10% quicker. |
Ultimately what you or I think is futile. I guess we'll see. You're right, lessons need to be learned. I have actually been impressed with Clarke's improvement as the season goes on. He knows what to aim for. As do the other players, McKenna and the club.
You may be right. I hope you're not and I imagine you hope you're not. | |
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| Let's be brutally honest on 20:37 - May 18 with 430 views | TheBoyBlue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:28 - May 18 by mellowblue |
Absolutely, which was why I was surprised we went in for Philogene having already experienced how teams like Palace, Everton, Forest etc turned us over with ease just because of physicality. Seemed a strange decision to me especially when he made is debut and I saw how light he was. |
I think we took the opportunity to buy him whilst we had it. Not to save us this season, that was too much to ask. But for next season, the season after, etc. [Post edited 18 May 21:07]
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| Let's be brutally honest on 20:41 - May 18 with 409 views | backwaywhen |
We don’t get injuries then ? ……it’s a squad game . | | | |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:41 - May 18 with 410 views | norfsufblue |
| Let's be brutally honest on 20:28 - May 18 by mellowblue |
Absolutely, which was why I was surprised we went in for Philogene having already experienced how teams like Palace, Everton, Forest etc turned us over with ease just because of physicality. Seemed a strange decision to me especially when he made is debut and I saw how light he was. |
I like Jack Clarke, thought he carried the ball well today, league below many defences would be opened up with that sort of direct running..... i would like to see him develop his body frame over the summer.... dont know if anyone remembers like me when Dalian Atkinson finished one season as a stringy lightweight specimen and returned the following one as a strapping billdozer of a centre forward not unlike Liam Delap.... would love to see JC muscle up a bit for next year. |  | | |
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