2 mid table teams

[mattbianco1]

That's what it was today. We were better for the first 15 mins but after we scored we didn't penetrate as much as we did before.

We let them have far too much of the ball 2nd half and we have no quality in attack.

I'm not sure if the crosses in from the byline are poor or if the strikers aren't good enough to win the ball ??

We were most dangerous at our set pieces which is both exciting and worrying. In our promotion season we were deadly with set pieces, last season everything came from open play. We need a mixture of both.

Saying all that, we are a good striker away from a top 6 challenge. Clarke Nd Sharp did well together but they're not a promotion partnership.

 

[Fanny magnet]

That's what it was today. We were better for the first 15 mins but after we scored we didn't penetrate as much as we did before.

We let them have far too much of the ball 2nd half and we have no quality in attack.

I'm not sure if the crosses in from the byline are poor or if the strikers aren't good enough to win the ball ??

We were most dangerous at our set pieces which is both exciting and worrying. In our promotion season we were deadly with set pieces, last season everything came from open play. We need a mixture of both.

Saying all that, we are a good striker away from a top 6 challenge. Clarke Nd Sharp did well together but they're not a promotion partnership.

That's me done then

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

That's what it was today. We were better for the first 15 mins but after we scored we didn't penetrate as much as we did before.

We let them have far too much of the ball 2nd half and we have no quality in attack.

I'm not sure if the crosses in from the byline are poor or if the strikers aren't good enough to win the ball ??

We were most dangerous at our set pieces which is both exciting and worrying. In our promotion season we were deadly with set pieces, last season everything came from open play. We need a mixture of both.

Saying all that, we are a good striker away from a top 6 challenge. Clarke Nd Sharp did well together but they're not a promotion partnership.

I'm not too sure how swapping one of our strikers for a better one would stop us giving the oppos 'far too much of the ball' help us to 'penetrate more' or stop us 'giving them far too much of the ball' to move us from mid-table side to a top 6 challenger

Take your point though that we could/should be more clinical up front.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Agree Matt,
I was also thinking both United and Norwich are 2 decent teams that should finish top half.
Also agree that we are 1 or 2 players away from being a play-off team.
At least it’s lookimg that what ever happens....we won’t be involved in a relegation scrap this season.
.....oh and we’ll finish above both Wednesday and Rotherham.

 

[SUFC Guy]

Too early to pass judgement fellas. New players to get better as they grow into the squad, Coutts imminent return and at least 2 more players to come in. In another 6 games time I expect us to improve. JOC is a worry so I would expect another LCB to come in if there's anything in him wanting a move away. Hope not but he might not be the massive miss that some think.

UTMB

 

[FinchleyBlade]

I agree and I'll happily take mid table.

We certainly aren't close to being a top 6 side and some need to be more realistic. Top 10 again would be an incredible achievement.

 

[Fraggle Blade]

Thought that today we did get some decent balls across the box, Bash put a great ball in and Stevens put a couple in and there was no one in the middle of the box to get on the end of them.

 

[mattbianco1]

JOC is a worry so I would expect another LCB to come in if there's anything in him wanting a move away

Who exactly are we gonna lose him too considering premier league teams can't sign anybody?

 

[Ricky]

Agree with the title.

Safe from relegation, not serious play off challengers. Same goes for Norwich.

 

[AdamSufc1997]

JOC wasn't happy at end of game, will he move in january? who knows...

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

‘Penetrate’

Giggity

 

[Blade58]

One upper mid and one lower mid imo

The next two loans could make all the difference tho

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

JOC wasn't happy at end of game, will he move in january? who knows...

Sincerely hope it isn’t part of the Norwood deal

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Can’t judge until the transfer window closes.

Another 2/3 signings (per wilder) of the apparent quality of Norwood and coutts to come back and suddenly we look dark horses for a decent run.

That said a top striker would be great

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Maybe we saw to promotion contenders? They had pace and caused problems (there will be worse teams to come to the Lane), we have the best 2 midfielders in the division in Fleck/Olly just need a couple more signings and we'll be bang up there in the top 6.

 

[Beans]

I agree and I'll happily take mid table.

We certainly aren't close to being a top 6 side and some need to be more realistic. Top 10 again would be an incredible achievement.

Mid table with a sniff of playoffs, that’s what I expect and to be honest will be perfectly happy with this season. Especially with a few more moments like today along the way...

 

[fuerstenberger]

I am in the UK at the moment and managed, last minute, to get to the game. I missed the first 15 mins. We had the look of a rusty side. I really think we will improve as the season goes on, unlike last season. The foundations are there IMO. Personally, I like Leonard, I think he will improve. Norwood is class, can't understand why both Fulham and BHA don't think he could make it in the PL. I watched Clarke closely. He worked hard and I believe his luck will turn. JOC still attacks the space and not the ball too often in the opposition box. Don't understand that. Some pillock of our community spilt a warm drink on me to round the day off. I am probably alone here, but I'm quietly confident. However, I accept the teams we have beaten so far ar not exactly great.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Agree Matt,
I was also thinking both United and Norwich are 2 decent teams that should finish top half.
Also agree that we are 1 or 2 players away from being a play-off team.
At least it’s lookimg that what ever happens....we won’t be involved in a relegation scrap this season.
.....oh and we’ll finish above both Wednesday and Rotherham.

Too early to tell imo. What pleased me was the effort we put into it, the exquisite passing of Norwood, the goalkeeping of Henderson and the relentless running from Billy. Oh and I thought Len did well when he came on. Bit negative at times looking for the backwards pass, but possibly the best we’ve seen from him so far. Was a big improvement over Woodburn who looked rather lost tbh.

I think a good midfield is really key to controlling a game and the prospect of having Norwood and Coutts in the same midfield is exciting. Both are superb passers of the ball and are very good at keeping us in possession. Add Fleck with his aggressive tackling and forward running and Duffy, with his guile and creativity to that and that will be a very good midfield indeed.

Add an alert centre forward and the team will be hard to beat.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

We aren’t going to finish top 2 let’s be rate.

Our aim is 6th place which is achievable.

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

Sincerely hope it isn’t part of the Norwood deal

Good question. Suspect it might be. Hard to replace O`Connell, but Norwood brings a lot !

 

[Luke1993]

Good question. Suspect it might be. Hard to replace O`Connell, but Norwood brings a lot !

They've already signed the infamous Dan Burn, joc is not joining Brighton, or anyone for that matter

 

[SUFC Guy]

Who exactly are we gonna lose him too considering premier league teams can't sign anybody?

So no team can take him on loan now with a view to perm move in Jan? Me thinks they can. What if A Champ side came in?

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

They've already signed the infamous Dan Burn, joc is not joining Brighton, or anyone for that matter

I hope you`re right. Don`t mind me, I`m just an old cynical get.

 

[JohnDenver]

We aren’t going to finish top 2 let’s be rate.

Our aim is 6th place which is achievable.

I’d be as staggered as I would be delighted if we did that. To my eye we’re a striker and a ball carrying winger short of challenging.

But we will play some great football this season, of that I’m sure.

 

[LJBlade]

So no team can take him on loan now with a view to perm move in Jan? Me thinks they can. What if A Champ side came in?

Who is going to offer the £18m we want? Stop talking bollocks

 

[LJBlade]

I’d be as staggered as I would be delighted if we did that. To my eye we’re a striker and a ball carrying winger short of challenging.

But we will play some great football this season, of that I’m sure.

We don’t play in with wingers so we’re fucked straight away

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Good question. Suspect it might be. Hard to replace O`Connell, but Norwood brings a lot !

But O’Connell!!!!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

That's what it was today. We were better for the first 15 mins but after we scored we didn't penetrate as much as we did before.

We let them have far too much of the ball 2nd half and we have no quality in attack.

I'm not sure if the crosses in from the byline are poor or if the strikers aren't good enough to win the ball ??

We were most dangerous at our set pieces which is both exciting and worrying. In our promotion season we were deadly with set pieces, last season everything came from open play. We need a mixture of both.

Saying all that, we are a good striker away from a top 6 challenge. Clarke Nd Sharp did well together but they're not a promotion partnership.

yep, agree with that about mid table teams.

For me though we have an ace in the hole to come back. Could it be that Coutts/Fleck and Norwood could pass teams off the park?

Think we would need another striker to play in that type of team, but the signs are there that we could grow into the season and way from the mid table status we actually look like.

We shouldn't be fooled by QPR who look poor and Norwich who are neat and tidy but are nothing more than average.

UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

We don’t play in with wingers so we’re fucked straight away

Options for when we need to change shape. We had Harry Chapman in division one and used him to that end. Be nice to have that again.

 

[mattbianco1]

So no team can take him on loan now with a view to perm move in Jan? Me thinks they can. What if A Champ side came in?

Yes they can. But we won't sell him to a championship side and he wouldn't want to leave for one either. So... We won't be selling him