Honest

[N20 Blade]

I was thinking about this before pre-season. My conclusion may have been simplistic and naive, but I honestly think the squad was good enough to survive, even before we signed Rammers.
Based on the thought that we would be brassic, it seemed to me that there are at least 8 or 9 teams worse than us in this league.
I stand by that view even now. We are a better team than any of the three who have been promoted, and we have a greater footballing side than many teams who struggled to cope with us last year. While others May have improved, they lack the tactical nous of CWAK.

Since the signings we have already made seem to improve us even more, we only have the concern of goals scored by us as a concern. McB will continue to improve. McG has opened his account already. Burke has real untapped potential.
I’m not worried. I’m excited.
If the club manage to bring in Brewster or another Wilder target, even better.

8 or 9 worse?
Fulham, WBA, ???

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

We will be "in" every game this year. We will not be played off the park this year. We will create chance in every game this year. We will win games this year. We will lose games this year. We will draw games this year. We will be ok this year. Have faith, enjoy the year and enjoy the many good years to come.

We're fucked after December then.

 

[true99blade]

8 or 9 worse?
Fulham, WBA, ???

Villa? Brighton? West Ham? Etc. Teams we finished comfortably above last season. Or is 1 league game enough to judge?

 

[Newbury Blade]

It's a tough old league and the lack of dosh doesn't help.

To me it appears we have a cash flow problem. Berge was bought early with this years money. This year we bought Ramsdale and losing Mousett through injury and the cock up over Robinson and Burke has made things tricky. Wouldn't be surprised if Brewester doesn't come, but even if he did there's no guarantees.

Burke looked more of a threat on Thursday playing with our reserves, in his first appearance for us, than Robinson has in two full appearances for West Brom alongside players he spent half a season with.

 

[blademark]

This board is traditionally over reactionary, it's so funny. If we win at Villa tomorrow it will be full of equally over reactive posts saying 'Champions league' etc.
Have a little faith in our best ever Manager and try and enjoy the journey.

 

[Alex Cheeseright]

We're fucked after December then.

Yeah, probably

 

[Sheffsteel]

This board is traditionally over reactionary, it's so funny. If we win at Villa tomorrow it will be full of equally over reactive posts saying 'Champions league' etc.
Have a little faith in our best ever Manager and try and enjoy the journey.

I blame social media...very little is balanced anymore.

The fashion is....in order to make a point you need to make it extreme and polarised to receive any attention.
Hence this season....you can bet we’ll be having some of our best EVER performances and also some of our worse EVER performances.

 

[Charlieblade]

8 or 9 worse?
Fulham, WBA, ???

As I said, at least 8 or 9 sides worse than us, including all 3 promoted teams.
A few have thrown money at the problem since my original thoughts on the issue, made before Pre-season. It remains to be seen if they are any better than us. Post again after the Villa game maybe

 

[Brian Blessed]

Nowhere near the bottom 3 come the end of the season. You colossal fanny.

 

[Snowflake]

Disagree to an extent. We've strengthened the squad overall, but the glaring issue is still present regards a striker.

Apart from temporarily missing Moose it is the same group that came 9th last year, so why the negativity?
Look at the bottom of the current league and see who is conceding loads of goals already

 

[The Vicar]

I have massive faith in CW, but less in the first current first 11. So yes, we will stay up!

 

[BladeFisher]

Apart from temporarily missing Moose it is the same group that came 9th last year, so why the negativity?
Look at the bottom of the current league and see who is conceding loads of goals already

I'll guess because

a. 'Wonder keeper' is no longer here
b. Other teams have strengthened up front and Burke is a bit of a gamble
c. Can't believe our defence will collectively be as good as last year.

 

[ComedyClub]

Apart from temporarily missing Moose it is the same group that came 9th last year, so why the negativity?
Look at the bottom of the current league and see who is conceding loads of goals already

I wouldn't say negativity, it's more realistic thinking. Many teams have improved their squads, made big additions to the team, whereas we've signed some top back up/first teamers without resolving the lack of a striker that can make his own chances and is different to what we have.

 

[ormester]

Apart from temporarily missing Moose it is the same group that came 9th last year, so why the negativity?
Look at the bottom of the current league and see who is conceding loads of goals already

Of cause it might be but other teams around us strengthened

 

[Snowflake]

Of cause it might be but other teams around us strengthened

I think this (other teams around us have strengthened” is possibly a myth. They have bought new players as did Villa last year and Fulham the year before : were they stronger ? No.
Are we stronger ? Most definitely yes. More creativity and pace, with another one or two to be added.

 

[Kanye]

We need players in up top, no doubt. When CW is pleading publicly it says it all. But I’m not worried about relegation

In what way is he pleading publicly? He's said multiple times that he's happy with the window so far and mentioned that a new striker could arrive as early as tomorrow.

I wouldn't say negativity, it's more realistic thinking.

Classic.

Its negativity, whether it's justified or not.

 

[ComedyClub]

In what way is he pleading publicly? He's said multiple times that he's happy with the window so far and mentioned that a new striker could arrive as early as tomorrow.



Classic.

Its negativity, whether it's justified or not.

Sorry mate. Didn't realize we all have to have the same mindset.. is this nkt now or?

 

[Blade82]

Defensively we will not concede as many as the 3 promoted sides. They’ve conceded 7 (Leeds & Fulham) & 8 (West Brom) in just two games.

In comparison last season it took us 7 games to concede 7 goals and 10 for the 8th. Our 9th goal conceded coming in the 12th game v Tottenham. We had also played Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea & Leicester by that stage.

Of course it’s a different season, and we’ve lost Deano, but I still believe will be harder to beat than all those teams this season, even if they do look to have more of a goal threat at the moment.

I predict us to finish above all three of the promoted sides.

 

[ThatJa]

we will all find out in 37 games.

 

[JJBlade]

We’ve got a slightly weaker first 11 and a stronger squad than last year. My only concerns would be that teams are now more familiar with our style and that the other teams in the league are stronger. I expect us to finish around 15th.

I don't believe that teams become more familiar or are more able to cope with any other teams style based on being more familiar with them.

Each game is different, and the team that plays their particular game better and with the most determination to influence how the game will be played will usually win.

We've struggled since lockdown because we've started to look like a Kevin Blackwell team rather than what we've been good at for four years

 

[Bennyand the Blades]

I put all this negativity after just the one game down to cabin fever ..........

 

[kevreedy]

One play one game and Panicking.far to early to judge were The Blades might finish. after ten games. may have a clearer picture.

 

[ormester]

I think this (other teams around us have strengthened” is possibly a myth. They have bought new players as did Villa last year and Fulham the year before : were they stronger ? No.
Are we stronger ? Most definitely yes. More creativity and pace, with another one or two to be added.

A myth seriously?

 

[Farnboroughblade]

One game played with a loss against a team who will no doubt be challenging for Europe, coupled with our usual slow start, which also coincides with not getting our striker targets in for the start of the season and most on here have gone into meltdown and already predicting relegation. Just grow a pair!. At least we're in safe hands with CWAK. We shall get one or more young hungry players in during this transfer window; the team will settle and begin to gel and we will see a gradual rise up the table. Just chill!

 

[Bennyand the Blades]

The football some of those new lads played at times the other night was double right and it bodes well for this season. I think it's going to be a cracker and can't wait to get back down the lane

COYR&WWIZARDS !!!!!!

 

[Stretch]

The team at the moment have we honestly got enough to stay up?

FFS

 

[Yoonited]

Hard to tell at the minute but with a weak strikeforce and lack of creativity in the middle of the park it is worrying.

I'd argue that worrying is a choice individuals make,not an influence of external forces or circumstances.

 

[Guesty]

Defensively we will not concede as many as the 3 promoted sides. They’ve conceded 7 (Leeds & Fulham) & 8 (West Brom) in just two games.

In comparison last season it took us 7 games to concede 7 goals and 10 for the 8th. Our 9th goal conceded coming in the 12th game v Tottenham. We had also played Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea & Leicester by that stage.

Of course it’s a different season, and we’ve lost Deano, but I still believe will be harder to beat than all those teams this season, even if they do look to have more of a goal threat at the moment.

I predict us to finish above all three of the promoted sides.

On the flip side, Leeds have already scored 7 - it will probably take us about 12 games to match that!

We were incredible at turning goals in to points last season. This season I think we'll score fewer goals, couple that with regressing to the mean in regards to our goals to points ratio, and I think we'll struggle, or at least get plenty fewer points than last season.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Hold on other teams have strengthened have we really

Who have? Can you break this down so we can understand which teams you believe have significantly strengthened while we are so much weaker with essentially the same squad, a year on, and with more depth?

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Who have? Can you break this down so we can understand which teams you believe have significantly strengthened while we are so much weaker with essentially the same squad, a year on, and with more depth?

Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Brighton, Villa, Palace, Leicester, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Spurs & Wolves, have all got stronger to varying degrees. Some of those teams aren't our competitors, some are. But we have play them all.

And i'd say we were weaker due to DH being better than AR, and the fact that BS and McG who were poor last year in terms of goals have got another year older. We've got squad players who you'd seriously worry about stepping in if we had long term injuries. Moose is still an enigma and Lunny is winding down his contract. Since January we've been short of a goalscorer and a duffy type player, which we're still short off.

On the positive side, we've got a PL season under our belts, 3 worse teams have joined the league, Berge is starting to show signs of being a top player & we've signed two players from Derby for a bargain, that might be first teamers by the end of the season. and McB may get to double figures this season.

So it's positives & negatives, swings & roundabouts, yin & yang, love & death, war & peace, morecambe & wise.