is the current squad better than the end of last season?

[davidpinder]

So our strongest current starting 11 is

Simmo
lowton
collins
maguire
hill/williams
quinn
Kmac
Doyle
williamson
evans
cresswell

this is the team that finished last season (not swansea game as we were down)

Simonsen,
Lowton
Collins
Lowry
Mattock
Williamson
Montgomery
Quinn
Riise
Henderson
Slew

I suppose the question is would the team that finished last season be doing better than the current team??

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We were in such a mess by the time MA took over it's difficult to say but I'd stake a fair bet on the fact that DW would have kept us up if he'd taken over when MA did. As I said at the time though, I think we needed to go down for the right changes to be made.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

We have a central midfielder who can pass the ball and we have a striker who is scoring goals, so I'd say we're better.

I suppose the argument is whether Macca and Ched would be as effective in the Championship, but look at Southampton and Brighton and how they have performed this year with a decent footballing style of play. I think we'd be ok in terms of Championship standard, but if we did manage to go up, we'll need more pace in the squad (both attack and defence) to think about anything above mid-table.

 

[sitwell]

We also have a new centre half called Collins in place of last seasons centre half called.....Collins.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We also have a new centre half called Collins in place of last seasons centre half called.....Collins.

The question is, was he just out of confidence in a struggling team last season or is this his level. Most of the time in this division it's a case of winning headers, different story up a level.

 

[Darren]

We were in such a mess by the time MA took over it's difficult to say but I'd stake a fair bet on the fact that DW would have kept us up if he'd taken over when MA did. As I said at the time though, I think we needed to go down for the right changes to be made.

Great myth of Bramall Lane no. 732...

We were not in "such a mess" when MA took over. Yes, we were struggling, but we were not in the relegation places and, on season form thus far would have stayed up. It was Adams that turned a worry into a certain relegation.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

The question is, was he just out of confidence in a struggling team last season or is this his level. Most of the time in this division it's a case of winning headers, different story up a level.

Tend to think it's something to do with confidence as well, and he's run the defence for 3/4 of a season now, and built a partnership with another centre half .That makes a big difference from the disorganised ever changing defence from last year.

Plus, we don't have to cope with any pace in this division, any forward with pace down here is crap and fails in other areas, I fear for our current back 2 against someone with pace and skill.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Great myth of Bramall Lane no. 732...

We were not in "such a mess" when MA took over. Yes, we were struggling, but we were not in the relegation places and, on season form thus far would have stayed up. It was Adams that turned a worry into a certain relegation.

We started last season with Blackwell's team and summer transfers, Speed took over and tried to bring in a new playing style which, whilst looking like working early doors, had hit the buffers prior to his resignation. MA inherited a squad who didn't know whether they were coming or going, contained numerous loan players, had just lost 4 out of 5 and was a couple of points outside the relegation places.

I'd say that was a mess.

 

[Darren]

We started last season with Blackwell's team and summer transfers, Speed took over and tried to bring in a new playing style which, whilst looking like working early doors, had hit the buffers prior to his resignation. MA inherited a squad who didn't know whether they were coming or going, contained numerous loan players, had just lost 4 out of 5 and was a couple of points outside the relegation places.

I'd say that was a mess.

In our last 3 games, we had beaten ultimately promoted Swansea, lost unluckily to a last minute goal v Hull and given ultimately promoted Norwich a run for their money away from home. We had also won 3 out of the last 7 games. As you say, we were 2 points outside the relegation places, yet ended up being relegated by 7.

In many ways when Adams took over, we were in a better situation than when Kendall took over from Bassett in 1995 and when Warnock took over from Heath in 1999. If memory serves, we were in a relegation position at the relevant time in both those seasons. In 1995 we had taken 1 point from our last 5 games and won 2 of the last 12 games. In 1999 we hadn't won for the last 10 games.

In 1995 and 1999 we were in a mess. In 2010 we were in a worrying situation

 

[Balham]

The question is, was he just out of confidence in a struggling team last season or is this his level. Most of the time in this division it's a case of winning headers, different story up a level.

It also helps that the clearing headers aren't coming straight back at us; as we now have a midfield capable of holding onto the ball.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

In our last 3 games, we had beaten ultimately promoted Swansea, lost unluckily to a last minute goal v Hull and given ultimately promoted Norwich a run for their money away from home. We had also won 3 out of the last 7 games. As you say, we were 2 points outside the relegation places, yet ended up being relegated by 7.

In many ways when Adams took over, we were in a better situation than when Kendall took over from Bassett in 1995 and when Warnock took over from Heath in 1999. If memory serves, we were in a relegation position at the relevant time in both those seasons. In 1995 we had taken 1 point from our last 5 games and won 2 of the last 12 games. In 1999 we hadn't won for the last 10 games.

In 1995 and 1999 we were in a mess. In 2010 we were in a worrying situation

I agree that Carver seemed to galvanise the squad briefly which makes MA's performance even worse, I'm just saying the team was in a mess, maybe not as bad as previous years as you say, but still in a mess.

Time will tell but I still believe that going down did us a favour and we will return a better team (and club), hopefully this season.

---------- Post added at 11:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 AM ----------

It also helps that the clearing headers aren't coming straight back at us; as we now have a midfield capable of holding onto the ball.

True. Would KMac get as much space a league up, would Lowton be allowed to get forward as much as he does, would teams sit back against us as much, probably no to all of the above. Having said that, in recent years, there's generally been a promoted team who has reached the play-offs the season after and with Norwich, maybe Southampton this season, even better so it shows that if you play football in a certain way, maybe add a better quality players to fit in and there's no reason why a similar squad can't kick on a level up.

 

[Sheff de party]

The question is, was he just out of confidence in a struggling team last season or is this his level. Most of the time in this division it's a case of winning headers, different story up a level.

as much as it pains me to say it, as i like Maguire, we're going to need two new centre halves if we go up i think.

Lowton looks below his level, but Collins and Maguire would struggle any higher i think. of course Maguire might get better with age i suppose.

 

[SwissBlade]

Last season on the whole was a mess. Events took over and we ended up in the shite.

Could it've been prevented? Not sure it could. The team that we went into the end of the season with (including Vokes) should've been good enough but they never played as a team, with perhaps the exception of the Leeds and Donny home games.

So is this team much better? Its been tweeked thats for sure and Danny Wilson, to his absolute credit has been able to get the best out of many of the so called failures from last season. Williamson, Ched, Quinn, Simmo, Collins, Doyle and Cresswell have all upped their games and without this, we would still be struggling. The key senior pro's at the club have been able to find their form again and turn things around.

Is MacDonald the reason? I don't think so, but he has been a major factor in implementing the changes to the style of play. If we'd had MacDonald around all last season I think he would've been a passenger like many others.

One last point. Adams brought in both Doyle and Collins, neither performed last season (for whatever reason - league above, a poor side, Adams style etc) but both have been pretty vital to this season.

Lets talk about next season in the summer... Still a long way to go to be speculating on being in the Championship

 

[Bladesman]

I agree that Carver seemed to galvanise the squad briefly which makes MA's performance even worse, I'm just saying the team was in a mess, maybe not as bad as previous years as you say, but still in a mess.

Time will tell but I still believe that going down did us a favour and we will return a better team (and club), hopefully this season.

---------- Post added at 11:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 AM ----------



True. Would KMac get as much space a league up, would Lowton be allowed to get forward as much as he does, would teams sit back against us as much, probably no to all of the above. Having said that, in recent years, there's generally been a promoted team who has reached the play-offs the season after and with Norwich, maybe Southampton this season, even better so it shows that if you play football in a certain way, maybe add a better quality players to fit in and there's no reason why a similar squad can't kick on a level up.

True.

I think its just adding one or two players to add some extra quality.

Id still be worried about Collins and Maguire together at Championship level.

 

[Muttley]

IMO, yes it is better now. Not by a long way, but still better with a manager that has them playing (for the most part) with more style and confidence. I wouldn't mind Riise back though.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I'd agree with Darren. We were in a bit of a state, but the season was certainly salvageble. Unfortunetely Adams went and wasted money on Marcus Bent.

 

[Bladesman]

I'd agree with Darren. We were in a bit of a state, but the season was certainly salvageble. Unfortunetely Adams went and wasted money on Marcus Bent.

Yeah I had high hopes of Adams but looking back the season was far from over when he took charge with more than enough points on the board to save us.

Had Speed stayed I think he would of kept us up and if Speed was determined to leave Id of tried to keep Carver in charge til the end of the season.

Hindsight is wonderful isn't it.