Sticking with the old guard

[Cerberus Blade]

The more football in us was really aimed at getting some players (JOC, McG, Berge, Moose, Newbies) up to speed and integrated/used to the team. I think add them to the mix with some quality up top and we will look far more likely. we were not what i was hoping for, but don't think we are too far away.

All the neutrals I have spoken to have said we were ok and did get better and will be ok this season. Similar to your "shes a women" quote though, I am in NZ so the kiwis opinion does not really count.

TBF the start we made, made Wolves job much easier. They could sit deep and try to hit us on the break by being 2 goals up, we do struggle when the opposition do this.

My main worry was how often we went long. people are pumping out stats on how many Ariel duels McB won, but whats the point if it simply falls to the opposition? I think mcB will be a player. Though he does need a lot of work, hopefully a little more quality alongside him will make him shine.

I would be happy with not being worse than last year

Yes I understand what you meant, I was using something called "irony" to point out that Wolves had not had any pre season matches and it didn't seem to do them any harm. But of course the more competitive game time a player has, the sharper they should be.

I'd better add, just in case Petunia is reading this, that I was also attempting to use some form of humour to make fun of those who think that women don't know about football. Petunia, bless her, has never played the game. And unlike me, she's not got a runners-up medal in the Findus Cup, the esteemed cup competition for the Sunday pub league I used to play in. But she does watch all our games on TV and, when the government permit it, go and watch most home games and one or two away games each season. I do think though that sometimes there is real value in not knowing too much about a subject, whether that's football or nuclear physics. It can lead to the asking of simple questions, which otherwise may not get asked. There's many a time she's peered over her knitting, during a game, and asked me, "why do we just keep giving the ball away to their players?". Something I am still searching for an answer to myself!

I didn't realise that Kiwi's were regarded as having an unworthy opinion about football? I suppose that's because the New Zealand national team isn't regarded very highly on the world stage? A workmate in the last company I was with was a Kiwi and his knowledge of football was better than mine, although he didn't know about the Findus Cup, I'd got him on that one!

Totally agree about the poor start. You can't give 2 goals away in the first 10 minutes (or less) at this level and not leave yourself without a mountain to climb. Especially against a team with fast counter attacking players like Wolves. Shades of the play off final at the Millennium stadium came to mind! (What a smashing day out that was!).

I thought McBurnie had a decent game tbh. But he needs better support around him - and I'm afraid it was another one of those games where we had too many players below their best. At least now we have a few more options to change things and I don't think Wilder will hesitate to do that.

As to this season, I'd be very pleasantly surprised if we don't do worse than last season, as you put it. I think realistically we will finish lower than last season, because last season was exceptional. I'm hoping we can be pushing for the top 10, but somewhere between 12th and 14th is more likely I think. The main objective has to be survival because that, financially, helps to secure the longer term future of the club.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I still wonder how Bournemouth got relegated with the players they had.

Same with Watford

 

[Bladezz]

I thought we’d do this tonight. Play the same sort of starting line up that has served us so well over the last season. And I’m not knocking it btw. The players that have got us here and kept us here deserve the opportunity to continue.

But based on that performance tonight, not for long.

It’s only a matter of time before youth replaces experience. And I think it will be a good thing.

I’m expecting to see Stevens, Baldock, Basham, Norwood, Sharp, Lundstram and McGoldrick (appreciate he didn’t start tonight) in a real battle to keep their shirt this season.

Youth replaces experience when you pay good money for youth. We need to be purchasing players at a high value to get into our side and we aren’t.

 

[1889]

We must sign a couple of strikers, I think it is absolutely essential that we introduce some fresh blood with energy, pace and dynamism into our forward line.

McBurnie, Sharp and McGoldrick just won’t score enough goals to keep us up. Mousset will be out for weeks and take as long again to even approach what he regards as being match fit.

I’m sick of hearing we’ve got no money, we must find the funds or we’ll have even less next year.
With this seasons revenue and parachute payments, we are guaranteed in excess of £200 million to add to last seasons £100 million +.

Our pay structure is based on generous performance related bonuses, but otherwise is amongst the lowest in the league, yet seemingly, will still haven’t got a pot to piss in?

In my opinion, all available monies should be made available to sign Brewster, Balagon and Buendia. Mothball planned ground improvements and new academies and invest in our Premier League security. If we can’t find £50m from that income in order to secure future Premier League revenue then someone needs to quickly reassess their priorities or we’ll be back in the Championship.

 

[Cheesebored]

We must sign a couple of strikers, I think it is absolutely essential that we introduce some fresh blood with energy, pace and dynamism into our forward line.

McBurnie, Sharp and McGoldrick just won’t score enough goals to keep us up. Mousset will be out for weeks and take as long again to even approach what he regards as being match fit.

I’m sick of hearing we’ve got no money, we must find the funds or we’ll have even less next year.
With this seasons revenue and parachute payments, we are guaranteed in excess of £200 million to add to last seasons £100 million +.

Our pay structure is based on generous performance related bonuses, but otherwise is amongst the lowest in the league, yet seemingly, will still haven’t got a pot to piss in?

In my opinion, all available monies should be made available to sign Brewster, Balagon and Buendia. Mothball planned ground improvements and new academies and invest in our Premier League security. If we can’t find £50m from that income in order to secure future Premier League revenue then someone needs to quickly reassess their priorities or we’ll be back in the Championship.

Extreme short termism. Accept United don't have the money you think they have and have to go about things differently. Say we magically spent this money and it didn't work out? What then for the club in the long term. I understand the worries around the quality and age of some of the players but we're ONE game in. ONE.

 

[1889]

Extreme short termism. Accept United don't have the money you think they have and have to go about things differently. Say we magically spent this money and it didn't work out? What then for the club in the long term. I understand the worries around the quality and age of some of the players but we're ONE game in. ONE.

It isn’t short termism, it’s essential, stick with McBurnie, Sharp and McGoldrick and that’ll describe our Premier League tenure. It isn’t based on one game in, replay last season without Mousetts contribution?

Spending £50m with guaranteed revenue of £100m in parachute payments is not like building the South Stand back in the 70’s

 

[Snowflake]

If Fleck’s shot goes in and McBurnies header also goes in we get a 2-2 draw & the after match post mortem takes on a whole different direction.
Appreciate they also had several nr misses too.

That’s like my golf : if I hadn’t hit 3/4 bad shots I would have won.
We have to accept that individually and as a team Wolves were better than us and will be better than most in the league.

 

[Bladesman]

I still wonder how Bournemouth got relegated with the players they had.

Injuries plus Ryan Fraser downing tools for the entire season so he could walk on a free.

 

[Snowflake]

Lack of cohesion.

Lack of points

 

[guancheblade]

We just pass it out from the back so slowly that we have no chance of catching the opposition off guard.

We need smarter players who can make decisions quickly without dithering over where to run or where to pass. This is the problem of sticking with the old guard. L1 and Champ players aren't as smart as PL calibre players. Being well drilled and having a good work ethic can only get you so far.

 

[guancheblade]

If Fleck’s shot goes in and McBurnies header also goes in we get a 2-2 draw & the after match post mortem takes on a whole different direction.
Appreciate they also had several nr misses too.

If Saiss' one on one goes in or Jimenez' follow up we still lose

The if game can go on and on

 

[guancheblade]

Biggest worry for me. They basically took their foot off the gas and still should have scored 5. Given they've not had any pre-season games, they were much sharper than us. Big test on Monday. We need to win that or it bodes very badly.

Well I suppose we can't play any worse than the last time we rocked up at Villa Park!