SJN-Fox
Well-Known Member
The clock is ticking. I assume the window will shut at 5pm on Monday 1st.
Then you assume wrongly. The transfer window closes at 23:00 on Monday Sept 1st.
The clock is ticking. I assume the window will shut at 5pm on Monday 1st.
Then you assume wrongly. The transfer window closes at 23:00 on Monday Sept 1st.
Competed well first half. Ran out of steam in the second
Hammond was excellent. Moore and Morgan did well again. But...
Cannot afford to miss the chances Nugent had. Just not good enough
Cannot afford to defend like Albrighton did for their second. Hopelessly not good enough, and awful
Cannot afford to have such a paper thin squad that we embarrassingly have to bring on a total and utter slob like Taylor-Fletcher. Pitiful and needs sorting now
Bring on the arse
It is quite possible that the owners have made say another £30 million available for Pearson, but he is not prepared to just sign anyone if he does not think they will buy into the ethos of the club and the squad. Leo Ulluoa for instance could easily have been another Beckford, but from his game time it is quite clear that he puts in a full 'shift' to work for the team.
Pearson may find himself 'forced' at the end of next week to just pick a couple of players just to make up numbers, but I am sure he will not be happy to do so if they do not fit the squad ethos.
GTF is not anybody's choice as a defensive midfielder but he came on and did the best he could, for which he should have been applauded. Personally I would have given Big Was a go in that position late on.
I do not think it is the owners holding back. I think it is Pearson wanting the right players he can get at the right price, not the Sven approach, thank heavens.
I wonder why Knockaert was on the tube back from the game rather than the team bus
You competed and lost 2-0. These encounters wont decide your season.Games againast Hull, Stoke, Toon, Sunderland and Villa will.Long way to go.Well, if we can compete with Chelsea then I am happy.
You competed and lost 2-0. These encounters wont decide your season.Games againast Hull, Stoke, Toon, Sunderland and Villa will.Long way to go.
You competed and lost 2-0. These encounters wont decide your season.Games againast Hull, Stoke, Toon, Sunderland and Villa will.Long way to go.
No shit.Manure?
We've come quite a way to be able to compete with Chelsea away for the majority of a game.
However, over the years I've noticed that promoted sides can play well at the start of a season and appear to be unlucky to pick up points....but then a pattern (and not a good one) sets in. It's something like if you lose when you play at the top of your game, what happens when you are not at the top of your game?
I listend to the post match interview with Pearson and two things - one he sounded refreshingly candid for a football manager being asked the usual trite questions and two he seemed anything but keen about new signings.
I think that the club has to step it up this week about bringing in quality reinforcements.
The basis is there for a successful season - i.e. avoiding relegation but I hope that the real message from this game is heeded which is not that we can play well in matches against top teams home or away but rather that we are very vulnerable because of lack of playing resources. We were lucky with injuries last season - it's evening out now, unfortunately but all part of the game.
We did it last year. Beat Man City early on. Just could not get the results that mattered against our relegation rivals.One other thing I notice about the prem is that the teams coming up have a certain element of surprise in their ability and strategy at the start of the season. About 6-7 games in the other teams have enough footage of your play to figure out how to contain your attack, and then exploit your defensive weakness.They have the flexibility of squad size and ability to match the right players to the opposition.We've come quite a way to be able to compete with Chelsea away for the majority of a game.However, over the years I've noticed that promoted sides can play well at the start of a season and appear to be unlucky to pick up points....but then a pattern (and not a good one) sets in. It's something like if you lose when you play at the top of your game, what happens when you are not at the top of your game?I listend to the post match interview with Pearson and two things - one he sounded refreshingly candid for a football manager being asked the usual trite questions and two he seemed anything but keen about new signings.I think that the club has to step it up this week about bringing in quality reinforcements.The basis is there for a successful season - i.e. avoiding relegation but I hope that the real message from this game is heeded which is not that we can play well in matches against top teams home or away but rather that we are very vulnerable because of lack of playing resources. We were lucky with injuries last season - it's evening out now, unfortunately but all part of the game.
our right and left backs were mercilessly exploited for speed and naivity
We didn't play Chelsea and the like last season.I agree about the surprise element of us etc. I do fear that once the difficult start is out of the way, that we will find it tougher playing the likes of Swansea and Newcastle. Our current squad is suited to playing counter attack football and games like Chelsea do suit us in this manner.
After Man U, the games are going to have a lot more riding on them and that's not an ideal situation.
P | Pld | Pts | |
1 | Liverpool | 11 | 28 |
2 | Manchester C | 11 | 23 |
3 | Chelsea | 11 | 19 |
4 | Arsenal | 11 | 19 |
5 | Nottm F | 11 | 19 |
6 | Brighton | 11 | 19 |
7 | Fulham | 11 | 18 |
8 | Newcastle | 11 | 18 |
9 | Aston Villa | 11 | 18 |
10 | Tottenham | 11 | 16 |
11 | Brentford | 11 | 16 |
12 | Bournemouth | 11 | 15 |
13 | Manchester U | 11 | 15 |
14 | West Ham | 11 | 12 |
15 | Leicester | 11 | 10 |
16 | Everton | 11 | 10 |
17 | Ipswich | 11 | 8 |
18 | Palace | 11 | 7 |
19 | Wolves | 11 | 6 |
20 | Southampton | 11 | 4 |