How's the squad shaping up?

[Graz]

This is worse

Just tried to click the X in the top right corner to close the tweet... Stupid rebrand

 

[TommyK]

This is worse

He sounds pissed off his team is half way around the world training in shit conditions for no real reason.

What a stupid question. Training in the heat helps with fitness?
( Realise the club want a positive slant on the trip, but really that's it? )
If you were going to be playing in the heat then training in the heat is a great idea. But guess what, the league's in England....

 

[Brown Nose]

He sounds pissed off his team is half way around the world training in shit conditions for no real reason.

What a stupid question. Training in the heat helps with fitness?
( Realise the club want a positive slant on the trip, but really that's it? )
If you were going to be playing in the heat then training in the heat is a great idea. But guess what, the league's in England....

The entire social media output from the club over the last week or so has been completely and utterly insane.

The only comparable period I can remember is our California trip in preseason 2016.

But this is worse.

My complete lack of confidence in us this season stems from how obvious it is that the club have learnt absolutely nothing from their failures over the last couple of years.

 

[Miles Away]

This is worse

I once took a job that on paper seemed like a brilliant opportunity. Within a month I knew I’d ****ed it, and within 9 I left. I probably sounded like this.

Fingers crossed he has more about him than I do.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

Jesus ****ing Christ on a moped.

If Top, Rudkin , Whelan & the rest are interested I've heard rumours there's a brewery that needs a piss up arranging.

 

[Blue Maniac]

Jesus ****ing Christ on a moped.

If Top, Rudkin , Whelan & the rest are interested I've heard rumours there's a brewery that needs a piss up arranging.

I think it’s clear they’re not qualified for that

 

[Brown Nose]

I subscribe to the view that preseason results are meaningless. Preseason is about fitness and learning about each other for the players/management.

We have a new manager with a new system. We've moved on a load of players and have some new ones to integrate. So what is apparent from everything?

It's impossible to say whether the players are fit or not. It's clear that they've had nowhere near enough minutes in UK style conditions. It's clear that very few have had enough time on the pitch to get fit. In the games I've seen so far, the drop off in intensity later in matches suggests that they still have a long way to go. In the first match last season, we faded horribly in the later stages and Brentford just swarmed all over us. I can see our early opponents doing similar.

Our new manager hasn't done anything to impress me so far. The things he's said are inane and provide no information about what he wants to do at all. He is another modern manager where system comes before players. We will fit players into his system no matter how much that weakens us. On current evidence, I'd be very surprised if he's still here at Xmas.

The new keeper looks comfortable in possession and with shot stopping. However, he looks technically very poor and has an awful lot to learn. I fully expect to see some pretty horrendous clangers from him.

Coady is theoretically a good addition for his ability in a back three and his influence on and off the pitch. Doyle looks total shite so far. He looks weak when challenged and his positioning is terrible. Winks looks tidy when he's playing that quick passing to get out of a press but doesn't appear interested in basic holding midfielder attributes like marking, tackling or tracking runners.

In other news, I've seen Thomas on the right wing, Ndidi as a number ten and multiple players simply appear to be dropped onto the pitch in order to see what they do in a given situation.

I will be betting on our opponents in every game starting with Coventry. I cannot see this experiment working.

 

[The Old Fox]

I get the feeling that some of these 'daft' positional players are acting as place holders. Surely Maresca cannot see Ndidi as an attacking midfielder but, we don't have one, yet. Hopefully, this will be addressed before the transfer window closes.

I do agree that the lack of minutes for Kristiansen/Thomas, in their rightful spot, is odd. Playing Ricardo as leftback/central midfield today, against Liverpool, was daft and I struggle to see what that did for us. Perhaps a new leftback is due too!

 

[Thefoxinoz]

Playing Ricardo as leftback/central midfield today, against Liverpool, was daft and I struggle to see what that did for us. Perhaps a new leftback is due too!

In a previous trial game Ricardo was played in the rightback/midfield role and Ricardo himself commented he thought it was really good. He was told to defend as the right back, but when moving forward move to the midfield.

Maybe Maresca tried him as a leftback/midfield role to see how he would go and moving forward would know if he could operate there if ever needed.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

I subscribe to the view that preseason results are meaningless. Preseason is about fitness and learning about each other for the players/management.

We have a new manager with a new system. We've moved on a load of players and have some new ones to integrate. So what is apparent from everything?

It's impossible to say whether the players are fit or not. It's clear that they've had nowhere near enough minutes in UK style conditions. It's clear that very few have had enough time on the pitch to get fit. In the games I've seen so far, the drop off in intensity later in matches suggests that they still have a long way to go. In the first match last season, we faded horribly in the later stages and Brentford just swarmed all over us. I can see our early opponents doing similar.

Our new manager hasn't done anything to impress me so far. The things he's said are inane and provide no information about what he wants to do at all. He is another modern manager where system comes before players. We will fit players into his system no matter how much that weakens us. On current evidence, I'd be very surprised if he's still here at Xmas.

The new keeper looks comfortable in possession and with shot stopping. However, he looks technically very poor and has an awful lot to learn. I fully expect to see some pretty horrendous clangers from him.

Coady is theoretically a good addition for his ability in a back three and his influence on and off the pitch. Doyle looks total shite so far. He looks weak when challenged and his positioning is terrible. Winks looks tidy when he's playing that quick passing to get out of a press but doesn't appear interested in basic holding midfielder attributes like marking, tackling or tracking runners.

In other news, I've seen Thomas on the right wing, Ndidi as a number ten and multiple players simply appear to be dropped onto the pitch in order to see what they do in a given situation.

I will be betting on our opponents in every game starting with Coventry. I cannot see this experiment working.

If you're really committed to that as a strategy don't just back the opposition. Split the stake between the opposition winning & the draw or double the stake & lay us on the exchange. We're stupidly short (1.57 currently) to win on Sunday. It's the best way to back your opinion while risking very little capital.

It's kind of the opposite of the title season. I made a load of money especially in the first half of the season when people looked at what we were doing & just flat out refused to accept it & piled money on whoever we were playing. Markets can often be composed of complete idiots under the right conditions. Just like life.

 

[FOX Franks]

Our new manager hasn't done anything to impress me so far. The things he's said are inane and provide no information about what he wants to do at all. He is another modern manager where system comes before players. We will fit players into his system no matter how much that weakens us. On current evidence, I'd be very surprised if he's still here at Xmas.

Completely agree with this.

The reason why Ranieri was so good is he looked at the team and said 'right, this team of capable of X, so this is the way we will play'.
Still baffles me that in the season we had the most success by playing players in their actual positions, we then reverted back to doing what everyone is is doing and buying utility players that sort of play anywhere and therefore don't have a position.

EG;
Mark Albrighton - winger. No one would question he was a winger. He might have covered RWB but we all watched and said 'you can really tell he's a winger'

Castagne - is he a Right back? Left back? Wing back? Winger? He's covered a lot of these roles. Managers don't seem to know where he's best.

I wish we could go back to having 11 players with specific jobs they are good at. That seems to me to be the way forward but the modern manager doesn't subscribe to it.

 

[Graz]

Our new manager hasn't done anything to impress me so far. The things he's said are inane and provide no information about what he wants to do at all. He is another modern manager where system comes before players. We will fit players into his system no matter how much that weakens us. On current evidence, I'd be very surprised if he's still here at Xmas.

I get what you're saying, but this is where I think Maresca has a very, very difficult job. Because everyone is for sale and we haven't done enough business yet.

What's the point in him building around, just randomly picking a player as an example, how do I build a system that gets the best out of Vardy/Nacho when all of those players are available and might still leave before the window closes?

Does he work to get the best out of players who may not be here past the opening 3 games, or does he focus on a system that he wants the players still here and the ones coming in to learn, and he thinks suits the new signings and the players he wants to bring in?

You could argue either way. But neither is a good position to be in.

But I think it comes back to, yet again, that our failings lie at the feet of Rudkin. For the second season in a row, we expected a huge rebuild and for that to happen we needed to sell players first.

All he's managed to do, outside of losing players for free, is sell Maddison and Barnes - our two most sellable assets. But he's still not been able to get deals done for anyone else and that's crippling us.

 

[camberwell fox]

I get what you're saying, but this is where I think Maresca has a very, very difficult job. Because everyone is for sale and we haven't done enough business yet.

What's the point in him building around, just randomly picking a player as an example, how do I build a system that gets the best out of Vardy/Nacho when all of those players are available and might still leave before the window closes?

Does he work to get the best out of players who may not be here past the opening 3 games, or does he focus on a system that he wants the players still here and the ones coming in to learn, and he thinks suits the new signings and the players he wants to bring in?

You could argue either way. But neither is a good position to be in.

But I think it comes back to, yet again, that our failings lie at the feet of Rudkin. For the second season in a row, we expected a huge rebuild and for that to happen we needed to sell players first.

All he's managed to do, outside of losing players for free, is sell Maddison and Barnes - our two most sellable assets. But he's still not been able to get deals done for anyone else and that's crippling us.

Agree with all of this Graz but there is surely a caveat to the last two paragraphs?

Someone actually has to come in and make an offer for a player in order for us to sell him.

If you take (randomly) Vardy, Nacho and Castagne:

Vardy is reported to be on £160k per week and the jury is out on whether he can still perform. Therefore you are left with the US or Saudi scum bags as options, Vardy probably doesn’t fancy either option.

Nacho should be a bit easier to sell. Probably on £80k per week but is a bit-part player unless you have someone else along side him. His VALUE to us is probably close to &8-£12 million but who is going to offer that in the Prem plus match his wages?

Castagne is difficult as anyone looking at his performances last season will see a poor player who is demotivated. Again we probably VALUE him at north of £10 million, so who in the Prem is going to take a punt on him.

I can’t think of a single manager in the Prem who wants a player with a questionable attitude and Castagne is in that category.

How do we get rid of players who can’t command the same or better salary elsewhere and to clubs who are reluctant and at a price that they are unwilling to pay?

 

[Graz]

Agree with all of this Graz but there is surely a caveat to the last two paragraphs?

Someone actually has to come in and make an offer for a player in order for us to sell him.

If you take (randomly) Vardy, Nacho and Castagne:

Vardy is reported to be on £160k per week and the jury is out on whether he can still perform. Therefore you are left with the US or Saudi scum bags as options, Vardy probably doesn’t fancy either option.

Nacho should be a bit easier to sell. Probably on £80k per week but is a bit-part player unless you have someone else along side him. His VALUE to us is probably close to &8-£12 million but who is going to offer that in the Prem plus match his wages?

Castagne is difficult as anyone looking at his performances last season will see a poor player who is demotivated. Again we probably VALUE him at north of £10 million, so who in the Prem is going to take a punt on him.

I can’t think of a single manager in the Prem who wants a player with a questionable attitude and Castagne is in that category.

How do we get rid of players who can’t command the same or better salary elsewhere and to clubs who are reluctant and at a price that they are unwilling to pay?

I think that is exactly Rudkin's job. He has to find the deals that make sense.

Don't forget a lot of these players would/should've had big drops in their wages due to relegation clauses, so what their on here has taken a hit.

Vardy is a bit of an anamoly based on his age, high salary, his presence here, etc so think we have to leave him out of this conversation.

But for players like Iheanacho, Ndidi, Castagne, Ricardo, Praet, even Daka & Soumare, I can't believe there aren't takers for them at the right price. Even if that price is significantly less than we'd have hoped for and in some cases that we end up having to supplement some of their wages. That's the position we're in.

 

[homer]

Obviously our position right now is that we are stating that we have to sell them, but at some point (quite soon, I think) we will have to bite the bullet and let them go out on loan

Despite the optimism v negativity nonsense going on within this forum, it's pretty obvious to everyone deep down that the squad is not the right one to play the way the manager wants to, and we appear to be committed to a style of play first, rather than create a style to suit the players you have.

Not sure it's the right approach to take, but we have clearly taken that stance as a Club so we have to get on with it. Massive risk, in my opinion, but could also be the best way forward long term. Who ****ing knows (certainly not the incompetent twats running the football club)

I expect at least five players to leave over the next 2/3 weeks, and the same number to come in - again mainly loanees.

Whatever shower of shit takes the field on Sunday will be far removed from the team that is playing come the end of the month.

 

[Orifice]

Regarding the state of our squad for the opening game next week, it doesn't seem that there is a good mood in the players.

We really needed to get the moral up but the whole pre-season set up hasn't seemed to do any good. Players still seem to drop off as soon as the opposition start playing and scoring. This was a major problem last season and the mood of the players on the pitch seems so fragile.

We have some very good players for The Championship, but it's not worth a thing if they only perform well for 45 mins of a game.

 

[Brown Nose]

I think that is exactly Rudkin's job. He has to find the deals that make sense.

Don't forget a lot of these players would/should've had big drops in their wages due to relegation clauses, so what their on here has taken a hit.

Vardy is a bit of an anamoly based on his age, high salary, his presence here, etc so think we have to leave him out of this conversation.

But for players like Iheanacho, Ndidi, Castagne, Ricardo, Praet, even Daka & Soumare, I can't believe there aren't takers for them at the right price. Even if that price is significantly less than we'd have hoped for and in some cases that we end up having to supplement some of their wages. That's the position we're in.

On Daka and Soumare especially, because the resale value is much lower than what we spent, amortisation may mean that we cannot afford to sell them.

It goes back to buying badly.

 

[TommyK]

Has Soumare played a preseason game yet? Why would any team want to sign someone that is not playing.

 

[popillius]

Has Soumare played a preseason game yet? Why would any team want to sign a lazy, unless, incompetent bastard like him?

Who knows?

 

[Graz]

I'm trying to pay little attention to what's going on in pre-season and give my self good emotional distance from it all.

I think I'll be doing the same for at least the first couple of weeks of the season too.

I just can't be bothered emotionally investing in a group of players that still want to leave, or the mental energy stressing about what will happen when the picture won't be clear for another month at a minimum.

To be honest though, I just feel I can't be bothered with this season at all still.

The new manager and new players will need patience from our fans, and they won't get it. Maresca will need to hit the ground running, which is a big ask, or our fans will want him out by October. And then we really are back in the Championship and that shit cycle we had for so long of summer 'rebuild', new direction, only to can it all by Halloween and find some new bloke who can't do much different because "it's not his team yet, they're not fit, wait until he has a transfer window/pre-season", only for us to go through exactly the same thing and get rid of him the following October.

I feel worn out by it and it's not even started yet - although that discontent among the fans already has. I just really can't be ****ed with it all.