When Is It Ok To Start Worrying?

I know we are telling ourselves that Keith isn't clueless, McNulty is Baresi, Dawson and Perkins are the perfect midfield duo and that friendlies don't matter, but when are we going to accept this is all ******** and that we are well and truly up against it??

 

Already accepted it. Just like last season. And the season before. And the season before that.

 

You worry all the time - so about 15 years ago.

 

Accepted it about 5 seasons ago! End of day we are 'little' Barnsley, punching above our weight.
But that's what makes it even better every May when we are safe and so called 'bigger' clubs are slipping down the leagues.

 

At the end of the day

It's only football.

 

**** me, I hope Keith doesn't read that.

 

Re: At the end of the day

Bang on. Some kids on here need some narcotics and visit to Sizzlers wi' Dreamy.

 

Re: At the end of the day

Why worry when we haven't kicked a competitive ball in anger yet? Chances are we will stuggle but unless you have a crystal ball **** knows whats going to happen this year.

I'm not saying be a happy clapper but my god you'll put yourself in the nuthouse with this constant worry and moaning. Someone's gunna have to slip some valium into your half time pie.

 

Re: At the end of the day

I never read too much into pre-season friendlies, and I rarely even attend them, for that reason - they're pretty meaningless.

But what I do read into, is our recruitment, and our manager's interviews.

If I'm being negative by wondering where these 'experienced' Championship 'quality' players are, then so be it. Just as I also wonder where this 'leader' is that our manager said we were desperate to attain. I mean, he said that within days of returning from his jollies. So I took that to be our priority this summer so far as recruitment goes. Yet I keep logging on t'internet and all I see is a plethora of midfielders, an overweight striker, and a dodgy keeper.

I'm not suggesting that any of KK's latest recruits will be poor in the medium to long term - I'll judge them, as ever, after a good run of competitive games for the first team. And neither do I subscribe to the theory that we're as good as relegated before a ball is even kicked.

But I can only go on what I saw of us under Hillcroft last season, and it was painfully obvious (to me at least) that our full backs offered little going forward, and (Hassell apart) even less when defending. Yet I see no activity in those departments, and it seems from the teams picked in these friendlies that Bobby isn't going to be our right back, again. So while I hope (and pray) that Scott Wiseman has performed a miracle in the last few months and improved his game 100%, my common sense tells me he won't have, and so that worries me.
Then I look at the 3 center halves we used last season and whilst I'm a fan of Bobby MooreNulty, I'm not a fan of him when playing alongside either of the other 2. In fact for me, I still would class Jimmy as a left back - the position he played successfully in the early stage of last season until Edwards got injured and KK moved him inside, leaving us with Maccavelli for months... so I worry about our center halves too.

I'm more than satisfied with the look of our midfield, especially the injection of pace offered by the signings of Silva and Etuhu. So often last season post-xmas we were so ponderous it was painful to watch. I longed for some fcuker to run at the opposition with pace. So yes, I'm hopeful we've solved that issue.
I know opinions are divided when it comes to Dawson and Perkins, but I liked what I saw of them last season, especially the latter who would always get in my team. And the lad Digby showed promise but I don't expect him to get much game time, particularly if Sir Bob is now a holding midfielder, and KK is seemingly still after another midfielder, or 2, 3, 4.... Let's hope he slows this obsession before Spackman-itis gets a real grip.

And then we have big Craig up top, and little else unless Mido starves himself for a few weeks.
Now, I like Davies. Appalling first-touch aside, he's a capable goalscorer at this level providing he has the service/creativity around him. But then we have a couple of youngsters who even I could shrug off the ball, and Christopher Dagnall...
So we're definitely short up front, unless we're sticking with last years usual formation.

All in all, then, I'm reasonably optimistic that we've improved the squad in some areas. But I'm not so happy that the key area we needed to strengthen - defence - has been overlooked/ignored.

But, there is a couple of weeks until our first meaningful game, so who knows? Perhaps we are lining up a Championship quality defender or 2 as we speak/type...?

I just hope we don't leave it too late, and end up losing our first few games through awful defending, prompting Hill to use the bloody loan market to try fixing a BLATANT deficiency we can all see NOW. His attempts at 'loan fixes' last season failed miserably, barring Drinkwater, so fingers crossed I'm worrying about nothing and he has learnt from his mistakes.

You reds, etc etc and so on.

 

Re: At the end of the day

at some stage we'll go down. no point worrying about when that'll be, it'll happen when it happens just like death

 

Re: At the end of the day

Just stop whinging you gret tart

 

Re: At the end of the day

I don't believe for a minute that Keith is ignoring the centre half issue... at least I bloody hope not.

But looking at who might be available and affordable who would actually come to us, well maybe Keiths just not bern able to get the right man in.

He will be biding his time, waiting for someone who will genuinly add strength and improve on what we've got., or probs bring in a loan player if we cant get anyone.

If none of the above happens then Ill give it to you!!

 

Re: At the end of the day

I sincerely hope you are correct, and that he's so far been unable to acquire the right candidate, but will eventually find him. Because if not, we haven't got a Butterfield or Vaz Te to get us out of jail this time.

 

Re: At the end of the day

we've got a Mellis/Mido/Silva and Etuhu, though.

F.ck it, we might not even play with defenders.

 

Re: At the end of the day

He's going to get the lad from Brighton just as soon as he's seen what package he can put together once he's got the others he needs

 

Re: At the end of the day

We played a hell of a lot of last season without a defence, midfield, or attack.

Or at least it appeared that way.

 

Re: At the end of the day

Is that you guessing, mate? Or are you in the know?

 

Re: At the end of the day

Defending's over rated anyway.

 

Re: At the end of the day

This is what I love about this board, yet a league game to be played and already the doom and gloom merchants are sharpening there knives ready to slay when we loose a league game then say 'told you so'

Let's see how the season pans out eh? Like extremely northern says, it's only a game!

You big Jessie's