I think early on we'll learn a few harsh lessons about having so many new faces and trying to get them playing together, especially when we are under pressure. Don't see that adding yet more signings will help that. Daniel is a cracking manager and person, but he did benefit from having a settled squad to take over. And we could say the same for Hecky too at the start.
Hoping we can stay up. Being realistic, with so many young unproven players in our team, I think that 16 th place would be a real achievement for us. With regards to losing our "spine" re- Davies, Lindsay and Pinnock, we really had no choice. Davies rejected the offer of a new contract, Lindsay wouldn't apparently even discuss one and despite saying he looked forward to a new season in the Championship, Ethan didn't actually commit to say he hoped that would be with us, so we were right to fear the worst. He had probably already been discussing a move to Brentford. The one wish I have, is that if as some predict, we have a torrid time early doors, our fans don't start to get on Daniel Stendels back. He really deserves better after his unprecedented success in his maiden season. He really should be given time to get the team up to speed to compete in the Championship.
9th. I think folks are being too pessimistic. A shaky start, consolidation and then a great run after the New Year.
Think it is a real shame that we have Fulham at home first game. All about momentum for me and it could take a serious knock against Fulham. I think we will stay up, but only just. We have a couple of things going for us: I think the style of play (pressing high) will work well in this division. Good management team that I trust to get the defence organised (eventually) and then we will be okay. On the other hand, some good results early on and I think we will be hard to stop and could see us finishing quite high, but not play-offs.
Like others I think the defence could be a cause for concern. Going forward we have the capacity to tear teams apart with fast paced passing. I think we'll be playing a 4 -4 -1-1 type formation, so Stendel is going to have to find out his best team quickly. We're going to have to be willing to change formation also. I think alot depends on how quickly we settle down. I really think we'll have enough to trouble alot of teams. I also think that many teams will have way too much for us. Lower mid table. As an aside, from what I've seen in the pre season games and on You tube, Malik Wilks is the most left footed player I've seen in ages. That is a worry for me. I hate it when players don't use their other foot. It just makes it so much easier to defend. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong and score a few with his right.
I hope that too mate In terms of not having a choice though I disagree with that as far as Lindsay and Pinnock are concerned - we could have retained them for a season if we wished to do so
I think last season's team would have been top half. I don't see things being any worse team wise. I'll go for 11th. Good start, slip as teams wise up, gradual improvement after xmas. Here's hoping.
Anything above 20th and safe with games to spare is a good start. Full season for new players to bed in....
Shows you how fickle football pundits can be. After 12 years out of the top division, Chris Wilder managing to get the Blades back there is a great achievement in anyone's book. Surprised therefore to see in today's paper predictions for who will be first to be sacked this season, he's joint second favourite. Leading the way is Graham Potter ( Brighton) at 7-1, Lampard ( Chelsea), Dean Smith ( Villa) and Wilder are all at 14-1. Daniel Farke ( Norwich), Javi Garcia ( Watford), Manuel Pellegrini ( West Ham) and Marco Silva ( Everton) are offered at 16-1. Emery ( Arsenal) 18-1, Hassenhuttl ( Southampton) 20-1, Rodgers ( Leicester) 25-1, Dyche (Burnley), Howe ( Bournemouth) and Espírito Santo ( Wolves) can be had at 40-1, Pochettino ( Spurs) is 66-1, with Klopp and Guardiola both offered at 100-1. The one omission in that list which came as a surprise to me, was that there are no odds for Steve Bruce ( Newcastle). I would have thought he would have been among the favourites.
Our defence seems to be frail, I include our centre-mids in that. Attacking wise I think we're fine. But defence and defensive mid we seem awfully weak. But 2 weeks left of the window and its also a long season so owt could happen Are we going to have another season of struggle..? hope not, but if we can stay up then the season will be a success.
I think we've got the best two players in the division in Mowatt n' Woodrow. If we could add the 3rd best at the back and 4th best in midfield we'll be promoted to Premier League. Players of true class don't come along too often. They definitely don't sign new deals too often. You have to strike while iron is hot.
Teams that concede on average 2 goals per game go down. At the moment, I can easily see us conceding at least two goals per game. Our defence will need to adopt a more no-nonsense attitude, our full backs will need to hold their position more, and we need a defensive midfielder. Get that discipline right and let the forwards do what they want. I'll say we'll eventually work it out and finish 19th.
Would that have meant that they could then have left on a free like Davies.? I thought that our policy was that if they are coming up to the final year and wouldn't sign an extension, any player, irrespective of their worth to the team, would be sold to ensure we recieved a fee to plough back into coffers to fund suitable replacements.? Might be wrong of course, but that was my understanding.
We don't need an Ethan Pinnock. A player who teams believe can be sold at a huge profit. We've already bought that type of player. We've already signed that potential. We need a Stephen Foster. A player who is solid and dependabke, who can organise and help mentor younger players. Someone who is not destined for the Premier League but can help improve those with such aspirations. A player like that would not cost the earth but they'd be worth way more to this club than what we could eventually sell them for. Sometimes you have to buy players for what they're worth as players not what profit they will make.
We had every choice as we could have offered all three new contracts when we got relegated. I'm sure all three would have signed back up as clubs like Stoke and Brentford won't have been interested in them at that point. But instead we put them all in the shop window for another season, with no new deals on the table and then lost them after promotion.
Understand that now DB. Bit like Conor and Co when we had beaten Millwall at Wembley to get promoted then.? You can only speculate about the reasoning of our owners making such flawed decisions when they did really. Could it have been that they didn't want to break the wage structure and bow to the demands of the player in questions agent or could there have been another motive.? It certainly makes you wonder.