Comparison

[TheMarshmallowMan 0]

First team this season (if Marney signs) on opening day;

Green, Collin, Fleming, Shackell, Drury, Marney, Francis, Safri, Huckerby, McKenzie, Ashton

2nd team this season;

Ward, MLJ, Doherty, Charlton, Brennan, McVeigh, Jarrett, Hughes, Henderson, Thorne, Jarvis

First team last season;

Green, Helveg, Fleming, Charlton, Drury, Jonson, Francis, Holt, Bentley, Svensson, Huckerby

2nd team last season:

Ward, Edworthy, Doherty/M Halliday, Shackell, Brennan, McVeigh, Mulryne, Safri, Henderson, McKenzie, Doherty/Jarvis

I don''t know about you guys but I''m far more confident going into the first games with our line up now than last year. Call it hindsight if you like, but I think the team we have now has got far fewer weaknesses. Last year we were relying on Hucks to get the majority of our goals. We also had no height in our back four, or a commanding presence.

This year (even in the Premiership) I doubt goals will be a problem. McKenzie and Ashton will score by the dozen, and hopefully Francis and Hucks will chip in with maybe Safri scoring the odd (wonder) goal with Marney (again if we sign him) possibly getting a couple too.

Height at the back is sorted thanks to Doherty and Shackell. Collin ain''t a short lad, either! I''d love to see these two line up together in central defence with Collin and Drury as our wide men. I also think Doherty will command our back four and spur us on, if he can just get a bit of confidence together.

Another bonus with the Collin - Doherty - Shackell - Drury defensive line up is that all four are youngish. A season of working steadily together could set us up for a nice season with these four as our back men for the Premiership.

But, knowing Worthy, we''ll probably be stuck with Mr Carthorse Fleming for another year (although I have a hunch this will be the final year) so we''ll have to do without Doherty''s presence at back.

[Northern Canary 0]

I know, this team is so much better than last seasons. IMo last seasons at the beginning looked very weak

[ZLF 274]

[quote]I know, this team is so much better than last seasons. IMo last seasons at the beginning looked very weak[/quote]

The squad this year is weaker (with the exception of Ashton) than at the start of last years. 

Shacks and doc were here at the start of last year but never appeared together out of the reserves - and there is a big doubt over whether they will start this season.

To claim the likes of Thorne,Hughes, L-J or Colin are better than Jonson, Holt, Svenson, Helveg or Eddy is also an enormous leap of faith.   Thorne has never played in the prem but when fit Sven scored in the prem and looked impressive last season but never had the fitness.  I am not convinced L-J is any better than Eddy at this level and certainly cant defefnd as well as Helveg did last season;  Hughes is a Holt clone with an age advantage; his reputation will have to be exceeded to match holts contribution as a championship player,  Jonson never gave less than his all in a difficult in/out first season he admits was not his best; he is an international goal scorer who was played out of position for us (ayone want owen as a right winger, or see AJohnson as a right winger - that makes as much sense they were poor there too) and better was to come.

If we had started with this squad at the start of last year I would have despaired at the lack of midfield creativity AND defensive resilience for the prem - we would have been relegated far earlier. 

However we DO have a very strong championship squad that will compete with the demands of a physical league with competetive clubs playing on poor quality pitches desperate to be seen to be beating a ''glory'' prem team.  Our squad has a resilience and experience of this league with a proven talent for creating and scoring goals up front - that can only be good news.

OTBC

    

[alex_ncfc 662]

"I don''t know about you guys but I''m far more confident going into the first games with our line up now than last year"

There''s a reason for that - last year it was ManUtd, Newcastle and Arsenal. This year it''s Coventry and Crewe.

I agree with ZLF, the squad is not really any stronger than last year. It''s just that we do have a strong squad for this division. If this squad got promoted, there''s no doubt in my mind that we would need better players, and hopefully, if it should happen, we will spend more money than last time.

[Canary Brem 0]

Agree completely with ZLF and Alex, but compare this the the Division One winning squad, and we are head and shoulders above that team IMHO. The purchases of Hucks, McKenzie, Ashton, Safri, and the latest signings, plus the emergence of Shackell, have given us the best team in the league.

I feel more confident with this squad than I did 2 years ago.

Fingers crossed that they live up to the potential.

[ZLF 274]

[quote]Agree completely with ZLF and Alex, but compare this the the Division One winning squad, and we are head and shoulders above that team IMHO. The purchases of Hucks, McKenzie, Ashton, Safri, and the la...[/quote]

Totally agree Brem;  we have emerged from relegation with a truly competetive squad that is far superior to the one that started our championship winning team; not that that squad was up to much pre hux, harper, crouch & cooper!

Worthy has rebuilt well this summer but we do need to get the attitude right - it will be a long slog and if we are not prepared to earn our promotion with a determined attitude then we will still be discussing fizzy pop footie this time next season; without the likes of Ashton, Green & Francis, and possibly Hux and Mackenzie to give us hope.

 

OTBC   

[Rasputin was a C... 0]

I think you have to compare this years team with that which started against Bradford 2 years ago.

Green Briggs Drury Mackay Fleming Holt Rivers McVeigh Nielsen Francis Easton

Apart from the ones that are still here, who would you want in the team? When I saw this team lineup for the start of the season I saw us only finishing in the top ten... how things changed

[Saint Canary 0]

I think it is fair to say that this team/squad is much better than the team started the last championship season.

As for this squad being better than last years, I to have to disagree.  Mainly on the point that if you were using the squad that finished last season (ie. add Ashton) it looks so much stronger.  I agree with Zipper that it is a bold statement to say players like Lois-Jean and Colin are better than Helveg etc. 

I would say we are better prepared than this time last year but we are really comparing apples and pears not apples and apples.  The reason why this squad looks better is, as has been rightly pointed out, we are in the Championship this year not the Premiership.