Peoples thoughts post Germany?

[lake district canary 4,542]

[quote user="hogesar"]I''m a little disappointed that my thread title hasn''t led to any war based jokes but whatever.[/quote]Cleese at his best...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0

[Indy 3,314]

Mixed pre season, injury to Klose & Pritchard a real downer and yet to be beaten is good.

Having seen the highlights the squad looks sharper than under Neil.

Test will come in a couple weeks at Fulham.

[Van wink 2,994]

Captain Birdseye wrote the following post at 22/07/2017 11:40 AM:

Thoroughly depressed

We will get eaten alive at Fulham and beyond. No matter how happy clappy the happy clappers are we are a pale shadow of the teams under the Messiah

We need a Fat Cat investor, are you up for it Waveney?

[Badger 2,412]

[quote user="Van wink"]Captain Birdseye wrote the following post at 22/07/2017 11:40 AM:

Thoroughly depressed

We will get eaten alive at Fulham and beyond. No matter how happy clappy the happy clappers are we are a pale shadow of the teams under the Messiah

We need a Fat Cat investor, are you up for it Waveney?[/quote]We need a Fat Cat investor?I think that they are more interested in their beer VW - very good it is too[:D]

[Captain Birdseye 0]

It certainly can''t be you winky you peasant

[Van wink 2,994]

Captain Birdseye wrote the following post at 22/07/2017 2:24 PM:

It certainly can''t be you winky you peasant

😂😂😂

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

Squad is much weaker than the one that finished last season.

Vrancic the only player who looks like A potential upgrade, but at the expense of Howson I''m not sure.

I''m concerned Tettey remains a key figure. He needs replacing with a younger model, which many think is harrison, but I think Farke intends to play both. I think we will have problems controlling the centre of the park in the championship. I still feel we''re missing a key player in that area.

Defense still a massive concern. I feel we need a more old fashioned type of centre half to compliment the likes of Franke. Plenty around in the champs and league one.

I can see our resolve being tested with a bid or two coming in for Oliveria. If we don''t hold firm and lose him, we''ll be in deep trouble.

I think the biggest concern is the number of key players that wanted out. I certainly didn''t expect to lose Jacob Murphy and Howson.

I really can''t see us finishing higher than mid table. Too much change, to a degree that wasn''t required.

The expectation level is the lowest it''s been for a while, which might not be a bad thing.

[Mickdundee 0]

That''s a reasonably fair assessment

[Captain Birdseye 0]

Great post Lincoln and the best summary I have seen

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="hogesar"]I''m a little disappointed that my thread title hasn''t led to any war based jokes but whatever.[/quote]You may joke Hoggy but this is serious........Delia is building a dynasty which will last a thousand years, We will first conquer Britain, then Europe then THE WORLD. The Delia Youth is already on the rise. We have our big Gunn at the ready, the V-weapon is in place (Vrancic) and our German spies are already at work.No-one will ever beat us.Heil, Delia!(Oh, for a picture of Delia with a silly little moustache).[:$]

[lake district canary 4,542]

[quote user="lincoln canary Golden Coppel"]Squad is much weaker than the one that finished last season.[/quote]Couldn''t get past that sentence.It''s not much weaker.  It may be weaker on paper, slightly, but Gunn, Watkins, Vrancic, Reed are all good acquisitons - and the point about the changes is that the aim is to improve on last season.  People lauded the squad last season and blamed the manager, but the players were the ones on the pitch and changes were needed, not just for finances, but for the sake of the football. We don''t know how well the squad will do next season, but if it looks slightly weaker (on paper) at the moment, but works better together to produce better results with a more cohesive style of football,  then we might be thinking, well this squad has proved itself better than the last one.It''s not so diffcult to think this squad could do better. Farke and co have a real plan of action and know what they want - so who knows where this squad might get to?  Expecting the worst isn''t going to help, neither is expecting top of the table for that matter - why not just see how it goes?

[Van wink 2,994]

"We need a Fat Cat investor?I think that they are more interested in their beer VW - very good it is tooBig Smile [:D]"

Yes indeed Badger, always a fine selection👍

[Herman 9,820]

From what I have seen we now have players that can suit the tactics, rather than tactics to suit the players,if that makes sense. Yes on paper the squad looks weaker, but as I have said a few times, we have a more even squad and not hundreds of midfielders/no defenders. Still work to be done and a couple more additions needed, but we''re getting there.We''ll still lose to Fulham though[;)]

[lharman7 39]

lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) wrote the following post at 22/07/2017 10:23 PM:

Squad is much weaker than the one that finished last season.

Vrancic the only player who looks like A potential upgrade, but at the expense of Howson I''m not sure.

I''m concerned Tettey remains a key figure. He needs replacing with a younger model, which many think is harrison, but I think Farke intends to play both. I think we will have problems controlling the centre of the park in the championship. I still feel we''re missing a key player in that area.

Defense still a massive concern. I feel we need a more old fashioned type of centre half to compliment the likes of Franke. Plenty around in the champs and league one.

I can see our resolve being tested with a bid or two coming in for Oliveria. If we don''t hold firm and lose him, we''ll be in deep trouble.

I think the biggest concern is the number of key players that wanted out. I certainly didn''t expect to lose Jacob Murphy and Howson.

I really can''t see us finishing higher than mid table. Too much change, to a degree that wasn''t required.

The expectation level is the lowest it''s been for a while, which might not be a bad thing

Id say your opinion is massively within the minority group.

Change was most definitely required after our stars of last season (your opinion obviously) failed to live up to expectations.

Tettey looked a little laboured to me on yesterdays viewing so an upgrade would be nice but it would be a luxury.

[Captain Birdseye 0]

Hermy baby we will make a miserablist of you yet!

[Wishbone 8]

I think we need another central midfielder, centre back and striker. We probably won''t get all three though!

It''s hard to say how much we will suffer with the losses of Howson and Jacob. I think Howson went missing a lot last season. Russ Martin said he wanted to return north after our relegation. I agree that Howson is a really strong option in this league but you want players that want to play. It''s a good decision to let him go. Perhaps the replacements aren''t as strong ''on paper'' but I think a hunger / desire to graft goes a long way. I found it interesting that he denied Jerome''s comments about some players not caring after the Sheff Wed thrashing.

Jacob seems to have the knack of winning matches and scoring important goals. You can''t really turn down that money in our position. I do believe his brother will step up and I think Marley Watkins looks like he has the ability to get into dangerous offensive positions - scoring goals.

I''m concerned we won''t have Pritchard for a couple of months but, hopefully, some others will step in. Wes has still got it, although, it''ll be interesting to see if he can keep up with the speed of this Farke style. All in all i''m hopeful, but we definitely need to be able to defend better than we have for a number of seasons! Franke looks a very good acquisition in the friendly''s he''s played in so far. Can Zimmerman step un from the German 4th div to the Championship...gonna be interesting! Will the fans remain patient with Angus cos he''s very much starting out with us this season...

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

Yes, the Pritchard injury is a concern and a real blow.

Attacking wise, we''re all set. It''s the back bone of the side that I feel hasn''t been addressed.

Howson and Dorrans, with either Wes or Pritchard in front could control games. Reed and Vrancic are not ideal replacements imo.

As for centre halfs, it feels like we''ve taken a gamble. Franke could easily be another Klose, who despite his qualities isnt cut out for this league. I''d have much preferred us go all out for a Tom Lees type.

[FenwayFrank 2,465]

How many times last season did Howson and Dorrans really control games ? Yes, the jury is out on the new defenders but I don''t think we''re any weaker in midfield

[Guest]

Apart from the serious injuries, I don''t see why our squad is weaker. The seven that left included five defenders including Ruddy, and three of them were considered starters.We have brought in German defenders and we just know that they will retain their discipline and tactics. I don''t think it matters that we haven''t seen much of them. I expect the coach has.

We never really played Josh and Jacob together and Josh was always considered the slightly better of the two. And Dorrans was hardly one of the first names on even Neill''s erratic teamsheets.

I can''t say for certain that the two matches I have seen have been as slick and pacy as others have mentioned. They just looked typical preseason outings. However, the lineups were certainly different from the last couple of seasons and the style was certainly different at the back with very little hoofing it when ideas ran out.

I can see why Gunn was brought in. He was more available to the defence when knocking it around and always tried to play the ball to an available player, much like his Dad used to.

I am excited for the new season. We have new players already competing for places rather than waiting until late September or early October for new players to make an appearance. I have always maintained that there are 15 points to be had before the window closes so it must be important to get as many of those as possible.

I expect us to challenge. We have a small but talented, at this level, strike force, and I''m sure it will be enlarged. I think we have some very good young talent in midfield and look forward to see them operating properly in a 3-5-2 formation.

Revolution was called for rather than evolution and I expect supporters to be entertained even if we don''t gain promotion.

[Indy 3,314]

I think there''s definitely that entertainment expectation from what''s been seen so far, definitely agree KG, revolution is indeed the word, let''s hope for a Glorious Revolution.

[kick it off 1,952]

I''m cautiously optimistic about this season. I like most of the additions we''ve made and if Howson wanted to go then fair enough. Murph going was a bit more disappointing but I think most of us recognise the reality of our current situation.

From the little I''ve seen of pre-season, I like the way we are going about our business. We look like a competent team, who will be able to give anyone a game - might not win them all, but I don''t think we''ll get turned over very often. 

Vrancic looks like a really nice pick up. Love the fact that he is so aggressive going forward and if there''s nothing opening up for him to pass to, then he''ll just smack a shot at goal, and he seems to be pretty accurate with them. Think he''ll score some spectacular goals this season. He seems to have already amassed a bit of a following amongst the City faithful and easy to see why - the hairstyle alone makes him perfect cult hero fodder if he performs.

Naismith looks a different player in this system. Seems to suit him a lot better, and I think we''ll see the best of him under Farke, as he''s been massively underwhelming so far under AN.

Defence still looks a little concerning, but I think that''s going to improve with time and coaching, plus we still have Pinto to slot in, and the system looks ideally suited to his game. Not really seen enough of Husband to pass comment, but consensus doesn''t seem to be particularly positive, however he''s only been here 5 minutes and fans speak highly of him at Boro so wait and see on that front. I''ve been massively impressed with Jamal Lewis though, he looks like he could become a real quality player so if Husband is a dud then I''m not too worried because Lewis will be waiting in the wings.

Nelson is looking like he''s gone up a gear this year too. Imperative that we hold on to him, as he is a really tidy player. He''s got more to his game than Cam, but I wouldn''t be entertaining offers for either of them as both will be important players for us this season. Think we need one more in that department though, so I''d be looking to add an Earnshaw type to the mix, someone with blistering pace who absolutely terrifies defences. I think that player is needed to give us a more potent mix of options, and especially for when we''re chasing the game - forces defenders to sit deeper and with the attacking options we have playing in behind - Wessi, Pritchard, Naismith, Murph, Watkins, Maddison etc - we''ll be well set to mount a comeback if we can force some gaps between the opposition midfield and defence. I suspect we''ll pick one of these types up, probably a kid on loan from a prem team.

Overall, I''m hopeful that we can be in and around the top 6 this season. I certainly think we will concede a lot less than last season, which is pretty much putting us in the mix anyway, because we were right up there in terms of goals scored last year and I think we all realise we have a wealth of quality attacking players at Champs level. I''m not going to get carried away as it is only pre-season, but there''s definitely signs that we could be competitive this season.

[Van wink 2,994]

Decent post KIO, I would certainly reinforce your remarks about Naismith, I think he will be far more at ease in a fluid system with more people looking to pass and receive the ball, I''ve been getting pretty down about next season and the sale of Murphy capped it off, but after last night I do have a bit more belief that the manager and players can walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

Early days but signs of promise.

[Tired 102]

@NorwichCityFC

"We may have arrived back here earlier but there''s more from Germany heading your way in the coming days!"

Looks like another signing from Germany is imminent. [:)]

[JF 694]

My thoughts after Germany are the same as they were before. That looking into friendly results is pointless. Let''s see where we''re at after the final whistle at Fulham.

[Herman 9,820]

I don''t think winning or losing at Fulham will define our season. Yes, we do this every season, but it''s going to take a few games for us to get into our stride.

[hogesar 9,724]

Lincoln, the only games Howson and Dorrans came close to controlling were home games against midtable opposition. And they were two of my favourite players before you think otherwise.

Reed looks to have the engine of Howson but offering more defensively in the tackle and positionally. Equally be looks to offer significantly less going forward but is an adequate passer of the ball and a battler. Vrancic by all accounts looks quality on the ball , I suspect there will be some doubts on how he can perform off the ball etc in this league.

[lharman7 39]

JF wrote the following post at 23/07/2017 5:52 AM:

My thoughts after Germany are the same as they were before. That looking into friendly results is pointless. Let''s see where we''re at after the final whistle at Fulham

1 game? You are going to judge the team after 1 game? Christ sake!

[lharman7 39]

Great post KIO.

In regards to the defence, although a lot of people have there concerns I believe when all fit a back three of Martin, Klose and Franke would be a pretty decent trio.

Pinto right wing back with Lewis on the left. By the last friendly Husband looks like he needs more time.

Was rather surprised at how Zimmerman looked . Thought he was pretty good and I now believe he''ll be great back up to the starting centre halves.

Totally agree about Naismith. He looked hungry the other night. He looks like his role will be more than just on the pitch too. Helping the youngsters come through will be a key role for him this season.

Also another point I agree with is the need for a striker with different qualities to what we already have. Someone who loves a little through ball to run onto. Poacher or sniffer type.

All in all this pre season is starting to drag a bit now so really excited for the start to the season.

[JF 694]

lharman7 wrote the following post at 23/07/2017 2:47 AM:

JF wrote the following post at 23/07/2017 5:52 AM:

My thoughts after Germany are the same as they were before. That looking into friendly results is pointless. Let''s see where we''re at after the final whistle at Fulham

1 game? You are going to judge the team after 1 game? Christ sake!

Don''t be such a 🔔🔚. No, but performance wise we will learn far more from 1 competitive match than 10 meaningless friendly matches

[lharman7 39]

Its becoming tradition that we lose to Fulham at Craven Cottage.

If we do (as is expected by most supporters) are you going to judge accordingly the clubs actions over the off season?

Or as you put it ''see where we''re at''?

Give it at least 10-15 games yeah!