Are we any better equipped than last season?

[Stevie Wonder 0]

I''m usually a glass half full kind of person but for some reason I can''t say that I am looking forward to the new season and this is the first time I have ever felt like this in over 25 years of attending City matches.

It has been the busiest summer of transfers (both in and out) that I can ever recall but having considered all the comings and goings I must confess to being rather worried about our chances. Last year we finished 15/16th and since then we have sold 3 of our better players in Earnie (guaranteed goal scorer), Etuhu (has all the ingredients but not always the recipe) and Safri (our best midfielder). Now all 3 of these had their faults and I am not unhappy at their leaving but I''m not sure that their replacements are any better. Cureton is 6/7 years older than Earnie and has had only 1 season at this level (admittedly very successful). Brellier is something of an unknown quality and may be better "destructively" than Sfri but by all accounts is something of a Holt when actually in possession. Russell is probably more consistent than Etuhu and had he not previously played here we would probably have been more excited at his signing - my problem is that he isn''t the best of goalscorers and he doesn''t have the power of Etuhu.

Of the other signings, Strihivka will take time to settle (will he get that time?). Otsemebor would appear to be a decent signing but apart from Hughes (and a couple of youngsters) he has no serious competition for his place - also question marks about his defending. Smith looks to be a good player but has already suffered the curse of the Norwich loan player (see Bentley, Marney & Marshall) and is only here till the New Year.

The only area of the team that we can comfortably say is better than last year is the goal keeping area where Marshall and Gilks look to be 2 good signings.

There is still no centre half arriving and this is an absolute necessity before the season starts. The pre-season games have again highlighted defensive problems and whilst Marshall & hopefully Brellier may prevent some of these problems we still need a new first choice centre half to partner Shacks.

For me none of the signings have that wow factor and for the first time in a while we don''t appear to have a player that opposition fans will fear a la Ashton & Earnie. Unless we count Hux of course.

The team looks to lack pace in all areas of the pitch and we only have one player in Hux who has the ability to go past people and create things. It seems that yet again all our hopes rest on Hux staying fit and performing miracles.

All in all I would suggest that this does not seem to point towards a great season. Hopefully, I am wrong......

 

[chicken 0]

Your telling me that you are less possitive about this season than in the late ''90s with the line up including the likes of Carey, Develd, De Ward, Milligan, McGovern, Coote!

Back in those days we barely even had one player to rely on for anything spectacular. Occaisionaly we would pull one out of the hat.

In all fairness Hux is great but the other players know how to use him.

I can''t help but feel we never got the best out of some of our "one or two" spectacular players back then. Iwan for example, could have done with better service and a couple of seasons with the same strike partner. Instead he had to put up with the likes of Coote, Dalgliesh etc.

Nedergaard was another one - what a legend. Made the right hand side his own, and what anybody says about Edworthy, Nedergaard was twice  the player. Again he more often than not had Forbes playing in front of him or a dwindling Sutch.

Although I am not feeling as possitive as perhaps I was when were relegated and felt that we had a really good chance of going straight back up I know that I wasn''t thinking about automatic promotion when we started that season, or anything like play-off final when we got there too and that was against everything - form: almost relegated the season before, paper: Iwan apart that side had nothing special going forward, money:little or none had been spent comparatively.

I may be wrong but this summer has seen the biggest outlay of money than any season for a very long time. I think we have even speant more than the summer leading up to the premiership. For this reason I am slightly more optomistic. None of the freebies seem simply to be simple squad filling gambles. All of the players brought in seem to be as potential first team players.

Grant seems to have the idea of rotating players. Its not incredibly evident but if you look at the way he deals with the injuries it looks like rather than risk someone that isnt 100% he will play a player that is and at least then have the other player back more quickly. It also looks as though he is getting the team more focused and able to play a variety of formations, at the flick of a switch if needed. Something that we have lacked in the past when money or a lack of tactical nouse has withstricted what we can do with the players we have.

Whilst I admit I am not looking forward to this season as I am not 100% sure we will storm it, in fact I am not sure at all. I am sure of one thing and Grant will not accept anything less than 100% from his players and if this he gets then like the play-offs and like the promotion season we will be harder to beat. And thats what I hope because that has to be the start. No more loosing at home.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

of course we are, we have only got really 1 position where we need improvement, c def!, and even there, we at least have the doc. Other than that, our team is good for cmampionship challenging, easily. Get us a sam sodje, calum davenport, andy hughes or chris riggot in, and we''re more than equipped, i believe both jarvis and martin could get at least 10 goals at this level, and spillane and rossi jarvis could hold their own and more. We''re easily good enough to get a play-off position

[Tetteys Jig 830]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]of course we are, we have only got really 1 position where we need improvement, c def!, and even there, we at least have the doc. Other than that, our team is good for cmampionship challenging, easily. Get us a sam sodje, calum davenport, andy hughes or chris riggot in, and we''re more than equipped, i believe both jarvis and martin could get at least 10 goals at this level, and spillane and rossi jarvis could hold their own and more. We''re easily good enough to get a play-off position[/quote]

Meant andy o''brien, got muddled with aaron hughes! lol came out as the fine player we already have!

[Salopian 1]

Not only Marshall, but in Otse we have improvement. The right side should be much more effective for us this season - with Chadders, or Crofty, and Rusty. I think that Brellier, if he stays fit and doesn''t get too many yellow cards, will tighten up the defence.I agree that we badly need another CD, but I am also worried about LB, where Drury is not the force he was and stands off his opponent too much for my peace of mind. If we are to play 4-3-3, as we shall inevitably once Hux returns, then a three man midfield even with Brellier included will struggle to cover for deficiencies immdiately behind them.

[BBFF 0]

Give it 10 games then see how you feel! Oh...im not feeling too good about the best team we can put out but can it be any worse than the last 3 seasons?  maybe it can!

FOOTBALL MUST COME FIRST

[Stevie Wonder 0]

[quote user="chicken"]

Your telling me that you are less possitive about this season than in the late ''90s with the line up including the likes of Carey, Develd, De Ward, Milligan, McGovern, Coote!

Back in those days we barely even had one player to rely on for anything spectacular. Occaisionaly we would pull one out of the hat.

In all fairness Hux is great but the other players know how to use him.

I can''t help but feel we never got the best out of some of our "one or two" spectacular players back then. Iwan for example, could have done with better service and a couple of seasons with the same strike partner. Instead he had to put up with the likes of Coote, Dalgliesh etc.

Nedergaard was another one - what a legend. Made the right hand side his own, and what anybody says about Edworthy, Nedergaard was twice  the player. Again he more often than not had Forbes playing in front of him or a dwindling Sutch.

Although I am not feeling as possitive as perhaps I was when were relegated and felt that we had a really good chance of going straight back up I know that I wasn''t thinking about automatic promotion when we started that season, or anything like play-off final when we got there too and that was against everything - form: almost relegated the season before, paper: Iwan apart that side had nothing special going forward, money:little or none had been spent comparatively.

I may be wrong but this summer has seen the biggest outlay of money than any season for a very long time. I think we have even speant more than the summer leading up to the premiership. For this reason I am slightly more optomistic. None of the freebies seem simply to be simple squad filling gambles. All of the players brought in seem to be as potential first team players.

Grant seems to have the idea of rotating players. Its not incredibly evident but if you look at the way he deals with the injuries it looks like rather than risk someone that isnt 100% he will play a player that is and at least then have the other player back more quickly. It also looks as though he is getting the team more focused and able to play a variety of formations, at the flick of a switch if needed. Something that we have lacked in the past when money or a lack of tactical nouse has withstricted what we can do with the players we have.

Whilst I admit I am not looking forward to this season as I am not 100% sure we will storm it, in fact I am not sure at all. I am sure of one thing and Grant will not accept anything less than 100% from his players and if this he gets then like the play-offs and like the promotion season we will be harder to beat. And thats what I hope because that has to be the start. No more loosing at home.

[/quote]

We had Eadie, Bellamy and Roberts in those days! I can''t say that Brown, Croft and Cureton fill me with the same confidence!!

Like it or not at this moment in time we are still overly reliant on an ageing Huckerby for all of our creativity and spark. Croft, Lappin and Chadwick are decent honest professional''s but do not have the spark. Be honest do you leap to you feet the moment any of them get the ball with anticipation that they might do something exciting.

I am seriously worried as to where the goals are coming from. The records of Strihivka & Brown indicate that neither are overly prolific, Cureton has generally scored goals wherever he has been but is 32 and has only one season at this level (see Clive Mendonca, Steve Kabba etc) and Martin and Jarvis are still learning their trade (and in the case of Jarvis likely to be loaned out elsewhere).

Combine this worry over scoring with our obvious problems at the back then you do not have the recipe for a hugely successful season.

[Hardhouse44 261]

I couldn''t agree more. Cureton is a very poor mans Earnshaw. Russel is not as good as safri. Dave the striker ain''t going to score hatfulls and Brelier for me looks like a very had working but very untalented player. (the total reverse of Etuhu - but neither combination works)

Then you look at what we still have.

Drury                        Poor

Doherty                     Awful

Shackel                     Poor

Croft                         Very average

Lappin                       Average

Fotheringham             A Joke

Chadwick                 We''ll see

Dublin                      Not a 40 game a season option

Jarvis See                Fotheringham

That leaves Martin who is very young and raw and a few others who are ok at best.

Huckerby and Marshal are our only players capable of competing at the top level of this league consistently?

Call me what you want compare me with Smudger and Cluck. But I am only saying what I see and how I see it.

If you don’t score many and let lots in then you don’t win many games. What’s changed.

We replaced a top striker with an ok aging one (yes last years top scorer I know but I reckon he was in a much better team) and we haven’t changed a thing at the back.

Yes we got the guy who got shot on the ar$e but is he really going the be the answer to our defensive frailty. Doubt it.

We are going to struggle and I fear it may be as bad if not worse than last season.

 

[Cluck 0]

I remember as a kid when the likes of Gerry Howshall....Alistair Miller....Alan Black ....blah de blah de blah were signed... we all got excited.  As soon as they kicked a ball however we could see that they were absolute tosh. I fear there is a similar scenario here whereby any new signing must be an improvement on what we had before.....which although very creditable, is awfully naive.

With Grant being shown as both inept and green as a tactician....Hughes and Doherty being the "spine" he will rely on....and Shackell being the skipper....we are in no way better equipped than last season.

I can''t see one new signing which meets the criteria of a "promotion" quality.......and that says much about what we should expect in 2007/08. Come the following season money will be even tighter, debts will have mounted yet further...Huckerby, Dublin and Cureton will be over the hill and with no talent to sell.....stagnation here we come.

Who knows...it might even bring about a protest situation.....

[Graham Humphrey 13]

[quote user="Cluck "]

 I fear there is a similar scenario here whereby any new signing must be an improvement on what we had before.....which although very creditable, is awfully naive.

[/quote]

Although that''s a fair comment, I would say it''s equally naive to say they''re going to be rubbish before the season''s started.

[Jim Smith 2,339]

Who on earth has ever said that Grant intends to rely on a "spine" of Hughes and Doherty? I genuinely believe that if all goes to plan neither of those players will be in the starting line-up.

In general I feel we are better equipped because we have more options in virtually all areas of the squad. My only real concerns are:

1. As is unanimously acknowledged we need a new CB (even the NOTW could see that in their season preview). I fully expect one to arrive this week on loan but am still a bit worried that firstly it is a very short period of time for them to settle in before the season starts and secodnly, if it is Shawcross, is a 20 year old loanee the type of player we really need. Hopefully however PG and Gunny have doen their homework properly and this kid is a real prospect.

2. Centre forward - I think Dave Striker is earmarked as the main man but he has yet to fully adjust. Hopefully he can do so sooner rather than later. I think Brown looks good but have my doubts as to how many goals he will score ina  season.

Other than that I think Semi and Marshall look great signings. Chadwick is effectively like having a new signing and the competition between him and Croft looks healthy.

CM looks strong if a little lacking in craft. Hopefully smith will provide this once he is fit.

 

 

[ronbol ronbol 0]

This is without doubt the worst city team to kick off a season for many seasons. To lose your  top players and replace them with players we previously had and sold on only to buy them back again is a complete joke. Much like the people running this club from top to bottom.GRANT YOU ARE A JOKE.....................

[Branston Pickle 3,687]

In answer to the question posed on this thread, I would say we certainly are: whether we are well enough equipped to mount a sustained challenge towards the top of the division is anyone''s guess, but surely we are without doubt better equipped than last season. 

We''ve lost our main striker which was a blow, for sure - but even that is double edged, as we rarely seemed to look like a decent collective unit when he played: too many seemed to rest on the fact that he would score and take no chances/drift in and out of games accordingly.  IMO none of the other players who went for a fee was a 100%-er and therefore eminently replaceable, those that we let go for free even more so.  To my mind each leaver has been replaced (or will be if/when we get the reported 2 new faces) - how well replaced we will see in the coming season - but the seeming net gain in quality is palpable across the entire squad....put it this way, look at the thread suggesting our potential starting XI next weekend and we have many more realistic options than we had at any stage last season (particularly as our squad included Thorne and MLJ).

[Stevie Wonder 0]

[quote user="Branston Pickle"]

In answer to the question posed on this thread, I would say we certainly are: whether we are well enough equipped to mount a sustained challenge towards the top of the division is anyone''s guess, but surely we are without doubt better equipped than last season. 

We''ve lost our main striker which was a blow, for sure - but even that is double edged, as we rarely seemed to look like a decent collective unit when he played: too many seemed to rest on the fact that he would score and take no chances/drift in and out of games accordingly.  IMO none of the other players who went for a fee was a 100%-er and therefore eminently replaceable, those that we let go for free even more so.  To my mind each leaver has been replaced (or will be if/when we get the reported 2 new faces) - how well replaced we will see in the coming season - but the seeming net gain in quality is palpable across the entire squad....put it this way, look at the thread suggesting our potential starting XI next weekend and we have many more realistic options than we had at any stage last season (particularly as our squad included Thorne and MLJ).

[/quote]

I wouldn''t neccessarily disagree with the view that the squad is stronger than last year but I just don''t think the first 11 is that much better (other than in the GK area) i.e

Last Year - Gallacher, Colin, Drury, Doc, Shackell, Croft, Safri, Etuhu, Hux, Earnshaw, Dublin

This year - Marshall, Otsemebor. Drury, Doc, Shackell, Croft, Brellier, Russell, Hux, Cureton, Strihivka

I would suggest that the GK is better, Otsemebor will undoubtedly be better going forward than Colin but the rumour is that he isn''t the best defensively (all we need with our goals against record in the last 3 years). Brellier would appear to be better destructively than Saf but won''t be as good as him when in possession. Is Russell better than Etuhu (Roy Keane obviously doesn''t think so.....)? Cureton isn''t as good as Earnshaw and Dave Striker is the big unknown factor but may well take sime to adjust.

The basic fact is we have concede 138 goals in the last 2 years in what has been pretty mediocre league and whilst Marshall may assist I would point out that Green was here for one of these seasons. The 2 centre half who have played in a large number pf those games would appear to be the 1st choice pairing again (unless this mythical new CB appears this week) and the left back is the same. Now we have swapped a defensive right back for an attacking one and got rid of the only midfielder we had who could be relied upon to retain possession! Plus it would seem that a high proportion of our fans want to play Hux on the left which will again leave us desperately exposed down that side.

To succeed in this division you have to have a tight defence and be able to grind out the 1-0''s etc but to survive in the division you must have someone to score 15/20 goals. Look how many times Roberts saved us with his 18-20 goals a season. We would have gone down last year but for Earnie''s 17 goals before Xmas.

I''m sorry but I just don''t have that sense that this will be a good season. It probably means we will win the league by 10 points[:D]

[Tumbleweed 106]

Its not only personnel changes you have to look at.

Its clear to me that grant has a plan. this means he has worked out what he wants to do, how he wants to play and what resources he neds to do it. With almost every one of Grant''s signings you can see why they slot in and the cover he is building up in case of injuries.

Worthington seemed to make it up as he went along, saesons of hoofball to Iwan or hoofball to Hux and hope for a miracle seemed to be the milit of his aspiration. Now I have not seen many of these new players play, but I can see already that Lappin and Fotheringham play it on the ground, Chadwick the same in his career elsewhere and Darel Russel when he was here before was certainly capable of cultured passing.

We have outlets over the pitch- strength on the right in Croft and Chadwick, strength on the left in Hux and Lappin and multiple midfield combinations. We also have options up front now- not just one star plus a back up but we have 4 who could be first choice and Kris Renton coming through plus DD in an emergency or at the end when chasing a game.

Much depends on teh training ground too. I imagine that the combo of Grant and Duffy is a tough regime and no place for shirkers. Loss of Hunter could affect us, but the training ground is where we also felt problems where not being identified and resolved by the previous regime.

On balance I''m actually more excited than for many years as I think its going to be fascinating to see how it works out. I doubt we''ll get a blistering start as all the new faces will need to be moulded into a genuine team, but we have a tough man in charge so nobody can afford to cruise out there any more.

 

[chicken 0]

Three players! Roberts you knew you were lucky to get 15 goals out of a season, sure he was a great,  great player for us but he was never a prolific goal scorer, or of a prolific supplier and team player, a star for sure.

And you are worried now where the goals are going to come from? We had strikers yes, and back then a reasonable defence, but the problem was the midfield. Ok so Eadie on the left when he was fit, and to some extent Adams on the right when he was fit and still good. But I have to say that you have named three players and that sums it up. Them three and Gunn were all we had really.

You can not argue that Strihavka (top scorer in his league last season) or Brown (yet to play regularily for a team) are not prolific - as of yet we do not have the evidence to make such a statement. To add to that Brown is not that much older than Jarvis! Martin is the true youngster but is keen and has the ability.

I am more concerned about the defence than I am about the strikers. I say this because if we conceed no goals, we don''t loose. If we conceed no goals and only score one goal in a game we win. Hence the not conceeding goals has to be important.

We do need anoth centreback and possibly a left back. I say possibly because at the moment at least we have Drury and then Lappin if we have to. At centre back we have two recognised pros, Dublin who everyone is saying will be unable to play every game and two reletively untested youngsters.

But I still think that overall I am much more confident in the level of the team than I have been since relegation. We did have one or two great players but what use is that if you still have two or three players playing at the level Hughes, Robinson etc play at. They almost counteract each other.

 

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

Depends on whether you think we have a thin squad or a thick squad, I suppose.

Haven''t counted, but the talk of 7 in, 7 out sounds thin to me.

But at least we have a goalkeeper this year - I think.

Now if we had a central defender or two, then..........

But we have 2 of last year''s top 5 Actim Championsip Index strikers this year. And according to Actim Cureton was rated streets & streets ahead of Robert ''Don''t Do Defence'' Earnshaw

Ah well.

OTBC

 

[Positive & Proud Canary 0]

YES

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="Tumbleweed"]

Darel Russel when he was here before was certainly capable of cultured passing.

[/quote]

Darel Russell - Cultured passing???    I think you may be deluding yourself about his first spell here...

An alternative view from a fellow season ticket holder:  "Russell!?! WHY! No! He was sh**. He still is. The only thing he got was yellow cards. What a waste of 600k. Everyone I knew was glad to see the back of that tallentless wreck. What the hell is Grant on?? Is that the best we can do?? "

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="chicken"]

You can not argue that Strihavka (top scorer in his league last season) or Brown (yet to play regularily for a team) are not prolific - as of yet we do not have the evidence to make such a statement. To add to that Brown is not that much older than Jarvis! Martin is the true youngster but is keen and has the ability.

 

[/quote]

errr by all accounts Strihavka barely scored any in the czech leagues before his 13 (4 in one game) last season.

Brown on the other hand during his last decent stint in this league scored 1 in 13 for Hull, and has 12 in the last three seasons ...  Thats 4 goals a year!! Now that is Prolific!!

To be fair to Strihavka his record holds up fairly well for a young ''un:  http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=39731

Brown certainly did well at Doncaster in League 2:  http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=35636

[Le Juge 0]

I was going to reply (essentially saying yes but much longer) until I read Tumbleweed and Branston Pickle''s replies - Between them they both say exactly what I wanted to. Totally agree with you both.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Citizen Journalist Foghorn"][quote user="chicken"]

You can not argue that Strihavka (top scorer in his league last season) or Brown (yet to play regularily for a team) are not prolific - as of yet we do not have the evidence to make such a statement. To add to that Brown is not that much older than Jarvis! Martin is the true youngster but is keen and has the ability.

 

[/quote]

errr by all accounts Strihavka barely scored any in the czech leagues before his 13 (4 in one game) last season.

Brown on the other hand during his last decent stint in this league scored 1 in 13 for Hull, and has 12 in the last three seasons ...  Thats 4 goals a year!! Now that is Prolific!!

To be fair to Strihavka his record holds up fairly well for a young ''un:  http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=39731

Brown certainly did well at Doncaster in League 2:  http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=35636

[/quote]

agreed with the comments on brown, a joke of a player at sunderland and hull, did ok at the Donny who were in the bottom division at the time werent they? Browns Level perhaps?

jas :)

[Stevie Wonder 0]

[quote user="chicken"]

Three players! Roberts you knew you were lucky to get 15 goals out of a season, sure he was a great,  great player for us but he was never a prolific goal scorer, or of a prolific supplier and team player, a star for sure.

And you are worried now where the goals are going to come from? We had strikers yes, and back then a reasonable defence, but the problem was the midfield. Ok so Eadie on the left when he was fit, and to some extent Adams on the right when he was fit and still good. But I have to say that you have named three players and that sums it up. Them three and Gunn were all we had really.

You can not argue that Strihavka (top scorer in his league last season) or Brown (yet to play regularily for a team) are not prolific - as of yet we do not have the evidence to make such a statement. To add to that Brown is not that much older than Jarvis! Martin is the true youngster but is keen and has the ability.

I am more concerned about the defence than I am about the strikers. I say this because if we conceed no goals, we don''t loose. If we conceed no goals and only score one goal in a game we win. Hence the not conceeding goals has to be important.

We do need anoth centreback and possibly a left back. I say possibly because at the moment at least we have Drury and then Lappin if we have to. At centre back we have two recognised pros, Dublin who everyone is saying will be unable to play every game and two reletively untested youngsters.

But I still think that overall I am much more confident in the level of the team than I have been since relegation. We did have one or two great players but what use is that if you still have two or three players playing at the level Hughes, Robinson etc play at. They almost counteract each other.

 

[/quote]

Roberts not prolific!!!!

Season 98-99 23 goals in 44 starts

Season 99-00 19 goals in 49 starts

Season 00-01 18 goals in 50 starts

That is pretty damn fine if you ask me, particularly when you consider that for must of this period it was a p*ss poor side he was playing in and his partner up front was often a Coote, Cottee, Dalglish or Llewellyn! His overall goals per game

Yes, I named 3 players then and we only have 1 now in Huckerby - this is the whole point of my argument.

The goals for is a real potential problem this year. Cureton is the only striker to have scored serious goals at this level. Our defenders contributed 2 goals between them last year. Croft got 3 in 40 odd games, Fozzy didn''t score, Lappin got 1, Martin scored 5 very quickly then didn''t score in the last 10/12 games he played. Russell averages 4 per season and Brellier doesn''t seem to venture too far forward. Hux will score if he plays up front but doesn''t get too many when he plays wide. When we won promotion Hux got 14, Leon 9, Svennson, Iwan & Francis all got 8. Mulryne, McVeigh & Malky all got 5 or 6. Crouch got 5. Christ even Rivers and Easton scored a few early doors.

We look to me that we will have problems scoring again this year and unless a decent centre back arrives to sort out the back 4 we will be in trouble defensively too.