Continuity!?

[Stevo 0]

Before I raise the question, I want to state that I''m very excited by the new arrivals and PL''s transfer dealings but here''s the query I have.....

Will we suffer through a lack of continuity and potentially undo the momentum, team-spirit and understanding built up last year?

Last season was built around a settled XI playing week in, week out....

Forster, R. Martin, Nelson, Doc, Drury, Russell, Lappin, Korey, Hoolahan, Holt and C. Martin

Our starting team for Watford could be

Ruddy, Martin, Ward, Whitbread, S. Smith, Crofts, Surman, Fox, Hoolahan, Holt and Jackson     

If the rumours about Cranie are true, we might also sacrifice Russell Martin who struggled at Championship level with posh. That would mean only Holt and Hoolahan surviving from last year''s side and effectivley a whole new team!!

Apparently Leicester''s team on the opening day of last season featured 10 of the 11 that got them promoted and they obviously proved good enough to do very well in the league above.

 

[lappinitup 629]

We''ll miss the Doc! [:''(][:''(][:''(]

[RichT - The Biscuit 0]

Like a hole in the head, or was that a large hole in the middle of our defence!?!?!?

[ZiggyPiggy 0]

[quote user="lappinitup"]We''ll miss the Doc! [:''(][:''(][:''(][/quote]YOU might.

[Jim Smith 2,610]

I do agree to a point - we do risk losing a bit of the momentum and confidence that the settled team had at the end of the season.

 

Having said that i am also reassured that despite the hype Lambert could obviously see what many of us could for a lot of last season which is that despite our league position and the fact we won the league reasonably comfortably, we were not actually that good and that much of the team needed upgrading if we are going to compete in the championship.

I may be accused of moaning but i can honestly count on one hand the number of games last season where i thought we played really well and in which we did not offer the opposition at least 2 glorious goalscoring opportunities. We simply can''t afford to do that this season and hence I am pleased to see the overhaul that Lambert is doing.

[RichT - The Biscuit 0]

Agree with Jim Smith.

We had a patch last season, which was aruond the time we got ourselves in front and clear where we looked unbeatable, but after that we got away with a few games where we were lucky, in a tougher league we would have lost those games and not gained a draw or a luck win, and also, lets be honest and say that it ended up easy because teams around us lost some real howlers at crucial times, we lost and so did they to some funny teams!

Yet to see them play but I can''t sit here and give a name of any player that has gone (other than Forster) who I would have really wanted to keep, and I will pass judgement on Ruddy after a few games!

[whoareyou? 0]

I''d be surprised if Nelson, Korey, Drury and Chris Martin were not in the starting 11 at Watford.

[RichT - The Biscuit 0]

I genuinely believe that the only one of those that will start will be Martin (my view).

I think Centre Half pairing will be Whitbread and Ward, I know Whitbread has taken a bit of stick but you don''t buy someone who isn''t fit during a season unless you see something in them!

Re Korey, excellent last year but he made it his position because he didn''t have much competition for the place, now he does (still think he''s good enough though)

And finally, as for Drury, I love his commitment and his defending, but he''s not getting any younger, he''s pretty awful going forward and injury-prone, time to move over and let someone else have a go and Steven Smith is clearly that man, you don''t play for Rangers in the Champions League unless you''re a good player!

[Jim Smith 2,610]

I think Drury and Martin will start. Korey probably 50/50. I would be very susprised if Nelson plays in the first game. As commented above I can''t see us going with anything other than Whitbread and Ward. See Lambert''s comments about players he brought in last season with a view to this season who didn''t play much last year but he expects to be much more involved this year. he can only be talking about Whitbread (and maybe Macnamee).

[Dion Dublin=Legend 0]

[quote user="Jim Smith"]I think Drury and Martin will start. Korey probably 50/50. I would be very susprised if Nelson plays in the first game. As commented above I can''t see us going with anything other than Whitbread and Ward. See Lambert''s comments about players he brought in last season with a view to this season who didn''t play much last year but he expects to be much more involved this year. he can only be talking about Whitbread (and maybe Macnamee).[/quote]

Agreed [Y]

[Stevo 0]

I think the most important part is the defence. The CB pairing needs to gel quickly and gain that confidence in eachother and in Ruddy and the full-backs. You can''t afford to have defenders leaving it for eachother or defending deeper because they''re not sure whether the keeper will command the box etc. We''ve got the potential to score goals but we can''t afford to give away sloppy goals. So I hope that Lambert quickly settles on his first choice CB''s and lets them form a partnership

When Worthington replaced Malky with Simon Charlton he thought we were getting a younger / better player and improving the team but we missed out on the understanding that Malky had with Fleming

[Salopian 1]

Two comments:

1) PL seems aware of the problem - hence his desitre to make signings early, to give the maximum chance to play together in the friendlies, and to learn each other''s strenghts and weaknesses.

2) I haven''t checked, but my impression and memory is that with exceptions, like grinding out the result against Charlton, generally we were not playing quite as well at the end as we were mid-season. In fact, I think that it could have been a more closely run thing if other top six teams hadn''t played each other in the run-in or gone off the boil themselves to some extent.

[NCFC4LIFE 0]

[quote user="RichT - The Biscuit"]I genuinely believe that the only one of those that will start will be Martin (my view).

I think Centre Half pairing will be Whitbread and Ward, I know Whitbread has taken a bit of stick but you don''t buy someone who isn''t fit during a season unless you see something in them!

Re Korey, excellent last year but he made it his position because he didn''t have much competition for the place, now he does (still think he''s good enough though)

And finally, as for Drury, I love his commitment and his defending, but he''s not getting any younger, he''s pretty awful going forward and injury-prone, time to move over and let someone else have a go and Steven Smith is clearly that man, you don''t play for Rangers in the Champions League unless you''re a good player![/quote]

Drury will start at left back without a doubt, if fit Drury starts

every

day for me. Absoloute class last season.

GK-Ruddy

LB-Drury

CB-WardCB-Whitbread

RB- Craine/MartinLCM-SurmanCM-Fox/CroftRMC-K.Smith AMC-

HoolahanCF-HoltCF-Martin/JacksonMartin deserves a start

against Watfrord, he has worked hard for his opportunity. Has done

League 2 with Luton scored goals, with Norwich in League 1. I strongly

believe he will in the championship.

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

We have to keep trying to improve, if Lambert thinks the players from last season will do a job they will feature.

The signings have come in early enough to play a full pre-season and settle in nut whats to say he won''t stick with the players who did the business last season and make the new players have to force their way into the side?

[ZiggyPiggy 0]

Hey DionDublin=LegendI like your username and avatar - have you seen this?  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Dube-by-Dion-Dublin/275672502307?ref=ts

[Rodger 0]

Just remember that Lambet did''nt have much chance to bring in his own players last season. If he can work sucesfully around players that may not be too his liking he can surely do even better with players of his own this season ! Have faith.