Is Our Squad Stronger Or Weaker Than Last Season

[zicorice]

I’ve watched enough friendlies to know they aren’t the same as competitive matches, but you can still glean something of how a player performs.

Semedo is a big upgrade on Yates because he can pass a ball. Yates is good off the ball but can’t pass. I know he didn’t need to in a MON team, but we need a box to box player who can in a SM team.

Silva can receive a ball when close marked and keep it. His vision is good. He’s also always looking to split the defence with a pass. He’s tough too. I’ll be surprised if he isn’t a hit in this league.


6 days to go in the transfer market. We will be busy.

Going to have to agree to disagree on a few of your points.

We dont yet know if Semedo will be any kind of upgrade yet, let's not forget Yates walked off with 3 MOTM awards in his first three games and was the the epitome of a box to box player. He was certainly never bullied or intimated and could put his foot in, all important characteristics in the Championship-especially when we get into the winter. Yates had a dip and didn't show the range of passing or midfield dominance he has shown in loan spells at lower levels, but it's in his locker and I believe will come.

Silva also looks promising, but I would argue any professional footballer can receive and keep a ball under the minimal pressure they were under in the preseason games. Time and space were plentiful, there were very few meaningful tackles and Ben Watson (good player, I'm not having a go) looked like Pirlo in those conditions.

 If 3 or even 4 of our signings are "hits" then we could be in for a very good season indeed, but when we need to scrap our way to a 1-0 away win at Millwall or Preston with our backs to the wall the likes of Yates will be crucial to accumulating the points we need.

As I say not having a go, just years of seeing our scatter gun approach to transfers resulting in more misses than hits, not to mention those who flatter to deceive in the sunshine. (Goes all the way back to Petrachi who tore Walsall apart early on then....).

At the end of this season, I truly hope we are lauding Semedo, Silva, Sow, Muric, Riberia et al as the signings that finally took us up. No one will be happier than me, but it is a complete unknown right now and is why I genuinely don't know if our squad is stronger or weaker than last year-only time and results will tell.

If only every professional footballer could comfortably receive a ball with players around him and keep it. We seem to have missed out on them in recent years. 

As I acknowledged, Yates was good with the off the ball stuff, which suited MON’s agricultural long ball approach, but we need players who can also pass a ball in SM’s approach. Yates may have looked better in the lower leagues but he has a lot to learn to be a Championship standard midfielder.

I agree, we will only know for sure once the season begins, but I’m hopeful based on what I’ve seen in the friendlies. We finished top 10 last season and we have replaced the two Portuguese flops with Adomah, who’s an experienced campaigner in this league, and Ameobi who can’t be any worse.

Personally, I’m most excited about Silva and Semedo.

I take no satisfaction from Silva performing exactly as I feared he might today. He will clearly need time to get up to speed. Semedo grew into game, Albert steady, Muric did a great impession of Pascolo.
Plenty of time, but with our owner they need to get up to speed pretty quick.
Yates is young and I agree has lots to learn, but he knows that better than anyone and I would personally like to see him learn it here. At every level he has played from National League up he has grown into a top player.
Today Colback was really missed in midfield imho.