The Inquest Now The Dust Has Settled

[Tricky]

I have to admit that I get a bit annoyed at the widely accepted perception on this forum that every team should strive to play possession football and that the only reason for a team not doing that is because they don't have players that are good enough. I strongly disagree with that perception. There are lots of good teams in Europe with great players that chose not to play possession based football and have great success following a different tactical model.

I agree possession does not always equate to winning football matches but the teams that do consistently win tend to have more possession, especially over a period of time. One of our problems this season was winning matches at home where we were expected to break teams down. We lacked the quality to do that. To step up we need to be more confident in possession and we need quality additions for that.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there JBH. We were never ruthless enough at home and did much better away. It was always perceived we played better away from home because there was less pressure from the fans. This could be strongly discounted if we consider away teams playing at the WFCG often set up to defend and stifle our attacking threat, often with a high press.  We were never really able to break teams down that defended in numbers and it was often us that was caught out with the sucker punch on the counter attack.
We never set up to attack the opposition but to hit them on the counter, which was highly successful away from home, when the opposition were expected to come at us, but to do it in our own backyard, with the fans wanting to get behind the side and roar them on, seems so pointless (and often was!).
Inconsistency was one key element we sadly lacked. We could blow Leeds out of the water one week, then completely crash out three days later against Charlton. We beat Cardiff at their place then struggled to get a 2-2 draw at a very poor Middlesborough and then after that took a 0-3 tonking at home to Millwall. This was with more or less the same starting 11. Yes there was the odd injury to contend with, but not to the point the entire side should've been affected as it was. Players would turn up one week, then have an off day the next. Strangely though, it wasn't just the odd player that would have an off day but the entire side!
We do need more quality, and as hard as it is to say it, I think we need to be finding back up for Lolley. His position is vital and if he is out injured or he doesn't show up, we struggle. Sadly, he struggles with Shin Splints, which means there will always be the likelihood of him not playing. He can go missing in games, especially when teams are high pressing us. That then cuts off the supply to Grabban as well. 
But it's not just Lolley, it is the entire squad. I think the back 5 have been very impressive over the course of the season until after the re-start, then they seemed more nervous and less confident than they were. Why? What happened that suddenly changed not just the performance of our defence but their confidence and ability?
Sabri, if he maintains his job, has a lot of hard work to do between now and the second week in September to get this squad of players firing on all cylinders again. He also needs to make sure the aquisitions panel support him totally during this transfer window.