Is Our Squad Stronger Or Weaker Than Last Season

[zicorice]

Start of the season I said we were better balanced but weaker, looking at it now I'd say we're batter balanced but, being honest, not that much stronger in terms of personel. Sow & Colback is much of a muchness and the frontline is too. GK is the only area I'd say we've definitely improved, Ribero looks a great buy but Robinson has been fine too, and I also think we've lost more than we give credit for in Osborn & Appiah.

The real revelation has been in Mouch getting the most from players already here. Cash, Daws, Worall, Watson etc. All players who were availble last season, plenty of which many would have been happy to have had bombed out.

Twice now I have had to agree with much of what you posted Alf. I remember stating that I wanted to vote don't know. 
The truth is odd. Watson has been collosal this year, where as last year he was in and out. A fit Dawson has made a big difference  (up until his injury of course). Where I do disagree is that I think we jave a significant upgrade at Left back. Robinson is ok and last year was good. Riberio looks the business (so far).
I also stated I would wait until end of December before I fully passed judgement and although I feel stupidly optimistic by recent standards,I stand by this....too many false dawns.

Not so sure now! Easy to be a smartarse after the event, but it is a slog and those winter months can find you out.

[PsychoStanleyStone]

maybe the question should of been: Will The Treatment Room Contain More Bodies By This December Than December Last Year? or alternately 'Will this squad come into and go out of form quicker than last years?'

Rivers Deeper or Mountains Higher?

I guess the outlay was massive to us people in the street but in footballing ambition terms the outlay in the summer was extremely modest and in the end resulted in a massive profit on sales versus incomings.

[Alf]

Start of the season I said we were better balanced but weaker, looking at it now I'd say we're batter balanced but, being honest, not that much stronger in terms of personel. Sow & Colback is much of a muchness and the frontline is too. GK is the only area I'd say we've definitely improved, Ribero looks a great buy but Robinson has been fine too, and I also think we've lost more than we give credit for in Osborn & Appiah.

The real revelation has been in Mouch getting the most from players already here. Cash, Daws, Worall, Watson etc. All players who were availble last season, plenty of which many would have been happy to have had bombed out.

Twice now I have had to agree with much of what you posted Alf. I remember stating that I wanted to vote don't know. 
The truth is odd. Watson has been collosal this year, where as last year he was in and out. A fit Dawson has made a big difference  (up until his injury of course). Where I do disagree is that I think we jave a significant upgrade at Left back. Robinson is ok and last year was good. Riberio looks the business (so far).
I also stated I would wait until end of December before I fully passed judgement and although I feel stupidly optimistic by recent standards,I stand by this....too many false dawns.

Not so sure now! Easy to be a smartarse after the event, but it is a slog and those winter months can find you out.

You're spot on tho Zic. A good first team can get you to Dec, but a good squad is what's needed to go up.

I stand by what I said from day 1 with this squad, better balanced but weaker. Colback's reliability went underrated. Sow's a cracking player when he plays, but he's only played half the games. Yeah they're different types of players, but I reckon we'd have more points this past month with Colback here rather than Sow.

[zicorice]

Start of the season I said we were better balanced but weaker, looking at it now I'd say we're batter balanced but, being honest, not that much stronger in terms of personel. Sow & Colback is much of a muchness and the frontline is too. GK is the only area I'd say we've definitely improved, Ribero looks a great buy but Robinson has been fine too, and I also think we've lost more than we give credit for in Osborn & Appiah.

The real revelation has been in Mouch getting the most from players already here. Cash, Daws, Worall, Watson etc. All players who were availble last season, plenty of which many would have been happy to have had bombed out.

Twice now I have had to agree with much of what you posted Alf. I remember stating that I wanted to vote don't know. 
The truth is odd. Watson has been collosal this year, where as last year he was in and out. A fit Dawson has made a big difference  (up until his injury of course). Where I do disagree is that I think we jave a significant upgrade at Left back. Robinson is ok and last year was good. Riberio looks the business (so far).
I also stated I would wait until end of December before I fully passed judgement and although I feel stupidly optimistic by recent standards,I stand by this....too many false dawns.

Not so sure now! Easy to be a smartarse after the event, but it is a slog and those winter months can find you out.

You're spot on tho Zic. A good first team can get you to Dec, but a good squad is what's needed to go up.

I stand by what I said from day 1 with this squad, better balanced but weaker. Colback's reliability went underrated. Sow's a cracking player when he plays, but he's only played half the games. Yeah they're different types of players, but I reckon we'd have more points this past month with Colback here rather than Sow.

It's important to not dwell on past though (We are good at that though) but hopefully learn from it. Sow is a monster, but has the longest hammy injury ever. I truly hope he comes back fit and bosses it for the rest of the season. I'd have Colback back in a flash. Last season Watson struggled, but the way he is playing now and the system we play would really suit him as an 8.

I still don't know if our squad is any better, but we are having a strangely symetrical season as last year thus far. This time though our main two play makers are not as influential as they had been up to this point. I said right at the start of the season we would need Norwich style luck with injuries and suspensions. Instead it's been a bit difficult with a brain dead suspension just when we needed the player most.

Hopefully good additions in Jan and better luck with injuries will propel us up the league.

[ozzyten10]

Do the same things get the same results.
Keeper - upgrade
Cash - surprising upgrade
Lolley - not the same player as last year
No support for grabban
Rest is the same...

[Duncan Mckenzie]

We have a chance in 2 weeks to put it right when the window opens.

It's not too late, the season is still well and truely alive for us.

Over to Modesto, Anigo, Dourekas and Sabri...

[Alf]

Start of the season I said we were better balanced but weaker, looking at it now I'd say we're batter balanced but, being honest, not that much stronger in terms of personel. Sow & Colback is much of a muchness and the frontline is too. GK is the only area I'd say we've definitely improved, Ribero looks a great buy but Robinson has been fine too, and I also think we've lost more than we give credit for in Osborn & Appiah.

The real revelation has been in Mouch getting the most from players already here. Cash, Daws, Worall, Watson etc. All players who were availble last season, plenty of which many would have been happy to have had bombed out.

Twice now I have had to agree with much of what you posted Alf. I remember stating that I wanted to vote don't know. 
The truth is odd. Watson has been collosal this year, where as last year he was in and out. A fit Dawson has made a big difference  (up until his injury of course). Where I do disagree is that I think we jave a significant upgrade at Left back. Robinson is ok and last year was good. Riberio looks the business (so far).
I also stated I would wait until end of December before I fully passed judgement and although I feel stupidly optimistic by recent standards,I stand by this....too many false dawns.

Not so sure now! Easy to be a smartarse after the event, but it is a slog and those winter months can find you out.

You're spot on tho Zic. A good first team can get you to Dec, but a good squad is what's needed to go up.

I stand by what I said from day 1 with this squad, better balanced but weaker. Colback's reliability went underrated. Sow's a cracking player when he plays, but he's only played half the games. Yeah they're different types of players, but I reckon we'd have more points this past month with Colback here rather than Sow.

It's important to not dwell on past though (We are good at that though) but hopefully learn from it. Sow is a monster, but has the longest hammy injury ever. I truly hope he comes back fit and bosses it for the rest of the season. I'd have Colback back in a flash. Last season Watson struggled, but the way he is playing now and the system we play would really suit him as an 8.

I still don't know if our squad is any better, but we are having a strangely symetrical season as last year thus far. This time though our main two play makers are not as influential as they had been up to this point. I said right at the start of the season we would need Norwich style luck with injuries and suspensions. Instead it's been a bit difficult with a brain dead suspension just when we needed the player most.

Hopefully good additions in Jan and better luck with injuries will propel us up the league.

Yeah agreed mate.

SOD, Davies, Pearce, Warbs, AK, now Mouch. We'll always fall victim to the boom, dip, bust pattern until we ourselves change that pattern. No manager is gonna get us up unless they're given the time + money/players to do it.

I'm not shocked one bit Lolley's form dipped. If anything I've been amazed Grabbans hasn't. Few players nail brilliant back to back seasons, and when you change manager some players improve, others flounder.

If we do it again any time soon we haven't learned a thing. Even if Mouch leaves voluntarily we the club have put ourselves in that position by giving him such a short contract.

[Duncan Mckenzie]

After work in the January window I am certain that our squad will be better/stronger at the end of this season than it was at the end of last season.

Remember how much dross we had to get rid of in the summer and how many players we had to bring in. One window was never going to be enough.

A little more patience is required.

[the jock]

Since karanka took charge he wanted to improve our attacking capabilities  . We have signed plenty since but haven't really done it.
Dias
Goncalves
Carvalho
Soudani
Adomah
Bonatini
Arnsarifard (i would have kept)
Mir
Silva (based as a number 10 doesn't do enough)
Ameobi - average at best track record. Has done ok.

If we keep going with these signings we won't accomplish much.

[Derby My Arse]

After work in the January window I am certain that our squad will be better/stronger at the end of this season than it was at the end of last season.

Remember how much dross we had to get rid of in the summer and how many players we had to bring in. One window was never going to be enough.

A little more patience is required.

At last some common sense.

[Alf]

Since karanka took charge he wanted to improve our attacking capabilities  . We have signed plenty since but haven't really done it.
Dias
Goncalves
Carvalho
Soudani
Adomah
Bonatini
Arnsarifard (i would have kept)
Mir
Silva (based as a number 10 doesn't do enough)
Ameobi - average at best track record. Has done ok.

If we keep going with these signings we won't accomplish much.

I would say that Silva's tasked with coming deep & battling a fair but, so I see him as a decent signing. And Ameobi has our most creative player this year, so a great freebie.

But I totally agree with your overall point. In general we're awful at signing creativity.

To add insult to injury, that lot cost us over 16m in transfer fees.

Shocking, absolutely shocking.

[Derby My Arse]

It's not shocking it's football. It happens at every club. Some signings work out and some don't.

How about heaping a bit of praise.

13m for Burke great business.
15m or whatever it was for Assombolonga great business.
8m for Brereton great business.
Signing Samba great business.
Signing Grabban great business.
Signing Lolley great business.
Figs is looking good.
Ribero is looking good.
Ameobi on a free has been good.
Silva is doing well.
Worrall, Cash and Yates all doing really well.

There is plenty to be positive about you miserable gits.