A decent performance yesterday, and 2 new players who must be starters, so a result on the player front then. However we still have a lot of **** in the locker that nobody wants, a president who likes his own voice so we never know if a player is coming in or not, or even someone like Benny who seems to have done a good job has been sacked or binned it. President said a few days ago that we would be getting another 5 or 6 players in, but doesn't look like it. So after seeing what you've seen, can we be better than last season. Is this team an improvement over last years failures, will our kids pull us through, will Hunt or Morison win player of the season. Over to you, where will we finish as it stands now without any more ins and outs?
We are very short on central defenders, the team will not score enough goals, as it stands right now at this moment we still haven't enough to pull us out the bottom 6 I seriously hope I am wrong and I hope we pull in another couple of decent signings this week. As it stands we will not beat Millwall on the opening day and as I see them as a bottom 6 team as well then if we don't beat them then it will be a very long hard season. For me we were so far short last season we needed at least six signings who would be name first down on the team sheet. Ross left so make that seven, Pearce, Berardi/Byram, Bianchi and it ends there.
As it stands now :- Benedicic is training at Elland Rd. Should be a formality Viviani deal definitely off Carbone has gone. Official word is family reasons, but he and Cellino had a big falling out.
Our defence looks stronger this season, but there's no backup atm. Midfield is much improved too, but again, the backup is questionable. I'm not so sure on the striking department. A lot of if's, but's & maybe's. I agree that we probably will not score a lot of goals with the team as-is. I think we'll do far better than bottom 6, even with this squad. We only scored 59 goals last season. Goalscorers were not the problem, it was setting up chances IMO. We now have Byram, Taylor & Berardi who are fast down the channels can get a good cross in. Bianchi looks very good & seems to be very able when picking a pass, so I'm optimistic that we may score a few more than last season. I'm also convinced that we'll lose far less goals, not only because the defence looks solid-ish now, but because we seem to be playing for each other now.
We are definitely better off than last season. For one thing, we're now playing proper footy with the ball spending more time on the floor or in the air as a result of a measured pass or decent cross. We also have a number of the kids coming through and that's before we include Mowatt whis getting back to fitness. It will take time for the Hock to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together & we could even lose on Saturday. But in the long run, we will end up a decent side
As it stands Cellino has £9m (after Cardiff's cut) from McCormack's sale and all of it needs to be spent on new players. All this about the money will be put towards buying back the ground is bollocks, because he said that was his intention whilst also saying McCormack would not be sold. So if he didn't need McCormack's money then for ground repurchase why does he need it now? Having said that I'd say the present side is slightly weaker than last season, but would only take three or four shrewd acquisitions to improve it significantly. Money needs to be spent though.
Just a quick question - If there was a prize for guessing where our goals will come from (as it stands now) what would your guesses be?? Remembering we look like playing 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 so two 20 goal strikers isn't likely and you would be mental to believe Hunt or Morison would bag us 20 I will be slightly more generous than I believe: Smith 20 Dukara 12 Bianchi 7 Benedicic 7 Austin 6 (penalties) Murphy 4 Defenders 5 61 goals absolute maximum as I see it. I would hope we would concede less but I don't believe we will lose less games, instead of 5-0 and 4-0 it will be 2-0 and 1-0 I haven't included Hunt or Morison because if either played who would you leave out of the squad: Smith, Dukara, Bianchi, Benedicic, Austin and Murphy give us the 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 Hopefully Cellino will go out and buy us a 20+ goal striker this week and Smith can be that impact sub as I honestly do not believe he has 20 goals and an entire season in him like Ross did last term
We are in a far better setup than last season when we were heading to oblivion under a bunch of penniless shysters that hadn't a pot to piss in. We've got an owner who knows the game, will only accept success and will ruffle feathers to get what he wants. Add to that, were so far playing a better type of football, actually on the ground which everyone has been clambering for. The rebuilding is continuing, with seemingly proper players joining. However the focus with some on twitter for example, is on who we haven't signed. Thumbs up here so far
Think the midfielders would get maybe 30 between them, Smith perhaps about 10 but mainly from the bench. Doukara if used as a lone striker could end up top scorer with about 15, Pearce and Byram around 10 between them. So that's 65 but until we sign some quality at the back to replace Wootton I can see us conceding about the same. Should have a goal difference of at least +3 after the first game though
We are stronger than last season as it stands now imo. Think Doukara 15, Smith 10, New Striker 15, Bianchi 10, Milan Kid 8, Austin 6, Murphy 7, Defenders 8, Plus if more mids in who knows how many they will get
Guys I can't argue with any of that, because it seems to be true, factual and fairly obvious .... as it stands now. So saying that we must also deduce that the Hock is doing a better job than BMcD simply because we're playing football, and the players who have left are being replaced by new players who are already doing better than them. Obvious shortfall on the striker front but imagine the Duke could be a big find, and Smith scoring (If we use wide men) Dawson, Byram and cook playing significant roles along with Murphy and I would still prefer to see young Robbie getting a chance instead of Poleon. But as it stands this is what we have and I hope we don't see Hunt again
That would mean us playing with 12 players If we play two strikers then one of those midfield players would have to be dropped
Is Hockaday better than McD? McD picked his own players and yes the majority were useless, Hockaday is using players and a formation instructed by Cellino's purchases Cellino hasn't spent much, if Hockaday had the same purchasing power who would he have attracted? Guess we shall never know
Not sure how you think Doukara will get 15 goals in a season when he has only score 6 goals in his entire career?
Guess it's because he's now going to be playing against a few clubs of a very lowly stature now. Like Nilwall.
Its called clutching at straws How on earth this lot think they are better off is beyond me Doukara will be lucky to get 5 and maybe Morison 5 now that Holloway has trimmed him up a bit still 20 down in my book......and thats using 2 players for 1
