I said 'No', but I really want us to survive. For me, big squad change is my concern too. I don't think Monk will be able to handle it yet, due to inexperience. Wish he'd been put in as youth coach or something first, to build his experience, as I think he has a future. I can see him being reluctantly let go by Huw at Christmas, or maybe some kind of 'assistant' is brought in for him. I really hope I'm wrong! Maybe I'm just being nervous. Hope I change my mind after some good performances in the first few matches.
Unless a club is nailed on as certainty for a title or promotion every fan in the country is nervous.
So it would seem that a little over 30% of Jacks are worried about our Prem survival. For me the interesting thing is the significant lowering of the target. - Brendan's season in the Prem was our first and we all agreed that survival would be great. - Laudrup's 1st season in the Prem we raised our sights slightly, encouraged by our first season (when we were never really in the thick of the relegation dogfight)...we were looking to move on weaker members of the squad and improve the depth enough to secure our Prem status earlier. We wanted to build towards becoming "established"...I remember doing a thread asking whether our goal should be to try and win a cup. In the end we won a cup and secured our Prem status with 10 games to go. We finished the season owning more players that were desired by other clubs. - Laudrup's 2nd season saw our hopes raised higher again. We hoped for a run in the Europa and another mid table finish....some of us felt we were capable of another top 10 finish....some of us dared to dream of higher still. We got to the last 32 of the Europa. Had a cup run in the FA cup...and were 12th when we sacked Michael Laudrup. It apparently wasn't good enough anymore. - Now we have pre season polls asking "will we survive"....no doubt the question is asked so that a victory, of sorts, can be celebrated if Monk achieves this. I'm sorry but I'm not having that. Having sacked our first manager since Flynn in such a manner as to damage our reputation Worldwide, and the subsequent ripping up of the squad....flogging off proven performers on the cheap in order to settle personality clashes....after all that bullshit about sub standard training and the daily propaganda from Monk and co claiming everything is being improved now that the "inept loser" Laudrup is gone.... I expect Monk to deliver....no ****ing excuses...survival would be going backwards. He needs to back up all his bullshit and deliver a top 10 finish or 40 points with 6+ games to go.
I have put that I think we will survive, but.......that is because if things do start going badly, we will bring in someone else. I have faith in Monk's commitment to the club, I don't however have faith in his ability to manage. I don't know, it just isn't something I am confident with. When Martinez, Rodgers and ML were on the touch line, I felt confident, confident that the guy on the side knew what he was doing, all had history or the philosophy of passing football. I don't get that with Monk, for me Monk is more of an old fashioned type, more of an Alardyce, Pulis type manager, not one with the flair that we need. More of a long ball, 4-4-2, rather than the manager we need to keep our philosophy going. I am not basing this on just the weekend match, I felt the same last season when we were seeing games near the end of last season with us having 30-40% possession and doing nothing with the ball.
Very few of those. Only games under Monk where we had < 40% possession (according to soccerbase.com) were Arsenal away, Chelsea home, and Soton home. The tactics worked well at Arsenal and we nearly won the game if wasn't for the ref. We had Chico sent off early v Chelsea and v Soton we relaxed after securing another season in the Premier League so neither were typicla games. Overall we had 54% possession under Monk.
I meant in the 30's and 40's, so prob should have better worded it as <50% Which you had Sunderland (43), Southampton (39), Villa (47), Chelsea (36). Which was 4 of our last 5 games, which were the games I was referring to as the games near the end of the season. Chelsea were the only team we can justify, the others are no excuse IMO. And even ML was able to keep our possession up against the big clubs, Man City, Everton, Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Man Utd, all over the December/January period, over 50% possession in each of them. Did Monk really change things that much that we drifted from possession football near the end. It is not like we were safe at the time
That was in reference to our passing style of football rather than actual goal scoring and stuff. As for the results, that's fair enough, however Laudrup was sacked because Swansea's principles 'were slowly being eroded'. So what principles are they, our free flowing passing football that got us here? Should we then sack Monk before we end up playing like Cardiff?
expect survival and any higher will be a bonus....we cant ask for anything better than that being one of the minnows of the premiership.
I voted no, as we seem to be at 6's and 7's at the moment with no clear identity (4-5-1, 3-5-2, 4-4-2 ?). There have been too many changes and it will take time for the new players to settle....never mind the other 3-4 we may bring in. Our first 9 games are relatively easy, compared to other seasons, but I don't think we are ready to take advantage. Anything less than 14-15 points will be a disappointment and will be a poor start. I hope Monk does well and can prove his doubters wrong, and I'm one of them. But his lack of experience at this level could be really costly. On top of that, he is starting to come out with utter nonsense in terms of us being 2-3 yrs behind Villareal, so he has the excuses are ready. I just hope that if things are not going well, that the board has the guts to make a change if needs be.....easier said than done though given Monk's standing at the club.
Bookies have us to finish around 12th/13th. Looking at the teams around us I think we will survive just!! Only as long as we sign another CB and dont lose Bony. Any of those dont happen and I fear we will ship too many and not score enough, CB the most important right now as Leon will not feature in the next 3 games and without him our midfield looks weak which in turn will put pressure on our back 4 and Bartley and Amat are just not up to the job.
Well it seems the 'We won't survive" campaign is gaining momentum thanks to a couple of Gunners, a Redtit, and last but not least a QPR poster, there has to be some significance there from a QPR supporter, especially when they propped the table up so well before getting relegated, your in good company I see Terror!.............. At least most Jacks have some intelligence!.............
we have the squad to survive comfortably but should the worst happen then so be it, we will have had a good run punching above our weight......and do you know what......80% of other teams will be thinking the same. there are no guarantees in this league.....don't worry about it what will be will be. My personal view is we will finish in the top half and will have our top players on the wanted list next season and the same topic will arise again....it always does...
"expect survival"???!!! Laudrup had the team in the top half of the table,and you now talk about mere "survival" under Monk. Well,well,some things have changed.
