All ten points raised are factors to some greater or lesser degree, but they make it sound like you're Huddersfield and not the team in 3rd place in the PL and Q-F of the CL!! It's not that bad! However, it does highlight that when you want to compete for the major two trophies, any small weaknesses can be magnified. 1 & 2 are certainly major factors. The top two have had more options; City are able to rotate their players regularly and give rests to those players who need them because their squad is so big and there are 17-18 players who are of sufficient quality. It's very hard to compete against that when you don't have the same squad depth/quality. It becomes an issue at this stage of the season and games come thick and fast when players have already been playing 40+ games over the last 7 months. Games end up being prioritised - even if it's only subconsciously - because players can't manage to perform at their best all the time.
Has to be defender or MF (the only positions where interaction with the great majority of the team on-pitch is possible) .
From the players we have at the moment, I think Sissoko is the only one who could possibly do that role. I was hoping Dier would get there, but his spacial awareness is not good enough.
People are only half accepting this now because Poch has said it. I'ts been obvious since we finished 2nd. This is our ceiling...we don't do past semi finals and we don't show the ambition to challenge top spot. It's not because some of us want to see us parading a League cup like many would have us believe either It's because the on field ambition of the owners is obvious...talking about leagues and Champ leagues yet going on like we are the only financially fragile club in existence in the top flight. I'm shocked that fans don't realise Levy's Utopian world won't be up and running until the stadium is paid off. Then I won't be surprised if he sells us to someone that comes under a description most of you baulk at. For me the buck stops at the owners....Poch and the players can't do no more. Levy knows when he's pulled a keeper...now he's promising Poch a lavish wedding...when the reality is it's a registration office at best...we've seen it before. I for one will be saying I told you so if Poch leaves or we become like Arsenal.. we will then see who supports Levy and who supports the badge.
I am sorry for my flippant response earlier I had only just read a comment on Southampton thread and was still slightly astounded by it. I think most things have been covered by the excellent posters here. But for my 2 penneth. I am not sure any of us saw Trippier falling quite so far, from a promising first season as number one and an excellent world cup to the liability he has been this year. Rose has never quite regained the form of 2 seasons ago and both should be moved on this summer. But its the Dembele sized whole in our midfield that is the biggest problem he gave us control and not just in big matches.Even though that was diminished this season he was still an influence in the matches he played and the trouble is he was unique no other player in the league plays like Dembele and it is that In my opinion that makes us easier to play against. Sissoko and Winks have tried manfully to replace him and Moussa in particular has filled the hole better than any enough imagined he would, but he is still an easier player to negate in the centre than old Mousa was. I think that 2 years ago Wanyama was earmarked to take his role and was starting to play more like him as that season progressed, but his injuries have put pay to that as well. We should have had options lined up and for whatever reason he has moved on without being replaced and now we are a man short and its showing.
Yep. Three years ago was the only time I actually felt we had what it took to win a title. Leicester kicked on, we didn’t, the rest is history. From there we needed to kick on - to progress, take that last step up. Instead, we’ve slowly regressed since then. It’s not rocket science, it’s a lack of investment and a lack of foresight. Neither of which is excusable.
I’d say the season after that we looked better, when we finished second to Chelsea. Was unbeaten at WHL too. But yeah, since then, we’ve seemingly regressed. So much needs to be done now though that it’s more or less a guarantee we’ll be left disappointed (again) once the summer window is shut.
We were much better that season. But since then we've been at Wembley and had a proper go at the CL. Taking all competitions and allowing for Wembley I don't think we've regressed.
We’ve definitely regressed. I’m not discarding Wembley as I know that’s more than played its part but too many players have become stale. We’ve lost our bite as a team and injuries plus age has seen a number of players decline in ability; Dembele, Wanyama, Lloris, Rose and Lamela being prime examples, not forgetting Trippier who’s had an awful season. The 16/17 versions of these players would wipe the floor with the current 18/19 versions.
I could do with some calm discussion, given I've spent the past week gazing into the abyss that is Michael Jackson fanboys and their demented response to Leaving Neverland...
Agreed. How anybody can think that this squad hasn’t regressed is beyond me. We’ve lost the pace of Walker and Rose on the flanks. The midfield base that Dembele, and a fit Wanayama and Dier gave us. We were altogether a more solid, compact side 2-3 years ago, as our goals conceded shows. In 16/17 we conceded 26 goals in 38. So far we’ve conceded 32 in 30.
Wembley has been an enormous disbenefit. If you look just at our away matches we got 33 points two seasons ago, 34 last season and already have 33 this season with 3 matches to go. That is very strong evidence that we are not regressing and that Wembley is the issue. When you also note that we didn't get past the CL group stage two seasons ago, won the group last season and are in the QFs this season, it is actually clear that we are improving.
All these facts are lovely an’all that, and do carry some weight, no doubt But at the same time, I’m also watching a team this season who have been really boring for the most part, and in terms of footballing quality, look like they’ve regressed. We definitely scraped a fair few results this season, with out playing well, which doesn’t seem to be happening at the moment. So I’m keen to see how these stats will look after all 38 games have been played.
Wembley is only part of the issue only. There no doubt in my mind that we have regressed for the reasons given. Plus the evidence of my own eyes tells me that we are not the compact unit we were. We’ve sneaked several narrow wins this season and have now lost 9 games. We may have a better away record - although that’s going down the pan recently - but our home record is not good. Yes, I know it’s wembley, but we did better last year. In 15/16 we lost 6. 16/17 - 4. 17/18 - 7. That tells its own story.
And by the time we’ve played the last 8, which includes Liverpool and City, it’s going to be at least 11. Bloody good job we’ve won all but 1 of the others!
Last year Wembley was mostly pretty full and buzzing. This year it's been less than half full sometimes. If you take Wembley out of the equation by looking at CL (where we played at Wembley every year to mostly full grounds) and away games then our results are improving year on year.
I've learned to trust facts ahead of my own opinions. One reason I like Levy and Poch is that they seem to do the same.
Our CL results have improved as we’ve slowly gotten used to how to cope with CL football. Realised that teams like Barca and Real are beatable. That comes with familiarisation with the CL. Something we’ve achieved, but quite possibly not for next season the way we’re playing. Whether moving to the new stadium will improve our home record, we will have to wait and see. However, our squad needs investment, reinforcement and replacement or we’ll regress to where we came from - a top half finisher.
