Is the current team better than the one that got relegated?

[Mendoza]

i like watching long balls flying up the pitch and little leon trying out jump a 6ft4 defender. its rather amusing

of course we were a better football team last season, but it seems we are more effective this.

you have to weigh up playing well or winning games, entertainment or effectiveness - i think im JUST in the winning games catagory

last season we had some barnstorming performances - but never won them, this season we've played crap all season (apart from 4 games) but won more games.

mcghee seems to be in the camp "do we need to play keep ball and pass it around, when we can get it forward as quick as possible" this method seemed to work wonders for teams like watford, rotherham, walsall, stoke, derby, wimbledon and kept them from relegation

 

[Yoda]

How many more time's are you going to change your avater this month Brett?

 

[Beach Hut]

No not nearly as good as relegation one IMHO.

 

[Mendoza]

How many more time's are you going to change your avater this month Brett?

ive always been looking for one of the pink kit, now i have found it

superted, chef and the flying pig are no more - surley this is the best one

 

[Happy Seagull]

This current team had to really grind out a 2-0 result against Hartlepool on Sat, last seasons team demolished Wolves 4-1. I know who my money's on.

I also agree we're getting results without playing well. This team does have great potential though A few of the current squad dumped and a couple of new faces next season and we could be a great side again

 

[goldstone]

Nice to see a good and interesting thread about football and with some excellent views being aired.

Agree that this team is not as good as last season's the main reasons being the loss of Zamora, Brooker, Blackwell, Rodger and Ingermarsson. That's five! However, now that we have a manager who is making his mark I believe we can get promoted, but to stay up we would need the following:
A left back. I'm impressed with Harding, but not sure he would be ready to step up to Div 1. Good squad player though. Mayo's future I have to question.
A central defender to strengthen the squad, unless Blackwell can regain his fitness and form.
Three midfielders (or two if Rodger is back to his best). Chippy will be fine, Charlie we know from last season will not, Gary will be a squad player, Jones questionable.
Possibly another striker. Iwelumo if we keep him will do well, so will Leon if he gives 100% every game. McPhee I have my doubts about for Div 1. Jake will continue to progress.

I think that's about four players minimum.

 

[Zebedee]

watson was better last year than he was this year.

But he was still very poor in both years.

 

[saltash seagull]

The team was definately better last season and if we'd had leon up there with bobby instead of him wasting away at sheff wed we'd still be in division 1 now even with the bad start.but the current team has got a lot of potential if we can keep the man part of it togeather and add some quality new faces.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Essentially, last season's team was a better one because the players we brought in are all ones who could play good football, who had excellent technique, even the defenders, Blackwell and Ingimarsson, who forced the others (Mayo, Hart, Jones etc.) to up their game.
Plus, other existing players found their level, where they were able to play the way they are capable of (Bozzie and Zamora)
This year, we've lost the majority of our midfield for various reasons, and have struggled to find a partnership up front - let's be honest, what decent service has Leon had? Not that which he would have got last year from Sidwell, Brooker, a fit Rodger, and on-form Mayo and Watson (relatively)

 

[Falmer Dream]

And his column in the Argus was miles better than Nathan 'i'll talk about the Brazilians and Del Bosque every week in some context' Jones

What really annoyed me was when he took the mick out of our best young player one week (which I thought was appalling), then asked fans to lay off David Lee a week later. If you're talking about bottle, ability and potential between the 2 players mentioned, there is not even a debate.

 

[Icy Gull]

Interesting opinions. I'm not convinced that a half fit and latterly half interested Zamora and barn door Barrett is a better combination than Iwelumo and Leon.

Midfield - something drastic needs to be done if we go up, at least three players

Defence- The youngsters have made the step up from the youth and reserve team to the 1st team, can you be sure that they won't make the next step up given their apparent ability and the fact that we would be talking about surviving not being promotion contenders. Yes they would make costly mistakes but as long as they were encouraged and supplemented by a Morgan/Blackwell/Ivar type central defender they would quickly learn. I thought our full backs were appaling in div 1, yes kerry improved but he was regularly skinned for pace, would the current fullbacks have the same problem.

Maybe a somewhat optimistic view but I'd rather see the potential unfold than sign Coppell type short term fixes, should we be fortunate enough to go up and feel that with the right additions they would thrive and surpass last years team .

 

[king Wombat]

i think the current tactics kind of show our talent at the moment. ie hoofing the ball, thereby bypassing our very mediocre midfield, and hoping for mistakes from the opposition defence which our little and large partnership can utilise..

defo last seasons, i think we would need at least 5 new players next year to stand a hope in hell of surviving.

 

[fatboy]

No Rodger Blackwell Ingirmarsson Sidwell Brooker Zamora Beasant Rougier Kuipers Webb

Knight, Benjamin and Iwelumo have made a positive difference.

We would be marginally better than Franchis had we been in Div 1.

 

[London Irish]

I find it impossible to make the call between the 2 sides, I think the loan players that Coppell brought in last season did make a big difference, but I would put both teams roughly on a par if you remove the Hinshelwood aberration period.

What I would argue against is the assumption that necessarily Coppell's more passing team is better than McGhee's direct football one. I don't agree with that at all, that's just a little bit of snobbery against our current style of play, which may not be pretty, but is pretty effective.

To play the kind of direct football we do successfully is not an easy or a soft option, you need a very sound defence and very dangerous attackers for it to be effective - and that's what we have currently. I think many other teams we play in Division 2 would play this way too but they don't have the right kind of players for it to work - we do! Credit to McGhee for figuring this out.

To play a more passing style of game would require a massive overhaul of the squad, perhaps replacing nearly all the midfield and a good chunk of the defence. I don't think that is going to happen in the close season.

Our objective next season will be the same one as the Hinshelwood/Coppell one, survival with a place somewhere in the bottom eight or nine teams. Whereas we failed last season, next season I am confident that McGhee's current players could do it even with just a few squad additions.

Whatever people think, the bottom half of the Nationwide One is not Serie A or La Liga, our direct football will not be found out there at all. It will give us the points we need for survival. A defence led by Cullip will still keep games tight, and Knight and the Withdean factor will still get the goals that will sneak us the modest amount of wins we need.

To progress beyond that and make a meaningful impact in the higher reaches of Division 1 probably would require a big squad overhaul, but we are getting WAY ahead of ourselves there, a few 17th places in Division 1 which Pompey occupied for so many years is the ideal bridgehead for us to build from when Falmer arrives.

 

[Marshy]

Were a long way of last seasons side in my book.
Several class additions would be required, 4 or 5 perhaps.

 

[On the Left Wing]

Difficult to call ...

The loss of Zamora is immense and (despite criticisms elsewhere on this board) the loss of Brooker has also created a vacuum in the team. In addition - despite their age - Blackwell and Rodger gave us options which we are currently missing. To me Rodger is the most serious loss as it has deprived our midfield of its heart. We must also remember that we had Sidwell and that Icelandic centre back last season on loan.

The plus side now is the unexpected scoring prowess of Knight and Iwelumo. I believe the two of them could forge a tremendous partnership next season, capable of scoring between 35 and 40 goals. The emergence of Jake Robinson and the development of Chris McPhee, Dan Harding and Adam Virgo are also positives.

But the gaps elsewhere lead me to conclude that the team is weaker all round than it was this time last year. But if the youngsters continue to develop we could have a tremendous outfit.

As I say .... difficult to call

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

Great debate: instinctively I have to favour the 03 team against the current line-up but have just done the following best 11 and it is a marginal decision.

Roberts (04)

Virgo (04) Cullip (Both) Blackwell/Ingermarrson ( either 03) El Abd/Virgo (either 04)

Brooker (03) Chip (Both) Sidwell (03) Rodger (03)

Knight (04) Zamora (03)

03: 5
04: 4
Both: 2

This also highlights the fact that the current weakness is midfield, whichever way you cut it.

 

[Locky]

Difficult to call ...

The loss of Zamora is immense and (despite criticisms elsewhere on this board) the loss of Brooker has also created a vacuum in the team. In addition - despite their age - Blackwell and Rodger gave us options which we are currently missing. To me Rodger is the most serious loss as it has deprived our midfield of its heart. We must also remember that we had Sidwell and that Icelandic centre back last season on loan.

The plus side now is the unexpected scoring prowess of Knight and Iwelumo. I believe the two of them could forge a tremendous partnership next season, capable of scoring between 35 and 40 goals. The emergence of Jake Robinson and the development of Chris McPhee, Dan Harding and Adam Virgo are also positives.

But the gaps elsewhere lead me to conclude that the team is weaker all round than it was this time last year. But if the youngsters continue to develop we could have a tremendous outfit.

As I say .... difficult to call

I agree.....................although you can add to the plus side the fact we will have a decent Manager from the word go.
McGhee Knows the first division and will know what is required for us to stay there.