Strength In Depth - The Big Test

[Bold Seagull]

Mostly correct. I want to see against Cardiff how we react to dropping points in consecutive matches and having Boro breathing down our necks now. If it is with a home defeat then I'll be a bit disappointed.

Yeah of course, I agree it will be gutting to lose, of course it will, but talk of it signalling the strength of our squad isn't going to be up to it, or it being some kind of critical indicator for the season to come strikes me as placing far too much importance on it.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

My analysis of the next seven or so games is that we really need to continue our above 2pts per game run during this period as coming up after that it gets much harder for a few weeks.


After tomorrow, our run of home games to the end of Feb are.....
Bristol City
Preston
MK Dons
Birmingham
Charlton
Boro
Ipswich
Wolves
Huddersfield
Brentford
Bolton
Leeds
12 games, from which you would be disappointed if you didn't win 8 of those. ( The last six at home looks tougher on paper but who knows how those teams will be going then? )

 

[Simster]

Jesus.

Not really sure why you're the one getting exasperated. I was interested to know why you thought it went wrong after Rotherham rather than later, because it seemed to me that we actually had some good fortune in the Wolves game. It was you that replied to that with the pointless one-liner, treating me like an idiot.

Jesus indeed.

 

[Stat Brother]

Getting back to the original point.

By virtue of the fact the team has picked itself, I think we can say strength in depth is a genuine problem.

Uwe/Dunk would appear to be the position in the squad that has a genuine like for like replacement.
I doubt Kayal and Stephens would have been ever presences if there was a serious replacement.
The same going for Bruno & Bong.
We already knew the squad was short of Baldock cover.

The only change in the 'your team v ...' threads has been Rosenior, which has predominately been down to the opposition and venue.

 

[dazzer6666]

Blimey.......seeing phrases like 'all went wrong' at this stage ? Fair enough last season, but now ??! FFS......

 

[Bold Seagull]

Getting back to the original point.

By virtue of the fact the team has picked itself, I think we can say strength in depth is a genuine problem.

Can be an advantage having a small tight squad. Team spirit is cemented to a group that fight for each other, a settled side. Bournemouth achieved this last season. 8 of their squad played 40 or more of their 46 league games. Over the entire season, Howe used a small squad and rotated around these key 8 players.

Our strength in depth is not yet a problem, you are hypothesising events that could lead it to being a genuine problem, but until these events happen, it is looking good right now. We're already adapting to a various changes to the side, and we're still looking good. As earlier comments suggest, you could argue we're unlucky not to be 2 or 4 points better off - that isn't an indicator of a any kind of problem (yet...).

 

[sdmartin1]

Christ, I was very disappointed after the Bolton game as I felt we should have had 4 more points from the past two games, but just because of two away draws I don't think our 'luck is evaportating'. Injuries and suspensions happen in football, no game this early in the season will really determine how well we'll do in forthcoming matches, we just need to do our best with the players we have available and take each games as it comes... We are going to lose at some point.

 

[Stat Brother]

Can be an advantage having a small tight squad. Team spirit is cemented to a group that fight for each other, a settled side. Bournemouth achieved this last season. 8 of their squad played 40 or more of their 46 league games. Over the entire season, Howe used a small squad and rotated around these key 8 players.

Our strength in depth is not yet a problem, you are hypothesising events that could lead it to being a genuine problem, but until these events happen, it is looking good right now. We're already adapting to a various changes to the side, and we're still looking good. As earlier comments suggest, you could argue we're unlucky not to be 2 or 4 points better off - that isn't an indicator of a any kind of problem (yet...).

But that's reliant on the back ups being able to step up.
I'm not so sure the Albion has that luxury.
It's clear the first XI can do the business, maybe even the first XV, but currently that's about it.
The team aren't getting any points if Kayal and Stephens aren't playing, and they're only getting a maximum of 1 without Baldock and Hamed.

The Amex era Albion has seemed to have attracted the phrase 'injury ravaged'.
If that luck has changed along with finally being on the right side of odd goal games then happy days.

Tony will definitely need to break into his piggy bank in January if he wants a realistic chance for promotion.

 

[atomised]

How can you say without the situation having happened, that the team aren't getting any points if kayal and Stephens aren't playing.

 

[Bold Seagull]

But that's reliant on the back ups being able to step up.
I'm not so sure the Albion has that luxury.
It's clear the first XI can do the business, maybe even the first XV, but currently that's about it.
The team aren't getting any points if Kayal and Stephens aren't playing, and they're only getting a maximum of 1 without Baldock and Hamed.

The Amex era Albion has seemed to have attracted the phrase 'injury ravaged'.
If that luck has changed along with finally being on the right side of odd goal games then happy days.

Tony will definitely need to break into his piggy bank in January if he wants a realistic chance for promotion.

Let's see how it goes Stat. You seem to be creating scenarios that haven't happened yet and making assumptions about players coming into a side with a completely different mentality than before. I think we'll see more of Ince this season, I don't buy that he is just a play in a 5 player, Zamora will get fitter and more effective, players like Colunga and Holla who struggled in a struggling side, may prove much more able in an attacking positive confident side.

You seem to be taking a negative view, when it's easy enough to take a positive one.

 

[Bozza]

Our strength in depth is not yet a problem, you are hypothesising events that could lead it to being a genuine problem, but until these events happen, it is looking good right now. We're already adapting to a various changes to the side, and we're still looking good. As earlier comments suggest, you could argue we're unlucky not to be 2 or 4 points better off - that isn't an indicator of a any kind of problem (yet...).

Agreed. Did we have a strong replacement for Bridge, Ward or Bennett? Nope, and they were all pretty much ever-present from what I recall (I can't be arsed to look it up).

The return of Andrew Crofts does give us another viable option in the middle - sooner or later one of Stephens and Kayal will be missing through injury/suspension. Losing both at once would hurt us, but I can't imagine many sides in our division could comfortably lose both their starting central midfielders.

 

[maltaseagull]

Hope this is step one my dream
Step 1 BHA V CARDIFF BHA win

Step 2 England beat Australia in RWC

Step 3 Wales beat Australia in RWC

 

[Stat Brother]

You seem to be taking a negative view, when it's easy enough to take a positive one.

and where's the fun in that?

 

[Silverhatch]

Chris Hughton says today that our two naturally left-sided players are out. Isn't Solly March the most naturally left-sided player in the squad? He only stands on his right foot.

 

[Acker79]

The OP said "following the Bolton game, our good fortune seems to be evaporating" which could be taken, literally, to mean that our luck has only changed since Bolton. It could also mean it changed at Bolton (i.e. after Wolves). I still consider that it changed after Rotherham. Forest missed a penalty as did we that, if both had gone in, would see our lead over Middlesbrough at 5 points.

Had we also held on against Bolton, and the Murphy sending off was clearly a key moment in that game, then we would be 7 points clear of 'boro and 10 (ten) points clear of third place right now.

I've no interest in debating when our luck changed, if indeed it has at all. Everyone agrees we've had an amazing start to the season and some, but maybe not all, will be thinking "...and it could have been even better still."

Jesus.

Normally it annoys me when people sign their posts with their names, but you died for our sins, so I can probably forgive you that one.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Our Lord, the libble beeebeee jeezus appears a few times on this thread.

Stop it

 

[Marshy]

Thankfully the spine of the side has remained intact.

BUt without the creativity of Lua Lua and Murphy it will be interesting to see how we go.

Im pretty optimistic still that March and Rosenior wide will cause Cardiff problems.

 

[el punal]

Hope this is step one my dream
Step 1 BHA V CARDIFF BHA win

Step 2 England beat Australia in RWC

Step 3 Wales beat Australia in RWC

May it all come true!

 

[BensGrandad]

Give Colunga a chance. He wants to prove himself so now is his time.

I would pick him to replace Murphy, if we dont get a loan in, as I feel he could do a better job than March or Manu but doubt CH would agree.

 

[BensGrandad]

Hope this is step one my dream
Step 1 BHA V CARDIFF BHA win

Step 2 England beat Australia in RWC

Step 3 Wales beat Australia in RWC

I would prefer Australia to win in a low scoring match giving neither side a bonus point and 13 points. Us to win both our games even without a bonus which we should get against Uruguay, gives us 14.