[Albion] Will we do better than (those utter tossers) Boro?

[Petee]

Is that true? I was going to suggest that he would be one player of theirs worth taking. Not at that price though.

Wouldn't touch Traore with a barge pole, just pace and nothing else.

 

[MattBackHome]

I think the Beast did moderately well up top on his own given the circumstances.

Then after Traore, Friend and (at a push) de Roon you're really struggling to see anyone who's in the black this season.

We'll need to be smarter than they were in the transfer market, which I don't think is a massive challenge.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Can't guarantee we will get more points but am confident we'll have more impact on the Premier League. Most teams will hardly have noticed Boro's presence there this season. We will at least offer more going forward and I'm confident we'll score more goals. Whether that means we'll stay up at the end of the season remains to be seen.

 

[LU7 RED]

They also fell into the trap of thinking you can play 4-5-1 with an average 1 up top.

I wager a wily old Fox like Glen will get much more change out of Premier League defenders than Gestede or Negredo ever did .




Agree with this. March was quite guilty of this when he came on at Villa and Knockaert is definitely often guilty of wanting to beat his man before putting the ball in.

My two big asks of the team and CH next season is to play the percentages.

Teams who shoot or cross more create more chances - a very obvious thing to say but just watch MOTD and count the number of goals that go in through players legs, or crosses that do the same. Shoot/cross early before the defender is set and it will cause problems.

The second is that we adopt something of the Bournemouth approach and play without fear. If we're trying to win in the first place then we're likely to cause surprises.

I will be so disappointed if we play with fear or try not to lose.


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

It's definitely better to at least try and win, I'm sure you'll do better than Boro. Its those runs of games against the bottom half of the table that you have got to try and target. We had a bad run before the United match, but then drew there and beat West Ham and Swansea. Then drew at Liverpool and Saints, BATTERED but Spurs and Chelsea, which you just take on the chin. Then did what we had to do by beating Boro and Blunderland. You just have to win the mini league matches in the bottom half. Some of the big boys are amazing, especially using the 'high press' - we had that at City and Spurs (both 4-0), where you have to play high tempo one touch stuff just to have possession.

Basically it's pretty weak to what it has been in the past - a good time to be in the PL and all it's riches. We should have enough dosh for a new ground by now

 

[Seasidesage]

Impossible to say at this point but as a starting point you could say we need to score around 50ish goals to stay up. What we have currently won't do that at PL level. Even Murray who has clearly been our best striker this season will struggle to get 10 at that level based on his previous record and given that he will be another season older. I think we need 2 maybe even 3 strikers who came come in and get double figures. That will be the most difficult element of the recruitment process. In midfield if stephens stays I think we need two capable of challenging for 1st team places. Norwood won't cut it for me at that level and Sidwell great though he has been this season will struggle too. I think Kayal may get a little more time on the ball and has the technique to cope anyway. Wingers are probably as good as we can attract right now although if someone came in with the right money for Murphy I'd be tempted to see if we could trade up.

At the back I think the CD are a pretty good bunch and given the upheaval elsewhere I'd stick with what we have. Full backs is more difficult. I don't think either LB could cope at PL level and Bruno will struggle too. Assuming we need a new goalie we are facing a real churn in staff if we are to make a go of it I think.

This will be the biggest test of the recruitment team and a real tough ask IMO

 

[warmleyseagull]

Impossible to say at this point but as a starting point you could say we need to score around 50ish goals to stay up. What we have currently won't do that at PL level. Even Murray who has clearly been our best striker this season will struggle to get 10 at that level based on his previous record and given that he will be another season older. I think we need 2 maybe even 3 strikers who came come in and get double figures. That will be the most difficult element of the recruitment process. In midfield if stephens stays I think we need two capable of challenging for 1st team places. Norwood won't cut it for me at that level and Sidwell great though he has been this season will struggle too. I think Kayal may get a little more time on the ball and has the technique to cope anyway. Wingers are probably as good as we can attract right now although if someone came in with the right money for Murphy I'd be tempted to see if we could trade up.

At the back I think the CD are a pretty good bunch and given the upheaval elsewhere I'd stick with what we have. Full backs is more difficult. I don't think either LB could cope at PL level and Bruno will struggle too. Assuming we need a new goalie we are facing a real churn in staff if we are to make a go of it I think.

This will be the biggest test of the recruitment team and a real tough ask IMO

This and chimes with my earlier post. We do need to score enough. Historically, 40+ with a reasonable defence should be enough..Only Bournemouth below the top 7 have scored over 50 in the PL this season, and unlikely more than one other team will by end of season. So I would set 40 as the target.

Seems to me that to do so requires four things:

A top striker
Back up for Baldock
An offensive CM
CDs delivering from set pieces.

The first three require signings, obviously. Would prefer two good rather than three mediocre, arguably an offensive CM can be the Baldock back up in a 5 man midfield, if CH can be converted to that in some games.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Depends who comes in

Strikers are a must - shows you can't rely on very good Championship ones in the Pl

Also helps if you don't play a flat back 10

Think the league will be tougher next year, won't have Sunderland/Boro and can't see Swansea or Hull, Palace being as bad next season

 

[Se20]

Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.

 

[Nixonator]

Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them.

I don't think anyone has said that, other than our CEO

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.

How's that working for you [MENTION=25756]Se20[/MENTION]?

And rather nice that we are only 13 points from Boro's final end of season total.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Depends who comes in

Strikers are a must - shows you can't rely on very good Championship ones in the Pl

Also helps if you don't play a flat back 10

Think the league will be tougher next year, won't have Sunderland/Boro and can't see Swansea or Hull, Palace being as bad next season

Thankfully it appears Swansea and Palace are letting you down!

 

[spence]

Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.

 

[clapham_gull]

Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.

If you got a group of Palace fans together who think your 1970s infrastructure works in the club's favour they would be outnumbered by the away fans at a midweek Tooting and Mitcham fixture.

Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk

 

[sparkie]

We won't do any worse !

 

[Bozza]

Good bounce. Hate those Boro *****.

 

[Winker]

Just voted for "We will do better" - must have missed it first time round!