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Reflections on a weird season and hope for a better one to come.


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What a weird ride it has been! 

I am still thankful, that NW saved us from relegation previous season and I, probably on my own, am not that dissatisfied with this season, if you look at the thing as a whole.

Injuries - We had our fair share to key players; Hall, Fry and Taverner springs to mind. Our squad was simply too thin to begin with.  

Missing firepower - Yes, we had strikers in our team, but no one was up for it. Britt and Fletcher was none existing mentally and Akpom is not a prolific goal scorer. I know Warnock said, Chuba was his man .. his number one target... But, maybe that was number one target of what was available and willing ...  I would also talk up my new striker, when signing him, to boost his confidence. 

So instead of firepower, we had direpower! 

Warnock talks a lot, and I know a lot of you have issues with him and his "male cow excrements"  but everything he says, should be taken for what it is ... Spin and what have you ... And not gospel ...  Back in the 90's  it was the style.  

I am no fan of NW ... But I am willing to give him untill Xmas to show something. 

Covid-19 didn't help him in the previous windows, so yes, he brought in own players, where some were successful and some were not... That's normal. 

I would like us to build around Paddy, Hall, Fry, Tav, Bola, Dijksteel, Saville, Coburn, Malley, Morsy and if Neeskens and Bolasie want to come back, I wouldn't mind. 

But we need a lot of signings and the bankroll might be very small, so we can only hope, we can get what we need.  

I will not talk about captaincy, cause that's not important, but we need some players who can point and shout ... 

So, Mr. Warnock ... Show us your best and then some .. or be gone by Xmas! 

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We let in way too many soft goals ..  Yes every team has injuries ... But take away Hall and/or Fry and our defence is made up of midfielders  and wingbacks ... and that's without counting Fisher

I was watching Brighton play the other day and I couldn’t help thinking about the day we beat them to gain promotion and the fortunes of both clubs since.    Brighton have steadily improved the

What a weird ride it has been!  I am still thankful, that NW saved us from relegation previous season and I, probably on my own, am not that dissatisfied with this season, if you look at the thin

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I suspect Warnock will be here for at least the entirety of next season, unless he decides to retire again. I've lost faith in him based on the end to this season, but at least we're starting next season with a core of promising young players and no overpaid hangers-on from the Monk era. Given the financial impact of the last 15 months on clubs, our wage bill should be manageable compared to many other Championship clubs. And we're not Derby, so there's that to be grateful for.

However, the rebuilding job needed at MFC is massive. This summer will probably see the biggest squad overhaul in the Riverside era, and I really don't think we're entrusting it to the right man.

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Decent summary there SD! 👍

Must admit I was sceptical when people were going on about promotion this season. I thought NW would have to pull off something pretty special to turn us from relegation battlers to play-off contenders in 1 season.

As it happens he almost managed it...some will say he should have steered us to a top 6 finish. I would tend to agree, as we have turned in some awful performances in games we ought to have won.

But given where the club is financially and the playing staff we have available, I think a top 10 finish is respectable at least.

 

Next season? I'm still sceptical. Warnock is going to have to assemble a squad that plays his brand of football very well, if we are to make the play-offs, let alone challenge for the top 2 places. He is also going to have to address squad morale and the attitudes of players when things aren't going well. We also won't challenge as long as players go AWOL during matches.

If he can pull those two big wabbits out of his hat, then maybe we can dream of a return to the PL. Personally I think we'll do well to finish top 6. I'll consider it a minor miracle if we manage to get to Wembley and I will proclaim Neil Warnock the new Messiah (and not a naughty boy) if we actually get promoted. 😁

 

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1 hour ago, RiseAgainst said:

I suspect Warnock will be here for at least the entirety of next season, unless he decides to retire again. I've lost faith in him based on the end to this season, but at least we're starting next season with a core of promising young players and no overpaid hangers-on from the Monk era. Given the financial impact of the last 15 months on clubs, our wage bill should be manageable compared to many other Championship clubs. And we're not Derby, so there's that to be grateful for.

However, the rebuilding job needed at MFC is massive. This summer will probably see the biggest squad overhaul in the Riverside era, and I really don't think we're entrusting it to the right man.

I agree, the ending to the season wasn't pretty... But here comes the but ... We missed Fry and Tav so bad.. and ofc a decent right back, since both Dijk and Fisher were out too ... 

So we still managed two wins and a draw from the last four games ... Although I admit we didn't show up in the last one ... wish we were Rotherham's opponents instead ... 🙃

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1 hour ago, RiseAgainst said:

I suspect Warnock will be here for at least the entirety of next season, unless he decides to retire again. I've lost faith in him based on the end to this season, but at least we're starting next season with a core of promising young players and no overpaid hangers-on from the Monk era. Given the financial impact of the last 15 months on clubs, our wage bill should be manageable compared to many other Championship clubs. And we're not Derby, so there's that to be grateful for.

However, the rebuilding job needed at MFC is massive. This summer will probably see the biggest squad overhaul in the Riverside era, and I really don't think we're entrusting it to the right man.

I'll give him the benefits of doubt.... 

I fear the worst, but hope the best, but never will I moan in advance 😎

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Early days. However if we sign some of the ones linked I am not that positive we can progress. Plenty of noise regarding putting together a promotion chasing squad- I hope the actions match the words.

Edited by Robin Johnson
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1 hour ago, SmogDane said:

I agree, the ending to the season wasn't pretty... But here comes the but ... We missed Fry and Tav so bad.. and ofc a decent right back, since both Dijk and Fisher were out too ... 

So we still managed two wins and a draw from the last four games ... Although I admit we didn't show up in the last one ... wish we were Rotherham's opponents instead ... 🙃

We were only in the top 6 on three occasions during the entire season, regardless of who was available to play.  Week 9 and 10 after we beat Forest and drew with Blackburn, and then week 20 after we beat Birmingham.  We were actually only 7th for another 6 matchdays as well.  Blaming injuries is nonsense really.

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Not really on our own on any of the following so the squad size, injuries and Covid are poor, lame excuses. Given the amount of time off for international's there was plenty of time to recover and think about strategy. Do people forget who he let go and how many he brought in. The point being he used players in the wrong positions, picked the wrong formations and sometimes substituted only after 75th min.

NW was focused on not loosing, not winning. He is bull sh2tter as shown in his comical comments before and after games prove, and he blames anything and everyone but himself. He is a groveller who blows smoke up SG a3 se and constantly pans loverly stories to keep him content. He praised other teams and its players while condemning his own. 

I said with the squad we had we should finish mid table, higher if NW got the players he wanted, he did but I did not expect playoffs either. The football was dire and we lost more points to bottom clubs and the keeper taking away the efforts of some decent results. NO i don't agree with him stating the fans will be happy for where we finished up. 

I don't hold out much hope for next season and neither does NW as recently stated in the press. 

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We were never going to get promoted this season and to be honest we were always likely to finish mid-table so I'm not exactly disappointed in our final position.

I am disappointed that NW is going to be our manager next season and I'm worried he's going to sign a load of average (but 'aaaaaard working) players in order to play the style of football he wants (and who the next manger will be stuck with when he leaves.)

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I think we paid the price for not strengthening enough in the summer enough. If the signings we made in the January were in the summer I think we could have been challenging the play offs but some took too long to get settled in and we were more or less out of the play off picture when they started to settle. We were always short of cover at centre back which was very costly. 

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3 hours ago, smogsterking the Inspirati said:

I think we paid the price for not strengthening enough in the summer enough. If the signings we made in the January were in the summer I think we could have been challenging the play offs but some took too long to get settled in and we were more or less out of the play off picture when they started to settle. We were always short of cover at centre back which was very costly. 

We were far worse after the January transfer window than before it so I really can't agree with that logic. 

If we play the same style next season as this, which I expect to do then I can't see how we do any better really.  He turns games into a scrap and a lottery which is reflected by us winning 18 and losing 18 and to make the play offs you need to be better than that.  Maybe if he brings in a forward who is effective in this system we may do a bit better but its not going to be enjoyable to watch.

 

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Never thought we would be dead cert for promotion but was pretty satisfied with the way things were overall up to Xmas as we were in the chase for a thrilling end of season as play off spot was well within our grasp.

Then it all went wrong and the annoying thing is I can't quite put my finger on as to the reasons why.

Only one aspect about Boro became clear that when it really mattered it simply failed to be for us fans, let down always and we just withered away

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28 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

Never thought we would be dead cert for promotion but was pretty satisfied with the way things were overall up to Xmas as we were in the chase for a thrilling end of season as play off spot was well within our grasp.

Then it all went wrong and the annoying thing is I can't quite put my finger on as to the reasons why.

Only one aspect about Boro became clear that when it really mattered it simply failed to be for us fans, let down always and we just withered away

Withered is very polite way of putting it, I would say we crashed landed with a large thump. What gets me is NW blamed the very signings he made and then concludes the fans will be happy. Not only that he hopes with new signings to finish 10th or possibly above. Setting the bar so low is hardly away to get fans buzzing and parting with money, it’s hardly worth bothering with next season. 

Edited by sanddancer
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6 hours ago, smogsterking the Inspirati said:

I think we paid the price for not strengthening enough in the summer enough. If the signings we made in the January were in the summer I think we could have been challenging the play offs but some took too long to get settled in and we were more or less out of the play off picture when they started to settle. We were always short of cover at centre back which was very costly. 

The point being none settled in and we just got worse as the season rolled on and finally give up. A centre back is not what we needed but a new manager. How the hell SG can put faith and money in NW is simply financial suicide.  

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3 hours ago, sackrobson2 said:

We were far worse after the January transfer window than before it so I really can't agree with that logic. 

If we play the same style next season as this, which I expect to do then I can't see how we do any better really.  He turns games into a scrap and a lottery which is reflected by us winning 18 and losing 18 and to make the play offs you need to be better than that.  Maybe if he brings in a forward who is effective in this system we may do a bit better but its not going to be enjoyable to watch.

 

We were certainly worse after January but the 3 players we brought in hardly kicked a ball in the first half of the season and required several weeks if not months to get up to standard. I feel if they had all joined in the summer it would have eased the burden on the squad by giving us more depth and quality after a few weeks of the season. It would have eased the pressure and overplaying the likes of Taverner who ended up getting injured with nobody to come in to effectively replace him. I think our poor form in the 2nd half of the season would have been impacted by 'burnout' when you think about the amount of games several players were having to play. Howson and Mcnair examples of players who struggled towards the end of season.

I do worry for next season though as we are going to need at least 6-7 new signings to replace what we have lost and probably a couple more on top of that to be seen as a strengthened team unless our academy players are able to make the step up. Im not sure I have faith in us completing so many signings this summer.

 

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