Non-Boro Football

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

Ben Gibson making his debut for Burnley tonight.

[Dan1234 1,056]

Anyone watch the Swansea game? they looked absolutely woeful.

 

One thing I've noticed this season is that the teams you'd expect to be near the top (Derby/Leeds/Forest/Swansea etc) all seem to be very "soft". They play some nice stuff but when watching the games I've seen I can't help but think we would absolutely bully them.

[Borodane 6,301]

Didn’t think Swansea would be in the top 6 this season. Lost a few players, haven’t replaced them and hired a relatively inexperienced manager. Think they are in for a rough season and I can see them turning into a Norwich treading water for years.

[thatoldchestnut 583]

Anyone watch the Swansea game? they looked absolutely woeful.

 

One thing I've noticed this season is that the teams you'd expect to be near the top (Derby/Leeds/Forest/Swansea etc) all seem to be very "soft". They play some nice stuff but when watching the games I've seen I can't help but think we would absolutely bully them.

 

Swansea were poor and Birmingham a lot better on tonights game. I am not sure you can include Leeds as being soft. Things might change I know! Whether we will bully those teams again i feel is by no means sure.

[boro-unger 3,870]

Didn’t think Swansea would be in the top 6 this season. Lost a few players, haven’t replaced them and hired a relatively inexperienced manager. Think they are in for a rough season and I can see them turning into a Norwich treading water for years.

 

agree. Only relegated team I can see doing well is stoke. Think they'll start slowly then get to grips with the league and start pressing on towards the top 2

[Brunners 7,982]

Anyone watch the Swansea game? they looked absolutely woeful.

 

One thing I've noticed this season is that the teams you'd expect to be near the top (Derby/Leeds/Forest/Swansea etc) all seem to be very "soft". They play some nice stuff but when watching the games I've seen I can't help but think we would absolutely bully them.

 

Leeds are interesting to me.

 

Partly because I'm curious to see how they do over a whole season, after all they flew out the gates last year too and still imploded spectacularly.

 

This season feels a little different, and they tore Stoke and Derby to pieces.

 

And yet...I'm just not at all worried about playing them, I don't know why but I just have a feeling they'll really struggle against us.

[SmogDane 4,057]

Swansea looked like a league 1 side already and Birmingham could and should have won... But not at all clinical enough.

 

I don't fear any teams this season apart from Villa.

 

We will go up with the shortest (not in height) squad ever, but with the best TEAM effort and an experienced manager... You heard it here first.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

Swansea looked like a league 1 side already and Birmingham could and should have won... But not at all clinical enough.

 

I don't fear any teams this season apart from Villa.

 

We will go up with the shortest (not in height) squad ever, but with the best TEAM effort and an experienced manager... You heard it here first.

 

Yeah let’s just crack on with the TEAM that we have and stop poncing about in the transfer market. Youth.

[Essuuaitch 330]

not as far fetched as it sounds,  look at the teams being touted and non of them bar Villa have a  manager that has proven credentials of handling a successful promotion push.  lets face it Cardiff benefitted from this last year  despite not having big names .  Lampard seems to have inherited his uncles gene regarding incoming transfers ,ie hoy as many as you can in and just lob em out there and see what happens., Rowett seems similarly like Monk was for us , Bielsa, cant help feeling theres a car crash waiting to happen there even though they look like wolves last year in the oening games. Not sure Forest have got the players to suit the manager and West Brom have a very inexperienced guy in charge.

[thatoldchestnut 583]

not as far fetched as it sounds,  look at the teams being touted and non of them bar Villa have a  manager that has proven credentials of handling a successful promotion push.  lets face it Cardiff benefitted from this last year  despite not having big names .  Lampard seems to have inherited his uncles gene regarding incoming transfers ,ie hoy as many as you can in and just lob em out there and see what happens., Rowett seems similarly like Monk was for us , Bielsa, cant help feeling theres a car crash waiting to happen there even though they look like wolves last year in the oening games. Not sure Forest have got the players to suit the manager and West Brom have a very inexperienced guy in charge.

 

You may well be right, but it would be nice to get 2-3 in though

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

I think TP has shown he can organise the lads he has and pick up points against lesser opposition. Both the home games have been comfortable and the Brum game should have been plenty more goals.

 

My concern is still that we need that bit extra against the better teams or we'll be stuck fighting for a play-off place again (never mind the lack of depth for a 46+-game season). You look at the run-in last year when many thought we would struggle to even finish in the play-offs because we were so dreadful against opposition above us in the table. We had a couple of bright sparks who had to turn up for us to win those games, particularly Traore. We don't have them anymore. Against better teams, we will have to hope we can win a few free-kicks and corners because I think we're going to struggle to break them down without new players coming in.

 

Looking at the fixtures, West Brom at home (despite their inexperienced manager) should be a tough one. Leeds away always has been tough and given their start could be one of the toughest games we've played against them recently. Wednesday away has had a couple of bright results recently but we've often struggled there. Derby at home, Stoke & PNE away, Villa at home... all to come before we hit January and kick off 2019 at Pride Park. Without improvements, we'll be forced to either work this squad to death throughout all those and everything in between or play unproven youngsters and hope things click.

[Changing Times 12,347]

If West Ham can't sort out their defending they will be in bother this season.

[Snowblind 1,734]

If West Ham can't sort out their defending they will be in bother this season.

 

It reminds me of the 96/97 season when we had the likes of Ravanelli, Juninho and Emerson going forward, but still had the likes of Neil Cox, Derek Whyte and Steve Vickers in defence... We got relegated.

[Dynamo Kev 1,558]

vickers was a pretty good defender tbh, held his own against many top strikers. the main worry with him was when the ball was at his feet and he had to think what to do with it while being closed down. its was like he wanted to take his time but there wasnt any time so panic set in lol. whyte was not good enough full stop. cox not grear but he was okay. i'd have him now.

[Tom 2,492]

vickers was a pretty good defender tbh, held his own against many top strikers. the main worry with him was when the ball was at his feet and he had to think what to do with it while being closed down. its was like he wanted to take his time but there wasnt any time so panic set in lol. whyte was not good enough full stop. cox not grear but he was okay. i'd have him now.

 

At 46? He'd certainly add experience.