We will surprise a few teams at the start..

[Former Labour leader]

Of the season.
Huddersfield did last year and remember Blackpool the first half of their premises season?
Both teams had a go and took the Premier by surprise until they were found out.
I think we will have a go and have a decent start. How the rest of the season pans out, goodness knows but hopefully it will stand us in good stead for the remainder.

[The Bob Banker Spanker]

I think the fact we don't play possession football may benefit us as we're better without the ball.
Teams like Wolves will try and play like they did this season and get torn a new one when they come up against a team who are just better than them at their own game. We're expecting 30% possession, expecting to defend but so long as we can remain as effective as we are, we'll be okay.

[the other bob wilson]

I think the fact we don't play possession football may benefit us as we're better without the ball.
Teams like Wolves will try and play like they did this season and get torn a new one when they come up against a team who are just better than them at their own game. We're expecting 30% possession, expecting to defend but so long as we can remain as effective as we are, we'll be okay.

Alternatively, look at the contrast between what we did at the start and end of the season - first four games Burton narrowly beaten, Villa thrashed, Sheffield United seen off fairly comfortably and Wolves deservedly beaten. With a month to go, Burton pretty well beaten, lucky draw at Sheffield United, deserved (in my view) defeat by Wolves and slightly unlucky defeat at Villa. Throw in the Derby defeat and, whereas we were beating the better sides in the Championship early on, we were being beaten by them come April - shouldn't it follow that we were playing to a standard which is unlikely to succeed when we are playing better sides?

I agree with the OP in that I think we can surprise a few teams early on, but, if we are going to do that, we are going to have be more on our game than we were by the end of the season, because, by the time we crossed the line, we were only beating mediocre Championship sides - we had lost the knack of getting three points off sides as good as, or nearly as good as, the teams we will be facing next season.

[Shute]

Alternatively, look at the contrast between what we did at the start and end of the season - first four games Burton narrowly beaten, Villa thrashed, Sheffield United seen off fairly comfortably and Wolves deservedly beaten. With a month to go, Burton pretty well beaten, lucky draw at Sheffield United, deserved (in my view) defeat by Wolves and slightly unlucky defeat at Villa. Throw in the Derby defeat and, whereas we were beating the better sides in the Championship early on, we were being beaten by them come April - shouldn't it follow that we were playing to a standard which is unlikely to succeed when we are playing better sides?

I agree with the OP in that I think we can surprise a few teams early on, but, if we are going to do that, we are going to have be more on our game than we were by the end of the season, because, by the time we crossed the line, we were only beating mediocre Championship sides - we had lost the knack of getting three points off sides as good as, or nearly as good as, the teams we will be facing next season.

We were never going to be able to keep up that tempo from the start of the season. We were running teams into the ground and by the time we got to our winter blip we had expended so much energy that Warnock had to change the way we played. We were still very physical but far more controlled in the way we went about pressing the opposition.

With 8 games less to play in the top flight I can see that being a big help in keeping our lads fit to play. The downside is that the 25 man squad rule will work against us with the big clubs having more talented youngsters that can feature in the first team but don't take up places in the 25.

[the other bob wilson]

We were never going to be able to keep up that tempo from the start of the season. We were running teams into the ground and by the time we got to our winter blip we had expended so much energy that Warnock had to change the way we played. We were still very physical but far more controlled in the way we went about pressing the opposition.

With 8 games less to play in the top flight I can see that being a big help in keeping our lads fit to play. The downside is that the 25 man squad rule will work against us with the big clubs having more talented youngsters that can feature in the first team but don't take up places in the 25.

And far less controlled in how we attacked - all I'm saying is that we need to step our game up an awful lot from where it was for the last ten games or so of our season.

[Shute]

And far less controlled in how we attacked - all I'm saying is that we need to step our game up an awful lot from where it was for the last ten games or so of our season.

I agree with you, we did play more long balls and kept a deeper back line. We didn't have that many players to open up a defence with a Whitts style pass. Hoilett was our most creative player but even he dropped off from his early form once teams started doubling up on him. What we could do with is somebody in the middle of the park who can pick a pass and has a physical edge. Mcarthur can run all day but I don't know about his passing.

[Lawnmower]

I agree with you, we did play more long balls and kept a deeper back line. We didn't have that many players to open up a defence with a Whitts style pass. Hoilett was our most creative player but even he dropped off from his early form once teams started doubling up on him. What we could do with is somebody in the middle of the park who can pick a pass and has a physical edge. Mcarthur can run all day but I don't know about his passing.

Drop in form toward the end coincided with us having to chop and change our midfield so much with Ralls out, then coming back at the same time as Gunnar. Also strange how Grujic was so underused when Ralls came back.

[dembethewarrior]

Drop in form toward the end coincided with us having to chop and change our midfield so much with Ralls out, then coming back at the same time as Gunnar. Also strange how Grujic was so underused when Ralls came back.

I'd like to see us go in for Grujic on loan again, him Ralls and another in the middle.
I'd liken to see how Patterson does there, but like others have said he would need to work on his ball control. I think he would be a handful for many teams if used correctly.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

I like Grujic as well but I think that ship has probably sailed and probably the same for Bryson particularly If we keep Gunnar.

The fact that Neil brought them both in on loan obviously suggests that those sort of players are missing , but I think he’s goung to want to buy in those positions, not loan.

Don’t think we would pay what Liverpool would want and Bryson probably not of a high enough quality sadly.

Been talk of McArthur , but don’t think he’s what we need either - although I do like Milivojevic at Palace. We also need an upgrade on a Tomlin style player - one that I think might be interesting (and a bit left field)dependent on how things play out at Chelsea with Conte is Victor Moses - not as a wing back but as a #10