Half Way Report

[Royston.]

We're 7th despite being inconsistent, transitioning, boring and still recovering from a shocking and sickening non football related tragedy.

 

Im not sure a best of the rest team exists in the premier league, rather a bunch of clubs who are all dithering in the dirt, having highs and lows.

Thanks to a couple of freak wins we are temporarily top of that bunch.

 

[trabuch]

8 hours ago, AKCJ said:

I think our squad should definitely finish either 7th or 8th so I don't think we can moan too much. Lets hope we push on in the second half of the season and get into Europe again.

 

If we finish 7th and people still moan I worry. I think we'll get Europe. Personally I want the FA cup. That would fill my Leicester cup (I'm  not sure what I'd want after that).

[AylestoneRaider]

7 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Excellent OP !

 

The last two results have had a huge impact on our season and personally got me much more excited for the second half. We are in transition and losing Vichai a devastating loss not just for the club but the city and the game of football. I personally was ready for a challenging season and think we’ve done better than expected. 

 

At the end of last season after the tonking from Palace I thought Puel should go and to be honest was very sceptical after this year’s Palace away game and the John Percy stories but fair play he’s got two excellent results and some great performances. 

 

If you think about it there is so much to be excited for:

- We are 7th after 19 games in a very competitive league. 

- Blooding lots of young players many of whom look good. 

- Are changing the way we play slowly but surely. Yes it’s often boring but take the last two games as examples... our ability to play it out from the back stopped the high press from working. 

- We have done well against the big teams. Not just the last week but we outplayed Man United, passed Arsenal off the pitch at times and competed against Liverpool. Not many teams have done that. 

- Our major signings have made a big impact. I’d rate our best outfirld players as Chilwell, Ricardo, Maddison and Vardy in that order. 

- We’ve successfully switched tactics when necessary. 

- Several players are evolving and improving their game. Vardy can stretch play and link, Albrighton isn’t just a winger but a forward. 

- We handled ourselves with dignity after a truly tragic event. 

 

This isn’t including infrastructure improvements like a new training ground and stadium complex or that two of our loan signings are tearing it up. 

 

I still expect to finish below Everton this season as I feel they went for more of a short term approach with loan signings of Zouma and Gomes as examples. They have a better team now but will have to continue to invest. For us I think we are laying the groundwork now for a major shift in the future. I think in the next few years we will become a team that plays technical football and develops players this way from a young age. I think we’ll end up as the English version of Sevilla / Monaco in that we will compete in cup competitions but will also be synonymous for developing exciting new talent and giving those players a chance. 

 

I expect quite a few more boring games between now and May but I’ve seen a glimpse of where we are headed. I think we are on track and doing things the right way. Realistically to break into the top 6 could be impossible - look at the stadiums and resources those clubs have. In fact really just beating other teams trying to break in like Everton, West Ham and dare I say Wolves is a challenge in itself. But we are certainly in the mix!

Great post. I agree that we are planning for the future and trying to build the infrastructure to remain in the top division for the long term.

 

It can be difficult to focus on this when our results and performances can be a bit boring and inconsistent at times. However, I do feel that we are generally moving in the right direction.

 

It is really great to see youngsters being brought through and I think Puel deserves credit for this. I am not the biggest fan of his brand of football especially against the weaker teams, but I do think he has been a positive influence on the club overall.

[Babylon]

Couldn't ask much more position wise, results wise just as things were slipping we've pulled off a couple of wins that get us right back on track. In terms of style and entertainment, there is a long way to go still. But, we've got a young team and players finding their feet in their first season at this level. It should only get better.... shouldn't it.

 

If we wait until the summer to strengthen when we have lots of players out of contract, then I think we'll probably slip a few places as some of the other teams just have too much fire power. We'd need to keep up the new found resolute defending for us to keep up this pace. 

[David Hankey]

We are one place and one point higher than this time last year. So it can be called progress but like my old school reports - "could do a lot better".

 

Given the fact that many early on were not firing on all cylinders and with a lack of firepower up front this modest rise in our fortunes probably puts it more into perspective.

 

Let's hope the second half of the season will produce more points starting with a double over Cardiff on Saturday.

[Ted Maul]

In the last couple of months, we've had some of our greatest ever Premier League moments:

 

- Gray v Cardiff: a highly emotional occasion and, with the eyes of the world on us once again, we did the business. That goal will live long in the memory.

- Chelsea away: our first win there in 18 years & with them unbeaten at home in ages. 

- Man City home: beating the champions is always special, especially in such a pulsating game. We owed them one too.

 

Whilst the football hasn't been great at times, we're in a very solid position and we've had some fantastic days.

[reynard]

The last two results have possibly changed quite a lot  about the season so far. The performances seem more akin to the early Puel perfomances against Spurs and Southampton. The question is are they a start/ return to the higher levels of intensity and perfomance of the past or merely an interesting blip?

Generally the football has been resoultely uninspiring with a few notable patches of good play often in the same match.

Our league position is as good as it is likely to get so no complaints there and we are developing some good young talent, most of whom will almost certainly be snapped up by one of the top 6 within the next 12 months. This will generate a consderable amount of profit for the club.

More of the last 2 matches please and less of the turgid slow sideways passing we seem to have become accustomed to in the previous few months.

[Nicolo Barella]

5 hours ago, reynard said:

Our league position is as good as it is likely to get so no complaints there and we are developing some good young talent, most of whom will almost certainly be snapped up by one of the top 6 within the next 12 months. This will generate a consderable amount of profit for the club.

Small club mentality. Some may leave within 12 months, but I'd expect the club not to roll over; Southampton has shown us exactly why we shouldn't do that.

 

The club made an example of Mahrez to any young talents in our club or joining it - they showed that whilst we are a good club to break through, they certainly don't deal with customary "player strikes" and agent meddling the way clubs usually do - and whilst I doubt they will take it to the extreme of Mahrez again, we will certainly continue to keep our best players for a longer time than other mid-table clubs.

[Nicolo Barella]

I kind of hope we don't make Europe if we get it from 7th place, at least this season. It's a lot of extra games, and they effectively handicape the usefulness of the preseason, meaning our players are generally very tired as the season goes on. This has been shown by pretty much every mid-table team to get into the Europa league of recent times - they've had awful to middling seasons after crashing out of Europe early. 

 

I'd rather we fixed the problems we will have in the squad after the season's end (AM, CM, backup FB, strikers), won European placing next season and go into the European season with a largely good squad with no holes, equipped to go all the way and deal well with 4 competitions, taking Europe seriously. 

Edited 28 December 2018 by Nicolo Barella

[jayfox26]

19 hours ago, brucey said:

 

Burnley ?. Fair play to them last season for what they did but I always knew they'd get found out evetually. They have a dreadful team! They may just be lucky to stay up as Hudds, Cardiff and Fulham may just be slightly worse than them. Although Fulham have Mitrovic and Sessegnon so they could escape. 

[Ian Nacho]

Good first half of the season but what's most frustrating is it quite easily should have been better. We seem to perform better against the big boys and are left disappointed against the teams in and around us. 

[Scotch]

We're 7th at the mid way stage which is were we are probably, realistically looking to be come the end of the season so that's a massive positive. You could argue that we are fortunate to be there considering some of the truly awful football we've played but I think we've gotten to the point now were Claude has FINALLY found our best sytem and 

 

The new 433 formation I think has came at the best time as he now has the window to look at getting players specifically for that system and I think that because he's found a formation that suits us, there isn't too much to do there. Another option up front and another option in the middle of the park are massive pieces to the jigsaw, along with another winger. 

 

Obviously this season has been the toughest in our history but I think a reflective look back at the half way mark from 7th spot will do some good. Our players and new chairman will see that even with the worst start imaginable off the park, we can still achieve what I'm sure we set out too and I can honestly see a resurgence similar to the great escape on the cards. 

[reynard]

18 hours ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Small club mentality. Some may leave within 12 months, but I'd expect the club not to roll over; Southampton has shown us exactly why we shouldn't do that.

 

The club made an example of Mahrez to any young talents in our club or joining it - they showed that whilst we are a good club to break through, they certainly don't deal with customary "player strikes" and agent meddling the way clubs usually do - and whilst I doubt they will take it to the extreme of Mahrez again, we will certainly continue to keep our best players for a longer time than other mid-table clubs.

I'm afraid it is nothing to do with small club mentality but more to do with the reality of modern day football. English/British talent is at a premium due to UEFA's requirements for the clubs competing in the European competitons to have a certain number of "home grown" players.

Chelsea bought Drinkwater for exactly this reason and and they did the same with Barkley and neither have really played for them.

The role of agents is also a major factor. If you are Chilwell's agent you won't make any profit unless you either get him a new deal on a regular basis or get him a transfer. Agents will continuosly be actively persuing transfer deals even if their clients don't necessarily want to move at that particular moment. They would be foolish not to do so.

 

I fully expect approaches for both Chilwell and Maguire in Janaury and suspect neither will be with the club by the start of next season. Maddison may need another 6 months at this level to prove himself but if he continues to develop then he will be in demand with one of the big six clubs before too much longer.

 

Players want to win trophies and the last ten years show that outside the top 6 clubs only on 4 occasions has side not among those top 6 won a domestic trophy and in the last five years that chance has lessened with only our title win in 2016 representing sides outside the big six.

Whilst I'm delighted to see us bringing through our young players the idea that we are developind a "dynasty" of a side that will stay together for a few years I suspect is unfortunately deluded.

[shailen]

Can't really complain considering what the team experienced in October with the tragic circumstances, we have come back incredibly strongly and we sit as the best of the rest which is the best we could have realistically hoped for.

 

Having said that, its a bit strange because our style of play against the so called smaller teams still frustrates me. We get into so many good positions but do not commit defenders by going sideways or switching play. We have the players to commit defenders and this is something I'd like to see going forward.

 

Also the Man City cup game was a bit frustrating as if we played our better players I think we would have won that, and potentially got to Wembley as Burton made the semi finals.

[Nicolo Barella]

3 hours ago, reynard said:

I'm afraid it is nothing to do with small club mentality but more to do with the reality of modern day football. English/British talent is at a premium due to UEFA's requirements for the clubs competing in the European competitons to have a certain number of "home grown" players.

Chelsea bought Drinkwater for exactly this reason and and they did the same with Barkley and neither have really played for them.

The role of agents is also a major factor. If you are Chilwell's agent you won't make any profit unless you either get him a new deal on a regular basis or get him a transfer. Agents will continuosly be actively persuing transfer deals even if their clients don't necessarily want to move at that particular moment. They would be foolish not to do so.

 

I fully expect approaches for both Chilwell and Maguire in Janaury and suspect neither will be with the club by the start of next season. Maddison may need another 6 months at this level to prove himself but if he continues to develop then he will be in demand with one of the big six clubs before too much longer.

 

Players want to win trophies and the last ten years show that outside the top 6 clubs only on 4 occasions has side not among those top 6 won a domestic trophy and in the last five years that chance has lessened with only our title win in 2016 representing sides outside the big six.

Whilst I'm delighted to see us bringing through our young players the idea that we are developind a "dynasty" of a side that will stay together for a few years I suspect is unfortunately deluded.

I think there's a middle ground between "dynasty side" and "selling Chilwell this summer" that the club will tread, personally.