An improvement on 8th next season. What’s needed?

[Suzie the Fox]

Apart from the obvious, better defence of set piece's, sell dead wood, new RW, CB etc. I'd like us to continue pressing and looking for another goal, even when we are winning. 

 

I hate it when we are 2-1 up or something and we take off an attacker to bring on an extra defender. It always invites more pressure and this season we have just not handled it well and gone on to concede. 

 

I'm a big believer in the best form of defence being attack (which is probably why i am not earing £10m and managing a top football club) 

[Stadt]

Our away record was atrocious, 4-6-9, 19 points

Conceding first/early

Set pieces at both ends

Fitness/injury prevention

Holding onto leads

Chance creation

 

There's a lot of issues there, we could take a few different courses of action but the easiest way to tackle most of them would be getting a new manager in. I very much doubt Rodgers is going anywhere though.

 

A dedicated set piece coach, a new CB, CM & RW will remedy some of those issues but some of the structural problems will remain.

 

We were 13th for xGD/90

5th for goals scored, 8th xG

14th for goals conceded, 16th for xGA

 

8th place papers over the cracks, injuries played a part in an underwhelming season but we've had a mostly fit squad since March, the xG table has us 11th over that period whilst we'd picked up the 4th most points over that period. Games like  Palace & Brentford at home were classic examples, 4 great finishes to mask otherwise underwhelming performances.

 

 

[sacreblueits442]

12 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

It's going to be interesting to see if we do bring more in, Rodgers says he's going to fix the set piece issue but also doesn't like players who are only good in the air, hence why he has no interest in a tall striker as an alternative option. He won't fix the issue without a shift in mentality, aggression and better headerers of the ball.

...how about a tall striker who is good on the ground!!!

  De Ketelaere fits that role, Rodgers surely cannot be one dimensional in his thinking, that tall players can only be seen as target men.

  George Hirst also fits that type of player, I am not saying he is at the same standard but I always felt he had the ability on the ground, along with his physicality to succeed at this club. Hirst's strength is definitely on the floor, you have to be pretty one dimensional not to see that.

[rachhere]

In the end we finished the season strongly, and hopefully that will give us some good momentum moving forwards. Recruitment is obviously going to be important, but equally will be the development of some of our up and coming youngsters. I know many are anti the five sub rule coming in, but I am seeing it as a way in which we can make better use of the squad and start embedding players like Braybrooke and Alves, and we have such a strong bench these days compared to the days where it was hard to see how our subs could make any real impact. 

[Sunbury Fox]

In an ideal world the main 3 priorities for me are:

 

1. A big physical CB who is good at attacking the ball in both boxes. He would be the long term replacement for Jonny. 

2. A big, mobile and physical CM who is also good on the ball to replace Youri. Someone like Seko Fofana at Lens would be great. 

3. A top class right winger who is a good dribbler, fast, creative and a goal threat. Last season we were 18th for the number of successful dribbles per game and 20th for the number of successful crosses per game, which is really poor and needs to be addressed.

 

If we had the money then we could also look at a replacement for Kasper. I'd want a really big keeper who is great at dealing with crosses and commands his area. 

 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, tickler28 said:

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but we could legitimately finish 8th again next season on a much higher points tally after having a decent season. West Ham finished 4 points above us and lost in a European semi final and are hailing a great season....small margins my friends....small margins.....we need to be very careful what we wish for.

 

I guess its not so much how it looks on paper....8th place finish....Community Shield winners....Euro Semi Final but how we arrived at those places which was the issue....numbers and stats tell less than half the story.

I've said this plenty, we could finish 8th or 9th next season on 60 odd points and I'd be happier than finishing 7th in another season on 54 points like has happened before. I know points totals don't necessarily give you anything more tangible and it's the end result and standings but it tells me more than our manager will try and peddle. There's a lot of shit in this division and I don't get impressed by us just being slightly ahead of a clutch of them. We are a 60 points a season team comfortably, we do that with our usual third of a season slump so this season has been pretty poor but we've made the best of a bad job at the end and I'm relived about that.

 

Actions speak louder than words though, let's see whether the club really believe it was job well done this year or huge changes are to be made.

[Jobyfox]

6 hours ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Realistically Rodgers is going nowhere. To improve on this year's result:

1. A whole suite of new defensive coaches, with top priority being a decent set-piece coach. 
2. A more physical, dynamic replacement for Tielemans in the mould of Soucek or Dembele from Spurs
3. An actual right winger - ideally with a high work rate. Someone at least as good as Lookman is on the left, but on the right
4. A hungry, skilled centre back as understudy to Evans. Could be a permanent like Saliba or on loan like Colwill, but that sort of profile

Halving our goals against from corners would result in anywhere from 5-15 extra points across the season. A stronger, more mobile midfield presence would allow us to press better and dominate games through the midfield more often, which has been our downfall at many points this season. And the right winger is obvious, needing no further explanation.

Yes, that’s exactly what we need.

 

Are you interested in the role of Mens First Team Manager? 

Kind Regards,

 

Top S 

 

[kenny]

1 hour ago, foxinsocks said:

interesting to contrast Rodgers with Pearson.  For me Pearson's organisation of the club and support functions was marvelous... his on field tactics were the worst aspect of his game (he should  have had the confidence to employ someone to help him with this). 

 

Rodgers, seems to have devalued all the support functions - worse - he seems willing to blame everyone but himself for any poor result.

They should bring Pearson back as some sort of sporting or strategy Director. Not involved in the football operations but to focus on the 'fine margins' approach that we have built our success upon.

 

It appears from the outside, that this side of the club has been eroded by each manager since Pearson was sacked.

[Scotch]

A set piece coach should be number 1 priority along side a sports psychologist. If that can at least HALF the goals we concede from corners or in the last 10 minutes of games, we will be well on our way. 

[fuchsntf]

Players might be great mates off the pitch....but

# Want to see more team work on the

     field..

# 4th time in 2 years I have posted.

    A bastard, hard,no shit,but skillfull     midfielder.

# outfield Captain. Let maddison concentrate on his top game..I reckon KDH will turn out to be a natural.

Might need a season to get into the groove..

# Besides that barsteward,we need a companion that demands the ball and is the get out for the defence & cuts out

this " too many OTT tip tapping passes at the back"...

# Maybe we find within or buy that player who can handle 2 of the above..

 

Manager

# Rodgers to have confidence & trust to his beliefs & his players.

# Fresh fit season might see him return

    to his early beliefs,

     with some fresh faces..

# I don't believe he is either OTT  arrogant nor stubborn nor not a learner.

# We shouldn't forget IMO this past season,He had more than most  to carry into this squashed   short a time.

# He didn't go whining to mama then look for the first obvious excuses. 

# Maybe he protected individuals & team too much, but some see that as a weakness.

 

# I don't want him to bend towards the

    Fans one little bit.

# He should go his own way ,then if          successfull & entertaining ....

    the fans will follow...   

# Fans..more encourage support than brood & criticise ,especially new-buys and the younger players..

 

 

 

[foxinsocks]

1 hour ago, Bourbon Fox said:

Almost

Edit: although maybe he's better in the air

Can he jump 

[fuchsntf]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

I've said this plenty, we could finish 8th or 9th next season on 60 odd points and I'd be happier than finishing 7th in another season on 54 points like has happened before. I know points totals don't necessarily give you anything more tangible and it's the end result and standings but it tells me more than our manager will try and peddle. There's a lot of shit in this division and I don't get impressed by us just being slightly ahead of a clutch of them. We are a 60 points a season team comfortably, we do that with our usual third of a season slump so this season has been pretty poor but we've made the best of a bad job at the end and I'm relived about that.

 

Actions speak louder than words though, let's see whether the club really believe it was job well done this year or huge changes are to be made.

There's the crux of every season in every season out, problems coming out from some fans.

 

Somehow,somewhere having thoughts

that we have seen the worse ever PL season..

That other teams,no matter where they sit..bottom or 5th ,are crap,shit,not good enough...

That we have the eternal right to even believe we are better than all of them.

We are the Gods given team of all time.

Criticise our play & what we could do,but anyone pulling down most of the teams in a league like the PL...

IMO are well out of order...

 

It's poor ,lazy base reviewing and proves more how idiotic & illogical it is for these fans repeatedly come back spending money ,waste their own time to actually follow in their  "Non support" but moan season after season,week after week..

Masochists for repeat punishment,and love nothing more in entertainment  as sadists to cry out

How poor & crap other peoples pastime actually is..But still login to write every

Negative towards their " own team"..

 

Edited 23 May 2022 by fuchsntf

[Matt_Lcfc]

A bit more nastiness. We have been so poor at seeing games out, I’ve said for a while that we are too nice. If you are winning and under the cosh, then I want to see us dive around more, kick the ball away and get in the referees ear more. We just don’t do it enough. 
 

I know that it isn’t good for the game and is ridiculously frustrating when it’s the opposition but it’s what good teams do. See Real Madrid last month against Man City. They took the game to extra time, got an early penalty and basically stopped the ball from being in-play for the best part of half an hour.

[RobHawk]

16 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

LEADERSHIP is what’s needed!
 

It’s funny… Wes Morgan was never the most vocal captain, but when he was first choice CB we rarely buckled under pressure. 

 

The player I feel we need is a Neil Lennon type. At his peak he was consistent for us, but also he and Matt Elliott dragged us out of the mud. We are a fair weather team; when it’s going our way we are great but when we are up against it we crumble. 
 

Jordan Henderson at Liverpool is my favourite example of this. In that team he is technically the worst. And yet he is their captain. Why? Because he’s mentally tough and transmits it to his teammates. I’ve seen him berate Sadio Mane after misplacing a pass and I’ve seen him console Trent Alexander-Arnold after a defensive mistake. 
 

Either in defence or midfield (or both) we need that type of player. Vardy’s got it, Schmeichel’s got it, but they aren’t at the heart of the team. Evans also has it but is injury prone. 
 

I was hoping Tielemans would grow into this sort of player but hasn’t and I don’t think will. KDH might though. 
 

Lennon and Cambiasso were both leaders and had quality. Kante was a quiet man but led through example. Remember all those comebacks early in the title winning season? We need that mentality back. 

 

 

Scott brown was that player for Rodgers at Celtic. 

 

Lots of good examples of these players around. Will be interesting to see if noble retiring will affect West ham too

[Merging Cultures]

2 hours ago, bovril said:

All we needed was a bit more professionalism and we would've got European football, maybe pushing top 6. So as much as I'd like some more physicality in the team it wasn't that that made us spaff 5-10 points up the wall. 

Can we still use the excuse of young squad? I think a season (or so) ago we had one of the youngest?

[Stadt]

We have a psychologist already, There's a shrink room at Seagrave at the ops manager said the players use it a lot

[Bourbon Fox]

1 hour ago, kenny said:

They should bring Pearson back as some sort of sporting or strategy Director. Not involved in the football operations but to focus on the 'fine margins' approach that we have built our success upon.

 

It appears from the outside, that this side of the club has been eroded by each manager since Pearson was sacked.

I mean this would be worth it just to make a documentary about what happens when you put those 2 egos under the same roof!

[BenTheFox]

I have been disappointed this season, but truthfully whether we can finish higher than 8th next season is to some extent out of our hands. Just going through the teams that finished above us:

 

Man City: No chance

Liverpool: No chance

Chelsea: As long as their ownership situation is sorted I think they will still finish above us

Tottenham: If Conte stays then I back them to have another strong season

Arsenal: Potentially catchable - Being in the Europa League may result is a downturn of league form. They have also shown vulnerability in the last few weeks. 

Man United: Surely they can't be as bad as they were this season?

West Ham: Strong side but potentially catchable

 

Then we have to consider other contenders. Newcastle have had a brilliant second half of the season, Aston Villa look set to spend a lot of money (obviously that doesn't guarantee success), Wolves might come good again and there might be a surprise package. 

[jim5000]

Old man Vardy being able to play 25+ matches.

 

Ndidi, Maddison, and Fofana not getting crocked for long periods

 

Schmichael replaced by Pope from Burnley

 

Ricardo recovering his form from before he got injured.

 

Tielemans upping his game for one final push in as a fox 

 

a new right-winger

[Guest Col city fan]

Do we ever look and recruit from the lower leagues anymore?

There seems to be this emphasis on seeking international players, like Praet for instance and I wonder if we still check down our leagues to look for talented players?

I admit to knowing nearly nothing about him but hasn’t the striker at Sunderland pinged in tons of goals this season? Is it Stewart? 🤷‍♂️

Just makes me wonder why there is seemingly this continual emphasis on having to seek players from abroad?

[Bazly]

A goalkeeper who can venture more then 3 feet off their line at corners and for crosses would be refreshing. KS is so chained to his goal line I really do wonder if he has on pain of death specific instructions not to move.

[An Sionnach]

6 hours ago, Merging Cultures said:

Can we still use the excuse of young squad? I think a season (or so) ago we had one of the youngest?

No, Vardy, Evans, Albrighton and Schmeichel have a combined age of getting on for 150.