Concerned for next season?

[Ted Maul]

With the difficulties we faced last season- injuries, 2 games a week, set pieces- I think it's easy to forget just how good our first 11 is. Think I read somewhere that we hadn't played our strongest side in over 3 years?

 

There's work to do but I'm optimistic that we'll be challenging for Europe again.

[Tielemans63]

I'll feel a lot more confident if we can get through the first few games looking much more solid from set pieces. My concern is that we concede a daft set piece goal in each of the first few games and it becomes the monkey on our backs again. I really thought a set piece coach would have been added to our staff over the summer but there you go. If we look a bit more solid in that respect then we'll have a decent season I think.

Edited 22 July 2022 by Tielemans63

[taupe]

12 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

It's definitely the soft mentality that worries me. If we did find ourselves embroiled in a battle I'm not sure I'd back us to win it with guts. Relying on our quality

I know what you mean. Certain teams, and they needn't be 'quality', playing a certain way can turn us over all too easily. We've seen it time and again. Playing us was a weekend off for Moyes, he doesn't need to get the whiteboard out. Get in our faces (f*** us up) and we just aren't up to it.

 

BR might not like that way of playing but it's foolish to deny its existence. We seemed time and again to have no answer.

[Zear0]

Not concerned as I have significantly lower expectations than previous campaigns.

 

There's a fine line between a settled team and a stale one and think much of this season relies on us having a good start. We're such a confidence team and a good start can give everyone hope for a top 8 push. Counter to that is when confidence is low, we are genuinely relegation form at times as we were during parts of last season. With a fit squad, there are now zero excuses for what we see on the pitch when we kick off. 

[Jobyfox]

6 hours ago, Bptiger said:

No more of a rotating role , over the last two years we have run our midfield players into the ground , I know we have no European football this year , but we need to use the players better . That’s all 

That’s all? 
 

Ok great - but I don’t  understand what you’re advocating here 

 

“No more of a rotating role”. So you want Praet to be first choice and not used for rotation? 
 

“We have run our midfield players into the ground” Isn’t that counter intuitive to the first point?  
 

“We need to use our players better” How? … and what does that mean for Praet? Rotation or no rotation? 

Edited 22 July 2022 by Jobyfox

[whitlock]

That 11 on paper is difficult to improve drastically without major outgoings being replaced, whereas all of the rumours are fringe players on the way out. I guess BR doesn't want his strongest 11 to rest on the morals knowing he has a strong squad to chose from. Difficulty now is having no Europe where there is more chance of rotation and having a stronger 15 players or so.

 

The top 4 or 6 are able to go out and just strengthen each position without much consequence whereas we can't do that financially - massive faux par on BR if he thinks we can do.

 

We almost need Europe again next year so that we remain attractive to incomings and earn extra ££ - avoiding relegation and finishing bottom half won't help us out long term at all.

[kingkisnorbo]

1 hour ago, Lako42 said:

My main concern is that we still have the same soft mentality players and coaches that we had last season. 

 

No physical man at the back, no genuine leader in the middle of the pitch and a really soft underbelly that saw us get embarrassed by Forest. 

 

I can't see that anything has changed in that regard, at all. 

This is another massive issue which we haven’t really been able to fix since real leaders in the squad have left. 
 

Soft as fvck when we need it most. Both on and off the field.

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

Of course, I'm concerned. It would be wildly optimistic not to be. This most vaunted 8th position from last season is a red herring. We all know it was an easy run in and before that started many posters on here had concerns about possible relegation. So far nothing has changed in terms of the team due to a lack of recruitment, and a few injuries to crucial players could put us right back into the doldrums of last season.

 

But my biggest fear for the season is how we play under Rogers. It's no good saying don't mention him on this thread it's unavoidable if there is to be a balanced debate. Even with the full team back last season his style of play was both negative and downright boring and cost us in Europe. Silly zonal marking and complete schoolboy defending on set pieces were embarrassing and oh so costly, yet he seemed unconcerned or did not have the ability to do something about it. Add to that his willingness to throw his own players under the bus in post-match interviews while never admitting any mistakes on his own behalf and it all adds up to yet another disappointing season with him at the helm.

What... you know that means we had a hard 3/4 of a season than most then don't you. We all played the same teams FFS. 

[Babylon]

We're going to be just how we've been for the past three seasons, inconsistent. 

 

We've got some great players, the starting 11 baring a right winger is better than most and the backup, despite people crying about it has actually done alright for us. The issue was that  we not only had loads injured, but also had loads of people coming back from injuries, quite a few of which were serious. 

 

G: Kasper / Ward

RB: Ricardo / Castagne

CB: Fofana / Amartey

CB: Evans / Sooyuncu

LB: Justin / Thomas

 

RW: Perez / New

LW: Barnes / Albrighton 

CM: Ndidi / Mendy

CM: Tielemans / KDH

AM: Maddison / Iheanacho

 

ST: Vardy / Daka

 

Extras: Vestergaard, Praet, Choudhury

[Guest Lako42]

17 minutes ago, kingkisnorbo said:

This is another massive issue which we haven’t really been able to fix since real leaders in the squad have left. 
 

Soft as fvck when we need it most. Both on and off the field.

Almost seems like the manager doesn't want that type of player possibly for multiple reasons. 

 

Didn't he fall out with Gerrard? 

 

[kingcarr21]

Im not worried about the season. The squad is more than good enough to compete comfortably in the Prem.

 

We will win some games and lose some games. It will be topsy turvy but we will end up a safe midtable, perhaps higher.

 

However i dont think it will take much adding to the squad to make us compete for Europe again. I believe the current squad is more than good enough for a European spot but will we get the luck with injuries. Recent times would suggest no.

 

Its more frustrating than anything. Always nice to see us do business but if we are watching the pennies then so be it. Lets bring a couple of youth players into the mix and see if we can uncover another gem.

 

Way too many people hit panic mode. We are in a comfortable position. If we need to go with what we have then that's fine imo.

 

I would be far more worried if i was say an Everton fan

[CosbehFox]

49 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Almost seems like the manager doesn't want that type of player possibly for multiple reasons. 

 

Didn't he fall out with Gerrard? 

 

No, quite simply. 

[Guest Lako42]

11 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

No, quite simply. 

He did to a degree, it was in his autobiography. 

 

Rodgers flexed his muscles by leaving Gerard out of some key games, noticeably Madrid and Utd (when Gerrard was raging so badly he got sent off within 38 seconds of coming on) 

 

They certainly ended on bad terms when both left within a year. 

[CosbehFox]

15 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

He did to a degree, it was in his autobiography. 

 

Rodgers flexed his muscles by leaving Gerard out of some key games, noticeably Madrid and Utd (when Gerrard was raging so badly he got sent off within 38 seconds of coming on) 

 

They certainly ended on bad terms when both left within a year. 

Doesn't really explain how Gerrard has repeatedly praised his coaching/man management now though. 

 

“I learned a lot off Brendan, probably more than my previous managers because of the age I was at,” Gerrard told Carragher for Sky Sports.

“I believe that had I worked with Brendan earlier, we’d have had more success together for sure. I think he’s a top coach and he’s very slick in the way he delivers it. He’s really good with his one-to-one stuff, how he manages dressing rooms and deals with individuals.

“If I didn’t take stuff off Brendan, I’d be very stupid and naïve because he’s going to manage at the top for a very long time. I experienced him as a player, I’ve seen it from afar and I’ve competed against him already as a coach up in Scotland. I’ve learned tons off Brendan and I’ll admit I’ve stolen a few things off him as well.

“He wanted to build everywhere and to overload in every area of the pitch so that gave me something different to think about in terms of how I wanted my teams to play.

“I’ve tried to get a combination of both. If I can get the balance right in terms of being organised whilst having the right players who can hurt the opposition, I feel we can move forward.”

 

“I tried to take a lot of things away from Brendan,” said Gerrard. “He was a really good man-manager with the way he spoke to players and dealt with them. That was really impressive. “More importantly, on the training pitch his delivery was really slick. There was good organisation about his sessions and the way he used to set his team up. I was really impressed with his player-to-coach relationship.”

 

 

[Blanchflower78]

Mid table looks about right this season. Look forward to next summer folks when Madders and Fofana off for big bucks.

[Nod.E]

We should be concerned, but not for the reasons you're citing (relegation).

 

We will almost certainly finish between 8th and 14th. 

 

That, to me, is concerning enough. 

 

Just feels like we're accepting our place as mid-table also-rans. 

 

Yes I know financially that's where we 'should' be, but can't help but feel we've let an opportunity slide, and some poor dealings in the transfer market over the past couple of years has knocked us back, not to square one, but to a precarious position. 

 

Ultimately it feels like contracts need to run down and big sales of the likes of Maddison and Fofana need to happen in the next year or so for us then to genuinely start a new cycle of squad churn, and the extent to which we succeed with that will dictate whether we continue to plod along in mid-table, regress, or push on and punch above our weight once more.

 

Goes without saying as well that replacing Vardy is nigh on impossible and I just fear that over the next few years we'll see us finding it more and more difficult to compete.

Edited 22 July 2022 by Nod.E

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, kingkisnorbo said:

This is another massive issue which we haven’t really been able to fix since real leaders in the squad have left. 
 

Soft as fvck when we need it most. Both on and off the field.

It's been the same for years, I bet teams love playing against us, they know they're in for an easy ride physically.

[RowlattsFox]

I am concerned. But then I've been concerned before and been wrong  

 

I feel like we are on a downward spiral and it could go really wrong. However we do still have a good side and if everyone remains fit and plays to their full potential then we have nothing to worry about in the short term. Worried we could be soon without Tielemans, Fofana and Maddison and have a deteriorating Kasper, Vardy and Evans. Feel like we are at, or approaching, a turning point and not sure we're prepared for it. I fear we have peaked. 

 

Happy to be proven wrong, but I'm not expecting a top 6 challenge. 

 

 

[LVFox]

Not overly concerned with things on the pitch.

 

Think top 6 is pretty settled this season, so at best we finish 7th (could happen) - worse case I'd say is 12th.

 

I think alot on here need to really have some understanding of our capabilities. If we can spend one season in Europe, and the next year out of it but re-qualifying for Europe then it's exactly where we should be.

 

I'm a little more concerned with our recent transfer dealings and think we need a real re-evaluation of where we go shopping. Other clubs are getting wiser to making good signings from the right markets and our recent forays have in general, not worked out, and we are seeing this summer that those mistakes come at a huge cost to our future ability to spend.

[Fox92]

4 hours ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

Of course, I'm concerned. It would be wildly optimistic not to be. This most vaunted 8th position from last season is a red herring. We all know it was an easy run in and before that started many posters on here had concerns about possible relegation. So far nothing has changed in terms of the team due to a lack of recruitment, and a few injuries to crucial players could put us right back into the doldrums of last season.

 

But my biggest fear for the season is how we play under Rogers. It's no good saying don't mention him on this thread it's unavoidable if there is to be a balanced debate. Even with the full team back last season his style of play was both negative and downright boring and cost us in Europe. Silly zonal marking and complete schoolboy defending on set pieces were embarrassing and oh so costly, yet he seemed unconcerned or did not have the ability to do something about it. Add to that his willingness to throw his own players under the bus in post-match interviews while never admitting any mistakes on his own behalf and it all adds up to yet another disappointing season with him at the helm.

No it's not. On average we were the 8th best team in the league, in the Country. That's why we have league tables to determinte the best and worse teams.

[foxes_rule1978]

Last season was probably Rodgers at his worst, with an injury ridden squad and conceding goals regularly from corners. We still finished 8th. 

[john ridley]

Be glad to say up and clear the deadwood next season once and for all  ,as for settling for mid table Stoke weren't happy with that and look where they ended up .

[coolhandfox]

Remind me of the 20/21 per season, after a poor finish to the 19/20 campaign lots of people wrote us off.

 

We finished 5th and won the FA Cup.

 

 

[HybridFox]

With a fit squad we're still one of the strongest in the league. The issue in recent years is we haven't had that. Hard to see this being the turning point but with the medical change you never know

Edited 22 July 2022 by TK95

[CosbehFox]

5 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

Remind me of the 20/21 per season, after a poor finish to the 19/20 campaign lots of people wrote us off.

 

We finished 5th and won the FA Cup.

 

 

Actually reminds me a little bit of the summer post Watford semi final. Was a very mute summer and was quite a few question marks going into the first game v Middlesbrough 

 

In answer to the question, no. The two facets to our situation at the moment which are a nagging doubt though. 
 

1) Newcastle and Villa have potential to surpass now. Newcastle in particular have a chance to create the new era of the ‘seven sisters’ ala mid 90s Serie A. Financially we are our max and this year there is no success or major sell to make it up. 
 

2) I’m fairly convinced that Colwill joins us, even more so with Palace’s latest signing and other suitors now spent up. We just need someone to take the bait on one of our CBs. However it’s if Youri goes late into the window and we don’t have the replacement lined up. If Praet and Soumare go as well, that leaves us light of quality and numbers in that position. Internally we’ve got to have a cut off point where certain players are off the market. 

Edited 22 July 2022 by Cardiff_Fox