We're weaker than last season

Funky_Chicken said:
I know one man doesn’t make a team but if Tav was still here we would probably be in the top half now, maybe even pushing top six. Midfield is lost without him. I think we are most certainly better up front with Muniz a big upgrade on Connelly or Barogan, and Giles is better than Taylor offensively, plus we have improved the goal keeper situation. So yeah the main problem is we lost our best midfield player and didn’t replace him - consequently we can’t compete in midfield, either offensively or defensively enough to win games
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Absolutely agree with you 💯
 
Gains said:
I think he's got a problem with his concentration. Some games he got away with it and looked a decent keeper, others he didn't and looked pub team. As you say good with his feet and made the odd good save but I don't think he could concentrate for 90 mins.
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For Lumley, decision-making for me.

Hard to remember a keeper anywhere making so many utter howlers out of nowhere, so many times a game. There’d be 3 or 4 each match where you’d go “what the **** is he doing there?” And it would all be to do with positioning or just making a mad decision.

Good shot stopper on his good days, but absolute liability.
 
equaliser said:
Up for first live game of the season and distinctly underwhelmed. Firstly, poor Muniz: absolute class above, feeding off scraps. The best players are the loan players, basically, which is a bit depressing. Not impressed by Clarke at all, looks uncomfortable on the ball. Jones's poor first touch and absolute inability to cross a ball are now starting to outweigh his positive attributes, Crooks is so ponderous and casual on the ball at times, but you look at who we've got on the bench and who is better? Where's the creativity? At least Watmore tried to make things happen and McGree didn't hide, but the reason the team has gone backwards is that loss of Tavernier means there is no one to carry the ball from midfield. We lack that energy and forward momentum. I don't think we're as bad as our league position suggests but we are a mid-table team, and possibly bottom half. Beforehand I was hopeful, and of course confidence is such a big thing, but you just can't see that side putting a long run of wins together. Wilder could well be gone by Xmas if results don't improve significantly. Thank God for Muniz, and let's hope he stays fit, but you can't base everything on a 21 year old kid from far far away. Recruitment 4/10.
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Completely agree...I don't think you can give the recruitment 4/10 though...they will have a list of players that they will discuss with Wilder and then buy them...to think that Wilder isn't involved with them is wrong I reckon. Looking at the signings on paper they are solid...it's up to the manager to manage them.
 
Andy_W said:
One player away from getting beat in the play offs, over two legs, we wouldn't have made a final with those strikers, and certainly not won one.

We improved quite a few areas, and got considerably better backup for others, but we've shot ourselves in the foot in centre mid by selling Tav, and expecting Howson to repeat last year at 35, CM is the most crucial area of the pitch. A key starter here and we would be very strong.

Having the injured players back (Steffan, Lenihan and Chuba) would help too, but the backup lads have done ok, and most teams will go through periods of injuries etc.
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Cant talk injuries, i dont think we'd be in a different position if we Steffen, Lenihan and Chuba had been fit. Lenihan been injured has given Fry game time and he's proved he's the best at the club.

Last years boro would beat this teams hands down, which is crazy when you look at the teams on paper, but they would.
 
We aren't weaker than last season. We're more balanced, we've got more strength in depth, we've replaced a lot of dead wood and we've brought in some development players. That will change when the loan players go back but i don't think it's possible for a Championship club to carry out a squad overhaul without loans in a season. Tav is a loss but we're much stronger all around the pitch. As has been alluded to, we've made a lot of changes and we haven't bedded in yet. It'll come just maybe not in time for promotion this season which is a disappointment.
 
VestasBoro said:
Cant talk injuries, i dont think we'd be in a different position if we Steffen, Lenihan and Chuba had been fit. Lenihan been injured has given Fry game time and he's proved he's the best at the club.

Last years boro would beat this teams hands down, which is crazy when you look at the teams on paper, but they would.
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I do, I think with Lenihan and Steffen we would have retained the ball better, created more and given the opposition less ball to create chances, we would have also been more vocal and probably better organised, which would have got better over time. The standard of teams we played in earlier games was higher than the latter, and we played better in the earlier games than the latter, with Steffan and Lenihan in.

I don't read much into our first clean sheet, or even the second for that matter with them both not playing. Fry's (or any of the defender's) handling of Simms (who was very average) and Roberts who was missing all game (and them missing their best player), or handling Rotherham who couldn't get in our half. They both did contribute to some of the errors in the Cardiff game mind, or could have done a lot better. Both Fry and Roberts were launching it far too often in their earlier games, but have both got better at this, to be fair to them.

Akpom played very well in his first few games, despite just coming back from being out in the cold. He was probably man of the match against Sheff Utd in his last game, who are top, and his finishing has been better than any other striker option bar Muniz. He was good against WBA too, and we played miles better against QPR when he came on at halftime. I'm surprised to be saying all this too mind, and having him up top with Muniz would have made a lot of difference, and the situation would have suited us better with Watmore coming on for a cameo at the end, rather than starting.

I think this year's starting XI with a couple of games under their belt (and assuming McNair/ Howson/ Jones/ Crooks at the same level) would dominate the ball over the side we had last year, and last year's side wouldn't have been clinical enough to lay a glove.

Tav is a massive loss though, but don't think McGree is that much of a downgrade when we can play him in the middle, by having two capable strikers in Muniz and this year's Chuba up front. Tav would walk all over Mowatt though, no doubt about that.
 
We had busy summer and fixed a few issues from last season and look to have created a few more, so some big decisions to be made to be ready for the Jan transfer window and how we approach it.

Goalkeeper - Steffan unconvincing so far and won't be here next season, Roberts hopefully ready to step up next season along with some good young Keepers coming through, so shouldn't need anything doing in Jan.

Defence- Will we try and move Fry on with his contract going to expire in June 2024. He's been dropped for Lehihan when he's been fit and if he isn't going to sign new deal, then need to cash in either in Jan or the summer. ( same also goes for McNair and Bola) if any of those 3 are sold then we need to replace them in Jan.

Midfield is the most concerning, we have plugged two gaps with Howson signing a new one year deal and Mowatt coming in on loan but more than likely both won't be here next season. So that leaves us with Mcgree, Crooks and possibly McNair to fill in ( if not sold). Payero will be back for next season but will more than likely be sold too. So do the club try plug a few gaps until the end of the season or should we be looking more long term and give players half a season to bed in? either way we must makes some signings in Jan and Tav replacement (style of play).

Forwards - we have enough for this in terms of numbers for this season, but Watmore, Akpom and Muniz won't be here next season as it stands. Wilder wanted another one in so you would assume another signing in Jan.

Do we trust the recruitment team to sort any of this is a bigger question
 
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