14 Feb 2025 22:59:39
Like it or not, the football last season was a lot better than this nonsense, we all knew it, poch needed a goalscorer,
We went into this season with same issues and I think we can finish anywhere from 5th - 10th, teams like Villa are only 6 behind with a game in hand and them to come next, players showed zero fight and the tactics are dreadful, dreadful.
14 Feb 2025 23:27:12
Matt, I didn’t want Poch sacked but let’s not re write history, the majority of last season was rubbish hence we finished 6th.
15 Feb 2025 08:13:51
Tom there is a diffetent way of looking at last season. One I banged on about last summer.
Last season had 14 players on the injury list c December 2023 when we were in second half table. Those injuries included Fofana, Lavia, Fernández, Chucky, James, Chilly, BB, this after a v promising first season and up to about a third of way through away game v West Ham. Then came the l9ngest injury list in EPL history and poor results. But we lost only one of our last fifteen EPL games and reached Carabao Cup final AND FA Cupn semi final. Wecwon our final five games on the trot.
It was this finish and revelation of Caicedo and Gallagher midfield partnership that disallowed Palmer to flourish that made most of us optimistic for top 4 this season thatvwe presumed would be under same manager even if was then replaced after his 2 yrs contract up . but then it would be with the likes of a Slot not a newbie to top flight football who was sa ked after only 14 games at Parma and almost blew Leicester title bid with by far best squad in Championship. It seemed insanely risky gamble at the time made yet worse by transfer business last summer and this January. We have been left with a squad thin in midfield, still very leaky at the back and with still no striker that Poch also lacked last season though he began to get Jackson going.
Yes last season we had some dreadful times but it ended with hope and surely the realisation year Gallagher should have been retained in the squad given Lavia fragility and how well CG worked with Caicedo. plus we needed to have experienced CB replacement for Silva, and to add top striker and probably retain Petrovic or replace with worldy keeper. Or keep Petrovic and bring back Kepa as competition.
15 Feb 2025 08:19:14
Tom
For the majority of last season we were having double digit injuries every game last season until the last few games
Poch should have been given this season to see if he could continue the end of season run.
Maresca is the exact opposite. Starts thexseason well, gets found out by Xmas, then his team falters.
15 Feb 2025 08:35:37
Look at injuries poch had and got to a cup final where we battered Liverpool but had no goalscorer, then dominated city in a semi final but again, no goslscorer, once players started to return the form changed drastically, least poch had more than one coaching idea, anyone with a brain could see that team and poch just needed a goalkeeper and a striker, but poch was likely told there’s faith in Sanchez and Jackson and Gallagher and trev are needed to balance the books, he saw these sporting directors for the morons they are, they have far too much influence at our club, always trying to be smart and decisions like a championship manager with 1 year top level experience and buying kids, no GK / ST is despicable.
15 Feb 2025 09:44:31
I’m sorry but the original post was about how wonderful the football was under Poch. To me that statement is wrong.
Poch inherited a partial rubbish show and toward the end of the season he got some good results. I gave my reasons at the time why I didn’t want him as our manager and I also gave my reasons why I didn’t want him sacked.
Unlike the majority of fans I have never been a massive fan of CG other than him being a good squad player and I wouldn’t have sold him but then I wouldn’t have sold Tammy, Tomouri, Lamptey, MG or Liveremento.
Mistakes have been made and one them may well be the appointment of EM. Some of the signings have made no sense to me along with keeping Sanchez as our No1 choice keeper for far too long.
I will still be looking for us to finish between 3rd-5th. That will be my measurement of success or failure at the END of the season.
15 Feb 2025 10:34:59
The football wasn’t wonderful and those words
Were never said, I said the football wasn’t a lot better, and that’s because this is so ridged and structured and predictable, has maresca improved a single player, I mean poch was one who got palmer on this level so maresca can’t take any credit for that, who’s be improved, Neto looks a worse player than relegation threatened at wolves.
15 Feb 2025 11:21:25
Matt, you said “was a lot better not “wasn’t” a lot better hence my response. In my opinion the majority of football under Poch was truly awful with zero structure of shape.
15 Feb 2025 15:52:14
The football was better under poch, that doesn’t mean it’s amazing under poch but it was better, it’s terrible now, it’s sarri dull regimental pass pass pass lose it and be vulnerable, we are essentially a counter attack team who can’t defend, 80% of our problems are recruitment and poor squad build the other is maresca and his lack of ideas,
15 Feb 2025 19:14:41
Matt, in my opinion the football under Poch was at best bang average. I enjoyed the first 15/ 16 performances under EM and I think they were far superior to the vast majority of games under Poch.