Will We Finish Higher Than Last Season?

Natasha Whittam wrote:A better defence than last season will probably keep us out of a relegation battle.

A cheaper defence with more options I reckon - steadier if unspectacular and shouldn't put us through the same angst we've had to endure for the last few years.
For once, the big unknown with the team is how we'll line up and play going forward.
We don't even know who will be playing for us yet. 
We have some decent attacking midfielders but add the lad from Palace and a premiership winger and it could all change.

Even if we get a couple of late signings Dougie is likely to start with Feeney, Hall, Beckford and one other so we need them to do well and give us something to build on.

Natasha Whittam wrote:A better defence than last season will probably keep us out of a relegation battle.

A cheaper defence with more options I reckon - steadier if unspectacular and shouldn't put us through the same angst we've had to endure for the last few years.
For once, the big unknown with the team is how we'll line up and play going forward.
We don't even know who will be playing for us yet. 
We have some decent attacking midfielders but add the lad from Palace and a premiership winger and it could all change.

Even if we get a couple of late signings Dougie is likely to start with Feeney, Hall, Beckford and one other so we need them to do well and give us something to build on.

Natasha Whittam wrote:A better defence than last season will probably keep us out of a relegation battle.

A cheaper defence with more options I reckon - steadier if unspectacular and shouldn't put us through the same angst we've had to endure for the last few years.
For once, the big unknown with the team is how we'll line up and play going forward.
We don't even know who will be playing for us yet. 
We have some decent attacking midfielders but add the lad from Palace and a premiership winger and it could all change.

Even if we get a couple of late signings Dougie is likely to start with Feeney, Hall, Beckford and one other so we need them to do well and give us something to build on.

You sure about that?

You don't seem very emphatic about it.......

Run that by me again Lusty. 

wanderlust wrote:

Even if we get a couple of late signings Dougie is likely to start with Feeney, Hall, Beckford and one other so we need them to do well and give us something to build on.

I can't believe Freedman will start the season with Hall, still one of the worst players to pull on a white shirt at this level in my opinion.

If he does, we could well get relegated.

Without a class striker in the team there's only one way we'll be finishing higher next year.
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It's shit or bust time for Dougie now so we'll find out pretty soon.
He may not have been able to get his first choice players but he has cleared out a load and has brought in a few albeit at minimal cost so it could be argued that for the most part he's had enough time to make it "his team".
On top of that the new faces have had every opportunity to get used to Dougie's tactics so it's no longer the case of starting with players like Eagles who didn't want it or get it.

Not quite "no excuses left" for Dougie but pretty close to it.

The Board and some fans are clearly hoping for a push at promotion despite the lack of investment. That may be a contradictory approach but it's what he's up against and I can only hope that the players don't let him down this season like they did in the early part of last season - and that his much-derided tactics work as they did in the second half of last year. I could do without a repetition of "DF out before we are relegated" followed by "DF out - we're not playing attractive football" when we are winning.

As crazy conspiracy theories are all the rage at the moment, this is why I believe we found ourselves in so much debt and the crazy master plan behind it...

I reckon Davies and Gartside have secretly abducted all the Tefal eggheads and locked them in an underground lair, deep underground, on the Isle of Man somewhere.

In return for their freedom, they will be armed with hundreds of thousands of rusty kettle elements, remnants of Big Sam's 'cutting edge technology', a couple of Burnden troughs and a table tennis racket - their mission: to develop a transmogrification chamber capable of mutating a squad of extremely mediocre footballers (I'm being kind) into a side capable of challenging Herrera's 1960's Inter side. eg. Rob Hall = Jermain Defoe, Josh Vela = Paul Scholes, Jay Spearing = Frank Ribery etc.

Well... the Russians would believe it...

Afternoon Gotham.

How's tricks in the big smoke?

wanderlust wrote:It's shit or bust time for Dougie now so we'll find out pretty soon.
He may not have been able to get his first choice players but he has cleared out a load and has brought in a few albeit at minimal cost so it could be argued that for the most part he's had enough time to make it "his team".
On top of that the new faces have had every opportunity to get used to Dougie's tactics so it's no longer the case of starting with players like Eagles who didn't want it or get it.

Not quite "no excuses left" for Dougie but pretty close to it.

The Board and some fans are clearly hoping for a push at promotion despite the lack of investment. That may be a contradictory approach but it's what he's up against and I can only hope that the players don't let him down this season like they did in the early part of last season - and that his much-derided tactics work as they did in the second half of last year. I could do without a repetition of "DF out before we are relegated" followed by "DF out - we're not playing attractive football" when we are winning.

Maybe Eagles knew sommat after all ....... most of us on here didn't want or get it either.

Doogie talks about possession and playing it from the back......well let's see it then.  Although I do wonder who is going to put their foot on the ball.  Not seen anybody do it yet.....consistently at least.

Breadman wrote:Afternoon Gotham.

How's tricks in the big smoke?

It's hot. We just got back from a couple of weeks in England - week in Bolton and a week down South and I have to say that I desperately want to move back. Loved every minute of it!

How are you Breaders?

Not bad, thanks mate.

Working from home for a while and really enjoying it. I should've thought of it years ago!

How are the boys doing?

Growing up fast, I bet. 

Can't believe you want to move back over here from New York, if I'm honest......

I'm sure it'll wear off soon.  

Breadman wrote:Not bad, thanks mate.

Working from home for a while and really enjoying it. I should've thought of it years ago!

How are the boys doing?

Growing up fast, I bet. 

Can't believe you want to move back over here from New York, if I'm honest......

I'm sure it'll wear off soon.  

It's the boys that make me want to come back TBH. I'd prefer them to grow up in the UK/Europe. I'm not entirely impressed with the school system here... but we'll see what happens... the grass is always greener and all that. Weirdly, for years now, every time I have come back home its amazing weather.

How many posts until I rid myself of Mario Jardel? I dread to think who is next

75 I think, so best get a move on!

I'll leave the next player identity as a surprise for you.

What's up with the schools? (I mean that in the English sense of "what's up", as opposed to the Yank one.)

Please don't tell me they teach Creationism in New York....?

I though that was the just in Bible Belt.....

Now that we're at the business end of the transfer window the Telegraph have published their "team by team" assessment. It's crap but at least we're not being touted as contenders again.

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They've got us down for mid-table as expected.

Title odds are as follows:
5/2 Cardiff
3/1 Fulham
10/3 Norwich
8/1 Derby
9/1 Wigan
14/1 Forest, Boro and Rovers
16/1 Watford
18/1 Wolves
20/1 BOLTON, Reading, Brighton & Bournemouth
25/1 Ipswich
33/1 Sheff W, Leeds and Brentford
50/1 Rotherham, Brum, Millwall, Huddersfield and Charlton
150/1 Blackpool

As we speak Doogie has Beckford up by himself today.  Whether you agree with this diamond shape or whatever nonsense you want to call it.  It's a set up for low scoring at best. lots of 1-0 games IMO.  That's not enough IMO.  Can't see a top six at that rate.

terenceanne wrote:As we speak Doogie has Beckford up by himself today.  Whether you agree with this diamond shape or whatever nonsense you want to call it.  It's a set up for low scoring at best. lots of 1-0 games IMO.  That's not enough IMO.  Can't see a top six at that rate.

I can't see us finishing top six either, but then I don't expect top six this season. The stall has been set out for a mid table finish and that's probably achievable without further investment.
We need goal scorers if we're going to challenge.