Confidence-o-meter

[Risso]

GH who said he would sort the defence out "in the Summer" AMc has done it overnight

I suspect Houllier was planning to sort the defense out by replacing it entirely, to be honest.

I suspect you're right, but whether he'd have succeeded is another matter entirely.  All of our recognised back four are getting on a bit, and are on big contracts, so I think we'd have been stuck with them to be honest.  Far better if possible to get them back to somewhere near to the year before's standard.

Looks increasingly likely to me that last year's problems were caused mostly by Houllier's inability to work with what he had.

[NeilH]

I’m feeling better than I did a few weeks ago when things were just looking a bit depressing. If we’ve got a good handle on our defence and have begun to treat players both senior and less senior as part of a unit that must function then I’m starting to feel pretty good and we’ll be once more in a great position to challenge in that group from 6th to 10th place.
As someone said earlier there’s really not much this season between us and the Everton’s of this world and challengers such as the Smethwick Brazil, Blunderland, SJoke and the Cottagers. Could be a very tight season.

[Concrete John]

I'm more optimistic after seeing the game today as I think he'll have the defence sorted out. If we're tight at the back then we have players who can hurt any side.

I've always said this!

I fully expected AM - actually, fuck it - Big Eck to get the defence sorted and keep us tight.  Add that to a goal scorer like Bent and it's hard to see us not in the top half.  My concern was the attacking element of the midfield, partly due to losing the players we did and partly because he might set us up too defensively, and whether they'd provide enough of a threat to see us climb higher up the table.  Although it has been a bit makeshift with strikers used wide, I do think that element seems to be OK and N'Zogbia, once completed, will have enough freedom to hurt sides.  Only drawback so far seems to be Albrighton, who'll need to step it up from what we've seen thus far.   

[andyh]

feeling a bit better, but not in cock-sucking mode just yet.......................................... (see Asia cup thread)

[citizenDJ]

GH who said he would sort the defence out "in the Summer" AMc has done it overnight

I suspect Houllier was planning to sort the defense out by replacing it entirely, to be honest.

Looks increasingly likely to me that last year's problems were caused mostly by Houllier's inability to work with what he had.

Or plain unwillingness, which is probably even worse. Early days and all, but to see the players over the last few weeks compared to under Houllier does not reflect well on him at all. He seemed like a nice enough bloke to me, but to lose great chunks of the team so dramatically is not the hallmark of a good manager.

[darren woolley]

I feel confident going into the new season with the defence looking strong and our forward play being good anyway I feel you have to have high confidence otherwise you will send out the wrong signals and that will effect the players confidence.

[Pete3206]

I'm confident that we'll be comfortably average this season, with a sprinkling of suprise results.

[dave.woodhall]

However confident I am, I still refuse to use the phrase 'Big Eck'.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

However confident I am, I still refuse to use the phrase 'Big Eck'.

Same here.
'Fucking 'Eck' just suits me fine.

[Mazrim]

I wont use Big Eck under any circumstances.

Anyway, I am of a smiliar magnificent mind to Toronto and not for the first time.
I'm cautiously optimistic and feeling bolder as the season approaches.

I dont think we'll see much Champagne football but perhaps some decent lager.
I think we'll be hard to beat and take it from there. We have firepower and a good mix of youth and experience.
I'm talking myself into looking forward to the season.

Bring it on and as the tankers say, fear naught!

[Concrete John]

I gave him that as a one time deal after two friendly wins, maybe as he's starting to feel more like 'our' manager to me now.

Who knows - maybe I'll call him Big Eck when we win and Fucking Eck when we lose.  I'm fickle like that 

[KRS]

I wont use Big Eck under any circumstances.

Really...

I wont use Big Eck under any circumstances.

[Mazrim]

Bah!

[jonzy85]

Confidence was low after the debacle of last season, got lower when Young left, lower still when McLeish was appointed, lower again when Downing was sold, got prepared to go higher when McLeish was giving everyone a clean slate and thought we had nearly 40 mill to spend, levelled off at pretty low now were told Nzogbia is the last signing for now.

Don't want to come across as a complete doom and gloom merchant, but I am looking at anything higher than 8th as a bonus this year. Lower than 10th McLeish will feel the strain.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just as it would have been silly to start predicting doom and gloom on the basis of having lost the two friendlies so far, it's also silly to read too much in to them having won them. We looked quite good today, but it's exceptionally early days.

So my concerns haven't really changed, it is based on the personnel at the club, what we've been told about player investments, and the manager.

On the last of those points, though, I'm happy to give AM a chance, he's here, so there's no point in getting on his back and crucifying him. That to me is a bit of a no-brainer. He seems a decent enough, likeable chap, and I could not give a flying fuck if he came from Small Heath.

He's going to need two things, though, time and backing from the chairman.

On the first one, I'm worried he's not going to get it, because there will be a core of supporters who are happy to go through the motions of supporting him, but who will dive in the minute it goes wrong - mainly because of his previous association.

On the second one, this is clearly going to be a season of consolidation, in which we dump some of the deadwood, and lose some players who won't have a long term future with us, and generally trim some of the wasteful fat off. This I am more than happy to accept, as we clearly need it.

However, whilst I don't think we're strong enough to finish top six, and whilst consolidating we probably wouldnt be expected to, but we need to be very careful we don't fall too far down the pecking order. It is a balancing act. Drop too far, and not only do we throw away more of the progress made the last few years and give ourselves further to climb back, but we make it harder to hold on to players like Bent next summer

To avoid this, the chairman has to support the manager. That doesn't mean throwing money around blindly like we did under MON, that's what got us in this mess in the first place.

It does, though, mean that the chairman's going to have to put his hand in his pocket to a certain degree and trust AM to spend it well.

To this end, I think he's got a healthier approach than Martin had. I suspect that's why we spend 3.5m on Given rather than 8 or 9m on Ben Foster. Yes, Foster is the younger keeper, but quality wise they're pretty evenly matched, so it makes sense to save 5 or 6m and take Given. Martin would just have gone out and got Foster.

If he can get a Parker style player in for Parker sized fee, then we'll have swapped Downing for Given, N'Zogbia and Parker (or similar). That's definitely decent business, and a sign we're starting to play the market a bit better, but we're still pretty light elsewhere, and with a squad weaker than last year's. It's all very well pretending we can flog three of our best players in a little over a year and just promote some of the kids, resuscitate Ireland and Warnock and carry on as if nothing happened, but it won't happen like that.

The mooted "one more player" is hopefully a smoke screen, because it won't be enough, but if he can get a few bodies in, spend sensibly, and strengthen where it is most needed, then it'll be an interesting, if unspectacular season, but one which should see us emerge stronger for the long term at the end of it.

It's a very difficult balancing act, though, and the management of the club - coaching, CEO and chairman - absolutely have got to get it exactly right, because if they don't, we really do risk regressing too far.