Quote from: Clark W Griswold on July 20, 2017, 12:21:54 PMQuote from: chrisw1 on July 20, 2017, 12:03:49 PMInitially massively underwhelmed but I'm now warming a bit to this. 2 years is sensible and a bit of graft and nous in the middle of the middle of the park may be no bad thing. Surely an upgrade on Gardner and we did struggle when Jedi was out. I still wonder who's going to create goals though and we don't seem to have addressed this at all.The middle of the middle, that's a pretty central role.I agree that the final purchase should be a really good left winger who can create for the front 2. Someone who can take the ball forward quickly with purpose and actually beat a man.Grealish?
Quote from: chrisw1 on July 20, 2017, 12:03:49 PMInitially massively underwhelmed but I'm now warming a bit to this. 2 years is sensible and a bit of graft and nous in the middle of the middle of the park may be no bad thing. Surely an upgrade on Gardner and we did struggle when Jedi was out. I still wonder who's going to create goals though and we don't seem to have addressed this at all.The middle of the middle, that's a pretty central role.I agree that the final purchase should be a really good left winger who can create for the front 2. Someone who can take the ball forward quickly with purpose and actually beat a man.
Initially massively underwhelmed but I'm now warming a bit to this. 2 years is sensible and a bit of graft and nous in the middle of the middle of the park may be no bad thing. Surely an upgrade on Gardner and we did struggle when Jedi was out. I still wonder who's going to create goals though and we don't seem to have addressed this at all.
Surely this is the end for Gary Gardner? Like Whelan he's not got much pace and has a decent hit on him, unlike Whelan he's not proven at PL level. Sad given his early potential and local boy status.
Stoke fans aren't suggesting he was past it as a PL player so as long as he has one more season at that level left in the tank he'll donfine for us.FFP has clearly affected our transfers this summer along with players not being sold. So to bring in 4 for £2.5m is pretty good overall. What I'm most concerned about is what we've seen so far. We lack cohesiveness and creativity so hopefully that will come in time. We must get off to a fast start.
Quote from: SoccerHQ on July 19, 2017, 10:33:17 PMWe had 51 points after the Blackburn game on 7th February.We ended with 62 points on May 24th.Even by our standards it was an extraordinary collapse in the last 3 months to even finish below Everton who were miles behind us at one point. Just the usual MON burning out the 12 regular players (Gabby had nothing left by March) and the unused squad players not being good enough. I walked out of that Blackburn game convinced we could make a charge at the title, never mind the top four. We'd just delivered the kind of routine swatting of a pretty strong side that suggested we were serious players.I should know better really, I was at White Hart Lane in 1990 as well.
We had 51 points after the Blackburn game on 7th February.We ended with 62 points on May 24th.Even by our standards it was an extraordinary collapse in the last 3 months to even finish below Everton who were miles behind us at one point. Just the usual MON burning out the 12 regular players (Gabby had nothing left by March) and the unused squad players not being good enough.
Welcome GlennThat's the keeper, defence and defensive midfield sorted.We also have two of the leagues top assist/creators in Adomah and Hourihane. Plus Lansbury and Grealish should also be in that bracket if playing at their best. Green is more than capable of creating as well. I'm told the Iceman also usually chips in with a few over the course of a season as well.And we have three PROVEN championship goalscorers, regardless of what happened last season.Now. We can either be all doom and gloom or take all that on board and just get behind them now as far as I can see
Quote from: Toronto Villa on July 20, 2017, 11:56:38 AMStoke fans aren't suggesting he was past it as a PL player so as long as he has one more season at that level left in the tank he'll donfine for us.FFP has clearly affected our transfers this summer along with players not being sold. So to bring in 4 for £2.5m is pretty good overall. What I'm most concerned about is what we've seen so far. We lack cohesiveness and creativity so hopefully that will come in time. We must get off to a fast start.Problem is, how much are we paying in wages for those players. We have to get a lot of players off the books cover their wages, let alone reduce the wage bill (which is our main issue with FFP).
You're Lyden's biggest champion on here Mark, fair play I've not seen him play enough to express much of an opinion on him. Looks like he will struggle to get game-time this season too.
6 goals in nearly 10 years for Stoke, he'll fit in well