2019/20 Marcel Brands

[Lelouch]

It’s not turning on him, it’s just acknowledging that he too has some responsibility for how things work out for us. You can be sure that he’ll be getting deified if we have a great season, so it’s only fair that he gets criticised if we don’t.

I said all summer I didn’t think our recruitment was good enough. The key purchases for me were a centre half who fits Silvas system (I don’t think a Keane/Mina partnership does) and a good striker who can be relied on to get a decent return. I don’t think we got either.

Kean looks a real talent, a very good signing in the long run. He doesn’t look like he solves our problems right now though. At the moment he looks like someone who’ll start a few games but often be an impact sub. We’re still lacking that player to lead the line.

Long term view is the right policy, I’m not having a pop at brands for that, but buying players for the long term means you can’t judge your manager on the short term. Silva wants to play a certain way (and we’ve bought SOME players who suit that) but it’s let down by the fact there’s no pace/athleticism at the back and no main striker. So while it’s not brands’ ‘fault’ if we’re playing like doodoo, he’s not blameless either.

That team is good enough to win all the games we've played so far, The CB criticism is certainly fair but I think Keane and Mina can ride us out until January, Keane and Mina are decent enough imo and would've been starters even if we bought another CB in unless it was Zouma.
It was Kean or someone else, I think Kean was too good of an opportunity to turn down like I've said before how can we bring in another striker when we currently have 4 strikers yet only play 4-2-3-1? If Tosun would take the god damn hint and leave we could have brought Kean and +1 but we have Niasse/Kean/Tosun/DCL and play 1 up top every game I can see why we didn't bring another in.

 

[Toffeelover]

We were throwing in bids for Marcus Rojo on deadline day. That's how good the guy is. Embarrassing stuff. He's had all season to get a centre half in knowing what was happening at Chelsea. All season to get a forward in - gets a 19 year old who needs far more time to get up to speed than the cut throat premier league world allows you. Lets get it right - of all the 5 buys last season - Richarlison was Silva's, Digne is the exception, Bernard is not good enough for a top 6 PL side (good enough for the bench for one that finishes 8th - 10th like us), Gomes the jury is still out on, hugely inconsistent and the same with Mina. He did OK last season but not lets go overboard. The glaring miss has been a proven striker and centre half the last window. Huge errors which will cost us. And why oh why do we keep buying everyone so late that they have no pre season and they're playing catch up......

Think back to thje summer. We wasted far too much time chasing Zouma and Zaha. One can only sign players if the holding club is willing to sell.

 

[JimmyK]

That team is good enough to win all the games we've played so far, The CB criticism is certainly fair but I think Keane and Mina can ride us out until January, Keane and Mina are decent enough imo and would've been starters even if we bought another CB in unless it was Zouma.
It was Kean or someone else, I think Kean was too good of an opportunity to turn down like I've said before how can we bring in another striker when we currently have 4 strikers yet only play 4-2-3-1? If Tosun would take the god damn hint and leave we could have brought Kean and +1 but we have Niasse/Kean/Tosun/DCL and play 1 up top every game I can see why we didn't bring another in.

I agree on Kean but that’s what I’m getting at. We bought a player for the long term, if he can’t have a big impact in the short term then we need to factor that into our expectations for the team.

I disagree that we’re good enough to win all those games. I think that’s hugely overrating our quality. We’ve only won more than 5 away games in a season about twice in 20 years and you’re suggesting we should expect to win three on the trot to start the season. No chance. We’re an upper mid table side, going away and beating decent teams as a matter of course is not upper mid table form.

I think you’re wrong about the centre half. I said it all summer, I do not believe that silva wanted to play Mina and Keane together, and I can see why. You’re looking at them at individuals and saying it’s fine, but as a partnership I just don’t think they work. I think silva agrees and their partnership is a problem for him because it doesn’t suit how he wants to set up.

 

[Lelouch]

I agree on Kean but that’s what I’m getting at. We bought a player for the long term, if he can’t have a big impact in the short term then we need to factor that into our expectations for the team.

I disagree that we’re good enough to win all those games. I think that’s hugely overrating our quality. We’ve only won more than 5 away games in a season about twice in 20 years and you’re suggesting we should expect to win three on the trot to start the season. No chance. We’re an upper mid table side, going away and beating decent teams as a matter of course is not upper mid table form.

I think you’re wrong about the centre half. I said it all summer, I do not believe that silva wanted to play Mina and Keane together, and I can see why. You’re looking at them at individuals and saying it’s fine, but as a partnership I just don’t think they work. I think silva agrees and their partnership is a problem for him because it doesn’t suit how he wants to set up.

I think my expectations for the team are fair, A chance at top 6 if we play our cards right and even then I think 7-8 would be where we should end up.
I don't think you could have picked an easier opening 5 games, Our squad on paper should in reality win them games with ease but clearly not due to some half hearted players and a manager who refuses to change things up and be so predictable.
I guess we'll agree to disagree on the CB's, I think them two are solid enough to do a job and I would be doing guess work if Silva likes them or not, The partnership is in early stages but it's looked okay I would say so far.

 

[JimmyK]

I think my expectations for the team are fair, A chance at top 6 if we play our cards right and even then I think 7-8 would be where we should end up.
I don't think you could have picked an easier opening 5 games, Our squad on paper should in reality win them games with ease but clearly not due to some half hearted players and a manager who refuses to change things up and be so predictable.
I guess we'll agree to disagree on the CB's, I think them two are solid enough to do a job and I would be doing guess work if Silva likes them or not, The partnership is in early stages but it's looked okay I would say so far.

Your expectations for the team are utterly mental. Teams that can realistically expect to beat a quarter of the league ‘with ease’ don’t finish 8th. It’s common sense really.

 

[Lelouch]

Your expectations for the team are utterly mental. Teams that can realistically expect to beat a quarter of the league ‘with ease’ don’t finish 8th. It’s common sense really.

I mean I did say we had a chance at top 6 if we play our cards right and not getting 1 point at Villa/Palace/B'Mouth but that's probably out the window unless we pick up the pace.
7-8 is where we will probably end up due to Everton being Everton and not as good as we think they are but I don't think it's outrageous to think Everton could have have beaten all the teams we've played so far, I mean we've beaten the hardest out the lot (Wolves/Watford).

 

[Dorf]

He got one, Mina, but he isn't good enough, really if we're honest we need 2 top quality ones and a replacement for Coleman.

I think Mina's decent and better than what most fans give him credit for. I believe he's come in and fans have preconceptions of what a stereotypical South American defender are like and he's gone under that umbrella. He's still young and not as bad on the ball as people think.

Coleman has to go next season. He's been tremendous for us in the past but he's gradually deteriorating it's like watching a thoroughbreed race horse on its last legs.

 

[Lanolin]

I mean I did say we had a chance at top 6 if we play our cards right and not getting 1 point at Villa/Palace/B'Mouth but that's probably out the window unless we pick up the pace.
7-8 is where we will probably end up due to Everton being Everton and not as good as we think they are but I don't think it's outrageous to think Everton could have have beaten all the teams we've played so far, I mean we've beaten the hardest out the lot (Wolves/Watford).

I think if you take each game in complete isolation we could win all 38 games, there's no reason to think that any individual game is unwinnable. You have to be realistic about runs of games though, we're nowhere the level where we can keep up the same quality of performance week in week out. I'd say 11 points would have been a terrific haul from the first 5 games, 7 is definitely disappointing but not awful.

 

[davek]

Another false idol.

 

[Toffeelover]

Another false idol.

Golly Dave, who were the others??????????

 

[davek]

Golly Dave, who were the others??????????

Too many to fully mention them all: Smith, Moyes, Martinez, Koeman, Moshiri, Kenwright...Brands is the next one. There'll be others before this club finally takes its place back at the top. Many others.

 

[HKIV]

There were many of us who pointed out why we didn’t think they would be a good partnership though, and repeatedly tried to tell people that having two slow, flat footed players next to each other would cause us problems. Silva knew it, but there were some on here who knew better of course.

Totally incorrect.

Zouma was our `best' defender last season and he would struggle to get a game regularly for a successful top 6 club. Keane is utterly useless - 5 mins watching him try to sprint or turn should be enough to banish him to the championship and Mina the jury is still way out.

I expected Zouma to be signed with another `top 6' centre half and they would start.
Or we buy 2 `top 6' centre halfs and they would start. Mina would be back up and Keane if they were all wiped out with a terrible flu virus,

 

[Nymzee]

There were many of us who pointed out why we didn’t think they would be a good partnership though, and repeatedly tried to tell people that having two slow, flat footed players next to each other would cause us problems. Silva knew it, but there were some on here who knew better of course.

Mate no offence but we’re just fans and we haven’t for a clue about actual footie business. We might say our defenders aren’t good but what do we know.

 

[JimmyK]

Mate no offence but we’re just fans and we haven’t for a clue about actual footie business. We might say our defenders aren’t good but what do we know.

Of course yeah, but you can’t say everybody was happy with the centre halves and then complain when someone says no we weren’t. Obviously it’s just opinions but if you can give yours I can give mine surely?

 

[HKIV]

Correct Jimmy.

98% seemed delighted with Keane who apparantly was excellent last year after a shaky first season and Mina who would come on a lot from a shaky.inconsistent/injury plagues first year.

And the best was the legions who said that it was also time for Holgate to step up and show his class.

Honestly you would think we were Stoke and only had 600k to spend every summer.