15-12-2020, 06:43 PM
(15-12-2020, 04:21 PM)bluetagagain Wrote: >The truth is probably that nothing changed. More likely that the team has evolved and progressed as teams often do when the manager knows what he is doing and has the courage of his convictions that the players are good enough despite a few bad results and resists knee-jerk reactions to defeats. <
What nonsense Deepblue, take off the blue tinted specs. This is more or less a weaker team than last season,however it all changed when Jackett was backed into a corner at the beginning of the season. He realised that if t wasn't for covid and next to no income coming into FP he'd be sacked, he'd lost the dressing room, lost the majority of fans even the Eisners went quiet on twitter as they couldn't defend him. He knew something had to give, so changed tactics to 442, credit to him for that but I still want him gone end of season.
Which is it then ? More weaker or less weaker than last year, you can't have both.
I would argue the squad is stronger than last year ...
in goal we now have two decent keepers, last year we had one and one unpoven prospect.
in defence Thompson & Mnoga are much better at right back than Bolton or McCrorie, Whatmough is at least as good as Burgess, Raggett this year is better than Raggett last year, the Whatmough/Raggett combo looks marginally stronger than the Burgess/Raggett combo did. Pring is at least as good cover for Brown as Haunstrup was. Rasmus is better first choice centre back cover than Downing. Overall, stronger in defence than last year.
in midfield Naylor is better than naylor was, Cannon is better than Cannon was, Close is the same, Morris is available which he wasn't for most of the season. Overall certainly no weaker than last year.
up front Marquis is doing better than last year, and those that argue we haven't replaced Pitman & Hawkins are missing the fact that neither contributed anything last year and in Hiwula we have a different sort of backup than we had. Jacobs is potentially the best forward at the club and we have yet to see much of him. Harness & Williams look more consistent this year, certainly they are no worse. So the front 4 (thats the two wide men and the front two in 442 or 4411, or the 3&1 on the 4231) this season have a lot more variety and depth than last year and we are looking more flexible in formations. So, overall better off up front.
the fringe youngsters like Bell, Teggart, Stanley etc are all a year older and better placed to fill in if they have to.
I cannot see any argument that the squad is weaker than least year.
If you think it is then please feel free to explain why you think that.