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[Albion] Will we do better than (those utter tossers) Boro?

Will we do better that Middlesbrough in our first Premier League season?

  • We will do better

    Votes: 168 89.4%
  • There is no 'same' option

    Votes: 15 8.0%
  • We will do worse

    Votes: 5 2.7%

  • Total voters
    188




MattBackHome

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
11,689
I think the Beast did moderately well up top on his own given the circumstances.

Then after Traore, Friend and (at a push) de Roon you're really struggling to see anyone who's in the black this season.

We'll need to be smarter than they were in the transfer market, which I don't think is a massive challenge.
 


Finchley Seagull

New member
Feb 25, 2004
6,916
North London
Can't guarantee we will get more points but am confident we'll have more impact on the Premier League. Most teams will hardly have noticed Boro's presence there this season. We will at least offer more going forward and I'm confident we'll score more goals. Whether that means we'll stay up at the end of the season remains to be seen.
 


LU7 RED

Active member
Nov 5, 2010
553
Leighton Buzzard
They also fell into the trap of thinking you can play 4-5-1 with an average 1 up top.

I wager a wily old Fox like Glen will get much more change out of Premier League defenders than Gestede or Negredo ever did .




Agree with this. March was quite guilty of this when he came on at Villa and Knockaert is definitely often guilty of wanting to beat his man before putting the ball in.

My two big asks of the team and CH next season is to play the percentages.

Teams who shoot or cross more create more chances - a very obvious thing to say but just watch MOTD and count the number of goals that go in through players legs, or crosses that do the same. Shoot/cross early before the defender is set and it will cause problems.

The second is that we adopt something of the Bournemouth approach and play without fear. If we're trying to win in the first place then we're likely to cause surprises.

I will be so disappointed if we play with fear or try not to lose.


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

It's definitely better to at least try and win, I'm sure you'll do better than Boro. Its those runs of games against the bottom half of the table that you have got to try and target. We had a bad run before the United match, but then drew there and beat West Ham and Swansea. Then drew at Liverpool and Saints, BATTERED but Spurs and Chelsea, which you just take on the chin. Then did what we had to do by beating Boro and Blunderland. You just have to win the mini league matches in the bottom half. Some of the big boys are amazing, especially using the 'high press' - we had that at City and Spurs (both 4-0), where you have to play high tempo one touch stuff just to have possession.

Basically it's pretty weak to what it has been in the past - a good time to be in the PL and all it's riches. We should have enough dosh for a new ground by now :)
 


Seasidesage

New member
May 19, 2009
4,467
Brighton, United Kingdom
Impossible to say at this point but as a starting point you could say we need to score around 50ish goals to stay up. What we have currently won't do that at PL level. Even Murray who has clearly been our best striker this season will struggle to get 10 at that level based on his previous record and given that he will be another season older. I think we need 2 maybe even 3 strikers who came come in and get double figures. That will be the most difficult element of the recruitment process. In midfield if stephens stays I think we need two capable of challenging for 1st team places. Norwood won't cut it for me at that level and Sidwell great though he has been this season will struggle too. I think Kayal may get a little more time on the ball and has the technique to cope anyway. Wingers are probably as good as we can attract right now although if someone came in with the right money for Murphy I'd be tempted to see if we could trade up.

At the back I think the CD are a pretty good bunch and given the upheaval elsewhere I'd stick with what we have. Full backs is more difficult. I don't think either LB could cope at PL level and Bruno will struggle too. Assuming we need a new goalie we are facing a real churn in staff if we are to make a go of it I think.

This will be the biggest test of the recruitment team and a real tough ask IMO
 




warmleyseagull

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2011
4,201
Beaminster, Dorset
Impossible to say at this point but as a starting point you could say we need to score around 50ish goals to stay up. What we have currently won't do that at PL level. Even Murray who has clearly been our best striker this season will struggle to get 10 at that level based on his previous record and given that he will be another season older. I think we need 2 maybe even 3 strikers who came come in and get double figures. That will be the most difficult element of the recruitment process. In midfield if stephens stays I think we need two capable of challenging for 1st team places. Norwood won't cut it for me at that level and Sidwell great though he has been this season will struggle too. I think Kayal may get a little more time on the ball and has the technique to cope anyway. Wingers are probably as good as we can attract right now although if someone came in with the right money for Murphy I'd be tempted to see if we could trade up.

At the back I think the CD are a pretty good bunch and given the upheaval elsewhere I'd stick with what we have. Full backs is more difficult. I don't think either LB could cope at PL level and Bruno will struggle too. Assuming we need a new goalie we are facing a real churn in staff if we are to make a go of it I think.

This will be the biggest test of the recruitment team and a real tough ask IMO

This and chimes with my earlier post. We do need to score enough. Historically, 40+ with a reasonable defence should be enough..Only Bournemouth below the top 7 have scored over 50 in the PL this season, and unlikely more than one other team will by end of season. So I would set 40 as the target.

Seems to me that to do so requires four things:

A top striker
Back up for Baldock
An offensive CM
CDs delivering from set pieces.

The first three require signings, obviously. Would prefer two good rather than three mediocre, arguably an offensive CM can be the Baldock back up in a 5 man midfield, if CH can be converted to that in some games.
 


Kinky Gerbil

Im The Scatman
NSC Patreon
Jul 16, 2003
57,846
hassocks
Depends who comes in

Strikers are a must - shows you can't rely on very good Championship ones in the Pl

Also helps if you don't play a flat back 10

Think the league will be tougher next year, won't have Sunderland/Boro and can't see Swansea or Hull, Palace being as bad next season
 


Se20

Banned
Oct 3, 2012
3,981
Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.
 






Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
19,632
Eastbourne
Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.

How's that working for you [MENTION=25756]Se20[/MENTION]?

And rather nice that we are only 13 points from Boro's final end of season total.
 


Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,719
Hove
Depends who comes in

Strikers are a must - shows you can't rely on very good Championship ones in the Pl

Also helps if you don't play a flat back 10

Think the league will be tougher next year, won't have Sunderland/Boro and can't see Swansea or Hull, Palace being as bad next season

Thankfully it appears Swansea and Palace are letting you down! :lolol:
 




spence

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,811
Crawley
Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.

:wave:
 


clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,179
Some of you are building yourselves up for a fall by assuming because you have a better infrastructure then some teams, you'll finish above them. I personally think grounds like ours, Bournemouth and Burnley work in our favour, the big clubs don't like roughing it.
Unless you get in PL experience, you will struggle.
If you got a group of Palace fans together who think your 1970s infrastructure works in the club's favour they would be outnumbered by the away fans at a midweek Tooting and Mitcham fixture.

Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
 











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