| Reality check - good window? 01:00 - Aug 15 with 1616 views | DorsetIan |
I wasn’t at Goodison, but I’ve read the comments and watched the motd highlights.
Now that we’ve had a reminder of how it was in latter half of last season (leads lost, second half fades, some first team starters clearly not good enough) does anyone still think we’ve had a good (or even adequate) window so far? The excitement at getting in new people has disguised the fact that we are still fragile in so many areas.
I‘m really looking forward to the first home game next Sunday - it’s been too long - but I’m seriously worried about what I’m going to see.
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| Reality check - good window? on 01:05 - Aug 15 with 1613 views | Gennaro_Contaldo |
Based on ONE match, Armstrong looks decent and Livramento has quality but is inexperienced. Oh and the french left back looks okay, but not great shakes.
As the club needed to REALLY strengthen the defence, I'd say no. But I'm not going to pin it all on the defence because it's clearly obvious that a very good goalie is number 1 priority and a defensive midfielder number 2. I don't get the hype about Diallo, not sure what I'm missing. |  |
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| Reality check - good window? on 01:44 - Aug 15 with 1580 views | dirk_doone |
It's an odd window really. We've replaced one of our few good players, Walker-Peters, with a very good player: Livramento. Armstrong looks like a younger and faster version of Ings. So, there we have also replaced another one of our few good players with a very good player.
Bertrand was our best and most experienced defender. Perraud is younger but initial impressions are that he is more like Cedric, doesn't have the physical presence of Bertrand and may be a weak link when we are bombarded with high crosses and corners.
We've done well to get 2 good players but we haven't addressed the key issues i.e. the positions where we have poor players: goalkeeper and the centre of defence. So, it looks like we are going to concede a lot of goals this season but Livramento and Armstong will ensure that we also score some, perhaps not enough to compensate for our awful goalkeeper and central defence though.
With McCarthy in goal and 2 out of Bednarek, Stephens and Salisu in the centre of defence we will probably already be in such a bad position by January that even if we buy a goalkeeper and central defender then, it will be too late.
Livramento and Armstrong will be good to watch but I feel a bit sorry for them that they've walked into this sh!tstorm and I feel sorry for all of our outfield players that they have McCarthy in goal behind them. That has got to be really demoralising. |  |
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| Reality check - good window? on 07:47 - Aug 15 with 1447 views | saint22 |
| Reality check - good window? on 01:44 - Aug 15 by dirk_doone |
It's an odd window really. We've replaced one of our few good players, Walker-Peters, with a very good player: Livramento. Armstrong looks like a younger and faster version of Ings. So, there we have also replaced another one of our few good players with a very good player.
Bertrand was our best and most experienced defender. Perraud is younger but initial impressions are that he is more like Cedric, doesn't have the physical presence of Bertrand and may be a weak link when we are bombarded with high crosses and corners.
We've done well to get 2 good players but we haven't addressed the key issues i.e. the positions where we have poor players: goalkeeper and the centre of defence. So, it looks like we are going to concede a lot of goals this season but Livramento and Armstong will ensure that we also score some, perhaps not enough to compensate for our awful goalkeeper and central defence though.
With McCarthy in goal and 2 out of Bednarek, Stephens and Salisu in the centre of defence we will probably already be in such a bad position by January that even if we buy a goalkeeper and central defender then, it will be too late.
Livramento and Armstrong will be good to watch but I feel a bit sorry for them that they've walked into this sh!tstorm and I feel sorry for all of our outfield players that they have McCarthy in goal behind them. That has got to be really demoralising. |
As I have posted many times consistently failing to bolster our defence season upon season is costing us and this year may we’ll be the one we pay the price
Stephens hadn’t been good enough for 3 or4 seasons yet he still starts games….!!? | | | |
| Reality check - good window? on 08:57 - Aug 15 with 1371 views | DorsetIan |
| Reality check - good window? on 01:44 - Aug 15 by dirk_doone |
It's an odd window really. We've replaced one of our few good players, Walker-Peters, with a very good player: Livramento. Armstrong looks like a younger and faster version of Ings. So, there we have also replaced another one of our few good players with a very good player.
Bertrand was our best and most experienced defender. Perraud is younger but initial impressions are that he is more like Cedric, doesn't have the physical presence of Bertrand and may be a weak link when we are bombarded with high crosses and corners.
We've done well to get 2 good players but we haven't addressed the key issues i.e. the positions where we have poor players: goalkeeper and the centre of defence. So, it looks like we are going to concede a lot of goals this season but Livramento and Armstong will ensure that we also score some, perhaps not enough to compensate for our awful goalkeeper and central defence though.
With McCarthy in goal and 2 out of Bednarek, Stephens and Salisu in the centre of defence we will probably already be in such a bad position by January that even if we buy a goalkeeper and central defender then, it will be too late.
Livramento and Armstrong will be good to watch but I feel a bit sorry for them that they've walked into this sh!tstorm and I feel sorry for all of our outfield players that they have McCarthy in goal behind them. That has got to be really demoralising. |
When Livramento was bought, the reports said that he could play on the right side of defence or midfield. Seems mad for him to keep KWP out, so perhaps he needs to play in right midfield and he can try to forge a partnership with KWP.
How you feel about McCarthy, i feel about Djenepo. I just can’t understand why Ralph keeps picking him when he constantly fails. And if the answer is that he’s the best we’ve got in that position, well that says it all about the squad for me. | |
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| Reality check - good window? on 11:20 - Aug 15 with 1286 views | Sadoldgit |
Djenepo can go past players so easily but needs to find an end product. As for this window, the new players all look decent but clearly we need an upgrade on Vestergaard. Stephens needs to be on the bench and I am sure he will be next week. Although I don’t think McCarthy was particularly at fault for the goals yesterday I agree with most others that Forster should be no 1. I don’t think we played badly yesterday. There were times when we were on top and times when they were. Same old story though, we don’t turn pressure into goals and the opposition does. Once JWP and Romeu are match fit and we field our proper 1st eleven we will beat plenty of other teams. After yesterday’s results there will be plenty of other worried fans around the country. |  | | |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:39 - Aug 15 with 1267 views | 1885_SFC |
Hopefully, Manchester United will turn up wearing grey kits next weekend... |  |
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| Reality check - good window? on 18:10 - Aug 15 with 1167 views | kingslandstand1 |
| Reality check - good window? on 01:44 - Aug 15 by dirk_doone |
It's an odd window really. We've replaced one of our few good players, Walker-Peters, with a very good player: Livramento. Armstrong looks like a younger and faster version of Ings. So, there we have also replaced another one of our few good players with a very good player.
Bertrand was our best and most experienced defender. Perraud is younger but initial impressions are that he is more like Cedric, doesn't have the physical presence of Bertrand and may be a weak link when we are bombarded with high crosses and corners.
We've done well to get 2 good players but we haven't addressed the key issues i.e. the positions where we have poor players: goalkeeper and the centre of defence. So, it looks like we are going to concede a lot of goals this season but Livramento and Armstong will ensure that we also score some, perhaps not enough to compensate for our awful goalkeeper and central defence though.
With McCarthy in goal and 2 out of Bednarek, Stephens and Salisu in the centre of defence we will probably already be in such a bad position by January that even if we buy a goalkeeper and central defender then, it will be too late.
Livramento and Armstrong will be good to watch but I feel a bit sorry for them that they've walked into this sh!tstorm and I feel sorry for all of our outfield players that they have McCarthy in goal behind them. That has got to be really demoralising. |
"even if we buy a goalkeeper and central defender then, it will be too late."
And by then what decent GK/CB would want to come here other than a mercenary |  | | |
| Reality check - good window? on 19:07 - Aug 15 with 1130 views | barry_sanchez |
The defence was shit and championship standard with Vestergaard in it, now it takes the piss of shitness, they haven't a clue. |  |
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| Reality check - good window? on 20:55 - Aug 15 with 1062 views | Butty101 |
| Reality check - good window? on 19:07 - Aug 15 by barry_sanchez |
The defence was shit and championship standard with Vestergaard in it, now it takes the piss of shitness, they haven't a clue. |
We have 25mill to squander. Go and get Sam Johnston from wba and Gary Cahill. We will then survive |  |
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| Reality check - good window? on 21:40 - Aug 15 with 1029 views | saint22 |
| Reality check - good window? on 20:55 - Aug 15 by Butty101 |
We have 25mill to squander. Go and get Sam Johnston from wba and Gary Cahill. We will then survive |
Good idea
Never happening
We already have two overpaid keepers
Not a chance we will spend the 30m wba want | | | |
| Reality check - good window? on 07:25 - Aug 16 with 929 views | TripleNiemi |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:39 - Aug 15 by 1885_SFC |
Hopefully, Manchester United will turn up wearing grey kits next weekend... |
Hopefully they won't turn up at all...... |  |
| Ready and waiting to mop up those European places...... |
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| Reality check - good window? on 08:36 - Aug 16 with 880 views | darthvader |
| Reality check - good window? on 07:25 - Aug 16 by TripleNiemi |
Hopefully they won't turn up at all...... |
We would still concede |  |
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| Reality check - good window? on 11:05 - Aug 16 with 787 views | SonicBoom |
I really like Armstrong, that finish showed a player that is used to hitting the net. I wouldn't have had much faith if that had been Walcott or Redmond that's for sure.
I just think that it will be the same as with Ings, he will always score if you can make chances for him.
Livramento seems like a very good buy but surely we can't expect high performance levels every week from a young lad.
Perraud has looked decent and seems to have hit the ground running and I'm sure the other CB from Chelsea will be good but again zero experience and he's very young.
I'm concerned by RH's comments that we need a young CB who ideally can play no.6 as well. No we don't Ralph we want a centre back that can play centre back. We don't need more utility players although I think that might be a smoke screen as he also said we might young or old.
Of the current players I agree with most comments. Walcott, Redmond and Djnepo really need to step up and start producing regularly to justify their place in the team. 6/10 performances aren't enough.
I am also concerned by Salisu. Everyone keeps telling me he's got great potential but he is yet another player that seems to be taking an age to develop.
I guess that is where we are. We buy "potential" and hope they train on, but it's risky.
Personally I'd like to see a first choice CB that goes straight into the team. Once you start leaking goals then it drains confidence from the team.
And Ralph? I really don't know. He continues to make baffling decisions. I get it that he could be supported more financially but he also doesn't seem to make the most of what he does have and does make baffling decisions. I'd really like us to get one or two more in and then see us play a settled side.
We absolutely have to reverse our form of 2021 or we will be in huge trouble.
Nick refers to last season as we were top at one stage but that's just perspective. If we were bottom early on then had a great run of form second half of the season, then we would all be feeling positive.
We started well then collapsed second half of the season with the worst record in the league. Losing becomes a habit so despite only being one game into this season, changing our fortunes soon is critical. |  | | |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:25 - Aug 16 with 776 views | DorsetIan |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:05 - Aug 16 by SonicBoom |
I really like Armstrong, that finish showed a player that is used to hitting the net. I wouldn't have had much faith if that had been Walcott or Redmond that's for sure.
I just think that it will be the same as with Ings, he will always score if you can make chances for him.
Livramento seems like a very good buy but surely we can't expect high performance levels every week from a young lad.
Perraud has looked decent and seems to have hit the ground running and I'm sure the other CB from Chelsea will be good but again zero experience and he's very young.
I'm concerned by RH's comments that we need a young CB who ideally can play no.6 as well. No we don't Ralph we want a centre back that can play centre back. We don't need more utility players although I think that might be a smoke screen as he also said we might young or old.
Of the current players I agree with most comments. Walcott, Redmond and Djnepo really need to step up and start producing regularly to justify their place in the team. 6/10 performances aren't enough.
I am also concerned by Salisu. Everyone keeps telling me he's got great potential but he is yet another player that seems to be taking an age to develop.
I guess that is where we are. We buy "potential" and hope they train on, but it's risky.
Personally I'd like to see a first choice CB that goes straight into the team. Once you start leaking goals then it drains confidence from the team.
And Ralph? I really don't know. He continues to make baffling decisions. I get it that he could be supported more financially but he also doesn't seem to make the most of what he does have and does make baffling decisions. I'd really like us to get one or two more in and then see us play a settled side.
We absolutely have to reverse our form of 2021 or we will be in huge trouble.
Nick refers to last season as we were top at one stage but that's just perspective. If we were bottom early on then had a great run of form second half of the season, then we would all be feeling positive.
We started well then collapsed second half of the season with the worst record in the league. Losing becomes a habit so despite only being one game into this season, changing our fortunes soon is critical. |
The characterisation of last season as been good for half and then bad for half has become gospel, but if you look at the results it's much more that we had an extraordinary run over about a third of the games and the other two thirds we were mainly losing.
Ralph has been trying to re-find that good form since the beginning of this year, and so far it's just not happening for him, and he's making the same baffling team selections and too-late substitutions.
For me, that great run of games last Autumn is looking increasingly like the exception that proves the rule. I really worry that he is simply not good enough tactically, and we've got enough problems with Gao to not get the very best out of an already weak squad. | |
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| Reality check - good window? on 11:36 - Aug 16 with 770 views | dirk_doone |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:25 - Aug 16 by DorsetIan |
The characterisation of last season as been good for half and then bad for half has become gospel, but if you look at the results it's much more that we had an extraordinary run over about a third of the games and the other two thirds we were mainly losing.
Ralph has been trying to re-find that good form since the beginning of this year, and so far it's just not happening for him, and he's making the same baffling team selections and too-late substitutions.
For me, that great run of games last Autumn is looking increasingly like the exception that proves the rule. I really worry that he is simply not good enough tactically, and we've got enough problems with Gao to not get the very best out of an already weak squad. |
Beating Liverpool 1-0 in January with an outstanding defensive performance was when we reached our peak. The mood then among the players, manager and fans was ecstatic. It's been pretty much downhill ever since.
It's interesting to look at the team we had then:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55463017 | |
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| Reality check - good window? on 13:49 - Aug 16 with 731 views | DorsetIan |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:36 - Aug 16 by dirk_doone |
Beating Liverpool 1-0 in January with an outstanding defensive performance was when we reached our peak. The mood then among the players, manager and fans was ecstatic. It's been pretty much downhill ever since.
It's interesting to look at the team we had then:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55463017 |
I don't t think that was when we peaked. In the 4 games prior to that we hadn't won (drawing 3 and losing 1) and scoring only once (away at Arseanl). Likewise, we lost the next 4 games, again scoring only once (home to Arsenal). In that context the Liverpool win was a rare exception, and, of course, we scored only once in that game too.
I'd say we had a real purple patch between games 3 and 13, when we lost only once and had a number of more impressive wins, the last of which was the 3-0 at home to Sheff U on 13 December.
Since then our PL stats are: P27 W5 D5 L17, with apart from the Liverpool win, our only victories against Burnley, Palace and Fulhan at home and Sheff U away. | |
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| Reality check - good window? on 14:03 - Aug 16 with 721 views | saint22 |
| Reality check - good window? on 11:36 - Aug 16 by dirk_doone |
Beating Liverpool 1-0 in January with an outstanding defensive performance was when we reached our peak. The mood then among the players, manager and fans was ecstatic. It's been pretty much downhill ever since.
It's interesting to look at the team we had then:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55463017 |
Oh and just look at who was in goal........... | | | |
| Reality check - good window? on 15:06 - Aug 16 with 690 views | dirk_doone |
| Reality check - good window? on 13:49 - Aug 16 by DorsetIan |
I don't t think that was when we peaked. In the 4 games prior to that we hadn't won (drawing 3 and losing 1) and scoring only once (away at Arseanl). Likewise, we lost the next 4 games, again scoring only once (home to Arsenal). In that context the Liverpool win was a rare exception, and, of course, we scored only once in that game too.
I'd say we had a real purple patch between games 3 and 13, when we lost only once and had a number of more impressive wins, the last of which was the 3-0 at home to Sheff U on 13 December.
Since then our PL stats are: P27 W5 D5 L17, with apart from the Liverpool win, our only victories against Burnley, Palace and Fulhan at home and Sheff U away. |
Yes, but McCarthy was in goal for those. Forster played in the Liverpool game because McCarthy had Covid. But then Ralph brought McCarthy back until he was forced to pick Forster again to avoid relegation so he was in goal for our victories against Sheffield United, Burnley and Palace in the spring and, of course, our FA Cup run, when we had four consecutive clean sheets. [Post edited 16 Aug 2021 15:14]
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| Reality check - good window? on 15:25 - Aug 16 with 670 views | DorsetIan |
| Reality check - good window? on 15:06 - Aug 16 by dirk_doone |
Yes, but McCarthy was in goal for those. Forster played in the Liverpool game because McCarthy had Covid. But then Ralph brought McCarthy back until he was forced to pick Forster again to avoid relegation so he was in goal for our victories against Sheffield United, Burnley and Palace in the spring and, of course, our FA Cup run, when we had four consecutive clean sheets. [Post edited 16 Aug 2021 15:14]
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I think you've made a pretty good for the prosecution in the Forster v McCarthy debate! | |
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