I think the Division has got stronger if anything, yes Newcastle have gone but they have been replaced by Sunderland, Boro and Hull, teams and clubs that are better than Brighton and Huddersfield. Bolton and Sheff U are better and bigger than the clubs they replaced. Add to that the money Wolves have spent and that Villa will be more of a threat, Birmingham have brought in real experience (so could go either way) and teams like Derby Fulham etc will be decent. We need to move at least one place higher than last time to make the season anything like a success - the play off must be our minimum aim and yardstick for success. So can we be that little bit better than last time ? The big difference and the big unknown is the manager / coach. Whilst Monk made mistakes many thought he overacheived with the squad he had and he did look a manager, perhaps the first we have had since Warnock or McDermott who we believed could get promoted. He had a plan and when it worked, as it most often did, we won games. He did seem unable on occasion to re-act to what was going on on the pitch and did not seem to have a plan B. Our main 4 2 3 1 line-up was essentially built on the defence defending like madmen and hoping / trusting that Wood would get at least one chance that he would score from . Newcastle away was the perfect example of this - we got hammered in terms of possession, territory and chances but committed (desperate) defending kept them at bay for the most part and then, one chance, one goal - Wood.We did rely very heavily, almost exclusively on Wood for our goals, but it was almost enough. We have no real idea as to what TC will be like, I know he impressed at interview and seems to have some ideas and be willing to change things for different situations but despite some success at a lower level he is a total unknown - can he be better than Monk, I hope so but doubt it. So is the team / squad better than last time ?To be fair we have only lost two real first teamers, Taylor who only played a bit part due to injury last time and was replaced by Berardi - we lost something going forward with this change but were perhaps slightly better defensively ? It was not without cause that Berardi is mentioned in the 'back four' song.The other miss (to date at any rate) is Bartley - for many our player of the season , and certainly alongside Jansson and Wood one of the best three. He was a good organiser and was, to me, the de facto captain on many occasions and gelled well with Jansson. It is a big risk to replace Bartley with an untried and untested youngster in Pennington. Pennington appears to be quite skilled and perhaps a better footballer than Bartley but I worry that he won't have the same presence and 'hardness' that Bartley had and we will most likely be less solid at the back. Wood will still be the main man in terms of our attack although it is too early to say whether he will be on his own up top or will, at least on occasion, have someone alongside him. I am confident that Wood can score 20plus goals again but needing him to get 30 is a massive ask and probably beyond him. We are also in a bit of a catch 22 with him - we need him to score lots of goals but if he does do as well as last year then the chances of a struggling Prem team stealing him off us in January (or even August) will increase and leave us well and truly in it. Green had a good season after a bad start and will no doubt be decent enough next season if he starts, if he doesn't then I expect Weirwald to be just as good. So with the back 4, keeper and Wood sorted, we need to pick the next 5 players - possibly as a 2 3 formation or 4 and one joining Wood. To me we had two problems in midfield last season - 1, the lack of goals, 2 consistencyAs regards lack of goals can Roofe, Hernandez, Doukara , Sacko, Dallas and Vieira find their scoring boots ? If not can Alioski and Saiz get into double figures along with Klitch ? (Bridcutt, Anita, O'Kane and Phillips are all pretty much non scoring midfielders. Can Ekuban cut it at this level and chip in with goals from the bench ?2. Consistency- our main problem last season was who to pick in midfield - the defensive 2 for example, started as Bridcutt and O'Kane but could just as easily have been Phillips and Vieira (and sometimes these two were our most effective) - O'Kane become one of those players who fans rated higher the more he didn't play. Bridcutt, one day looked great and then the next was sat much too far back and his passing was poor. Vieira looked a world beater one day and a kid out of his depth the next (both are probably true) Phillips had good games but on others had fans wondering how he was making a living at it. Anita may well be added to this mix and Klitch too, so somehow TC needs to find the best pairing and ensure they are good week in week out.Further forward we had the same problem with Dallas, Roofe, Hernandez, Doukara and Sacko - each capable of a really effective game and each capable of being abysmal. Hernandez had games when he looked a class apart followed by a totally anonymous display when only his corner taking made him worth keeping on. Roofe looked like a £3m bargain on a few occasions but on others looked out of his depth and Sacko, bless him a speed merchant but with an unknown or non-existent end product.We are adding two unknown youtube stars to this in Saiz and Alioski the former was mr invisible in midweek in Austria and has come from quite a low standard, Alioski on the other hand scored in midweek and has been getting rave reviews from the travelling fans though again, he is stepping up in class.So the big question is can TC get the right formation and right players in the correct positions, players and a system that can create a lot more chances than last time and also add a lot more goals. At a total guess I would expect our line up v Bolton (with Jansson suspended and replacing Cooper when allowed) and our 'proper fisrt team' to beWierwald / greenAyling Cooper (Jansson) Pennington BerardiAnita BridcuttAlioski Hernandez SackoWood So not a great change from last time with the proven Anita , Alioski and Pennington the only new boys getting into the first team plus maybe the keeper.So our success will depend on Anita and Alioski making (and in Alioski's case scoring) chances for Wood and the rest of the team, plus Pennigton being as solid as Bartley. On top of that we need TC to get the best out of each of the players, for example getting a real end product from Sacko, and being able and willing to change system, formation and personnel as required. We need him to read the game well and re-act to what is happening and to make substitutes at the right time and the right players to turn draws into wins and defeats into draws.A rocking Elland Road that should, despite the £2 increase for the ticket buying fan , on top of the 17k ST holders, be largely full for most games, needs to stay patient and get behind the team, and the new players need to be able to draw inspiration from the crowd and not be cowed by them Here's hoping it will all work out well and 2017/18 can become one of the memorable seasons dave _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected]
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