Pre-Season 2023/24

[Del Woppio]

Keep hearing about Giles and his miraculous crossing ability.

Crossing is an important part of football - but only if that’s the way you play. I don’t see Grealish and Bernardo Silva whipping in crosses with either foot.

We could have had prime John Barnes playing wide for us last season and it wouldn’t have made a blind bit of difference.

We didn't have a penalty box forward last season though (not that we had an attacking style at all tbh). With Sasa and Silva up front, I think both would thrive off quality delivery.

 

[WsWolf]

Giles' crossing ability was never in question, we saw last night how poor he is defensively. We didn't really target him but any time we went down that side we got in behind.

He'll likely get 6/7 assists next year but he'll be partly at fault for at least 2/3 times that number conceded.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I'm going back to Fabio. That performance last night was a bit of an eye opener for me. I thought he had some ability but never thought he was going to be good enough to be an important part of the team and thought he had a poor attitude. I was in the wouldn't be bothered if we sold him camp. Last night has gone some way to making me reconsider.

He was our best player. He was the best player on the pitch. He worked hard, he did more than his fair share of defensive duties, he ran at the defence, he pulled them all over by finding space. The only thing his performance lacked was a goal and we know he can finish. If that is going to be a consistent standard for him not only should we definitely not sell him, he should be in our first choice 11 most weeks IMO.

The word in bold is the key.

 

[sycophantia]

I'm going back to Fabio. That performance last night was a bit of an eye opener for me. I thought he had some ability but never thought he was going to be good enough to be an important part of the team and thought he had a poor attitude. I was in the wouldn't be bothered if we sold him camp. Last night has gone some way to making me reconsider.

He was our best player. He was the best player on the pitch. He worked hard, he did more than his fair share of defensive duties, he ran at the defence, he pulled them all over by finding space. The only thing his performance lacked was a goal and we know he can finish. If that is going to be a consistent standard for him not only should we definitely not sell him, he should be in our first choice 11 most weeks IMO.

The word in bold is the key.

Agree, tbf a few of us thought Fabio had some of the attributes to be a good striker right from the start but he lacked pace, physicality, determination and maybe a bit of self confidence, the loans seemed to have helped on all those fronts. Providing he wants to be here it's a no brainer to give him a go imo. If we get rid, I suspect we'd end up with some journeyman type cheap option like Che Adams.

 

[sycophantia]

Did Sasa look like he was 'giving it the beans' or was he a little bit tentative? (Wouldn't blame him)
Did he look OK when when he came off?

 

[Carrotdude]

He looked fine to me, just a little rusty and off the pace understandably. You can tell he’s got a good touch on him.

 

[The Bear]

It still wouldn't surprise me to see Lop play Cunha through the middle and leave Silva on the bench. Hopefully last night changed his mind on that.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

You think Giles is going to

He looked fine to me, just a little rusty and off the pace understandably. You can tell he’s got a good touch on him.

Good touch for a big man?

 

[The Bear]

I'm looking forward to seeing some highlights at some point today as I was out all last night.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Any chat on why Lemina wasn’t in the squad? (quick profit to Liverpool…)

Surely someone is going to take Podence off our hands as well. Jonny less so. Can’t think who else was left out

 

[Kenny]

Any chat on why Lemina wasn’t in the squad? (quick profit to Liverpool…)

Felt unwell according to Liam

 

[Loki]

Sasa injured his shoulder colliding with the Luton keeper midway through the first half, which according to comms he kept rubbing for a while after, but no sign of it second half.

 

[Carrotdude]

Yeah it looked like it might be collarbone for a minute but he seemed fine

 

[Lycan]

Thought we were pretty impressive yesterday but hard to really tell as Luton are no sort of opposition. We'll only come up against 2 teams in the league that play like that this season, Luton & Sheffield United.

Going forward we looked excellent apart from Hwang's appalling touch and Sasa's fluffed chance. I thought Matheus & Doherty kept trying to play in the same areas, they need to sort out a way of playing together.

Fábio, Sasa, Matheus, Traoré & Gomes looked a serious threat going forward, even against Luton's 5-3-2. Cunha, Fraser, Sarabia & Neto continued that when they came on. I was even impressed with Hodge when he came on, first time I've seen him look really positive on the ball.

Toti looked assured and his pace removes that massive weakness we have whenever Dawson & Kilman push too high.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

Going forward we looked excellent apart from Hwang's appalling touch and Sasa's fluffed chance.

Sasa's two chances, Hwangs appaling touches, Sarabia's header from close range, Nunes dragging a shot wide, Silva firing at the keeper at the near post....

We should have scored plenty last night and while it was pleasing to see the chances created, they didn't put them away. This is not a new problem and will cost us.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Sasa's two chances, Hwangs appaling touches, Sarabia's header from close range, Nunes dragging a shot wide, Silva firing at the keeper at the near post....

We should have scored plenty last night and while it was pleasing to see the chances created, they didn't put them away. This is not a new problem and will cost us.

We missed a load vs Celtic too, Matheus in the first half obviously being the worst.

That has changed in fairness. In a lot of games last season we were only created 2-3 clear chances at best. Look at say, Villa at home, we played alright and I don't think you could say we robbed the win or anything, but we scored off a set piece early on and barring Costa missing a one on one just after half time, that was pretty much it.

 

[sycophantia]

Sasa's two chances, Hwangs appaling touches, Sarabia's header from close range, Nunes dragging a shot wide, Silva firing at the keeper at the near post....

We should have scored plenty last night and while it was pleasing to see the chances created, they didn't put them away. This is not a new problem and will cost us.

It was disappointing to not score any but it is encouraging that we created so many chances, got to believe that on another day, some of those will go in. Yes I'm desperate to see something positive.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

It was disappointing to not score any but it is encouraging that we created so many chances, got to believe that on another day, some of those will go in. Yes I'm desperate to see something positive.

Absolutely...and I think as a team we have progressed since the end of last season where I felt a few were going through the motions after we had secured our league position. But goals...

I was also quite impressed by the "current" depth of the squad and we probably do only need a cnetral defender and midfielder if nobody else leaves.

Luton should already start planning how to spend their parachute money.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I think the most noticeable thing last night [aided by very generous opposition admittedly] was the numbers we got forward in attack. As I suggested in my earlier post, all of our players need to start taking the chances on offer but the signs are encouraging. When you only get one or two opportunities a game the pressure builds and players 'pass the buck' as they don't want to be the one to miss. I think Cunha in particular can fall foul of this. Creating more chances makes you relax as you know another will come along. Sasa will benefit from a goal and you saw his reaction to the one skied over the bar. Fabio's reception from the fans (which was a little over the top but I understand why it was) will have helped him massively as well.

When Bully was in his pomp and scoring 50+ a season he missed plenty but there was always another opportunity coming his way and so the head never dropped.

 

[Dire Wolf]

We definitely looked like we got more players higher up the pitch. In Traore and Joao Gomes it looks like we have midfielders who want to play on the front foot as much as they can. The horseshoe of doom didn't really seem to make an appearance, but that could well be because the opposition allowed us to be more on the front foot.