What's the plan?

[Lycan]

I think Stearman has actually looked stronger as a right sided centre half.

 

[Johnny75]

Whose blame is that? Jackett apparently has final say?

If that is the case then there is a clear disconnect between Jackett and the recruitment staff, which includes Thelwell. That would be a clear failure in the system.

Any recruitment department would have a list of at least 3 players in every position and a dossier on each player including their present worth (which as pointed out is relative).

If this list does not exist then the recruitment dept isn't worth it and they should all be gone.
If they do have a list (which is more likely) and Jackett doesn't agree with it then the staff aren't compatible and that should be rectified.
If there is a list and both Jackett and the recruitment team agree but the targets are not acquired because of money then that is a budget issue

What has become very clear is that Jackett has generally signed players he has a history with and this smacks to me of not trusting his recruitment staff, hence the 'move' of Webber and his staff and the appointment of another person. But this was too late to affect the one glaring position that needed to be addressed, LM. Jackett has even said his preferred formation has wingers, yet that is the one position we have decided not to upgrade significantly, but have spent C£2m on a DM we didn't really need.

Everything seems to be reactionary rather than proactive in recruitment and has been for 5 windows, as Penk has pointed out. This should have been addressed at the end of last season not the beginning of this. That is shambolic and frankly embarrassing for a club that has aspirations to get in the Premier League.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Terrible start to the season, Ive already ruled out automatic promotion based on the fragility of the team from what Ive seen so far. 6th place will do now.

 

[Nando]

Whilst we were absolutely abysmal on Saturday - the two favorites for the league have had similarly average/poor starts and 'Boro fans are questioning Karanka's endless rotation already.

We've not thrown anything away yet as long as performance like the last game and a half are nipped in the bud, sharpish. Ipswich have flown out of the blocks and seem to have done some excellent business on a tiny budget. Classic Mick.

 

[pr0sl0]

Yeah I'm not really worried - it's been four games, we've looked good at times and poor at others, and even with the supposed defensive frailties of the ~rhombus~ you can put the QPR loss down to goalkeeping errors just as easily. Writing the season off now because we're only six points off the top is extremely premature, especially as the other "favourites" (besides Ipswich) also look to have started a bit wobbly.

I don't get why it's so difficult to play Dicko and Afobe at the same time while also sacrificing wide play, though. Surely a bog standard 4-3-3 with Dicko front-right and Afobe central would work fine? IMO our recruitment has been neither terrible nor great, and even without Sako this squad is good enough to win promotion. Just wait until they get a couple of wins under their belts - confidence will help immensely.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Yeah I'm not really worried - it's been four games, we've looked good at times and poor at others, and even with the supposed defensive frailties of the ~rhombus~ you can put the QPR loss down to goalkeeping errors just as easily. Writing the season off now because we're only six points off the top is extremely premature, especially as the other "favourites" (besides Ipswich) also look to have started a bit wobbly.

I don't get why it's so difficult to play Dicko and Afobe at the same time while also sacrificing wide play, though. Surely a bog standard 4-3-3 with Dicko front-right and Afobe central would work fine? IMO our recruitment has been neither terrible nor great, and even without Sako this squad is good enough to win promotion. Just wait until they get a couple of wins under their belts - confidence will help immensely.

I get all of that and would agree were it not for a transfer window closing in a week. The squad ready for promotion or a tilt at the top 2? Early days but no is the 60/40 favourite on the evidence. Dicko needs to sharpen up and perhaps he is suffering a close season hangover and carrying half a stone. The problem with this league is that 15 could win it and we have already missed out once in a tight finish due to really 1 poor month on a season. August 15 was not November 14 but its was not a lot better so far

 

[Lycan]

Dicko is not overweight. I've seen this a few times, where the hell has this come from?

I think he's played quite well this season personally, he just hasn't stuck the ball in the back of the net yet. KJ should never have taken him off vs QPR btw, that killed us.

 

[lemonjelly]

Yeah I'm not really worried - it's been four games, we've looked good at times and poor at others, and even with the supposed defensive frailties of the ~rhombus~ you can put the QPR loss down to goalkeeping errors just as easily. Writing the season off now because we're only six points off the top is extremely premature, especially as the other "favourites" (besides Ipswich) also look to have started a bit wobbly.

I don't get why it's so difficult to play Dicko and Afobe at the same time while also sacrificing wide play, though. Surely a bog standard 4-3-3 with Dicko front-right and Afobe central would work fine? IMO our recruitment has been neither terrible nor great, and even without Sako this squad is good enough to win promotion. Just wait until they get a couple of wins under their belts - confidence will help immensely.

I agree with this.Remember last season? We looked (for the first 8 games) almost invincible, inasmuch as we weren't conceding goals. We all know what happened in november...

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Dicko is not overweight. I've seen this a few times, where the hell has this come from?

I think he's played quite well this season personally, he just hasn't stuck the ball in the back of the net yet. KJ should never have taken him off vs QPR btw, that killed us.

He scored in the cup didn't he?

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Dicko is not overweight. I've seen this a few times, where the hell has this come from?

I think he's played quite well this season personally, he just hasn't stuck the ball in the back of the net yet. KJ should never have taken him off vs QPR btw, that killed us.

Until his injury he was half a yard slower and looked a little bulkier. I never said he was overweight just carrying half a stone on last year. That tends to slow you down a yard and thats how it looked to me

 

[slink]

Until his injury he was half a yard slower and looked a little bulkier. I never said he was overweight just carrying half a stone on last year. That tends to slow you down a yard and thats how it looked to me

That wasn't the case in the Villa friendly though where he looked as sharp as last season. There was something not quite right though as he wasn't as good as last year when the season started.

 

[playtheace]

That wasn't the case in the Villa friendly though where he looked as sharp as last season. There was something not quite right though as he wasn't as good as last year when the season started.

Said it before but after last seasons injury he just hasnt been the same player.That burst of pace was just ever so slightly slower.
Still a defenders nigthmare on his day though.

 

[YoungWolf]

Who? Dicko?

Last season when he came back from injury he was exactly the same, our form immediately improved and his goal record was superb. Utter nonsense.

 

[thehistorymakers]

We don't need a new centre half, we need Batth back. All of the other three will be fine alongside him.

That didn't turn out to be true. Selling Stearman was stupid! Our problems started with the sale of Stearman and not having enough experience in defense. Our defense is so bad, that if we try to play an attacking game, we'll get punished.
I love attacking football, but knowing you can't count on your defense compromises the type of football you can play.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

At that time we thought Batth would be rather better than he has turned out to be. Decent finish to last season and all that.

Do the forum a favour and don't try thread necromancy to try and prove you are somehow "right".

 

[Kenny]

It's clear they thought Batth was ready to be the leader of the back 4. Turns out he isnt ready, hence his best form this came with Williamson next to him.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We also wanted Batth/Hause to be the partnership. They've started six games together and it's nearly February.

 

[Alan]

We also wanted Batth/Hause to be the partnership. They've started six games together and it's nearly February.

That's due mostly to injury tbf.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yes, I know.

 

[thehistorymakers]

At that time we thought Batth would be rather better than he has turned out to be. Decent finish to last season and all that.

Do the forum a favour and don't try thread necromancy to try and prove you are somehow "right".

If people are calling Batth shit and all he can do is hoof the ball, surely I can remind them when I said it was silly to sell Stearman and we would be left short of experience in defense. I was told we don't need a new centre half, we need Batth back?