In terms of for my own enjoyment? It certainly will be.
If you want to enjoy football these days then social media is not the place to be.
Match Thread Fulham (A) - Sun Apr 6th 14:00
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In terms of for my own enjoyment? It certainly will be.
If you want to enjoy football these days then social media is not the place to be.
I think a lot of the frustration is that a lot of the signs point towards this being a one off and not a continuous improvement in team, system, performance & results. At the start of the season we were imperious and had some really great facets to our play. This has mostly gone. It doesn't look like our team is improving and building into a machine that will go into next season even better. It feels we are whimpering over the line, having gone out of every cup via embarrassing performances.
This won't take the shine off the PL when we win it - but I think it explains why there is definitely a large group of fans who see what is happening in front of our eyes - on the pitch, not in the spreadsheets - and are questioning why every part of our game is being allowed to just drop off a cliff.
This won't take the shine off the PL when we win it - but I think it explains why there is definitely a large group of fans who see what is happening in front of our eyes - on the pitch, not in the spreadsheets - and are questioning why every part of our game is being allowed to just drop off a cliff.
But why though?
We don't know how Hughes will do in the summer, we don't know how slot will be with new players and we don't know if slot will persist with the "I'll rotate when I'm dead" philosophy. Add in vvd and Salah (if they stay) being 1 year older.
It's hard to say we'll go in to next season stronger, when we don't even know what the team will look like, or if slots tactics fully take hold.
Too early to say either way. One would assume that some of our weak links will be replaced but then we say that every season and there's no certainty around any player transfer. Some huge transfers have bit the dust.
Slot won the league after building a new team. He's a fucking don of a manager. Give the man some credit and belief that he can stamp his mark on this team the coming transfer windows. Hughes has a big summer in front of him, but there is nothing to suggest that we wont be stronger.
Credit is earned. Ten hag pissed the eredivise, and actively struggled here. Thankfully slot seems to have his head screwed on for most things, so I'm hopeful next season will continue what he's started
But it's not guaranteed.
We could get all our targets and be fucking golden and STILL fall apart. How he's managed the 2nd half of the season is a glaring issue for me. If it's solely down to him not trusting the squad, then fine. If it's down to him thinking everything is rosy, then that's a worry.
Ten Haag is a shit manager that won the Dutch league with a budget 10 x times what Slot had at Feyenoord.
Its an awful but not unexpected comparison.
Semi finals of cl a fluke as well then?
It's an expected comparison because it's a similar career path. Arguably ten hag failed at united (whilst winning 2 trophies) because their entire structure is fucked and bought the wrong players at the wrong times.
I've already said slot will do much better than ten hag as his head is more screwed on. But I also know it's not a given.
I'm not say this because I'm in the 'glass half full' gang, but I am genuinely excited to see what this team does over the summer and looks like to start next season.
I do think that one of the few good things about Slot's determination to NOT rotate players, is that it appears that he's already decided who's not good enough to be here, long term... If he clears those players out and IF we get to replace them, there's no reason that we can't come back stronger next season.
A big 'if', I know, but I have to think that Slot knows what / who he wants by now and surely he'd not have taken the job if he'd not been told that he could reshape it after a year of grading what he has to work with..?
I do think that one of the few good things about Slot's determination to NOT rotate players, is that it appears that he's already decided who's not good enough to be here, long term... If he clears those players out and IF we get to replace them, there's no reason that we can't come back stronger next season.
A big 'if', I know, but I have to think that Slot knows what / who he wants by now and surely he'd not have taken the job if he'd not been told that he could reshape it after a year of grading what he has to work with..?
The problem with that theory is that his job title is "play the hand I'm dealt." Someone else's job title is "give him the best hand." That job has meant doing nothing for several windows now during a rebuild so it's a sweet gig, but still, not the purview of the coach.
If his reaction to not having what he wants is to not use the cards he wouldn't have himself drawn, it won't work. You can't always get what you want.
If his reaction to not having what he wants is to not use the cards he wouldn't have himself drawn, it won't work. You can't always get what you want.
No chance. You are assuming there that there is no agreement, no discussion on who or what type of player is required, whereas the reality is that there will be (have been) discussions on every single aspect of team building and then, with that brief, Hughes will be off to find the right players within the budget given.
His reported conversation with Hughes about the potential versatility of Curtis is a clear indication of this.
We play with less of a philosophy and hunger than we did at the start of this season. We have no choice but to rebuild the full backs, two strikers have both forgotten how to score and we've run three CMs into the ground.
I think there is a huge chance that we start next season just as nervous as we are ending this one.
I don’t think the first part is true, and we don’t know yet in regards to which players we buy/sell.
We were never going to be perfect for the entire season. It’s still a work in progress but to think we are going backwards is to much of a glass half empty kind of mentality.
We’ll continue to build on the foundations set this season and be stronger going into 25/26.
We just secured the first part of it by extending Mo and Virgil. Kerkez is appaz nearly done as well.
I hope that last bit is right because I rate the guy. It was previously being suggested that he wasn't keen on the move but, if the club know better (or have talked him round) after making contact with him, then great. Maybe having another Hungarian around might re-light Szobo's fire too.
Seems so, and there has been a lot of positive stories of late. He's been liking the recent Virgil and Mo contract updates in social media, and that is usually a good sign as well.. 🙂
View: https://x.com/AnythingLFC_/status/1910040780544024925
Yep, on paper its an absolute game changer
If Hughes can't manage to sign a left-back from his former club—one who already has a mate at the club and is joining a title-winning side—then we really would be in trouble. There’ll be competition, but a lot of things are working in our favour. It would be pretty damning if we wanted him and lost out.
Let's just hope the price stays within reasonable parameters.
Let's just hope the price stays within reasonable parameters.
Of course he is involved. But he will end up with not exactly what he wants.
Your characterization of that process of discussion makes it sound like slot directs purchases by briefing Hughes. The structure of the club at present makes it far more likely he's just one voice among many in that process.
You act like this is an odd circumstance I'm suggesting. How many managers have had the "I wanted a sofa but they brought me a lamp" discussion? It's never a problem when it works, and it makes sense to me as a model, but part of making it work is the manager using the tools they have, even if they are thinking, why the fuck didn't you do what I suggested.
Regarding AR, my sentiments entirely.
On a side note, He used to really annoy me with his very upright running style - a statement made by someone who struggles to jog - but over the last 2 seasons he has really impressed me as a player, even more as an athlete.
Regarding Beck - and I am not dismissing your comment - i am curious as to why you think this? Is it something you have heard or just a gut feeling?
I am all for academy players progressing, just haven’t heard his name mentioned enough recently, to suggest he has the potential to be a Squad/first team player 👍🏻.
You are entitled to your opinion but I completely disagree. So, for one game we are 3-1 down and he is a stupid bellend, stood there wasting time….
Short memories an’ all but when Allison was injured early on in the season, he came up with some vital saves.
My own opinion and maybe rose tinted, but he is No.1 for more than half of the teams in the league, including Chelsea and Utd. Who have both spent stupid money on Keepers.
Similar to last time we won the league, where Adrian played a big part; kelleher has this season. That doesn't mean that ultimately either were good enough.
Beck seems to have copied Bradley’s path? Gone out on loan and until his injuries hit, Beck was first choice and by some accounts done exceptionally well. Our MO is to look at the youth first. That’s why we will be looking closely at Beck. If we were to lose both Robertson and Tsimikas this summer, Beck will become the back-up LB. We will go out and make that 1st team signing.
I think the philosophy hasn’t changed, but it’s no wonder that at the end stages of a grueling season where we won most of our key battles early, perhaps the hunger is not as apparent - we’re in the “protect what we have” part of the game that we’re comfortably winning, the Endo/Milner time. I wouldn’t expect fireworks at that stage.
As for the long-term future, I’m excited for this summer - after fully rebuilding the midfield, now will be the time for a big attacking refresh as well as new full-backs - a huge job, but I believe we have the right team in place to get it done. Full-backs in particular have a huge effect on the team’s overall energy - they are like the lungs of the team; if we get those signings right the midfield will breathe easier too and won’t be as knackered.
I don't see Robbo leaving. He'll become the backup but he's also a vital voice in the squad, a cheer-leader similar to Millie. We need those voices in the changing room.
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