The Rebuild

[M_Afro]

With the squad that we have we should definitely be finishing in the top 6, probably the top 3.

With a few carefully chosen additions, namely a GK, CH, pacey attacking midfielder and a target man we should definitely finish top 2.

Anything less will be a failure. Surely people must be running out of excuses for Bruce now!

[Robtaylor200]

On ‎20‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 10:27, AntrimBlack said:

He stands out as the weak link in the team.

Taylor is so bad if he continues to play I may change my name

[praisedmambo]

1 hour ago, M_Afro said:

With the squad that we have we should definitely be finishing in the top 6, probably the top 3.

With a few carefully chosen additions, namely a GK, CH, pacey attacking midfielder and a target man we should definitely finish top 2.

Anything less will be a failure. Surely people must be running out of excuses for Bruce now!

Big lols at getting the failure rhetoric going for the future. Genuine question though, in saying all this have you paid any attention at all to the transfer business and squad quality of any of the other teams in the league?

Honestly, I don't share your optimism about the quality of our squad. This current squad has some gaping holes at goalkeeper, centre back, and upfront, not to mention that it has some less than convincing midfielders and wingers. I think with only a few additions we should be having a go of promotion, but I think the fact we have no fit strikers whatsoever should probably temper your 'optimism'/trap a bit.

EDIT: Many squads have supplemented what they had already—we've gone backwards a long way by losing Terry, Grabban, Johnstone and Snodgrass.

Edited July 29, 2018 by praisedmambo

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, M_Afro said:

With the squad that we have we should definitely be finishing in the top 6, probably the top 3.

With a few carefully chosen additions, namely a GK, CH, pacey attacking midfielder and a target man we should definitely finish top 2.

Anything less will be a failure. Surely people must be running out of excuses for Bruce now!

DEFINITELY top 2 with who?

[rodders0223]

1 hour ago, M_Afro said:

With the squad that we have we should definitely be finishing in the top 6, probably the top 3.

With a few carefully chosen additions, namely a GK, CH, pacey attacking midfielder and a target man we should definitely finish top 2.

Anything less will be a failure. Surely people must be running out of excuses for Bruce now!

The squad is rotten and lacks serious quality in key areas.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Taylor is so bad if he continues to play I may change my name

Hutton is a fine surname

[Zatman]

With current squad as of now, if we avoid getting sucked into a relegation battle it be a decent season 

[villabromsgrove]

Have a look at the average age (and pace) of Steve Bruce's favoured players. You cannot begin to rebuild using these battered building bricks!

Also, you cannot put these crumbling bricks out on the building plot and expect them to turn into a mansion without an architect and a project manager. Then there's the quality of the builders required! etc, etc.

[abdulaziz1]

53 minutes ago, praisedmambo said:

Big lols at getting the failure rhetoric going for the future. Genuine question though, in saying all this have you paid any attention at all to the transfer business and squad quality of any of the other teams in the league?

Honestly, I don't share your optimism about the quality of our squad. This current squad has some gaping holes at goalkeeper, centre back, and upfront, not to mention that it has some less than convincing midfielders and wingers. I think with only a few additions we should be having a go of promotion, but I think the fact we have no fit strikers whatsoever should probably temper your 'optimism'/trap a bit.

EDIT: Many squads have supplemented what they had already—we've gone backwards a long way by losing Terry, Grabban, Johnstone and Snodgrass.

I’d say a fit Kodjia is an add on Grabban, but yeah the other 3 are still to be replaced. The keeper we gambles on one as weve done with Johnstone and hopefully we have the better deal (although Johnstone would have been fantastic).

Still to replace Terry and Snodgrass. Even a left back would be fantastic.

Tbh, im not sure why is Bruce trying to play 5 at the back on friendlies, I would have liked him to play the kids more than the likes of Jedinak, we need a proper cb, without that we will have a really hard season to come.

[praisedmambo]

8 minutes ago, abdulaziz1 said:

I’d say a fit Kodjia is an add on Grabban, but yeah the other 3 are still to be replaced. The keeper we gambles on one as weve done with Johnstone and hopefully we have the better deal (although Johnstone would have been fantastic).

Still to replace Terry and Snodgrass. Even a left back would be fantastic.

Tbh, im not sure why is Bruce trying to play 5 at the back on friendlies, I would have liked him to play the kids more than the likes of Jedinak, we need a proper cb, without that we will have a really hard season to come.

I agree with this 352 not fitting the players we have. By the looks of preseason we should build our team around Grealish, Chester and Da Laet as the three really quality players. Green looks like he can be dangerous as he went close to scoring plenty of times before he got injured last season. I don't know what formation that suggests to me. I think we'd look a bit pants in any formation.

I agree also that a fit Kodjia would be an upgrade on Grabban, but we're yet to see if he's still going to be the same player after being out injured for so long. It's dangerous if we bank on that coming true.

[turvontour]

27 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

Have a look at the average age (and pace) of Steve Bruce's favoured players. You cannot begin to rebuild using these battered building bricks!

Also, you cannot put these crumbling bricks out on the building plot and expect them to turn into a mansion without an architect and a project manager. Then there's the quality of the builders required! etc, etc.

Would be handy if we still had concrete Ron.

[Dr_Pangloss]

3-5-2 will be all sorts of wrong, we do not have good wing backs for starters.

[bobzy]

31 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

3-5-2 will be all sorts of wrong, we do not have good wing backs for starters.

...yet  

 

(I actually think El Mohammady is decent as a wing-back)

[praisedmambo]

2 minutes ago, bobzy said:

...yet  

 

(I actually think El Mohammady is decent as a wing-back)

And to be fair De Laet looked OK as left wing back yesterday too. Much better than Taylor.

[Dodgyknees]

2 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Taylor is so bad if he continues to play I may change my name

Rob Taylor?

I'm sure that's what the opposing managers tell their wingers and strikers.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Dick

[bobzy]

Just now, Dick said:

Rob Taylor?

I'm sure that's what the opposing managers tell their singers and strikers.

I blame those lads singing Tom Jones at home.  Poor Neil just doesn’t stand a chance. 

[VillaChris]

Can't see any way we challange for top 2 this year. Likes of Stoke and Boro don't just have good first 11s but decent depth on the bench which we don't have this year with none of the loanees and Terry being replaced yet.

So if an injury crisis hits expect our results to suffer.

I imagine the plan is for ownership to concentrate on sorting us out off the pitch for first 3/4 months (meeting our FFP commitments, appointing a new CEO) and they would expect SB to keep us competitive between 7th-10th and 4-5 points off the play offs.

If we are to go up it's more likely to follow the Fulham method. They were 12th I think at xmas and then stormed second half of the season so possible for us with a managerial change and some decent loans in January window.

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

3-5-2 will be all sorts of wrong, we do not have good wing backs for starters.

It's not going to be played at Hull surely?! We don't have 3 CBs for a start (Jedinak needs to be in midfield), Taylor is barely good enough as a standard LB and who's going to play upfront if Kodjia dosen't make it. Hogan and Davis haven't been seen for weeks.

We'll play 4-2-3-1 next Monday I'm sure.

[AvfcRigo82]

What difference a year makes.

Interesting reading starting at page 1.

This rebuild seems to be going pretty well, phenomenal infact, imo.

 

[abdulaziz1]

On 29/07/2018 at 14:23, VillaChris said:

Can't see any way we challange for top 2 this year. Likes of Stoke and Boro don't just have good first 11s but decent depth on the bench which we don't have this year with none of the loanees and Terry being replaced yet.

So if an injury crisis hits expect our results to suffer.

I imagine the plan is for ownership to concentrate on sorting us out off the pitch for first 3/4 months (meeting our FFP commitments, appointing a new CEO) and they would expect SB to keep us competitive between 7th-10th and 4-5 points off the play offs.

If we are to go up it's more likely to follow the Fulham method. They were 12th I think at xmas and then stormed second half of the season so possible for us with a managerial change and some decent loans in January window.

You got it all right mate. Apart from Stoke and Boro who let you down. lol