All that pre-season optimism seems to have evaporated after one game. Are people overreacting? Should we be worried? Perhaps. Let’s not forget we’ve just lost to a team that took 4 points from us last season, and won 3-1 at Oakwell last season. Should we have played better? Absolutely! Are we relegated already? No! Do we need a decent striker? Always! I think we should probably give the team a few more games before we start smashing up laptops, ‘returning’ season tickets, and claiming our best players aren’t good enough.
I agree, but my concern is have really improved the squad from last season. It doesn’t look like it. Obviously we need to see what these new players bring to the table but it reminds me of the season we stayed up under Flitcroft and never kicked on from there, keeping the same players who were in a relegation dogfight the previous year.
Correct. Last season, first game we beat Fulham, and were destined for the play-offs! So today's result has little bearing on what's to come, provided that we learn from this, on how to deal with very strong, physical sides who press, and give us no time on the ball.
Biggest difference is that they were mostly ageing players that Flitcroft got the most out of with his tub-thumping. The players this time are young and getting better all the time.
The same happened last season, except in reverse. We won against Fulham and suddenly we were the best team in the league. And we all remember what a struggle the season was. This time we lose the opening game and we're the worst team in existence. We'll see where we're really at after a handful of games.
Yeah agree with that but we haven’t really improved the team from last year, no new players starting today. I’m sure we’ll be ok though under Struber,
We haven't learnt from when it happened last season which it did all too often. The deficiencies in the squad that were evident last season were all too evident again today and another transfer window is ticking by without the problems being addressed.
I think if we sign a striker (which it sounds like we are trying and we need to) that replicates some of Brown’s strong points then that will help us a lot. Then sign a cm with a bit of bite, who will put his foot in against these more physical teams, then I’d say we have improved the team.
I never really understood the optimism about this season. With the loss of Brown we’re arguably weaker than the team that barely escaped relegation thanks to a points deduction and couple of injury time goals. The championship looks weaker this year, but it certainly won’t be a walk in the park.
We have a seasons worth of championship experience under our belts which should count for something surely? If I'm honest , I was only expecting a draw against Luton anyway. Lots more football to be played and I do think Styles, Ludewig and Simoes will have some cracking games this season.
Agreed. We're essentially the same side that struggled against Stoke, Wigan and Luton in the post-lockdown phase of last season. Only a couple of months ago. And we will always struggle against those kind of teams unless we start signing a different type of player and start playing a different system. I don't really want that. Thankfully there are far more footballing sides in the Championship, so I think we'll be fine overall.
Way too soon to get over excited. However, I just don't understand some of Struber's decisions. I realise he sees them in training etc, but some of the selections, and substitutions just make me wonder what he sees. I felt the same last year. Ritz picked ahead of Thomas Schmidt on when we were crying out for height or physicality (Odebayajo or Halme?) as a last gasp. Why are Palmer and Simoes now at the forefront? (I actually thought Simoes looked well up for it today, by the way), but I just don't see why Palmer is being shoe-horned in? I just don't get the formations, or the selections. Palmer has done nothing wrong - just haven't seen anything there to say he's better coming on than more established players, especially after injury. (Well at least not in the same way that I'd say Styles has made his claim). I'd understand it if there was an obvious formation or plan, but we just seem to be making it up, and chopping and changing, rather than making like for like replacements. I like Struber, but I just don't see his vision, yet. It's early days, but as others have said, we need some physicality up front. Woodrow and Chaplin are both good players, but they need something to feed off. Today we ended up pumping long balls, or trying to squeeze a ball through the eye of a needle. We need more options, and we need to agree our formation, plan and like for like subs.
