JoeAman08

Yep if Sarr goes I reckon moves Semenyo up on someone else’s list. There will be a chance he goes right up to deadline day imo. The injury probably helps us as he has not had a preseason and won’t be up to speed right away.

I thought the red card and booking were fair. Think Saturday’s kick out on Williams might still be in mind? Was not an elbow or kick or punch. Just a push in the back really. I wouldn’t want one of our player sent off in that situation. I will probably be in the minority on it but how I saw it. Sykes was a red. He really jumps into the tackle which you can’t do. Studs showing on the leading foot. He should have had a free kick but can’t react like that. Have not seen the penalty back. Everything looks a penalty in real time to me now. We never get them so I shout for everything ?

Just when he pushes me out he pulls me back in. Seriously though, this is the kind of energetic performances I have been calling out for. Been asking for more pace and energy up top. He finally delivered today. 2 young but experienced centre mids who can get all around the pitch easily and can take pressure off by receiving the ball in tight areas. Our wingbacks were able to get further forward which allowed our wide cbs to get on the ball in their third causing overloads. It was a selection we haven’t seen from Pearson and it worked a treat. I’d like to see him keep faith in it on Sunday and even if it does not work as well as tonight, to do it again in the next league game. Add Semenyo into it hopefully and have a Martin and Wells/Conway sub ready for when needed.

He is right up there for man of the match for me. Think it is easier to say Vyner or Atkinson as they get involved in attacks at time. But Naismith battled Adebayo all night and giving up some physical traits he dominated. All 3 were outstanding and I feel Atkinson is now pushing forward and comfortable with the level(outstanding at Wigan imo too). Vyner we saw what he is capable of when he can stay switched on for 90 minutes.

Don’t have to sugar coat it. Made a massive difference not only on the pitch but with the fans. The extra pace in behind. The constant running off the cbs. The energy pressing quickly and not having to cover for anyone. Something I think many people have been wanting. Luton is not an easy side to out work but it is exactly what happened. No question it started from the front

Martin should already have a light load. Should be Conway Wells with Weimann behind at the minute. Wells did plenty of holding the ball up at Wigan and Conway a different release of pressure by running channels. Martin should be getting 20-30 minutes at the end of games to change the look imo. All that said, I agree though. A big body is a nice option and often brings more out of others. We saw it with Wilbraham. I’d want a much more energetic player and obvious much more athletic. Someone mentioned Simms and that is exactly the type. Even Magennis at Wigan who is pretty bad at the football bits think caused more problems for us than Martin did for them. Just on pure strength, pace and energy.

Someone just called Sunderland Blunderland in Semenyo thread. That got me to come here ?

Idk get a year of experience in the prem. Then get a confidence season in championship and most likely go back up and be ready for a big season in the premier league. Has to stay fit for all of that to be a positive but looks like it has done a world of good for Solanke and even Mitrovic if only the second time around

That is probably the best way to put it. Pearson probably not getting the most from the side. However, sacking him constrains us more and whoever comes in is a year away(probably more?) from a clean slate. I have said before, his contract aligns with our toughest season. Next season will be much harder to survive imo. Can we retain any of the ooc(kalas, bentley, dasilva) Scott and Semenyo even more likely to be gone by this time next tear. Still a big loss on the 3 year ffp cycle(correct?) Weimann a year older which may or may not mean anything in his last year. A big reason why I am disappointed with the start this season. Think I half give my opinion on your post above. I will say Saturday only 1 shot on target. 9 the previous 2. So roughly 3 per game in the league. It is better than Holden attacking wise but Semenyo being fit second half of last season papered over a lot of cracks. Defensively I am less convinced it is definitely better. I remember a decent start with Holden then injuries killing the campaign

Part of me thinks 12m is too low. Then again another part of me thinks this is his last season here probably. Also he is a bit injury prone isn’t he. I think those are small factors which take his price down a bit. I’d be hoping for 15m really but is 12m now better than 8m next? Genuinely don’t know. How does it work for ffp? Does that 12m get smacked into accounts this season? Or does is split up? Does is matter if Palace give us 12m straight away or if they pay us a set amount for a few years?

Signed far too many for my liking. While they do look brave I can’t help but think it looks a bit hectic and fragile. West Ham on the other hand look confident and composed and not overly bothered with Forest. I have forest coming back down having spent all that money. Probably means they’ll yoyo for a bit. Not a fan of their transfer window approach. Like the signings like O’Brian and Toffolo who will know the leagues. All the other ones seem far too random. Some from Germany some from France some from championship some from big prem sides. 16-17 by the end of the window? They had a need but a full squad? Reminds me of our business under Johnson and Ashton

Agree about power players. Was excited preseason with dasilva but isn’t working. Pring I feel needs to come in and give us that pace and power. Lets face it, more energy too. Semenyo and Kalas will help as well but we lack that midfield unit too imo. All nice players in there individually but no one who stands out. I’d like a 3 in midfield but think without that Marlon Pack(for lack of better example) type think we will struggle mostly to control games.

Financially LJ had massive resources compared to NP. I like LJ as well and can’t decide if was party to the mess or it was all Ashton. I’d like to have seen LJ with a strict budget but he got everything he wanted. Some success? Yes but success to money spent ratio is probably below NP.

Idk why you are comparing LJ to NP at all though. LJ overspent. NP is spending appropriately. He isn’t being treated to a wage bill that is bottom of the division. I agree there are probably a few scenarios where we had to let someone go or sign someone who wasn't target number 1 but this is back to normality after the calamity of Ashton. NP has signed players he has wanted. He has said he won’t sign anyone that won’t improve the side. At the minute he has signed 7-8 and largely we are the same. Plenty of comparable sized clubs in the same division who need to be frugal who are consistently better than us. I am balanced on my views. This is not an ideal scenario for NP or the club. We let a couple of individuals get us in a horrible mess at the worst time. I can say that. I can also say NP is leaving a lot to be desired in terms of performances and results too. I am not giving him all the credit when we also have a new CEO assisting with the clear out as well. Great job getting the wage bill down but this was happening with or without Pearson. I’m not sure who has left on a free that we would have loved to keep and would sign for terms we could afford. So not sure why credit is being dished out for that.

Cut 12m off a wage bill that should have never been that high. Not like we have been stripped of all our budget. Just reverting to our level. He has brought in 7-8 players in his tenure. Not like anyone he let go we were desperate to keep. I don’t doubt it is a tough job but he has 18 months to weed out players he did not want and bring in ones he did. Maybe he’d ideally have brought in 2-3 more and possibly npt had to resign someone like Baker or Klose or King but I don’t count this as a major disaster to why we can’t be more solid. It does not feel like there is an in between with fans. Why can’t you acknowledge it isn’t a great scenario but at the same time realise he hasn’t been completely hamstrung and things are not getting better? We are not bringing in many L1 or L2 punts. We have signed mostly established players for this level and we have the same problems we had 12 months ago.

I feel like we could but without a defensive midfielder I think going to a 4 is hard. You’d have the same issues imo. I think 352 is fine but not sure we play it to its maximum attacking ability. Probably again the lack of a good defensive midfielder but the 3 offers us a bit of protection for not having one. Also means we ask our 2 cms to sit deeper. I like Sykes on the right but feel like Dasilva isn’t being positive enough when he has the ball. Think that is hurting us a bit. Feel like there is a lack of pace up front with no Semenyo. Think Conway helped that but until we pair him with Wells and eventually Semenyo, think we limit our countering which is our main threat. Wells and Conway you can see why hesitant as you could envision the ball not sticking but feel like we have that problem now.

At their worst I think their reigns are very similar. LJ had better highs though but 1000% had better resources. I don’t really mind how we play. We just don’t feel as organised as we should to me. When we do press it doesn’t feel as if it is as a unit. When we sit deeper I get a sense our cms and wide cbs are not always sure where to be at times. Think playing a Martin is logical when he is at his best but for me he is playing too much. His performances drop significantly as the game wears on. I guess my point is, I don’t feel as if we are miles away from being a competitive side. A team that could ultimately finish 13-16th but probably never more than 7-10 points from playoffs through 40-42 games. Problem is think we have been quite close to that for awhile now but we still haven’t made the last little adjustments. So much to be optimistic about going into the season and despite a couple key injuries which do not help, can’t help but feel they’d just cover up a few of the cracks instead of completing us.

No more likes. You are right about the away days though! Think last away win I saw was Peterborough which wasn’t too bad. But cardiff and qpr before it were a bit like today ? I guess what I don’t get is why we can’t get the good spells back in a game. Our 20-30 min spells are all at once and if we don’t score 2-3 in that time it seems inevitable we’ll drop points. Have a 15 min spell after their goal, even if we do not score, I think you can maybe be more optimistic. However it was all Wigan from 60th minute til the end.

Harsh on Atkinson imo. They did target that side aerially and down the channel but thought he dealt with 99% of everything that come his way.

I’d argue it is just a correction to what it should have been. I am trying to balance the situation NP inherited and the performances. My argument is 65 league games and the same problems with him having had some scope to shape the team. The first 3 games is worrying for me performance wise. Why when had a bit of positivity to finish last season and going into this one, have we reverted to pre christmas last season form? But it could just be a bad start and we kick on but you can’t blame people being skeptical. @Fuber not all that response directed at you. Just a bit more to add to the overall conversation

Yep could be anything. Probably last most likely? Just found it odd is all. Ironic Cundy struggling a bit at Barnsley and possibly had a chance to stay in the team here

I just find it odd he isn’t starting after being a regular last season. Did he not have a good preseason? Is Vyner just better? I am not sure of the answer. So maybe panic wrong word but he is not playing and NP saying he’d like another cb. Find it a bit odd unless something going on with kalas we do not know about.

Ah ok my apologies. No city won’t wipe them floor with anyone in this division but it is shame we can’t control games for longer periods is my main gripe. Go out and get a second while we are on top

Not about money. About being in the thick of it with the passion and emotion and being ket down time and time again. My upbringing is irrelevant. As someone who has actually lived in both countries, there isn’t much difference. My life is the same now here as it was 10 years ago there. Broke then and broke now. City a nice release on the weekends after a week of monotony but your years of service and place of birth makes you more entitled to an opinion. I get it now mate cheers

I agree with that. Think Klose might have been a bit panic with Cundy leaving. Possibly Kalas worse off than we thought too. We aren’t complete. I don’t think we had a chance of playoffs but thought we should be more solid with the incomings while maintaining our threat forward