Are we going to be dissapointed in January?

[NickG]

This.

Adkins biggest failing is not to manage the squad to fulfill its potential.

If anything, the players that have served us well are rapidly becoming very mediocre.

something is very wrong,we should not be looking to make wholesale changes or aquisitions,but unfortunately the side is dishing up dross compared to what many were advocating what Adkins would serve up.

choice is get more players in and hope adkins can make these players better than what we have or get rid of adkins and see if the players we have regain what they had under pardew.

Adkins is stifling the players we all know to have talent.imo.

 

Last season Pardew 1.8 points per game

This season Pardew 1.3 points per game

This season pre Adkins 0.8 points per game

With Adkins 1.7 points per game

 

Personally would give him benefit of the doubt with MK game as only just arrived and not even had a week training which makes figures (know some will disagree)

points rate this season before Adkins 0.6 points per game

points rate this season since Adkins 1.85

 

Not perfect but quite a turn around - would give us about 80 points, possibly bit short so we need to improve.

 

Although Sheff W in 2nd are geting 1.65 points per game.

[doddisalegend]

That is not what I am hearing. The players are happy with Adkins

 

well if happy means poor performances like saturday I'd like him to make them unhappy please.

[doddisalegend]

Even though Lallana and Barnard could be said to be playing better under Adkins than Pardew. Whatever, we all know you dislike Adkins, no point trying to argue...

 

really? I can't say I've seem much difference myself Lallana was class last season, Barney doesn't look close to getting as many goals as he did last season (although I accept he is injured)

[CB Fry]

I think we'll just sign Chaplow. I'm sure we're after more but not much happens in January. We might get a loan or two in later though.

 

Everytime we lose we get calls for 5 or 6 new players. I think people forget what league we're in, or haven't paid much attention to the league. It's not about spending and spending and spending. Every year there are successful teams who've spent nothing, or very little. We've spent a fortune, signed the top players in league 1 and got nowhere. It's embarassing really, a pathetic achievement, so perhaps throwing more money at it isn't the answer. Why can't we get promotion with loans and frees like most the other clubs? Just look at the clubs outperforming us. Our squad should be ashamed.

 

Amen to this.

[georgeweahscousin]

It depends what people call "disappointed".

 

I think we will sign Chaplow permanently and perhaps one other, but that should be enough. We have on paper the best team in the league in my opinion, the squad needs bolstering a bit, but we should be challenging for the top two without needlessly throwing more money at the team. Actually, had Lambert been firing like he was last season, I think we would be up there with Brighton already.

 

Would love to see us bring another striker in, if for nothing more than letting Rickie know he isn't guaranteed a place.

[NickG]

don't think the squad does need bolstering at all. Nice but not need. Look at likes of Brighton, their forward cover for instance is a fraction of ours.

[thorpie the sinner]

Ok, a few days after the event, i have collected my thoughts! We were missing key players and had a bad day at office! the other teams around us all shot themselves in foot as well, Charlton, Brighton, Bournmouth! Damage was limited, learn from the experience, buy wisely in jan cos we do need strength in depth for the promotion push, and then I think we will be ok!

[Saint Billy]

It depends what people call "disappointed".

 

I think we will sign Chaplow permanently and perhaps one other, but that should be enough. We have on paper the best team in the league in my opinion, the squad needs bolstering a bit, but we should be challenging for the top two without needlessly throwing more money at the team. Actually, had Lambert been firing like he was last season, I think we would be up there with Brighton already.

 

Would love to see us bring another striker in, if for nothing more than letting Rickie know he isn't guaranteed a place.

 

In truth I am getting a bit sick of reading and hearing that line.

 

It is abundantly clear that we do not have the best team in this league, even on paper. Perhaps we have the most expensive team assembled in this league but footballing history shows that means jack, which is proven by our current league form and position.

[SaintRichmond]

I don't think I am going to have to wait for January to be disappointed!

 

Me neither

 

An attack with no teeth, an over the hill CB, and an "error" prone keeper

 

I'm disappointed already

 

Can't wait for the Sc&nthorpe reinforcements to arrive

 

Oh joy

[SaintRichmond]

don't think the squad does need bolstering at all. Nice but not need. Look at likes of Brighton, their forward cover for instance is a fraction of ours.

 

BUT they score MORE GOALS

[Window Cleaner]

BUT they score MORE GOALS

 

not that difficult really, we've only scored 25 in total I think, of which 4 penalties,1 deflected free kick and at least 2 gifts from a Sunday League keeper.We're managing about 1 goal from open play per game, not so dusty:scared: really when you have a million £ striker,

and offensive midfielder who most think would command a transfer fee of 4 million £.

[NickG]

BUT they score MORE GOALS

 

exactly - we do not need better players we need to get them fit and playing. We have plenty good enough squad and manager to go up - its time for them to do it

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Inevitably a few on here will be disappointed.

 

Some will not know it because they will have topped themselves if we lose at Walsall.

 

Others will take the broad view that it's only a game, why worry.

 

Most will quietly fret and hope that things improve.

 

All bases covered?

[saint1977]

But assuming all the other teams have these attributes is just wrong. I can't accept all these criticisms as being the reasons for our failures when the players who ARE playing are so badly off form. If Lambert is scoring, suddenly the lack of pace doesn't matter so much. Lallana and Chamberlain are far from slow. I hope Adkins is able to change the squad a bit and make it truly his, because at the moment we do have a lot of Pardew problems, but ultimately Adkins has to find a way to get the best out what he's got. He's done an ok job in tough circumstances, but we're still way way off where we need to be.

 

Cortese and Adkins know we have to go up this season. You can't bank on playoffs for that, so 3rd is not good enough. 2nd was always the bare minimum for the club, even if playoffs would be a good job for Adkins given the start.

 

I agree with many of these points Adrian but it's about timing. NC has made clear that the strategy must include promotion this season and given this team's unpredictability and tendency to fold under pressure we don't want to be in the play offs so it's top 2 only in effect for NA. The other teams probably aren't as technically gifted as us - Lallana IMO is the best player in this league, Morgan is gifted but isn't effective alongside Hammond and vice versa, Lambert has a good touch for a big striker etc but in order to release some of those qualities which won us a lot of games last season, you need the space that an Antonio and/or Waigo provides. AOC has provided it sporadicially but it is too big a burden for his stage of development. Retaining Connolly was a big mistake and I just don't think Guly cuts it so that leaves us 2 down in the striker department even without Barnard's injury problems this campaign.

 

On to your question of why the current side are so off form, I agree that 4 pacy signings won't fix everything but an injection of goals and attacking threat might overpower sides at this level and get us to objective A for the season and then re-group in the summer and tackle any cultural issues. After all, Chaplow has a good engine and in my view we look a far better side when is playing.

 

It's very hard to know what's going on inside the club but we don't seem to develop players that we sign as well as the youngsters we bring through. We know the youth coaching up is much heralded and rightly so based on its outputs but we seem to ruin players that we bring in - Colchester fans were amazed at how Hammond has gone backwards, Lambert progressed last season and has nosedived this year. Is it the first team coaches or is it a culture at the club where we are prepared to accept failure too readily? I can't believe with NA in charge that fitness is an issue. Kasper Schmichael kicked a door off its hinges when they lost at Boscombe last season. Now I don't condone vandalism and it cost him dearly in fines but it shows a hatred of defeat that I've seen with successful sides that I don't see with this squad.

 

What I'm saying is I agree with you on the whole but as you say, we have to be going for 2nd at least. How long would it take to resolve whatever internal issues are holding the squad/club back? If it's cultural, that's no quick fix. We might just need to sign the goals and firepower to get us up this season (maybe a loan for Fryatt with an option to buy and if Lambert finds form by April, maybe we don't need to buy him?) and then solve the bigger issues in the summer.