Are we stronger now?

You need a striker after 3 games without a goal, I am chuffed we signed Borini, you could have had Austin.

 

No good having a striker if you're not creating the chances. That's the root problem.

 

Borini's goal record is less than impressive tbh, but is a decent signing for Sunderland, wouldn't have been happy with him here mind.

 

If injuries hit (and we all know how ****ing unlucky we are when it comes to injuries) we could be real trouble. I know its a gloomy way to think but Christ our squad has no ****ing depth at all, we need another three players to stablise the situation and when I look at the bench i feel like my piles might burst bloodily asunder.

 

We are stronger than last season, but comparatively reckoning with the rest of the league, I'd say we're about the same, Tail-end rubbish.

Offer me 17th now and I'd bite your hand off!

 

I'd hope for a little higher but I agree looking at the squad we are still lower half of the table. Looking at it I have us finishing in the 11th-15th bracket.

You have to account for injuries. To be honest it could get worse again if we get injuries to certain areas - i.e. up top or CM. Our defenders are pretty much crap bar Janmaat and Mbemba (plus the untried Lascelles). Obviously if Mbemba and Janmaat get injured together we'd be looking sick but overall we are **** at the back anyway so an injury there won't have as big an impact IMO.

 

Colo hasn't been crap for the last 2 games. Not vintage Colo but not crap

 

Neither has Haidara - in fact I would say last game he was far better than Janmaat!

 

Haidara has improved with every game by my reckoning, could just be the sort of player who needs a run of games to build up confidence. A phenomena I'm calling 'The Anti-Willo Effect', who does a steady job when he covers for a game but then gets worse the longer he plays.

 

I will judge the progress of the squad purely on the league position.

The new players need to hit the ground running, and fast.

We barely stayed up last season and although a fair few quid has been spent, you have to ask, are we a better squad?

We have a slightly better first team but once injuries and suspensions kick-in (already have Mitrovic!) then we are pretty much where we were last season.

I don't think we will be relegated but we won't be far above it.

 

See now this is the thing. Because we have lost nobody of importance (except possibly Cabella who I would have liked to see given a second season, although Thauvin looks like he's getting up to speed better), with suspensions we go back to the team that was comfortably mid table in December last year. Therefore I'm not all that concerned about a relegation scrap and think that now we're past those 1st 4 nightmare games we will climb the table and look comfortable once again.

 

For certain we are.
We need another CB and left back badly though.

 

Against Arsenal Colo and Haidara got torn to shreds first half. We got very lucky Arsenal are the footballing equivalent of JPF - impotent. If that had been Man City pulling them around, we may have had a different write up to "valiant effort". I'm not trying to kill either but I obviously its just my opinion of what I'm seeing. My main concerns about the two (and I think would be confirmed if the first 4 games are watched back) is the following schoolboy errors

Colo -

He doesn't understand that you don't need to go chasing strikers into midfield. He rushes out after them without thought or even warning to his DM's. The gap is horrendous and we've been lucky not to get bigger punishment. I don't understand how someone who has played that long at a high level has not stopped this but it may be just a trait of his game.

He still does not attack the ball from crosses. People get across him way too easily. He doesn't have to win every one, but the number of clean headers they get is a worry.

The one area I will defend him is his pace. Pace is not essential if the rest of the team is functioning, and the number of times he is left holding the baby by the full backs exposes him to direct running. Strikers are generally quicker than centre halfs!

Haidara -

A big problem I have is lack of understanding of basics. When Janmaat is attacking down the right, Haidara has the horrible habit of pushing forward down the left. Teams have cottoned on and are simply clipping balls into the hole. You then have Anita/Colback hurtling back and Colo facing up to two on comers. Walcott managed this a few times on Saturday, but didn't have the nous to kill it (Krul making a good save on one occasion).

When he gets forward he tries the pass down the line whether its on or not. Its like an evil thought for him to stop, check and retain the ball. Its badly hurting us as above because we are getting caught with two upfield and teams are breaking on us at will. We are getting away with it somewhat but I can see goals coming.

These clearances up the line, just try and keep them in play FFS. I accept he doesn't always have a shorty on, but when you do have to clear, don't skew it five yards in front of you. You are just allowing them to camp in.

Control the bloody football. I don't get why he keeps tripping over it, or it going under his foot. He's got nowt else to do all day except train.

I just think we are going to have to bite the bullet soon. Colo is getting on anyway. I don't want to wait for Lascelles to be ready (if he is indeed good enough). Saylor is due an injury soon. Willo, bless him, is out of his depth. I don't want Mbemba wasted - the guy looks superb. Put a thinker/leader alongside him and we will improve tenfold. Haidara - I want him to do well but there are few signs he is getting there. He has a good spell in games, but then repeats the errors the next game. We are stuck with him and Dummett now, if the same things are happening by January, we need to act. I think we need that extra quality anyway, even if his defending improves, is he ever going to that good of a footballer? I'm not sure he is.

 

Summary of what 30/30 just said: Colo crap, Haidara crap, JPF SEXY.