Alternative season

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Cjay
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Alternative season

Post by Cjay »

In this alternative reality things havent gone so catastrophic.

Luke Ayling never got injured, Adam Forshaw was signed in the summer, Samu Saiz never spat at anyone, Gaetano Berardi, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips havent been sent off multiple times between them.

Caleb Ekuban didnt get 2 nasty injuries, Pierre Lasogga came to us fit and healthy and had a full pre season under his belt. Ronaldo Vieira was fit, his knees werent burned out from the previous season. Laurens De Bock arrived in the summer, again he had a full pre season under his belt.

Know certain players divide opinion but Lassie has shown what he is capable off, De Bock is an experienced player at a decent level who hasnt played much recently.

So we start with a fully fit Forshaw, De Bock, Vieira and Lasogga.
We dont have Samu Saiz, Gaetano Berardi, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips getting sent off and missing double figures in games between them.
We dont lose Luke Ayling and Caleb Ekuban for months.

This means apart from the usual rotation we have a settled spine and back four from the 1st game.

Wiedwald, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, De Bock, Vieira, Forshaw, Saiz and Lasogga.

We have Kalvin Phillips, Caleb Ekuban, Gaetano Berardi all fit and available for the majority of the season.

And as the season moves on Tom Pearce, Jack Clarke, Bailey Peacock Farrell and others gradually work there way into the squad.

Gradually we phase out Andy Lonnergan, Hadi Sacko and Eunan O'Kane.

Instead of those coming in we have the youngsters, they arrive used to the way the first team has been playing all season.

They are fit and hungry to perform and impress.

Paul Heckingbottom never was appointed.

And the season isnt dead.
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The Subhuman
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Re: Alternative season

Post by The Subhuman »

If ifs and ands were pots and pans there would be no need for tinkers
"Never debate an idiot, they'll only drag you down to their level and they have the advantage of experience"
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1964white
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Re: Alternative season

Post by 1964white »

I'm lost here :roflmao:
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Re: Alternative season

Post by whiteswan »

1964white wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:15 pm I'm lost here :roflmao:
:rol: me too.........its's like reading something backwards :)
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Re: Alternative season

Post by Cjay »

Its the season we have when i close my eyes at night :verysad:
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1964white
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Re: Alternative season

Post by 1964white »

Cjay wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:20 pm Its the season we have when i close my eyes at night :verysad:
You better keep your eyes tightly shut at the end of next season :lol:
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Re: Alternative season

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1964white wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:25 pm You better keep your eyes tightly shut at the end of next season :lol:
When Hecky leads us triumphantly to League 1? :shock:
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1964white
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Re: Alternative season

Post by 1964white »

Cjay wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:41 pm When Hecky leads us triumphantly to League 1? :shock:
He'll be gone before that happens Cjay

We'll be another two coaches down the line come our exit from the championship
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Re: Alternative season

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1964white wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:54 pm He'll be gone before that happens Cjay

We'll be another two coaches down the line come our exit from the championship
Just be grateful TC saved us from relegation :)

I live in hope that Dean Smith, Alex Neil someone along those lines will be in charge next season.

Pablo and co will give us 1 more year. :love:
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Gino 1959
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Re: Alternative season

Post by Gino 1959 »

Cjay wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:13 pm Just be grateful TC saved us from relegation :)

I live in hope that Dean Smith, Alex Neil someone along those lines will be in charge next season.

Pablo and co will give us 1 more year. :love:
Don't rate Neill plus he seems a dour sod.

Smith on the other hand seems to know what's what and showed it at Walsall.

Not doing too bad now.

He seems to manage teams rather than a collection of individuals.
Beware the fury of a patient man - John Dryden.
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Re: Alternative season

Post by The Subhuman »

Gary Rowatt please
"Never debate an idiot, they'll only drag you down to their level and they have the advantage of experience"
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Re: Alternative season

Post by 1964white »

faaip wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:17 pm Gary Rowatt please
If we could prise him away from Derby that would be a real coup, can't see it happening mate
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Re: Alternative season

Post by Clive »

Gino 1959 wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:06 pm Don't rate Neill plus he seems a dour sod.

Smith on the other hand seems to know what's what and showed it at Walsall.

Not doing too bad now.

He seems to manage teams rather than a collection of individuals.
Unlike the cheery Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson, eh?

Dean Smith is a lower league nobody like Heckingbottom, I find it strange that two people so strongly against Heckingbottom would talk him up.
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Re: Alternative season

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Clive wrote: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:44 pm Unlike the cheery Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson, eh?

Dean Smith is a lower league nobody like Heckingbottom, I find it strange that two people so strongly against Heckingbottom would talk him up.
Not gonna type another long defence of Dean Smith, do this another way.

Not got an issue with Alex Neil, he's ok.

Interesting though you refer to Dean Smith as a "lower league nobody". Alex Neil has been relegated, Dean Smith hasnt.

Yes he got Norwich promoted but tbh its a bit like Tony Pulis this season. He would deserve praise for getting Boro up, but with that squad theres no excuse not to.

The Norwich squad that year included, John Ruddy, Jonny Howson, Bradley Johnson, Lewis Grabban, Cameron Jerome, Gary Hooper, Wes Hoolahan, Nathan Redmond, Josh Murphy etc, that squad should be getting promoted.

He got them up, was given decent money to spend, they came straight back down.

The Norwich squad that he had the season he was sacked. Nelson Oliveira, Alex Pritchard, James Maddison, Sergi Canos (barely used him) Cameron Jerome, Jonny Howson, John Ruddy etc. Big money signings in there, easily playoff contenders.

Alex Neil was sacked March 2017 with them 9 points off top 6.

Done a decent job at Preston, but even Preston weren't in bad shape when he took them over.

And Alex Neil hasnt as impressive a record in the Championship as you suggest.

I love my stats :)

All that matters in the end is points, so simply enough, Alex Neil points per game-1.42

Not bad, but not so good when you know in terms of transfers he has made a loss of about £6.75mil overall, Preston and Norwich.

Take out Hugill its £-16mil at Norwich.

And imo he did not get the most out of that Norwich squad, hence the sacking.

So to recap, good squads, good money spent, ok record, but needs money although doing ok at Preston so far.

Dean Smith-points per game-1.39, less then Alex i admit, but he has managed 30 or so more Championship games.

And he has made a profit of £30mil on transfers, so he loses key players every window at least 1, replaces them for a fraction of the sale price, maintains a decent record.

And thats why id prefer Dean Smith.plus he playes better football which fits into the Barcelona way, his style is similar to Carlos and the academy.

And if you want instant impact, Walsall 9 points adrift at the bottom of League 1, he saved them, by the time he left Walsall were 4th.
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Re: Alternative season

Post by weasel »

And TC was sacked with 1.47pts per game average.
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Re: Alternative season

Post by Clive »

I don't care what managers have done in League 1, I want someone who's got a team into the Premier League.
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Re: Alternative season

Post by Cjay »

Prefer someone who has rebuilt his side multiple times on the cheap and maintained form and a playing identity myself.

Over a bloke who had 1 half a season of excellent then average with big money players.
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