Alternative season
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Alternative season
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.
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.
Signed
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
- The Subhuman
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Re: Alternative season
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"
Re: Alternative season
I'm lost here
Re: Alternative season
Its the season we have when i close my eyes at night
Signed
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
Re: Alternative season
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.
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King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
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Re: Alternative season
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.
- The Subhuman
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Re: Alternative season
Gary Rowatt please
"Never debate an idiot, they'll only drag you down to their level and they have the advantage of experience"
Re: Alternative season
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.
Re: Alternative season
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.
Signed
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
- weasel
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Re: Alternative season
And TC was sacked with 1.47pts per game average.
Re: Alternative season
I don't care what managers have done in League 1, I want someone who's got a team into the Premier League.
Re: Alternative season
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.
Over a bloke who had 1 half a season of excellent then average with big money players.
Signed
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom
King Cjay
Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom