BFC_53
Well-known member
Watching the game today it really struck me just what an incredible transformation the team and squad has seen in such a short space of time. Let's be honest, the team left for Critchley to work with was dreadful aside from a couple of loan players. We would've struggled badly without Moore and KDH, and at no point last year could we have been described as dominating a game.
Compare to now, and the one thing that I thought when watching today (yes even in the second half) was that every one of the new players we've signed seem so much more comfortable on the ball. The first touch is much better than we've been used to, and they're always looking for the ball, every one. Under Grayson we looked so jittery and barely kept the ball for longer than 10 seconds, yet now we keep the ball so much better. I know much has been said of our pace, but I think Robson, Anderson and Ward have been the base of the good performances. They're all a significant step up from the last couple of years.
The result against Liverpool really doesn't matter at all, and I can't believe any of our players can be criticised after that performance even in the second half. The second half team was disjointed and disorganised, but that's more about the collective rather than any player being particularly bad. For example, if you swapped Antwi for Robson in the first half we'd have been just as good, or Lubala/Kemp for KaiKai. We do have strength in depth I think, but as a league 1 club you can't expect to put out two different teams against the English champions and run out winners with both sides. You shouldn't be able to do it with one team.
So I hope the players don't let the scoreline bother them. I've seen enough this preseason to suggest that this summer's transfer strategy has been a big success, and huge credit should go to the recruitment team and particularly for SS for getting us as prepared as I've ever seen us for the start of a league season. True, the main tests are still to come, and we haven't seen how we fare in competitive league games, but sometimes you can just tell a fluke from a genuinely good side. We may not get promoted, but honestly i'd be amazed if we dont have a good season. The scattergun has been well and truly disposed of, along with the faulty fax machine! UTMP!
Compare to now, and the one thing that I thought when watching today (yes even in the second half) was that every one of the new players we've signed seem so much more comfortable on the ball. The first touch is much better than we've been used to, and they're always looking for the ball, every one. Under Grayson we looked so jittery and barely kept the ball for longer than 10 seconds, yet now we keep the ball so much better. I know much has been said of our pace, but I think Robson, Anderson and Ward have been the base of the good performances. They're all a significant step up from the last couple of years.
The result against Liverpool really doesn't matter at all, and I can't believe any of our players can be criticised after that performance even in the second half. The second half team was disjointed and disorganised, but that's more about the collective rather than any player being particularly bad. For example, if you swapped Antwi for Robson in the first half we'd have been just as good, or Lubala/Kemp for KaiKai. We do have strength in depth I think, but as a league 1 club you can't expect to put out two different teams against the English champions and run out winners with both sides. You shouldn't be able to do it with one team.
So I hope the players don't let the scoreline bother them. I've seen enough this preseason to suggest that this summer's transfer strategy has been a big success, and huge credit should go to the recruitment team and particularly for SS for getting us as prepared as I've ever seen us for the start of a league season. True, the main tests are still to come, and we haven't seen how we fare in competitive league games, but sometimes you can just tell a fluke from a genuinely good side. We may not get promoted, but honestly i'd be amazed if we dont have a good season. The scattergun has been well and truly disposed of, along with the faulty fax machine! UTMP!