Notsoslimshady
Groupie
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2020
- Messages
- 312
- Reaction score
- 754
I mentioned Klopp as he was compared in the post i quoted, with my intention that his track record justified more time, as opposed to someone who had a good first season abd a poor second one.Yes, and in nearly every case, when players don't change the team doesn't change. Just look at this season. Villa ,Leeds, Norwich, Everton all changed managers during the season. And the broad pattern of none of those teams changed. Newcastle brought in a manager and 5 or 6 significant signings. They improved.
That is what happens maybe 90% of the time. Key players of that finished 7th and the quarter final side have gone, or in Rauls case, been seriously injured. At that point, we had also been remarkably injury free for a couple of seasons. Once injuries hit Raul, Jonny, Neto , Boly then you are not fielding that team that finished 7th any more.
The squad has now weakened since promotion, I reckon. Though with everyone fit, there's not that much in it . We definitely haven't kicked on, that's the problem. How much say the manager has in signings, doesn't seem anybody really knows, but neither Nuno or Bruno seem to be getting the players they mention they would like. I totally agree that squad was one or 2 players from being a major force - but they needed to be top quality players, not hopefuls of other clubs cast offs. Instead we went the other way, and lost key players and simply haven't replaced them.
Bruno isn't Klopp, but you can't blame him (or Nuno) for that state of affairs we are in - he has inherited it. Would take a strong character to challenge our owners and I'm not sure they even want that.
Oh, and one of the strengths was that Nuno developed a way of playing that got the very best out of a couple of players. However, in the end, that way (well organised, stay deep and counter) got found out by opponents and was complained about a lot by fans. Nuno couldn't get them playing any other way last season, either, could he?
Yes, the examples you mention have sone relevance. But Norwich were hardly likely to change too much. Leeds had a soecific way of playing under Bielsa and aside of 2 or maybe more good plsyers had probably done well to be where they were. Villa made signings following Gerrard's appointment and Everton are an enigma. There are also times when new managers rejuvenate some players and get better results out of the same group
As for last season; i think it was a perfect storm: we had just had a very long season with a lot of players playing most ganes. Shafted by the small gap between seasons and i think there was a lot of fatigue. I think the Raul injury shook the squad, and the other injuries, and the covid lot didn't help at all. Especially as we lost Jota and Doherty, and i think picked the wrong time to try and change. I agree that teams had worked us out to a degree, but as per the above, there was more to it.
I appreciate that there are changes to some our key players. But Neves is a better player now. I think as good as Boly has been in the prem, Kilman has been (at least close). Jonny has had a lot of good games considering. We have Sa for Rui. Semedo for Doherty. Neto for Jota.
I appreciate what you say but i don't agree with 'nearly every case'. Some managers get to bring in more players than others, but they still have a fair section of the existing players.