| 25% of the season has gone 12:52 - Oct 2 with 607 views | Leadbelly |
P11 W4 D3 L4 F16 A16 Pts15
What do we think of it so far?
I'd say we are inconsistent, still unable to defend, lacking physical presence in midfield, have a manager who is learning on the job, who doesn't know his best XI or formation and asks players to perform roles for which they are not suited. We are also quite entertaining, create more chances, look more confident and have a lot more belief than last season.
Do we have a squad good enough to make the playoffs? Just. Will we do so? I don't see it happening, not unless McGreal learns very quickly how to set up the team to extract the most from the resources at his disposal and can instill a mentality that will stop the them being brushed aside by physical opponents. Barnet and Accrington showed how to beat us and others will have taken note.
On the whole, a lot better than last season but then it would be difficult to be any worse. 6.5/10.
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| 25% of the season has gone on 13:54 - Oct 2 with 596 views | bwildered |
Good assessment Lead . Couple of major concerns, management seem to be reactive than proactive in situations and direct set pieces in the final third is virtually non existant in productivity .
Think we have been unlucky with midfield injuries in Garvan, Loft and Lapsie, but of the squad only Prosser and Szmodics can claim a first team place, which is pretty disappointing .
On the whole pretty mediocre, and unless consistency becomes a norm in getting points particularly in places we should not, a playoff position will be found wanting . |  |
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| 25% of the season has gone on 19:53 - Oct 5 with 513 views | wessex_exile |
Out of interest, I've just compared with our stats the last time we were in this division (and promoted after finishing top of the play-offs), as follows:
2016/17 P11 W4 D3 L4 F16 A16 Pts15
1997/98 P11 W4 D3 L4 F16 A17 Pts15
Spookily similar, in fact with a marginally better goal difference now, it could be argued we're slightly ahead of the curve? Mindful it is inviting a very negative comparison, it's quite remarkable that the four sides that most narrowly avoided automatic relegation to the Conference that season were Swansea, Cardiff, Hull and Brighton...
Right, back to my glass half full of beer :-) |  |
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| 25% of the season has gone on 15:07 - Oct 6 with 490 views | noah4x4 |
I really don't know why there is once again so much negativity around WHCS. The data researched by Wessex indicates that we are well placed. Every club goes through its bad patches; and we are in ours; to a significant extent looking worse due to some meaningless cup defeats. Yet we are still just a whisker from the play offs. Three good results and we are pushing for automatic promotion again.
Newport should be easier; then we have three really tough ones; Doncaster; Morecambe and Plymouth. But if we can stay upper mid table and in touch with the top ten by the end of October we will then benefit from a run of far easier fixtures, with most of our top of the table clashes during the first half already being out of the way. This is not like most previous seasons where defeats to lower teams were as predictable as losses to the better teams.
I don't reckon losing to Portsmouth or Carlisle AWAY is any disgrace. The home defeats to Accrington and Exeter are obviously less defendable, but we have been missing Dickenson, Garvan, Lapslie, Kent, Loft and other potentially key players. But those where we should win, Wycombe and Cambridge, we have won; whilst we can also take pride from beating Grimsby and Blackpool. We are never going to win every week on our playing budget (especially with poor refereeing) and I feel more upbeat than in about six seasons.
We have also not yet seen the best from all of our new acquisitions and loanees. For example, I thought Kamara was excellent last night and so far he has only had 5 minutes of league football (off the bench). Wynter also impressed me (maybe time to rest Tom Eastman?). Then it seems to me that Fosu and Guthrie have plenty of talent, but don't yet fit the "system". We can't have Fosu, Guthrie and Szmodics all having a 'free' role. But that is how it has been in our midfield. Bring on Sembie Ferris and we have seen an impact. There is no increase in skill level, he just knows how to play our way and his role. It inevitably takes a few matches for new players to bed in. So I say time for patience, yet already some want the manager's head. At some stage we have to stop the managerial merry go round. We must build from here and accept that the road won't always be paved with yellow bricks. |  | | |
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