A Storm Brewing. Burton Albion V Bolton, Saturday Aug 26th 3 0'Clock,.

[Mar]

It was a lovely save from their keeper for Vic's effort. We can all begrudge it but thats some decent keeping.

[officer_dibble]

When you look at the teams we’ve played we are probably below the par number of points I’d of hoped for now. Gets tougher in September.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah. Top two demands serious consistency. You can’t get there as a work in progress. You can’t have many off days. Or ‘well at least we got a point’ days.

You will by the end of September know more or less whether that top two is possible or not. Fail to beat Derby next week and that’s big big pressure on Evatt who already is in a mode of looking like he’s bedding down for the usual poor run of form.

It’s frustrating that we’ve not improved from last season. We haven’t gone and recruited the proven quality needed. There is a lad at Peterborough who if you add his goals to Charles probably covers up much of our issues. Yet we’ve spent money on Nlundulu who is absolute garbage, money on a lad who probably doesn’t naturally fit the system and money on a very good prospect centre back but one who doesn’t improve the first 11.

That’s the issue there in a nutshell. Strengthened the squad but the best 11 we can put out on the park is no better. And the issues all unanswered.

[Spartan2]

Keeper is poor, good shot stopper but he's got nothing else. Iredale is shit, I thought he was decent before his injury but unless he dramatically improves he's just awful. Both fullbacks are exceptionally average, we're asking the world of them and neither can deliver anything close. Dempsey back to his usual trick of a few exceptional games per season then a quick regression to the mediocre mean, can't wait for his next good game, could be next week could be four months away. Dan as a project sort of makes sense but only if you've got the money to gamble, you've got enough quality strikers anyway and your confident in your ability to improve a player, none of those apply to this team or management. Cameron Jerome wtf was the point in that signing, he's worse than when we signed heskey, I thought we did loads and loads of due diligence? Two fecking years! It's may be harsh to criticise someone who recently scored a Hattrick but it's difficult to see any real quality in Adeboyejo. Still Same tactics as last season pass it around the back then chip it down the line to no-one that's it, that's IE's master plan it must be because that's what we always do, we've done it for years. The first few games of the season we played through teams passing to Sheehan, Dempsey making great runs everyone looked a level above, the come down from that to this in such a short space of time is unreal, the wheels have completely fallen off. I just can't understand how we can go from 100 to 0 so quickly. A good team would have won today to put the Wigan result behind them and move on but the performance was exactly the same, just a much worse opposition. It pains me to say it but maybe IE has reached his level. I'm not very confident in his ability to turn this around. Anything other than promotion is a complete failure.

[TANGODANCER]

"Anything other than promotion is a complete failure." quotes Spartan.

I'm bound to get tanked for a reality check, always do, even with my rose tinted perscription glasses, but off we go with the Divine Right bit again. To get promotion we need to overcome bad grounds, Division Two tactics, fouling, time-wasting, partially friendly refs and an injury free season (Captain got whacked already). Add to that we need to play well every week against say 30% of decent opposition teams (and win most of them plus the rest) and we may have a chance of promotion. Back to the future.

(Dons bullet-proof jacket and claims sanctuary)

Amen...

[Mar]

Anyone criticising Vic might want to just have a good think about fine margins.

When he scored his hatrick he had another goal ruled out which was a close call for offside. Today he's had a bicycle kick blocked on the line and a really good save for his other effort. On another day both of those go in and we're sat here singing his praises. Stick with it, over the season it should be good. If anything his link up play in the game wasn't what it should be, chance to put in Geth for a one on one was missed, and linkup didn't seem to come off all too often. He's not perfect, but i can forgive him for some failings.


Anyways onto Boro. Which I suspect may have a Nlundulu and Jerome starting in the lineup.

[BWFC_Insane]

"Anything other than promotion is a complete failure." quotes Spartan.

I'm bound to get tanked for a reality check, always do, even with my rose tinted perscription glasses, but off we go with the Divine Right bit again. To get promotion we need to overcome bad grounds, Division Two tactics, fouling, time-wasting, partially friendly refs and an injury free season (Captain got whacked already). Add to that we need to play well every week against say 30% of decent opposition teams (and win most of them plus the rest) and we may have a chance of promotion. Back to the future.

(Dons bullet-proof jacket and claims sanctuary)

Amen...

Saying anything other than promotion is failure has absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with thinking we have a divine right. The statement is merely parroting the ownership and managements aims. The fact is that this season anything other than promotion is unacceptable.

We were 5th last season with failings that stopped us being promoted. We were told that this season we would take the step further. It’s down to Evatt to make that happen. Over the summer many were concerned we hadn’t improved the team sufficiently in the areas that matter and early evidence suggests that is the case. Again Evatt has to fix this in line with what are more than reasonable expectations.

[dave the minion]

Keeper is poor, good shot stopper but he's got nothing else. Iredale is shit, I thought he was decent before his injury but unless he dramatically improves he's just awful. Both fullbacks are exceptionally average, we're asking the world of them and neither can deliver anything close. Dempsey back to his usual trick of a few exceptional games per season then a quick regression to the mediocre mean, can't wait for his next good game, could be next week could be four months away. Dan as a project sort of makes sense but only if you've got the money to gamble, you've got enough quality strikers anyway and your confident in your ability to improve a player, none of those apply to this team or management. Cameron Jerome wtf was the point in that signing, he's worse than when we signed heskey, I thought we did loads and loads of due diligence? Two fecking years! It's may be harsh to criticise someone who recently scored a Hattrick but it's difficult to see any real quality in Adeboyejo. Still Same tactics as last season pass it around the back then chip it down the line to no-one that's it, that's IE's master plan it must be because that's what we always do, we've done it for years. The first few games of the season we played through teams passing to Sheehan, Dempsey making great runs everyone looked a level above, the come down from that to this in such a short space of time is unreal, the wheels have completely fallen off. I just can't understand how we can go from 100 to 0 so quickly. A good team would have won today to put the Wigan result behind them and move on but the performance was exactly the same, just a much worse opposition. It pains me to say it but maybe IE has reached his level. I'm not very confident in his ability to turn this around. Anything other than promotion is a complete failure.

Wow. So I think what I'm hearing is most.of our players are shite / as is our manager and his tactics?

And here was me thinking we were .asking progress ...

[BWFC_Insane]

Keeper is poor, good shot stopper but he's got nothing else. Iredale is shit, I thought he was decent before his injury but unless he dramatically improves he's just awful. Both fullbacks are exceptionally average, we're asking the world of them and neither can deliver anything close. Dempsey back to his usual trick of a few exceptional games per season then a quick regression to the mediocre mean, can't wait for his next good game, could be next week could be four months away. Dan as a project sort of makes sense but only if you've got the money to gamble, you've got enough quality strikers anyway and your confident in your ability to improve a player, none of those apply to this team or management. Cameron Jerome wtf was the point in that signing, he's worse than when we signed heskey, I thought we did loads and loads of due diligence? Two fecking years! It's may be harsh to criticise someone who recently scored a Hattrick but it's difficult to see any real quality in Adeboyejo. Still Same tactics as last season pass it around the back then chip it down the line to no-one that's it, that's IE's master plan it must be because that's what we always do, we've done it for years. The first few games of the season we played through teams passing to Sheehan, Dempsey making great runs everyone looked a level above, the come down from that to this in such a short space of time is unreal, the wheels have completely fallen off. I just can't understand how we can go from 100 to 0 so quickly. A good team would have won today to put the Wigan result behind them and move on but the performance was exactly the same, just a much worse opposition. It pains me to say it but maybe IE has reached his level. I'm not very confident in his ability to turn this around. Anything other than promotion is a complete failure.

Wow. So I think what I'm hearing is most.of our players are shite / as is our manager and his tactics?

And here was me thinking we were .asking progress ...

Whilst we can all call lots of that harsh - the issue at hand is have we made any progress from last season?

Keeper is worse. JDC has better delivery than Bradley for sure but less impact otherwise. Beyond that Maghoma is arguably an upgrade on Morley but still has plenty to add to his game. CMG looks like Dapo thus far. Good player but one who needs to be a winger to produce their best stuff.

Up front same issues. Charles aside we lack genuine quality on a consistent basis.

Defensively we have some injuries but again we’ve built a squad but the team isn’t improved.

I think this is where the frustration comes from. We spent a summer talking about an ambition of top two and have spent a very reasonable and competitive amount of money. Yet I struggle to pin point any area in our first team we are stronger in. And given the keeper we are arguably weakened.

[dave the minion]

Don't disagree with most of that to be fair, although I do think we need to overlay the criticism with a dose of realism.

Replacing one of the brightest young talents in goal was also going to be virtually impossible, so yes, we are probably weaker there. However, Baxter is a good keeper. It's possible to not be as good as the best, but also be very good at the same time.

Similarly with Bradley. I really like JDC a lot, but replacing a player destined to be in the first team at a top 6 premier league team was never going to be easy.

Up front, then we clearly have similar issues to last season, it a fit JDB and a revitalised Vic ould be the answer - & I do understand the logic of working with known quantities rather than risking new blood. I know people seem to have a personal vendetta against Dan, but theyve seen a player in there and if we can unlock it then that will be great.

As I said, I do get frustration creeping in, but let's be realistic. It's football. There will be strange results and ups and downs along the way, but anyone writing off the whole club after 5 games seriously needs to have a word with themselves.....

[BWFC_Insane]

Don't disagree with most of that to be fair, although I do think we need to overlay the criticism with a dose of realism.

Replacing one of the brightest young talents in goal was also going to be virtually impossible, so yes, we are probably weaker there. However, Baxter is a good keeper. It's possible to not be as good as the best, but also be very good at the same time.

Similarly with Bradley. I really like JDC a lot, but replacing a player destined to be in the first team at a top 6 premier league team was never going to be easy.

Up front, then we clearly have similar issues to last season, it a fit JDB and a revitalised Vic ould be the answer - & I do understand the logic of working with known quantities rather than risking new blood. I know people seem to have a personal vendetta against Dan, but theyve seen a player in there and if we can unlock it then that will be great.

As I said, I do get frustration creeping in, but let's be realistic. It's football. There will be strange results and ups and downs along the way, but anyone writing off the whole club after 5 games seriously needs to have a word with themselves.....

We signed players that have cost a lot who arguably haven’t helped us. I think the summer has to be questioned. Evatts judgement across maybe even the last 3 or 4 windows looks suspect compared to his peers.

A few days to bring the players in we need. Hopefully he manages to.

[dave the minion]

Ok

So, name me a keeper.and RWB who we could have signed (affordable/attainable).

Genuine question - who out there could we have signed that wouldn't be have satisfied the hunger for improvement,but we chose not to and lost out on?

[Worthy4England]

Personal vendetta against Dan or a signing some people don't see the benefit of? Evidentiary to some, he's not been that great. I think when Dan/Cameron come on for Dion/Vic, there's probably a good number that think "this ain't changing much for the better." They (and me with them) probably make a decent point.

I guess "improvement" will depend on what you're measuring, but it feels at best marginally incremental (This years Vic > last years Vic), rather than transformational...

That said, signing "x" players, universally acclaimed, would be no guarantee either, as so many teams have proven in days gone by...

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

The Dan criticism I get. There has been very very little on show to suggest he's close to turning a corner. The rest I think we need to give more than a handful of games before making to firm a judgement. The signs aren't great overall, but we've seen some glimmers of improvement from Vic to see how he could come good. JDC seems to be making a good fist of it, even if he isn't an upgrade. Williams has shown more and hopefully will become more effective still. Midfield is a worry still, but presumably the newbies are still getting up to speed and fitness and we may yet start to see a difference there.

Like the rest of you I have some concerns, but lets not write things off this early. We do need to add to the first team and I don't think we've enough for automatic promotion, but I don't think we're too far away. So step off HMS Panic Fanny and join HMS Keep Calm and Don't Panic Yet for a few weeks and give them a chance to get the season properly underway.

[dave the minion]

Missing our first 2 choice centre backs for lengthy periods ain't going to help either, don't forget...

[TANGODANCER]

"Anything other than promotion is a complete failure." quotes Spartan.

I'm bound to get tanked for a reality check, always do, even with my rose tinted perscription glasses, but off we go with the Divine Right bit again. To get promotion we need to overcome bad grounds, Division Two tactics, fouling, time-wasting, partially friendly refs and an injury free season (Captain got whacked already). Add to that we need to play well every week against say 30% of decent opposition teams (and win most of them plus the rest) and we may have a chance of promotion. Back to the future.

(Dons bullet-proof jacket and claims sanctuary)

Amen...

Saying anything other than promotion is failure has absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with thinking we have a divine right. The statement is merely parroting the ownership and managements aims. The fact is that this season anything other than promotion is unacceptable.

We were 5th last season with failings that stopped us being promoted. We were told that this season we would take the step further. It’s down to Evatt to make that happen. Over the summer many were concerned we hadn’t improved the team sufficiently in the areas that matter and early evidence suggests that is the case. Again Evatt has to fix this in line with what are more than reasonable expectations.

You forgot to add "in my honest opinion". Many teams in the millionaire Premier League set off every season to win the League Championship, the F.A Cup and European glory. Most never do. The ones that do are usually those with the most money who can buy the best players. A couple of seasons ago, we were darning holes in our britches arses and praying mightily for a miracle. Further back, Stoke walloped us -5-0 and shortly afterwards we upended the see-saw and returned the complement. In the current statue quo, we win three in a row then get tanked by Wigan and manage a draw with bottom of the league. Now we talk failure if we don't win promotion?

That's football reality for you...in my honest opinion of course. Me, I'm quite happy to take what comes and hope for the best. Nostradamus or fortune cookie, neither is a banker bet right now. COME ON YOU WHITES...

[Worthy4England]

Missing our first 2 choice centre backs for lengthy periods ain't going to help either, don't forget...

For me, this is all part and parcel. Occasionally we're going to be unlucky with injuries as are most teams. When it's regular and rolled out every season, then I start to question whether we're buying players who are generally up to it, physically. I guess they're looking at better player will give us edge, if only they stay fit. But then we can't bellyache as much, if they get injured more...they're only an "advantage" when they're on the pitch.

[TANGODANCER]

The goals etc...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaMPiblmMYw

[BWFC_Insane]

Ok

So, name me a keeper.and RWB who we could have signed (affordable/attainable).

Genuine question - who out there could we have signed that wouldn't be have satisfied the hunger for improvement,but we chose not to and lost out on?

There is a striker at Peterborough right now available and a number of league one clubs are chasing. Virtually guaranteed goals. Proven.

There are a number of players that have moved with a proven pedigree at this level in decent sides who we could have got.

But the issue is less that and more that we’ve signed a lot of players who fill gaps rather than improve us dramatically.

I’d suggest that for example one of the favourites for promotion getting Clarke Harris would likely tip over the edge.

[BWFC_Insane]

Missing our first 2 choice centre backs for lengthy periods ain't going to help either, don't forget...

For me, this is all part and parcel. Occasionally we're going to be unlucky with injuries as are most teams. When it's regular and rolled out every season, then I start to question whether we're buying players who are generally up to it, physically. I guess they're looking at better player will give us edge, if only they stay fit. But then we can't bellyache as much, if they get injured more...they're only an "advantage" when they're on the pitch.

I don’t think it’s that. For me it reflects on the fact that an Evatt side looks unstoppable when everything is going for them and going well. Yet awful when any conditions are against it. But you aren’t going to have a season where everything goes right. The sides that go up are good enough to fight under all conditions and compensate when things go wrong.