There does seem to be disquiet,alarm and despondency apropos our prospects this season.
What has entered my mind was a supporter whose message to me not too long ago,which I shared on HOL, was that Sage will have departed by December to be replaced by Dyche !
The season is some 3 weeks away and the 'Transfer Window' does not close until 01 Sep, accordingly ample time to bolster our ranks.
There does indeed. And alarmingly more than in previous years, notwithstanding the heroics achieved on the pitch in the last 12-18 months.
I share this and some reasons include:
1. Russian roulette: we have dared to sell players before buying replacements before, and entered seasons well underprepared as a result. We have gotten away with it so far, but how many times can you keep doing that before it catches up with you?
2. We have been overly reliant on a small number of players. Most of those have either left (Zaha, Olise, Eze, Lacroix, Guehi) or are past their best (JPM).
3. Some of our best remaining players (Wharton, Sarr, Munoz, again JPM, Henderson) have been at the club the short of duration which has seen players under point 1 above move on. Would these players be thinking similarly?
4. Incoming players have not been consistently great in any case.
5. No obvious excitement about imminent incoming transfers.
6. No real impact from the bench and little strengh in depth after the first XI.
7. Uncertainty from new management team and the spine of the first XI for the first time in a few seasons.
8. Some recent examples we do not want to echo (Leicester, West Ham, Wolves) but with whom we share worrying similarities in the season or two before they went down.
9. We've sold most of our leaders. If the captain had to be an outfield player then who would it be? I can only think of Richards.
Of course this is all glass half empty sentiment and the likes of Drakes-Thomas, Cardines and maybe a bolter from the youth set up could give an entirely different complexion to the season. We probably are only a signing or two - and that might include a comeback (or emergence) or someone like Doucoure, Johnson, Nketiah or Franca - away from being very much on the up.
I think if we get off to a good start we'll get behind the new management team, the players will believe, and that is half the battle. After all, look what we did under Pulis with the playing XI at his disposal relative to the opposition.
England
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