Will we stay up?

[chastenor]

The team we had last season would stay up without any bother. This team won't. What on earth has VK done?

[Quicknick]

I don't buy this argument that the new team is inferior. Let's come back to this after 10 games.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

The team we had last season would stay up without any bother. This team won't. What on earth has VK done?

The problem VK has is that six of last season's promotion winning squad were loanees and he has not really replaced them with better quality or in Maatsen's case not at all.

[Deadlydave]

The problem VK has is that six of last season's promotion winning squad were loanees and he has not really replaced them with better quality or in Maatsen's case not at all.

BT, now we are really touching the big issue with the transfer window. Only 1 of 5 loan players committed to us and that was literally our first signing of the window! More than Maatsen, I think Tella and his pace and directness are going to be a massive miss for us. Could we also not have got another season loan for THB than signing one of the other numerous CB we now have?

[outwoodclaret]

It is far too early to tell. VK does need to come up with some changes. I think one season we went 10 matches without a win and still stayed up?

My only comment to sinkov’s post is that I hope that the «*old faces*» will not be overlooked. Brownhill was one of our best players against Spurs. Corke was better than Berge, who was anonymous along with Cullen. JBG was ineffective but I don’t think he makes much difference.

My biggest question mark is why VK thinks Roberts is better at LB than Taylor. We need some experienced men at the back. Taylor is proven at this level, can get forward and can deliver a ball. Apart from that he is a brave defender who takes no sh*t.

Indeed when Gareth Southgate started playing Trippier at left back we said this was idiotic and in that case Gareth was still able to select an established right back. For Spurs VK moved his best right back Roberts and played him on the left but did not have a right back to call on to fill the space vacated by Roberts. At one stroke the defensive problems at full back were made worse on both wings! We need to sort out the defensive line up certainly and find the right midfield blend. Cullen and Brownhill should both start imo with Berge on the bench.

It is too early to call our season after three games which have exposed our limitations at trying to play attacking possession football against teams who are far better organised and with far better players than we met in the Championship. I certainly do not want to revert to the Dyche era. We will know after about 10 games how we are likely to fare this season. There is no point now bemoaning the fact that we do not have THB, Maatsen or Tella. We have what we have and I do not think it is beyond the realms of possibility that we can fashion an effective team out of the players we actually do have.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Well said Sir Outwood.

[Tap in MN]

The problem VK has is that six of last season's promotion winning squad were loanees and he has not really replaced them with better quality or in Maatsen's case not at all.

Good point BT. We are NOT the same team and are involved at a significantly higher level. Too early to tell as Sinkov says but VK's selections are puzzling.

[chastenor]

VK's signing of Foster is proving to be a good thing, but it took him a year before he got up to speed. We can't afford to wait a year for the new players to click into place

[The Bedlington Terrier]

This was posted on Facebook, we look all out of kilter to me...

Attachment 24872

It is missing Tresor, Massengo and Odobert but still only one left back and VK has no interest in playing him.

[chastenor]

Monday will tell us a lot about where this team is heading.