Match Thread Stoke away 10th August 12:30 - Opening day! (7 Viewers)

[TomRad85]

I think playoffs should definitely be achievable but I do think some people have got carried away with how good we are.

Failing to get play-offs would be a clear failure. I will stand by this.

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[Sick Boy]

Failing to get play-offs would be a clear failure. I will stand by this.

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I agree 100% considering the money that's been spent.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

I think playoffs should definitely be achievable but I do think some people have got carried away with how good we are.

People are always knee jerk early on. EMC and Torp score decent goals against Everton, and we performed well. Lose to Stoke, and Torp is invisible, EMC poor. As fans we tend to the extreme, whereas the reality is slightly away from that.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

The midfield really concerns me, I worry that there's not much more to come from Torp which means we're hanging our hat on Sheaf, a player who seems to experience at least one mid term injury and one spell of drastic lost form every season.
If that area is not right then it's going to be a difficult season.
It's only one game, so early days but not a great start against a pretty poor side who had two players really taking the game to us and that was enough.

To be honest when you put it like that, it’s a no brainer what to do if someone offers £15 million to get the midfield and defence where it needs to be.

 

[Diogenes]

I think this is the hardest I've ever been before a season,

 

[Macca]

Last season finished 9th didnt really trouble the play offs. Defence was making silly mistakes and midfield being bullied. Don't see how some minor amendments have created this inflated opinion of the team. We will do alright and maybe with the right form at the right time may get lucky but half the league is after 6 places.
Problem is the success since 2017 has people expecting something every year. Finishing top ten with some exciting games in the Championship will do me

 

[Otis]

I've learnt to let it go, only took me 50 plus years, you'll be fine in 20 years mate.

Yeah, but just you wait til you are 60 and get grumpy all over again.

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

Oxford won’t be as easy as some are making out. The “we’ll be fine once…” stuff seems to get said every season.

If we don't beat Oxford next week , I think I can guess what this forum will be like lol.

 

[Macca]

If we don't beat Oxford next week , I think I can guess what this forum will be like lol.

Disappointed and rightly so

 

[Evo1883]

Last season finished 9th didnt really trouble the play offs. Defence was making silly mistakes and midfield being bullied. Don't see how some minor amendments have created this inflated opinion of the team. We will do alright and maybe with the right form at the right time may get lucky but half the league is after 6 places.
Problem is the success since 2017 has people expecting something every year. Finishing top ten with some exciting games in the Championship will do me

Spending 40 million over 2 years to finish 10th would be a very very poor return at this level .
We are spending more than almost all the teams around us

 

[Tommo1993]

Noticed people elsewhere have misinterpreted the five year plan. I took it as promotion within that time regardless of manager, rather than ‘five years for MR to achieve it’.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Last season finished 9th didnt really trouble the play offs. Defence was making silly mistakes and midfield being bullied. Don't see how some minor amendments have created this inflated opinion of the team. We will do alright and maybe with the right form at the right time may get lucky but half the league is after 6 places.
Problem is the success since 2017 has people expecting something every year. Finishing top ten with some exciting games in the Championship will do me

In addition to the few extra signings you’d think that most players improved over last season and are better also.

 

[Macca]

Spending 40 million over 2 years to finish 10th would be a very very poor return at this level .
We are spending more than almost all the teams around us

But we lost 3 players worth the same

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

Disappointed and rightly so

Oxford had a good win yesterday, so won't be a easy game for us.

 

[SeaSeeEffCee]

Feeling quite depressed after today tbh .

Not really had this feeling for ages , I don't know why but today has got to me

It was a really deflating one. Haven’t been as excited for a start to the season for a while and to have that served up felt like a real slap in the face. At least the games come along quickly, hopefully we’ll have forgotten all about this in a couple of weeks time and we’ll be well underway.

 

[Gint11]

Is that correct?! I cba to check but that’s absolutely mad if so, surely not? So we’ve gone 17 seasons without having won an opening day game? Seems like we’re destined to always start shit

Sorry mate, away game I meant

 

[Gint11]

No, we beat Forest on opening day in 21-22. We’ve had Hamer and Fadz’s leadership at the back for every opening day since we’ve been back in the Championship (2-1 loss to Bristol C, 2-1 win v Forest, 1-1 draw v Sunderland and 2-1 loss to Leicester), but this was by far the poorest performance. We never looked like scoring for all the firepower at our disposal.

The stat I mentioned was regarding opening day AWAY games. I wasn’t clear.

 

[PUSB-We_are_going_up]

It was game 1 the league isnt won or lost on the first game of the season, squad is still settling, we do have new players starting for us still so they will take time, I think Dovin looks good very assured and good with his feet and confident. EMC showed glimpses of skill and flair with the ability to beat a man, Rudoni looked class and will probably be our player of the season, BTA came on and looked a threat his pace is really gonna trouble teams, the game was lost in the midfield which wont happen many times this season with our first choice midfield. If we sign a new CM it will take time before they get an opportunity they wont slot straight in, a bit like Kitching where Robins didnt give him a look in until he was familiar with our style of play and built up some chemistry with the team. But a midfield of Sheaf, Rudoni and a new no.6 will not lose the battle against anyone in this league

 

[Cally Fedora]

Agree with this. Emc and Rudoni will be good signings as will bta. I think Kitching will also be fine as will Dovin. The negativity based on 1 game is misplaced. It was a disappointment of a game but I’m confident in the quality we have.

 

[BlueSkiesForever]

Agree with this. Emc and Rudoni will be good signings as will bta. I think Kitching will also be fine as will Dovin. The negativity based on 1 game is misplaced. It was a disappointment of a game but I’m confident in the quality we have.

Yeah we’ll grow into the season I’m sure, and I also think EMC and Asante will be great assets, I’m more just disappointed that we’ve started on the back foot again. Should have been a relatively easy 3 points in the bag tbh, but hey ho.

I’m pretty confident that back at home we’ll beat Oxford, beating Bristol away in the league will be the first real acid test to see if we’ve improved much or not.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I’ve been saying it for ages but this is why I rate European players over English league players. The pool of players is much greater and I feel that at the level we’re working at, prices aren’t inflated compared to the ability the players actually represent.

I’ve got no evidence to back any of this up (shock) but I’m sure that if Kitching was Italian and played in the Dutch league he wouldn’t have been bought for anywhere near £4m. Teams in the championship seem to love other players in the championship and league 1, honestly don’t get it.

Edit: players like Grimes etc I don’t have an issue with, I take issue with spending £4m on a defender from Barnsley that seems clueless at times.

Torp is a European signing and was probably our worst player yesterday

 

[fernandopartridge]

Hope we haven't fallen for the classic Peterborough scam of overhyping their attacking players to get big money for them.

I think we actually watch them play, his record stands for itself anyway. He will just need a bit of time to adapt to a higher intensity.

 

[rhino1002]

Is that correct?! I cba to check but that’s absolutely mad if so, surely not? So we’ve gone 17 seasons without having won an opening day game? Seems like we’re destined to always start shit

Didn't we beat notts county the first game of league 2 campaign

 

[Gint11]

100% agree with that. Baffling we haven't seen one come in yet.

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We would have done if Forest weren’t being twats

 

[Gint11]

Didn't we beat notts county the first game of league 2 campaign

AWAY GAMES

 

[rhino1002]

AWAY GAMES

The thread I read didn't mention away games

 

[BlueSkiesForever]

Torp is a European signing and was probably our worst player yesterday

Okay maybe Torp was poor but I’d argue Allen and Thomas were worse. Our other European players were the best of the rest, Van Ewijk, Saka and Haji.

 

[Johnnythespider]

Yeah, but just you wait til you are 60 and get grumpy all over again.

Happened to me 2 days ago, luckily my eldest lad got me some of these

 

[SkyBlueBarmy84]

I had tickets in the home end. It’s always interesting to hear the opposition fans’ views, in the moment.

Highlights:

- MVE: Our best player
- Dovin: Doesn’t dominate his area. They were calling for more crosses to be put in.
- Allen: not quick or strong enough.
- Saka: good first touch. Not used enough.
- Thomas: dominated the aerial battle, terrible playing out from the back.
- Rudoni: Skilful but missing final ball.

They didn’t really comment on anyone else, which tells its own story. There was a lot of chatter about the lack of pace and urgency in our play, and the fact we didn’t have a competent midfield, which meant our build up was too predictable.

Also, much as I hate to admit it, I did find the ironic ‘woos’ quite funny, after Twist & Shout. They were clearly annoyed that we outsung them all game.

 

[SkyblueTexan]

Oxford won’t be as easy as some are making out. The “we’ll be fine once…” stuff seems to get said every season.

Saw their highlights against Norwich. They were impressive. If we lose to them on Friday, I’m afraid to think of the meltdown here.

 

[Boicey]

Okay maybe Torp was poor but I’d argue Allen and Thomas were worse. Our other European players were the best of the rest, Van Ewijk, Saka and Haji.

Saka is Japanese and Haji American.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Saw their highlights against Norwich. They were impressive. If we lose to them on Friday, I’m afraid to think of the meltdown here.

People were much more bothered by yesterday's performance than result.

 

[glasgowfan]

Has to be

We should definitely be challenging around the top 6.

Don't panic. We are only 3 points off

 

[Sick Boy]

Noticed people elsewhere have misinterpreted the five year plan. I took it as promotion within that time regardless of manager, rather than ‘five years for MR to achieve it’.

Yeah I think some people could be in for a shock.

 

[Gint11]

This is a bed wetting comment but the mentality of us first half. Like we were a bit scared. Of what? The occasion? The atmosphere? Surely not.