The key to staying up? A direct, physcial approach.

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

I think the OP was talking about a bit of commitment from the players, though decided to spread out with paragraphs, reasoning and examples. Scary stuff.

[Mistle17]

We don't have too far to go to have a decent side (on paper, in all departments). Unlike all the previous sides promoted (that went down), we have much more class than all of them in our team. If you look at teams like Burnley, Derby or Hull, we have much more quality than themselves. Because of this, a few well chosen additions could go a long way for us in terms of staying up and competing.

 

In saying this, it's important that we do have the balls for the fight- look at last season, we were feeble...pathetic- and are well organised as that will go along way to helping us. 

[Conjo]

Step 1: Sign Owen

Step 2: ??

Step 3: Europe

 

Time to go to work, work all night

Search for Europe, today

We won't stop until we have Europe

Yum yum yummy yum yay

Time to go to work, work all day

Search for Europe today

We won't stop until we have Europe

Yum yum yummy yum yay

[The Prophet]

The Prophet  - Fancy whacking in few suggetions of players you would bring in.

 

I think we have been playing direct & physcial a lot this season esp away from home.

 

Obviously it’s difficult to say when I don’t know how much clubs will be demanding for players as well as their wages and signing on fees but if I was to go with this approach I’d go for players such as: Gelson Fernandes and Lucas Barrios (probably out of our price range) or cheaper still Marvin Elliot and James Beattie (stolen from Canjun) from the bargain basement.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

I'd rather go straight back down than revert to the Sam Allardyce school of cancerous football.

[Doctor Zaius]

I'd rather go straight back down than revert to the Sam Allardyce school of cancerous football.

 

I wouldn't.

[Cronky]

I don't think we should necessarily go for a long ball game when in possession. It doesn't really suit the squad we have now, and I'd rather we build on what we have rather than change it altogether.

 

One thing that will have to improve though is our ability to stop the opposition from playing. We haven't been closing the opposition down at all. Even with some of the weaker teams, we've been allowing them a lot of possession and relied on keeping them out in our final third. We won't get away with that next season.

[The Prophet]

I don't think we should necessarily go for a long ball game when in possession. It doesn't really suit the squad we have now, and I'd rather we build on what we have rather than change it altogether.

 

One thing that will have to improve though is our ability to stop the opposition from playing. We haven't been closing the opposition down at all. Even with some of the weaker teams, we've been allowing them a lot of possession and relied on keeping them out in our final third. We won't get away with that next season.

 

Agreed but then do we have the players in the middle who have the energy to get back and close down? Perhaps Smith but his limited ability means he contributes little else to the cause. Simpson has a habit of backing off and as good as Colo has been he sometimes goes walkabouts so it's certianly something that needs addressing.

[colinmk]

The key signings for our squad should be a top notch central midfielder and a good all round striker. Right back needs sorted out too but cm and striker are more important. A solid spine and we have a decent squad.

[cp40]

Desire is the Key.

[Colocho]

With the season at an end Hughton will have to start preparing for next season. Before considering how he will strengthen the squad he will have to consider what approach we will take in terms of tactics and game plans and for me that should be a direct, with an emphasis on an uncompromising defence and set pieces.

 

Reading, Birmingham, Derby, West Brom, Boro, and of course ourselves have all been relegated in recent years. Stoke, Wigan and the Mackems have been the only sides to establish themselves. The teams that have gone down are largely comprised of squads recently promoted that have tried to survive playing football while the teams that have stayed up have adopted a more direct style of play. While the Mackems and their reliance on Bent may be the exception Wigan under Bruce and Stoke both placed an emphasis on making life as uncomfortable for the opposition as possible.

 

With limited funding available it is unlikely Hughton will be able to go out and buy the quality that will allow us to play great football so for me the first and most obvious approach to take is to make ourselves as difficult to beat as possible. Bolton, Blackburn and Stoke all currently use this approach and while it isn't pretty it works. It is also worth noting how Everton have adapted under Moyes. He began by making them difficult to break down when they didn't have the ball, they were also notably decent at set pieces. Since he has gradually added the quality need them to make them a side that regularly qualifies for Europe. Big Sam took a similar approach at Bolton, things weren't pretty to start with but he gradually got them competing for Europe.

 

Of course it remains to be seen if Hughton has the know how in the transfer market and the tactical know-how to employ this kind of approach at the highest level but for me, with limited funding available it is the way forward. We need focus on making ourselves hard working, physical bastards who teams can't stand playing against, then we can focus on adding the quality to take us to then next level.

 

 

Great points, I couldn't agree more with most of them.

 

We have the management and the players to pull it off. Teams fear Stoke for one reason, let's do the same.

[Cronky]

I don't think we should necessarily go for a long ball game when in possession. It doesn't really suit the squad we have now, and I'd rather we build on what we have rather than change it altogether.

 

One thing that will have to improve though is our ability to stop the opposition from playing. We haven't been closing the opposition down at all. Even with some of the weaker teams, we've been allowing them a lot of possession and relied on keeping them out in our final third. We won't get away with that next season.

 

Agreed but then do we have the players in the middle who have the energy to get back and close down? Perhaps Smith but his limited ability means he contributes little else to the cause. Simpson has a habit of backing off and as good as Colo has been he sometimes goes walkabouts so it's certianly something that needs addressing.

 

No, we don't have the players to close the opposition down. Hughton was smart and brave enough to realise that, and just concentrate on getting our midfield in position behind the ball.

 

We need some legs in centre midfield. I don't think either Nolan or Smith will be up to it.

[Colocho]

Ahh I'd rather not. I think we could stay ahead of 3 other teams next season without reverting to this. I also don't think we have the players to go for this approach.

 

Which 3 teams will we realistically be able to stay ahead of next season?

 

West Brom, the play-off winner and West Ham/Wigan?

[JH]

West Brom, play-off winner and one of West Ham/Wigan/Birmingham/Bolton/Wolves.

 

It's definitely do-able.

[Colocho]

As much as Birmingham and Wolves could slip-up with the old 'second season' syndrome, I really don't think they will. They both have good managers and both teams will only strengthen over the summer. West Ham will sell a lot of players this summer but Gold and Sullivan will invest in the club, if they keep Zola or get a new manager (which they should be able to attract a good one) I think they'll have a better season next term.

 

I don't think Bolton will go down next season, Coyle is doing a good job there.

 

Wigan do look the weakest out of the lot, they are our best hope.

[Thespence]

Were more Wimbledon than Brazil atm anyway.

[binnsy]

the key to staying up??  easy, win 12 games.  not bothered if we do it the direct physical way or with barca type football.

[Colocho]

12 games is a lot for a newly-promoted side.

[binnsy]

12 games is a lot for a newly-promoted side.

 

suppose it is, i was more thinking of 36 points.  Looking at this seasons league, if we get 8-10 wins we should stay up.

[JH]

West Ham and Wolves won 8 games, Wigan and Bolton 9, Stoke won 10 - it's certainly not THAT much in the greater context of things - we won 7 last year.

 

If we can't win 8 games out of 38, we don't deserve to be in the Premier League.

[Ronaldo]

Take one look at Wigan, they're an absolute shambles of a football club, we should be looking to anihilate teams like that. If we can't, we deserve to be going back to Scunthorpe.

[Mistle17]

Take one look at Wigan, they're an absolute shambles of a football club, we should be looking to anihilate teams like that. If we can't, we deserve to be going back to Scunthorpe.

 

Well judging by the last 5 attempts or so we've had down at their place its not looking good....

[TRon]

I don't think we should necessarily go for a long ball game when in possession. It doesn't really suit the squad we have now, and I'd rather we build on what we have rather than change it altogether.

 

One thing that will have to improve though is our ability to stop the opposition from playing. We haven't been closing the opposition down at all. Even with some of the weaker teams, we've been allowing them a lot of possession and relied on keeping them out in our final third. We won't get away with that next season.

 

Agreed but then do we have the players in the middle who have the energy to get back and close down? Perhaps Smith but his limited ability means he contributes little else to the cause. Simpson has a habit of backing off and as good as Colo has been he sometimes goes walkabouts so it's certianly something that needs addressing.

 

No, we don't have the players to close the opposition down. Hughton was smart and brave enough to realise that, and just concentrate on getting our midfield in position behind the ball.

 

We need some legs in centre midfield. I don't think either Nolan or Smith will be up to it.

 

Absolutely. If we want to move to the next level, central midfielders who can run the show are a must. Other than that wrt the original post we are already playing quite an effective physical style which will probably be enough to ensure survival.

[merlin]

There is merit in adopting a physical style of play when newly-promoted, but it needs organisation AND the right players to do this successfully.

 

Leeds in the 60s were hated for years because they were a very physical side(Big Jack, Norman Hunter, Bremner and Giles - much dirtier than people think because he could also play - spring to mind), but they knew exactly where to stop without incurring too many cautions. I don't believe we have the necessary players to do this at present. In today's refereeing climate, Leeds wouldn't get away with half they did then.

 

Carroll is a good physical target man but unless we either have another big man who is as much a goal threat as he is, OR a proven fast Prem quality striker alongside him, we will not reap the benefit from his unsettling of defenders.

Also, you need a MOBILE midfield who get up quickly to support the big strikers - a player like Dorrans is ideal for this because he has pace and skill but NONE of our midfield really fit this bill apart from maybe Guthrie and he is not in Dorrans' class. The midfielders need to offer a goal threat so that the opposition defence cannot simply rely on snuffing out the big guys up front. Midfield is crucial if you want to play this way because the players have to be both strong tackling and quick - they have to do a lot of work tracking back & forward.

 

Finally, our CDs are not really physical or quick enough to get away with tight marking on Prem forwards - Colo reads a game reasonably well, but got caught out by the pace of Prem forwards and was often wrong-footed by them...hopefully he will do his homework next season before facing the opposition forwards so he knows which side they prefer.

 

The Everton example is a good one - Moyes concentrated on making them hard to beat and play against in his early years so that they could sign better players as they improved their position in the Prem but they also had some good kids coming through and still do.

Stoke are a very physical side but they lack Everton's skill factor now. They will be difficult to beat next season but may have a more difficult time than they had this year. Wigan, since Martinez joined them, are a better footballing side than many think and they may do better next season if they keep players.

 

It's all up to Hughton and his signings as to how we play and how successful we will be.

[Ronaldo]

It would be a mistake to play a direct style, we don't have the players for it. Carroll has his strengths and weaknesses and bringing others into play most certainly isn't one of them, no matter what his fans would like to think. He's an effective player in the box because of his ability at getting above defenders and getting power onto his headers but he isn't a good target man, yet. To base our build-up play around him will end in tears.

 

Really, we just need to find a style and become very proficient with it to the point we can impose it on any team next season. Blackburn have taken points from all of the big 4 at home this season. Birmingham have done exactly the same and could have easily beaten Chelsea, Man City and Man U. With Blackburn it's all about balls into the box, their training sessions must be about as interesting as watching white paint dry. Birmingham have a lot of energetic steel in midfield, sit deep and break in numbers, they're a very difficult team to break down.

 

Either of the above styles won't sit at SJP, we all know a large contingent of fans just won't accept it, especially if it isn't achieving the results because of players being generally unsuited to it, we've all seen it before. Hughton has seen the damage we've done playing 2 wingers and getting as many balls into the box as possible. This needs to be the basis imo, but an effective poacher alongside Carroll is a must if this is to be continued in the big league.