papereyes But too many changes and vast outlay on new players seldom works either. Young players improve with experience, and we are giving ours their opportunity to do just that, rather than bringing in new players with bigger egos and higher wages as all that does is unsettle the unit.
So you pick a path between the two, choosing where you strengthen the team and how you strengthen it. We've reacted to things (ie Sidwell) and bought, rather than looking to improve areas of the squad.
Anyway, the post was in response to someone saying that 'we've barely changed anything'. My fear is that other teams will improve around us in a tight league. We're not doomed, but things could get sticky.
Anyway I don't believe we have stood still at all. Cisse and Fae appear to me to be a step forward. Bikey, Lita, Doyle and Long are certain to improve on last year's performances and Shorey, Harper, Sonko, Seol and Kitson are highly likely to. (I'm not sure Hunt can do much better than he did last year, but a repeat performance would be okay for me!)
I said this once. Still think its valid. Its not guaranteed. Players, sometimes for really odd reasons, sometimes fail to follow up one season with another good one.
In Pearce, Cox, Federici et al we have a selection of decent young players who have already shown they have distinct promise and they will be desperate for opportunities to advance their claims for 1st team places.
Hopefully. But certainly not guaranteed. Only A-Fed has more than a couple of games under his belt. Again, I am sure they're talented players - I've only seen glimpses of Cox and Pearce - but I hope we don't have to reply on them.
Murty, Ingi, Hahnemann, Little, Oster, Duberry and De La Cruz are no youngsters and unlikely to improve but if they remain generally fit are not going to let us down.
Yup, agree. Might add some from the top group into here.
As a group of players they share common attributes that put us ahead of most of our competition; attitude, integrity and intelligence. The fact that none of those will have been destabilised with the introduction of a load of Billy Big Bollox players leads me to look forward to this season with a lot of confidence.
I agree, but the main thing this ignores is that we haven't strengthened that much while teams around us have. And that's why barely moving from one season to the next is seen as risky. Some players have to repeat performances, not just in one game, but in 30+. Its happened before and it'll happen again, when someone hits their Perfect Season and cannot quite replicate it.
Although I have this as a minute chance of happening to enough of our players to make a BIG effect, it is, imo, very likely to happen to some of them. And that's enough reason for me to be a bit reserved in my optismism .
