FiNeRaIn
Whats hilarious is you have completely misunderstood. The team wasn't competant yesterday- thats my opinion not a quotation from the manager, that needs to be addressed NOW, not over 2/3 seasons. I haven't invented anything, so what an odd statement from your own mis-understanding. I'd hope we'd see a development over 2/3 seasons for crying out loud- thanks for stating the obvious BR.
The team was competent. It just wasn't at Newcastle's standard. On that showing they'll take apart many average championship teams just as well as they did yesterday.
What is worrying is not being able to assess how we'll do against the average teams, and the worry that we'll look as equally blunt up front.
I don't think it's even about putting kids in. The kids have actually looked pretty good. The problem is partly that the experienced players haven't played that well.
The other problem, the one that may take 2-3 years to solve, is that we are trying to play a continental style without the players knowing how to play it. It's one thing teaching players to keep possession by passing and moving. It's another to get them to learn how to create an opening playing that way. It's just not something English players grow up doing.