2020/21 Season Review

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Speedo » Sun May 23, 2021 7:19 am

Donkey Toon wrote:
Sat May 22, 2021 5:26 pm
Blimey, in the Mackems post-match analysis they just said that they have 16 players either out of contract or finishing loans this summer. Could be a completely new lineup next season.
Yeah not to mention they’ll be skint. Aiden McGeady’s expiring contract still has him on Prem wages.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Colback's Orange Tufts » Mon May 24, 2021 7:36 am

Aiden was treated pretty badly under last manager. But agreed to waive an auto extension on big £££ for playoffs. Fair play
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Bodacious Benny » Mon May 24, 2021 12:12 pm

It has been pleasing to see progress in the shape of attitudes and the approach to games when we secured safety, we pushed on and finished the season strongly as opposed to last season where everyone downed tools. The squad seem to believe / want to be in the top half and not content with merely staying up. Hopefully we keep our key players and add a couple of quality additions.

As for Bruce, I’d probably give him 6.5/10 this season. It hasn’t been easy with Covid, injuries (same for all clubs) and him losing his parents, he has made mistakes but appeared to address things as the season went on one way or another and since the Brighton defeat only 5 teams accumulated more points than us. He probably needs some media training as he puts his foot in it sometimes but on the other hand the way some of our fans react to the smallest comments is equally ridiculous.

How we finished 17 points clear of the bottom three I’ll never know, but by finishing the season well at least we can have some positivity looking forward to next season. I can’t see us (or many teams) spending big so I’d blow our entire budget on Willock if we can and try and get a couple of decent loan signings in for upfront.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Valentino's fast feet » Mon May 24, 2021 12:32 pm

Willems on a free, push the boat out for Willock, Rondon on loan from his Chinese overlords? Bring the band back together <awe> Being linked to a loan move for Connor Gallagher again.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by lassassinblanc » Mon May 24, 2021 1:40 pm

Bodacious Benny wrote:
Mon May 24, 2021 12:12 pm
It has been pleasing to see progress in the shape of attitudes and the approach to games when we secured safety, we pushed on and finished the season strongly as opposed to last season where everyone downed tools. The squad seem to believe / want to be in the top half and not content with merely staying up. Hopefully we keep our key players and add a couple of quality additions.

As for Bruce, I’d probably give him 6.5/10 this season. It hasn’t been easy with Covid, injuries (same for all clubs) and him losing his parents, he has made mistakes but appeared to address things as the season went on one way or another and since the Brighton defeat only 5 teams accumulated more points than us. He probably needs some media training as he puts his foot in it sometimes but on the other hand the way some of our fans react to the smallest comments is equally ridiculous.

How we finished 17 points clear of the bottom three I’ll never know, but by finishing the season well at least we can have some positivity looking forward to next season. I can’t see us (or many teams) spending big so I’d blow our entire budget on Willock if we can and try and get a couple of decent loan signings in for upfront.
Agree with your points on Burce, I don't think he's done as bad a job as his critics claim to be, in fact despite him matching Rafa's highest points total the Rafa lovers are claiming, Rafa finished 10th and won 4-0 on the last day against Fulham despite both of these things happening in two different seasons.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Sanchino » Tue May 25, 2021 5:44 pm

CIH wrote:
Mon May 24, 2021 12:32 pm
Willems on a free, push the boat out for Willock, Rondon on loan from his Chinese overlords? Bring the band back together <awe> Being linked to a loan move for Connor Gallagher again.
This. <awe>

I'll be happy with those 4..

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by ALF » Tue May 25, 2021 8:16 pm

Good review, agree with a lot of it. Bruce has done alright all in all, he's largely clueless tactically though and he's not the man to take us forward.

I think when looking at some players there's reputations being taken into account rather than performance. Ritchie was abysmal around December/January time, Gayle looks finished at the top level, Hayden was shocking before getting injured, Clark was dropped at the end of the season.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Remember Colo » Tue May 25, 2021 9:12 pm

ALF wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 8:16 pm
Good review, agree with a lot of it. Bruce has done alright all in all, he's largely clueless tactically though and he's not the man to take us forward.

I think when looking at some players there's reputations being taken into account rather than performance. Ritchie was abysmal around December/January time, Gayle looks finished at the top level, Hayden was shocking before getting injured, Clark was dropped at the end of the season.
I'll go farther and say Gayle was never really good enough for the top level, but especially not now.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by ALF » Tue May 25, 2021 9:47 pm

Remember Colo wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 9:12 pm
ALF wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 8:16 pm
Good review, agree with a lot of it. Bruce has done alright all in all, he's largely clueless tactically though and he's not the man to take us forward.

I think when looking at some players there's reputations being taken into account rather than performance. Ritchie was abysmal around December/January time, Gayle looks finished at the top level, Hayden was shocking before getting injured, Clark was dropped at the end of the season.
I'll go farther and say Gayle was never really good enough for the top level, but especially not now.
I don't disagree. 26 goals in 135 games in the Premier League isn't a good return at all.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by lassassinblanc » Tue May 25, 2021 10:01 pm

Clark was more dropped due to an ankle/heel injury so I've heard via Ireland sources as to why he wasn't in national squad.

With Hayden and Ritchie yes they had their bad form but tell me a player who doesn't have a blip during the season.

Yep Gayle as I've said is championship level, he'll score the odd goal but you need to be that little bit more instinctive to be PL level which I don't think he's ever been.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Colly » Tue May 25, 2021 10:03 pm

ALF wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 9:47 pm
Remember Colo wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 9:12 pm

I'll go farther and say Gayle was never really good enough for the top level, but especially not now.
I don't disagree. 26 goals in 135 games in the Premier League isn't a good return at all.
As always though that has to be caveated with "whilst never getting a proper run in the side and playing in front of horrifically uncreative players". I do think his time has passed now, but if he'd got a sensible run of games 2 or 3 seasons ago he might have been a reasonable option. Rafa wrote him off almost as quickly as he did Mitrovic.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by ALF » Tue May 25, 2021 10:22 pm

lassassinblanc wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 10:01 pm
Clark was more dropped due to an ankle/heel injury so I've heard via Ireland sources as to why he wasn't in national squad.

With Hayden and Ritchie yes they had their bad form but tell me a player who doesn't have a blip during the season.

Yep Gayle as I've said is championship level, he'll score the odd goal but you need to be that little bit more instinctive to be PL level which I don't think he's ever been.
I think our defence improved without Clark though. He wasn't playing well.

I know nearly everyone has a blip in form but Ritchie really was terrible. Work rate (which is normally his fall back quality) just consisted of fouls in stupid areas. Hayden was more to do with being inexplicably played out of position. Summed up Bruce as a manager. Hayden hadn't done anything bad enough to be dropped so instead of bringing in somebody who could play an attacking role in midfield he just moved Hayden there.

If Gayle drops to the Championship I can't see him getting more than 15 goals again.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Bodacious Benny » Wed May 26, 2021 7:42 am

Gayle I think would be well into double figures in a championship team, Solanke just managed 15 this season for Bournemouth. Whilst Gayle clearly isn’t PL quality as others have said, he’d still be one of the best strikers in the championship IMO.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Remember Colo » Wed May 26, 2021 4:05 pm

Bodacious Benny wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 7:42 am
Gayle I think would be well into double figures in a championship team, Solanke just managed 15 this season for Bournemouth. Whilst Gayle clearly isn’t PL quality as others have said, he’d still be one of the best strikers in the championship IMO.
That's historically been the case, but he's getting older now and seems to have lost some of the athleticism that he used to leverage. Any Championship side looking to count on him for the production he was good for a couple seasons ago might be a bit disappointed.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Colly » Wed May 26, 2021 4:06 pm

I bet Chopra could still do a job though.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Remember Colo » Wed May 26, 2021 4:06 pm

Colly wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 10:03 pm
ALF wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 9:47 pm


I don't disagree. 26 goals in 135 games in the Premier League isn't a good return at all.
As always though that has to be caveated with "whilst never getting a proper run in the side and playing in front of horrifically uncreative players". I do think his time has passed now, but if he'd got a sensible run of games 2 or 3 seasons ago he might have been a reasonable option. Rafa wrote him off almost as quickly as he did Mitrovic.
Not that Palace was ever a particularly creative side either, but he had several years of poor goalscoring (in league play) for them too. It's not really surprising his best returns for them were in the League Cup against lower level sides.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Bodacious Benny » Wed May 26, 2021 4:28 pm

Remember Colo wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 4:05 pm
Bodacious Benny wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 7:42 am
Gayle I think would be well into double figures in a championship team, Solanke just managed 15 this season for Bournemouth. Whilst Gayle clearly isn’t PL quality as others have said, he’d still be one of the best strikers in the championship IMO.
That's historically been the case, but he's getting older now and seems to have lost some of the athleticism that he used to leverage. Any Championship side looking to count on him for the production he was good for a couple seasons ago might be a bit disappointed.
That’s true but still only early thirties and more of a right place right time striker in the box as opposed to being a vardy type player always looking to run in behind. if he did move it would be to a top end Championship team so i'm sure he'd get ample opportunities.
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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Colly » Wed May 26, 2021 5:24 pm

Remember Colo wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 4:06 pm
Colly wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 10:03 pm


As always though that has to be caveated with "whilst never getting a proper run in the side and playing in front of horrifically uncreative players". I do think his time has passed now, but if he'd got a sensible run of games 2 or 3 seasons ago he might have been a reasonable option. Rafa wrote him off almost as quickly as he did Mitrovic.
Not that Palace was ever a particularly creative side either, but he had several years of poor goalscoring (in league play) for them too. It's not really surprising his best returns for them were in the League Cup against lower level sides.
Again though he never got a full season, and his record wasn't that bad. I just don't think anyones particularly shown any faith in him. Not saying he'd be a worldbeater but a run in any side always helps, Bamford was written off enough times.

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Re: 2020/21 Season Review

Post by Sanchino » Thu May 27, 2021 12:06 pm

Bodacious Benny wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 4:28 pm
Remember Colo wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 4:05 pm

That's historically been the case, but he's getting older now and seems to have lost some of the athleticism that he used to leverage. Any Championship side looking to count on him for the production he was good for a couple seasons ago might be a bit disappointed.
That’s true but still only early thirties and more of a right place right time striker in the box as opposed to being a vardy type player always looking to run in behind. if he did move it would be to a top end Championship team so i'm sure he'd get ample opportunities.
This. You need to play to his strengths too to get the best out of him. He's 31 now and past his peak, I don't think he was ever good enough for the Prem but he did have his moments with Palace (he scored 7 in 23 in 13-14 season) & with us when he was paired with Perez towards the end of the 2017-2018 season he went on a good run but he's never been a double figure striker at this level and especially now were he's lost a yard of pace & his athleticism/acceleration has declined significantly. He's OK to have as back-up as 3rd / 4th choice. Pecking order (depending on formation) is Wilson, NEW ST (Armstrong/King/Rondon/etc), Joelinton & Gayle. But if we play the 3 at the back formation there's a lot of options like Miggy, ASM, Murphy & Fraser who can all play in the forward roles if needed.

Maybe a swap deal with Toney would make sense if they don't get promoted? Or 10mil/15mil + Gayle.. but knowing Brentford they'll want someone younger & fresher with a resale value. Or swap deal with Armstrong at Blackburn? He'll still score 15+ in the Champs especially with a team like Brentford or Swansea who dominate possession & create a lot of chances.

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