I'm not one for knee-jerking but on the evidence so far I am very concerned with our situation.
Last season I was never really concerned. It seemed to me that we had enough quality and a strong nucleus in the squad, but even I wasn't expecting us to do as well as we did. I think we overachieved in the end on the back of momentum - which actually served to create false optimism for this year.
But this season is different for me. Poor standards of preparation, too much early disruption to the team and most importantly I don't see where any one of the signings is improving on what we had before.
The defence play like strangers which isn't surprising because it's a different bunch of strangers every week. Midfield lacks creativity and composure because we dispensed with what we had too rapidly. And if we're playing a lone striker, Ladapo is not the answer.
IMO we should revert to more or less the front 6 we had last season. Fox might only give us an hour each game but his composure and experience is badly needed. With Fox, Lamerias, Taylor and Sarcevic in the team, we have more players who are comfortable with the ball at their feet, short passing and interchanges that make Carey tick. I think the latter is suffering because there aren't enough 'footballers' present at the moment.
As for up front, Taylor has to play. The stats don't lie, poor spells at the start and end of last season and the beginning of this all coincide with his absence. His back to goal style provides a focal point for the team. I don't mind Ladapo - he works hard and offers something different but Taylor makes the team more fluid.
The back 5 is harder but we can't keep rotating and expect the players to get to know each other. So DA has to settle on a combination.
Back to basics for me. And introduce others more slowly - less disruption and less pressure on them.
Last season I was never really concerned. It seemed to me that we had enough quality and a strong nucleus in the squad, but even I wasn't expecting us to do as well as we did. I think we overachieved in the end on the back of momentum - which actually served to create false optimism for this year.
But this season is different for me. Poor standards of preparation, too much early disruption to the team and most importantly I don't see where any one of the signings is improving on what we had before.
The defence play like strangers which isn't surprising because it's a different bunch of strangers every week. Midfield lacks creativity and composure because we dispensed with what we had too rapidly. And if we're playing a lone striker, Ladapo is not the answer.
IMO we should revert to more or less the front 6 we had last season. Fox might only give us an hour each game but his composure and experience is badly needed. With Fox, Lamerias, Taylor and Sarcevic in the team, we have more players who are comfortable with the ball at their feet, short passing and interchanges that make Carey tick. I think the latter is suffering because there aren't enough 'footballers' present at the moment.
As for up front, Taylor has to play. The stats don't lie, poor spells at the start and end of last season and the beginning of this all coincide with his absence. His back to goal style provides a focal point for the team. I don't mind Ladapo - he works hard and offers something different but Taylor makes the team more fluid.
The back 5 is harder but we can't keep rotating and expect the players to get to know each other. So DA has to settle on a combination.
Back to basics for me. And introduce others more slowly - less disruption and less pressure on them.