2025/26 David Moyes

[Neiler]

….yep, although they’re looking a bit flakey. It’s a shame we’ll be down to bare bones but they’re missing players too, I suppose it goes with the time of year.

I remember from his first spell, Moyes isn’t one to dwell on injuries & suspensions, he tends to get on with it. Agree about a decent run of games coming up but this league is so unpredictable and things rarely turn out as predicted.

One thing is certain, we’ll be needing all of our players to chip in over the next month or so, let’s just hope McNeil and Dibling both shine. 24 points is a very decent baseline to go into the 2nd half of the season.

We need to make the ground and game as unpleasant for them as we possibly can for them IMO mate, they will want to get out of dodge as easy as they can, id make it an old school battle, hostile atmosphere, cold day, redden a few ankles and make them battle.

The next few weeks will be a real test of our recruitment and squad building i think, Charly, Dibling Rohl, McNeill, Tim will have roles to play and maybe even Azonu. We will know more about out summer window come the 1st of Feb.

If we are a still in and around the European spots come Feb we can have a real tilt.

 

[Eggs]

Still amazed we're on the points we are when i look at the squad. We must have the worst fullback options in the whole division. And i dont know the stats off the top of my head but over a season strikers who directly contribute to points on the board scoring winning goals.
Everton. 0 points.
I still question him. Whats his chat to Alcaraz yesterday. You came in last game. Did well. Your reward? You're back on the bench son.
But overall. Given what i think isnt a brilliant squad. He's put enough points on the board so far.

….its an interesting post, particularly the point about striker goal contribution. 24 points and I think our strikers have only contributed 2 goals, not sure how that equates to other teams but you have to wonder what difference an effective centre forward would make.

 

[Neiler]

….its an interesting post, particularly the point about striker goal contribution. 24 points and I think our strikers have only contributed 2 goals, not sure how that equates to other teams but you have to wonder what difference an effective centre forward would make.

Problem isn't just only the striker mate, if you watch Grealish and Illy - great as they they are a long time on the ball before the ball gets into the box, this leaves the forward with no space to use, attack or play with.

Its a hiding to nothing being our center forward.

We lack any surprise, pace, unprdictaability or directness.

The first counter we had by surprise last week - Barry scored and it was great finish.

 

[Eggs]

Problem isn't just only the striker mate, if you watch Grealish and Illy - great as they they are a long time on the ball before the ball gets into the box, this leaves the forward with no space to use, attack or play with.

Its a hiding to nothing being our center forward.

We lack any surprise, pace, unprdictaability or directness.

The first counter we had by surprise last week - Barry scored and it was great finish.

….being devils advocate, maybe they’d deliver earlier from wide positions if we had genuine threat in the box.

Remember Peter Beagrie syndrome, impossible to time a run with ‘complicated’ wingers, whereas Morrissey or even Sheedy delivered with half a yard of space. I’m not yet seeing Barry time a run to get ahead of his marker, it tends to be a natural move with goalscorers. We know Beto needs the ball playing into space behind the back four to be seen at best effect.

Difficult one. Maybe Barry will eventually get a quota but the blend isn’t right at the moment for delivery from wide positions.

 

[dannyboy]

….being devils advocate, maybe they’d deliver earlier from wide positions if we had genuine threat in the box.

Remember Peter Beagrie syndrome, impossible to time a run with ‘complicated’ wingers, whereas Morrissey or even Sheedy delivered with half a yard of space. I’m not yet seeing Barry time a run to get ahead of his marker, it tends to be a natural move with goalscorers. We know Beto needs the ball playing into space behind the back four to be seen at best effect.

Difficult one. Maybe Barry will eventually get a quota but the blend isn’t right at the moment for delivery from wide positions.

We'd get a lot more out of a good striker. Barry looks completely lost half the time and doesn't seem to make any intelligent runs. Mostly just ambles around.

If you put him up front for Arsenal or City in this league I think he'd still really struggle. I'd definitely fancy our centre halves keeping him quiet for 90 minutes.

 

[Charlie Sweet]

You know you're a blert, right?

Ha - no you soft arse. I just have higher standards than you. Against decent teams Moyes is generally an embarrassment.

 

[N0L1M1TK]

The owners must back the manager in January.

He has us within striking distance of European football.

Desperate for full backs, and a striker who can score.

A couple loans for numbers would be a start. Would be a miracle if we could have a loan or two lined up for the 1st of Jan …

 

[Bedfordblue]

The owners must back the manager in January.

He has us within striking distance of European football.

Desperate for full backs, and a striker who can score.

A couple loans for numbers would be a start. Would be a miracle if we could have a loan or two lined up for the 1st of Jan …

Can they though, or have we exhausted all our transfer wriggle room in the summer.
I sincerely hope there’s at least £60m available in Jan as we seem to have spend at least that much on bench warmers in the last window.

 

[Thomasc]

We definitely have 2 of the worst performing strikers in the whole division.

Neither of them offers much in particular.

It’s the clubs fault for buying so badly (twice).

Look at the difference in ability between Barry and Ekitike. The price tags are a bit of a giveaway, but it’s like some clubs are shipping at Waitrose while we are looking for bargains at Farm Foods.

Manager is still hamstrung by the depth of the squad.

 

[linnane666]

my dog slept in front of the fire from midday til 6pm, saw more action than barry and beto..as bad as these 2lads are we arent getting the most out of them at the same time..moyes needs to start mixing it up a bit tactically

 

[Toffeepot]

He's right about this tbf. Broken clocks and all that.

He's not right imo
I don't think Moyes leaving the first time was that disrespectful. Lacked a bit of class with the Baines, Fellaini carry on but he was then working for Utd.
We've had a few players down the years that left, played well and scored against us and then returned again to do well.

This 'persona non grata' waffle over 12 years later is over the top emotional pollution

 

[Toffeepot]

Can they though, or have we exhausted all our transfer wriggle room in the summer.
I sincerely hope there’s at least £60m available in Jan as we seem to have spend at least that much on bench warmers in the last window.

We definitely have some money to spend left over from the summer kitty.

 

[davek]

I don't know why you keep brining up the amount spent. Nearly every club in the league now spends that. It's not a great sum of money these days, especially considering the amount of player turnover we had.

View attachment 336988

Here's the real table:

 

[Lapeno77]

….its an interesting post, particularly the point about striker goal contribution. 24 points and I think our strikers have only contributed 2 goals, not sure how that equates to other teams but you have to wonder what difference an effective centre forward would make.

Moyes has dorm for this sort of thing.

04/05 top goalscorer was Cahill with 11, Marcus Bent was the leading forward with 6. It's the tactics of not using your forward for goals but getting the ball up the pitch and using late runners from the midfield to score

 

[Neiler]