Give them a chance, FFS. This is the first competetive match under the new manager after a truncated pre-season (just a couple of easy pre-season matches to get warmed up). It's also a new management structure with Sjogran & O'Neill only recently brought in and if you dig out some recent interviews you will clearly see that the ambition is there. The last couple of transfer windows have been more positive than negative in my view. As a club we've hardly ever paid extravagant sums for players unless they fit the right profile. Our attacking options are as good as anyone in world football. Injuries killed us last season yet we still ended up with a player sharing the golden boot and another with the most assists. With the signings of Lohman & Clinton we've also addressed one of the glaring deficiencies of midfield options from the last few seasons. Hopefully the next couple of transfer windows will see us look at defensive options as that's where we're probably most lacking right now.
99% agree.
The one bit where I'd differ is the "last couple of transfer windows" bit.
January was neutral. (I was no fan of Kennedy, but we needed more than a 1-in 1-out as far as central defenders were concerned given that we knew Greenwood was facing a lengthy layoff.)
Last summer was very poor. We needed 2 centre mids, a better centre half backup and a left back and signed none of them.
At least now, it's just a left back that remains sorting out from that list.
The real crime, though, and this is where I have a lot more confidence in the new regime, is the January transfer window before that.
We're toe-to-toe with Chelsea in a title race. It's obvious to everybody (or at least should be) that our squad is thin-to-anorexic. You don't buy 3 players for the future. The future is 5 months when the title is on the line. You buy players like Rachel Daly and Katy McCabe. Gritty competitors who you need when the chips are down (and Bunny is injured).
I'm viewing this season as two halves - get to January and see where we are then and invest if necessary.
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As a point to anybody who is negative based on an away defeat to Chelsea bear in mind the following:
Prior to kick-off the OPTA computer gave us a 14% chance of winning the league. Arsenal only 9%. We're second favourites. The fact that Chelsea have a 72% chance just shows the depth of their squad. I do question whether they can really keep everybody happy going forwards.
