This post has been merged from a topic called 'Good to finally have a new manager' by becky

I was stressing with the delays in getting in a new manager due to the planning and preparation needed to get ready for the first game of the season. I think having so many players out of contract maybe a blessing in disguise as Patrick has room to bring in his own choice of players rather than maybe been able to change the squad 2 or 3 players at a time across a number of windows over a number of years.
Exciting times ahead.

Edited by viveasheagle (12 Jul 2021 4.25am)

You did and I have you silly, silly boy!

I'm sorry I have made you so angry. Its obvious you are furious despite your failed efforts to hide it. You spoke nonsense on Hennesey and we all can see that. You're not really saving face by nitpicking words.
Who cares if his distribution is better if he is a crap goal keeper? Apart from you that is Hahaha

Agree with you. Mapletree will be back though, he is if nothing else a serious last word merchant!

Jackson.. Wan Bissaka.... Sansom.. Nicholas.. Cannon.. Guehi.... Zaha... Thomas.. Byrne... Holton.. Rogers.. that should do it..

It does amaze me how excited some people are...

Vieira has done nothing to show me he will be good for us.

However, everyone needs a start somewhere.

This was once a quality forum....

The first team friendly v Portsmouth, which was due to be played behind closed doors this week, has been cancelled as we can’t field a team.
Some might say this doesn’t matter, there is plenty of time , it’s only a friendly and so forth.
For me it’s more significant.
The purpose of the intensive training at St George’s this week is to hone in on our playing approach for the new season, for Vieira to make a detailed assessment of the squad and for the squad and new management team to bond.

In reality we do not have a new management team as only Vieira has been appointed with no new backroom staff joining him.
We have one confirmed new signing ,who may be injured, plus a rumoured one of a third choice goalkeeper.
Of all the out of contract players Clyne is the only one apparently at the training camp, but it’s not known whether he has renewed.
Cahill, Ward and Townsend were expected to renew but don’t appear to have done so or to be participating in training.

Against this background of certain players not so far renewing and the lack of signings , it’s no real surprise that we can’t field a team.
The training camp seems more akin to a youth/ under 23 exercise.

The club has a huge amount to do and time is getting short.
All obvious points , but preparation is key and at the moment it appears haphazard.
Vieira has to be given the tools to give him the best opportunity to succeed.

Portsmouth have lost about 5 or 6 players to other clubs but they have managed to sign 6 players, including Vincent from Bromley.
It would appear they are in the midst of a re-building phase under the Cowley brothers.

I was really hoping with Viera, in place, and Olise, signed , it was going to be ,here we go, here we go. What we have on the transfer front reminds me of last year, marque, signing to wet the lips, a third choice keeper a couple of promising players to develop,possibly. and now waiting for some last minute loans or similar. But it’s not even like last year, we have possibly told half the team to get on their bikes, and which ever way we go now, resigning some or otherwise just four weeks to get them back up to speed. It has to be some sort of joke

Everyone does need to start somewhere, and for PV that was New York and then Nice, both of which he did good jobs with. He took a bottom half New York to two consecutive 2nd place finishes, and a relegation-threatened Nice to 7th and then 5th, securing European football.

He's certainly achieved more than Lampard had when he got the Chelsea job. He's not so much a novice as some describe him. Whether he will continue his success with Palace, is yet to be seen... But we should not say he hasn't had any already.

Fantastic early business done in his reign and you'd assume more to come with potential loan deals from Arsenal / City likely.

I'm not sure if it makes me feel bad for Roy that we didn't back him financially like this or more certain that he never pushed the owners hard enough.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...