18 Sep 2025 20:52:19
Late winner in 5 matches and gave away 2 goal leads in 3, still winning and great for the neutral but lord its hard on the ticker for us old lads and we're only just starting the season. Better teach the Duchess CPR just in case .
18 Sep 2025 21:27:51
Like I said at the start of the season, I can’t see too many boring 0 - 0’s or 1 - 0 games and as I said in the last few weeks of the transfer window, who’s going to do the defending?
We are a serious injury away (God forbid it should happen) or loss of form by VVD from being exposed at the back. I understand good things are expected of Leoni, but it might not be enough with Konate and more so (sadly) Gomez being susceptible to injury. I also understand that we have stop gap CBs in Endo and RG but that isn’t a real solution.
18 Sep 2025 22:01:38
WDW, our situation is only slightly worse in that regard as compared to last season. Slot didn't really trust Quansah too much, but most likely Leoni will play even lesser than Quansah this season, which is understandable. To be fair though, anyone will suffer if they lose someone like VVD.
18 Sep 2025 22:11:39
If we lose VVD we will adapt our formation to be more defensive so I wouldn’t worry too much. Then we will have those 1-0s…we are aggressive as we know he’s there.
18 Sep 2025 22:18:42
I don’t buy that WDW. If VVD got injured we’d find a solution. We have a squad full of international players and it’s 3 months until January. It wouldn’t be the Armageddon you think it would.
The VVD injury in 2020 is massively overstated as a reason for our poor season that year. He got injured in October and we were top of the league at Christmas. The problems came when Matip got a long term injury in January having already lost VVD and Gomez for the season leaving us with no centre backs. It was 3 season ending injuries to our 3 senior centre backs.
If that happens again then yes we will suffer badly but any team in world football would. Just like if Salah, Isak and Ekitike all got season ending injuries at the same time or Grav, Szob and Macca.
VVD is great, one of the best centre backs ever but the team won’t fall apart without him.
18 Sep 2025 22:58:34
I dunno mate, the way things had started for us I was expecting a winning goal. Was feeling calm as lol.
18 Sep 2025 23:13:40
Can we all stop talking about VVD getting injured!
19 Sep 2025 00:03:56
Fair points made, particularly about adjusting our set up to cover for the loss should it happen (hopefully not) . Me seeing problems that might not even happen.
19 Sep 2025 04:42:11
@Ritchie, do you think a conversation on a football forum leads to players getting injured?
19 Sep 2025 05:58:09
In fairness Vvd would be a huge miss but as stated the side would need to adapt without him and the biggest worry as Robboslegs mentioned is the last time we lost 3 centre backs.
Saying that though keeping Gomez fit is a challenge and Konate has his issues and doesn’t look the same player when not having Vvd beside him.
I don’t think saying not having Vvd would leave us exposed is that wild of a statement though. I’ve seen it said on here that Nunez was instrumental in us winning the league last season and we were a better team with him in it despite him playing around 30% of the minutes and also that Endo is one of the best closers of games in world football despite playing 7% of league minutes.
For me they are wild statements.
19 Sep 2025 07:53:37
VVD would have to move into 2nd gear to strain anything.
19 Sep 2025 11:13:54
Macgoveb, I call that teething problems at the start of a season. Im old and feel no tickers as I expect such things to happen esp. with the changes in the team and a new system.
As for the Atleti game, had we taken our chances then, this whole stuff about our defence (or last minute winners) is not a thing. Atleti scored an offside goal and a deflection. We kept 2 clean sheets in a row before that. Relax. It's still early.
19 Sep 2025 12:01:22
Yeah McGoveb you’ve been told to relax.
19 Sep 2025 12:09:27
JK, they are not so wild, given that a season is won across pivotal moments that decide games. Those moments don't have to be assists or goals, either, though in Nunez case he did score or contribute to crucial goals, they could simply ensure a result. These may not be the most significant moments of the season, but for us to have won the league we needed each player in the squad to contribute to their share of these.
19 Sep 2025 12:35:29
Patrik we’ll agree to disagree on that one then mate.
19 Sep 2025 12:52:59
The second goal also had a player stood in front of Ali in an offside position, not sure he would have got either mind you.