We’re going to need all the help that we can get.
And if it isn’t going to come from someone like Lukas Jutkiewicz, then we have to look within the squad to try and find the man who is going to do it.
As Aitor Karanka has put it, arguably the biggest change we have to overcome is in our mentality, but until then, we can still look at what’s happening on the pitch to work out if anything extra can be done.
If you take a look at the line-up for the game against Cambridge United, as I said in one of my previous articles, that team should have been good enough to beat a League Two side and is arguably our strongest available team. However, there’s one small tweak that I think the club needs to make, and as much as I’ve been an advocate for youngsters getting their go in the first-team, I think that the Charlie Lakin experiment needs to stop, at least for one week.
We saw Jon Toral come off the bench on the hour mark, and in my mind he needs to start. We’re going to need as much attacking prowess that we can if we are to break down a team with one of the better defences in the division last season.
Are you glad to have Jon Toral back?
Yes
No
That would of course mean shifting Dan Crowley out to the wing, and even though I’ve said that he can offer us a lot centrally, his versatility is going to be crucial for us going forward, and in a game such as this, I’d rather go with the more experienced attacking players and leave Lakin on the bench.
What about you? Would you make any changes to the side? Within reason of course.
We should be starting the season with optimism not pessimism but yet to read anything upbeat about our chances against Brentford! The tactics will obviously be to have 11 defenders and avoid defeat. Until we get a striker or Duke and Leko get on the pitch we have nothing to worry opposing defences. This could mean we will be in the bottom 3 by October and a totally demoralised squad. A striker should always have been priority one instead of wasting time recruiting an untested keeper and past their best midfielders. A nil all draw on Saturday will be a minor miracle losing by 2 or more a disaster!!