I'm not getting carried away by a friendly, but that doesn't mean we can't point out real worries. Last night offered glimpses, good and bad, and it's fair to critique individuals without declaring the season over. To be clear: I remain optimistic, but there are areas we need to see fixed.
Picking apart the friendly
Aasgaard showed a few tidy moments, that back heel to Rommens and the run into the box were encouraging, and he struck his penalty cleanly. But a single bright patch doesn't make him the answer just yet; I've said we should see a better version of him as the season goes on.
Fernandez looked comfortable on the ball but sloppy off it at times. Rommens had one of his poorer nights, and Dan Neil was quiet in the first half before growing into the game. Chermiti struggled to hold possession, Shankland gave decent work through pressing but offered little end product, and Chukwuani seemed a passenger. Devlin, by contrast, changed the tempo when he came on and dictated play more often.
You could see the shape stutter at times, particularly in transitions. When the full-backs pushed frequent gaps appeared between midfield and attack, and the press could be patchy. That said, there were bright passages where combinations clicked and the tempo lifted. Friendlies are for ironing these threads out; managers want answers, not perfection.
Wide players and minutes
I'm uneasy that Del didn't give any minutes to Antman and Gassama. If his comment in the presser about some players having a big gap between their best and worst was aimed at them, it's an honest if awkward assessment. We clearly need wider options and more consistency from those roles; the transfer window and training should address that.
Bench involvement matters for confidence; Antman and Gassama need outings to show consistency. If Del is honest about variability in performances, then game time is the cure. Training sharpness plus minutes in friendlies build match rhythm.
Why I'm still upbeat
It's one friendly, and taking a single game in isolation is fair criticism territory. I'm hopeful we'll see improvements once the competitive fixtures start and the manager has more time to settle the squad. Folk can point out problems without being doom merchants, and criticism is healthy so long as it stays measured. I'm staying optimistic; there's time to fix this.
Fans will always have knee-jerk reactions, but it's worth remembering the manager is juggling fitness, morale and tactics. Give him the window, training and a few competitive games before making final judgements.
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