Wasn't expecting anything from yesterday, the result earlier in the season was really a bit of an outlier.
It didn't seem it at the time, it genuinely felt like we were genuinely getting better, but that result, just like Liverpool came at bad time for both those teams.
Dire though Chelsea have been, unable to score goals, we still can't hold on and we only just scraped a win v bottom of table Southampton, the reality is we are in real trouble and like I said before Chelsea game, I just dont see where the points are coming from that we desperately need to stay up, I think we'll be doing well if we get 4 points out of our next 6 fixtures.
I don't see a 35mill player in Rutter and I dont see him as a lone striker.
I don't understand why we got McKennie.
I think Gnonto and Summerville had great starts to first team careers this season, but this hey need to be delivering regularly to be considered genuine stars.
Last year Rahpinha got us out of jail, could conjure something from nothing, we're going to need that again.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, we just don't seem to have any plan at all, just look very ineffective going forwards and it's tiring hearing every single commentator say that.
We can talk about AR, Orta, Marsch etc, but right now we have what we have, we have a coach who has some experience of these situations and all we can do is hope and pray that he pulls a rabbit out of a hat.
Never in my life time (I'm 59 next week) have we ever come straight back up a relegation and I would not expect that to change if we go down this season.
Can only have fingers crossed that we stay up and that ownership changes this summer.
Thoughts from yesterday
posted on 6/3/23
By the way, before the season started, there was a thread which included the question :
" Who will be our most improved player?"
I said Junior Firpo Seems like he's finding his feet now, eh?
posted on 6/3/23
comment by 756 .. Gracias Senor (U4879)
posted 8 hours, 8 minutes ago
By the way, before the season started, there was a thread which included the question :
" Who will be our most improved player?"
I said Junior FirpoSeems like he's finding his feet now, eh?
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Agree on Firpo, much pilloried by the fans but most of the goals we do concede come down the other side.
posted on 6/3/23
Not got much to say about the match…. Been there…said it all before. Just need to give García time. Not much choice 🤷♂️
But my main gripe under the heading ‘thoughts about yesterday’ is Arsenal v Bournemouth…yeah good come back, and I get the emotion at the end (cos that’s what football is all about)….. but 10 Arsenal subs/backroom staff all ran onto the pitch … not one booked !
Leeds… score v Southampton…1 player Gnonto cuts corner of pitch…and gets booked.
You can understand sometimes why fans feel their team get unfair treatment. The inconsistency of application of the rules is what kills you . 🤬
posted on 6/3/23
comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 56 minutes ago
comment by 756 .. Gracias Senor (U4879)
posted 8 hours, 8 minutes ago
By the way, before the season started, there was a thread which included the question :
" Who will be our most improved player?"
I said Junior FirpoSeems like he's finding his feet now, eh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree on Firpo, much pilloried by the fans but most of the goals we do concede come down the other side.
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Combining the Firpo and lack of plan points. Noticed on a couple of occasions that he had drifted into centre mid, I was scratching my head as I had no idea what position he thought he was playing.
Was this lack of discipline or does Gracia's plan include a much more fluid back line?
posted on 6/3/23
comment by 756 .. Gracias Senor (U4879)
posted 9 hours, 53 minutes ago
I think we've a chance of staying up. A lot depends on Rodrigo when he comes back. It's typical of our luck that he picked up that slow-burn injury vs Accrington Stanley, a match in which Pat Bamford managed to look good, as did Jack Harrison
Despite the absence of vital points, we were much better than Forest, a bit better than Everton, no worse than Chelsea. Matched Fulham in all areas in the cup, were beaten by two superb strikes, an incorrectly disallowed goal (imo) and 3mm of goalpost.
Defence looks so much better with Wober in, Koch growing into his role.
If Sinisterra comes back fit'n'fierce there'll be goals scored.
Gyabi now overdue for first-team action imo. Watched the U-21s match recently and thought he was outstanding, some great tackles and lovely passes. Could work very well with Tyler Adams?
My rose-tinted specs are still intact
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Of course we have a chance but its an ever dwindling chance and for those of us who were at Watford and Doncaster play off finals, we know that we're pretty good at not taking chances
We can say we're better than teams till we're blue in the face, unfortunately we don't get any points for that and this is a results business, it's no good saying we're better team when we're next going to be playing the likes of Plymouth and Shrewsbury.
We have a so called decent squad (I think its more mediocre than that), we have a decent manager on paper for this situation and we're not adrift at the bottom, but we have to start picking up points soon and you look at our run in, its really difficult to see where those points come from without a sea change in results.
Big job for Gracia, hope he can do it!
posted on 6/3/23
comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 2 hours, 37 minutes ago
comment by 756 .. Gracias Senor (U4879)
posted 8 hours, 8 minutes ago
By the way, before the season started, there was a thread which included the question :
" Who will be our most improved player?"
I said Junior FirpoSeems like he's finding his feet now, eh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree on Firpo, much pilloried by the fans but most of the goals we do concede come down the other side.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting that Chelsea targeted our opposite side to Firpo most of the game. Long balls over the top of Ayling caused us a lot of trouble until he got to grips with it.
posted on 6/3/23
We can say we're better than teams till we're blue in the face, unfortunately we don't get any points for that and this is a results business, it's no good saying we're better team when we're next going to be playing the likes of Plymouth and Shrewsbury.
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I've said before it's like relegation by a 1000 cuts. No good being the better side, or even competitive, then not winning. We just slowly but surely drift towards the drop. I do think we've a side to keep us up, but as each match passes the pressure on the next has to grow.
All the above said, I don't know why right now, but i do think we'll stay up.
posted on 6/3/23
Conceded 7 goals in last 7 games which isnt relegation form, scored 3 which is and there lies the problem we dont look like scoring at the moment, just hope we can get Rodrigo and Sinisterra back quickly as they are the two players who have goals in them.
Would we have been better offering Coventry £30m for there CF than signing Rutter ?
posted on 6/3/23
Can't call it. We have to beat 2 of Forest, Palace and Leicester at home, and Bournemouth away needs to be a win. If we cant beat the bulk of those, we deserve to go down. Right now, I can't see 3 teams worse than us. Goals win games and we aint doing either......
posted on 7/3/23
Phil Hay says Rodrigo is close to a comeback from injury. Hopefully thats the game changer. Coach needs to change things somehow. Id try putting McKennie further forward and sticking Roca back in the side alongside Adams.