I agree with what you're saying, but I'm not sure about 'dominance'. Arsenal vs Sheff Utd is dominance. Not sure about 'control' either when it's 1-0, as we all know anything can happen. It's basically just 'possession' and moments of good looking interplay, that too frequently don't see us gain much ground or carve out any golden opportunities, the good parts of our play just helps us keep more possession most of the time and then the cycle repeats again. We're usually one mistake or one suckered punch away from dropping points.
Not after that, given the context of the game they wouldn't. Doing it all season then using this to validate scowling your face off despite being touching distance of playoffs all season is a bit leap though...
I still think the spine of the team is unbalanced. Jones and Greaves are good defenders but we play so conservatively for fear of making a mistake. There’s little protection in front of the back four defensively so every time the opposition have the ball in our third it becomes a situation where Greaves and Jones have to do last-ditch defending, which looks good but isn’t particularly efficient long-term. Compare us with West Brom where they defend very resolutely with two lines of 4. They have their back four, then Yokuşlu is a rock in front of them, Mowatt also comes back and their wingers track back to help the full-backs. When they get the ball back, they break quickly. Yokuşlu tends to stay back, Mowatt gets further forward as he’s very good on the ball and wingers provide an outlet. City on the other hand kill any potential for a counter-attack when they regain possession because they have to make 15-20 passes between Jones, Greaves, Allsop, Seri and Morton/Slater. By then, the opposition have got back into their defensive position. It’s so frustrating.
The backing is 8-10th. He'll have a job here if he performs to it. He got given a new deal 3 months ago because he's outperforming expectations.
I suspect Connolly is just another case of a player having ability but not the right attitude. Not necessarily saying he’s got a bad attitude but I don’t think he has that drive and focus.
It's been happening all season though... Should it just be ignored until it suits you or you take your head out the sand?
Feeling quite empty after that game. It feels like a result like that has been coming for a while in all honesty. I think we’ve conceded the initiative in the top 6 to Norwich and they’ll overtake either tonight or Saturday. The fact we’ve scored 17 in 16 home games (discarding the playing of the two worst teams in the division at that point) when we’ve got the attacking talent we’ve got is embarrassing. I remain sceptical of Rosenior’s ability to take us to the next level. If we’re happy being a decent championship team I think he’s fine, the next level I’m unsure.
Acun hasn't backed LR the way he has for us to finish 8-10th.... That's just an absolutely laughable comment, even for you!
You know we'll beat Leicester right! That's how this works. Bit control has been handed over to Norwich. Feel like there is 3/4 of us fighting for 6th now. Went Brom will take 5th spot.
I seriously worry about Saturday. I’ve felt for a while that we’re in for a battering at some point by a decent team. I’d guessed it would’ve come at Bellend Road but got a horrible feeling it maybe earlier.
I agree, I think people's expectations are getting them carried away. We had a decent enough turn around under Rosie last season. We've vastly improved this season and if we don't go up, I see no reason as to why the trend wouldn't continue. Maybe a huge turnover of players, but if we keep outgoings down to one or two I reckon we'd do well and I can't see players clamouring to leave. Three of the teams above us are running on parachute payments, WBA and us are about the same spending wise and Ipswich have owners worth over $10bn, it's a money game and we have to play accordingly. The gap between the Championship and the PL is wider than it ever has been, and unfortunately that means that without lucrative owners or a constant turnover of talent, clubs like ours will struggle to make it. There are exceptions to the rule, Luton for example, but we're starting to see the teams that come down go straight back up again, or at least occupy play off places. That might change next season if Luton, Sheffield United and Burnley come down, but it's a pretty safe bet that they'll be up there. For us to have spent the overwhelming majority in the playoffs is an achievement in of itself. Yes, it will be disappointing if we miss out, but christ it isn't the end of the world. By the sound of it, a lot of people are now expecting promotion, as opposed to hoping we get it. Look at how far we've come, look at how much the squad has changed in such a short space of time. Some teams take many seasons to have a turnaround like we have, Brentford spent SEVEN years building a squad good enough to get promoted. In the 2019-20 season, they spent about £30m and loaned in half of FC Midtjylland to see the job through and STILL didn't make it until the season after, having spent another £10m. They did sell Benrahma and Watkins the season they went up for over £50m, but the thing they didn't do was sack their manager - Thomas Frank - who is still their manager now (though they did replace Ollie Watkins with Ivan Toney). Pretty sure if you go back enough in their forums they will be saying similar things that we're hearing now.
It's the underlapping runs that frustrate me even more, we just never use them when they are a huge part of most good attacking teams.
You’re right that some are going too OTT on the need for promotion now. I may well have fallen somewhat into that myself but even as we’ve improved under Rosenior I’ve felt the same minor thing that I can’t seem to shake whether that be last season when we were a mid table team or in our current position about his pragmatism, especially in home games. The turnover this summer is going to be massive and it’ll probably be THE ones that decides our trajectory for a while as to whether we’ll be a promotion chasing club or simply a good championship one. The club is going to come into a fair chunk of change for two assets and we’re going to have a natural turnover of at least 12/13 players with loans and contract expiries.
I'm not expectant of promotion and I don't think we are likely to win over 2 legs in a playoff either. I do hope that next season we can give it a proper go though and I'm happy enough with LR as the manager, however, I do worry about a bit of Southgate situation in that things are great in most departments apart from the one that truly matters.
The Southgate comparison is exactly my thoughts. Nice bloke and good up to a point, unsure on the last step (hopefully both prove us wrong in the next year or so!).
It’s not unlucky. Most posters on here predicted going with only two recognised strikers at the start of the season was folly.
