Admittedly weve had bad results since December, but looking at each game individually weve been damn unlucky. Without this bad luck I think we would have won a few of these games, in my opinion 9 more points (Blackpool, Pompey, Brighton and Cardiff) that would put us 5 points clear at the top.. Yes weve been playing worse, but with a bit more luck these results would have been different and confidence would be higher.. I think we will turn this around, us fans need to get behind them because although weve been playing worse our performances still havnt deserved some of these results, once luck is back on our side we will be OK. December Doncaster 0-1 (Probably deserved to lose it) Blackpool 2-2 (Barts howler) Portsmouth FLC 1-1 (Guly error) Crystal Palace 2-0 (Good performance) Bristol City 0-1 (deserved to lose) January Brighton 0-3 (ball over line first half, stupid lambert red card) Coventry City 2-1 (cup) Nottm Forest 3-0 (good performance) Leicester City 0-2 (bad first 30 mins, not too bad rest of game, too little too late tho) Millwall 1-1 (cup) Cardiff City 1-1 (unlucky not win it in second half, shot cleared off line) February Birmingham 0-0 (would have taken a point before ko) Millwall 2-3 (cup) (offside goal and moving free kick)
It is nothing to do with bad luck. It is all to do with insisting on one way of playing that has now been sussed. Burnley would have a scout at last nights game and probably Saturdays as well and they would have cottoned on to how to beat us. If I was a manager even I know how I would tell my players to go about beating us. Football is like commerce you have a leading edge for a while then others catch up so you need to think in a new way to get ahead of the game.
We have to write last nights game off. It was a shocking defeat but there was some experimentation going on and we could have put up a better team. The game away at Brum was more important and there was plenty there to be optimistic about. We also have to be realistic. We lost the plot for a while and need to re-build with the new additions. On paper we look like a team ready to go up a level but most of us thought this period would see us drop down the table for a while before fighting back. I think we'll have a better idea of where we are late tuesaday night.
I kind of agree with the commercial comparison Godders except in commerce (and football), if you have the best staff/players then regardless, you will retain that leading edge as long as they're performing with confidence and a sense of happiness. I think it's that which needs to be "reinstalled" rather than any major tactical rethink.
You make your own luck as far as im concerned and some of the things you've listed are individual mistakes these are the type of things which seperate the best from the good teams. Also look how often Man U claw their way back into games its not luck its their belief instilled from the manager that they can still win and most often they do. Lets accceppt we're not playing good enough at the moment. However good teams and players dont loose it for good and I still think we'll turn it around!
It'll probably end when we're two or three goals better than the opposition and luck only drops us to a win by a one goal margin. Playing well would help in this endeavour.
Bad luck my Ass....no such thing...you make your own luck........We are sadly lacking penetration at the moment down to, IMO, a few players who seem to be lacking in form. Young Lee put himself in a lot of good positions last night but the midfielders just did not read it. A lot of Huffing and puffing but not much else!
Ok ok, bad luck is the wrong phrase! My point is were not getting absolutely demolished in games, were not terrible like everyone is making out. We just lack cinfidence. Birmingham at the weekend was a prime example! Top of the form league and they looked no better than us in all honesty! This run will turn around, look where we still are (somehow)
Who was it that said the more I practice the luckier I get? In our case we seem to pick up too many injuries during practice so that particular mantra may not suit soccer?
A quality center back in the transfer window was essential and would have strengthened us at the back BUT strangely enough I feel it's through the center of the park in midfield we have fallen down the last 2 months. The first third of the season it did not matter which combination we used because we opened teams up through the middle and this was a key factor in us scoring so many goals but at the moment it dosent seem to matter which two we play in the middle of the park, we just don't seem to create chances or more importantly control most of the game. Maybe Nigel should look to a new pairing in the middle that can start controlling and winning games again. Why not try Adam in a more central role. Just a thought.
The bad luck will end when 1 We are not forced to pick Dan Harding 2 We get our movement back 3 We learn how to take throw ins 4 We get mobility ie chappers fit,reeves playing more, Hammond not playing more 5 Lallana,Guly,Richardson not assuming they are first picks 6 Midfield - tackle like you mean it 7 SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!! Arsenal play tippy tappy football and look how there season is panning out. They are struggling to keep in touch with the top 4. We are Southampton FC trying to get promotion. Mix it up a bit. Hoof it when we have to. We are getting found out. Richardson is so predictable down the right side, and our CB should stick to defending and not marauding through midfield. Rant done
We keep writing too many games off. Now is the time to stop the rot. Can we have pace in attack. Can we stop passing back every other ball. Can we have movement from our players. Can our players attack the ball and not stand waiting. Can we be more accurate in our passing. Can we be a little quicker to respond as we always seem half a yard slower than the opposition. Can we please have some bite and enthusiasm. And finally can we be a lot more nasty.
