I have been amazed that so many posters have been so optimistic about this season. Forgetting Diakite who was here last season, MH has brought in ONE only player who improves the quality of the team - Hoillett. Otherwise the signings are just better back up at best, and Green is a MEGA mistake. Last season showed we are in desperate need of 1 ideally 2 new top quality CB's, and with Barton and Ale out, and Derry old, a clear need for 1 or 2 quality DCM's. MH has spent money all over but not addressed these huge and obvious needs. Nelson has played little PL football for a season or more, and is clearly better back up at best. Christ, all he had to do was look at the goals conceded column to see the f*kkin problem, if he hasn't noticed what was happening when we let in 6 at chelsea etc. Today was the worst defeat I can remember, all the optism from posters on here gave me also a little optimism, I began to think I was just a miserable old pesimist etc, so the performance today hurt more me even more than Fulham and Chelsea last season. Fix it MH AND NOW. We need a Goal keeper, not a nervous wreck. We need quality CB's and DCM's, not still more wide midfield players and more mediocre back up players. I am in fact more optimistic now than I been all summer, because now he must see the reality, and it cannot get worse than today, can it?! The only way now is UP.
Calm down. Football season is a marathon and not a 100 meter sprint. We did collapsed during the first mile or so but now the race really began. Bosingawa will make the defence tight and Green comes better. Im sure we will be above Swansea after the "race" is over.
I don't think Bosingwa will make the defence tighter, he is a good back going forward like Traore and Young, but not great defensively - ask any scum fan! And if Green comes better - I never seen it. We need a keeper not a basket case.
Well your bound to finish above us, as all the bookies have us down for relagation!!............. please log in to view this image
In my book you never were as a relegate candidate. More like between 14th-17th and yes i thought that we would be between 12th-14th and i still thought so.
We have to getting at there otherwise we could go down. You should be ok even if you wont be as lethal as yesterday.
We did take our chances but dont forget we also hit the bar twice and DG missed a sitter or 2. We could have had about 7 or 8. It was the amount we created that has pleased me most so even if we are only taking 2 out of 8 clear cut chances, that should still be enough to see most games out
Yeah, I'm still optimistic, we got stuffed today (despite starting pretty well) but maybe it'll be the best thing that could have happened. The players and fans might just get a bit of a reality check about what to expect this season. I agree Oslo, some of the players brought in this summer haven't been top class, I've always thought that Nelson and Johnson were just going to be squad players, I think Fabio will be ok given time, Park is a very good player, Hoilett is a class signing and as much as I like Luke Young, Bosingwa is an upgrade in that position. And as for Green I've said all along he was dogsh1t and he's proved it throughout pre-season and today but we're stuck with him for now so we need to get behind him and not call for Paddy Kenny or even Jan Stejskal to come back!! The problem is and has been for some time at centre-back, I'm sorry but Hill isn't good enough despite his excellent end of season form and unfortunately neither is Ferdinand. Anton has always needed a strong, experienced player along side him to talk him through games and he's not got that with us at the moment, they were both hopelessly pulled apart today. Maybe now Hughes and the board will spend a bit of money (which we've hardly done on transfers despite what the media would have everyone believe) and get at least one in. In saying that, I think that now Bosingwa is in that Onuoha will move to the middle with Ferdinand but we need somebody else in there sharpish. Also, if we're going to play Taarabt, it's got to be as a 2nd forward or with 5 across the middle, you can't play him in a midfield 4 as he just hasn't got the right attitude, you'd think Hughes would know this by now?? I haven't seen a replay of all the goals yet but he was at fault for 2 of them by simply not tracking back. But, yes, I'm still optimistic, it's one game and we got a spanking. At the end of the day we've got a much better squad than 12 months ago, a much better manager and I think this result will hasten the signing of a new centre-back. Oh, and while they're at it, a defensive midfielder would be nice too.
Well done Swansea, hats off to you, this result was long overdue against us. However, before you get too far ahead of yourselves, Bolton beat us 4-0 at Loftus Road on the opening day of last season.....
The Swans were fantastic today. End of. Fair play to them, if they can continue to perform like that week in week out, then they will win the league. This was one hell of a wake up call. What can we do about it as fans? Not a lot, just keep the faith. Keep following the Rs. Well done Swans, enjoy it.
I think the big 'bump' today will / has to be useful and learnt from. All this emotion on the pages today - is this not why we love the game? Clearly we need the CB. Was at the game and watched the goals go in close up - no one was shouting to clear the lines - we need a captain in the defence.... I heard a rumour on the train we are still after Gallas - mouthy but what we needed in the back 4 today. Thought a lot that we needed a real Macca today - shouting at the team. Another thing - did ya'll see the team at half time when they came out - they looked like they had already lost. No ideas / imagination / plan / energy - not the manager alone - Mackie was the only player yelling at the rest to chase stuff. All the people who posted that we would be relegation fodder spoke to the difficulty of a new team gelling - this is what I saw today.
I'm gutted! The usual event of hopes and dreams shattered on the opening day. I think we'd have succeeded against Swansea had we scored first or even equalised during the first half. Had we overturned the deficit, people would have been hailing the first half performance as a demonstration of our new quality. That never happened but that showing is still there irrespective of the tainting effects of the second half. We may well end up struggling to claw back games but dominating games where we get our noses in front. To Swansea fans - this is not rose tinted - you took your chances and were slightly more direct than under BR but far more incisive. The passing quality is there but there's more of a purpose and cutting edge. I am still optimistic though - look at what we've got on paper compared to other teams. Making that team perform to its pedigree is Hughes job and he will be judged on it (can't believe calls for his head already though - merely days after people were talking about his previous top 10 finishes). The bubble was always going to burst but I just didn't expect it this early. We're still armed with a small pot of fairy liquid and water - hope the mixture is in good proportions but the potential for a big new bubble is present. (probably the strangest analogy I've ever written).
