I accept that everyone can have an off-day, but what they were saying about how motivated they were, and how important the game was, just wasn't reflected in the performance (of the players or the manager). That's the galling thing, everything I saw on the pitch said that they didn't care half as much as they said they did.
I don't normally react badly to defeats but that was the worst performance, in the worst circumstances, that I can remember.
What they said has no bearing on what happens on the pitch. I am really disappointed as I saw this as a great chance to progress and be one good cup draw away from Wembley, but their performance on the pitch is not necessarily a reflection of how much they care. You just can't make that connection.
I'd love any fan who really, deep down believes they didn't care, to stand in front of Rickie and tell him that they thought he didn't care.
maybe someone think s he missed a sitter because he didn't care?
Where does he live? I'll do it right now.
What they said has no bearing on what happens on the pitch. I am really disappointed as I saw this as a great chance to progress and be one good cup draw away from Wembley, but their performance on the pitch is not necessarily a reflection of how much they care. You just can't make that connection.
I'd love any fan who really, deep down believes they didn't care, to stand in front of Rickie and tell him that they thought he didn't care.
maybe someone think s he missed a sitter because he didn't care?
Oh look, and Sunderland draw Brighton or Hull in the quarter finals, and a championship team is guaranteed to make the semis. Does that make anybody feel better? It doesn't make me feel better.
I just can't comprehend this line of reasoning. If someone tells you it's the game of the season, you expect them to at least look like they give a ****. Most of the players didn't yesterday. I don't know the reason but they just weren't at the races yesterday, and I'm sorry but you can't tell me that Sunderland's reserve team outclassed them.
Maybe, if you're not 100% switched on then it makes a miss like that much more likely. I worry about him because apart from one half against Fulham he just hasn't looked in the right frame of mind for weeks. He is visibly frustrated, missing a lot of shots he would normally score with his eyes shut, and sadly is rapidly playing Andy Carroll into world cup contention.
PTF, it's got to you; fair enough. One possibilty for your first paragraph: expectation and put too much pressure on themselves?? Maybe? I'm not saying it is at all. You just can't understand my reasoning? Maybe it's because I'm looking at this with less emotion than you, and maybe with reasoning and you're not. There is not a right or wrong here, just two people dealing with it differently and maybe one just taking a step back more than the other. I've played at a fairly decent level. I've rocked up having been in the razz all night, hungover and feeling like ****, then gone on to play a blunder and score The winner. I've also gone to bed at 10 the night before a big game, totally fired up and been **** the next day. It happens. It's sport.
As for the second part, there will be several moments during a game that players "switch off". Rickie and the team weren't playing well, maybe his demeanour was down and he missed. I bet it wasn't because he doesn't care.
Fella, are your just trying to sound, "hard" or "big'? Do you really believe he didn't care yesterday, because if you really do believe that then I think you have a misunderstanding of most of the personalities in our team.
Not at all. I want them to explain why they played like that. This team is better than that... miles better. I don't buy them having "an off day" That performance was more than that. To me, it genuinely looked like a lack of motivation. Speaking for myself, and likely everybody else on this forum, when I go to work, I go in and do my very best.
Bring on the Summer and the new Transfer Thread! Our current squad has peaked and are starting to look a bit jaded, it would appear, as it is said, no one can produce the goods everytime they turn out, we just ask for 100% commitment, but shouldn't expect it.
Don't twist my words, I understand that you are not as bothered as I am, and that's fine. What I meant is I don't understand how you can make the argument that "What they said has no bearing on what happens on the pitch". They are both functions of the same thing. If you care a lot about something, then you say you care a lot about it, and you perform in that fashion. If you don't, it brings the sincerity of your statements (or worse, your motivation for a big game) into question. If you make statements like "game of the season" then you have to back it up, and I will question any player or manager who tells you how much they care and then doesn't show up.
There are a few players I feel sorry for, like Shaw, who did look like he was giving it a good go and was clearly gutted in the post-match interview. But a lot of others need to ask themselves some tough questions.
But you can go in to work intending to do your best and it still goes pear shaped. If players could explain why they played badly, they would never play badly. Sometimes **** happens. Everyone of those players in both teams wanted to progress, but obviously only one team was going to.
They weren't jaded at Hull or Fulham.
Manager's fault for pissing about with a winning team.
Oh look, and Sunderland draw Brighton or Hull in the quarter finals, and a championship team is guaranteed to make the semis. Does that make anybody feel better? It doesn't make me feel better.
They weren't jaded at Hull or Fulham.
Manager's fault for pissing about with a winning team.