Bit random I know, but just plodding through a slow day and was looking through sports pages, and happened upon the match report for the 1-5 at Spurs. As the title says, how the **** did we manage it? I guess I'm just posting this as another moment to savour being in the Premier League, it's daft that we pulled it off, daft!
Actual was though wasn't it? I'd already started planning a lads weekend in Blackpool for the game man, it was impossible. I don't think it will ever be topped, how could it be?
Players like Seb and Wickham finally playing to their potential, and buying into the managers style of play. Gus picking the right team and formation to suit the occasion and not tinkering once we'd found a winning formula. The fans turning out for the last few home games to help see us over the line. All of this and Lee Cattermole.
It helps that the players didn't give up even if 95% of fans had. Lesson to be learnt in future. It took unlikely away victories to kick fans up the arse enough to create an atmosphere to help us finish the job against WBA How did we stay up? Probably by playing well away from home without forced expectations, without the groans when a pass is missed and without the mute head drop quiet games. In order to change our home form next season, we as fans need to make the change. We need to get the SOL bouncing like it was in the Reidy days, or at the very minimum the atmosphere when we came back up under Keane, If we need to rely on away wins against Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea this season we may not be so lucky.
Personally think the couple of times this season when the ground was full and the fans were rocking it chanting is when we played best...this not a sign we need to do this more? Away days it always happens and you get a much bigger laugh out of it Only the south stand seem to do it now on a regular basis however even this at wembley [video=youtube;C2UCJpI_XyE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2UCJpI_XyE[/video] not even full and that noise
Mentioned this previously, Pardew gave the explanation of our great escape.He said that the mags poor season end was down to the international players having their minds on the world cup. So I guess he's saying that all the City Chelsea an Utd internationals didn't try against us thus handing us those 7 points !!
The atmopsphere at the Cardiff game was fantastic too, when we had given ourselves hope. Howay, we all enjoy the game more when it's like that too, why don't we just ****ing do it!
He's wrong though isn't he? Chelsea and Man City chasing titles and I suppose Man U were ****e all season because of the world cup too. Load of ****e. Just another weak Pardew excuse, they're 10 a penny.
Yes, I was just being tongue in cheek about his excuses. We know we won those points fair and square.
Oh I know fella, Nowt like laughing at the thick useless prick and drawing attention to what a moron he is there?
Strangely I think the players thought we were down. I think they had been feeling the pressure all season and after the Spurs game they thought they were down too. With seamingly nothing to play for the pressure was off, the players relaxed and played. With no pressure they played football and they played to their potential. The fans got onside and we just grew and grew as a team. The confidence came back and they players believed they could beat anyone.
I was never ever in doubt we would stay up. Check my posts where I said I expected to beat Man U, Chelsea, get a point off Man C etc. it was a doddle.