They're looking better now though. I was half hoping they would be unable to get CL, but I think they'll still be in with a shout and something to play for when we get round to playing them (you?)
In my dreams we stay up, in reality we are gone I think. Apart from Villa there were three sub-standard teams and it could be any two from three but lsing at home to Sunderland after the no show at Palace signifies the end surely. Great shame, we always knew it would be close but thought that we were just the right side of the line.
I think losing Klose was the turning point for me. We've been ropey at the back all season but in recent games he seemed to bring more organisation and steel there. I don't think we're a worse team than Sunderland or Newcastle who have also been poor. They just seem to have more momentum than us now. I fear we're dropping, however, there are points to be had and I think the boys are up for it. OTBC
I think our biggest problem is that Sunderland in my opinion have the easiest run in and will stay up. Sunderland have: Stoke (a) Chelsea (h) Everton (h) Watford (a) and Newcastle have: C.Palace (h) A.Villa (a) Spurs (h) and we've got Arsenal (a) Man U (h) Watford (h) Everton (a) Firstly - not one of their oponents has anything left to play for, this could easily be the case for Newcs too, if Leicester win either of their next two. Where as we will have both Arsenal and Manure fighting for Europe. Secondly - We don't win away Thirdly - Sunderland are in the box seat with the goal difference advantage, not only that but they have stoke next to give them a great chance of moving ahead and they finish with the same two games as us. Fourthly - They have a very experienced manager and squad at making these great escapes. I haven't really mentioned Newcs who have a reasonable chance of winning all their last 3 because I think that Sunderland could get results that would mean that that wasn't enough. I have a horrible second bottom feeling, the players are still fighting so anythings possible, but without Klose, we are so poor at the back and it's not like we are scoring lots of goals so meek surrender seems increasingly likely Bah!
The thing is, the season has gradually slipped away from us. At times we have looked pretty good but just not picked the points up when desperately needed and other times we have just not turned up at all. The games that we just couldn't be arsed with: Swansea Away 1-0 Watford Away 2-0 Southampton Away 3-0 Newcastle away 6-2, **** knows how that happened. Bournemouth away 3-1 Stoke away 3-0 Aston Villa 2-0 WTF? It really is bizarre, then we go and pull a point from the Man City game and Beat Man u away? But we just haven't backed it up against the teams around us. The Palace game and the Sunderland game have sealed our fate I believe. But these games above especially the Villa and Newcastle games we never looked like getting anything out of the game and the performances were really poor in general. We have surrendered meekly in the games above and now it is coming home to roost. There are no other games than what we have left are very hard games. No more talk of putting it right next week and all that **** that we hear every week. the horse has bolted I'm afraid and the stable door has fell off the hinges. I don't actually blame the manager as much as the players although everyone involved in the running of the club is culpable. The recruitment in the summer was sub-standard and we are paying a heavy price. The thing I don't understand is that it's been plain to see that our defence is not up to PL standards for the last 3-4 years and we went into the season with the same defence as when we went down. This is unacceptable.
Agreed and it's put us where we are (deservedly) today. And before people start bleating about how difficult it is to attract players to our remote rural outpost, and that they "don't want to come here" then it's about time we set our sights more realistically and focus on targets who might?! Isn't that why most clubs pay good money on an effective scouting network. The clue is in the word underlined
The thing is Cromer, why the **** were we left desperately trying to get a Quality CB in January?? We got one and now he is injured and we are ****ed. This should have been sorted in the summer or the summer before that?! It crazes me why it wasn't addressed then. As a club there have been so many opportunities to plug this gap and each one has been missed, now we have paper thin cover in that area and we have shipped so many points before Klose came in. It's amateurish and the definition of insanity to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Does the club not do route cause analysis?
To be fair, the last time this happened we did try that 'patch it up' and hope for the best with Carlos Cuellar and Ignasi Miquel but if you're serious about wanting to be a premier league club, you need more 'clout' than that
Cromer bor, looking at the worst scenario, We get relegated and we fail to be promoted back to the PL. There is no certainty we will win promotion. What happens then ? ? ? The fans at QPR and Fulham have suffered that fate, what guarantee it doesn't happen to us ? The annoying part is clubs like Swansea, Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham have made the transition and even Leicester look like they might continue membership of the PL, so why not us ? Personally I think a change of coaching staff should be the first consideration, get in coaches that can get our players playing full out for 90mins instead of being part timers. Leicester, West Ham and Spurs owe their success to total commitment. Spurs released Townsend, a player like Redmond. Why release such a good player ? Because he didn't track back and help his defence. He didn't measure up to Spurs' requirements so although a good player he is out. One of the reasons we are where are and Spurs are doing well in this league. They have a high team work rate.
Excellent post. I watched Leicester take apart Swansea and their teamwork was just phenomenal to see. Everyone was working for one and all. A joy to watch. Seemingly the simplest part of football is that it is a team game; yet how hard is that to actually achieve? We so often say 'X' had a blinder or was ****e, more than the team had a blinder...(usually they were ****e - which suggests that the teamwork ain't there...)
Losing to Villa, Palace and Sunderland were unforgivable. We would be safe if we just turned up to those and did what it was almost easier to do. Win. We have shot ourselves in the face, and are getting what we deserve.
Certainly agree with Villa and Sunderland. Did'nt expect much at Palarse. When the really big games come along we nearly always **** it up.(Wembey last season the exception)
