A month ago I posted this Ok, so we're only at match 14 but the 'target' of 9 points is no longer possible after a return of only 4 from a potential 15. This was a target that we all agreed was achievable. This bad run started at Derby and after todays second half performance doesn't show signs of ending any time soon. It's following the same worrying pattern of seasons gone where a bad run around this time of year ends our good start. So, depressingly, I'm now including he bad starts in my comparisons. 2013 -2014 - '10th' with 17 (+4) 2012 -2013 - 24th with 10 (+3) 2011 -2012 -11th with 20 ( + 7) 2010 - 2011 - 11th with 21 (+6) 2009 - 2010 - 24th with 8 (+4) 2008 - 2009 - 13th with 18 (+6) 1999 - 2000 - 3rd with 26 ( +9) At game 19 12 - 13 - 21st with 17 (+7) 11 - 12 - 20th with 20 (+0) 10 -11 - 17th with 24 (+3) 09 - 10 -22nd with 17 (+9) 08 -09 - 11th with 27 (+9) 99 - 00 5th with 32 (+6) So the last time we got to game 19 in the top half of the table was under Magilton. That's the only 'good start' left in my list at this point, and judging by the points total we need 10 points in the next 5 games to retain our current top half position. I cant ask "achievable" with the same confidence I had at the end of September...
The story of this season for me is how many points we haven't got rather than how many we have. We have thrown away so many points from winning positions, games we should have won and last night was the same again. We have got a squad capable of being comfortably in that play off zone but there are three glaring problems: 1) Hoofball: when under no pressure at all at the back and with teammates in acres of space, our defenders routinely bang it forward or curl a ball up the line, which 9 times out of 10 loses us possession. When we are in an advanced position we can pop the ball about so there is no reason on Earth why we can't build from the back. 2) Team selection and substitutions: Lack of imagination, players in the side getting complacent, and players out of it no doubt getting demoralised. Our form proves without any shadow of a doubt that this unchanged side with the same Tabb and Nouble substitutions every game is getting us nowhere. 3) Morale: MM and TC both look like they're at a funeral rather than a football game. MM's press conferences are the very definition of apathy, although last night for the first time he seemed genuinely upset at the result and masked it with a smile throughout. Whether it's the Ireland speculation, being hacked off with Evans (Warky might have a point on that one although the tax stuff is nonsense) or simply feeling it's job done for keeping us up, something is definitely not right and the players are feeding on it, in stark contrast to last season.
Hamps - I agree we should be building from the back, but the trouble is we have a non-functioning midfield, so oft times the only option for defenders is to pass it between themselves and then hoof it in the direction of a striker. I started counting the hoof balls last night from kick off against Barnsley, and we were averaging one per minute well into the first half before I got bored and lost count. The problem is not the hoof balls per se, it is the fact that midfield is not giving defenders an option for playing it out of defence. The midfield seems set up primarily to defend and offer little attacking threat. Passing football requires players to move into space - ours don't. Nine times out of ten Hyam calls for the ball with his back to goal and gives it straight back to the passer with adding any value. The best player on the pitch last night was Paddy McCourt in my opinion. We need someone like him who can beat players and make a constructive forward pass at the end of it.
I agree Hamps, I've lost count of how many points we've lost but the Sky commentators last night were saying that only Wednesday have thrown away more. The worst hoof from last night in my opinion came within the first 5 minutes. The ball was passed wide to Cresswell, who stopped it had a good look up and then just proceeded to smack it rather aimlessly. I thought it was so depressing to see Cresswells attacking nature being so restrained.
I don't agree that there aren't options on. If you're under pressure then yes clear your lines and if you can find a forward so much the better - but it isn't that. I counted at least half a dozen times last night for Cresswell alone when he had absolutely loads of time to come in field and look for an option. We are not ever looking up and switching play, it's always the same ball bombed forward. And then the 10% of times we do have possession in the other half we can pass it like we're the best side in the league. For me getting a foot on the ball was something Luca Civelli brought to the side so I'm not sure whether it's Mick's orders or whether it's the character of the players but we wasted probably three quarters of the game on it last night and it invites pressure on.
