After the Blackburn game I posted on a previous thread that I thought, as a team, we looked 'burnt out'. Was poo-pooed by some at the time, but although beaten by a much better side on Saturday, I really do think that this is the case. Moreover, I'm also starting to think the same about Paul Lambert. His body language has changed, his team selections and tactics have also been quite puzzling to me also. Couldn't get my head round why Morison started ahead of Holt Saturday, really couldn't. Anyway my question is this, as much as we all love PL for what he's achieved with us is anyone of the opinion that perhaps, to use a well used football cliche, that 'he's taken us as far as he can?' As I say, it's his overall recent demeanor and decisions that has me wondering as to whether he might now be thinking this. I could well be and certainly hope that I'm completely wrong. Discuss OTBC
kickitoff - I think the players are just beginning to run out of steam, which is more than understandable after the season they´ve had, but it´s not just something that is unique to us. I watched the Spurs/Blackburn game yesterday, and the Blackburn players looked out on their feet almost before they started. As for PL, maybe he´s feeling the effects of a long season too. I´ve also noticed a very slight difference in the way he´s been replyÃng to questions lately, but I put that down purely to disappointment at the results we´ve been having. Personally I don´t think he´s taken us anywhere near as far as he can yet, but I´d say it is crucially important that the board back him every step of the way this summer to give him every possible chance to carry on with the good work.
I'd disagree. It's towards the end of the season and we have nothing left to fight for. As for Lambert, he seems the same to me. He threw his water bottle very aggressively against the advertising boards when Drury had to come off injured.
My immediate thoughts are 1) it is difficult for a side that achieved it's success this season through high levels of effort to continue playing with the same level of intensity once survival was essentially guaranteed a few weeks ago, 2) the present personnel probably have come as far they can this season. The newer players are continuing to develop and bed in to the team. The players brought into the team prior to the start of this years campaign will start afresh next season as better players. 4 or 5 players are needed to add to the existing potential of the team for next season, but there is clearly a need to improve the squad. The gap between the relegated teams and the teams above them is minimal and it is easy to see how we could have been closer to the relegation battle than we are, at the same time, we could have been much closer to the top 6 - highlighting how tight the PL actually is - for all those except the top 6-7 clubs. In summary, the battle this year is over and it's time to get ready for the campaign next year
I think we certainly need to strengthen in the Summer, I just hope that the board backs PL with the cash. Perhaps also, it might be an idea to try and get a couple of experienced Prem players in at the back and centre mid to 'give the lads a hand'. I think that we really need to sort out the strike force too TBH Holty is the only one that would disappoint me if he moved on
I think lamberts as challenged as he ever has been. He realises what's ahead and it's going to a huge season for us next year. Maybe we've run out of steam, but the pace has been phoenomenal. Plenty to do, and plenty for Lambeth to do. The key in the summer will be the board backing Lambo, which the definitely will. The ryan Bennett scenario proved that, we essentially got him because out board backed lambert more than the Swansea board backed Rodgers, bodes very well to me.
good debate this one part of me is wondering if the gaffer hadn't tinkered so much in the past couple of months, we might have had some fresher players for these last few games (given the squad to some extent is evenly spread in terms of ability). However, we will never know that. i guess most of us feel a little dissapointed if we finish with some poor results, especially given how well we have done, and that it doesn't have a knock-on impact on next season given the momentum we have had in recent starts (this is my concern tbh). our squad size is also one of the smallest in the league.
i can't see it having a knock on effect, what happens over the summer months is much more important to how we begin than the end of the season, although a home victory on the final day of the season would be great and add anything between one to X million to the coffers
You see, I don't get all this long season stuff? We played more league games last year than this year and we didn't look like we do now at the end of last season? I think it may be a case of having nothing to aim for.
it looks as though we will probably finish 13th or 14th. that is an excellent result for a club who was in league one 24 months prior. there shouldn't be disappointment - we've over-achieved. next season has to be the focus and i think lambert is already looking towards who he wants to keep and who he won't, who to bring in and which positions need strengthening the most. we've had an excellent season, whether this one fizzles out or not
I suppose at the end of the day we've been so used to 'open topped' bus parades at the end of the season that it's a bit of an anti-climax when you've nothing to play for
i know you're saying it as a bit of a joke but you're actually bang on! we're not really used to having nothing to play for and mid-table is not always deemed as bliss by some fans who can't understand why the team seem to lose a little focus. in reality, its not as easy to keep things going at the same high level if there is less riding on it. we've become too accustomed to all-out success under lambert and some seem to have missed that this season too has been a massive, massive success
Agreed, it has been a massive success, in as much as we have survived the 1st season pretty comfortably. However, there is no reason not to be disappointed with recent performances, regardless of how well we have done - they have, mostly, been poor to below average. I do not know the reasons behind the apparent 'lull' in form (Though I have voiced my thoughts on various threads) but am mighty thankful we had a good 6 months at the start
thai, i just think we've run out of juice. i don't have alarm bells going off in my head, probably because i trust our manager 100%. our 'lull' consists of three defeats on the bounce, two of which were against man city (which was a close match until the 75th minute) and an inspired (for once) liverpool centre forward. ok, we've not had a great set of results of late but are we including draws with wigan, which now looks like an excellent result, likewise a draw with everton, a game we deserved to win, a win at tottenham, narrow defeats to fulham and newcastle as being poor results with poor performances? there are some creditable results in amongst there and although there have been two or three performances where we haven't been at the races, you can only appraise over the course of a season. our final 8 games were always, on paper at least, very difficult - i bet we've got more points out of those games ALREADY than many would have predicted we would back in august
Yes we have done exceptionally well but.................. Further additions will be needed at the back and striker (s) int he Summer but what a season and let's not forget it. Wish the season would end now though, don't fancy the Emirates at all on Saturday and don't want to be pasted which I fear is on the cards.
i think every city fan accepts there will have to be four or five incomings during the summer to improve what we have and build again for next season. its all about becoming stronger but we have to do it at a steady rate. it is not out of the question it could all go pear-shaped next season and we fall out of the premier league, so we can't just take big risks with the finances or the team - build in an assured way, just as lambert did in january. there is no need to panic here - we are in a strong position by staying up. the club didn't expect us to stay up just as they didn't expect us to go straight through the championship! we were running before we'd even learnt to walk!! five new signings, along with the two from january will give us a new look and feel to the team and as long as the manager is backed and gets the majority of those signings right then we'll push on next year. i do feel that there is a totally unnecessary urge to 'panic' whenever we lose a game or have a poor performance - we are in a tough league - sometimes it won't go our way. take a step back and look at our league position today - we are just 3 points off the top half of the top flight. its been a very long time since we've been able to say that at this stage of a season
I wonder if Moro is being given the chance as he did this week to prove he's worth holding on to, I wonder if that's what was in PL mind why he played the system he did at the weekend
there has to be an element of that to his thinking. as i've said all season, we have a group of players who are all quite similar in ability and he needs to keep them all happy so i think he has rotated more than he would have done had we had a stronger, more defined first eleven
