The sad, basic and undeniable fact of why we are where we are is we simply haven't played football as a team in the vast majority of our games this season. Apart from the home game v Chelsea followed by the away game at Spurs, two performances that really gave us hope, and the win against Fulham we have been very poor in terms of teamwork, passing and creativity. We have flattered to deceive with some decent second half performances but usually too little too late. Look at our rivals at the bottom: Villa - At times have played some tremendous stuff and had some good results. In Benteke and Weimann have attacking threat and Agbonlahor and Bent give them options. With a bit of confidence they can escape the drop. Reading - I thought they were as bad as us, but they have a great team spirit and in Le Fondre, Pobgrebniak, Kebe have goals in them with Morrison and Hunt also in their squad. Ian Harte is another aged but valuable player who's set-piece delivery carries threat. I still think they'll go down but they are kicking and screaming. Wigan - Perennial candidates for the drop but an excellent footballing side who are not afraid to take the game to the opposition. That can be a big advantage later in the season when some teams are in the cushy zone. Their 3-4-3 formation carries threat from so many areas they can be well capable of shock results. Kone has been a surprise success upfront and you just feel they will come good when it matters. Southampton - Proved today what I saw from their first game in the PL, they are a good footballing side who are capable of beating any team on their day. Lambert has been scoring for years and Rodriguez, Puncheon and Lallana are quality, more importantly, their teamwork is excellent as they showed at Loftus Road. Where does that leave us? Devoid of any real pattern of play other than getting bodies behind the ball and closing the opposition down we have no-one in midfield who can put their foot on the ball and dictate play, a player who knits everything together. Adel has fantastic skill and vision but just doesn't deliver consistently enough to make us a threat to the opposition. How many times does he over-elaborate or just make the wrong decision? He's not helped by having team-mates who just aren't good enough at this level. Every team we field seems to be set up for the negative and not the positive. Ok when we get a good point against a top team but disastrous if we concede early as there really isn't a viable Plan B. It would be churlish to blame Harry, he must think 'What have I done to deserve this bunch?' Deep down he knows we're f*cked but he'll keep on saying we can stay up until the inevitable. The failure to get M'Vila and Odemwingie really does seem to have sealed our fate. I would love to see us suddenly go on a run of wins but there just isn't the quality to get enough points with our nearest rivals capable of springing surprise wins as well. Sadly, I think today was the day we finally have to concede the party's over...
A fantastic post IMO. Agree with every single word. I'm gutted and worried. I have read all the positive spin from the board but please forgive me for having lingering doubts about our financial stability. The reason I am so plainly downbeat is because I just don't see enough in us to stay up. Others are of course entitled to their opinions but I am basing my comments on what I have seen. We don't create enough and therefore we don't score enough. Good assessment on the other teams. Hope Harry wakes up tomorrow morning and suddenly finds a successful formula from somewhere.
All too true Sooper - to stand any realistic chance we need to win at Reading and Villa and at home to Wigan and rely on other results going our way in my humble opinion, just don't see it happening
Even if we were level on points with Reading and Villa, I would still expect to go down. Can't believe we shipped Cisse out on loan. A true striker. Yes, he vanishes from games and can be reckless/lazy, but knows how to score. We have gained nothing from that decision. Can we honestly make up the difference? Dreadful away, average at home.
Agreed. Remy seems a bit of a sick note, so getting rid of Cisse was a bad decision. Sooper is right in that all our main rivals can play and/or have real spirit about them. Why oh why can't we keep the ball like all the others can? Harry isn't to blame for this mess.............but he will go down seriously in my estimations if he doesn't set us up to attack, attack and attack again from now on. We set up at Swansea not to lose and conceded 4!! May as well have attacked them as it couldn't have been worse could it?
Anyone looked at wolves recently? Only goal difference keeping them out of the championship relegation places. Whilst we still have premiership status we should be fighting tooth & nail to preserve it Sadly I've seen very little fighting spirit this season
Excellent OP. Realistically, I just us going on that winning run we need to stay up. However, hope springs eternal. I understand the team have gone off to Dubai to train. Seems positive to take a break from routine before the vital run in to the end of the season. If we are to go on that winning run, what we need is: Cesar to get back to his best - he was nursing an injury yesterday Samba - to get match fit and continue his understanding with Clint Jenas and Townsend to settle and produce the good football I believe they can Adel to be a little less adventurous with his tricks outside the box, where losing possession immediately puts us on the back foot (I know this is a sensitive issue) Hoilett to return asap, get match fit and be used intelligently by Harry (probably in place of SWP) Loic Remy to fire on all cylinders and stay injury free We'll probably find ourselves in the Championship next season, but hey, making up 6 or 7 points out of a total of 36 available is not impossible. Where there's life, there's hope...
Reading, Wigan and Southampton invested in new facilities before being promoted. Whole business makes me despair, club has been run appallingly for so many years it beggars belief and it still is.
