It is becoming increasingly obvious that we are showing our opponents far too much respect, especially away from home. From Harry's almost obligatory talking the opposition up at every given opportunity to the bafflingly supine tactics he is regularly employing we are handing the initiative to our opponents in bucketloads and you have to ask whether we are mentally putting our heads on the block. We have shown that when we are at home and under pressure behind, we can often show fight to salvage a point or even win. Alas, as we meet better opposition, it becomes tougher and, as yesterday, you could almost sense we were going to blow it. Nine successive away defeats is a shocking return in any division, and I read this morning is the worst away record in any European League. Granted, our opponents have been virtually all Top Ten teams but the manner of defeats and the 'Groundhog Day' tactics have been particularly annoying. For me, what has been even more annoying is the fact that other teams that a few weeks ago were receiving their 'obituaries' have suddenly shown a passion, determination and quality that suggests we are in a far more serious position than the table shows. Two successive wins can make such a difference in all aspects, but you actually have to play to win, not scratch about for a draw and hope you get lucky. It's clear we just can't defend effectively and, as Leicester and Burnley showed yesterday, take the game to most opponents and they have their weaknesses. We did it to Liverpool before gifting them a win, for Christ's sake Harry, how many more games will it take for you to see the light? Fear will be the end of us!...
Good post. Harry may well be the end of us. I don't think any other premier league manager would have kept two players so far forward for so long when hanging on for a vital win.
We'll know a lot more by the time we've played Burnley IMO. If we go not to lose then we will lose and we will be relegated ultimately. If we go and play to win, create a few chances, build some belief then we have a hope irrespective of the result.
We have to play the same way as at home, create chances and put the opposition on the back foot. Yesterday we looked as if we could score almost every time we attacked, there again so did Swans, but we can't just keep hanging on trying to grind out a result. We should have finished the game off in the last 5 - 10 minutes by scoring a 2nd, we had the opportunities. We will always give the opposition a chance by the way we play, we just have to out score them. Burnley will come at us full throttle because that is how they play and they will not stop for 95 minutes, we have to match them and silence the crowd who will be boisterous and vocal. it will not be easy but that game could determine the remainder of the season..... Harold go for it......
At the moment Leicester & Burnley are picking up points late in the games & we're not. That may be because they have had to chase games but it is something we could do without. I will be pleasantly surprised if we are more ambitious at Burnley than in the previous away games. After all, we didn't attack at Turf Moor last season, even after we went behind. We have better players than most of the sides in the bottom half. Please let them express themselves.
S Sooper That's one of the best posts I've seen in ages as it perfectly sums up our plight. I'm so frustrated with Harry at the moment. I promised I wouldn't travel to see us again under his management but I'll be over for the Saints game. By then our faith may already be sealed. Great post
Sooper - excellent to see 'supine' mentioned in your thread. Its exactly this level of articulation that separates us from the neanderthals at the Bridge Good work old chap
Don't think we have better players than anyone in the PL, at least not the ones who are Harry'a favourites and play. As we also have a Manager who don't do tactics we have a huge problem. Replacing Harry is surely our best hope. Unfortunately we are already too late for the one most likely to have saved us -Pulis. We should have gone for him as soon as he was available, though having said that we may have done and been turned down.
Agree with pretty much everything stated above. Some people seem to think we are going to travel away to Burnley and pick up our first 3 away points EASILY. I for one am rather scared of playing them right now as they are battling and picking up form. Huge game that really could define the rest of the season......we have to play as we do at home and just go for it. The main thing is to not let them gain ground on us but lets hope Harry actually tells them to go for it.........a win would be immense for our confidence going into the next batch of away games. Similarly a loss could just be downright disastrous. Considering the current situation I may even go as far as to say that for me it is the biggest game of the season so far.
The Burnley match MIGHT be the most important of the season & it will certainly be one of the hardest. I would be chuffed (but surpried) if we still above them in the table come next Saturday evening.
I think fear will do us good and we'll see the better side of our team when the season gets serious towards the end.
I tend to agree that we seem too timid away but maybe H is just resting BZ and only playing him for the vital games which have been at home at the moment, who else are we going to playing along side charlie away ? Vargas doesn't seem to be as effective as we originally thought, as we know Charlie doesn't play well up front by himself and Fer seems the only one who wants to get in the box to support him, nobody from midfield wants to run beyond him. All these things just help the opposition to push up and compact the pitch, at present I can only see someone new in the team altering the situation but if desperate perhaps a surprise change of position for someone ie as Downing has shown at West Ham maybe JNR into the 10 role.
Yeah maybe we should replace Harry with Pearson or Dyche who are doing so much better than us....? Seriously? i dont agree with all of harrys tactics, but im begginning to disagree with more and more garbage that i read here. As it stands, are we in the relegation zone? Sorry, but we are above a few others and i wouldnt change what we have for them. Im not making excuses for harry, just replying to few disilusioned posters that thought it was going to be easier this year and thought we would have been higher. We're a bottom 6 team, deal with it and hope we get 17th or above. PS, i detest the thought of Pullis ever getting near our club and would HONESTLY take Hughes back befor ehim
Alteady said I believe we will get beaten at burnley by three or more goals ... They have no fear and good luck to them We are fragile I am however wrong on most posts
Fear won't send us down no, neither a lack of passion like a couple of seasons back. Poor defending and a lack of attacking options could.
