Don't post very often but after today's game I thought I would. Thought we played well, but was just waiting for the Stoke goal I knew would come - perhaps the players think the same way during matches now. Someone else posted about the similarities with the 95/96 season and I can see a few - toothless up front - then with a couple of kids (Gallen and Dichio) now with £10 million worth of question marks, then we had two players who could create havoc on their day but rarely did (Sinclair and Impey) now we have the similar Taarabt and Hoillet. We also couldn't keep a clean sheet and lost more than a few games by one goal. The difference is that then, Wilkins wasted the money he had to spend from the sale of Ferdinand - the non-existant Zelic, Osbourne and Hately - whearas this season, Hughes had had money thrown at him, but I still get the same 'we're out of our depth' feeling. I also fear a similiar downward spiral should we fall through the trapdoor. A new man at the helm might bring some umph, but taking that road is as much a gamble as sticking with Hughes is - I wouldn't want to have to make the decision. One final point, last week David Pleat made the point that everytime Taarabt gets the ball he slows the game down allowing the opposition (Reading) to regroup, I'd not noticed it before but after he'd said it I saw it all the time - and again today. Comments????? PS for the record, I was a fan of Warnock, but thought Hughes would do well and was a good choice - perhaps it's a good job non of this is my decision!!!
Hard to get beyond the notion at the moment that we are in a nosedive from which we will not recover. There seems to be a jarring disconnect between the players and the manager, and there is no team spirit to speak of. Whatever is going on in the dressing room can not be good. I don't think that even the long awaited win is going to change anything more than give a brief respite. Changing the manager is a massive gamble but perhaps because we are clearly clutching at straws now one that we might as well take. Can't think of anything else that's going to make a difference to be honest. I'm not without hope but I can't seem to find it at the moment.
Agree with the Adel slowing it down comment. You just had to look at the build up to Crouch's near miss. All about pace and movement.
