I'm still disapoointed by the performance against Chelsea. The second half capitulation was embarrassing. I put us down for a draw so it cancels out the Man U result. So we're back to square one and Cardiff away up next. I am afraid I am resigned to relegation if we don't win at Cardiff. If we are a team that will escape relegation we have to get 3 points at Cardiff. I know mathematically we wouldn't be relegated but if we don't beat Cardiff how can we expect to beat Stoke, Newcastle, Norwich etc. Its a must win game for me. Nothing less than 3 points will do but on yesterdays performance I can't see 3 points heading our way at all.
The defeat at home to Cardiff was the season definer. That was, as I've said many times, when Jol should have gone. You are correct though, nothing but 3 points this coming weekend will save us. And a draw will inevitably see both teams go down.
Certainly is craving, if ever we needed to win it is now. A win and we jump above cardiff, mentally getting off bottom spot would be massive. A defeat and we will be 4 points behind cardiff with sunderland, west Brom and palace all having games in hand. We cannot blame Felix, although his team selection against Chelsea was strange, the players have to show us the fans they want this. Positive team selection, Holtby has to play, as does kvist or Karagounis. Mitroglou, whether he ready to face the premiership, has to start and has to work hard for the team, defending from the front. Take the game to cardiff, score some goals and do not sit back and invite pressure.
Absolutely! We should never have given them 3 points at The Cottage (nor their Welsh rivals, for that matter), and 3 points this week is vital if we have any chance of getting 6 wins before the end of the season! Last time I went to Cardiff, it was to Ninian Park, a 1-3 win I think (and 250 singing "Are you Swansea in disguise?" - Not sure where 3 goals are going to come from, but same again please! C O Y W !!!!!!
I think everyone has us down as already relegated and perhaps rightly so. The crowd on Saturday did not believe even when we were doing ok 1st half. A win on Saturday is essential and will make the world of difference and I refuse to give up until this game is over. It should be a great game as we both need to win. God knows who will be in the line up but one things for sure we at least won't have Dempsey. Incidentally, bearing in mind his history and being his last match, I watched him at the end of the Chelsea game - most players went round applauding he fans - he gave a couple of claps and was first down the tunnel. Pretty poor really and showed perhaps he was just here for the money. His loan period has been a disaster and has been totally invisible on the field. A result on Saturday will give us a few straws to clutch on. Other fans of Clubs are worried, but none I don't think have given up yet. We're rolling over too easy I say.
COYW I for one fully concur with your comments,and your referance to Dempsey well what can one say,I was one of those that were more than pleased when he returned,thinking his presence could help save our season,but as said he took not only the money but the piss,lets hope he never comes anywhare the Cottage again. If we fail in our next match and religation looks certain,give this rubbish that got us into this mess their marching orders and give youth a chance
I'm not resigned to it completely, but my head says it's over. I don't believe our current squad has enough in it to pull out of this, the lack of team spirit is worrying and the clubs ruthless approach doesn't help. I agree with Ros, if we don't get the win then we should go balls to the wall with the academy and just let them play and get some PL experience. It gives them experience and puts them in the shop window - we'll need money from player sales to cover loss of income when we go down. Parachute payments will soften it, but matchday revenue is going to plummet.
I'm trying to remain positive but am starting to resign myself to relegation. I was convinced we had to beat West Brom a few weeks ago to stay up. If we beat Cardiff we will be right back in the mix but if we loose or draw I can't see us getting out of it. Felix said we need 6 wins from our remaining games. This season we have won 6 in 28 so to get 6 from our last 10 is a big ask.
I read this elsewhere and it sums in up for me : my head tells me we are relegated but heart disagrees. This is football, no predictability so there is still heart felt hope. COYW
I've stayed positive all season, and I'm still - just - maintaining that. Having mocked others for describing games in September and October as 'must win' games, this time it really is. In theory we could lose the next few, win the last six and stay up, but in practice if we don't get results against Cardiff and Newcastle, we're leaving it all too late. We can't expect anything against Man City (but wouldn't it be Fulhamish to nick something?) so we need to win the next two to give ourselves a realistic chance. I still think that our run-in, compared to Cardiff and Norwich's, is our best chance of staying up. Factor in Sunderland's forthcoming fixture backlog (I hope they stay in the FA Cup for another couple of rounds) and it's a reason to believe, but only if we start chipping away at that target of six wins before we get to the last six matches.
And our players with full knowledge of the situation are going to shift a gear, fight with all their heart to win... NOT Although my heart says that we can do it, the facts point me to the games against Sunderland, Soton, Swansea, West Brom were we picked only 1 point!!! Apart from a few distinct players the rest do not care... These players are a bunch of overpaid mercinaries.
We've had too many 'season definers' and 'must wins' and '6 pointers'. We've lost most of them. I don't see how this game defines our season. If we lose and get relegated, at the end of the season will we look back at Cardiff away and say that's where our season turned? Not a hope. If we win then the next game will be a definer/must win/cup final or whatever you want to call it. It's just another game that we badly need to win.
when Hodgson arrived, first thing he did was stop the goals. This is exactly what RM should have done but didn't...we continued to ship goals in an aging team - it was difficult to change the mentality. That's my biggest concern...we're giving away cheap goals and I expect more of the same at Cardiff and I expect us to lose. Our home form has kept us up on season past, not this year. Sorry lads.
The Cardiff players might, just might, be a little subdued for the match after the bribe (sorry, bonus) that Vincent Tan offered them had to be withdrawn. It's illegal!! Full story: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/mar/04/vincent-tan-cardiff-city-illegal-bonus?CMP=twt_gu
Why would our players be subdued? He obviously has just said he's retracted the offer. Of course he hasn't really and it is still on the table. Money is a huge incentive to anyone. We played really well v Spurs with our new 3-5-2 formation aswell. I'm feeling more optimistic than in recent weeks about us.
What the hell are you on about pal? The offer made by Tan when he addressed the players in the hotel the night before the Spurs game was a huge mistake by him borne out of ignorance of the rules regarding bonus payments. When advised, it was immediately withdrawn and there is no way "the offer is still on the table" to incur possible sanctions by the governing authorities - don't post such ****e. Money is indeed a huge incentive, but if money could buy success in this game, Tan would have bought it by now, and not be scrambling around trying to survive. OGS and his players will want to do it for themselves, and to that extent I agree that they will not be "subdued" at all on Saturday.
Mate a man of Tan's business knowledge would know that there are very discrete ways to get around rules. I'm 99% sure the offer is still there.
Why don't you advise the FA to look into it? Tan is also enough of a businessman to understand the possible consequences of any such covert arrangenment if it came to light. There are far too many "sources" of info in this business to get away with it - these things are leaked left, right and centre. There would be no question of Tan trying to flout a rule by the back door now that he knows it exists.
