in 2009/10 we ended up with 70 points...everyone one remembers our great run in where we beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City in our last 6 matches which gave us 4th spot. less well remembered are these results; * losing 1 nil at home to stoke (terrible away from home) * losing 3 nil at Arsenal (awaful performance) * losing a 2 nil lead at Everton and missing a last minute penalty * Losing 2 nil to Liverpool (poor performance) * Losing 1 nil at home to Wolves (pretty dire) * Drawing nil nil at home to Hull (missed countless chances) * Luckily drawing nil nil away to Fulham * drawing nil nil at home to villa * drawing 1 all with brum (giving away a late goal) I was gutted yesterday, mainly but the tired performance, and felt like we were dependent on others but someone responded to me that it was in our hands (can't remember who said it) and in hindsight I think they are right. The booing at the end of the game was an expression of the disappointment by some (seems to be a common thing at most grounds nowadays) but is sad to hear after the fantastic run we've had. I have no idea where we will end up but at the beginning of the season I never dreamed we'd be in this position. I thought that AVB would be like Ramos just without a trophy. In truth I think the majority of us felt like this and the media were all waiting for us to have a **** season which has not happened. I ain't saying no one can criticise AVB or is wrong to have doubts in him...I still ain't sure he'll prove to be a success for us but I think we'd all have accepted this situation if it was offered to us on september 1st while we were still awaiting our first win of the season. Hopefully Lennon will be fit for our coming matches as he is vital to us and Defoe may regain his full match fitness away with England. what ever happens I still prefer this to the dark tedious end of seasons we had under Ossie, Francis, Gross, Graham, Hoddle, Pleat and Ramos when there was nothing to play for in the final 8 -10 matches at best or were looking at the relegation area at worst!
IIRC the 2-0 against Liverpool was due to Webb disallowing a legitimate goal by Defoe and penalising Crouch for being pulled down in their penalty area
I remember those things and I still have no idea why defoes goal didn't count but the truth is we were pretty poor that night and it was (and is still) hard to say we deserved sod all from the match. Liverpool were the better team by quite a way in my opinion
If you said to me at the start of the season, under AVB in his 1st year we would be sitting 3rd (up until very recently), I would have said "SHUT UP" (in my best essex tone) mainly because I never expected results to go so well, so yes of course AVB deserves credit for being in this position. However now we're in this position, to lose 3rd and go on a 3 match losing run, allowing the gooners to catch us, when we should have buried their chances of top four, is frustrating, and for it to happen under Avb ( aswell as Redknapp) will show there is more to this then just blaming managers. Although, both managers have messed around with tactics/lines up. Remember last year when Redknapp lost the plot, he started playing 4-4-2, two dms. This year Avb has played 4-4-2 and two dm's and benny on the wing! Why managers do this at such crucial times, I will never fully understand, possibly its the pressure but if we just went back to basics last year everything would have been fine. So Hopefully AVB will focus on the basics, get the defence on form and put out a balanced team , as I'm not we can take another year of screwing up!
Just about how I feel. I really have trouble understanding how one player hurt is a reason for major chopping and changing in a team on a great run. And I have a lot more trouble in understanding how this could go on for two more losing efforts in a row. It seems as obvious as it can be that the corollary to never change a winning game is: if you have to change, try changing as little as possible. I had pointed out, probably too many times, that previous dips in form could not fairly be blamed on AVB. Well, this one can, even though I still think he deserves a lot of credit for the job he did through 36 games. Yet I still don't see AVB's bizarre selection is the biggest problem, nor even the crazy backpass by Walker, even though that backpass reversed our fortunes completely. Nor do I think it's tiredness from taking the Europa League seriously, though, that, too, hasn't helped. The problem is that winning teams can overcome these obstacles and much greater ones. If it hadn't been for the problems I mentioned, I really believe this team would have found another reason to fall apart. One character or a group of characters has to emerge that can help the team become more determined to be successful than its rivals. It hasn't happened yet.
the result show's,DON'T change the defence around,and play player's out of position.i can't get my head around why AVB chopped the defence around,because he was missing a winger,does'nt make sense,and cost us the game!
Yep, spot on. Defoe was offside after two Liverpool players had passed the ball and Crouch committed a foul by having his shirt pulled with both hands from behind by Kyrgiakos. The BBC couldn't even work out why Defoe's goal had been chalked off. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8465306.stm "Defoe thought he had equalised for Spurs in the opening moments of the second half, but the goal was ruled out - although the exact nature of the offence was not clear." Another top performance by our favourite official. Nice comparisons RCL, but I'd hope to see some improvement when we play Swansea. Poor team selection has cost us and it needs to get sorted out.
