Reading - 32 Southampton - 33 Wigan - 29 Villa - 23 Rangers - 18 It's not clean sheets that will save us, they're only half the issue, and not even the better half. We seem to have successfully shored up the back, but missing out on that second striker in the transfer window could just be the death knell of a season that has never looked better than 'persistently vegetative'. No-one (OK. apart from 'thoroughbred race-horse' Remy himself) could have predicted that our new 'club record for a week' striker would have been sidelined two games into his life at LR, but someone should really have assessed the risks and moved heaven and earth to make sure we had sufficient cover. And if we thought life would get dull and boringly successful at QPR after another 'successful' January transfer window, then yet again fate has turned and bitten us on the R's leaving us with 2 potentially top-class EPL strikers on the physio's table, and leaving 'arry with the unenviable situation of having to choose from 'trier' Mackie or 'unfancied' loaner outer DJ to spearhead a must-win home game. Needless to say, the fact that we managed to not put the ball in the net for another 90 minutes - however hard we huffed and puffed - leaves us with the increasingly uncomfortable situation of games running out, and no real prospect of us actually scoring a goal. I look at the teams around us, and I see some potential - players who work to get themselves in the box, to support the attack, and not just from set-pieces. Townsend worked his socks off on Saturday, to get down the line and to get balls into the box - but we had no-one there to challenge for the ball, and it's been like that all season. I know people have commented about us going 442 or 433 and leaving holes at the back, but if we don't score goals we are going down - love him as I do... relying on Adel to smack one in from 25 yards is no longer a viable plan, if it ever was that is! Our delivery is another massive issue - who is the best player to put the ball into the box? Frankly I don't know, but a once a game world class ball isn't enough if you don't score from it. Again, I'm not pretending to know the answer - no-one pays me to do that so I won;t put my head up there to be shot down - but I'm surely not the only one who watches the game and wonders why certain players are given the ball time and time again when it's just not working. The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different. Can anyone say based on that we aren't displaying a seriously worrying mental health state? Surely someone in charge can see that? We are the lowest scoring team in the league - something needs to change, and since now we can't change the players, then it's got to be the way we play... what have we got to lose?
Eloquently and accurately said. We never looked like scoring yesterday, apart from the penalty, which as you stated has been the problem for at least 18 months. It's time to take a deep breath and go for it, let's face it there's nothing to be gained by keep drawing 0-0. We may as well go down fighting, at least we could then say we had a go! Eight goals scored at home I think it is, nowhere near good enough
With only one man in the opponents penalty area when we get the ball there is maybe the reason why......
I think it'll be Betty upfront at Swansea if Remy is still out with Zamora coming on in the 2nd half. Harry won't go gung-ho there as they'll pass all over us so it'll be tight and counter attack as at West Ham, the difference is Swansea won't go long ball like the Hammers so we won't be under the cosh in the same way. I think we might just nick it next week...
The maths also includes the goals you let in. You have to build foundations first and play well enough to score and all this has to be built on that foundation but I agree matches are won with goals Didn't think it would be long for this next wave of niggles showed itself with posters just looking for the next thing to have a go ... I am not suited for these forums as they just seem to like an edition of points of view from the 1980s
Niggles - small issues of little importance that are apt to be blown out of perspective. Yes, perhaps... But only if you consider goals to be 'niggles'. Personally I find them quite essential, but then I want my team to survive. If I can quote myself... My point being (if it needs reiterating) we have sorted ourselves at the back... but we need to score more goals... we haven't looked like scoring... time is running out... I'm not sure what the answer is... but doing the same is not enough... otherwise nothing is going to get better. Seriously, if you don't like reading other people's opinions... why on earth are you here?
I have no idea ... that's again absolutely clear. Even if i sign off and kill my account curiosity makes me have a look every week or so. it's not healthy and i can only participate for short periods now. No offence to you on your post ... we need to score goals but Harold is building a side exactly to do this ... because we missed 3 points Sat everyone is at it. I would take draws now in our next two games.
We are running out of games mate. We were lucky not to get slaughtered at West Ham. We have to start going for it. Teams don't like being attacked on the whole.
...the beauty of a forum is that each and everyone's expectation and perception is different, and that's what hopefully encourages discussion and the sharing of different perspectives. I think most of us 'would' take a draw from each of our next two games, but scarily perhaps that's because it's now what we 'need' as a minimum... however given that they are against the champions elect and a team that has proved themselves to be capable of scoring against, and competing with, the best teams in the league, that's a big ask given our recent goalscoring form and the fact they stuck five past us already. Looking at the relative strengths of ManU, do we think we can achieve a clean sheet in that one, or score against them? Maybe that's why, going back to my original post, I'm coming across as a bit 'at it' - even if I'm not sure it's a fair assessment. Because when we fail to record a theoretically more achievable win against one of the (arguably) weaker teams we have left to play, it bodes ill for the games we have left. Time is running out and, even if it is all a bit 'Points of View', sadly you lot are the only outlet for my thoughts - the wife isn't really interested any more!
Absolutely and totally agree, 100%. To build a team you have to start at the back. Job done.. now - GOALS PLEASE!
