Also, he made a decision to take off Luongo. It paid off. And there are several possible reasons for taking him off. One thing I've noticed about Luongo is that he seems to get knackered in second halves. But he brought on a more attacking minded player and then ended up with three goals. After the first and second goal I actually stood up, faced the R block and chanted "you don't know what you're doing" in mockery of the boo boys.
I don't know what the answer to this is really, fans who seem to revel in things going wrong? I'm usually someone who will stand up for things I believe in, and would love to turn around and speak up but don't want to end up in a confrontation and get kicked out because of some gobby twat. I'm usually a quite one, mostly due to spending most of the game a moment away from having a heart attack, but maybe the only answer is to sing loud and proud, as part of a crowd or on my own, get behind the team and club, who are by far from perfect but then again neither am I
I was there, i've got a season ticket and go to plenty of away games. Looking forward to Friday. Think it's hilarious, when your item of praise is. He covers defenders when they go forward. It's never, he tracked that run and made an outstanding tackle or interception (stats show he rarely makes a tackle for his role - 1.5 a game). Instead it's when the game was going on their end he stayed back and wasn't involved. But somehow that annonymity translates into praise for some. So rather than getting on the ball or making a tackle where he can be seen to make a contibution or a mistake. We were rubbish in that 1st half. Had no sustained possession or dominance. So to say Henry was 'moving the ball around swiftly' is a fallacy. He made the odd, 5 yard safe pass. Charged up to their centre backs occasionally but they passed round him and he never won the ball that way. Luongo in that role or slightly forward and behind Fer still would cover the ground, make many more passes (he'll show for the ball unlike Henry), and he'll also carry it forward when the opportunity presents itself
First things first where on earth do I say we will become a better side losing Austin, Fer and Sandro? I don't think I answered my post with the West Brom example as I recall they didn't have 15 odd players moving out and another 15 odd moving in each season, as you say they built upon what they had until they had the required team to stay in the Prem. I agree Palace did come up unprepared but were a difficult team to beat, this held them in good stead for the Prem in my book they were never going to get relegated they are a strong physical side and even gave a top six side a run for their money, as I recall only losing by the odd goal in many matches. I don't think anyone relishes going to Palace Pulis turned them into the new Stoke. West Ham and Newcastle are bad examples of what I am expressing they were already established Prem teams that were relegated, held on to the vast majority of their team and were promoted the following season. Swansea built a team from league 2 Southampton & Norwich built a team from league 1 Leicester built a team in the Championship after several poor seasons All of these teams built a strong nucleus from largely unknown players and that is what I believe we need to do and I don't mind crawling in the Championship before we can walk. Too early to talk about Watford or Bournemouth but I think they will be lucky to survive. There is some truth in saying there is no magic formula, however the teams that I have quoted have shown with a good system in place and playing your cards right there is a better chance of winning. Our formula resembles a blind man going into a casino fumbling around for an hour trying to find the roulette table only to find the toilet and putting all his money down the loo!
Really is a broad and complex discussion this as there are many different variables and perspectives out he same thing so i'll narrow it down a bit to the best examples. Think you are also underplaying massively the quality we have retained and under appreciate how big an opportunity that gives us, while under-estimating the potential downsides if we miss that opportunity and then over estimating our chances of later getting out of that and then building further Palace - you say were hard to beat. Well after promotion and leaving 7 out of 8 league games and signing 16 players that summer!!!!! Holloway was sacked. Pulis came in only in November which I think you'd forgotten. And this a team you picked as a good example of how to mimic After we lose Austin, Fer, Sandro you seem to have good faith that we will identify the next Ings,Vardy, Bolasie, Zaha, Lallana, Schneiderling or Ashley Williams and retain them long enough not to get poached by a premier league now even richer or other recently relegated club. What right do we have to , mimic those clubs more so than; Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn, Bolton, Ipswich, Bradford, Forest, Cardiff, Charlton, Barnsley, Sheffield United? They are all doing the same thing As for your casino analogy, be interested for you to list their players in our current squad who fit your description of a blind man. Aruably Hoilett, but that was 4 years ago? Many others to make such a strong statement and this still to be relevant and not outdated
Which has resulted in us signing which players in the current squad that you feel are limiting the progress we can make?
