It was bugging me about the goal so I watched it back and kept pausing it. Salech goes for the ball with Patto and raises his arm, and moves Patto's left arm with his so it's diagonal rather than straight up as the other arm is to claim it.
Not good enough for what? A team playing in the Champions league and battling for their domestic league and trophies, they are right he isn't! Good enough to be a deputy striker in the Championship while he continues to improve massively, he is more than good enough for that! Easily good enough to be the first choice striker really and he has showed that every opportunity he has had this season! Anyone who says different them typical never happy supporters! Ones who reckon KLD is keeping the money and won't spend cause he didn't sign a 10m striker in January (despite us not needing one cause we signed Isidor to a perm for far less than that bur he is heading to being worth that and Mayenda isn't far behind!). I personally don't think we could ask for much better for where we are!
We played very well on sections of that game and not so well in others but it looks like confidence is returning to the squad and at this stage of the season confidence will bring quality and consistency. At least that is my hope.
Yes, we keep making the mistake of coming up against teams who also want to win ... .... Leeds had managed to avoid doing that but West Brom and Portsmouth bucked the trend. This is the time of year when results often start to go crazy, as you've said, confidence can grow or be quickly shattered. We've just caught up 5 points in just 2 games on Leeds ... ... if that happened again over the next 8 games it could make the finale interesting.
Mad thing is mate, we haven’t put together a run of wins since the first 4 of the season, and we are still in the conversation. Shows 2 wonderful things. We are consistent. We bounce back (time and time again) Whatever happens this season, it’s been a good one and I’m proud of the team, the club and the direction we are facing. 44 years following this club and it’s been a massive part of my life every day (well, I was about 7 when got the big so call it 37), a couple more years to keep filling these foundation and have a proper progressive football club is fine. We are going to the end regardless, we aren’t missing playoffs. After Hull game we wanted a reaction and it’s 6 points, **** performance levels. Sheffield are scraping wins, Leeds lost yesterday. What we need is a 4 wins from 6 run and then we will be where we are going to be and can see from there. When I look at how the club has developed Dan, Jobe and Mayenda this season it it a source of absolute pride. Add Wilson, and the way he was settled so quickly, do not underestimate the background work to make that happen. Signing Meps, Enzo. I guess my point is the beautiful things that are happening often get overlooked for results. We don’t NEED to go up now. We want to. And there’s a great chance we will.
Totally agree mate the comment about certain parts of the game were aimed at confidence of the squad not ability My feeling is that over the last month or so our team has looked a little frazzled mentally but it appears the returning players along with a very measured and calm approach from our coach has that fragility in check and as I said the confidence seems to be returning. Whatever the rest of the season shapes up like, this season has been one of my favourites, it has proved the neighsayers wrong at almost every turn, there has been more back peddaling than I can ever remember. I have hardly heard the term happy clapper this year because the doom mongers have a very little they could crow about In fact a lot of the usual suspects have taken up the mantle of having a go at supporters for staying until the end or choosing to leave early whichever they deem the most inappropriate. What I have learned this season is that support is important (I cannot go to games wish I could) and when you are doing well it can be easy. Support is harder when you are not doing so well but at that time, it is more important than at any other time. The progression at the club has quite frankly been astounding over the last 3 years and long may it continue. I fully believe we are so financially sound that even promotion to the Premier will not phase the board as they will be planning and strategists for if this happens The loan deal of Enzo shows we have a forward thinking attitude and an ability to bring in the right players if required and I fully expect we will do that when the time comes, trouble is some fans want to force those to be quicker, but I feel we have to take the time to build and let us develop at a good pace, which I think we are doing.
For me mate, it’s ok either way as long as we are progressing. The money would be transformative. I don’t think we’d do a Southampton, I think we’d be competitive. I think depending on who we lost, we might be better prepared to go up next year. Ipswich the only ones coming down who I’d expect to be a level up, but I assumed Luton would be. Ipswich have done well enough that actually several of their better players will stay in the PL either way. If we don’t go up, I’ll be gutted of course, but not defeated by it.
I'd give that post two 'likes' if I could, you've summed it all up in a nutshell. Yes, the progression at the club has been steady and relentless despite the odd setback on the pitch, the one area where you have the least control. The club clearly has a plan but, even better, has a number of plans to cope with going up, staying down, replacing this player or bringing in prospects and possibles. As you say the doom mongers are struggling to find targets so attack the club over injuries, hand-dryers or signings who don't quite make it. As we've no idea what happens next you'd think everyone would enjoy what we're experiencing now ... ... that's being in the playoffs three games from promotion, playing some excellent football and witnessing the emergence of some of the best players in the last 60 years. Burnley, Leeds and Sheff Utd may have to win 7/8/9 games to go up ... we might only need to win 4 or 5 more. If that's not good enough for some then balls to them.
Absolutely agree with this. Sometimes it just isn’t possible to play in the same manner when the opposition has nothing to lose.
Another I agree with wholeheartedly. You wonder what some of our fans expect! Or what they expected before the season started. Most of those now complaining about “not making auto promotion” (I know!) probably predicted a lower mid table finish before a ball was kicked, and now sit and whinge that we don’t win every game 5-0! I just love where we are as a football club now and the direction we’re heading in. It’s not rose tinted at all, it’s just looking at where we’ve been and where we now are. You wonder if some of those would rather have Donald and Mathven back and be scraping around lowere play offs in league 1!
It's a conundrum that's difficult to comprehend. On one hand people will say Patterson and Cirkin have gone backwards, Jobe and Rigg are exhausted, Roberts and Hume are useless, etc ... ... then question why we're not in the automatic promotion places. You can't have it both ways. The 'answer', of course, is to simply spend more and keep spending
I look at Patto similar to the other young lads who at the age of 24 for a goalkeeper is still very much a 'pup' is going through like Rigg a bit of a blip in form. Jobe went through one last season as others will do. The goal where him and Roberts got in a mix up I think he will have learnt from that. Next time I think he will clean Roberts and the ball out together. There is a thought in my mind that Roberts being the senior pro could have made it easier for Patto by calling out is his name for Patto to get it and moving his body in a position that Patto would get better access to the ball. All opinions mate and I respect yours very much. Would be open to give Moore some games just on the basis as the same as the others that if Patto got an injury prior to the play offs he had some recent game time to go with.
Agree with this mate that better communication would have avoided the goal. Don't think Monty was a gobby goalkeeper but to me was as good as they come for us. Speaking of the legend Monty how things can change very quickly for a goalkeeper. I was at Maine Road in 73 when he punched that corner in the net....then a couple of months later pulled off an all timer at Wembley. Maybe destiny has it where Patto saves the penalty at Wembley in the shoot out that takes us back to the Premier League......here's hoping right
Thing is we know how the club is run, take the young uns, develop and sell on. Now I don't know if any clubs are interested in him, or what he's worth but the last few games I reckon his value has gone down. How long do we persevere?? Any move could be scuppered.
