On Saturday we suffered our 3rd defeat. Yes we have lost to Chelsea, Man Utd and now Norwich. I think most are well aware that we deserved a point at Stamford Bridge. Also we played well at Old Trafford and for the first time in my memory we scored 2 goals there.( I am not including the 3-2 win over WHU)! Our beloved team has also managed to obtain draws against Arsenal. Man City and Liverpool. Out of those I think the poorest effort there was against Arsenal. I am told we played well against Man City and at Liverpool I thought we should really have won with the opportunities we had. We drew at Reading and got a point at Wigan. Both games in reality we could have won. The former I really blamed Pullis for his negative substitutions but at Wigan only a fine save denied Adams a late winner. So that brings us to Swansea, a game in which we were in total control. It seemed a routine 2-0 win. We were all very pleased and much more football had been played against the opposition in every game in my view. The game against Sunderland was obdurate. Both defensives were generally on top and for me it was only when Owen came on and got close to Crouch that we really rattled the Sunderland defence. So there must be something there for Pullis. Play somebody close to Crouch to feed off the knockdowns and the like. IMHO again I thought on occasions we tried to play to much football which some of the team are not capable. So Norwich comes along and very disappointingly we put in a very dour performance and KJ wastes 2 decent chances and we get nothing. Yes we are 15th. Having failed to score in the last three EPL games leads to questions of 'where are the goals going to come from?' It also leads us to think that Pullis is being very negative and clueless. Certainly I was unimpressed at Reading we did not walk off with the three points. At Liverpool I questioned why did Whelan start the game? Against Sunderland I thought we should have attacked them much more as Sunderland really are for me a team that are going to have a long winter. I just hope it is not equally long for us. I was very down on Saturday night after the game but thought about where we are at present. 9 Points and one win is not great but as others have said the next month is all important. We must beat QPR on Saturday. There must be some sort of return at Upton Park. Games against Fulham & Newcastle must offer some sort of return as well. So hang on there lads. We know that TP is not the most positive but on the whole we have seen a massive change so far. KTF and let's make some noise on Saturday as it was a morgue against Sunderland!
Excellent post as always. I think some are just worried that our inability to play football and score goals against mid table opposition is a sign of the same old same old.
Cris, That is an excellent dispassionate summary of the season thus far. I guess that my (perhaps our) problem is with that wretched word - HOPE !! I'ts always the hope that kills ye!
Chris, Well written as ever and as you say we now need some points and goals, i think the team need to not only beat Qpr on Saturday but to do so comfortably and by some margin, that will then give us something to carry forward and ease the pressure on the players then people will start to be happier with our development. I would have been happier if Wilson had not been injured as I think that it will cost us points that we can presently ill afford.
Cris Well written and at least some of you Stokie's can see some hope! Well having seen the Sunderland game and it happened again vs Norwich, whilst Clueless continues this (untra negative approach) to ANY game. Home or away we're fooked mate. As I said on another thread. I do not blame the player's, just a cluelss excuse for a Manager. As you rightly said Cris. Our sub's or lack of, wrong player's comming off has lost us 6pts so far... That, is exactly where (my own hope) kicks in. The big difference Cris IMHO is easy. Mark Hughes will attack, win lose or draw. Pulis does the exact opposite as you said yourself mate.. Reading we should have won that. Wigan? Sunderland? SIX pts down the pan all becasue of Tony Pulis. Sorry to be so negative, maybe I need a holiday. It's sure will be one hellofa blast compared to hoping and praying for a result. Just sing your heads off lads because as you said Cris, the Brit is far to quiet and has been all season.
It's the subs that get me. Fair enough, 4-5-1 at home is pretty negative, but we can still give a good game playing like that, if I tried really hard I could come up with possible reasons for only starting one winger, but when we're chasing the game, there's no point subbing a Kightly for Matty, and leaving a "striker" with such a low strike rate on the field. I feel sorry for Jon Walters, he's had some great runs for us, but it looks like Pulis is intent on turning him into the new Richard Cresswell.
