I was never convinced by Farke, his managerial record prior to joining us pointed at low scoring possibly tepid fayre. The whole first season offered very little reasurance that that was a wrong impression. With the start to his second season I was on board to give him time and a fair crack of the whip, But upto and including the game against the binners we weren't doing well, some positive signs but those mostly disappeared with the Leeds and Ipshit games. I was certainly worried that we had got it wrong again. Peak scepticism for me followed not the Leeds mauling, but the absolutely woeful game against the binners. I defy any one who saw that game to not doubt Farke, it left us in 17th place but much worse was that performance that was one that made us look like a serious bottom 3 candidate. I wasn't really sitting on the fence by that point and I wasn't alone. I said the following on the MDT: By god that was gash. I know it's the Derby but that was horrible to watch for everyone. As I said before, we should have beaten them because they are a poor side desperately hoping that they can transition back into a midtable side that hoofs it a little less. That we couldn't and that we looked very poor in a halfarsed attempt to do so, is the end of any hope I have that Farke can even bring about a challenge for the playoffs. He hasn't a clue. For we we must beat Borough next for him to have a shred of plausibility as a championship manager. Some interesting comments back then with doubts surfacing and Delia getting a bit of a beating So glad he not only got the win vs Boro, but we then never looked back. A salutory leason in patience! Some of my favourites! Ipswich fans must be feeling encouraged. For years they've been trying to drag themselves up to our level. Instead we've managed to drag ourselves down to theirs. Crikey we're awful. Wish I'd been drinking since 6am! All 3 subs used before 80min, Is this a first for DF? Ipswich haven't changed. But punting hopeful balls forward and long throw-ins was enough to make us look very very shaky. It was an awful game totally devoid of class except for Leitner's strike. The best either of these sides can hope for this season looks like survival. A draw between two poor sides, both likely destined to struggle - no real surprise there, we´ve been saying so for a while now. A defeat at home to ´Boro ( we won´t get much more) and we´ll be back sniffing around the relegation zone again. Today’s get out of gaol result doesn’t disguise the fact that we are piss poor at the moment. Our fall from Premier League grace in such a short space of time is quite frankly shocking. We came up against an Ipswich side today which is the worst they have had in living memory, well in my opinion anyway. We desperately need to ditch this ‘self funding club’ bollocks and be seen to actively seek major inward investment, the modern game dictates this. If we do not I really fear for our future and can only see us treading water in the Championship or worse for years. #deliaout #ballsout #everybodyout please log in to view this image Farke has had long enough to get this team winning some games. We don’t expect to win all of them, but that’s 4 wins in what, 22 matches in the league? I agree with KIO, can’t see NCFC being anything but a mid/lower placed team for years to come. There appears to be some talent in this team but the results prove that it’s wasted. I think the biggest (only?) complaint is her comments that she basically wouldn't consider external investment at all. Not looking for it, and wouldn't take it even if it was offered on extremely altruistic terms. At a time where we can all see the only way to progress within 10 years is to have someone splash the cash, it doesn't sit well. Especially when she's put a succession plan in place which ensures this attitude will continue. As long as we have D&M (plus their nephew!!) at the helm, I fear we're destined for lack of ambition/mid table finishing. please log in to view this image We are a million miles from the Southampton model , Aarons and Lewis were poached from Luton so we didn't really put the early work in . Saints usually sell for crazy prices then poach players from lesser clubs like us . From the results and performances this season we will be battling to stay up . I'm always hopeful that everything will click and we go on a 2 game winning streak but we are really not very good. To have any realistic chance of getting near top 6 we would need at least 15 to 20 points from the first 10 games . We have got 5 from our first 6 so far . I would like to see Farke in charge at the end of the season IF his win average drastically improves if we are bottom 6 in December then that's long enough . I also agree that half a season should show considerable improvement on our present position and I would say mid-table at the very least. DF has the players now and a squad large enough to cope with injuries. I'm confident that will be the case though, and that our next four games will get us up the table. If you're talking this season, I'd suggest our chances of reaching the play-offs are, to quote Boris, diddly-squat. Just my opinion - I hope you're correct please log in to view this image Though not everyone was completely miserable: IMO the financial pressure has now been eased by the sale of the two JM's and Pritchard before that. Oliveira and Jarvis are the only non-contributing players still around, though we're still contributing to the wages of some out on loan. There may be future sales as players near the end of their contracts but there will be no urgency about it (as our refusal to sell Klose to Hannover shows) as next year we'll be free from most of these commitments.Rather than a selling club, we'll be more like Southampton, developing future players like Abrahams, Idah and Spyrou to slot in as older players move on. Other young players like Buendia will be bought in at reasonable prices but on the whole, we'll have a sustainable squad going forward. For this, we don't need a new HC off the list of previous failures, but DF or another like him who can develop young players and bring them into the first team on a regular basis like we did in our most successful years back in the early 90s. As for this year, I'll settle for an improvement on last year if it means we're developing young players for a sustained challenge next year. I like the way we're playing now and am convinced that results will improve. I'd also like to target the play-offs, but not at the expence of developing our young players. When this season started, my prediction was that we'd finish somewhere between 6th and 10th, with the unknown quantity of the 8 new players and 4 youth players returning from loans. They would all need a period of adjustment, part of which happened in pre-season. The injuries suffered by Vrancic, Hanley and Lewis and then McLean further complicated this. The win over Preston and the draws at Brum and Ipswich were good results, IMO, but compromised by narrow defeats against West Brom and Sheffield United. The loss to Leeds was far from narrow, but it's interesting that 10 of their 11 players were the same as last season. Where we go from here remains to be seen, but we have the players to improve and if we can get a run of good results that 6-10 bracket is still possible. Boro at home will be a test, but Reading, QPR and Wigan are a good chance for potential points. After those 4 games we'll have a better idea of our chances. There are still 120 points available. And a binner perspective: Was a little disappointed with us, but the standard was possibly a further downgrade on last season's fixtures (which we piss poor) as only Maddison (and possibly Waghorn at a stretch) looked capable of making anything happen. This season's edition didn't have that player who could rise above the dross. Edwards was our biggest threat, but Lewis marshaled him well expect for a spell in the 2nd half and your brightest spark was Pukki by quite a long way. He looked lively, but wasn't able to really make the most of good positions he got into. I'd even venture a bold claim that we won't finish more than 3 points apart at the conclusion of the season... Probably around Mid to lower mid table Bah!
All we can hope for is a balance of fixtures through the season, though having said that, maybe a big club in the first match when they're still in pre-season mode might not be bad! Edit: Excellent collection of posts, General, and they show how easy it is to jump to conclusions too soon. The loss of Lewis and McLean to injury and late arrival of Buendia were contributory factors, but there were signs of what could come (Ipswich excluded). At least this season we'll have a proven squad as the season starts, hopefully with new players to strengthen that. We had 8 new players to bed in last season - this year we'll have 3-4 as long as we don't sell.
To add to my last post, I now don't see any chance that I would turn on Farke next season. I genuinely believe we will do OK and finish in the middle third, but even if we do get relegated, long term he is the man to build use to a position to then stay up on a future promotion. The football this season (after Ipshit away) has been so good, he is the way forward. Bah!
I recall a meeting with a Brummie friend, a lifelong Baggies supporter. I was strolling along Lowestoft sea front taking in the late summer sun and stopped for a cuppa at his beach hut. He was saying that he had been to the game and had no deal how West Brom had won it. He said to me then "You will finish higher than us". I didn't take him seriously. Well not for another month anyway.
I remember feeling that we were playing good football in those early matches but not getting the results. That one in particular. Even in the Leeds game we played good football but they were more clinical. Once Buendia and Lewis were available things improved drastically.
Going up with Farke ball feels so much more ambitious than AN or CH ball. I think we'll surprise a few. That he has built on such a fragile foundation is immense. I'd love to see him sitting on a horse in his technical area next year; if Bielsa can sit on a bucket, why the phuk not? The team plays lovely lovely football and they have grown into his ideas en route to the title. I hope our first month capitalises on the positives and we don't shrink to containmanship in the manner of previous visits to the top table. Better to battle in the style we have grown to love than to go all scaredy cats.
Lambert didn't "shrink to containmanship" China, but I know what you mean - let's go for it. I don't think DF knows another way. Let's be greedy!
