Turning Points

[UK Redsox]

Overall - Moscow/Stoke

This season - Leicester away substitution/collapse

[kippaxvilla2]

The turning point was when Randy Lerner turned up at Ellis's office with a shiny Cleveland Browns helmet. Only now do we understand the symbolism in that gesture.

Not being funny, no-one can deny that Randy has proven to be a disaster, but which of the alternatives would you have gone for?

Ray Ranson? The man who facilitated Ridsdale bankrupting Leeds so he could earn a few quid, then pitched up at Coventry and helped drive them almost to extinction?
The 50 year old lawyer still living at home with his mother?
Doug who'd run out of money that wasn't his own, and had recognised that he couldn't really hack it in the jungle of modern football anymore?

Gillette and Hicks.
Michael 'Broadband' Neville.
Sven.

[Proposition Joe]

I don't think there's been any turning points as such, more an accumulation of errors upon errors. Some too ridiculous to be true, but sadly they are

I agree, there has been a gradual disintegration of all aspects, including the very basic.

Since the start of 2011-12 we have won 40 games in the PL. In that period, the number of corner kicks we've taken that have found the head of one of our own players cannot be much greater than double that at the most. That's just basics and we can't do it right.

[oldhill_avfc]

I do think Leicester was a big turning point though

No it wasn't - the natural rules of statistical variation produced a performance that flattered a very poor team which was patently a relegation candidate from day 1.

We'd played reasonably well for a side trying to settle in up to the Leicester game. The Leicester game was the catalyst for this season's progressively poorer form.

Sorry - can't agree with that.

The first four games showed the glaring weaknesses that were evident from the previous season hadn't been addressed, ie not being able to control games in midfield or create chances - plus we'd lost our get out of jail card in Benteke.  The writing was on the wall for all to see.  Leicester didn't change anything.

[kippaxvilla2]

You always know you are in trouble when you can only draw 2-2 at home to Sunderland, previously our favourite whipping boys of recent years.

[rougegorge]

2012-13

• Chelsea 0-8
• The 0-15 over three matches in late 2012
• Bradford City
• Millwall

This sequence set the tone for the acceptance of, and apathy towards, abject failure and performances.

[joe_c]

Someone mentioned this on a similar thread more eloquently than I am about to but having Acorns on the shirt strikes me as representing something of an alarm bell with the benefit of glorious hindsight. It's all well and good basking in the glow of the moral high ground it afforded us at the time and Randy Lerner was widely feted for not accepting whatever sponsorship deals were on the table on the grounds that they were not what he thought the club was worth. However, the money on offer might have proved the difference between signings like Davies and Beye and Shorey and signing an entire new back four 12 months later.

[Brend'Watkins]

2012-13

• Chelsea 0-8
• The 0-15 over three matches in late 2012
• Bradford City
• Millwall

This sequence set the tone for the acceptance of, and apathy towards, abject failure and performances.

Lambert should have been booted into oblivion after that result. I never wanted a manager more sacked than him after that.  Had we done so I doubt the rest would have transpired.

[Chico Hamilton III]

The turning point was when Randy Lerner turned up at Ellis's office with a shiny Cleveland Browns helmet. Only now do we understand the symbolism in that gesture.

Not being funny, no-one can deny that Randy has proven to be a disaster, but which of the alternatives would you have gone for?

Ray Ranson? The man who facilitated Ridsdale bankrupting Leeds so he could earn a few quid, then pitched up at Coventry and helped drive them almost to extinction?
The 50 year old lawyer still living at home with his mother?
Doug who'd run out of money that wasn't his own, and had recognised that he couldn't really hack it in the jungle of modern football anymore?

Gillette and Hicks.
Michael 'Broadband' Neville.
Sven.

I quite fancied the Venezuelan billionaire, Gustavo Cisneros. He sounded like a decent, honourable, incredibly rich sort of fella

[Villa in Denmark]

Someone mentioned this on a similar thread more eloquently than I am about to but having Acorns on the shirt strikes me as representing something of an alarm bell with the benefit of glorious hindsight. It's all well and good basking in the glow of the moral high ground it afforded us at the time and Randy Lerner was widely feted for not accepting whatever sponsorship deals were on the table on the grounds that they were not what he thought the club was worth. However, the money on offer might have proved the difference between signings like Davies and Beye and Shorey and signing an entire new back four 12 months later.

You might be right, but I suspect we'd have just ended up with another couple of Harewood and Shorey types clogging up the squad and wage bill.

[Eckybloke]

Signing Emile Heskey. 

On the 22 January, 2009, we were in the top 4 on 44 points from 22 games.  We were handily placed, only 3 points behind Man U and Liverpool in joint 1st, a point behind Chelsea in 2nd, and 3 points ahead of Arsenal. 

If not just Heskey, then that transfer window.  Arsenal brought in Arshavin, Spurs brought in Defoe and Robbie Keane (and sold Bent 8 months later) and it was Man City's first winter window spending £40+ million.

[SoccerHQ]

Another one I thought of which no one has mentioned before...August 1st or whenever it was when we signed Gestede.

Adebayor was supposed to sign on the same day remember. I know he's a mentalist but he's had some decent games for Palace including yesterday when he played a major point in the goal.

Sherwood had coaxed good form out of him at Spurs and we desperately needed an experienced premier league frontman to replace Benteke.

As much as it's been painful to watch Gestede for a lot of this season he has had some decent cameos off the bench, Saturday, at home to Leicester and also off the bench at Newcastle over xmas.

So I don't think things would've been so dismal with Adebayor as the experienced frontman upfront with Gestede in reserve. Probably would've kept Sherwood in a job until xmas.

[London Villan]

2012-13

• Chelsea 0-8
• The 0-15 over three matches in late 2012
• Bradford City
• Millwall

This sequence set the tone for the acceptance of, and apathy towards, abject failure and performances.

Lambert should have been booted into oblivion after that result. I never wanted a manager more sacked than him after that.  Had we done so I doubt the rest would have transpired.

Lerner probably didnt know we had played, let alone the aggregate scores.

But yes, that run was a collection of shocking and sackable performances.

[LeeB]

I think we may have just hit another turning point, going from steady decline into outright nosedive.

[Tony Erdington]

turning point of the QE2 and lescotts backside no contest.