Anyone starting to get worried?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don't get the mentality of some people, 1 point from safety and with a quarter of the season to go and you're all ready to throw in the towel.

We've lost the highest number of games.
We've conceded the most number of goals.
We've drawn the least number of games.
We've the second worst goal difference in the league.

Like you, I don't get the mentality of some people, starting with our Manager and players.

[Damo70]

I don't get the mentality of some people, 1 point from safety and with a quarter of the season to go and you're all ready to throw in the towel.

One point from safety? We are two points behind Watford who are in the 17th/safety position and they have a better goal difference than us. We are three points from safety at least. Three and a half points counting the goal difference.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It worried me when Dean said words to the effect of 'it's not the games against the top teams that are important, it's the games against those around us'.  Not only because it was defeatist - no wonder we've not beaten any of the top sides with that attitude - but because it piles the pressure on the team to get results against those around us.  And sure enough we dropped points in those games too.

Smith is a nice man, and I would love him to do well, but thus far, he has looked out of his depth at this level.

Everything about him is class except the football.

[curiousorange]

It worried me when Dean said words to the effect of 'it's not the games against the top teams that are important, it's the games against those around us'.  Not only because it was defeatist - no wonder we've not beaten any of the top sides with that attitude - but because it piles the pressure on the team to get results against those around us.  And sure enough we dropped points in those games too.

Smith is a nice man, and I would love him to do well, but thus far, he has looked out of his depth at this level.

Everything about him is class except the football.

I think at times Smith couldn't really believe he was managing in the Premier League.

[LeeB]

Pah, grow some balls you big bunch of pussies, we're staying up.

[hilts_coolerking]

The number of goals we gave away from trying to play it out from the back come what may was terrible, especially in the first half of the season.  I can recall two instances in the very first game.
 Dean seemed absolutely committed to doing that as it was 'the right way' but football just doesn't work like that.  For one thing we didn't have the personnel to do it.

[hilts_coolerking]

Pah, grow some balls you big bunch of pussies, we're staying up.

You are Mazrim and I claim my tiny prize.

[pauliewalnuts]

One thing this season that reminds me of the relegation one was that back then, every week, I'd find myself thinking "maybe this is the week that we turn it around and start to show a bit of quality" but it never happened.

In that season it was a little different in that the entire club had pretty much accepted relegation by January (in which we did nothing to try to stop it).

However, I've found myself thinking the same thing this season, week after week there is either no improvement at all, or we look better and worth a win and throw it away needlessly (which is even more frustrating).

We are just so flat, paceless and predictable every week. Even when we don't lose, we never really look like we know what it takes to win matches at this level, and that for me is the fault of the manager. As someone else mentioned, his game management has been directly responsible for losing points which would have seen us far more likely to stay up now.

He sounds really plausible when you hear him speak, and it is very hard not to like someone with the sort of background he has got, but sometimes i find myself thinking back to the play off win and the feeling then, and I look at where we are now, and it is just so, so disappointing to think we have allowed things to spiral so awfully out of control.

[Toronto Villa]

We’ve been caught in the traps we’ve set for the other teams. Whatever the fuck traps are.

[paul_e]

I don't get the mentality of some people, 1 point from safety and with a quarter of the season to go and you're all ready to throw in the towel.

One point from safety? We are two points behind Watford who are in the 17th/safety position and they have a better goal difference than us. We are three points from safety at least. Three and a half points counting the goal difference.

You really need to look at the table again. West Ham and Bournemouth are 1 point ahead of us. With West Ham playing now and Bournemouth playing later that might not be the case for long but it's absolutely correct as of now. If it's different in a few hours then you have to remember that we will, once again, have a game in hand on everyone near us at that point.

Goal difference may well become important later but with so many games to go I don't think it's at the point of considering it as an extra point.

I don't get the mentality of some people, 1 point from safety and with a quarter of the season to go and you're all ready to throw in the towel.

We've lost the highest number of games.
We've conceded the most number of goals.
We've drawn the least number of games.
We've the second worst goal difference in the league.

Like you, I don't get the mentality of some people, starting with our Manager and players.

Great, but you're ignoring any stats that don't support the idea that we're fucked, why would you choose to do that?

[hilts_coolerking]

The thing is, it is still possible to stay up but no-one has yet made a convincing case as to why our form will suddenly improve to a level it hasn't been at all season while hoping that other clubs won't.  Same coach, same players, same tactics.  It's like our result against Sheff Utd.  Taken in isolation it was a point against a good team who played poorly.  But everything that happens between now and the end of the season has to be seen in the context of what our rivals do.   

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don't get the mentality of some people, 1 point from safety and with a quarter of the season to go and you're all ready to throw in the towel.

We've lost the highest number of games.
We've conceded the most number of goals.
We've drawn the least number of games.
We've the second worst goal difference in the league.

Like you, I don't get the mentality of some people, starting with our Manager and players.

Great, but you're ignoring any stats that don't support the idea that we're fucked, why would you choose to do that?

I didn't choose. I had no choice. I'd love a straw to clutch. A win tomorrow and we're all smiling again but as Paulie mentioned earlier, every bloody week we look for 'that' performance to say we've finally turned the corner. Until now it's still not arrived.

[LeeB]

Pah, grow some balls you big bunch of pussies, we're staying up.

You are Mazrim and I claim my tiny prize.

Careful, if I find you I might punch you in the knee.

[Toronto Villa]

The thing is, it is still possible to stay up but no-one has yet made a convincing case as to why our form will suddenly improve to a level it hasn't been at all season while hoping that other clubs won't.  Same coach, same players, same tactics.  It's like our result against Sheff Utd.  Taken in isolation it was a point against a good team who played poorly.  But everything that happens between now and the end of the season has to be seen in the context of what our rivals do.   

That’s the nutshell version. Pretty much since December we’ve been as concerned as our rivals failing as we have about ourselves. In fact that pendulum has swung to the former because who of us has real faith our form will suddenly and miraculously change? Or the same players and staff will find a level of ability to take games to our opponents? I really want to believe but my tank of confidence has a massive hole in it and is leaking badly.

[Steve67]

We have to win a game just to get out of the bottom three, as it stands.  That win seems really difficult to come by.  I also agree with Paulie, really good post.  We do not have the players to sustain a run of wins, the January transfer window was a disaster, other than an untested Samatta (sorry, but I don't really see that much in him either, needs to play with a partner I reckon).   To not address the centre of the park should be an embarrassment for Dean and Suso. We are sleepwalking to relegation.  I don't want it, I want fight, consistency and bottle from the players, and from Dean for that matter.  Sadly, we don't seem to have a great deal of that either.  Hope for the best but expecting the worst I'm afraid. Fuck, I'd love to be wrong.