Anyone starting to get worried?

[OzVilla]

I reckon we've dropped over 20 points from winning positions this season.

Much is due to poor game management - that's the managers job.  We've simply learned nothing and repeated the same mistakes over and over.  For all the talk of poor recruitment it's our failure to adapt that'll cost us.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Wilder has Enda Stevens looking ok as a premier League fullback. Smith spent £12m on Target.

Dyche has Westwood winning player of the season awards.

Nuno has Traore looking like a world-beater.

Our problem is coaching and management, has been for many years now. Do many players look better the moment they leave, so many players regress once they join us.

We need to keep switching until we get lucky with a good management team. Smith is not the answerm

[kippaxvilla2]

I’m sure sky said we had won 2 points from a possible 45 against the top six this season. 

[SoccerHQ]

Just holding onto draws in injury time against Liverpool and Spurs and we'd be 17th. Straight away two obvious games we should never have lost.

[adrenachrome]

I’m sure sky said we had won 2 points from a possible 45 against the top six this season. 

I thought they said the top 10, but 2 out of 45 is damning in in either case.

[PeterWithesShin]

Can't be top 6 as 45 points is 15 games.

[ChicagoLion]

I reckon we've dropped over 20 points from winning positions this season.

Which suggests that coaching and setting the team up is ok but game management is abysmal.

[OzVilla]

I reckon we've dropped over 20 points from winning positions this season.

Which suggests that coaching and setting the team up is ok but game management is abysmal.

And often we haven't even come out of those games with a point, we've actually ended up losing.

Norwich away aside, all our wins seem to have been squeakers - we rarely put a team away despite regularly having got into the position to do so. I vaguely recall a quote from DS before the season about approaching every game trying to win it - we've been so meek at times its untrue.

[ChicagoLion]

I started to get worried Arsenal second half and that game sucked a lot of belief out of the players.
Smith stood there watching us get dominated by 10 men without a clue what to do.
The same thing has happened time and again. I was hoping the break would help us but yesterday proved nothing has changed. He has no idea how to effect the game with subs or tactics.
I think there is enough talent in the squad to give us a chance but I don’t think the management is up to it.

[Ad@m]

There's an utter lack of belief as well.

Most of the time we don't even seem to be trying to win, but rather just trying to avoid conceding with blind hoofs out from the back and no real intent or idea as to retaining the ball.

I know Smith said we had 10 cup games to stay up, but he's treating them like cup games where we've been drawn against opposition from three divisions above us!

[FatSam]

I reckon we've dropped over 20 points from winning positions this season.

I make it 14 points. I thought it would be more  as well, but turns out we’ve capitulated from the start quite a lot as well.

[cdward]

I look at Sheff Utd's squad and don't see a great deal of better quality than we have.
The difference is the manager.
Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.
Any team is beatable in this league, but it takes hard work, and adaptability, we appear to have neither.

[ChicagoLion]

I look at Sheff Utd's squad and don't see a great deal of better quality than we have.
The difference is the manager.
Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.
Any team is beatable in this league, but it takes hard work, and adaptability, we appear to have neither.

I was hoping that get to half time, shore up the midfield Push Jack centrally to hold the ball and frustrate Chelsea in the second half. Try to get a foothold in the game, protect the lead and maybe Even get another.
And what did we do at half time ?

[aev]

I can't see us scoring enough goals to win games, especially when we seem to have at one least self induced fk up per game.

We got away with it against Sheff Utd, but lets be truthful, it should be zero points after 2 games back.

[Fred Crump]

As you imply, we did nothing CL. That’s the most disappointing aspect to me. I have been a strong supporter of Dean Smith, but I must admit I think his inability to ‘manage’ games through setting up the team right and then making timely tactical changes in ‘real time’ will be his and our undoing.  I hate to say it but I’m not sure he has got that ability and that’s a no-no for a manager at any level. You can only work with the players you’ve got ( and they are very average/ poor generally) but to not to get the most out of them is unforgivable. Even Guardiola would probably only get another 6-8 points out of this squad, but that will be the difference between staying up and going down.