Relegation Watch

[sickbeggar]

I don't think you can compare this season to last time. Yes we've been abysmal at times and players have  largely underperformed, but even the worse suspects you cant really accuse of not trying. I know its a cliche with any team that does bad, but last time the manager hadn't just lost the dressing room, he'd thrown it off the end of the pier. Even without the cliques in the squad in 2015-16, certain players had looked at their contracts, and their career paths and decided going down wasn't exactly the end of the world. And you also had the likes of gabby and Grealish who clearly couldn't stand the manager or/and his tactics. If this season has been like a constant toothache, that one was like daily root canal surgery.

[cdbearsfan]

I feel more depressed this time around than last time. Last time, as has been said, felt like a mercy killing. It always seemed like we were going to get relegated sooner or later so might as well get it over with. Plus we were so far adrift that the individual results ceased being important. Hammerings were greeted by gallows humour, last minute defeats by a shrug of the shoulders. And we didn't really know what the Championship was like, maybe it would be fun?

This time, after the excitement of last season, you felt like it could be the start of something special and the years of suffering could be coming to an end. Every hammering has been soul-destroying and every last minute loss has been a massive kick in the bollocks. Knowing it is coming doesn't make it any less painful. It also just feels like last year was for nothing, and I can no longer look back on those games with the enjoyment I used to get every time they repeated the playoff final on telly.

Conversely, I do believe we will be in much better shape to go back up this time, so this relegation could be much less damaging than the last one. But it feels much worse.

[Clampy]

Clampy, it is excruciatingly horrible to me because I am running out if seasons to watch them.  If you think there was something good about this season so far I am not at all surprised.

I didn't say there was anything good,  so you have nothing to be surprised about. I'm just suggesting for me it isn't as bad as last time.

[Clampy]

There's been plenty of shit this season but there's also been good moments. Not enough of the good but saying there's been nothing is wrong unless no one enjoyed watching Jack earlier in the season, sticking 5 past Norwich, Everton at home, the Leicester semi, the Watford winner to name a few.

Yes, it's not been all bad.

[The Edge]

There's no real point in saying this, but I'm going to say it anyway - the more you look at the league table this morning the significance of that goal conceded at Everton just grows and grows.  I really must stop looking at it and go out and do something more purposeful!

As do the two games against mighty Bournemouth - in particular the home defeat ......shocking results and performances

I'm not sure if I agree with that. At home we went 2 down early doors thanks to blunders from 2 new signings. Heaton (pen) Luiz (ballwatching) After that we laid siege to their goal but could only find the net once. Away we gave as good as we got but again individual errors cost us. And we were denied a great shout for a pen when their keeper punched Engels right in the bracket from a corner! Poor results but not shocking results and performances by a long shot.

[cdbearsfan]

I can forgive the home Bournemouth defeat as we were still finding our feet and did, at least, give it a bit of a go after a disastrous start.

The away games at Watford, Bournemouth and Southampton were the most unforgivable, for me. All massive games against teams that were relegation rivals and we just vanished. In terms of our capacity for being massive, bottling, fannies, not even getting a draw against ten man Arsenal having had the lead twice was just pathetic.

[villa `cross the mersey]

There's no real point in saying this, but I'm going to say it anyway - the more you look at the league table this morning the significance of that goal conceded at Everton just grows and grows.  I really must stop looking at it and go out and do something more purposeful!

As do the two games against mighty Bournemouth - in particular the home defeat ......shocking results and performances

I'm not sure if I agree with that. At home we went 2 down early doors thanks to blunders from 2 new signings. Heaton (pen) Luiz (ballwatching) After that we laid siege to their goal but could only find the net once. Away we gave as good as we got but again individual errors cost us. And we were denied a great shout for a pen when their keeper punched Engels right in the bracket from a corner! Poor results but not shocking results and performances by a long shot.

No worries The Edge - its all about opinions
Maybe I expect too much … to me losing at home and away to Bournemouth constitutes "a shocking result" primarily as they are the level of opposition we should be expected to beat - I agree you cant compensate for individual errors  - its just so frustrating and disappointing that we cant beat a relegation rival - we can all look at "what if " scenarios in numerous games, however when you take these two particular games into consideration it just shows how thin the dividing line is between success and failure - we would have been better off drawing both games
Cheers and UTV - regards VCTM   

[The Edge]

There's no real point in saying this, but I'm going to say it anyway - the more you look at the league table this morning the significance of that goal conceded at Everton just grows and grows.  I really must stop looking at it and go out and do something more purposeful!

As do the two games against mighty Bournemouth - in particular the home defeat ......shocking results and performances

I'm not sure if I agree with that. At home we went 2 down early doors thanks to blunders from 2 new signings. Heaton (pen) Luiz (ballwatching) After that we laid siege to their goal but could only find the net once. Away we gave as good as we got but again individual errors cost us. And we were denied a great shout for a pen when their keeper punched Engels right in the bracket from a corner! Poor results but not shocking results and performances by a long shot.

No worries The Edge - its all about opinions
Maybe I expect too much … to me losing at home and away to Bournemouth constitutes "a shocking result" primarily as they are the level of opposition we should be expected to beat - I agree you cant compensate for individual errors  - its just so frustrating and disappointing that we cant beat a relegation rival - we can all look at "what if " scenarios in numerous games, however when you take these two particular games into consideration it just shows how thin the dividing line is between success and failure - we would have been better off drawing both games
Cheers and UTV - regards VCTM

Yeah I know mate it's been such a frustrating season. We're all feeling it. It's all about fine margins in the PL. The slightest error or lack of concentration and you get punished. I'm an optimist and whatever happens this season I'm confident that we have a bright future at B6.

[PaulTheVillan]

We might as well start every away game 1-0 down

[N'ZMAV]

I feel more depressed this time around than last time. Last time, as has been said, felt like a mercy killing. It always seemed like we were going to get relegated sooner or later so might as well get it over with. Plus we were so far adrift that the individual results ceased being important. Hammerings were greeted by gallows humour, last minute defeats by a shrug of the shoulders. And we didn't really know what the Championship was like, maybe it would be fun?

This time, after the excitement of last season, you felt like it could be the start of something special and the years of suffering could be coming to an end. Every hammering has been soul-destroying and every last minute loss has been a massive kick in the bollocks. Knowing it is coming doesn't make it any less painful. It also just feels like last year was for nothing, and I can no longer look back on those games with the enjoyment I used to get every time they repeated the playoff final on telly.

Conversely, I do believe we will be in much better shape to go back up this time, so this relegation could be much less damaging than the last one. But it feels much worse.

I read on here somewhere - someone said something like "the last relegation was execution style - this one is death by a thousand cuts"

[RamboandBruno]

I can forgive the home Bournemouth defeat as we were still finding our feet and did, at least, give it a bit of a go after a disastrous start.

The away games at Watford, Bournemouth and Southampton were the most unforgivable, for me. All massive games against teams that were relegation rivals and we just vanished. In terms of our capacity for being massive, bottling, fannies, not even getting a draw against ten man Arsenal having had the lead twice was just pathetic.

Agree about Watford, Bournemouth and Southampton no shows, add to that Sheffield Utd, good side but they never had to break a sweat. Think we were robbed at Arsenal though, there was a blatant handball that you wouldn’t even need VAR to view, after hourihane had a shot towards the end, ref it blew it away VAR didn’t even look. Might not have scored the penalty but might have and that point could make the difference

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[Mister E]

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Watching that again was useful:
- we WERE good going forward, despite Trez' inability to hit a decent shot
- Mings was awful for the 2nd Arse goal
- Engels was a liability! Two goals down to his poor defending
- the handball at the end was a disgrace from that wanker Moss

We played decent football but our defending really was comedy gold.

[RamboandBruno]

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Watching that again was useful:
- we WERE good going forward, despite Trez' inability to hit a decent shot
- Mings was awful for the 2nd Arse goal
- Engels was a liability! Two goals down to his poor defending
- the handball at the end was a disgrace from that wanker Moss

We played decent football but our defending really was comedy gold.

I know I sought out the handball and ended up watching the whole thing, what was Mings doing with that header!! We go down no doubt he’ll go but he really needs to stay and improve, whatever league we’re in. Engels not good enough and doubt we’ll see him again, something really strange with him being completely missing for big parts of the season. It is clear though that smith did want to attack this league, a real shame that we just couldn’t of drawn that, beat Burnley and West Ham at home instead of drawing when we largely dominated, 5 points better off and on the beach. Instead smith losing his confidence and way and the player’s the same.

[SoccerHQ]

Arsenal game was more horrible game management I'm afraid. I  remember in that game Arsenal were barely doing anything and then Emery made a double change around 60 minutes, DS did nothing.

Guendozhi came on and gave Arsenal the energy they needed in CM to make up for the lost man and we did nothing. He got a cheap penalty and his presence also caused other chances.

Should've put on another midfielder at 2-1 up to counter this but just looking at the line ups and Luiz wasn't in the 18 for some reason despite being on the bench for the West Ham game six days previously.

Sadly DS has not improved at that side of the game at all during the season even now when we can use 5 subs.

[walsall villain]

Arsenal game was more horrible game management I'm afraid. I  remember in that game Arsenal were barely doing anything and then Emery made a double change around 60 minutes, DS did nothing.

Guendozhi came on and gave Arsenal the energy they needed in CM to make up for the lost man and we did nothing. He got a cheap penalty and his presence also caused other chances.

Should've put on another midfielder at 2-1 up to counter this but just looking at the line ups and Luiz wasn't in the 18 for some reason despite being on the bench for the West Ham game six days previously.

Sadly DS has not improved at that side of the game at all during the season even now when we can use 5 subs.

Negative view I know but I can’t see how we could use 5 subs to our advantage at the moment. It’s not helping the likes of us.