Anybody starting to get worried…… again?

[gpbarr]

I don't think we will be dragged into a relegation battle but the chances of a top half finish are diminishing and it looks like the likes of Newcastle and Leeds are going to catch up with us.  We cannot allow that to happen.

Newcastle did not win a match until 14 games into the  season,  and now sit above us.

A damning indictment of this lousy manager

Very eloquently said. And unless the form changes there is every chance that Leeds overtake us too.

It’s been as bad a season as any of us could have imagined - just awful. And I don’t buy that we can buy ourselves out of trouble. It’s that sort of thinking that gets teams relegated.

The owners must be wondering what the fuck is going on.

[Ads]

Buying better players is what gets you relegated?

[Chris Smith]

Buying better players is what gets you relegated?

Not using them properly is what gets you relegated.

[gpbarr]

Buying better players is what gets you relegated?

Sure.Ask Fulham.

I think most on here thought Ings, Bailey, Buendia, Coutinho, Chambers, and Digne (let’s call that a cool £50m or so) we’re collectively upgrades over the squad that ended last season. Regardless who you buy, they still need coaching.

I genuinely hope your right Ads - and maybe you will be. But I’ll wait till I see evidence where it matters and that’s on the pitch.

[Mister E]

Whether we hate why he left or not, Grealish was inspirational. Otherwise good general point.

Grealish was inspirational in a "give me the ball" way: I don't recall him wearing the metaphorical bloodied headband (a la Terry Butcher), getting in the ref's face (like JTerry) or talking to players to gee them up.
No.

[Beard82]

I know it's probably bollocks because everything has changed, from owners to cleaners, but I wonder if there's still a survival instinct hanging round the club and we've turned into the Coventry of old - do enough to stay up then switch off.

No I don't buy that. Edens is used to winning in sport (and life generally I guess) and I saw his response to one of Smith's last games when he was going apoplectic. It certainly didn't look like he was content with the status quo, and Smith was gone not long afterwards. They've obviously relied on Purlow's word for the Gerrard appointment. It'll either work out with them backing him in the summer, or it won't and I imagine it'll be a 2 for 1 on the P45s. Whatever happens it won't be for lack of effort.

I think your spot on here in every aspect

[Beard82]

Whether we hate why he left or not, Grealish was inspirational. Otherwise good general point.

Grealish was inspirational in a "give me the ball" way: I don't recall him wearing the metaphorical bloodied headband (a la Terry Butcher), getting in the ref's face (like JTerry) or talking to players to gee them up.
No.

Joe seemed to lead in a way that got the best out of the team - I think last season our performance with him we’re touching on Champions League form.  Plus we had Mings who I think is a good leader.  The problem is not enough of them are the type you want next to you in the trenches so to speak. 

We could do with more people like that as we’re too weak willed

[RamboandBruno]

Whether we hate why he left or not, Grealish was inspirational. Otherwise good general point.

Grealish was inspirational in a "give me the ball" way: I don't recall him wearing the metaphorical bloodied headband (a la Terry Butcher), getting in the ref's face (like JTerry) or talking to players to gee them up.
No.

Apart from when a blue nose twat lamped him and he got up and later scored the winner, inspirational obviously depends on how you define it. But anyway feck him he’a gone.

[Ads]

Buying better players is what gets you relegated?

Sure.Ask Fulham.

I think most on here thought Ings, Bailey, Buendia, Coutinho, Chambers, and Digne (let’s call that a cool £50m or so) we’re collectively upgrades over the squad that ended last season. Regardless who you buy, they still need coaching.

I genuinely hope your right Ads - and maybe you will be. But I’ll wait till I see evidence where it matters and that’s on the pitch.

Ask Fulham what?

We've had a structural problem since we were promoted. Our defence gifts soft goals, be that Arsenal away in October 2019 or West Ham away in March. There's a lack of screening cover from a midfield that's too easy to play through.

Grealish helped balance the odds with his brilliance, but he's gone and all the attacking players mentioned are attempts to replace him.

If we improve our structural deficiencies, then the attacking players will have a better platform to earn us 1 or 3 points.

You seemed to reveal in predicting the worst and then complaining about it.

[olaftab]

I know it's probably bollocks because everything has changed, from owners to cleaners, but I wonder if there's still a survival instinct hanging round the club and we've turned into the Coventry of old - do enough to stay up then switch off.

This is an issue but not an issue at any club level it's more to do with player mentality and effects, in a wholesale way, player playing in the Premier League for clubs outside the say top 8 teams. Once these player realise they are ok for another season in the PL they just switch off. Whilst they think job is done it's doing profound damage to their development to a point where they start regressing without realising. A good example is West Brom in their last full season under Pulis. They reached around 40 points in mid March and then switched off not winning another match for the rest of the season. Next season they carried that form from the start and got relegated finishing bottom. The sad truth is that most of players in teams that are usually not competing for European places  only have two targets. One being to keep their PL pay grade and other being somehow to do well enough to get transferred to a top 6 team even if it is to sit on the bench week in week out. This problem can be resolved by exceptional Coaches.

[SoccerHQ]

Think a bigger problem is we just don't believe enough in games against top half teams under this manager.

Look how passive we were for first 70 minutes v Arsenal. Since then they've lost to Palace, Brighton and Southampton. All below us in the table before they won v Arsenal.

Were rubbish v Wolves first half. They lost to Leeds and Newcastle either side of beating us.

Weren't awful v West Ham but ultimately lost while Burnley got a draw away to them 3 days after a european game.

Spurs at least until it went 2-0 was a good performance.

Simply haven't shown enough to me we're capable of getting decent results against the top teams which you need to do if we want to be seriously in the shake up for 7th this time next year so to me it's a big gamble to give him another 100m+ to spend in the summer.

[Flin5tone]

We are in a relegation battle , there's no doubt about it. The way we are playing and unable to put the ball into the net I can't see where the next points are coming from. This is absolutely tragic.

Mr Purslow and the owners will have expected AT LEAST top half. There's going to be some big decisions made in the summer

[Ads]

Bit early to be drinking turps isn't it Wilma?

[Nunkin1965]

We are in a relegation battle , there's no doubt about it. The way we are playing and unable to put the ball into the net I can't see where the next points are coming from. This is absolutely tragic.

Mr Purslow and the owners will have expected AT LEAST top half. There's going to be some big decisions made in the summer

You've a big decision in the summer regarding your ST.
There's thousands waiting for it of you decide not to renew because of the crisis you think we're going  through.

[Brazilian Villain]

We are in a relegation battle , there's no doubt about it. The way we are playing and unable to put the ball into the net I can't see where the next points are coming from. This is absolutely tragic.

Mr Purslow and the owners will have expected AT LEAST top half. There's going to be some big decisions made in the summer

You've a big decision in the summer regarding your ST.
There's thousands waiting for it of you decide not to renew because of the crisis you think we're going  through.

Vegas is not renewing his season tickets either so the waiting list could be down to 21,997.