We seem to have no fight in us. On our day we can play nicey-nice football, but how often do we (really) do that. Our directors, managers, staff and players always seem to say the obvious/right things and play safe, i.e no-one seems to stick their heads out and say what should be said, be controversial even as we see at other clubs. They just seem to cover each others backs, it's all too nicey-nicey.
We are a nice club, that's what everyone says about us. It rubs off onto our players. Every time we sign a new player it only seems to take about 4 games until that new players' thrust and fight is sapped too and we lose the potential that we saw when we wanted to get some of that into our team (at long last).
When players leave us they start to perform again under a different manager, a different regime. We have all noticed this haven't we?
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You mean like Mcleod, Varney, Dickson, Faye, Traore, and Moutoakil? All roaring sucesses
Even Ambrose had a shocker at Ipswich before his rejuvenation at Palace.
Danny Murphy will probably be quoted and yes he is doing well at Fulham now but rotted in Spurs reserves for two years after leaving us. Konchesky is perhaps the one that got away.
The problem recently is the blend. Ambrose was one of many lightweight players for much of his time with us so,whilst he showed occasional glimpses, he never really fulfilled his potential with us. Warnock appears to have the players to accommodate Darren's frequent disappearing acts in between the good stuff which we never did with a geriatric Matt Holland running midfield once Curbs left.
I rated all of those players when they played for us. Iwelumo was our top scorer wasn't he?
The only players I can think of who surprised me with their subsequent success are Lisbie and Ambrose
Sorry but for me there's not a huge difference between how we played at the start of the season and now. I spent the the first months of the season thinking 'yes we're winning but it still doesn't feel like we've clicked'. We were beating teams but hardly ever looked like we were fully in our stride ( with a couple of exceptions) . My main memories of the earlier parts of the season are grinding out wins (orient, exeter, huddersfield) and surviving scares (wycombe, bristol rovers at home). Relying on the extra bit of quality we've got in midfield to eventually win, but never feeling too comfortable. Relying on Nicky Bailey to drag us out of trouble like Liverpool do with Gerrard.
We desperately need a finisher, but we can't afford an established one, so we have to take on gambles like sodje and mckenzie. It's not like southampton buying lambert and then bringing in lee barnard just in case. When we got relegated from the PL we had millions to spend on the strikers that would get us back where we wanted to be and we blew it. At southampton pardew can afford to keep bringing in players if his first signings don't work, but we didn't have that luxury.
As long as we're winning everything's fine and the problems are covered up, but we couldn't go on grinding out wins all year long.
I don't really post on here much anymore, but that game yesterday hurt a lot, and it could get worse before it gets better.
i'm not trying to say 'we've been shit all year', i'm saying we've been mediocre all year but the problems have always been there. Oh and i have no idea what the answer is (i don't think it's akpo sodje though).
I don't think anyone has been good all year, you only have to look at the results (Norwich at the start, Huddersfield and MK in the middle, us and Leeds now) but it is indicative of the league we're in and the general levels of ability the players have at all clubs..
Thats why we need to show that extra bit of determination and grit which we have not been showing to get the results.
Bailey is very much not what is wrong with the club at the moment.
The fact that it's got steadily worse and we've had NO-ONE to grab the situation by the scruff of the neck and finally get to grips with things over the FIVE YEARS since then, is bloody frightening and upsetting.
It was rare to be elated and how long did we have to wait?
Back to these ways again, I feel.
All the 'keep the faith' supporters can say we can still do it (sigh).
Like BBClaus, he feels we haven't been THAT great all season and flattered to deceive in the early months. We both agreed that last night's performance was woeful although to start with we had the same midfield on show that started the good run at the beginning of this term.... many said it was the best midfield in the division. What the feck has changed ????
A manager who'll kick ass like Colin was the answer we came up with and who will get players to shape up or ship out IYKWIM, although rumour has it that he may go to QPR ...what a poisoned chalice that is !
By the time this guy's wife had made her purchase, he said he'll likely buy the 5 year season ticket like me and will stick with the Club whatever transpires. But another worry is losing the Academy if we're not promoted /" taken over" by the end of May.