It does feel very similar to 2008/09...except that we didn't take as many thrashings back then.
Let's look back....
Our keeper (Weaver) had a fairly poor season. I seem to recall that he didn't have many complete howlers but didn't play any blinders or make that many saves. For instance, a flying tip round the post in the last second at Plymouth would've been handy (Mpenza's killer equaliser from outside the box).
Our centre-back pairings often included one of a pair of crocks (Primus or Fortune) and didn't really start to look ok until Darren Ward came in.
Our full-backs didn't contribute much offensively....Murty, Butterfield, Crainie, McEveley and were no more than ordinary in defence.
We had a talented wide-man, who offered very little defensively (Bouazza). A journeyman wide-man (Gillespie) who created very little, an ok wide-man but learning (Sam).
Our forwards were ineffective, due to lack of service and their own lack of creativity; Gray, Dickson, Burton, Varney (sold) McLeod (loaned to Millwall) Waghorn (youngster).
On balance, I think we probably have better players now but the league is also stronger.
Some may not agree with me, but this is not at all like any of those three relegation seasons. To me, it's more like one of the years we actually got out of it - we do still have time to save ourselves!
72/3 - We were awful in the last third of the season. Many of the decent players were gone or going. No good youngsters coming through. It took three years to recover. 79/80 - Off field troubles compromised the team a lot; Nelson and Bailey were at loggerheads. Nelson lost the dressing room. We did have a couple of decent youngsters (Walsh and Smith) and some old heads (Hales, Powell, Aizlewood, etc), but were tailed off most of the season and always going down. We bounced back with similar players the next season. 08/9 - We had a good set of players but no direction. Once Pardew lost interest (as there was no money left) and we couldn't afford another manager it took too long to turn things around. Even the following year, with Shelvey and Bailey, we should have gone back up.
This year, with investment, our squad should be good enough to stay up, provided they have the spirit and fight required. Do they have that though?
Not sure Smith and certainly Aizlewood were with us in 79. Only my second season but it was a poor one regardless. Thing is back then we expected little more.
It does feel very similar to 2008/09...except that we didn't take as many thrashings back then.
Let's look back....
Our keeper (Weaver) had a fairly poor season. I seem to recall that he didn't have many complete howlers but didn't play any blinders or make that many saves. For instance, a flying tip round the post in the last second at Plymouth would've been handy (Mpenza's killer equaliser from outside the box).
Our centre-back pairings often included one of a pair of crocks (Primus or Fortune) and didn't really start to look ok until Darren Ward came in.
Our full-backs didn't contribute much offensively....Murty, Butterfield, Crainie, McEveley and were no more than ordinary in defence.
We had a talented wide-man, who offered very little defensively (Bouazza). A journeyman wide-man (Gillespie) who created very little, an ok wide-man but learning (Sam).
Our forwards were ineffective, due to lack of service and their own lack of creativity; Gray, Dickson, Burton, Varney (sold) McLeod (loaned to Millwall) Waghorn (youngster).
On balance, I think we probably have better players now but the league is also stronger.
Pardew had Bougherra sold on the eve of the season and we never really recovered that position. I only caught the post-Pardew bit of that season thanks to working in Saudi during 2008. Very thankful ;-)
My worse experience in 63 years,I saw us lose 11-1 at Villa 1959,5-0 home to Rotherham in front of 3500 in the pissing rain,saw us nearly go out of business,witnessed our beloved Valley taken from us,I have never felt as low as this
I was still in short pants when that 11-1 score was read out over the radio at my Grandads house. My Dad was also present and I started to well up and the pair of them said, don't upset yourself boy it's got to be a misprint that'll be a 1-1 draw.
Sadly it wasn't and when it was confirmed on the telly when we got home I was in melt down so thinking back on this, at least I got two matches in to see us concede 11; so @se9addick life's not so bad after all
I felt pretty grim when I saw us get slaughtered 7-0 at Brighton but I was there the following week away to Newcastle...with about 35 others in the pissing rain (that one is on YouTube).
To be fair, the two away thrashings last week would've taken the biscuit...had I been there.
The previous relegations didnt feel as bad as the current predicament as at least there was some kind of impression that there was management of the club (even in the Gliksten era ),the move away from the Valley (whilst tempered by promotion hurt us more). Whilst the players have to look at themselves there is absolutely no confidence in management/direction top to bottom now .Unless RD gives the keys to us and walks away i fear a very depressing future
Some may not agree with me, but this is not at all like any of those three relegation seasons. To me, it's more like one of the years we actually got out of it - we do still have time to save ourselves!
72/3 - We were awful in the last third of the season. Many of the decent players were gone or going. No good youngsters coming through. It took three years to recover. 79/80 - Off field troubles compromised the team a lot; Nelson and Bailey were at loggerheads. Nelson lost the dressing room. We did have a couple of decent youngsters (Walsh and Smith) and some old heads (Hales, Powell, Aizlewood, etc), but were tailed off most of the season and always going down. We bounced back with similar players the next season. 08/9 - We had a good set of players but no direction. Once Pardew lost interest (as there was no money left) and we couldn't afford another manager it took too long to turn things around. Even the following year, with Shelvey and Bailey, we should have gone back up.
This year, with investment, our squad should be good enough to stay up, provided they have the spirit and fight required. Do they have that though?
Not sure Smith and certainly Aizlewood were with us in 79. Only my second season but it was a poor one regardless. Thing is back then we expected little more.
Kevin Smith was; he and Walsh made their debuts that season and were mainstays the next. Yes, got the Aiz bit wrong - he was around for the 86 promotion, not the 81 one! Soz!
Some may not agree with me, but this is not at all like any of those three relegation seasons. To me, it's more like one of the years we actually got out of it - we do still have time to save ourselves!
72/3 - We were awful in the last third of the season. Many of the decent players were gone or going. No good youngsters coming through. It took three years to recover. 79/80 - Off field troubles compromised the team a lot; Nelson and Bailey were at loggerheads. Nelson lost the dressing room. We did have a couple of decent youngsters (Walsh and Smith) and some old heads (Hales, Powell, Aizlewood, etc), but were tailed off most of the season and always going down. We bounced back with similar players the next season. 08/9 - We had a good set of players but no direction. Once Pardew lost interest (as there was no money left) and we couldn't afford another manager it took too long to turn things around. Even the following year, with Shelvey and Bailey, we should have gone back up.
This year, with investment, our squad should be good enough to stay up, provided they have the spirit and fight required. Do they have that though?
Not sure Smith and certainly Aizlewood were with us in 79. Only my second season but it was a poor one regardless. Thing is back then we expected little more.
Kevin Smith was; he and Walsh made their debuts that season and were mainstays the next. Yes, got the Aiz bit wrong - he was around for the 86 promotion, not the 81 one! Soz!
Some may not agree with me, but this is not at all like any of those three relegation seasons. To me, it's more like one of the years we actually got out of it - we do still have time to save ourselves!
72/3 - We were awful in the last third of the season. Many of the decent players were gone or going. No good youngsters coming through. It took three years to recover. 79/80 - Off field troubles compromised the team a lot; Nelson and Bailey were at loggerheads. Nelson lost the dressing room. We did have a couple of decent youngsters (Walsh and Smith) and some old heads (Hales, Powell, Aizlewood, etc), but were tailed off most of the season and always going down. We bounced back with similar players the next season. 08/9 - We had a good set of players but no direction. Once Pardew lost interest (as there was no money left) and we couldn't afford another manager it took too long to turn things around. Even the following year, with Shelvey and Bailey, we should have gone back up.
This year, with investment, our squad should be good enough to stay up, provided they have the spirit and fight required. Do they have that though?
Not sure Smith and certainly Aizlewood were with us in 79. Only my second season but it was a poor one regardless. Thing is back then we expected little more.
Kevin Smith was; he and Walsh made their debuts that season and were mainstays the next. Yes, got the Aiz bit wrong - he was around for the 86 promotion, not the 81 one! Soz!
Loved Kevin Smith.
He used take a pretty good penalty and had a decent low shot on him generally.
Comments
Let's look back....
Our keeper (Weaver) had a fairly poor season. I seem to recall that he didn't have many complete howlers but didn't play any blinders or make that many saves. For instance, a flying tip round the post in the last second at Plymouth would've been handy (Mpenza's killer equaliser from outside the box).
Our centre-back pairings often included one of a pair of crocks (Primus or Fortune) and didn't really start to look ok until Darren Ward came in.
Our full-backs didn't contribute much offensively....Murty, Butterfield, Crainie, McEveley and were no more than ordinary in defence.
We had a talented wide-man, who offered very little defensively (Bouazza). A journeyman wide-man (Gillespie) who created very little, an ok wide-man but learning (Sam).
Our forwards were ineffective, due to lack of service and their own lack of creativity; Gray, Dickson, Burton, Varney (sold) McLeod (loaned to Millwall) Waghorn (youngster).
On balance, I think we probably have better players now but the league is also stronger.
castrust.org/2016/01/was-that-the-worst-week-ever/
Sadly it wasn't and when it was confirmed on the telly when we got home I was in melt down so thinking back on this, at least I got two matches in to see us concede 11; so @se9addick life's not so bad after all
To be fair, the two away thrashings last week would've taken the biscuit...had I been there.