We have been down for weeks - I have had my 'grieving period' and am out the other side.
Saddened by not being bothered about going to games. Haven't been since Jan after having a season ticket since 1991.
But the whole 'we are down after today' is silly - we have been gone for ages.
At least we can all concentrate on getting the vermin out the club together now as surely there are no optimists left now.
I have been resigned to our fate for weeks but was very angry and upset yesterday.
Understandable mate, I was a bit gutted but resigned to it, so like a friend with a terminal illness their fate was inevitable. We'll be back when the five knuckle shuffle merchants have left town.
Interesting - once more - to see how narrow the margin is between survival and failure.
Rotherham - Played 41 Lost 21 Points 46 Charlton - Played 41 Lost 21 Points 36
Both sides got 20 results out of 41 games but Rotherham were winning more than us and we were drawing too many. Our demise in the Championship is due, therefore, to failing to hold on to a lead in a couple of games, conceding late equalisers in a couple of games and failing to take chances in a couple of games.
All avoidable - if we had started the season with a decent manager and a few more defenders.
We have been down for weeks - I have had my 'grieving period' and am out the other side.
Saddened by not being bothered about going to games. Haven't been since Jan after having a season ticket since 1991.
But the whole 'we are down after today' is silly - we have been gone for ages.
At least we can all concentrate on getting the vermin out the club together now as surely there are no optimists left now.
I have been resigned to our fate for weeks but was very angry and upset yesterday.
Understandable mate, I was a bit gutted but resigned to it, so like a friend with a terminal illness their fate was inevitable. We'll be back when the five knuckle shuffle merchants have left town.
Five knuckle shuffle? I'm pretty sure that two knuckles were injured, one was sold off to the highest bidder and one was too lazy to get off the bench leaving them more as a 1 knuckle shuffle brigade.
And that belonged to Tony Keohane and had to be shared around the leadership team over the week. No one had a good time.
The stewards were just CUNTS of the absolute highest order. There were a couple of occassions where six or seven were grabbing a lad both of 15 and virtually punching them in the face. The stewards were the ones behaving like hoolagan not he fans. Fucking pigs.
Really? I gotta say, I also witnessed some pretty pig like behaviour from 'fans' who were obviously on day release. It works both ways I'm afraid.
One is a paid profession, others are fans attending a local derby after lots of beer. You tell me who should stand the higher ground and act more professionally.. It shouldn't work both ways.
Totally respect your views, Granpa but would the appointment of a "proper CEO" make any difference ? The problem is that RD's profile of such will never meet our own and a successor to SWMBO would inevitably be another puppet with the owner pulling his/her strings as before.
And whilst I agree that the correct British manager would go some way towards appeasing the fans, this would mean investing more of his "hard earned" than he's prepared to do - they don't come cheap.
I believe it will take far more than engaging a British manager to gain the support of the majority of Addicks.
The proof of the pudding etc etc......
Hi Fanny, My thoughts here are based upon the fact I cannot see Roland being forced out, therefore can we somehow persuade him to change a few of his ways. I realise that it probably won't happen, but if you imagine us next season wth a Varney type CEO and a Warnock type manager, leaving Roland sitting at home counting his money things could be very different. Not so much pudding, more clutching at straws.
If we win our next 2 games (big if) and either Huddersfield or Rotherham lose their next 2 games then where 4 points off safety (+ terrible goal difference) with 3 games to go.
Wouldn't that freak people out! But nah where screwed
Blimey I'd be worried if I was a Forest fan, didn't realise they was that close to the relegation zone
At what odds @Covered End ? If they do catch up, then I'd like to use my last one it two home games with season ticket under the current owners with 'We're bottom of the league, we're bottom of the league, you didn't listen, we're bottom of the league.'
At what odds @Covered End ? If they do catch up, then I'd like to use my last one it two home games with season ticket under the current owners with 'We're bottom of the league, we're bottom of the league, you didn't listen, we're bottom of the league.'
The odds are 5/6.
(Like a typical gambler, I won't mention the other bets for Brighton, Reading, Preston & Hudds, together with Charlton to finish top half :-(
Wellwickman Playing Sanogo as a lone striker last tuesday a master stroke of tactical mismanagement. Apparent after 5 minuites that a) Sanogo not on his game & b) Town there for the taking. Riga might just have got away with it had JBG not been wiped out on 22. Presented with an opportunity to bolster striking options Jose chose instead threw a defensive Motta. Expected Town onslaught on restart soon petered out but the 552 waited until 72 for a 2nd striker to assist the disinterested Sanogo. I don't blame Ya Ya as he would not be fit having last played March 8 and chasing opponents not his game. We needed to beat Town to give us enough hope for the saturday but the head coach just blew it.
Wellwickman Playing Sanogo as a lone striker last tuesday a master stroke of tactical mismanagement. Apparent after 5 minuites that a) Sanogo not on his game & b) Town there for the taking. Riga might just have got away with it had JBG not been wiped out on 22. Presented with an opportunity to bolster striking options Jose chose instead threw a defensive Motta. Expected Town onslaught on restart soon petered out but the 552 waited until 72 for a 2nd striker to assist the disinterested Sanogo. I don't blame Ya Ya as he would not be fit having last played March 8 and chasing opponents not his game. We needed to beat Town to give us enough hope for the saturday but the head coach just blew it.
Harsh
Motta is hardly a defensive option, he's a typical modern full back who loves rampaging down the wing and isn't so good defensively
24 hours later and I still can't believe we didn't win yesterday, let alone lost the game. QPR fans couldn't believe we're in the position we're in based on that performance, and saying we should have beaten them twice this season. Completely agree about what a totally needless relegation this will be when it comes.
Bumped into Hendo and Jacko afterwards - they were rushing to get the tube from White City (was the team coach there yesterday?), and obviously didn't hang around at the end of the game. Fair play, they didn't mind doing a few selfies with fans, but they obviously weren't happy. Jacko was understandably frustrated he didn't get on sooner, thought he could have made a difference. Has no problem with the fans though.
24 hours later and I still can't believe we didn't win yesterday, let alone lost the game. QPR fans couldn't believe we're in the position we're in based on that performance, and saying we should have beaten them twice this season. Completely agree about what a totally needless relegation this will be when it comes.
Bumped into Hendo and Jacko afterwards - they were rushing to get the tube from White City (was the team coach there yesterday?), and obviously didn't hang around at the end of the game. Fair play, they didn't mind doing a few selfies with fans, but they obviously weren't happy. Jacko was understandably frustrated he didn't get on sooner, thought he could have made a difference. Has no problem with the fans though.
Yes we lost but it's probably not a game we would have lost had we not needed three points. It sounds like we were chasing it and just got hit by a sucker punch in the end. Add that to the offside goal and it's one of those results that you where at the end of the season normally we'd look back and laugh and say "that was ridiculous." Think of it as Bristol City away, but in reverse.
On the Tuesday match, I would say that Motta is more defensive than, say, throwing Mak on (I doubt Igor could have given 70 minutes on Tuesday). But it should also be said that he tried to start with an attacking lineup, and that is against an Ipswich side which has Pitman and Sears who can score at this level, in addition to Pringle on the right. I've been critical of Riga's substitutions at times, but that was one where it was basically Mak or Motta, and I think it's very harsh to fault him for his choice.
Our season didn't turn on the Ipswich and QPR results, it's just those were the ones that doomed us in the end. Had we put in performances like that throughout the year we wouldn't be in the place we're in.
24 hours later and I still can't believe we didn't win yesterday, let alone lost the game. QPR fans couldn't believe we're in the position we're in based on that performance, and saying we should have beaten them twice this season. Completely agree about what a totally needless relegation this will be when it comes.
Bumped into Hendo and Jacko afterwards - they were rushing to get the tube from White City (was the team coach there yesterday?), and obviously didn't hang around at the end of the game. Fair play, they didn't mind doing a few selfies with fans, but they obviously weren't happy. Jacko was understandably frustrated he didn't get on sooner, thought he could have made a difference. Has no problem with the fans though.
Yes we lost but it's probably not a game we would have lost had we not needed three points. It sounds like we were chasing it and just got hit by a sucker punch in the end. Add that to the offside goal and it's one of those results that you where at the end of the season normally we'd look back and laugh and say "that was ridiculous." Think of it as Bristol City away, but in reverse.
On the Tuesday match, I would say that Motta is more defensive than, say, throwing Mak on (I doubt Igor could have given 70 minutes on Tuesday). But it should also be said that he tried to start with an attacking lineup, and that is against an Ipswich side which has Pitman and Sears who can score at this level, in addition to Pringle on the right. I've been critical of Riga's substitutions at times, but that was one where it was basically Mak or Motta, and I think it's very harsh to fault him for his choice.
Our season didn't turn on the Ipswich and QPR results, it's just those were the ones that doomed us in the end. Had we put in performances like that throughout the year we wouldn't be in the place we're in.
When I talked of needless relegation, was referring to scandalous incompetence off the pitch which has seen us relying on far too many players not equipped - either through lack of fitness, ability or inexperience - to perform in this division. It's for this reason that the other results have doomed us before Ipswich and QPR, and made performances such as that of Saturday virtually impossible before now.
Re the match itself, on players marks thread I commended Riga for attacking line-up and attach no blame for losing a game we had to win, and only lost through taking risks and poor refereeing. Though it shouldn't have mattered, as had we taken our excellent chances even after we equalised we really should have been 2 or 3 up.
24 hours later and I still can't believe we didn't win yesterday, let alone lost the game. QPR fans couldn't believe we're in the position we're in based on that performance, and saying we should have beaten them twice this season. Completely agree about what a totally needless relegation this will be when it comes.
Bumped into Hendo and Jacko afterwards - they were rushing to get the tube from White City (was the team coach there yesterday?), and obviously didn't hang around at the end of the game. Fair play, they didn't mind doing a few selfies with fans, but they obviously weren't happy. Jacko was understandably frustrated he didn't get on sooner, thought he could have made a difference. Has no problem with the fans though.
Yes we lost but it's probably not a game we would have lost had we not needed three points. It sounds like we were chasing it and just got hit by a sucker punch in the end. Add that to the offside goal and it's one of those results that you where at the end of the season normally we'd look back and laugh and say "that was ridiculous." Think of it as Bristol City away, but in reverse.
On the Tuesday match, I would say that Motta is more defensive than, say, throwing Mak on (I doubt Igor could have given 70 minutes on Tuesday). But it should also be said that he tried to start with an attacking lineup, and that is against an Ipswich side which has Pitman and Sears who can score at this level, in addition to Pringle on the right. I've been critical of Riga's substitutions at times, but that was one where it was basically Mak or Motta, and I think it's very harsh to fault him for his choice.
Our season didn't turn on the Ipswich and QPR results, it's just those were the ones that doomed us in the end. Had we put in performances like that throughout the year we wouldn't be in the place we're in.
When I talked of needless relegation, was referring to scandalous incompetence off the pitch which has seen us relying on far too many players not equipped - either through lack of fitness, ability or inexperience - to perform in this division. It's for this reason that the other results have doomed us before Ipswich and QPR, and made performances such as that of Saturday virtually impossible before now.
Re the match itself, on players marks thread I commended Riga for attacking line-up and attach no blame for losing a game we had to win, and only lost through taking risks and poor refereeing. Though it shouldn't have mattered, as had we taken our excellent chances even after we equalised we really should have been 2 or 3 up.
Gotcha, and I got what you meant about "how we lost it," sorry if I wasn't clear on that. I was just trying to say the result was a fluke of the circumstance--probably trying to make myself feel better as much as anything . I think you give an excellent account. Completely agree with you that mismanagement from the summer through about February is really why we're in this position.
24 hours later and I still can't believe we didn't win yesterday, let alone lost the game. QPR fans couldn't believe we're in the position we're in based on that performance, and saying we should have beaten them twice this season. Completely agree about what a totally needless relegation this will be when it comes.
Bumped into Hendo and Jacko afterwards - they were rushing to get the tube from White City (was the team coach there yesterday?), and obviously didn't hang around at the end of the game. Fair play, they didn't mind doing a few selfies with fans, but they obviously weren't happy. Jacko was understandably frustrated he didn't get on sooner, thought he could have made a difference. Has no problem with the fans though.
Yes we lost but it's probably not a game we would have lost had we not needed three points. It sounds like we were chasing it and just got hit by a sucker punch in the end. Add that to the offside goal and it's one of those results that you where at the end of the season normally we'd look back and laugh and say "that was ridiculous." Think of it as Bristol City away, but in reverse.
On the Tuesday match, I would say that Motta is more defensive than, say, throwing Mak on (I doubt Igor could have given 70 minutes on Tuesday). But it should also be said that he tried to start with an attacking lineup, and that is against an Ipswich side which has Pitman and Sears who can score at this level, in addition to Pringle on the right. I've been critical of Riga's substitutions at times, but that was one where it was basically Mak or Motta, and I think it's very harsh to fault him for his choice.
Our season didn't turn on the Ipswich and QPR results, it's just those were the ones that doomed us in the end. Had we put in performances like that throughout the year we wouldn't be in the place we're in.
When I talked of needless relegation, was referring to scandalous incompetence off the pitch which has seen us relying on far too many players not equipped - either through lack of fitness, ability or inexperience - to perform in this division. It's for this reason that the other results have doomed us before Ipswich and QPR, and made performances such as that of Saturday virtually impossible before now.
Re the match itself, on players marks thread I commended Riga for attacking line-up and attach no blame for losing a game we had to win, and only lost through taking risks and poor refereeing. Though it shouldn't have mattered, as had we taken our excellent chances even after we equalised we really should have been 2 or 3 up.
Gotcha, and I got what you meant about "how we lost it," sorry if I wasn't clear on that. I was just trying to say the result was a fluke of the circumstance--probably trying to make myself feel better as much as anything . I think you give an excellent account. Completely agree with you that mismanagement from the summer through about February is really why we're in this position.
Just re-watching the highlights and something that didn't register the first time is that in the build up to the QPR goal Lookman is fouled, the referee plays advantage, and shortly thereafter Lookman is nudged off the ball. There was no clear advantage and it should have been called back for the foul. Absolutely basic decision, shocking.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
Karel Fraeye and relegation under the Belgians is enough for me and many many others.
You crack on with having a defence of them, or perhaps you'll have a sleep and change your viewpoint AGAIN.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
The appointment of Fraeye and KMs comments in Dublin confirming the vision is for us to sell young players to the Premier League makes it very black and white for me. It's completely clear now we're an experiment and the only ambitions is to attempt to compete while breaking even. That's before you add the disaster that was player recruitment last summer.
12th last season - we had the help of Standard Liege players, Bulot, Buyens, Watt and Ben Haim (not so much Tucudean). That will no longer happen.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
The appointment of Fraeye and KMs comments in Dublin confirming the vision is for us to sell young players to the Premier League makes it very black and white for me. It's completely clear now we're an experiment and the only ambitions is to attempt to compete while breaking even. That's before you add the disaster that was player recruitment last summer.
12th last season - we had the help of Standard Liege players, Bulot, Buyens, Watt and Ben Haim (not so much Tucudean). That will no longer happen.
Which is embarrassing in itself.
Bulot since leaving 2015– Reims 15 Buyens since leaving 2015– Genk 10 Tony Watt 2015–2016 → Cardiff City (loan) 9 2016 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 9 Ben Haim 2015– Maccabi Tel Aviv 12
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
Yes, this season has been a train wreck, due to the continuation of policies, structure and personnel in place since the start of the regime's reign. They haven't suddenly changed strategy this season. This season we have reaped what's been sown since Jan 2014.
My son reached a cup final with his team over the weekend which clashes with the Burnley game - so Brighton will be my goodbye. I'm sure I will have a few tears in my eyes at that game as I don't know when I will be back (or more clearly, when the owner will leave). We will try to catch a few away games next season though.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
Well, here's my explanation.
1. The regime got lucky last season (imagine if Peeters had been replaced by Fraeye), mainly because Vetokele scored a decent number of goals before getting knackered and then Watt managed a whole three month period without his demons interfering with his undoubted ability. This season we are seeing the fruits of all Meire and Duchatelet's "labours". We can only judge them on what they have provided us this season, as I believe the fragrant and lovely CEO invited us to do.
2. The season before Riga inherited a squad and backroom team that understood the league - I firmly believe that Chris Powell (who had been starved of acceptable resources) would have kept us up.
3. Six Academy players is easy, a paper thin squad, unable to cope with injuries to key personnel; the squad holding it own is partly due to having brought in a coach (that the regime previously believed we did not need) who understands tactics, and partly due to previously injured or lately acquired players becoming fit enough to compete.
Personally, I think it's entirely black and white.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
Well, here's my explanation.
1. The regime got lucky last season (imagine if Peeters had been replaced by Fraeye), mainly because Vetokele scored a decent number of goals before getting knackered and then Watt managed a whole three month period without his demons interfering with his undoubted ability. This season we are seeing the fruits of all Meire and Duchatelet's "labours". We can only judge them on what they have provided us this season, as I believe the fragrant and lovely CEO invited us to do.
2. The season before Riga inherited a squad and backroom team that understood the league - I firmly believe that Chris Powell (who had been starved of acceptable resources) would have kept us up.
3. Six Academy players is easy, a paper thin squad, unable to cope with injuries to key personnel; the squad holding it own is partly due to having brought in a coach (that the regime previously believed we did not need) who understands tactics, and partly due to previously injured or lately acquired players becoming fit enough to compete.
Personally, I think it's entirely black and white.
I genuinely couldn't have put it better myself.
It's a sad state of affairs when "we have six academy players in the first 18 [...] when we used to only have three" is seen as some form of defense, as though it either:
- disputes the facts around a squad strength; - is a consolation for being relegated; - is good for the young player's development.
Our relegation is down to total incompetence by the Belgians since January 2014.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
Explain a 12th place finish last season!
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
The appointment of Fraeye and KMs comments in Dublin confirming the vision is for us to sell young players to the Premier League makes it very black and white for me. It's completely clear now we're an experiment and the only ambitions is to attempt to compete while breaking even. That's before you add the disaster that was player recruitment last summer.
12th last season - we had the help of Standard Liege players, Bulot, Buyens, Watt and Ben Haim (not so much Tucudean). That will no longer happen.
Which is embarrassing in itself.
Bulot since leaving 2015– Reims 15 Buyens since leaving 2015– Genk 10 Tony Watt 2015–2016 → Cardiff City (loan) 9 2016 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 9 Ben Haim 2015– Maccabi Tel Aviv 12
55 appearances with only 18 in a decent league.
Hate to say it yet never use Wikipedia as a source for Appearances.
Yoni Buyens has played 26 League matches this season for Genk. Freddie Bulot has only played 15-times for Reims but only missed two games before picking up a knee injury
Comments
Rotherham - Played 41 Lost 21 Points 46
Charlton - Played 41 Lost 21 Points 36
Both sides got 20 results out of 41 games but Rotherham were winning more than us and we were drawing too many. Our demise in the Championship is due, therefore, to failing to hold on to a lead in a couple of games, conceding late equalisers in a couple of games and failing to take chances in a couple of games.
All avoidable - if we had started the season with a decent manager and a few more defenders.
And that belonged to Tony Keohane and had to be shared around the leadership team over the week. No one had a good time.
Totally respect your views, Granpa but would the appointment of a "proper CEO" make any difference ? The problem is that RD's profile of such will never meet our own and a successor to SWMBO would inevitably be another puppet with the owner pulling his/her strings as before.
And whilst I agree that the correct British manager would go some way towards appeasing the fans, this would mean investing more of his "hard earned" than he's prepared to do - they don't come cheap.
I believe it will take far more than engaging a British manager to gain the support of the majority of Addicks.
The proof of the pudding etc etc......
Hi Fanny,
My thoughts here are based upon the fact I cannot see Roland being forced out, therefore can we somehow persuade him to change a few of his ways. I realise that it probably won't happen, but if you imagine us next season wth a Varney type CEO and a Warnock type manager, leaving Roland sitting at home counting his money things could be very different. Not so much pudding, more clutching at straws.
(Like a typical gambler, I won't mention the other bets for Brighton, Reading, Preston & Hudds, together with Charlton to finish top half :-(
Playing Sanogo as a lone striker last tuesday a master stroke of tactical mismanagement. Apparent after 5 minuites that
a) Sanogo not on his game & b) Town there for the taking.
Riga might just have got away with it had JBG not been wiped out on 22. Presented with an opportunity to bolster striking options Jose chose instead threw a defensive Motta.
Expected Town onslaught on restart soon petered out but the 552 waited until 72 for a 2nd striker to assist the disinterested Sanogo. I don't blame Ya Ya as he would not be fit having last played March 8 and chasing opponents not his game.
We needed to beat Town to give us enough hope for the saturday but the head coach just blew it.
Championes championes 5 time champions league winners.
Motta is hardly a defensive option, he's a typical modern full back who loves rampaging down the wing and isn't so good defensively
Bumped into Hendo and Jacko afterwards - they were rushing to get the tube from White City (was the team coach there yesterday?), and obviously didn't hang around at the end of the game. Fair play, they didn't mind doing a few selfies with fans, but they obviously weren't happy. Jacko was understandably frustrated he didn't get on sooner, thought he could have made a difference. Has no problem with the fans though.
On the Tuesday match, I would say that Motta is more defensive than, say, throwing Mak on (I doubt Igor could have given 70 minutes on Tuesday). But it should also be said that he tried to start with an attacking lineup, and that is against an Ipswich side which has Pitman and Sears who can score at this level, in addition to Pringle on the right. I've been critical of Riga's substitutions at times, but that was one where it was basically Mak or Motta, and I think it's very harsh to fault him for his choice.
Our season didn't turn on the Ipswich and QPR results, it's just those were the ones that doomed us in the end. Had we put in performances like that throughout the year we wouldn't be in the place we're in.
They have been an accident waiting to happen.
When I talked of needless relegation, was referring to scandalous incompetence off the pitch which has seen us relying on far too many players not equipped - either through lack of fitness, ability or inexperience - to perform in this division. It's for this reason that the other results have doomed us before Ipswich and QPR, and made performances such as that of Saturday virtually impossible before now.
Re the match itself, on players marks thread I commended Riga for attacking line-up and attach no blame for losing a game we had to win, and only lost through taking risks and poor refereeing. Though it shouldn't have mattered, as had we taken our excellent chances even after we equalised we really should have been 2 or 3 up.
Explain how Riga won more games than Powell in 2013/14 when he coached 16 and Powell coached 30. And Powell had Kermorgant and Stephens before they bailed.
Explain how we have six academy players in a first 18 which has held its own these last two months when we only used to have three.
None of this is black and white.
Oversimplification for the purposes of propaganda does not serve our club.
NB none of this should be taken as a defense if the decision to appoint Fraeye or fail to replac5e injured players with loans when our club had time to avoid relegation. This season has been a train wreck.
You crack on with having a defence of them, or perhaps you'll have a sleep and change your viewpoint AGAIN.
You have not got a clue.
12th last season - we had the help of Standard Liege players, Bulot, Buyens, Watt and Ben Haim (not so much Tucudean). That will no longer happen.
Bulot since leaving
2015– Reims 15
Buyens since leaving
2015– Genk 10
Tony Watt
2015–2016 → Cardiff City (loan) 9
2016 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 9
Ben Haim
2015– Maccabi Tel Aviv 12
55 appearances with only 18 in a decent league.
1. The regime got lucky last season (imagine if Peeters had been replaced by Fraeye), mainly because Vetokele scored a decent number of goals before getting knackered and then Watt managed a whole three month period without his demons interfering with his undoubted ability. This season we are seeing the fruits of all Meire and Duchatelet's "labours". We can only judge them on what they have provided us this season, as I believe the fragrant and lovely CEO invited us to do.
2. The season before Riga inherited a squad and backroom team that understood the league - I firmly believe that Chris Powell (who had been starved of acceptable resources) would have kept us up.
3. Six Academy players is easy, a paper thin squad, unable to cope with injuries to key personnel; the squad holding it own is partly due to having brought in a coach (that the regime previously believed we did not need) who understands tactics, and partly due to previously injured or lately acquired players becoming fit enough to compete.
Personally, I think it's entirely black and white.
It's a sad state of affairs when "we have six academy players in the first 18 [...] when we used to only have three" is seen as some form of defense, as though it either:
- disputes the facts around a squad strength;
- is a consolation for being relegated;
- is good for the young player's development.
It's one of the symptoms.
Yoni Buyens has played 26 League matches this season for Genk.
Freddie Bulot has only played 15-times for Reims but only missed two games before picking up a knee injury