Let’s keep our heads

[Davefevs]

31 minutes ago, WolfOfWestStreet said:

Shouldn't get dicked like that in any league. Kiddie beat Reading last week.

This attitude of, "Well its Fulham" needs to stop. We could have done them today if half the team had a brain. 

Today we played with 2 players who underperformed hugely, Vyner and O’Dowda, we can’t afford that against a team like Fulham.  We needed all 11 at it.  Other players got dragged around all over the place as a result.  Both had been doing ok of late (debate, discuss!).

Definitely some tactical issues on defensive corners too.  That didn’t help either.

But you are right, we have to go with some belief, jeez, we led twice, should’ve got a penalty having just gone 3-2 down…so not a forgone conclusion, even if a surprise.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

22 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Today we played with 2 players who underperformed hugely, Vyner and O’Dowda, we can’t afford that against a team like Fulham.  We needed all 11 at it.  Other players got dragged around all over the place as a result.  Both had been doing ok of late (debate, discuss!).

Definitely some tactical issues on defensive corners too.  That didn’t help either.

But you are right, we have to go with some belief, jeez, we led twice, should’ve got a penalty having just gone 3-2 down…so not a forgone conclusion, even if a surprise.

I saw the notification  "davefevs has replied" and got defensive in my own head straight off the bat. 

However I agree with everything you say, weak links (from senior pros) really let us down today. 

We gave Fulham so much respect, and that team is 100% beatable with the right mindset. Unfortunately despite a good start I felt our team just gave up. 

I fear this team is sometimes beat before we star,t and we need to start getting a bit of fire up our arses. 

I also think our fans accept losses like this when actually there were points there today and we should have got 1 or 2. 

 

 

 

[City oz]

12 hours ago, DaveF said:

Fulham are the best team I've ever seen at this level.

were we not once as well. OK many years ago but once we were one of the best if not the best in the second tier league of English football. 

Alas another minimum two seasons yet in front of us before we can claim that again.

[Ivorguy]

1 hour ago, City oz said:

were we not once as well. OK many years ago but once we were one of the best if not the best in the second tier league of English football. 

Alas another minimum two seasons yet in front of us before we can claim that again.

A lifetime ago

[Guest]

I  look at teams in the play offs and just outside; Blackburn, QPR, Boro, Huddersfield, Coventry and think why are we not in amongst these teams?

These teams have not spent multi millions on players recently, they have no better grounds than us, or greater support even the players cant see many that are much better than many of ours.

So why is it exactly ? has to be the management and the team spirit that is lacking. I craved for an exp manager and now we have one but I just see, mind boggling team choices and subs and too many players not turning up when chosen.

So we roll out the same old, need more time to build etc but thats been the same said for many years now with various managers while teams like the forementioned continue to pass us by.

I found this my club in this 2nd div (championship) over 50yrs ago now and we are still here, have managed the top div once but have mostly been down and around just where we are, so this is it then must be our level.

[IAmNick]

9 hours ago, WolfOfWestStreet said:

Shouldn't get dicked like that in any league. Kiddie beat Reading last week.

This attitude of, "Well its Fulham" needs to stop. We could have done them today if half the team had a brain. 

I agree that we shouldn't get beaten like that in the league... But that's not what you said.

You said only the worst teams have, and that's what I was responding to as it was a load of bollocks!

[Bristol Oil Services]

3 hours ago, gl2 said:

I  look at teams in the play offs and just outside; Blackburn, QPR, Boro, Huddersfield, Coventry and think why are we not in amongst these teams?

 

Partly because we're in a different stage of the cycle of form and fortune: we were where they are now in 17/18 and 18/19, and where were those clubs at that time? Answer: not where they are now. 

The trouble is, it's too difficult for clubs without the funds to maintain a play-off challenge year after year in this division for a number of reasons including when you do well but don't go up your best players are cherry-picked by better and wealthier clubs, and it's not always a good idea to stand in their way if they have an opportunity to move up the pyramid, or let their contracts run out, as we have seen.

Another reason is that few if any coaches or managers maintain their "magic" at one club for more than a handful of seasons. 

What we have to hope is that we stay up this season, and that we're still a Championship club when Palmer and Wells and whoever else is holding us back are gone, thereby free-ing us up to bring in appropriate, motivated lads for the task facing us here.

Then we might see the cycle turn around again, and good form and fortune return. If it doesn't then Nigel will go, and someone else will come in.

What we're trying to do is what we never seem to have been able to do, and that is rebuild at this level ie without collapsing back down to L1 and rebuilding from there, and seeing instead if we cannot get back amongst the not-so illustrious or much-like-our-level clubs you list there currently going through a positive stage of their own cycle. Back where we were three or four years ago, and ideally stay in contention longer and "deeper" into the season than we managed under LJ.

It might be SL's finest moment if we can do it.

 

 

[Bazooka Joe]

18 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Let’s also stop all this “we need a striker” bollocks.

Far rather persevere with Semenyo than sign the likes of Clarke-Harris.

Bigger issues at the other end of the pitch, especially if Baker isn’t going to return.

Both are over-rated

Edited January 16, 2022 by Bazooka Joe

[Galley is our king]

7 hours ago, City oz said:

were we not once as well. OK many years ago but once we were one of the best if not the best in the second tier league of English football. 

Alas another minimum two seasons yet in front of us before we can claim that again.

We certainly were one of the best but Sunderland won the title in 76.

Not that anyone gave a rats ass!

Really struggled that first year, will never forget that night in Coventry!!

I think the gap now is much bigger than then. 

Really don't know if I'd be happy seeing the team dicked EVERY week. Just have to look at Norwich this season.

[Lanterne Rouge]

4 minutes ago, Galley is our king said:

 

Really don't know if I'd be happy seeing the team dicked EVERY week. Just have to look at Norwich this season.

Scored ten goals all season and two of them were yesterday. I`m not sure I`d be enjoying that either!

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

Partly because we're in a different stage of the cycle of form and fortune: we were where they are now in 17/18 and 18/19, and where were those clubs at that time? Answer: not where they are now. 

The trouble is, it's too difficult for clubs without the funds to maintain a play-off challenge year after year in this division for a number of reasons including when you do well but don't go up your best players are cherry-picked by better and wealthier clubs, and it's not always a good idea to stand in their way if they have an opportunity to move up the pyramid, or let their contracts run out, as we have seen.

Another reason is that few if any coaches or managers maintain their "magic" at one club for more than a handful of seasons. 

What we have to hope is that we stay up this season, and that we're still a Championship club when Palmer and Wells and whoever else is holding us back are gone, thereby free-ing us up to bring in appropriate, motivated lads for the task facing us here.

Then we might see the cycle turn around again, and good form and fortune return. If it doesn't then Nigel will go, and someone else will come in.

What we're trying to do is what we never seem to have been able to do, and that is rebuild at this level ie without collapsing back down to L1 and rebuilding from there, and seeing instead if we cannot get back amongst the not-so illustrious or much-like-our-level clubs you list there currently going through a positive stage of their own cycle. Back where we were three or four years ago, and ideally stay in contention longer and "deeper" into the season than we managed under LJ.

It might be SL's finest moment if we can do it.

 

 

Beat me to it….pretty much exactly what I’d have posted.

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing - Tuckman Model

[22A]

Various members of the forum posted that we played well in the cup defeat and we also played well yesterday.

I suggest to Manager, coach and players they watch a replay of the two games to establish why the different results and move forward from that.

[Bristol Oil Services]

16 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

 

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing - Tuckman Model

Yes, precisely what I had in mind and was going to post a week or two ago. Been a lot of "Storming," though;