Thoughts as our Season reaches half time

[Robin Wood]

11 hours ago, Northern Red said:

I was right, you do still think we'll get relegated, don't you?

Just below half way

[Carey 6]

16 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

I read in another thread that he’s signed 64 players. Is anyone in a position to confirm that’s true? Staggering if so. 

15/16 (2)
Odemwingie (Loan)
Matthews (Loan)
16/17 (18)
Tomlin
Magnússon
Djuric
Hegeler
Moore
Engvall
O'Dowda
Taylor
O'Neil
Brownhill
Lucic
Cotterill
Giefer
Wright
Paterson
Ekstrand
Matthews (Loan)
Abraham (Loan)
17/18 (10)
Diedhiou
Baker
Eliasson
Walsh
Pisano
Steele
Diony
Leko (Loan)
Kent (Loan)
Woodrow (Loan)
18/19 (11)
Marinovic
Webster
Weimann
Hunt
Eisa
Watkins
Adelakun
Maenpaa
Dasilva (Loan)
Kalas (Loan)
Palmer (Loan)
19/20 (13)
Rodri
Williams
Kalas
Dasilva
Palmer
Szmodics
Nagy
Massengo
Bentley
Gilmartin
Rowe
Afobe
Pereira

I make that 54 but didn't count Holden, Cundy, Bakinson, Hinds, Di Girolamo, don't think they were ever first team signings. 

[Olé]

20 hours ago, Jerseybean said:

In typical City style we have tended to:

1. Huff, puff and struggle against some of the so called ‘poorer sides’
2. Play poorly at home and are generally unable to break-down opponents who set up to contain us
3. Never manage to play really well in any game for the majority of the 90 minutes [Fulham away aside] and sadly
4. Lack any real eye-catching football identity, aside from the odd glimpse of good play, such as the late, late winner at home to Charlton - what a ball from Palmer and what a first touch and finish from Brownhill or another example would be Josh’s superb strike at Cardiff.

I think overall we are a stronger squad than last season, certainly the addition of Bentley, Nagy, Williams, Massengo and the surprising success of Rowe, along with securing the trio from Chelsea, on a permanent basis, gives me the feeling that we are a better, more balanced squad, with more strength in-depth.

Good and balanced summary. I think most people see it the same, even if a run of defeats brings out the end-of-the-world sack-everybody sensationalism for some people on OTIB!

I understand the frustration - for me on balance the proportion of good performances is way down on last season, it's amazing we are where we are as football has been pretty poor.

I take Fulham with a pinch of salt as we rode our luck: for me bar the anomaly vs a poor Huddersfield side, the best football was the first 45 at Derby, and the same period at Preston. 

That's a pretty terrible return in half a season of football. In almost every other game bar Hull and Stoke we've spent long periods second best, looking uninventive and short of ideas.

 

It's no coincidence to me that the standout player in those two commanding halves of football at both Pride Park and Deepdale was Kasey Palmer: the latter without Afobe to aim at.

The Afobe thing has been done to death but it bears stating - once he joined our record was W4 D2 L0 (2.33 pts per game). After his injury our record has seen W5 D6 L5 (1.31 ppg).

But it's Palmer we "miss" more, he was our most influential player in both games (hilariously even talked of as player of the season material) starting in fine form at Birmingham away.

But at Brentford away and Luton and since, his form has dropped off a cliff - and LJ has shuffled the pack in midfield and in formation to find every possible combination in response.

 

@Major Isewater has argued quite fairly in another thread that we need to play Palmer back into some form and I'd agree - he is at least a playmaker which is what we so clearly lack.

We need to set the tempo of games, control the midfield and execute beyond the halfway line. Those are all things I would associate most with Palmer in the early part of the season.

We just don't have that quality anywhere else, Nagy and Massengo provide a very talented base to midfield, but Brownhill (recent form) and O'Dowda are just not up to driving forward.

Both are examples of "good" players not executing (Brownhill's pass and touch has deserted him in the past two weeks) so I would defend LJ in saying that players are not delivering.

 

But that doesn't excuse the football which LJ is orchestrating, which to my eyes lacks the discipline of last season, even though we're ahead of our points tally at this time a year ago.

Last season once we settled in December, we were far stronger defensively, and ground out and nicked results. This time last year we started on a 9 game winning run (15 unbeaten). 

I don't see the same conviction in an approach this time round. LJ is trying to find a more attacking formula - we're conceding more and scoring more - but a plan is hard to recognise.

As it happens, position and points per game (1.52) is identical to where we finished last season so we need not be too surprised or disheartened, but we do look a lot less convincing.

[mozo]

57 minutes ago, Olé said:

Good and balanced summary. I think most people see it the same, even if a run of defeats brings out the end-of-the-world sack-everybody sensationalism for some people on OTIB!

I understand the frustration - for me on balance the proportion of good performances is way down on last season, it's amazing we are where we are as football has been pretty poor.

I take Fulham with a pinch of salt as we rode our luck: for me bar the anomaly vs a poor Huddersfield side, the best football was the first 45 at Derby, and the same period at Preston. 

That's a pretty terrible return in half a season of football. In almost every other game bar Hull and Stoke we've spent long periods second best, looking uninventive and short of ideas.

 

It's no coincidence to me that the standout player in those two commanding halves of football at both Pride Park and Deepdale was Kasey Palmer: the latter without Afobe to aim at.

The Afobe thing has been done to death but it bears stating - once he joined our record was W4 D2 L0 (2.33 pts per game). After his injury our record has seen W5 D6 L5 (1.31 ppg).

But it's Palmer we "miss" more, he was our most influential player in both games (hilariously even talked of as player of the season material) starting in fine form at Birmingham away.

But at Brentford away and Luton and since, his form has dropped off a cliff - and LJ has shuffled the pack in midfield and in formation to find every possible combination in response.

 

@Major Isewater has argued quite fairly in another thread that we need to play Palmer back into some form and I'd agree - he is at least a playmaker which is what we so clearly lack.

We need to set the tempo of games, control the midfield and execute beyond the halfway line. Those are all things I would associate most with Palmer in the early part of the season.

We just don't have that quality anywhere else, Nagy and Massengo provide a very talented base to midfield, but Brownhill (recent form) and O'Dowda are just not up to driving forward.

Both are examples of "good" players not executing (Brownhill's pass and touch has deserted him in the past two weeks) so I would defend LJ in saying that players are not delivering.

 

But that doesn't excuse the football which LJ is orchestrating, which to my eyes lacks the discipline of last season, even though we're ahead of our points tally at this time a year ago.

Last season once we settled in December, we were far stronger defensively, and ground out and nicked results. This time last year we started on a 9 game winning run (15 unbeaten). 

I don't see the same conviction in an approach this time round. LJ is trying to find a more attacking formula - we're conceding more and scoring more - but a plan is hard to recognise.

As it happens, position and points per game (1.52) is identical to where we finished last season so we need not be too surprised or disheartened, but we do look a lot less convincing.

Re Palmer, playing a player into form is a gamble. Firstly, because he might be a liability for a short period of time. Points might be lost in the short term. Secondly, what if the form does not return?

Re form compared to last season, I don't think anyone will be pleased that we're tracking in line with last season. I think the consensus is that finishing 8th is below par given the resources available to Johnson.

[Robbored]

1 hour ago, Olé said:

But that doesn't excuse the football which LJ is orchestrating, 

It’s makes smile when read comments like that......

Its exactly the same same stuff that his father served up but back then when I posted that on here I got slaughtered..............

Now posters are complaining about the very same .........

The obvious difference between then and now is very simple - results. Senior somehow managed to scrape them and LJ is struggling to get consistent positive results.

[cidercity1987]

1 hour ago, Carey 6 said:

15/16 (2)
Odemwingie (Loan)
Matthews (Loan)
16/17 (18)
Tomlin
Magnússon
Djuric
Hegeler
Moore
Engvall
O'Dowda
Taylor
O'Neil
Brownhill
Lucic
Cotterill
Giefer
Wright
Paterson
Ekstrand
Matthews (Loan)
Abraham (Loan)
17/18 (10)
Diedhiou
Baker
Eliasson
Walsh
Pisano
Steele
Diony
Leko (Loan)
Kent (Loan)
Woodrow (Loan)
18/19 (11)
Marinovic
Webster
Weimann
Hunt
Eisa
Watkins
Adelakun
Maenpaa
Dasilva (Loan)
Kalas (Loan)
Palmer (Loan)
19/20 (13)
Rodri
Williams
Kalas
Dasilva
Palmer
Szmodics
Nagy
Massengo
Bentley
Gilmartin
Rowe
Afobe
Pereira

I make that 54 but didn't count Holden, Cundy, Bakinson, Hinds, Di Girolamo, don't think they were ever first team signings. 

Compare that to a team like Preston... I wonder how many they've signed since promotion? 

We came up above them and aside from last season have finished below them every single time during LJ's tenure.

[Carey 6]

14 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

Compare that to a team like Preston... I wonder how many they've signed since promotion? 

We came up above them and aside from last season have finished below them every single time during LJ's tenure.

Had a quick look and I think Preston have signed 38 since Johnson took over.

[cidercity1987]

23 minutes ago, Carey 6 said:

Had a quick look and I think Preston have signed 38 since Johnson took over.

Thanks, probably more than I would have thought to be honest but still almost half the turnover of players.

 

[Northern Red]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

It’s makes smile when read comments like that......

Its exactly the same same stuff that his father served up but back then when I posted that on here I got slaughtered..............

Now posters are complaining about the very same .........

The obvious difference between then and now is very simple - results. Senior somehow managed to scrape them and LJ is struggling to get consistent positive results.

The difference is that you had an agenda against Johnson senior after he proved your assessment of him wrong then called you out on it.

[Robbored]

2 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

The difference is that you had an agenda against Johnson senior after he proved your assessment of him wrong then called you out on it.

That was based on me slagging off his playing style and poor interview skills.

Now posters are slagging off LJs playing style.........You couldn’t make it up you really couldn’t..........

One big difference is that LJ is always worth listening to, win lose or draw. I enjoy hearing what he has to say. 

[Clutton Caveman]

Guys

 

The fact of the matter is this

We are playing really bad football that is horrible to watch at home

Our press has disappeared and our urgency is missing

Without effort and urgency we cannot go forward at all

I think our flattering position in the table contributes to this.

If we were in the bottom 3 there would be more urgency from the players and the fans alike.

As it is I think the players look at the table, try to play to LJ's latest wonder plan and hope for the best

I just don't want to be bored stiff at every home game then hear LJ say" they tried their hearts out today" 

[Robbored]

I can see why some are concerned about three consecutive defeats - we’ve been here before under LJ but I’m quietly confident that he’ll get us back on track come Boxing Day.

Having Smith fit again is a bonus alongside Brownhill. After those LJ have quite a selection decision as to what other players start. It seems obvious if LJ was unhappy with the Nagy\Massengo combination and why both were on the subs bench at Hillsborough. They are skilled but lightweight.  They could both do with an intense ‘beef up’ regime....

However - as we all know the loss of Afobe has had a quite an impact for the team and hopefully we’ll see another striker arriving come January.

[RedLionLad]

5 hours ago, Robbored said:

It’s makes smile when read comments like that......

Its exactly the same same stuff that his father served up but back then when I posted that on here I got slaughtered..............

Now posters are complaining about the very same .........

The obvious difference between then and now is very simple - results. Senior somehow managed to scrape them and LJ is struggling to get consistent positive results.

Most people go around in one circle. You just keep going round and around.

[Robbored]

9 minutes ago, RedLionLad said:

. You just keep going round and around.

And so does otib................

[spudski]

40 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

True , but we also fail too disregard clubs with the same resources doing better. Why do we have to accept second best when the base is there to do more. The lack of a clear identity after 60 players plus is unforgivable, and is what Leeds or last season Sheffield Inited could not be found guilty of and is what is holding the club back from greater success. No manager in the last ten years has taken a team to the Prem after 4 seasons in charge of a club. Unless you have a clear identity and plan and sign players to meet it, you are going to continue with our disjointed approach. To be talking of signing another 2 to 3 players in January beggars belief when we signed 7 in the summer, even if the Afobe injury has proven a catastrophe , But we needed more than one forward last summer anyway. If Brentford and Preston finish above this season, then serious questions need asking. Leeds will get promoted, non parachute payment club with a not too dissimilar wage bill. It can be done and the continued excuse making for LJ is wearing thin. He is not Eddie Howe or Dyche, he is a good coach but far from exceptional., any progress well linked with wage bill increase not coaching ability. . He does not obtain results greater than the sum of the parts and there are many in the game incredibly jealous of his funding, stability and believe our squad is underperforming. That we are awful to watch makes it even more frustrating with almost no entertainment value. I stand back and look at the few that make better decisions and create success and ask why is it not us. I get your sentiment, I do, but if we carry on like this we risk going in circles when we have the potential dial to do far better . If every club is a parachute payment club I can agree, bit every year there is a side with similar or less resources that gain promotion. Why don't we ask what they did to do that rather than making excuses.  It is the wrong mentality. 

I get your sentiment...but Brentford and Preston are a few points difference. Let's see how different it is at the end of the season.

We've played terrible for many games...but still are up there. 

Look at the likes of Boro, Derby etc.

We've been up four seasons...so many fans have got short memories. 

Yes it's frustrating...but we are a top half table team...

Listen to fans of other Clubs that have consolidated in this league...we are still considered young pups in this league. And I agree with them.

If I was a fan of some of the more established Clubs in this division, and read this forum, I'd laugh out loud, asking who the hell we think we are...

 

[Davefevs]

Good posts @billywedlock and @spudski.

Interesting view Billy that improvement linked to wage bill rather than coaching. 

[RobintheRed Red]

On 22/12/2019 at 16:58, pillred said:

yes unfortunately, no worse but supposedly with a better squad and a lot more players that he has bought, people said give him time well he's had that and still we seem to be inconsistent and if today is anything to go by going backwards.

He buys all the same type of players no balance fourteen midfielders on the books if you include Elliason an odowda sixty eight players signed since hes been here .

[Robbored]

2 minutes ago, RobintheRed Red said:

He buys all the same type of players no balance fourteen midfielders on the books if you include Elliason an odowda sixty eight players signed since hes been here .

More than half of those were signed as ‘one for the future’. Of course with younger players there’s no guarantee that they’ll become Championship quality. 

From memory CoD, Eliasson, Moore are the only three so far that have reached the required standard.  

Currently Vyner is out on loan, as is Morrell, Walsh and Jonny Smith. Has Eisa been sold or is he on loan?

Cundy is another CB with potential but he needs regular first team football and is also on out loan.

[RobintheRed Red]

7 minutes ago, Robbored said:

More than half of those were signed as ‘one for the future’. Of course with younger players there’s no guarantee that they’ll become Championship quality. 

From memory CoD, Eliasson, Moore are the only three so far that have reached the required standard.  

Currently Vyner is out on loan, as is Morrell, Walsh and Jonny Smith. Has Eisa been sold or is he on loan?

Cundy is another CB with potential but he needs regular first team football and is also on out loan.

Just saying a lot of what he has signed are much of a muchness and only bench warmers 

[semblar]

The difference between 3 (due to poor GD) off 6th/3 off of 14th, is that if we get three points, brentford need to lose, swansea lose (or draw if we won by a couple) and Blackburn lose or draw. Given results so far this season, that is perfectly possible. For us to drop to 14th in one go,  all of the teams between us and 14th would need to win except Forest - and in QPRscase with a net swing of 8 GD.

So while it is mathematically true that we are 3 points away from both, it doesn't necessarily follow that we are as close to both. There's a lot of football to come and a transfer window to boot. I still put us in the playoff contenders bracket, at least for now, despite some turgid home performances

[spudski]

9 hours ago, billywedlock said:

Sheffield United managed it, in 2 seasons not 4 on a budget far inferior to ours. Brentford have a wage bill under half of ours of ours , Preston not much different . Yet they are at the same level. I admire your optimism but disagree with our acceptance of defeat so easily. Why look at teams doing worse and not seek out teams that do better ? I really do not understand that logic, it is a losers mentality. That we play in a random, disjointed and boring way makes it worse. If it was actually enjoyable to watch a match it would be easier to accept. If it were possible to understand what we are trying to achieve that would help. If I were a fan of Bristol City and saw Sheffield United doing what they have done I would be asking and laughing out loud at how far off we are of that team, and asking who the hell are they to have the gall to be better than us on less money in less time. Perhaps it is worth understanding why . But I understand some want to make excuses . It is the difference between winners and also rans . 

Not making excuses...just being realistic. The majority of teams in this division are like us. Inconsistent and trying to find a winning formula. You get one or two teams that buck the trend. To say ' why can't we be like them, we are doing something wrong'...sounds very...well...like a child having a tantrum :laugh:

[Frenchay Red]

2 minutes ago, spudski said:

Not making excuses...just being realistic. The majority of teams in this division are like us. Inconsistent and trying to find a winning formula. You get one or two teams that buck the trend. To say ' why can't we be like them, we are doing something wrong'...sounds very...well...like a child having a tantrum

I watch a lot of Championship games, I prefer watching them rather than prem games. You may be right about inconsistency, but most of the games I watch are a damn sight more entertaining than the games we are involved with.

I think a lot of fans would take inconsistency if we looked like we were trying to play entertaining and attacking football with some sort of recognisable shape and purpose.

I don't see it myself.

[spudski]

6 minutes ago, Frenchay Red said:

I watch a lot of Championship games, I prefer watching them rather than prem games. You may be right about inconsistency, but most of the games I watch are a damn sight more entertaining than the games we are involved with.

I think a lot of fans would take inconsistency if we looked like we were trying to play entertaining and attacking football with some sort of recognisable shape and purpose.

I don't see it myself.

I agree...at the moment we are boring to watch.

We've gone from being a team that played entertaining, free flowing football, with energy. However...we were too open and conceded too much. To make the next step we needed to defend better. LJ made those changes...in doing so, we played more concervatively, more structured, but it dampened our energy going forward and we lost our ability to create goal scoring opportunities.

We have now become a team based on defence, less energy, more structured, and even less ability to create scoring chances.

This change started when Famara joined us...our whole team structure and the way we played was done so to fit around his abilities.

Ever since... we've chopped and changed trying to find a formula that works. Nothing does...it may for a couple games, but then resorts to muddle.

We are a very muddled side.

The only time it got back to some sort of balance is when Afobe was playing.

That changed our game so much.

We can defend...we can play, we are structured...but in the last third... clueless.

There is a reason for that.

[Nogbad the Bad]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

Not making excuses...just being realistic. The majority of teams in this division are like us. Inconsistent and trying to find a winning formula. You get one or two teams that buck the trend. To say ' why can't we be like them, we are doing something wrong'...sounds very...well...like a child having a tantrum

A lot of teams are inconsistent in terms of results, I'm not sure many are as inconsistent as City in terms of level of performance.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

12 hours ago, RobintheRed Red said:

Just saying a lot of what he has signed are much of a muchness and only bench warmers 

Unsure I agree. 

I'm coming round increasingly to a view that he doesn't tend to get the best of players from a higher level. Some exceptions of course but I suspect a different type of manager would get more out of Nagy (International decent side, decent for Bologna midtable Serie A) and Massengo (comes from a top academy in Monaco).

Plus closer to home,  Palmer. My theory perhaps is he is based on his playing days and his footballing history, used to- and I mean sticking dogmatically to- certain styles of play, trying to shoehorn different types of players into this one way.

[Davefevs]

11 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Unsure I agree. 

I'm coming round increasingly to a view that he doesn't tend to get the best of players from a higher level. Some exceptions of course but I suspect a different type of manager would get more out of Nagy (International decent side, decent for Bologna midtable Serie A) and Massengo (comes from a top academy in Monaco).

Plus closer to home,  Palmer. My theory perhaps is he is based on his playing days and his footballing history, used to- and I mean sticking dogmatically to- certain styles of play, trying to shoehorn different types of players into this one way.

When I was at Charlton Farm last week, two questions I wanted to ask Lee, but felt wrong time / place to do so...

1) what is your footballing philosophy?

2) who / where does it come from?

I don’t see this being implemented at City as we stand.

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

When I was at Charlton Farm last week, two questions I wanted to ask Lee, but felt wrong time / place to do so...

1) what is your footballing philosophy?

2) who / where does it come from?

Good questions! Hope you ask them if a more opportune time arises. 

An irony of course with this which perhaps feeds into number 2, is that GJ and his 4-4-1-1 largely in the first half of 2007/08 but also in evidence during parts of 2006/07 and at times the 2nd half of the playoff season, was that his Noble behind the striker was (by Championship standards at that time) fairly striking! Most played 4-4-2 with wingers so thus simple tweak helped us a fair bit IMO! 

Somehow, don't see LJ stealing march on the competition in a similar way. Unfortunately.

[Davefevs]

12 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Good questions! Hope you ask them if a more opportune time arises. 

An irony of course with this which perhaps feeds into number 2, is that GJ and his 4-4-1-1 largely in the first half of 2007/08 but also in evidence during parts of 2006/07 and at times the 2nd half of the playoff season, was that his Noble behind the striker was (by Championship standards at that time) fairly striking! Most played 4-4-2 with wingers so thus simple tweak helped us a fair bit IMO! 

Somehow, don't see LJ stealing march on the competition in a similar way. Unfortunately.

McIndoe was an industrious winger, I liked him a lot.  Quality in his left peg too.

[spudski]

2 hours ago, billywedlock said:

Tantrum, interesting concept, and totally incorrect and puerile, as ever with you. Maybe you sound like that child that lacks ambition and will be an also ran and full of excuses rather than taking on responsibilities. You are making excuses, dress it as you like,  but like your petulant child it is always someone else's fault. . So not wanting to emulate Sheffield United is not being realistic ? Or any number of non parachute payment clubs that get promoted also unrealistic. Despite having one of the best benefactors in football. No wonder we are a constant  also ran with such unambitious people like you around. Oh and those that buck the trend do it for good reason, as a professional coach, I recall you claiming , I still find it astonishing you cannot see the significant issues there are with the coaching and approach at BCFC. It is also there in the basics, and is why Wilder is in the Prem with Sheffield United and we are not. On your search for consistency and finding the right formula, you might like to look more closely at the coaching approach, and you might find a few more of your fine margins you advocate.

As a starter, what is is our footballing identity ? Could you please articulate clearly what that is ? 

I have articulated in many posts as to what I think could be done better.

However...it means jack shit, as non of us know the inner workings of what's going on at the Club.

It's great to have ambition...but you talk like it's some kind of magic wand.

Every club in this division makes mistakes.

It's petulant to think any of us know better...or especially expect better. 

Yes it would be great to play entertaining winning football every week and be consistent. That would lead to promotion.

However...look at where we've come from in a very short time. We aren't even considered a stable team in this division yet. 

I look at every club in this division... they've all had periods of calamity.

Talk to the majority of teams fans in this division and they admire our owner and coach, and the way we are going about running the Club.

Our structure of running the Club will mean 2 steps forward, 1 step back so to speak. It's logical... because of who we buy, how we buy, how we sell and the importance of giving a pathway from the academy.

You seem an intelligent chap...it's obvious our system will be a slow process...unless we fluke it through the play offs. 

The Clubs system of running screams, stability and a slow build.

Oddly...if we hadn't had long term injuries to Kalas, DaSilva, Smith and Afobe, my gut instinct is we would probably found better than we are now...which is saying something when we are only 3 points away from 3rd.

The way you are speaking, anyone would think we were relegation fodder.

Yes it's not entertaining, yes it's boring to watch sometimes, yes it's muddled...yes we scratch our heads. However it's obvious to anyone who watches the Championship, these things happen at all clubs.

Even Leeds fans are moaning...

Football doesn't come with a magic wand I'm afraid.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, spudski said:

I have articulated in many posts as to what I think could be done better.

However...it means jack shit, as non of us know the inner workings of what's going on at the Club.

It's great to have ambition...but you talk like it's some kind of magic wand.

Every club in this division makes mistakes.

It's petulant to think any of us know better...or especially expect better. 

Yes it would be great to play entertaining winning football every week and be consistent. That would lead to promotion.

However...look at where we've come from in a very short time. We aren't even considered a stable team in this division yet. 

I look at every club in this division... they've all had periods of calamity.

Talk to the majority of teams fans in this division and they admire our owner and coach, and the way we are going about running the Club.

Our structure of running the Club will mean 2 steps forward, 1 step back so to speak. It's logical... because of who we buy, how we buy, how we sell and the importance of giving a pathway from the academy.

You seem an intelligent chap...it's obvious our system will be a slow process...unless we fluke it through the play offs. 

The Clubs system of running screams, stability and a slow build.

Oddly...if we hadn't had long term injuries to Kalas, DaSilva, Smith and Afobe, my gut instinct is we would probably found better than we are now...which is saying something when we are only 3 points away from 3rd.

The way you are speaking, anyone would think we were relegation fodder.

Yes it's not entertaining, yes it's boring to watch sometimes, yes it's muddled...yes we scratch our heads. However it's obvious to anyone who watches the Championship, these things happen at all clubs.

Even Leeds fans are moaning...

Football doesn't come with a magic wand I'm afraid.

We are only 3pts away from bottom half of the table as well, those injured players 2 are back playing in the first team, made little difference; and we should have adequete cover anyway or whats the point in having so many players?