Not been in from work long but

I have taken a few tips from the master.
I had high hopes for this season, I knew we would struggle at first, but I just cant get over how poor some of the players have looked, not just once in a while either, something which can happen to everyone.

 

I also had high hopes for the season, old mate. In fact, up to and including the away game at Norwich, I thought we were progressing quite nicely, slowly but surely. Unfortunately, after that match, our confidence & self belief, results and form seemed to fall off a cliff. Even when we were playing with more passion and effort (Preston, Reading, Wolves, Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday), victories still weren't being achieved.
I'm putting my faith in Jose, his staff and the players to ensure we do enough to survive what has been a season of massive change both on and off the pitch.

 

I base "more of the same" on all but two of our seasons at this level since 2006. Apart from last season and the Mark Robins season we've had a relegation battle.

Ironic that people say relegation could be a bad thing, when last season's safety was assured on the back of momentum from a successful promotion push from league one.

As you say though, we do have some decent players. Hopefully the owners will add to them - whichever league we're in next season. Things have to change for us to cease being perennial strugglers.

Re - staying up courtesy of others being worse. That's fine. I'll be happy with that if it happens, but what I'm alluding to is that it would be far better for ST sales if we stayed up by taking the bull by the horns and winning some games.

 

Up to the Cardiff game we had only lost one in 8. Isgrove was involved and playing well. We seemed to be improving.

Several changes for the Cardiff game, we played ok but lost narrowly to a late goal and it seemed to knock the stuffing out of us.

Think we've only won twice since.

 

Perfectly summed up, old mate.

 

I do have my moments

 

I don't.

 

One thing about the Championship. It's not discriminate.

Sunderland would be the biggest club to go down to League one in years and they're scrapping it out with Burton, probably smallest club to ever grace the championship.

Then you've got Millwall, Burton and Preston - all with smaller gates than us - with an eye on the playoff places.

Crazy league.

 

This is exactly why I love this league, and added to that, 1 exceptional season and it’s the Premiership.

 

You can have talented young defenders & still give away sloppy goals, I see talent in all of Cavare, Yiadom, Jackson, Lindsay, Pinnock, Pinillos & even Fryers & McCarthy at times but again the issues the lack of leadership, having a weak keeper behind them but to me more importantly is that we’ve kept having to change the back 4.

We started with Angus & Jackson but Angus got a 3 game ban, we then had Lindsay & Jackson together which was really working well & we had our best spell of the season until Jackson got crocked, then Angus came back in & wasn’t performing, he was then replaced by 5th choice Pearson who was ok at best & then Pinnock got in & was doing well until he broke his toe, we’ve then had Mills in for a few games & then he gets injured & then Jackson gets knocked out & Pinnock comes back in.

At full back we started with McCarthy & Pearson as Yiadom, Cavare & Fryers were crocked, we’ve then had Yiadom come back from injury but Fryers got injured so Yiadom went over to left back & McCarthy got back in then Cavare got fit & looked good but got a stupid 3 game ban so Yiadom went back to right back & Pinillos & Fryers have both played left back again.

Its absolutely crazy really, how many changes to a back 4 is that in 6 months? I can’t imagine many clubs can even come close to that many changes in personnel & most except MacDonald’s ‘issues’ are enforced by injury. There’s no wonder we let in sloppy goals.

It’s hard enough having kids & foreign players getting through their first seasons at this level in a settled back four never mind one with that many changes.

Add to all them enforced changes a shaky keeper, very little leadership & a poor midfield in front of them & it’s a recipe for disaster.

I don’t think there’s many sides that do well who don’t have a relatively settled defence.