12 games ago.....

We were in 19th place. 5 points outside the relegation zone. Now we're in deep ****. A 10 point swing in just 12 games is surely unthinkable.

What's changed? Why have we got so bad so quickly? Had the rot already set In? Maybe it had, as we were on a poor run of form under Hecky, but after a reasonable start we were still comfortable.

It's time for Jose to be positive as draws just won't do. We have to go out and try to win every game regardless of opponent.

Come on Jose, be brave.

 

The problem with that is that you couldn't really have asked for any more from the players than they gave last Friday - and it still wasn't good enough for a win.

We sold a team, we sold the club, we sold a manager. The next head coach should be Nicholas Parsons.

 

We haven't sold any players in the last 12 games though (Angus aside) although your point is the overlying problem.

Losing so much ground in so little time is so frustrating.

 

When you look at it, our relegation form began in January 2017 and with some blips has been the trend ever since. We failed to invest to match our growth and now we have to start again - if the new owners are up for it.

 

We’re only capable of beating poor teams, the effort is there, the players are giving their best, but their best isn’t championship standard, and they’re not improving on the training pitch, they’ve hit the height of their capabilities, and it’s not high enough to compete against and beat teams above them. Piss about with tactics, formations, systems, and games plans, all they want, from what I’ve seen this season, the top and bottom of it is the players are just not good enough.

 

I could've asked for a bit more from McCarthy to get over to that bloke and at least make a semblance of an effort to make it difficult for him to cross!

 

Other teams have started winning. Even 5 points above the relegation places isn't comfortable when you average less than 1 win in 5 all season.

 

He cant really help that we create 10 clear chances vs Bristols 2 half chances and still 2-2. Not like he told Potts to try and pass it to their keeper from 2 yards out for an open net or Moore and Mcburnie to head straight down keepers throats. Even Moores 1v1 with keeper shouldve been buried. His subs werent too negative. its Mccarthy who failed to close down with any effort and then he’ll have his dad asking on twitter why he aint getting a game. Loved how he came over smiling as he clapped to fans, just wanted to tell him p*** off you just cost us 2 pts and any hope of survival and you come over smiling like you just secured us a good result

 

The players have proved they can compete with the opposition ,but as is inevitable with a young squad you have dips in form .this is a sign of the lack of experience in the squad .I also think to a degree a lack of guidance is apparent when it comes to some of the basics ,aggression ,desire,workrate at the right times . Cool head Fire in the heart

 

I don't think anything changed, we just aren't good enough. The little run under Hecky culminating in Norwich away was the "blip" we have awful since the end of Jan 17.

 

The main problem is we can only beat **** like Brum and Sunderland, and unfortunately we can’t play them every week.

 

Football management success for me is largely centred around recruitment. We got it badly wrong in the summer, not necessarily with the quality of the players but the type, which didn't fit in with the system Heckingbottom wanted to play. He ended up having to change it because we were too lightweight in midfield and easy to score against and then we lost our goal threat, having only Bradshaw up front on his own. . We seem to give away fewer chances per game but still concede as many as the defence don't close the ball down quick enough and the keeper(s) can't be relied upon. I have never been a huge Davies fan but he has had a really bad season. I expected him to get better yet he has got worse and has cost us many times. We will always lose players, it's about replacing them. A good comparison would be Brentford who lost half their team and yet have recruited well into the system they play. I also think we have not had a great deal of luck with decisions and the big club bias that was all so clear in our premiership season, has definitely filtered down into the Championship. At the end of the day we just don't seem to be able to maintain a level of performance for long enough and when we have spells in games when we are not at it, the opposition score. We still have an outside chance but Saturday's game is crucial.

 

I know you won’t like this but please explain your initial assertion?

 

Watkins, Scowen, Roberts all left...add those to this side and we’d be better

 

12 games ago we may have been 5 points clear, but we had still only won 5 or 6? Games, and 5 of them had come against the bottom 3 at that time.

I wouldn't say we've looked anywhere near comfortable for a long time. Probably the 1 defeat in 8 run up to the Cardiff game when Hecky decided on a tinkerfest.

If anything we've improved in terms of chances created since Morais came in, but we're not taking enough of them and others have started winning.

 

Of course we would. But they all left over a year ago.

It's the last 3 months that's more worrying.

 

They left in July 17. Less than a year ago

 

Christ you're right. Apologies. Had it in my head Roberts went off in Jan. It's interesting to see how they're faring at their respective clubs. Scowen seems to be doing really well but Watkins and Roberts not so much.

 

We’d be better with all three but what’s done is done

 

Sort of the problem though isn't it. Even Birmingham have a better squad than us. The majority of sides in the league have players who can't get a game who would walk into our first team.