Credit to Leicester - if only we'd had a go like them...

We might have got something last week.

 

We dont have a manager who thinks we should compete with teams at the top. nt

 

We shouldn't, though.

Derby have spent millions, Birmingham have spent millions, Sunderland have spent millions. We should aim for damage-limitation and try to nick the odd goal. The alternative is to ship 4, 5, 6 goals against them.

 

Oy!

Its in the coaching manual!</p>

 

Did they win then?

Just wondered - just got in from the pub!

 

RE: Did they win then?

1-1 mate.

 

RE: Did they win then?

Cheers mi owld mucker. Just spent a few hours in a pub with a considerable amount of Charlton supporters.... Certainly was interesting.

 

Derby were average against us,</p>

but because they were top of the league, we stood off them, and didn't even make them break sweat.</p>

No matter who we are playing I would tell the players to get out there and at least give em grief.
Stop letting them play the easy game, and try to take control, sitting on the edge of our own area doesn't work.</p>

I hope davey was watching the same game as us.</p>

 

To coin a phrase from Michael Vaughan...

Put them under some pressure!

 

RE: To coin a phrase from Michael Vaughan...

Never quote a Pig!

 

Correct! Don't see Reading running scared

... if you don't put teams under pressure at home then you can't expect to get much out of a game.... the very least we should be doing is making life difficult for teams.

 

Blimey!

Got to agree with that one ................ Do i need to eat a hat or summat?

 

When there's a gap in quality between two teams, the poor team can bridge the gap by out-working the other lot. However, Sunderland and Derby ran their proverbials off against us - so we're in trouble, because they clearly have better players than us. All you can then hope for is that they make mistakes (so that we can score) or don't take their chances.

I don't think we played badly against Derby - or Sunderland, for that matter. When Sunderland can afford to leave a £2m striker out of the squad (Stokes) then that tells you the difference between us and them. Buying 50k players will only ever get you so far, and we're doing about as well as we're likely to with the financial constraints that we face.

 

Good job you`re not the manager...

Ritchie got the sack for saying something similar

 

If thats what you think,

then we might as well pack up and go home.</p>

We would never have got in the premier, and we might as well be happy with relegation.</p>

They are 11 men against 11 men. If we are giving up before kick off, then there is no point turning up.</p>

 

That is what I think.

I expected this season to end in either relegation or survival by a small margin. Anything else - no way, not with the money splashing around in this division.

Doesn't mean I can't hope that I'm wrong, or get behind the team, or enjoy it when we exceed my very low expectations.

Seriously, tell me how you expect our 50k players to live with £1million David Jones, or £500,000-in-Andy-Cole's-pocket-if-Birmingham-go-up Andy Cole, or many others that I can't be bothered to name?

And tell me how we can possibly spend more than very modest sums with our 10,000 crowds?

If we stay up, then maybe we can expect better in years to come. This season was always about bringing in as many Championship-quality players as our budget would allow, and keeping our fingers crossed that we'd be above the bottom three on May 6. Should we avoid relegation, we'll be a more attractive proposition to players in future, and can perhaps afford to either pay more in transfer fees or wages as our financial state improves.

 

And we'd have got absolutley mullered.

 

That's a very fair summation.

However, I think we should be trying to pu t teams under pressure at Oakwell - I believe we have the players in attacking positions to do so.

There are no teams in this league who are that good that they don't sometimes crack under pressure.

It won't always pay off - but look at Hull - beaten Brum and Preston at home because they got in their faces and caused them to make mistakes. Sometimes it backfires yes, but at least you're giving it a go.

 

Why, if you never have a go you lose anyway. nt

 

aye but

and this is an unpopular view on here at the moment (not that I give a monkeys cuss) It simply did not work for a certain former manager did it? A balance is required. Its difficult to get it right when you lack quality. However I do think SD needs to tip a bit more towards an attacking strategy now. Lose 3 heavily but win 3 and we are home and dry. The problem is often a shut up shop strategy can yield the same result. A bit of luck vs Derby and we could be in a different frame of mind entirely.