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The way he’s finished this season I wouldn’t be pushing the boat out. If we’re paying above and beyond, we need someone who can play 90 minutes, week in, week out.
TBH, I’d be worried for Powell’s long-term future, if he went to a club who couldn’t manage his injuries. What is he now, 24/25. He could be retired by 30 if he’s not careful.
After the first half-hour we settled down and it was a very controlled performance. Took out chances and held firm at the back. Add a little grit & determination and we got what we deserved.
Anyone got a clue what’s happened to him? Debut at Rotherham not seen or even mentioned since. Very odd as Everton fans thought he should have been in there team not sent out on loan to us.
Been saying the same for a while myself lowey. We persist with Gibson who’s crap, but won’t give a young loane player a chance? Struggle to understand our transfer thinking of late.[/quote]Clearly we were hoping he’d be another James and where worried about injuries & suspensions in midfield. What we are increasingly finding is that, unless they are a truly outstanding talent, it’s difficult for these Premier League academy players to make an impact in the Championship. Technically they’re good, but struggle with the physicality and tactically. Even when they do come to terms with those aspects of the game, many still drop down the leagues.
Today, for the first team in an age, we looked like we realised our situation. Played as a team and should’ve won. Need to continue like this for the remaining fixtures. Still too close to call.
Teams around us are showing the kind of fight, team spirit and determination we can only dream of. They’re also led by managers throwing caution to the wind. We’re now accustomed to setting up for the point and second half capitulations. What’s more, we’ve been on this path since the New Year.
Will we come out tomorrow and show the attributes we so admire in our rivals. We’re certainly due. But how many times have we been expecting this turnaround, only to be disappointed? I certainly think we will now need points away from home. Norwich are flying high, Preston are on the beach, Millwall are back to their hard to beat best. We’d do well to get 4pts from those games, but that’s optimistic. I still think another 3pts could keep us up. But it’s now looking like our rivals are relishing the fight.
When it’s your own team it’s easy to write things off. The reality is we could stay up without gaining another point. Another 3pts and we almost certainly would stay up. What I would say is we would have no complaints should we go down. The lack of action & facing upto this disgraceful run of away form is unforgivable.
Even those who believe Cook should stay until the end of the season appear resigned to him going in the summer. It’s not just results, it’s the lack of professionalism and game management. Rarely have we been played off the park. I don’t buy into the idea our players aren’t upto it. Too many strange selections, substitutions, tactics…..a good 15-20pts lost from winning positions.
It’s not good enough.
Cook has dropped Cipre thank good, there’s more chance of me playing in the prem, I won’t hold my breath on that one.How’s that work out for you? Another calamitous second half performance, but all too predictable. The moment we conceded it was obvious Hull would grasp the game by the neck and push for the winner.
Meanwhile clueless Cook stood on the sidelines watching more points slip through his hands. It’s now abundantly obvious we cannot save ourselves. We’re reliant on others literally collapsing.
If Cook is not gone in the morning I believe our fate is sealed.
The crucial ones are the points dropped to those close Rotherham reading millwall and when we got thumped at home by Birmingham reverse that one and we are above themI knew we were in real trouble when we where played off the park at Rotherham. We couldn’t have complained if we came away with three or four goals put past us. Cook’s mentality also shone through. Bizarre tactics going head-to-head with long-ball football. Then playing for the draw in the final 15-20 minutes when there where signs Rotherham could crumble if we pushed on.
All these ‘good points’ could come back to haunt us.
I actually think Cipre is one of the worst defenders we have had and we’ve had some bad uns. Please watch him closely, he cannot grasp the concept of marking, his positional play for a pro is absolutely woeful. His headers and clearances go anywhere but forward, we call him ten bob bit yed. He also does at least two air shots a game, I’m not joking, the guy is the pits. We had a clean sheet against Brentford, put him back in and its comedy defending again.I fully expect Kipre to play in the Premier League. Maybe not a regular, but he’ll be a PL squad player.
What is he now, 21/22, he’s still learning, and has all the attributes to be a top player. Also two footed which helps greatly. Dunkley by contrast has seriously struggled.
As for tonight’s game I do think we need at least a point. Given the fixtures I’m struggling to see where the points will come from. We really don’t want to be in a position where we’re reliant on 3pts against Millwall. Bolton at home aside, we’ve not stepped upto the plate, in these six-pointers. The other sides are showing signs of life home & away.
We’ve looked like dead men walking for 4-5 months, with nothing to suggest we’ll turn that around. In isolation today was a good point, in the context of other results, it’s two points dropped. Another match ticked off in our inextricable slide towards the bottom three. TBH, I cannot see us winning away again. A point at Hull is probably our only opportunity to put points on the board.
At home you never know. Norwich could be one of those games, Preston may have nothing to play for, Millwall could be make or break. Our (realistic) max haul is something around 7pts. I think we’ll get 4pts and be biting our fingernails.
Was a massive strategic mistake not to replace Cook before the January window.
How many times have we heard, ‘This is it!’, with regards to Bolton.
I fully expect either another delay or money to turn up from a dubious source.
I thought we saw all sides today, great attacking scary defending, could have been 8-5, bad subs, Garner was great (I’ve called him useless all season), Clarke was a liability (I called him our great hope). I know nothing, not slept all week thinking about Latics. Bloody football eh!
You know what Edwards I was more nervous today than the cup final and any other season todays result would have been the highlight. Coz of the predicament were in I can’t enjoy games at the minute. Like you say Bloody football.[/quote]What will be, will be.
Can’t help feeling our poor form was down to overthinking games rather than playing our natural, attacking, game. Today the early goal settled us but we continued to press on. It’s the only way we can play to pick up the required points.
I watched the second half. Both Rotherham and QPR had zero quality. Those last 10-15 minutes’ Rotherham never stopped battling with their second goal coming from winning 50/50’s.
They forced a corner. There was never any doubt they’d get their head on it. It’s such a contrast to our approach. If we’d conceded we’d have sat back and invited pressure. So many points lost.
But now we’re also in the last chance saloon. Have to show similar fighting spirit. Saturday’s a must win game, and probably one, if not both, the Brentford and Millwall games.
We are in the shit no doubt but unlike wiganers my first instinct isnt to boo and call for the managers head. Especially when it has got us next to nowhere in the past aside from rosler who we sacked when we got the chance.So far, nobody calling for his head has managed to name a sucessor that would realistically a- come and b- be affordable. The “anyone will do” line dont wash especially when the last 2 times we have done it have been mackay and joyce.
We cant just sack him, we have to sack him AND appoint the right man or we set ourselves back even further.
The club needs consistency on and off the field. Ideally we stay in this division but we should keep him one way or the other in my opinion because constantly changing the manager and squad every 18 months will get us nowhere.
At games this season the manager and players have received unwavering support. I’m struggling to think of many clubs where the crowd wouldn’t have turned long ago. Myself, I set a deadline of early January for Cook to turn things around. The new man needed that window to bring his own players in. In retrospect it was another dreadful window. The quality we did bring in being injury prone. The rest not upto the task.
I’ve seen no improvement since the turn of the year, if anything things have been getting worse. Far worse. The much anticipated returnees from injury have made zero impact and Cook increasingly looks lost. For me, baring a miraculous recovery, Cook has already burned all his bridges. Regarding managerial candidates, there have been realistic, affordable options. From Rowett to Allardyce (probably short-term), and now, Jones. Personally, I also rate Keith Hill. Although I admit this is a left field choice that could split fans from the off.
It’s make or break Saturday. What have we got now, nine games left. We need a win. Not even a draw is good enough. We’ve seen Reading, Millwall and Rotherham fight for their lives and start to pick up those important 3pts. I’m honestly struggling to see where we could pick-up another 3pts after Saturday. No more excuses, no more players crying off after 75 minutes. Fight for the shirt, show some pride, and use that undoubted quality to get us out of this ****.
Seems there is now a pretty universal belief Cook should go. Best case scenario they give him until Saturday. That is now must win not only for our survival chances. But his hopes of staying on.
Tonight was shambolic, but we’ve seen that before. The difference was the lack of effort and players seemingly not carrying out Cook’s gameplan. For what it’s worth.
We really do seem to have imploded. We’ve gone from an average of a point per game. What are we now………one point every three games?