[Albion] Are we "doing a Boro"?

[Withdean and I]

I can only see us getting 12 more points this season - so yes.

 

[chaileyjem]

Pretty much this and relegation probably is very likely

Why the focus always for some that failure must be a direct result of not spending money or the club “doing it cheap” - when all evidence suggests otherwise (wages, transfer fees, infrastructure, the mounting losses, new contracts for players). It’s baffling.

Are there any other reasons SA

Are you willing to quantify with ££s what is cheap and what isn’t (please include transfer fees, wages, value, player contracts, existing squad value, infrastructure etc etc) - interested to hear.

Do you think Newcastle or Hudds are doing it on the cheap ?

 

[Trigger]

Some of our performances are worse than the dross Boro served up last season, not sure we have a plan B either until that mythical striker arrives.

 

[scousefan]

Yes from the start of the season it looked likely. We are also doing a Blackpool - nice football and a good start but then slipping away now. I’m afraid it’s s long season and we don’t have the squad depth or versatility....

 

[mreprice]

The team that finished the game all played in the Championship bar Ryan. Looked like it too.

Well spotted! I think that says it all. When we are chasing the game we can't improve on last seasons side at all!!!!

 

[Is it PotG?]

 

[Surf's Up]

Yes

 

[BN41Albion]

This
Apart from Huddersfield and ourselves, the rest of the teams are hardened PL savvy.
So they know how to fight for survival, we on the other hand are learning and will have to step the education up a bit quicker.
We'll be okay, but I feel we are going to have to fight, right down to the last fixture IMO

Have you seen our final 5 fixtures!? We're doomed if we're still fighting then. Especially considering Palace always seem to have the last laugh against us over the course of a season...

 

[HantsSeagull]

CH can only work with what he is given BUT tactics and team selection aren't helping i feel - as do others it seems.

Maybe all those Norwich fans weren't quite so wrong.......

 

[Icy Gull]

CH can only work with what he is given BUT tactics and team selection aren't helping i feel - as do others it seems.

Maybe all those Norwich fans weren't quite so wrong.......

And where are Norwich now? Charlton getting rid of Curbishley worked well too.

Yes we are probably the dullest and most negative team in the Premier League but we have done nothing to “deserve” better. We started well but the honeymoon is over. A knee jerk sacking is not needed imo. I think we will go down without a new striker and I am not holding out much hope we’ll get one either, but I’m not blaming CH.

Did I mention that we haven’t had a single “lucky” point this season either?

 

[HantsSeagull]

And where are Norwich now? Charlton getting rid of Curbishley worked well too.

Yes we are probably the dullest and most negative team in the Premier League but we have done nothing to “deserve” better. We started well but the honeymoon is over. A knee jerk sacking is not needed imo. I think we will go down without a new striker and I am not holding out much hope we’ll get one either, but I’m not blaming CH.

Did I mention that we haven’t had a single “lucky” point this season either?

i am not in favour of sacking him. Didn't suggest that. I am certain he will be here next season whatever happens.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

We need to get above Newcastle and Huddersfield ASAP and stay above them.

So we require singings ready and 'gelled in' before the Southampton game.

And Arsenal need to WIN today, as do Man Utd tomorrow.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

It wouldn't be a surprise if relegated. Our strengths and weaknesses must be well known by opponents and CH is unlikely to tactically do much different so half expecting the same calamitous second half of the season as he did at Norwich. I personally don't think a new striker will make that much difference but we do need back up in case of injuries. I'm enjoying the experience still but would probably enjoy it more if we played 442 against 'weaker opponents' - such a better spectacle when Baldock's playing off Murray/Hemed.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Did I mention that we haven’t had a single “lucky” point this season either?

I was chatting to a bloke about this on the train home yesterday. No, we haven’t had a single ‘lucky’ point yet, but realistically have we deserved one? We don’t show anywhere near enough endeavour to nick a draw or snatch a win. We all feel Bournemouth and Everton snatched lucky points from us but in reality they just kept going, not playing great football but kept attacking and trying. At the moment we definitely aren’t attacking and we seriously appear to have run out of steam and ideas.
To me we look like nailed relegation material, our inability to sign a striker is crippling and embarrassing.

 

[sir albion]

At the start of the season most said we needed to attack and score goals to stay up as most negative sides get relegated.

 

[scousefan]

Yes from the start of the season it looked likely. We are also doing a Blackpool - nice football and a good start but then slipping away now. I’m afraid it’s s long season and we don’t have the squad depth or versatility....

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

And where are Norwich now? Charlton getting rid of Curbishley worked well too.

Yes we are probably the dullest and most negative team in the Premier League but we have done nothing to “deserve” better. We started well but the honeymoon is over. A knee jerk sacking is not needed imo. I think we will go down without a new striker and I am not holding out much hope we’ll get one either, but I’m not blaming CH.

Did I mention that we haven’t had a single “lucky” point this season either?

We were quite lucky that Okaka didn't score for Watford when Ryan dropped that cross in the last minute.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I have been pretty positive so far this season, but after watching yesterday's performance against a team that have been so poor this season, there is only one way we are going.

 

[Weststander]

"Net spend" isn't a healthy way to look at it IMO.

Our record signing has had two good games all season. The left back we spent all summer chasing can't hold down a regular spot (though Christ knows why). In fact the best piece of business we did was our first bit, price and value wise. Groß can't be relied on to keep us up but (IMO again) represents far better value than Izquierdo and Ryan. Meanwhile up front we have a walking calf injury and two other guys who might as well be walking, so little are they endowed in the pace department. And that's before wages.

I don't think net spend - or gross spend - or even Groß spend - should be an indicator of transfer window success or the team's likely survival. It's clear that with some very tough home games to come we are short in attack, our CMs are knackered having played virtually every minute and our much vaunted defence can't stop corners. That's not a good window.

Spot on about net spend - it's is for number crunchers.

But gross spend / squad cost, and wages spend, is in general a determinate of squad quality. Players keeps clubs up.

 

[Hamilton]

We are trying to do Premier League survival on the cheap and it doesn’t work.

Given how hard we fought to get here I would have hoped we would give it more of a go but it’s nearly too late now.

I agree with that, but don't think it's too late yet. Chris and the team need to think a bit differently. Yesterday, we should have deployed a different game plan and gone for the jugular a bit more. We didn't need to rely on the patient possession so much and build from the back play.