Everybody calm down!

[scoobiewhite]

Ok, ive had a few vodkas, summed up some courage and am ready to take the inevitable flack but here goes...

I really am struggling to understand why so many fellow fans are so worked up either negatively or defensively.

Yes the football has not been as good this season, yes a lack of goals has been frustrating and yes everyone who pays their hard earned money has a right to express their frustration....however....

The extremely negative sentiment that is becoming more and more vocal is akin to a relegation fight or the reaction to Big Sam Allardyce style tactics.

For goodness sake, we are 8th. We have had a season similar to our first at the Amex which, although the squad is stronger on paper, is fair enough under a new manager who is the polar opposite of the previous incumbent in terms of approach and management style.

We have blooded several young players this season, whose early enthusiasm has given way to a lack of experience.

We have had lots of significant injuries.

We have some players who are not performing as well as last season.

We had a poor January transfer window but who amongst us really knows how much we were courted by Grabbans agent etc.

Im gutted that we seem to have missed our opportunity to get into the play offs, however, if im honest with myself under Gus I was screaming for...

A bit more of a direct approach as a plan b
Less negative substitutions
More opportunities for home grown talent
Less Ego
More respect for the fans and club

I for one think that Oscar has delivered on this front and the true test of the man will be next season.

I emplore you, my fellow albion fans, to wind the vitriol down a notch and take a dose of reality. Gus was a big character, who shaped the team in his image, this season was always going to be a transition and, given the other challenging circumstances, I think we have done ok....not great by any means, but not as bad as some seem to think...

that is all

goodnight

(in case anyone dismisses this as the thoughts of a JCL, dont go there, ive spent many many seasons supporting the albion and taking my blind brother to games both home and away)

 

[Wellesley]

**** me. What brand of vodka are you drinking? I'll get a crate of it.

 

[nwgull]

Sensible words. Oscar cannot be judged on this season alone, particularly as he took over so late in the summer.

Quite a significant number of Liverpool fans wanted Brendan Rogers sacked last year before the season had even finished.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Kept us up tbf

 

[scoobiewhite]

**** me. What brand of vodka are you drinking? I'll get a crate of it.

cheap and nasty sainsbury's own...perhaps someone spiked it

 

[TottonSeagull]

Sensible words. Oscar cannot be judged on this season alone, particularly as he took over so late in the summer.

Quite a significant number of Liverpool fans wanted Brendan Rogers sacked last year before the season had even finished.

Garcia took over on 26th June so it wasn't like he took over a week before the season. Brendan Rogers had proved his quality at Swansea. The Spanish dullard has shown no reason to believe that he can improve!

 

[nwgull]

Garcia took over on 26th June so it wasn't like he took over a week before the season. Brendan Rogers had proved his quality at Swansea. The Spanish dullard has shown no reason to believe that he can improve!

Liverpool fans still wanted him sacked though. Shows that it takes time.

 

[Bigsul]

Ok, ive had a few vodkas, summed up some courage and am ready to take the inevitable flack but here goes...

I really am struggling to understand why so many fellow fans are so worked up either negatively or defensively.

Yes the football has not been as good this season, yes a lack of goals has been frustrating and yes everyone who pays their hard earned money has a right to express their frustration....however....

The extremely negative sentiment that is becoming more and more vocal is akin to a relegation fight or the reaction to Big Sam Allardyce style tactics.

For goodness sake, we are 8th. We have had a season similar to our first at the Amex which, although the squad is stronger on paper, is fair enough under a new manager who is the polar opposite of the previous incumbent in terms of approach and management style.

We have blooded several young players this season, whose early enthusiasm has given way to a lack of experience.

We have had lots of significant injuries.

We have some players who are not performing as well as last season.

We had a poor January transfer window but who amongst us really knows how much we were courted by Grabbans agent etc.

Im gutted that we seem to have missed our opportunity to get into the play offs, however, if im honest with myself under Gus I was screaming for...

A bit more of a direct approach as a plan b
Less negative substitutions
More opportunities for home grown talent
Less Ego
More respect for the fans and club

I for one think that Oscar has delivered on this front and the true test of the man will be next season.

I emplore you, my fellow albion fans, to wind the vitriol down a notch and take a dose of reality. Gus was a big character, who shaped the team in his image, this season was always going to be a transition and, given the other challenging circumstances, I think we have done ok....not great by any means, but not as bad as some seem to think...

that is all

goodnight

(in case anyone dismisses this as the thoughts of a JCL, dont go there, ive spent many many seasons supporting the albion and taking my blind brother to games both home and away)

Yep, agreed

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Quite a significant number of Liverpool fans wanted Brendan Rogers sacked last year before the season had even finished.

Quite a few Leicester fans were questioning Nigel Pearson's position earlier this season. I know there were rumbles after we beat them at the Amex.

 

[London Irish]

Can we calmly prefer a better manager? Pretty please?

 

[ruthers]

It's the fact that we see absolutely no sign of improvement from the negative, defensive, pedestrian dross week in and week out that is finally testing the patience of the many.
If there were glimmers of hope that things were likely to improve sentiment would be different but as it stands we are clueless & nothing appears to be being done to stop the rot.
I think fans have been incredibly patient this season and 8th flatters us.
It's the simple lack of endeavour and entertainment most find hard to swallow. We need something, anything, to get vocal and show our support for.

 

[kalinski]

Agree with your post...we overachieved last year and some extent this year as well. Patience is required like Leicester, Swansea etc

 

[southstandandy]

I'm genuinely not too worried about our position in the league and don't see the Premier League as a 'must achieve' to be honest but what I do want is some entertaining football. Averaging barely a goal a game I can only think of 2 or 3 home games this season I've really enjoyed. Oscar's style of play is so boring to watch. I either want to see some more entertaining / attacking football from him or for someone else to have a go. After all he told us in the beginning of the season that his ethos was to attack and get the ball forward quickly - something he has not fulfilled.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Ok, ive had a few vodkas, summed up some courage and am ready to take the inevitable flack but here goes...

I really am struggling to understand why so many fellow fans are so worked up either negatively or defensively.

Yes the football has not been as good this season, yes a lack of goals has been frustrating and yes everyone who pays their hard earned money has a right to express their frustration....however....

The extremely negative sentiment that is becoming more and more vocal is akin to a relegation fight or the reaction to Big Sam Allardyce style tactics.

For goodness sake, we are 8th. We have had a season similar to our first at the Amex which, although the squad is stronger on paper, is fair enough under a new manager who is the polar opposite of the previous incumbent in terms of approach and management style.

We have blooded several young players this season, whose early enthusiasm has given way to a lack of experience.

We have had lots of significant injuries.

We have some players who are not performing as well as last season.

We had a poor January transfer window but who amongst us really knows how much we were courted by Grabbans agent etc.

Im gutted that we seem to have missed our opportunity to get into the play offs, however, if im honest with myself under Gus I was screaming for...

A bit more of a direct approach as a plan b
Less negative substitutions
More opportunities for home grown talent
Less Ego
More respect for the fans and club

I for one think that Oscar has delivered on this front and the true test of the man will be next season.

I emplore you, my fellow albion fans, to wind the vitriol down a notch and take a dose of reality. Gus was a big character, who shaped the team in his image, this season was always going to be a transition and, given the other challenging circumstances, I think we have done ok....not great by any means, but not as bad as some seem to think...

that is all

goodnight

(in case anyone dismisses this as the thoughts of a JCL, dont go there, ive spent many many seasons supporting the albion and taking my blind brother to games both home and away)

I'm going to assume that you were'y at Barnsley. No-one there yesterday would have written this post however much they had drunk. Surely?

 

[Deadly Danson]

Quite a few Leicester fans were questioning Nigel Pearson's position earlier this season. I know there were rumbles after we beat them at the Amex.

Very much this. Time and time again in football, it has been shown that persevering with a manager pays dividends. It's such an obvious observation that it amazes me that fans STILL clamour for managers to be sacked after a short time in the job. OG may or may not turn out to be great but it's way way too early to decide.

 

[Stat Brother]

Quite a few Leicester fans were questioning Nigel Pearson's position earlier this season. I know there were rumbles after ***Spanish Dave*** beat them at the Amex.

T'is a strange season.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Ok, ive had a few vodkas, summed up some courage and am ready to take the inevitable flack but here goes...

I really am struggling to understand why so many fellow fans are so worked up either negatively or defensively.

Yes the football has not been as good this season, yes a lack of goals has been frustrating and yes everyone who pays their hard earned money has a right to express their frustration....however....

The extremely negative sentiment that is becoming more and more vocal is akin to a relegation fight or the reaction to Big Sam Allardyce style tactics.

For goodness sake, we are 8th. We have had a season similar to our first at the Amex which, although the squad is stronger on paper, is fair enough under a new manager who is the polar opposite of the previous incumbent in terms of approach and management style.

We have blooded several young players this season, whose early enthusiasm has given way to a lack of experience.

We have had lots of significant injuries.

We have some players who are not performing as well as last season.

We had a poor January transfer window but who amongst us really knows how much we were courted by Grabbans agent etc.

Im gutted that we seem to have missed our opportunity to get into the play offs, however, if im honest with myself under Gus I was screaming for...

A bit more of a direct approach as a plan b
Less negative substitutions
More opportunities for home grown talent
Less Ego
More respect for the fans and club

I for one think that Oscar has delivered on this front and the true test of the man will be next season.

I emplore you, my fellow albion fans, to wind the vitriol down a notch and take a dose of reality. Gus was a big character, who shaped the team in his image, this season was always going to be a transition and, given the other challenging circumstances, I think we have done ok....not great by any means, but not as bad as some seem to think...

that is all

goodnight

(in case anyone dismisses this as the thoughts of a JCL, dont go there, ive spent many many seasons supporting the albion and taking my blind brother to games both home and away)

Can't argue with this.

Wish I could post something like this when sober let alone after drinking cheap vodka!

 

[Surf's Up]

I know OG said he wanted to play attacking football when he first arrived and this is the stick now being used to beat him. With hindsight I'm sure he would reflect that this statement was a bit naive on his part and was made without much knowledge of the ability in the squad he was inheriting. I'm certain that, as a statement of his footballing philosophy, this is correct but you have to have the players who can perform on the pitch and the truth of the matter is that the squad he inherited, with one or two exceptions, do not possess the ability to control possession, attack quickly and effectively and score shedloads of goals. Neither was he given (and probably won't be given) the money to enable hime to bring in enough of the right kind of players, they are too expensive. So this was the ceiling that GP was referring to. The key question is whether, given the same constraints, a British manager (eg Malkie Mackay, Eddie Howe) could've done or will do any better.

 

[kevtherev]

I think the overriding point is, that we are showing NO sign of improvement what so ever. Forget the league position etc etc. It's not really so much about that for me, it's more about the football being totally shite 9 times out of ten. I have said many times before, I am no glory hunter. Jesus I've supported the Albion for over 35 years. This is without doubt the most boring style of football since Mike Bailey and at least then it was 50pence to stand and watch the game...Someone posted the other day about would I rather see us lose 4-3 than 1-0...hell yes I would, I want to be entertained on a Saturday afternoon, not feel like it's some sort of chore to drive for nearly an hour. ....If there was the slightest sign that things were improving or move forward, I would be more relaxed about everything and except it's Garcia's 1st season, injuries etc etc....But he just looks clueless and getting worse, the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing, you look to him for some sign of passion and their's nothing there, the system is dire and the subs he makes just baffling. The guy is clearly out of his depth in probably the most competitive league in Europe. He has had 40 games not 4, we should be seeing signs of something better to come, but there is nothing.

 

[Paddy B]

Wise words sir. I am still not convinced by Oscar but let's look at what he has had to contend with:-

1) Loss of talismanic Player of the year for most of the season first through injury then being sold on January

2) from January loss of box to box midfielder with a habit of scoring crucial goals

3) sale in January of much vilified but crucial forward

4) due to adherence to FFP, failure to land suitable replacements the obvious one being Grabban.

5) loss through injury for most of the season of stylish and creative midfielder

6) Until yesterday loss through injury of club record signing striker.


Given all of the above many teams would have struggled and can you really blame Oscar, Jones, Burke or anyone for these issues?

The big blows really came in January and for me that's when the goals really dried up