[Albion] How many of today’s team are going to publicly apologise for that?

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

If the OP went to the cinema and was disappointed by the film, would he expect a public apology from the director, and actors?

Apparently yes, yes he would.

It is always a mistake to conflate disappointment with anger. It begats blame. I used to do this all the time when I was younger. If that sounds patronizing, it's meant to.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

OK - no one needs to apologise. I get it.....

Loving the analogies on here.

They were still absolutely shit though.

Finally!

 

[Recidivist]

I suggested that 'some' of the starting XI might have been fatigued, and if you read my post again, I also hinted that I firmly believed the team were not as up for this as their wages should necessitate. Now; I'm not saying this is how things should be, moreover that this (sadly) is the way the PL (and it's money) has contributed to the slide in genuine interest and engagement from the smaller PL teams in the domestic cups. Survival is absolutely all that matters, financially its vital and (again) although this is deeply depressing it's an all too stark reality. Graham Potter will have been given a simple remit: improve the paying style, incorporate the academy players, and survive. I doubt the cups got a mention. As an intelligent man he probably heeded the lesson of CH and his downfall, which the FA cup almost certainly contributed to, and rather pertinently didn't count for anything when he was abruptly sacked.

I say again, I am not surprised by the result or the performance and although it wasn't on (in terms of effort) - if we survive and finish about 10th, I doubt this thread will surface again.

I'd say the players who hadn't featured much, know their days are numbered and just didn't turn up. This massively contributed to the muted display and perhaps took GP by surprise, hence the subs etc. The clear first teamers too, I suspect, were told to avoid injury and suspension at all costs. Why? well Everton and Villa are two primary reasons.

The cups, for clubs like us, with limited second strings are very unlikely to result in anything other than fatigue and shattered dreams - Playing our first team, and running the risk of Dunk or Ryan or Propper of God forbid Mooy getting sidelined... I can hear the voices suggesting we should have played the reserves instead! You cannot win. Sure if we'd gone all out and won, with no injuries great, very great... but GP played the percentages and lost... I'd have done the same, especially if it gives us just a little bit more chance of a point away at Everton.

Yes I hear (and understand) the points you make but we’ll have to agree to disagree.

I simply don’t believe that the cup run last year had more than a marginal impact on the atrocious form in the second half of last season.

No idea what the problem was but adding a few extra games with, mostly, second string players surely can’t have fundamentally changed our season for the worse?

It’s also reasonable to suggest that the first half of the season was pretty bad too before we even got embroiled in the cup.

We got very lucky in several games so picked up enough points to feel comfortable but there were very few games where I felt we played well.

My guess, for what it’s worth, is that the team got fed up with the fundamentally negative set up and tactics game after game.

I was a great fan of CH (and still am) but GP has opened my eyes to other possibilities and, given the strength of the team put out, thought it reasonable to believe that we should have beaten SW quite comfortably without having to go all out.

No doubt I’ll get over it and I certainly don’t subscribe to the OP’s suggestion but I won’t go to another early round cup game again.


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[Knocky's Nose]

Bong rakes in 20 bags a week. Sure beats working. 20k a week!

That's a criminal offence, shirley?

 

[Stat Brother]

Bong rakes in 20 bags a week. Sure beats working. 20k a week!

I'd be gutted for him if they were plastic.

All but worthless soon.

 

[Kosh]

Yes I hear (and understand) the points you make but we’ll have to agree to disagree.

I simply don’t believe that the cup run last year had more than a marginal impact on the atrocious form in the second half of last season.

No idea what the problem was but adding a few extra games with, mostly, second string players surely can’t have fundamentally changed our season for the worse?

It’s also reasonable to suggest that the first half of the season was pretty bad too before we even got embroiled in the cup.

We got very lucky in several games so picked up enough points to feel comfortable but there were very few games where I felt we played well.

My guess, for what it’s worth, is that the team got fed up with the fundamentally negative set up and tactics game after game.

I was a great fan of CH (and still am) but GP has opened my eyes to other possibilities and, given the strength of the team put out, thought it reasonable to believe that we should have beaten SW quite comfortably without having to go all out.

No doubt I’ll get over it and I certainly don’t subscribe to the OP’s suggestion but I won’t go to another early round cup game again.


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Fair enough stuff.

I rather fancy the truth re CH and the cup run and the fall out, is somewhere between both our theories. I support the assertion that the players rebelled re the ethos and style post the semi final, but I also believe the false hope re a mini miracle prior to the match and the eventual 'performance' left them bereft of self belief and dare I say it a little broken... something CH simply couldn't fix. This route (vs Wed), although unpalatable for the fans - especially those who paid and went on Sat, has to be preferable to our actual first XI turning up in a later round, failing and then trying to rebuild a shattered spirit with very little room left for error.

Ah well; come Saturday we'll be debating the latest 90 mins good or bad :/