[Albion] It's Just Sunk In...

[Simon Morgan]

As a point of interest who would you blame for us falling at the 2nd to last fence? Luck? Palace being a better/luckier/more committed team, Poyet's tactics, TB not releasing even more funds for players, the fall out with the board demotivating Gus, lack of heart from the Albion players etc

We were so close to 2nd. Those who were at Hull on the opening day will remember we should have won the game, and this alone would have secured 2nd spot. There were a lot of late goals conceded from us as well. A bit churlish to put it all down to luck, especially considering that the shoe was very firmly on the other foot the previous season, but we were so bloody close last year.

 

[Icy Gull]

Barnes !

Of course, he chose not to play until the 2nd half and then deliberately screwed up two chances to put us in front whilst making it appear that there was a gnat's testicles between the ball going in or being saved/missing. It's so obvious now you mention it

 

[Chesney Christ]

Barnes !

Thats a joke, right?

 

[Icy Gull]

We were so close to 2nd. Those who were at Hull on the opening day will remember we should have won the game, and this alone would have secured 2nd spot. There were a lot of late goals conceded from us as well. A bit churlish to put it all down to luck, especially considering that the shoe was very firmly on the other foot the previous season, but we were so bloody close last year.

There are so many potential reasons. The negative aspect of some of Gus' tactics resulting in games we should have won turning into draws. I was at Hull and we were a bit unlucky but it's not like we played them off the park and lost. There were other games where we did play teams off the park and draw. Others towards the end of the season away from home where we set out not to lose and hardly had a shot. Most galling for me was the complete lack of passion from Gus from the touchline in the 2nd leg of the play offs, I would have expected him to be driving the team on from the touchline. I think something happened that made Gus lose desire in that game, it's bizarre and I'd love to know what it was because I feel it got through to the players too.

 

[B.W.]

I think we peaked as a club at 7.40 pm, 13/5/13. I don't believe we will ever get to the position and opportunity for a few years again. A Golden opportunity, we should have gone up in 2nd place last season. I believe the squad to be older and weaker, the manager to be weaker and we are being left behind. The league is much stronger this season and we lost a lot of momentum with the farce of the 6 week Poyet suspention. Mid table at best, probably lower mid table, should be good enough to avoid relegation but that is it. The gate of 8000 on Tuesday is also alarming. The novelty of the Amex will wear off and with championship football long term gates will tail off to 18000 or so but that is worrying if we cannot balance the books at 26000. I am finding it difficult to enthuse for next season for a number of reasons.

Glass half full. Let's see how it goes shall we.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I think we peaked as a club at 7.40 pm, 13/5/13. I don't believe we will ever get to the position and opportunity for a few years again. A Golden opportunity, we should have gone up in 2nd place last season. I believe the squad to be older and weaker, the manager to be weaker and we are being left behind. The league is much stronger this season and we lost a lot of momentum with the farce of the 6 week Poyet suspention. Mid table at best, probably lower mid table, should be good enough to avoid relegation but that is it. The gate of 8000 on Tuesday is also alarming. The novelty of the Amex will wear off and with championship football long term gates will tail off to 18000 or so but that is worrying if we cannot balance the books at 26000. I am finding it difficult to enthuse for next season for a number of reasons.

You little ray of sunshine

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

You little ray of sunshine

Just telling it how it is my Friend.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Thats a joke, right?

Not so much the Palace game but the 15 open goals he missed during the season.

 

[WATFORD zero]

As has been pointed out already, at this stage last season we didn't have Orlandi, Spanish Dave, Upson, Ulloa and Kemy.

We did have Vicente and Bridge

Pardon my french but htf can that be a weaker squad this season ?

 

[B.W.]

Just telling it how it is my Friend.

No. Telling it how you see it from your negative POV.

 

[Diego Napier]

I blame the players as much as Poyet. Once the players are on the pitch, there is very little the coaching staff can do, a lot of players let themselves, and us down over 2 legs.

In that case you know very little about man management and the motivational impact of a good manager and inspired team selection versus the destabilising pschological affects of disillusioned, out of sorts management and an upsetting incident or incidents occuring before a match and during half time.

 

[Springal]

In that case you know very little about man management and the motivational impact of a good manager and inspired team selection versus the destabilising pschological affects of disillusioned, out of sorts management and an upsetting incident or incidents occuring before a match and during half time.

So you're telling me that we fell to bits and failed to score a single goal, over the 2 legs, purely down to the management team? So Ulloa, Buckley, Orlandi, Lopez all played dog shit, because of disillusioned management? Are they incapable of operating by themselves?

 

[Justice]

I blame the players as much as Poyet. Once the players are on the pitch, there is very little the coaching staff can do, a lot of players let themselves, and us down over 2 legs.

I'm not sure about that the manager sets up the team, Poyet knew how to beat Palace at home the same way we beat Palace in March yet chose to play the exact same tactics as the away leg which provided about three chances.

 

[Bakero]

We are stronger now than at this stage last season and there's no reason to think we won't strengthen further. It's the 8th of August FFS.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Both of you are sooooo boring!! Shut up moaning and just support the club... How many more people will continue winging like feckin children.

Why dont you start an interesting thread if you are so clever,
Thought the OP made a fair point.

 

[Grombleton]

Just telling it how i see it my Friend.

Edited for you

 

[northernseagull]

Why dont you start an interesting thread if you are so clever,
Thought the OP made a fair point.

School holidays is it mate?

NSC has a great habit of pulling all the emotional negativity out of people. One or two defeats and all hell can break loose. Alternatively, the club hasn't found the correct alterations to a great squad and once again the negativity streams through. It would be so refreshing for people to just trust in the club, to look forward and not look back at what has been and gone.

I'm quite happy to watch QPR make all the signings they like, it didn't help Blackburn last season did it? Nor did it help Leicester? Absolute certs to go up I recall from various posters.

Like I've said previously, too many people are too concerned about what others are doing or not doing, we don't have to spend for the sake of spending when we have more than capable youth in the ranks who just need a chance...

 

[Mellotron]

If the big fallout hadn't occurred and Gus was still at the helm now I would be VERY confident of us going up this season. Under Gus we got better and better and better each season, with the 2nd half of season form (since Upson and Ulloa joined) being 2nd in the league.

 

[sydney]

I agree, last year was 'the year' to go up.

Lets not forget QPRs squad at the moment is stupidly strong, Wigan signing Holt (£2m!), Reading already a good squad, and adding Bridge. Forest looking very strong.

We have actually gone backwards in terms of signings.

i agree .....i am envisaging 4 or five "continental" loanees as we obviously are lacking the financial clout to take quality home grown players on......taking our promotion rivals cast offs a la konchesy ain't gonna do it.

rather disappointing few days to be honest.......makes that shit house display back in may even more hard to take.

 

[Greavsey]

Why dont you start an interesting thread if you are so clever,
Thought the OP made a fair point.

Cheers, and I'm really not moaning, just a whistful realisation when I saw that Mclean had signed for Wigan.

I am really happy in the Championship, frankly I don't really give a sh1t about what division we are in as long as the team is winning more games than it loses, but I'm sure I'm in the minority at the Amex. I do also have some sympathy with Uncle Spielberg's theory that we may have peaked last season, certainly in the short term.