Keep the Faith

[Hotchilidog]

It is perfectly understandable for people to be royally hacked off at last night's pathetic result and performance. In addition the frustration after our great start is also perfectly rational.

That said the club is clearly going after better players than we have in the past, hence the multi-million pound bids for Calleri and Bolanos. In addition we have brought in high calibre players such as Bong, Knockaert and out competed other teams for Wilson. Whether ultimately these moves work out, only time will tell, but we have clearly stepped up our game in terms of players we are looking to sign. Also for 21 games the players and the managers confounded the critics and naysayers by resolutely refusing to lose and scaling the summit of the division.Remember this was a team that barely stayed up last season, and a team most of us thought would finish mid-table.

There is no disguising the fact that we are currently useless, but I do not believe that will remain so for the rest of the season. Right now the team need our backing to help them through this tough period. Fair play to the OP, Keep the Faith indeed, we can turn this around.

 

[jamie the seagull]

It was the manner of the defeat which was so shocking last night.

 

[Seagull58]

Automatic promotion has gone I don't see us making the play-offs. 10th to 12th I think. Start planning for the big push next season

 

[Peter Grummit]

Very disappointing last night. Of course we are all frustrated.

But, I genuinely don't think we need to sign new players. The players we have are up to the job. Most are those who took us on that fantastic run. Those who remain injured (Hunnemier, Bong, March, Rosenior) have decent (if not quite perfect) replacements (Goldson, Knockaert, Ridgewell, Towell). To be honest, my biggest fear is that we spunk ridiculous money on a mercenary South American striker.

This squad can still give it a good shot. And if we come up short, then so be it, we go again next year. What bugs me is people who flounce after every defeat and say "Season Over!". Must win is only must win at the end of the season (think Forest; think playoffs). Otherwise it's just melodrama.

Let's all take a deep breath and Keep the Faith, #Together.

PG

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Automatic promotion has gone I don't see us making the play-offs. 10th to 12th I think. Start planning for the big push next season

That's not really in keeping with the spirit of this thread now is it?. I think somebody needs a cuddle.

 

[Sheebo]

My intention in this thread was never to 'tell' people how to feel - we are all frustrated and annoyed with the last 5 or so games. I just felt there was so much negativity on here and the radio, it was time to sit back & look at the bigger picture and Keep The Faith! Yes we are in a rut and it's worrying and we need to get out of it - we know we can do it and we know injuries have been a big factor for the recent poor form. Time to re-group and get behind the lads IMO...

 

[5ways]

What is frustrating is that we have a very solid squad at the moment. The squad we put out last night is perhaps the best on paper we've had this season. Tactically we seem to be sussed as BG has said.

Why not stick Towell in - he knows where the goal is.

 

[Return of the Rev]

My intention in this thread was never to 'tell' people how to feel - we are all frustrated and annoyed with the last 5 or so games. I just felt there was so much negativity on here and the radio, it was time to sit back & look at the bigger picture and Keep The Faith! Yes we are in a rut and it's worrying and we need to get out of it - we know we can do it and we know injuries have been a big factor for the recent poor form. Time to re-group and get behind the lads IMO...

All? Spokesman for the greater Albion public now Not everyone was dreaming of sky gold

 

[Sheebo]

All? Spokesman for the greater Albion public now Not everyone was dreaming of sky gold

Don't feed the troll

 

[nwgull]

Automatic promotion has gone I don't see us making the play-offs. 10th to 12th I think. Start planning for the big push next season

I hope the players aren't as negative about the next 20 games as some of our fans.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I hope the players aren't as negative about the next 20 games as some of our fans.

They bloody look it!

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Anyone else watched the Seagulls Player highlights (11 mins) and concluded that we weren't particularly awful last night?

Included highlights were moments of quality from Albion players (e.g. Hemed, Knockeart, Stephens) and a sustained period of Albion pressure at 0-1 that created several very dangerous threats to the Rotherham goal.

The two Rotherham goals came from individual errors. The first a slip on a wet pitch. The second an appropriate risk taken that didn't pay off. Apart from those two goals Rotherham had nothing else particularly close.

This Albion team that we thought was a very good one a couple of months ago still is.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I will when we actually ****ing sign a striker.

 

[Reinelt12]

Anyone else watched the Seagulls Player highlights (11 mins) and concluded that we weren't particularly awful last night?

Included highlights were moments of quality from Albion players (e.g. Hemed, Knockeart, Stephens) and a sustained period of Albion pressure at 0-1 that created several very dangerous threats to the Rotherham goal.

The two Rotherham goals came from individual errors. The first a slip on a wet pitch. The second an appropriate risk taken that didn't pay off. Apart from those two goals Rotherham had nothing else particularly close.

This Albion team that we thought was a very good one a couple of months ago still is.

I would agree to an extent... first half we never got going at all, although Rotherham didnt really threaten apart from the goal. Second half we were winning all the battles over the pitch, getting the ball back and attacking constantly... there were at least 3-4 very good opportunities missed.

The individual errors need to be cut out - thats a given... and as such Dunk if possible needs to be taken out of the firing line as it is happening way too much to him.

On the attacking side, I genuinely think we need a little bit of luck... How many times have we hit the woodwork in the last few games, and been inches away. A goal or two will breed confidence and we will be back playing as we were before.

The only player (apart from Dunk) who I believe has seriously dropped in form is Murphy - I havent seen anyone go from being very dangerous to completely inaffectual in such a short space of time. Wilson had a bad patch but I think thats mostly to do with his illness, and would expect him to get stronger over the rest of the month.

 

[nwgull]

Anyone else watched the Seagulls Player highlights (11 mins) and concluded that we weren't particularly awful last night?

Included highlights were moments of quality from Albion players (e.g. Hemed, Knockeart, Stephens) and a sustained period of Albion pressure at 0-1 that created several very dangerous threats to the Rotherham goal.

The two Rotherham goals came from individual errors. The first a slip on a wet pitch. The second an appropriate risk taken that didn't pay off. Apart from those two goals Rotherham had nothing else particularly close.

This Albion team that we thought was a very good one a couple of months ago still is.

Just watched, and I agree - although Rotherham did create a bit in the 1st half. Hopefully, we can take the 2nd half performance into Saturday.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I would agree to an extent... first half we never got going at all, although Rotherham didnt really threaten apart from the goal. Second half we were winning all the battles over the pitch, getting the ball back and attacking constantly... there were at least 3-4 very good opportunities missed.

The individual errors need to be cut out - thats a given... and as such Dunk if possible needs to be taken out of the firing line as it is happening way too much to him.

On the attacking side, I genuinely think we need a little bit of luck... How many times have we hit the woodwork in the last few games, and been inches away. A goal or two will breed confidence and we will be back playing as we were before.

The only player (apart from Dunk) who I believe has seriously dropped in form is Murphy - I havent seen anyone go from being very dangerous to completely inaffectual in such a short space of time. Wilson had a bad patch but I think thats mostly to do with his illness, and would expect him to get stronger over the rest of the month.

Did you go? Your account of the second half performance sounds very encouraging and much more in keeping with what we all hope for.

Murphy is very inconsistent. Some days he looks very average but is clearly capable of good things on other days.

Wilson's current lack of impact is very frustrating. Like you I attribute mostly to his illness and am optimistic.

 

[Reinelt12]

Did you go? Your account of the second half performance sounds very encouraging and much more in keeping with what we all hope for.

Murphy is very inconsistent. Some days he looks very average but is clearly capable of good things on other days.

Wilson's current lack of impact is very frustrating. Like you I attribute mostly to his illness and am optimistic.

Yes I did go, it is only 90 mins from where I am so wasnt too bad on a Tues night.

I am encouraged by the 2nd half and in particular the way we battled for the ball constantly... there was a period of 20-30 mins where Rotherham hardly saw the ball, and when they did we got it back... this was in particular down to Kayal who was buzzing all over the place.

Murphy frustated me for the time he was on, there was no pace or attempt to beat his man, which earlier in the season he was doing. Clearly thats a confidence thing, and with Kaz back shouldnt be too much of an issue.

The only other aspect I didnt mention is Stephens - apart from the one on one he missed, I think he sometimes slows the game down a little too much. Where we were dangerous earlier in the season, we were getting the ball forward a lot quicker... we have regressed to a slow build up which I think is making it more difficult to create chances when teams put bodies behind the ball.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Anyone else watched the Seagulls Player highlights (11 mins) and concluded that we weren't particularly awful last night?

Included highlights were moments of quality from Albion players (e.g. Hemed, Knockeart, Stephens) and a sustained period of Albion pressure at 0-1 that created several very dangerous threats to the Rotherham goal.

The two Rotherham goals came from individual errors. The first a slip on a wet pitch. The second an appropriate risk taken that didn't pay off. Apart from those two goals Rotherham had nothing else particularly close.

This Albion team that we thought was a very good one a couple of months ago still is.

Highlights always look better than watching 93 minutes of play when you're 226 miles away from home and freezing cold. I wouldn't say we were good in the second half but maybe for the last 20 minutes when we started attacking.

You mention Dunk's slip but not that Bruno was completely missing when their left winger had all the space in the world to put a cross in for Dunk to try and deal with.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Wilson's current lack of impact is very frustrating. Like you I attribute mostly to his illness and am optimistic.

This is an interesting one for me... no doubt some of it is coming down to injuries, but I think there are other factors too that explain his drop in form. I think it's arguable that injuries to other players have stopped us getting the ball into him as quickly as we were doing when he first arrived. And it seems CH is using him as a deep lying striker (at least he has tended to during the last few homes games he's played) which I find rather strange as it seems to play to almost none of his strengths i.e. pace, movement dribbling ability and finishing quality in the box. I'm surprised he isn't being used as the furthest man forward, like Baldock was, to push defenders backwards and keep them on their toes - with him constantly coming towards the ball we lack that outlet in behind.

 

[Kuma]

I'm keeping the faith cos it's transfer season so I'm waiting to see who the club will bring in and how they will contribute to the team. If further down the line we are still falling down the table then I'll lose the faith but atm just sitting tight.