Sorry, Oscar, we were not "the better team".

[Stat Brother]

When we are playing a team clearly better than us, basically teams with recent Premier League experience, or obviously the Prem League sides, the difference is their speed of attack.

Recently both Wigan & QPR had 3 or 4 instances per half, when the whole team went 'NOW'.
Pass, pass, pass and they've gone from 9 men defending the ball deep in their half, to 5 or 6 men attacking.

We never ever do that.
I don't imagine any defence properly fears us, with the exception of Will, who never seems to ram home the yellow card advantage he's gained on player 'x'.

 

[Diego Napier]

We aren't playing Premiership teams we played a very average Championship team yesterday, QPR were technically better in both defence and attack. You make it sound be are playing better than last season we are not some of the football is dross and we were lucky to get points.

Of course its difficult when teams park the bus, its when they have time to park the bus and score two goals you know you have problems.

This is still Gus's team, I'm not Gus's greatest fan but the players who are performing Gus brought in and the players who replaced the ones that left are not as good. Whether thats down to Oscar or lack of funds I can't say yet but to say we are heading in the right direction is one eyed and naive.

You could make a fortune if you could bet on what happens on the 60th minute if Lua Lua is on the bench and thats whatever the score is and Gus was doing that for seasons before with greater effect. I'd like to see Oscar do something that makes his mark on the team that is different but better than last season. The litmus test is what happens when CMS, Hoskins and Crofts get back because I'm sure if we had them fit we would have made the playoffs easy unless the problem is the manager.

I'm not sure how to respond to this rambling stream of consiousness, there's no coherency to your post, you seem to be agreeing with some of my opinions and disagreeing with others. What is the point(s) you are trying to make?

 

[Chicken Runner61]

I'm not sure how to respond to this rambling stream of consiousness, there's no coherency to your post, you seem to be agreeing with some of my opinions and disagreeing with others. What is the point(s) you are trying to make?

Thats exactly the sort of response someone posts when they can't respond with a intelligent thought out reply.

I'm not trying to goad you or make you look stupid but

You think we are going in the right direction - I don't - the team is no better than last year in some respects its worse. I can't see one area where we are better because of Oscar than under Gus

You think its ok to faff about at the back - I don't - i think teams that press us get results, I think we are technically weaker at the back and we don't have a scoobie of how to break teams down

I never said I agreed or disagreed with anything else you posted it was these two points I took you up on just because I thought it was a bit rose tinted. We have had the honeymoon with Oscar, its been ok in bits but the sexy bedroom routine leaves a lot to be desired and it all needs to improve.

that was my point - you don't have to agree - its an opinion - perhaps you could come back with some areas where we are better?

 

[withdeanwombat]

I knew we were going to be rubbish as soon as it was over.

 

[maltaseagull]

Because losing is something to be negative about, whereas winning isn't? Really I don't understand why people show surprise that there are negative people when we lose and when we win there aren't. After wins we get "where are all the moaners now?" comments, chances are they are celebrating the win.

I think it's a fair question to ask why they only come on to be negative. Can't they post positive comments after a win when they finish celebrating?

 

[TonyW]

I thought we were great today, particularly in the first half. We dominated, played great football and deserved to win. Two very soft goals coupled with a (still) off-form Ulloa meant the defeat.

Spot on.

 

[Diego Napier]

Thats exactly the sort of response someone posts when they can't respond with a intelligent thought out reply.

I'm not trying to goad you or make you look stupid but

You think we are going in the right direction - I don't - the team is no better than last year in some respects its worse. I can't see one area where we are better because of Oscar than under Gus

You think its ok to faff about at the back - I don't - i think teams that press us get results, I think we are technically weaker at the back and we don't have a scoobie of how to break teams down

I never said I agreed or disagreed with anything else you posted it was these two points I took you up on just because I thought it was a bit rose tinted. We have had the honeymoon with Oscar, its been ok in bits but the sexy bedroom routine leaves a lot to be desired and it all needs to improve.

that was my point - you don't have to agree - its an opinion - perhaps you could come back with some areas where we are better?

Thank you, that's a lot more effort cogent and don't worry, you're not making me look stupid.

We'll have to disagree on the direction we going as I believe that in the light of the players available and the fact that Oscar has had less than a season to implement his philosophy then we are improving. Games like Saturdays come along every so often, no one was bleating after Bolton or QPR or Millwall.

I don't think it's OK to faff around at the back, I didn't state that, you made it up. We don't faff around at the back, we pass the ball across the pitch to wait and probe for attacking chances; sometimes it's at the back, sometimes it's in midfield and sometimes it's across the edge of the oppositions penalty area. We did all those things yesterday, it's what we do as a team under OG (as we did under Gus).

You say we are technically weaker at the back. Weaker than who or weaker than when? Our defensive record is amongst the best in the league.

In the same sentence that you run down our defence you also dismiss our attack. Yesterday we were unable to finish but we did create chances. Against Bolton we had more than a scoobie of how to break them down; against QPR we had more than a scoobie of how to break down a far more gifted technical team; against Millwall we had more than a scoobie of how to break down a far less technically gifted team; against Leeds we....... The point is that we do have a scoobie, what we lack is consistency and an ability to convert chances into goals. Most of the game against Wigan we made them look very pedestrian but we just couldn't convert a whole succession of chances.

We do have differing opinions. I started off the season believing that if Oscar kept me in the Championship bedroom by May then I'd still feel like I was on honeymoon even though the earth didn't move for me every time we played . The earth certainly didn't move for me on Saturday but it did the week before. I'm not ready to kick him out of bed yet, next season is another matter.

 

[Acker79]

I think it's a fair question to ask why they only come on to be negative. Can't they post positive comments after a win when they finish celebrating?

I disagree. I think often times the question isn't about the absence of the person, but the moans themselves, it has to be because I see a lot of the posters who moan still posting after wins.

Other times, it's more of gloat ("you said X was awful! How wrong were you?!" "Oh, Charlton's going to be crap is it?" sort of thing) or an attempt to undermine posters ("oh, you weren't complaining last week when we won!" sort of thing).

The question is very rarely asked because a poster who had been moaning is absent, and there is a genuine question about their whereabouts.


But even if it was, I think the same can also be asked in reverse, since there are posters who only post when we win, sometimes because they can gloat, sometimes because they view this as a place to celebrate with fans. That's what they like to use this place for.

Some others view this as a place to discuss the issues that are causing losses so complain. The majority post whether we win or lose, and the losses lead to more negative posts, and the wins to more positive posts.

It's an irritating question, that is often never about wanting to know where moaners are and is an attempt to somehow draw doubt on the moans, despite them only being there (for the most part) when we lose.

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

I think it's a fair question to ask why they only come on to be negative. Can't they post positive comments after a win when they finish celebrating?

It's not about being negative. It's about being disappointed when once again our team fails to deliver despite having more than their fair share of the play. It would be easy to sit back and say" oh dear, we lost again, never mind!" Ultimately, we all want one thing - to have a successful club both on and off the pitch that we can enjoy supporting.

 

[Diego Napier]

It's not about being negative. It's about being disappointed when once again our team fails to deliver despite having more than their fair share of the play. It would be easy to sit back and say" oh dear, we lost again, never mind!" Ultimately, we all want one thing - to have a successful club both on and off the pitch that we can enjoy supporting.

You're quite right, I suspect the main difference between the cheerleaders and moaners is that one group is generally happy with the coach and the other one would really prefer a manager with a different approach to the game.

 

[symyjym]

I would say that we were the better team yesterday so there wasn't much wrong with the tactics or what Oscar is doing. We had our chances and if they weren't scuffed, sliced or weak, the final decision on passing when we should have shot or shooting when we should have passed let us down.

We definitely miss the leader in Crofts and the option of Barnes and it's just bad fortune that they went at the same time.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

We were the better side overall , Ipswich had two decent chances in the game and scored , end of story.

 

[Husty]

But the final ball was either poor or our finishing was weak. When players are getting in positions to score enough to win a match easily, I don't see the manager is at fault.

But it wasn't just this week that that has been the case, it's been a recurrent problem since we got promoted. 3 seasons and nothing has changed, so surely there is a fault somewhere.

 

[trueblue]

But it wasn't just this week that that has been the case, it's been a recurrent problem since we got promoted. 3 seasons and nothing has changed, so surely there is a fault somewhere.

Yes. We haven't got any natural finishers apart from Ulloa and to need to bring some in. Like a lot of clubs. Again, don't see how that can be pinned on the manager.

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

Yes, we may have had over 60% of the possession but most of that consisted of repeatedly passing the ball across the back or passing backwards. How many times did anyone really look to make an incisive break through the midfield? Of the twenty plus shots we supposedly had, how many were on target? How many times did anyone get forward alongside Ulloa? Etc. etc! When Ipswich broke they did so quickly. When we "broke" it was invariably slow and ponderous and resulted in either the man in possession turning back on himself or an over-hit cross. Our goal scoring record speaks for itself; hardly attacking, exciting football!

Anyone getting up alongside Ulloa would have been offside and he was virtually every time the ball was played forward.

 

[Acker79]

Anyone getting up alongside Ulloa would have been offside and he was virtually every time the ball was played forward.

There was a moment in the second half where some fan near me yelled out "get onside, Ulloa", the ball was kicked, the flag went up, and the guy next to said fan the yelled out (in all seriousness) "That was never off side!".

 

[Husty]

Yes. We haven't got any natural finishers apart from Ulloa and to need to bring some in. Like a lot of clubs. Again, don't see how that can be pinned on the manager.

Another one of the throw money at the problem and it will go away brigade.

 

[The Wizard]

Another one of the throw money at the problem and it will go away brigade.

What should we do then?(Not that I think throwing money at it is right just wondered what your suggestion is) Our fans expect so much now, we are top ten in the championship. One bad result after 3 excellent ones.

A bit of perspective needed, perhaps.

 

[trueblue]

Another one of the throw money at the problem and it will go away brigade.

Huh? Quite the opposite - you've got the wrong person there.

I'm sure if Tony Bloom threw money at the problem it might well go away. But that's not the same as believing the he should do it. Oscar's doing a good job as far as I can see, having us in contention for the play-offs while the club also tries to live within its means. If we stay in the Championship, so be it. On the evidence so far, he should be able to push the club forward with his coaching ability in a second full season, judging by the performances he's got out of the youngsters this year.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Anyone getting up alongside Ulloa would have been offside and he was virtually every time the ball was played forward.

There was a moment in the second half where some fan near me yelled out "get onside, Ulloa", the ball was kicked, the flag went up, and the guy next to said fan the yelled out (in all seriousness) "That was never off side!".

Ulloa is a walking offside. He either times his runs wrongly or makes ones that are so good that no one but the fans in WSU and ESU can pick them out.

We honestly weren't great yesterday. We have a coach who's "obsessed with attacking football" yet our play at home says different. We will always struggle at home against teams who set out initially for a point. Sheffield Weds, Barnsley, Ipswich, Huddersfield to name but four. When teams come to give us a game like QPR or Leicester we get a result. It's starting to be more than a trend.