Tony will see it as a slight blip on a long and continuous mostly upward trend, caused by a series of almost flukey injuries and after experiencing a first season in Europe from which he will take plenty of lessons.
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[Albion] We are no longer a top 10 club
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GloryDays
Well-known member
Incredible isn’t it, that we could essentially stop playing after 2/3 of the season. Felt like when things looked safe, something changed. I’d say I felt like we were very vulnerable and, tbh, not very good well before the Roma game. Personally I was so frustrated at the Wolves cup loss, it felt like the season was done then, but the teams confidence and fans belief felt rocked after the Luton 0-4 game. That was Pandora’s box being opened. It didn’t help at all the RDZ attitude about squad and the “will he / won’t he” in relation to the rumours of leaving. Also Dunk has been gash since then.
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 23,976
If I had 6p for every time the Sheffield f***ing Wednesday atmosphere was mentioned, or Withdean, or Hereford or playing the likes of Mansfield etc.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Think we have to accept some ups and downs. This is Dunk’s first notable drop in form I can remember - there’s people saying let him go in the summer on another thread…what’s going on with us as a fan base!!??
Where’s our loyalty? Can’t demand it from players and managers then have a ‘clear out’ thread…
Its literally one step backwards. Temporarily. From 10th. I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.
Our fan base has become really weird.
rebel51
Well-known member
Just humans reacting as humans do. Nothing sinister going on honestly.
Uncle Spielberg
Well-known member
This can happen when you sell all your best players and do not replace them with similar quality
hart's shirt
Well-known member
I wouldn't say that.
The only trouble with hitting heights in Europe that we've never hit before is that there's further to come down afterwards.
We haven't got a previous point of reference here, so there's no comparison - just new experiences that have to be processed.
When one becomes accustomed to increased onfield success as we've seen recently, a perceived falloff will go against the grain.
It's not entitlement as such - more just increased expectations that have been borne out of a tangible overall improvement.
A natural reaction to better times. Nothing to worry about.
Next season without Europe will reset fans.
GloryDays
Well-known member
Really it was incredible and naive to consider we ever were a top 10 club. Ppl getting a bit too excited. Ateotd a club like ours will always be looking over their shoulder rather than forward. We've had a great 18 months (over achieving) and we've had some really good players come and go in that time. At times it's felt like the media hype as been intentionally part of the plan to destabilise us. Rumours coming from all directions. If someone scores a few weeks in a row, BAM, Chelsea are going to buy them. RDZ has been a victim of his own success to the point that we are 11th and got to the KO of the Europa League, and fans are suggesting he should be sacked. 
We can't sustain the constant attention that the big boys can, who are experienced and robust enough to absorb that kind of noise without the coaching staff and players shitting their pants. Irrespective of what the fans are saying it appears Chelsea might get european football. Utd through to another cup final. These serial big clubs can survive bad weather. We've just had a good sunny spell.
Remember the cautionary tale of Soton. We could be in L1 in 2 years time. We should always be prepared for that kind of slump.
We can't sustain the constant attention that the big boys can, who are experienced and robust enough to absorb that kind of noise without the coaching staff and players shitting their pants. Irrespective of what the fans are saying it appears Chelsea might get european football. Utd through to another cup final. These serial big clubs can survive bad weather. We've just had a good sunny spell.Remember the cautionary tale of Soton. We could be in L1 in 2 years time. We should always be prepared for that kind of slump.
I'm not convinced. I keep thinking back to Hughton's removal. Literally the day after the end of the season when we had med the required target by a hair's breadth.
Tony will have a target in his head and I imagine it will have been recalibrated along the way allowing for injuries and the like.
Now there are some on this board that don't think we'll get any more points this season. I don't subscribe to that but if it were to happen, that would be a return of 6 points from a possible 39 in the final third of the season. Against the backdrop, I have no problem at all imagining Tony pulling the plug. I think RDZ needs one more win to show we're still kicking.
Personally, I think it's more probable that he does do something extremely stupid than gets the heave ho, and I still don't think either is all that likely. It's just that I don't think Tony removing RDZ is off the table.
Brian Fantana
Well-known member
Unfortunately midfielders of Alexis Mac Allister's and Caciedo's quality do not grow on trees. We were incredibly lucky to have them at all, let alone passing through the club at the same time.
I fully expect to see a proper attempt made to replace them as closely as possible this summer. FWIW, I don't think the club expected Caicedo to leave last summer, so that somewhat threw the plans for this season up in the air.
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,276
Why would TB sack the best manager we have ever had? Yes TB had a target, it was to become a top 10 team and challenge for Europe. We achieved that last season but all this season has proved that we cannot sustain that level by selling key players and losing literally half the squad from injuries through the season. It requires more squad depth and more experience at European level - and better luck with injuries. Tony will know full well from RDZ the level of funding required for us to become a regular top 6 contender and compete for European silver.
That is not something you do in one season, especially with our business model, it is a process of development with peaks and troughs - it is a little entitled imo, to have had the expectation, given the size of Clubs that we are competing against for a top 6/7 finish, that we would have another season like last season with a bunch of youngsters, players nearing retirement and key players on the physio bench for half the season.
I certainly don’t regret this season - what we did achieve at European level (our first ever competition and we came top of our group!) and the breakout players has been brilliant- we gained valuable experience and now know what needs to happen if we are to keep punching above our weight.
boik
Well-known member
A textbook scrawled in crayon.
The reason why Tony might consider removing RDZ was contained in the section of my post that, for whatever reason, you chose to delete: a strictly hypothetical possible return of 6 from 39 points in the final third of the season.
I don't disagree with your remarks. I don't want to see RDZ sacked. I wouldn't swap this season and the European adventure for all the tea in China. I was merely putting forward a situation in which Tony might consider it to be a reasonable course of action.
SeagullinExile
Well-known member
But you’re still a twat.
Not seeing eye to eye on summer 24 transfer plans in any shape or form?
..and have 10+ serious injuries to key players.
- May 8, 2018
- 10,846
You’d be half way to a concourse Neck Oil?If I had 6p for every time the Sheffield f***ing Wednesday atmosphere was mentioned, or Withdean, or Hereford or playing the likes of Mansfield etc.
Seriously think TB/PB didn't expect to sell Caicedo, but the offer was so ridiculous (and his head had been well and truly turned) there was no option not to……probably knowing it would mean a lower finish this season, even without the ridiculous run of injuries. Short term pain, with the longer-term gain of a very decent pot of cash for future investment in the squad (just as several other clubs are going to be forced sellers).
- May 8, 2018
- 10,846
Agree, I said before the season stated that I suspect the plan was to keep him this season and give us time to properly replace him but Chelsea ruined the timeline by offering probably 30-40m more than he was actually worth and we couldn’t turn it down, particularly with the agent planning the game as well.
Wasn’t the plan but you can’t turn down money like that.