Are We in a Genuine Relegation Battle?

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Are we Genuine Relegation Contenders?

  • Total voters
    720
Not for me, Wilder will get us to a solid top half finish so he will. Wednesday will finish rock bottom especially when they get their points deductions, it is rather embarrassing right now though so it is.
 

The Souza gap in midfield, not having a proper right back since GB, RIP ,left, are the main problems. Have family in Nottingham, they can't understand why we took Bindon on loan, then sign all these defenders. There is talk, the lad wants to go back, as he realises there will be very little game time for him. Moore going was good business, but we have no alternative up front, TYC and TC both struggling. Are we now hoping for Ings to get fit??????
 
We r in trouble, no doubt. Can't score, can't defend.
long season Ahead.

Midfield looked better. Individual errors continue to undermine us
 
My first season watching United was 1967/68. The season before that we'd finished 10th in the top flight.

However in 67/8 we started slowly picking up fewer points than expected. But victorious opposition managers were complimentary to us, consoling us by declaring that we were "too good to go down".

I don't need to tell you the rest.
 
Yeah, this needs to be turned around real soon or the heads will be gone and relegation looming.

Doesn't matter if you have the players if you don't get the points.
 
Jon B said:
My first season watching United was 1967/68. The season before that we'd finished 10th in the top flight.

However in 67/8 we started slowly picking up fewer points than expected. But victorious opposition managers were complimentary to us, consoling us by declaring that we were "too good to go down".

I don't need to tell you the rest.
Click to expand...
Although this was not my first season watching United, it was the first time my old dad had bought me a season ticket to go with him on a regular basis. By Christmas we had sold Jones and Birchenall, our two main strikers, and the rest is history. I can say from a long sad history that we are definitely in a relegation battle.
 
I think many underestimated just how bad our squad has become.

We look so poor in midfield and up front because we've downgraded players in these positions massively, and for the second season running don't have a proper right back (which is ridiculous by the way).

We seem to have used the loan market terribly, I'd argue every single loan this season is worse than last season's.

Add to that the fact that the previously decent players are way off form (probably linked to the above), and yes, you'd have to say we're in a relegation fight at the moment.
 

If we lose at Hull tomorrow we're a fifth into the season and rock bottom and possibly a couple of wins adrift of safety. You'd have to say at that point survival becomes the goal in focus before anything else.
 
I'm more confident after the last 2 games than I was but like Oxford saturdays game is big again. January will be huge for us, and probably expensive for the owners. Can easily make a case for at least 8 leaving, but that carries it's own risk of trying to mould new players together quickly and they become more expensive. That summer transfer window was a shambles
 
Provided Wilder sees the problems and someway fixes them, I expect mid table.
The problems?.
1. Still midfield. Davies Peck O'Hare and Hamer are a midfield of trying to work the ball in tight spaces. Sometimes too tight. We are lmissing Vini's physicality. Peck isn't the best at being direct or long with his passing and tends to use his right peg too much.
Davies was involved in a lot of the play and played good football at times. Though he seems to be striking up an understanding of O'Hare Hamer and Peck were just end up with short passes and got completely shoved off the ball in the second half by Southampton. You can add Burrows in to that too. Either Soumare or Arblaster would fit better and bring balance if we can get them up to speed.

2. Defending at corners. We seem to be playing a form of zonal marking. O'Hare in the box facing the corner taker as first man.
A bit behind that you have Peck 3 yards out from our front post and Tanganga 2 yards out from peck. Because Southampton had done their homework no opposition player positioned themselves between all 3 of those defenders, but they did run into that space from behind with our 3 players flat footed and blindsided. Hence no real pressure applied and for the first goal the ball came back off the crossbar.

3. Passing backwards. We have gotten into a muddle in quite a few games when playing the ball around at the back. Cooper obviously looks like he struggles with the ball at his feet and as a team we are not in sync to play that game.

4. Players Heads. Cooper Burrows & Hamer tend to drop the head when things go wrong and are way off the levels of performance of last season. Ogbene didn't drop his head but I do think he needs to boost his confidence.
He gets indecisive when he has time on the ball plus he didn't go at the opposition enough in the first half. Second half he was a lot better. He has the capability to nail down the wing back role. His reading of the game while defending is good and adjusts his positioning quite well and communicates well with Tanganga.

5. As per most other seasons our substitutions have little effect. Cannon seems to be putting the hard work of not getting on the ball. Matsos has a headless chicken approach. Seriki McCallum have little impact. Chong could be an option when fit. Soumare is a bit green but needs games for development. I would like to see more of him. One though raw would be a better option than Cannon.

6. Pace and directness. Campbell Cannon Hamer O'Hare Peck dont really show any pace. All good over 5 yards but then they get crowded out. Campbell is a bit poor at holding up the ball and is better at getting on the ball in the box. O'Hare gets into good positions in the box but is too small to be effective when a cross comes in. We need Davies to be like Robbie Earle when the ball is wide. Ghost into the box and and attack the cross. He had a 1goal every 4 games on average in his career.

If Wilder can fix half of that we will be fine. If he fixes all of it, we could sneak into the playoffs.
 
To answer the original question; yes, we are in a genuine relegation battle.

Our aim, now, should be to finish 4th from bottom, and if we hit that spot before the end of the season, our aim should be to climb a few more places and take some pressure off.

To use an old saying, "goals win games", and we just don't score enough, nowhere near, and you can only get away with that if you are solid at the back and keeping clean sheets.

If we can make it to January, and not be too far adrift, AND do some astute business with signings (and leavings), we might be ok.

On paper, these players should be too good to be relegated, but watching us week in, week out, suggests otherwise.

A grim situation.
 
Stretch said:
Chin deep.

I just wonder whether the players appreciate this, or even care?
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These players are the most spineless team I've watched in my 55 years. Seen worse with ability but least tried this lot are embarrassing. Ain't a fan of CW but he will need miracle to get a tune out of them and won't be getting grief from me, this is on the players and their shitty attitude. Cooper, Campbell and Burrows are main wankers.
 
Lower Drop Blade said:
These players are the most spineless team I've watched in my 55 years. Seen worse with ability but least tried this lot are embarrassing. Ain't a fan of CW but he will need miracle to get a tune out of them and won't be getting grief from me, this is on the players and their shitty attitude. Cooper, Campbell and Burrows are main wankers.
Click to expand...

A few from the league 1 spell were worse, but some of this mob are running them close. I can't believe what has happened to Burrows. I wouldn't have bet a penny on him scoring that today.
 
Chief said:
I'm confident enough to think this squad can get out of the mess it's in, but we've not actually seen anything yet to suggest that will happen.

Until it does, we're relegation contenders.
Click to expand...

20% of the way through the season and this hasn't changed, bar a few spells totalling about 60 minutes.

It's gotten better since Selles, but we're still sleepwalking towards the trap door.
 

Saying it's a battle is being overly optimistic. We aren't seeing any fight.

Even the away support had lost it's sense of humour today.
 
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