The 3 mistakes that have led to our downfall.

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Stantheman

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1. The dressing down after Leicester away last season. I said at the time, that could go one of two ways, you cannot say your players who were currently 6th in the PL are league 1 and championship players who are playing out of their skin for you. You cannot throw them under the bus and expect them to play for you. The performance wasn't actually that bad, it would have been a "great" performance this season.

2. One rule for one......lundstrum. He got Duffy out the door for far less, yet lundstrum is always in the team, despite not being very good (although that could be said about a few lately). Duffy has mates at United, what will they think when he did that to the bouncekiller yet allows lundstrum free reign.

3. Mcburnie. He has never been any good, I remember a few on here trying to defend him to the hilt. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a chuffing duck. Sadly sticking by him meant that any football went out of the window and we launched it long, it's completely lost the rhythm of the team. His signings have been shocking in the PL but he laid the marker down with a CF who isn't a good as porter was.

Never been as fed up of fooking football as I am now. Not sure what happens from here. Global thermo nuclear war anyone?

UTB FTP
 

"you cannot say your players who were currently 6th in the PL are league 1 and championship players who are playing out of their skin for you."


The entire squad has spent their career in League 1 and the Championship, one season at this level doesn't change that.
 
1. The dressing down after Leicester away last season. I said at the time, that could go one of two ways, you cannot say your players who were currently 6th in the PL are league 1 and championship players who are playing out of their skin for you. You cannot throw them under the bus and expect them to play for you. The performance wasn't actually that bad, it would have been a "great" performance this season.

^^^ THIS 100%

 
1. The dressing down after Leicester away last season. I said at the time, that could go one of two ways, you cannot say your players who were currently 6th in the PL are league 1 and championship players who are playing out of their skin for you. You cannot throw them under the bus and expect them to play for you. The performance wasn't actually that bad, it would have been a "great" performance this season.

2. One rule for one......lundstrum. He got Duffy out the door for far less, yet lundstrum is always in the team, despite not being very good (although that could be said about a few lately). Duffy has mates at United, what will they think when he did that to the bouncekiller yet allows lundstrum free reign.

3. Mcburnie. He has never been any good, I remember a few on here trying to defend him to the hilt. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a chuffing duck. Sadly sticking by him meant that any football went out of the window and we launched it long, it's completely lost the rhythm of the team. His signings have been shocking in the PL but he laid the marker down with a CF who isn't a good as porter was.

Never been as fed up of fooking football as I am now. Not sure what happens from here. Global thermo nuclear war anyone?

UTB FTP
Global thermo nuclear war would actually be an improvement of life at present. We’re just ‘existing’ not ‘living’ through all this shit. Nothing to look forward too due to the fucking clowns in Government. On a lighter note, the double standards with Duffy and Lundstrum beggars belief. An exciting, creative player is fucked off and the big fucking mardy arse lumbering twat is kept on.
 
Don't agree, sorry. We're where we are because of a few factors. Firstly that our wage budget means recruitment is very difficult and we've failed to improve the squad. Norwood, Fleck and Mousset have all gone backwards and they were all key players last season, less so Mousset but he was crucial to many points last season. The injury to O'Connel has meant the left side of defence is a weakness and we concede many goals from that side as a result. We've had other injuries also of course, but not as long.

The lack of fans means the Lane is not a fortress and the support we offer home and away is a big help to us. We couldn;t win any of the first few games and then the pressure was huge v West Brom and West Ham and we buckled, and since then it's looked beyond us. We're on empty now.

Also two of the promoted sides are decent sides - Leeds and Fulhama and with big pockets. Watford and Bournemouth were in disseray last season, Norwich just not good enough. Villa have also significantly improved and that's another team that's kept above us.
 
I don't agree with point 1, a Wilder rocket had always worked previously and they squandered a huge chance to push for European spot, a chance that most of them are highly unlikely to ever get again, just like the club at this rate. Whilst he did go a bit further than usual, I still think it was spot on and that opinion was shared by a lot on here, and certainly every neutral I spoke to about it.

Point 2 - 100% agree on the Duffy and Lundstram situations, and I will add in the fact that we no longer have 1 attacking/creative midfielder at the club (oh sorry we do, but he was sent out on loan) is a managerial brainfart of the highest proportions, which leads nicely to....

Point 3, which is hugely debatable, and in my opinion McBurnie is not the main problem on the pitch, it's the lack of creativity as mentioned above.
 
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Why don't you tell us what are?

The very first thing on this list is not sufficiently replacing O’Connell or allowing him to have his operation earlier last season (if that had made a difference). The lack of a solid base in defence has meant that the fine lines we were treading last season have gone the other way so instead of us winning by 1 we’re now losing by 1. The lack of a solid defence means the rest of the team can’t play the way we did last season, which leaves the strikers isolated, which means a lack of goals.

There’s several other issues that are way in front of those listed in the OP but frankly I don’t have the energy for it tonight and I wouldn’t expect you to agree with me regardless of what I said.
 
Point 1 seemed really disproportionate at the time, where do you go from there?

We obviously agree to disagree but thanks to booker and stretch for being constructive. UTB.
 

1. The dressing down after Leicester away last season. I said at the time, that could go one of two ways, you cannot say your players who were currently 6th in the PL are league 1 and championship players who are playing out of their skin for you. You cannot throw them under the bus and expect them to play for you. The performance wasn't actually that bad, it would have been a "great" performance this season.

^^^ THIS 100%


What did he say wrong there? Is he in charge of a team of grown men or U10s in the Junior Sunday League?
 
My 3 imo

1. Not predicting a global pandemic, which greatly affected our strengths as a team. Being fitness and lack of injuries resulting in a consistent 11 (our norm) becoming a rarity

2. A global pandemic and court case affecting our possible transfer budget in what was obviously a key window.

3. A couple of bad signings value wise in the form of ramsdale and berge. Berge for how he fits the team and ramsdale as you can get a reasonable keeper for much less than that
 
What did he say wrong there? Is he in charge of a team of grown men or U10s in the Junior Sunday League?

We were 6th in the Premier league. If it was meant to make a difference it certainly has.
 
Alternative title
'3 random personal opinions, that I'll present as facts'

Oh you are so cutting. Look up the purpose of a forum and how it's intertwined with opinions.
 
The 4th mistake was removing any creative midfielder (not just Duffy) from the squad altogether which gives no options to adjust our formation.
 
As ever, it's all about opinions, but these would be my top three factors, although you could argue they are actually 5 or 6...

1. O'Connell injury - a massive blow to us, not only from a defensive perspective but he's been integral to how that left hand side operated with Stevens and Fleck in driving us forward. People talk about our 'over lapping CB's' being nullified but for me losing O'Connell meant we were always going to struggle to keep doing it well. Now we can't seem to do it at all and it's also inbalanced the side. I've read we should have replaced him and I'd like to ask "Who with?" - he's been fairly unique as an attacking left footed/left sided CB. I can't think of anyone who would be an ideal replacement without spending about £40m.

2. Injuries and Form - 2 reasons really but I think they affect each other. Last season the back 5 and pretty much the midfield picked itself for the majority of last season. We were lucky to have a run where not many players, and certainly not key players, were getting injured. This season, it's been horrific. I think this is directly linked to the poor form of players. Fleck in particular but also Norwood's (although he hasn't been injured as far as I know) form has deserted them. I wonder how much Fleck's is linked to the loss of O'Connell, however Norwood has just been inexplicably poor.

3. Recruitment - it pains me to say it but I think we've made several BIG mistakes. Firstly Berge, I'm so disappointed this hasn't worked out. You can see there's a quality player in there, but he just needs to stamp his authority on the game. Sadly, I don't think that's going to happen with us and I can see him moving abroad in the summer. Brewster - this one baffles me a bit. Clearly he's got potential but we needed somebody who was going to score goals for us this season, not next season in the Champ. When we were in League 1, we let DCL go even though he had great potential because we needed to free up some cash to get players that would get us out of that League. I get that and fully agree with the reasons. We couldn't afford to spend so much money on players that are 'ones for the future'. We needed players that were going to secure our prem status this season. No idea what the clubs position is on fees and wages et al but for me we should have been in for players like Callum Wilson or at least some with Prem experience. The drop off from Henderson to Ramsdale is plain to see but I'm not sure how much Wilder could be blamed for that. Perhaps there were better options but it seemed a decent signing at the time.

I also think our 'style' or rather lack of it has been a big factor. Our players are too tempted to hoof it up to McBurnie and that's not how we play, furthermore we're not very good at it. Not McBurnie's fault but I also see this as contributing to the lack of form of some players who aren't seeing the ball enough. Add to this rock bottom belief and confidence and it's quite depressing.
 
Almost everything.
Maybe we listened to a different interview. He signed almost all these players, do you not think he has an idea what makes them tick? He’s right when he says he’s the biggest supporter of the players but when he feels they’ve let him down, he’ll say so. Was anyone complaining when that approach took those players from L1 to the Premier League in three seasons?
 
Maybe we listened to a different interview. He signed almost all these players, do you not think he has an idea what makes them tick? He’s right when he says he’s the biggest supporter of the players but when he feels they’ve let him down, he’ll say so. Was anyone complaining when that approach took those players from L1 to the Premier League in three seasons?

Not sure if you realize that League 1 is different to the Premier League. You can't use the same approach for both, you need to adapt which Wilder has failed to do enough.
 
Biggest issue for me is the commitment to a wage structure that makes it almost impossible to compete with other teams in the Premier League. We’ve been unable to attract the calibre of player required to improve the first team and build on the foundations of last season. Then to overspend on fees of certain bang average footballers, you have to wonder if this money could have been used better.
 
Not sure if you realize that League 1 is different to the Premier League. You can't use the same approach for both, you need to adapt which Wilder has failed to do enough.

they are also different players. In 2017 most of our players had significant experience in league one or higher. The signings this season and last have little or no PL experience.
 
I think the 3 mistakes may be:
1) to try and shoehorn Berge into our midfield
2) to expect Mousset to ever play a full game
3) to think we could make a silk purse out of Norwood

But we did get loads of things right. UTB
 

The real reason we’re struggling is because we rely on formula, fitness, understanding and unity.

Pre season is massive for us........but it was cut short this Summer with little preparation.

Last season our big strength was defence...we’ve played the same back 5...almost every match for 2 years.
So know there’s no O’Connell.....its upset the balance and understanding.
 

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