Survival

[Large Mendonca]

I am not giving up and I think we will stay up and I will keep supporting throughout.

However, with this squad, would it be better to get relegated?

I have seen loads of people saying we should sell Matos, Mcguiness, ings, Cannon in January, but in reality, how many of our current squad are sellable!? we will have given then half decent wages because we would have been thinking of being at the top end of the league.

Getting relegated might allow us to ship them on and rebuild from scratch.

I think it's a huge drop in revenue to go down to L1, as opposed to staying a Championship side. Relegation would be a big blow.

 

[dexter101]

I think it's a huge drop in revenue to go down to L1, as opposed to staying a Championship side. Relegation would be a big blow.

oh, it definitely is, and definitely we want to avoid it. Just from a squad point of view, I think we are stuck with some of these players for a while...

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Why is everyone giving up on survival in November?

We're not "already down", and we shouldn't be talking about League One next season, as if it's an accepted fact that that's where we'll be.

Yes, things look bleak at the moment, but there's a long way to go yet, and throwing in the towel at this early stage, is ridiculous.

This defeatist attitude isn't going to help anyone. We need to buck up, grit our teeth and show some steel. It's bad enough some of the players seem to be lacking a backbone, the last thing we need is supporters joining them. If we give up, what hope is there? Man up, for Pete's sake!

what do you see in this current squad that makes you think we can turn it around ?, Wilder has made very little difference, January doesn' t offer.much hope, unless we can tempt Iliman, MGW& Hendo back on loan, then there might be a glimmer.

 

[ancientblade]

as bad as we are just now i still think we will survive especially if we can get 5 out and 5 in this january for me wednesday oxford and portsmouth will be relegated still lots of games for us to pick points up 21st will do for us this season but still not convinced wilder is the man to take us forward know selles was a disaster but imo we need a younger progressive manager to come in next summer

 

[Half Bond Jls]

The fact we are even in a relegation battle after last season is an utter disgrace. This club is an embarrassment

I'm not embarrassed. We mess up time to time. Ok loads but don't be embarrassed.

 

[UTB Blade]

Personally it is down to just a small but significant fact..

I have seen these players attempt to play football… they aren’t very good at it.

Vinnie Jones wasn't very good at football, either - in fact, he was crap at it - used to have me pulling my hair out. But he made a career of it, including playing in the PL.

He isn't a very good actor, either - in fact, he's crap at it - and if I bothered to watch his films I'd probably be pulling my hair out about that as well. But he's made a fortune out of his acting career.

So how's he done it, and what could our players learn from it?

Attitude, attitude, attitude - what he lacks in skills, he makes up for in attitude. This guy says it better than me:



And, no, that, doesn't mean our players are suddenly going to turn into Kyle Walker or Erling Haaland - but if they change their attitude from "I can't", to "I can", they'll start doing a damn sight better than they are now.

 

[VictoryBlade]

Why is everyone giving up on survival in November?

We're not "already down", and we shouldn't be talking about League One next season, as if it's an accepted fact that that's where we'll be.

Yes, things look bleak at the moment, but there's a long way to go yet, and throwing in the towel at this early stage, is ridiculous.

This defeatist attitude isn't going to help anyone. We need to buck up, grit our teeth and show some steel. It's bad enough some of the players seem to be lacking a backbone, the last thing we need is supporters joining them. If we give up, what hope is there? Man up, for Pete's sake!

Perhaps the players aught to start the trend then eh?

 

[ancientblade]

we will stay up

 

[UTB Blade]

What difference does it make if fans think we’re down or not? We can’t defend and score goals on behalf of the team.

Well, it's a bit like the serenity prayer, isn't it?

You're right, of course we can't defend and score goals on behalf of the team - those are "the things we cannot change".

But we can do as much as possible to ensure that the atmosphere in the stands is positive, rather than toxic, and that we shout encouragement, rather than hurl epithets - those are "the things we can change".

So, as the serenity prayer says, that's what we need to have the courage to do, and hope it's enough to make a difference.

As for what difference it makes - well, players and managers repeatedly say that the atmosphere in the ground, and the attitude and behaviour of the fans, has a significant effect on the game. And they surely know better than us about how their performance, and that of the opposition, is affected by the crowd.

So, as I said before, it's got to be worth a try, hasn't it? Better than throwing the towel in, anyway.

 

[UTB Blade]

what do you see in this current squad that makes you think we can turn it around ?, Wilder has made very little difference, January doesn' t offer.much hope, unless we can tempt Iliman, MGW& Hendo back on loan, then there might be a glimmer.

As far as the squad goes, I agree it looks bleak. But there's all the difference in the world between bleak and hopeless. Arblaster getting fit again is cause for hope, the JTW is cause for hope, Hamer coming back soon is cause for hope.

Also, the fact that we've at least had some wins is cause for hope. They might not have been fantastic wins, but a win's a win; and getting points on the board is what matters, at this stage.

So I'm not throwing the towel in, yet. And whilever there's hope, I never will.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Well, it's a bit like the serenity prayer, isn't it?

You're right, of course we can't defend and score goals on behalf of the team - those are "the things we cannot change".

But we can do as much as possible to ensure that the atmosphere in the stands is positive, rather than toxic, and that we shout encouragement, rather than hurl epithets - those are "the things we can change".

So, as the serenity prayer says, that's what we need to have the courage to do, and hope it's enough to make a difference.

As for what difference it makes - well, players and managers repeatedly say that the atmosphere in the ground, and the attitude and behaviour of the fans, has a significant effect on the game. And they surely know better than us about how their performance, and that of the opposition, is affected by the crowd.

So, as I said before, it's got to be worth a try, hasn't it? Better than throwing the towel in, anyway.

I’m miles away so I’m not currently in a position to speak apart from the 2 or 3 games I’ll make this season.

But if you’re expecting a section of people who’ve been given absolutely nothing to cheer about following a pathetic capitulation at Wembley last season having spent a fortune on the game. Then spent either £500+ for the season or £40 a game to get served up absolute shite game after game then you’re probably going to be disappointed.

The BDTBL atmosphere in recent years has only come from rousing performances or poor officials.

Apathy has set in and it’s going to take the 11 players on the field at a given time to get them going again.

This bunch at the moment aren’t going to do that so it’s more likely to get toxic than it is to get loud anytime soon.

 

[UTB Blade]

I’m miles away so I’m not currently in a position to speak apart from the 2 or 3 games I’ll make this season.

But if you’re expecting a section of people who’ve been given absolutely nothing to cheer about following a pathetic capitulation at Wembley last season having spent a fortune on the game. Then spent either £500+ for the season or £40 a game to get served up absolute shite game after game then you’re probably going to be disappointed.

The BDTBL atmosphere in recent years has only come from rousing performances or poor officials.

Apathy has set in and it’s going to take the 11 players on the field at a given time to get them going again.

This bunch at the moment aren’t going to do that so it’s more likely to get toxic than it is to get loud anytime soon.

I didn't say I was expecting it. I said it's what we need to have the courage to do. And I absolutely agree with you that people have every right to be fed up when they've invested a lot of time and money into supporting the team, and it seems like the team aren't repaying the supporters' faith in them, for want of a better term.

But as I see it , every single supporter who goes to the match has a choice - join in the apathy and despair, or do the only thing they have control over, in the hope of making it better.

Life's short. So if, in going to an event, you have the choice between being apathetic and despairing, or being positive and encouraging, despite what's going on around you, which of those choices do you think is the right one for people to make? Joining in the misery doesn't help anyone, does it?

Misery feeds misery. And it doesn't look like the players feel inclined to shake off the misery any time soon. So it's up to us to do what we can to shake it off, and hope it passes on to them. What else can we do?

 

[Houston_Blade]

I didn't say I was expecting it. I said it's what we need to have the courage to do. And I absolutely agree with you that people have every right to be fed up when they've invested a lot of time and money into supporting the team, and it seems like the team aren't repaying the supporters' faith in them, for want of a better term.

But as I see it , every single supporter who goes to the match has a choice - join in the apathy and despair, or do the only thing they have control over, in the hope of making it better.

Life's short. So if, in going to an event, you have the choice between being apathetic and despairing, or being positive and encouraging, despite what's going on around you, which of those choices do you think is the right one for people to make? Joining in the misery doesn't help anyone, does it?

Misery feeds misery. And it doesn't look like the players feel inclined to shake off the misery any time soon. So it's up to us to do what we can to shake it off, and hope it passes on to them. What else can we do?

I get the sentiment, but any notion that the fans can get the players out of this is unfounded.

We all know that the atmosphere at the lane is shite at the best of times, it’s certainly only going one way at the moment.

 

[UTB Blade]

I get the sentiment, but any notion that the fans can get the players out of this is unfounded.

We all know that the atmosphere at the lane is shite at the best of times, it’s certainly only going one way at the moment.

Honestly, I think we need a bit of luck - no, don't laugh, I mean it. I remember as a teenager my Dad drawing my attention to something about football that sounds irrational, but it's amazing how often it's true. What he said was, if a team's doing well, playing well, and succeeding, they also seem to get all the luck. By which he meant, a team riding high hits the post or the crossbar, and it rebounds and goes in. Whereas when a struggling team hits the post or the crossbar, it goes straight out for a goal kick.

I was reminded of it when CW "kicked the ball at a supporter". If you watch the video, he didn't kick it at a supporter at all. He took a lazy swing at a ball that was rolling towards him, miskicked it, and it flew off into the crowd and knocked some poor fan's glasses off. It was tremendously unlucky - first that it flew off into the crowd at all, and second that it hit some poor old bloke in the face and knocked his specs off. On the video, you can see Wilder's mortified about what happened - as I say, it was horrendously unlucky. But when your luck's out, your luck's out.

That's how things are going for us, at the moment. And no, I'm not blaming our current situation on bad luck . We're where we are because we've made mistakes, and not been good enough. I don't think anyone could argue with that. But to turn it round, I think we need a bit of luck. If we get one lucky break, I think it could be enough to lift morale, and enable us to build up some momentum. The trouble is, we're not a lucky club, so it's difficult to see where a lucky break might come from. I think the best bit of "luck" we can hope for, is that Arblaster returns to fitness asap, that he hits the ground running, and that this galvanizes the squad. That's my hope, anyway.

 

[ATL Recs]

We've brought in absolute dross. Not replacing Souza or replacing him with a like for like or near as dammit has killed us

Deja vu JOC

 

[ATL Recs]

Honestly, I think we need a bit of luck - no, don't laugh, I mean it. I remember as a teenager my Dad drawing my attention to something about football that sounds irrational, but it's amazing how often it's true. What he said was, if a team's doing well, playing well, and succeeding, they also seem to get all the luck. By which he meant, a team riding high hits the post or the crossbar, and it rebounds and goes in. Whereas when a struggling team hits the post or the crossbar, it goes straight out for a goal kick.

I was reminded of it when CW "kicked the ball at a supporter". If you watch the video, he didn't kick it at a supporter at all. He took a lazy swing at a ball that was rolling towards him, miskicked it, and it flew off into the crowd and knocked some poor fan's glasses off. It was tremendously unlucky - first that it flew off into the crowd at all, and second that it hit some poor old bloke in the face and knocked his specs off. On the video, you can see Wilder's mortified about what happened - as I say, it was horrendously unlucky. But when your luck's out, your luck's out.

That's how things are going for us, at the moment. And no, I'm not blaming our current situation on bad luck . We're where we are because we've made mistakes, and not been good enough. I don't think anyone could argue with that. But to turn it round, I think we need a bit of luck. If we get one lucky break, I think it could be enough to lift morale, and enable us to build up some momentum. The trouble is, we're not a lucky club, so it's difficult to see where a lucky break might come from. I think the best bit of "luck" we can hope for, is that Arblaster returns to fitness asap, that he hits the ground running, and that this galvanizes the squad. That's my hope, anyway.

I think we had our fair share of luck up to March last year it’s now payback time