The "If only..." thread

[raul]

Now we are departing the division with dignity, what one event do you think would have kept us up if it had/hadn't happened?

I'm going for Morgs not being out for the season.

 

[bricktop]

Going 16 games without a win.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Now we are departing the division with dignity, what one event do you think would have kept us up if it had/hadn't happened?

I'm going for Morgs not being out for the season.

End of thread....

 

[SBlade63]

Collins hadn't given away the penalty at scunthorpe :/

 

[blader]

I think losing 4-0 at home to scunny had much more of a domino effect than people realise.

 

[alcoblade]

We'd sacked Blackwell at the end of last season, OR the end of this season.

UTB

 

[beightonblade]

IF ............... McCabe had fooked off !

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Not even talking to Eddie Howe.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Adams being a bit more adventurous with his team selections before it was too late.

 

[dingledog]

Doyle and Collins, and nos, what a shower!!

 

[SBlade63]

Simmo could catch

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Hendo had taken those chances.


PS I think Raul nailed it in the OP. Our problem in the last few months has been a young unmarshalled defence.

 

[BladeInThatcham]

In much more recent times I'm thinking of the guilt edge chance Hendo had against Middlesbro from a yard out at 1-1 and the fact that their winning goalscorer shouldn't even have been on the pitch. The Hendo shot that hit the post against Preston when the score was 2-1, not to mention the Riise miss.

Personally, and I know this couldn't have been helped, but I would like to have seen Speed in the job for longer and seen what action he would've done in the transfer window. I think what he was trying to do would've taken time and given the right personel we could've been in for a real shout next season.

 

[sitwell]

Ambrose lucky/genius strike at Palace was the turning point or Millwalls last minute equaliser.

 

[Zlatan]

If we had sacked Blackwell at the end of last season.

If we didn't sign calamity Nosworthy.

If we didn't toss away a 2-0 lead at Scunny.

 

[Bladesman]

Going 16 games without a win.

I always thought we were on the brink of going down before the season even started but one thing I could not of predicted is us going to down so badly.

For me IF we had sacked Blackwell sooner and not passed the job on to Speed then maybe this situation might of been avoided.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Leaving Blackwell in charge and then ridiculously sacking him 3 games in. There's been a catalogue of disasters and too many events that have once again transpired against us since then but had we got a new man in in the summer, it could all have been so different.

 

[cahill]

Sacking Blackwell after a creditable 1 v 1 away at Cardiff with 10 men and after suffering a home defeat to a team that started the season like a rocket hammering everybody, and whoever believed Nosworthy was a player.

If Blackwell had stayed we wouldn't have gone down (which we have) but we wouldn't be anywhere near the top either

 

[Vancouver]

Choosing Mickey Adams instead of Sean o'Driscoll.

 

[ListerBlade]

IF ONLY my predictor comes true. Has us staying up by 1 goal (it would make the pain of going down by 1 goal from the Prem a bit better). Donny to lose 3-0 to Middlesborough, and 2-0 to Leicester (reverse order) Palace to lose both the last two games but only by the odd goal. Us to beat the Dingles 3-0 and Swansea 1-0. I put Preston as 10-0 winners for each game just for fun and didn't bother with any other scores as they won't affect us.

Here's to praying/if only/wishful thinking. I accepted we were down after Scunny but each win brings a flirt with fantasy and a belief and faith that has been buried deep down this season.

 

[blader]

Choosing Mickey Adams instead of Sean o'Driscoll.

we didnt. We offered SOD the job and he turned it down.

 

[Rattly Noise]

We'd sacked Blackwell at the end of last season, OR the end of this season.

UTB

or not sacked him at all

---------- Post added at 07:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------

IF ............... McCabe had fooked off !

And we'd gone bust? What's the point in that?

---------- Post added at 07:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:40 PM ----------

we didnt. We offered SOD the job and he turned it down.

No proof of either. Just speculation.

 

[davidpinder]

holding on to the 2 goal lead at scunny

 

[BladeHearts]

If Riise hadnt missed that sitter at Preston, if the loanees had gone sooner............

To be honest there are so many things that could be highlighted its actually a minor miracle that we still theoretically have a chance of survival with 180 minutes of the season left.

At the end of the day whats done is done and all we can really do is look positively to the future.

None of us want to be in League One but in a weird way its probably the perfect environment for blooding our excellent crop of youngsters, lets re-discover that winning habit next season and come straight back up with the momentum to push for the Premiership the season after that.

 

[Rattly Noise]

Acknowledging that too many loan players last season wasn't good for us, then doing a u-turn and signing too many loan players. Whatever went on behind the scenes to cause that has got to be one of the key reasons (and don't just roll out the McCabe argument. It's WHY McCabe and the rest of the board (assuming it was they) decided to do it again that's the problem and that's something we'll probably never know).

 

[BladeHearts]

Acknowledging that too many loan players last season wasn't good for us, then doing a u-turn and signing too many loan players. Whatever went on behind the scenes to cause that has got to be one of the key reasons.

The most frustrating thing is that the fringe players we already had at the club would probably have been good enough to keep us up.

 

[Bladesway]

In a catalogue of ifs and ands it has to be sacking Blackwell when we did. It will probably be seen as the single most stupid thing in recent history.

 

[Vancouver]

we didnt. We offered SOD the job and he turned it down.

According to all the forum oracles we were about to offer it to SOD and then McCabe forced his hand and hired Mickey. Is this not correct as the likes of Len and Mic have been stating it for ages... while offering no evidence.

 

[Superblades]

I doubt you could single it down to one there has een so many:

* Late goals conceeded at Leicester and at home to Hull & Millwall and probably a few other games.

* Morgan being out.

* Getting rid of KB after 3 games.

* Stick my neck on the line and say Hendo being out for most of the season too. He isn't a world beater we know that but he does well, alot better than having the likes of Cresswell & Boggy in your team.

* Nosworthy

* A confident keeper, wouldn't say Simmo is a rubbish keeper as he does pull off a few cracking saves but he lacks control of his area and can't catch crosses.

* Scunthorpe away was a big blow why Collins didn't volley the ball into the stand or out of the ground i don't know instead he ended up giving away a penalty.

* Not taking our chances.

Overall i wouldn't say we have played awful,yes theres been a few times mainly away when we haven't turned up but alot of games we have dominated but not took our chances.

 

[alcoblade]

Let's be honest, there is no single factor. It's been coming - It looked so to me from that performance at Hartlepool.

We've sold quality and bought poorly since Warnock left. Loads of mistakes along the way, but if you trace most (if not all) of them back, you end up at McCabe.

UTB