Relegation

[1066gull]

who do you blame?

Knight or Adams?

For me Adams all the way, Knight may have replaced Wilkins which I think was wrong but he gave Adams enough time and money to improve. In my view it was Adams policy that is sending us down. He created an imbalance by signing far to many players and not selling.

Tottenham, Newcastle, Man City (bit different because they have billions but still same concept) and Sunderland have done the same in recent times. Buy Buy Buy and its just wrong. And they've all struggled. I firmly believe you should not sign more than one player a week, and in that time sell players you intend not to feature. '1 in 1 out 2 in 1 out' for example I consider keeping a healthy balance.

Just take a look at Aston Villa, Everton, Wolves. All have been building up gradually.

 

[strings]

I don't blame Knight... at the time I thought bringing back Adams was a good thing, as did many others on here. He is guilty of bad judgement for getting in Adams and arguably for pushing a bad position once the results did not materialise.

Adams got in quality players and then taught them to play like they had never met each other before the match. For that reason... 1 vote to Adams.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Wot no The Players option??!

 

[sten_super]

A bit of both. Obviously with hindsight Knight made a mistake sacking Wilkins and bringing in MA. However he was doing what he thought was best for the club. He (or rather, the board. I very much doubt any of this was directly DKs doing, although he is their representative to the public) then backed MA and subsequently White and Slade with cash to get us out of this hole, so I think he's done the best he can. Adams, on the other hand, displayed no fight, no desire, and there were seemingly major problems with the way the team was prepared, picked and played.

 

[perseus]

I blame Dick Knight.

I was opposed to the sacking of Dean Wilkins and the appointment of Adams.

 

[Barnham Seagull]

I blame Dick Knight.

I was opposed to the sacking of Dean Wilkins and the appointment of Adams.

Me to.

 

[Trigger]

Knight, naturally.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

A combination of Adams complacency and the players under-achieving

 

[e77]

I blame the board as a whole for not having a plan and mismanagement since relegation from the Championship.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

DK will have to take ultimate responsibility.

 

[pasty]

No one person or entity can be soley blamed for our predicament. A number of factors have contributed to where we are now, amongst them:

Uncle Dick for sacking a manager that got us to 7th

Uncle Dick for employing Mr Adams

Mr Adams for not getting the best of the team

The team for playing utter utter shite

 

[eastlondonseagull]

We're not down yet, mate.

But other than that, I blame the crowd at Withdean.

.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

The fans for lack of support.

Boo this, boo that. Moan about this, moan about that. The fans contributed to the jinx at the Withdean earlier in the season, and that is what has cost us this season, and now we could be going down as a result of the club being poorly run and badly "supported".

Away from home, we're the best. At home, we're the worst. Don't blame the Withdean, it's the people sat in it who are responsible.

The board (in sacking Wilkins, can't moan at them for all the investment), manager and players haven't helped either, OBVIOUSLY.

 

[Notters]

we're not going down!

 

[eastlondonseagull]

The fans for lack of support.

Boo this, boo that. Moan about this, moan about that. The fans contributed to the jinx at the Withdean earlier in the season, and that is what has cost us this season, and now we could be going down as a result of the club being poorly run and badly "supported".

Away from home, we're the best. At home, we're the worst. Don't blame the Withdean, it's the people sat in it who are responsible.

The board (in sacking Wilkins, can't moan at them for all the investment), manager and players haven't helped either, OBVIOUSLY.

Absolutely. Opposition managers are quoted as saying the Withdean whingers are like a 12th man for the opposition. It's the fans' fault, for moaning and not getting behind the team. I firmly believe that if we'd actually bothered to support the boys we'd be much further up the table.

.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Pissed off at the fans as though I am, we all know some of the players aren't up to it. And they're most at fault, they've made mistake after mistake and ultimately it's on their shoulders that we are where we are. The fans haven't helped, that's what I'm saying.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Pissed off at the fans as though I am, we all know some of the players aren't up to it. And they're most at fault, they've made mistake after mistake and ultimately it's on their shoulders that we are where we are. The fans haven't helped, that's what I'm saying.

Aye. Anyway, we're staying up, so none of this matters
.

 

[pasty]

I can't see this "blaming the crowd" thing at all. It's a catch 22 thing at best:

Team play well = crowd make noise = team play better
Crowd quiet = team don't perform = crowd get even more quiet

 

[eastlondonseagull]

I can't see this "blaming the crowd" thing at all. It's a catch 22 thing at best:

Team play well = crowd make noise = team play better
Crowd quiet = team don't perform = crowd get even more quiet

That's the problem, though. Yes, we have underperformed away from home, too. But performances on the whole have been better when there's been an atmosphere away from home. Singing, chanting, clapping, anything to gee the players up and encourage them. That's what we should be doing, encouraging them.

And if away managers point to the crowd as being detrimental to the Albion team's performance, then surely they prove the point. Not only is Withdean like a morgue for the most part, as soon as anyone makes a mistake (this is League One footy, remember), they have abuse hurled at them, which does not do the player any good. Easy psychology. If anything it makes them more nervous, reticent and prone to failure.

Yes, the players have let us down, but the 'fans' at home, have let the team down just as much. It's crystal clear in my head.

.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yes, the players have let us down, but the 'fans' at home, have let the team down just as much. It's crystal clear in my head. .

Assuming you're not using some kind of higher form of irony, then you're just wrong tho eh? The players get precious little stick. Withdean is admittedly quiet, but that's as much down to playing in an uncovered council athletics track in a nature reserve than anything else. If the players are incapable of raising their game in a library then f*** 'em, they've got very little future in the game. Andy Whing manages to rise above the lack of volume, as did Jim McNulty in the few games we saw him play before his season was cruelly cut short. Loanees like Paul McShane managed it, cos their motivation comes from within themselves. It isn't directly proportional to the amount of Getting Behind The Team at Withdean. Sorry, but its the players collectively who have let the fans - and themselves - down.