Am I alone in thinking we played alright last night?

Bold Seagull · Feb 15, 2017

Icy Gull said:
I don't want to dent your enthusiasm if you really think we haven't struggled in just about every game for the last few weeks, Burton aside. We look a very ordinary side at the moment and I will not be surprised if we are back in a playoff position by month's end. This is itself is no bad thing if you think we have any chance at all of winning the playoffs

Of course we have struggled, so have most other teams, hence we are still 4 points ahead of 3rd despite a wobble. Had Huddersfield not scored 2 last minute winners in their last 4 games, we might be 8 points ahead, such are the margins.

No, I don't want to dent your imagining that getting out of this league is serenely outplaying opposition every game with thumping victories. My expectation is that it is a struggle, that this league throws up battle after battle. In 5 years I've not known too many periods where you don't struggle every couple of games. It is competitive, if you hadn't noticed - hence Newcastle are still just 1 point ahead and are facing the same pressure as us from those behind.

You might not be surprised to be in the playoffs, likewise, the way results are going, it shouldn't be a surprise to be top either. I'll take each game as it comes.

Icy Gull · Feb 15, 2017

Bold Seagull said:
Of course we have struggled, so have most other teams, hence we are still 4 points ahead of 3rd despite a wobble. Had Huddersfield not scored 2 last minute winners in their last 4 games, we might be 8 points ahead, such are the margins.

No, I don't want to dent your imagining that getting out of this league is serenely outplaying opposition every game with thumping victories. My expectation is that it is a struggle, that this league throws up battle after battle. In 5 years I've not known too many periods where you don't struggle every couple of games. It is competitive, if you hadn't noticed - hence Newcastle are still just 1 point ahead and are facing the same pressure as us from those behind.

You might not be surprised to be in the playoffs, likewise, the way results are going, it shouldn't be a surprise to be top either. I'll take each game as it comes.

Fair enough but we are currently really struggling pretty well every game...we need to hit form again quickly and the next three games are very very tough ones imo.

Was not Was · Feb 15, 2017

I honestly though last night was an improvement on the past few performances in two important respects: energy and tactics. We were trying to move the ball quickly, playing with high energy from the off, but were countered by a top performance from a (as always) physically strong Ipswich side.

What wasn't so good was the individual errors, particularly passing errors.

But I've no idea what this means for the rest of the season.

Whoislloydy · Feb 15, 2017

After last night I REALLY like Pocognoli, gets really stuck in and a good football brain on him!

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Feb 15, 2017

Bozza said:
But we did create chances. The Baldock and Murray chances were arguably the best two of the game.

Akpom had at least 2 shots that he didn't get hold of properly as well.

Giraffe · Feb 15, 2017

Was not Was said:
I honestly though last night was an improvement on the past few performances in two important respects: energy and tactics. We were trying to move the ball quickly, playing with high energy from the off, but were countered by a top performance from a (as always) physically strong Ipswich side.

What wasn't so good was the individual errors, particularly passing errors.

But I've no idea what this means for the rest of the season.

I'd agree with this and I think my original post was partly alluding to the improvement.

Quite simply we could have won last night AND Huddersfield and Reading might not have done. I suspect this board would have been a more positive place then.

Others results and our own are what have led to this doom, but our actual performance was more encouraging than others have suggested I think.

We can still do this. Huddersfield won't keep winning, I am sure of that.

Stat Brother · Feb 15, 2017

Giraffe said:
Quite simply we could have won last night AND Huddersfield and Reading might not have done. I suspect this board would have been a more positive place then.

There's 3 major problems with that.

I'm in no way doom-mongering.
A win in the style of Saturday is rocking horse pooh rare in the Championship.
MM did a number on Hughton, and that's fine, but at the end of the day it's a results business and the Albion didn't get one last night.

While we were 0-1 down the people sat in front and behind me were so excited that Newcastle were losing.
What's the freakin point in enjoying the live scores on your phone when losing 1-0 and not really looking like changing that.

One Love · Feb 15, 2017

Bold Seagull said:
Why is 10 selective when someone is suggesting we're not a top 2 side, when we're second, 4 points above 3rd, 1 point above top after 31 games?

How is 10 selective, but 7 okay? Do we have to have better form than everyone else for every block of 5 or 7 games throughout an entire season?

Does everyone else dominant and play brilliantly when they win, only us who gets lucky, scrambles draws etc. or did I miss Huddersfield's last minute goals last night and against Leeds? Is everyone else watching all 90mins of all the other teams games so know they are dominant and winning every game with consummate ease?

How lucky we must have been to have scored 10 more goals than Huddersfield and everyone else below us in the top 6, and conceding 10 goals less. Luckiest side in football!

The only reason I brought up 7 games was to show you that you can't select 10 or any number of games to prove a point. they don't reflect who you've played and how you've played.

You bring up Huddersfield but they are a bad example as they had 33! shots last night. The Leeds game was tight but Leeds arrived there on very good form much better than an Ipswich for example

Our problem is that we are definitely not anywhere near the form of the first half of the season and that's what got us into our great position. However our lead is being whittled away and will continue to do so unless we find our previous performances.

brightn'ove · Feb 15, 2017

It was very difficult to break down their 5 at the back. Even so we still carved out a fair few chances and should've won the game. I don't think we played badly it just wasn't our day. It wasn't helped by the ref deciding that he wanted to dictate the pace of play.

Monkey Man · Feb 15, 2017

NSC is a bit like the financial markets. It reacts disproportionately and rapidly to events large and small before a correction kicks in.

As Bozza suggests we're just a bit frazzled by the memories of last year and dreading it all happening again, which is understandable. The important thing is that this morning's negativity doesn't take hold in the coming weeks and that we don't direct the frustration at individual players. We can see how that's going at Selhurst.

sparkie · Feb 15, 2017

Shame Lawrence's booking means he's suspended v Leeds.

Bold Seagull · Feb 15, 2017

One Love said:
Our problem is that we are definitely not anywhere near the form of the first half of the season and that's what got us into our great position. However our lead is being whittled away and will continue to do so unless we find our previous performances.

I don't buy that. We haven't just played well up to this point or the first half of the season, there have been ebbs and flows, performances shouldn't always be confused with results.

At other points in the season, thinking back to home games v Wolves, Villa or Fulham, we were no better then than we were last night, only last night came on the back of dropped points previously - performance wise though arguably better last night.

We didn't blink with the Villa home draw because it was on the back of 4 wins. Performance wise, my memory might not be great, but I'd argue we played better last night, just the context is different.

Moshe Gariani · Feb 15, 2017

Stat Brother said:
There's 3 major problems with that.

I'm in no way doom-mongering.
A win in the style of Saturday is rocking horse pooh rare in the Championship.
MM did a number on Hughton, and that's fine, but at the end of the day it's a results business and the Albion didn't get one last night.

While we were 0-1 down the people sat in front and behind me were so excited that Newcastle were losing.
What's the freakin point in enjoying the live scores on your phone when losing 1-0 and not really looking like changing that.

I'd hate to be around when you do choose to start getting negative ....!

Can you explain exactly how "MM did a number on Hughton"...? Wasn't it just a fairly standard game of football where both teams had plenty of chances and any of the three possible results could have been the outcome?

Turkey · Feb 15, 2017

Ipswich are no mugs. The game at their place was probably the dullest of the season. They're organised and hard working and now carry a threat up top. MM is a bit CH like I think in terms of getting organised first, just he's had to do it on a smaller budget.

We were sloppy and far from our best but that's going to happen, you can't be in top gear and have the rub of the green all season. Huddersfield are flying but they'll need to continue that form to stick with us and Toon. Every chance they could burn out at the crucial stage just as we start to go up the gears again. Keep the faith innit!

brightn'ove · Feb 15, 2017

Monkey Man said:
NSC is a bit like the financial markets. It reacts disproportionately and rapidly to events large and small before a correction kicks in.

As Bozza suggests we're just a bit frazzled by the memories of last year and dreading it all happening again, which is understandable. The important thing is that this morning's negativity doesn't take hold in the coming weeks and that we don't direct the frustration at individual players. We can see how that's going at Selhurst.

It's amazing how things repeat themselves isn't it. The season before last Middlesbrough had the playoff final heartbreak and then looked to be coasting to promotion before we nearly pipped them to the post. We experienced the same heartbreak last season and now we have Huddersfield nipping at our tails. Keep the faith.

Giraffe · Feb 15, 2017

brightn'ove said:
It's amazing how things repeat themselves isn't it. The season before last Middlesbrough had the playoff final heartbreak and then looked to be coasting to promotion before we nearly pipped them to the post. We experienced the same heartbreak last season and now we have Huddersfield nipping at our tails. Keep the faith.

Its an interesting point. We have the experience of so nearly doing it. If we find ourselves in this position with three games to go, I really feel our previous experience of this will carry us through over and above of Huddersfield and others. That has to be a big positive if it's tight towards those final games.

Stat Brother · Feb 15, 2017

Moshe Gariani said:
I'd hate to be around when you do choose to start getting negative ....!

Can you explain exactly how "MM did a number on Hughton"...? Wasn't it just a fairly standard game of football where both teams had plenty of chances and any of the three possible results could have been the outcome?

They were never going to get out numbered in defence, irrespective of how many players the Albion attacked with, plus they never gave Stephens and Sidwell an inch of space, causing so many errors.

I'm far from the 'well that was fun while it lasted' negativity that last night seems to have bought out in many.

But as there's now a clear blueprint on how to take points from this team, i assume the response will make the team even better.

Left Footer · Feb 15, 2017

We need to go back to basics as somewhere our formidable back line has become penetrable at ease.
Stockdale made 3 or 4 outstanding saves last night whereas their keeper didn`t really make any.

Sort the defence out and the confidence will come back.

Ipswich packed the midfield last night and we really did struggle to play our usual flowing football, March,Knocky and Stephens all struggled in particular.

Think we all expected Leeds,Reading and Huddersfield to win didn`t we?

Albumen · Feb 15, 2017

Left Footer said:
We need to go back to basics as somewhere our formidable back line has become penetrable at ease.
Stockdale made 3 or 4 outstanding saves last night whereas their keeper didn`t really make any.

Sort the defence out and the confidence will come back.

Ipswich packed the midfield last night and we really did struggle to play our usual flowing football, March,Knocky and Stephens all struggled in particular.

Think we all expected Leeds,Reading and Huddersfield to win didn`t we?

We did hit the post though.

Sheebo · Feb 15, 2017

I thought we played alright - certainly dominated the play. My criticism would be more sloppy passing than usual and we were nowhere near as tight defensively as earlier in the season - a bit shakey at the back.

Seen us play much worse. Seen us play worse and win a lot of times.

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