[Football] Huge game and a huge test for Hughton Saturday

[doogie004]

have to agree its been totally woeful. Even tried to explain this to my non Football loving wife..

Really baffles me what game some people watch .on lAst nights players ratings thread someone gave him a nine [emoji23]today’s sun (I know) had him a six lowest player


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[portlock seagull]

That’s the spirit! If we don’t go down you could pop down to Fratton Park and watch it there, if they get promoted, or watch a bit of Championship-Lite if they don’t.

It’s not really about spirit anymore is it? But facts. And majority of fans, with good reason, believe Cardiff have enough to keep them up whilst we don’t. Based on facts. Like our inability to score. And the fixtures we still face. Blind faith ain’t gonna help. Nor is delusion. Doesn’t make you a bad fan. Just one with a better grasp on reality. Of course we all hope. But bloody hell, where’s this hope coming from? Certainly not an eyewitness to the past 3 months of games.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

Blimey, and I thought I had rose-tinted glasses. No, we've gone backwards and that's compared to last season as well as the first half of this. Yes we conceded five at home last year - but not against the likes of Bournemouth! We haven't scored for seven games; and that's not due to bad luck or anything, it's because we haven't even been able to get into the areas where we could possibly score. And again, we're not just talking about failures against the Top 6.

I think 'deteriorated' is easily the best term.

My comment was in direct response to someone else's - quoting a one match hammering is not a great yardstick by which to prove an assessment of a season. I think it would be harsh to suggest that the 1st half of the season was a deterioration to last season? Up to the 2nd half at Fulham away game we hadn't conceded many goals in a game and at West Ham/Fulham we had scored twice away from home something we struggled to do at all last season. I am not suggesting that the last 7 games without a goal are progression, but the season as a whole doesn't suggest to me that we have gone backwards in the way I think others do. I argue only that the last 7 games (includes "commendable" performances Man City, Spurs and Wolves ) and 2 absolute horror shows whereby the manner of the defeats were unlike anything we had really seen before and need to considered with the pressure that is on us for the first time to nail a result. I am not suggesting that our form had not deteriorated in recent weeks - 2 horror shows at home - just that up to these recent weeks, the season had not been worse than the previous one? I am rose-tinted when it comes to the Albion, but wiping out half a season to make a point about current form is the opposite?

 

[portlock seagull]

Warnock’s teams go for it when they can leaving themselves exposed, a much braver tactic than CH’s “let’s not concede first” mentality. We’ll find out who has got it right over the next three games. I certainly can’t call it but it’ll be interesting and I imagine more fun for Cardiff fans than us.

Stress levels are high but by jove it’s interesting. Who needs end of season mid table obscurity

I think a lot of our rose tinted brigade don’t get it’s not so much the defeats. But the nature of them. You’re always got a chance if you’re scoring goals is one of the oldest cliches in the game. But we don’t. So we don’t. This is indisputable fact now. So where’s the hope we’ll beat Newcastle coming from? An own goal and another Alamo 90mins? I think it’s too much to ask our defence to keep a clean sheet game after game after game in the hope we get 38 nil nils a season. I know last night was late but it shows how ridiculous it is to believe we can do this every game. The Semi final was close too. On paper at least. We still lost. Because we cannot score. Or even shoot. That is an established fact now. So where are the points going to come from? If the other team scores, they now know they have won. That must be a brilliant feeling going into a game against us.

 

[Icy Gull]

Is this too simplistic a question? How the **** has Hughton let it come to this

Scrabbling about hoping other teams win, lose draw. It is still in our own hands but I expect it to quite possibly be snatched away too.

 

[Justice]

I think a lot of our rose tinted brigade don’t get it’s not so much the defeats. But the nature of them. You’re always got a chance if you’re scoring goals is one of the oldest cliches in the game. But we don’t. So we don’t. This is indisputable fact now. So where’s the hope we’ll beat Newcastle coming from? An own goal and another Alamo 90mins? I think it’s too much to ask our defence to keep a clean sheet game after game after game in the hope we get 38 nil nils a season. I know last night was late but it shows how ridiculous it is to believe we can do this every game. The Semi final was close too. On paper at least. We still lost. Because we cannot score. Or even shoot. That is an established fact now. So where are the points going to come from? If the other team scores, they now know they have won. That must be a brilliant feeling going into a game against us.

Absolutely by all means defend deep but you have to make that transition between defence and attack, just kicking the ball into empty spaces is tragic watching at this level. Watching Stephens last night his immediate instinct is to turn back and play a safe ball so depressing to watch.

 

[peterward]

I think a lot of our rose tinted brigade don’t get it’s not so much the defeats. But the nature of them. You’re always got a chance if you’re scoring goals is one of the oldest cliches in the game. But we don’t. So we don’t. This is indisputable fact now. So where’s the hope we’ll beat Newcastle coming from? An own goal and another Alamo 90mins? I think it’s too much to ask our defence to keep a clean sheet game after game after game in the hope we get 38 nil nils a season. I know last night was late but it shows how ridiculous it is to believe we can do this every game. The Semi final was close too. On paper at least. We still lost. Because we cannot score. Or even shoot. That is an established fact now. So where are the points going to come from? If the other team scores, they now know they have won. That must be a brilliant feeling going into a game against us.

The difference between us, Cardiff and Saints is quite small margins. We all have won 9 games, its the draws/losses in each of our other 26 games that differentiate us, Saints 10/16, us 7/19, Cardiff 4/22.

Saints are 3 Games better than us, where they got a draw instead of a loss, we're 3 games worse than Saints where got beat rather than draw, and Cardiff are 3 games worse than us where they lost rather than drew.

None of us 3 are any more or less likely to actually win though. And I would suggest our current form is the worst of all 3.

 

[Icy Gull]

Absolutely by all means defend deep but you have to make that transition between defence and attack, just kicking the ball into empty spaces is tragic watching at this level. Watching Stephens last night his immediate instinct is to turn back and play a safe ball so depressing to watch.

The alternative was to hoof it upfield as nearly everybody else did and watch them come back at us again. Stephens tries very hard not to just hoof the ball away and often gets caught and castigated because of it. His intentions are excellent imo.

I find it way more depressing that nobody looks to find space for him to pass forward to them. They just let him burn or pass sideways and backwards. It’s not great but it’s better than an aimless hoof into the other half where there isn’t a single Albion player.

 

[portlock seagull]

Absolutely by all means defend deep but you have to make that transition between defence and attack, just kicking the ball into empty spaces is tragic watching at this level. Watching Stephens last night his immediate instinct is to turn back and play a safe ball so depressing to watch.

Exactly. The sand has nearly run out and yet still Stephens turns and passes backwards. I’m not joking when I say I half expected him at Millwall to knock his penalty sideways rather than shoot.

 

[portlock seagull]

The alternative was to hoof it up field as nearly everybody else did and back they come again. Stephens tries very hard not to just hoof the ball away and often gets caught and castigated because of it. His intentions are excellent imo.

Why’s it got to be either hoof or backwards? What about playing a forward pass?

 

[Icy Gull]

Why’s it got to be either hoof or backwards? What about playing a forward pass?

Err who to? The player marked and not moving? Where are all these players that you want him to pass the ball to. They are nearly all behind him or a yard in front or beside him and they don’t want the ball most of the time recently either.

 

[Barham's tash]

Actually i fancy Fulham to beat Cardiff on Saturday. Theyve been playing more freely since they got relegated and won their last two games.

And Parker wants the manager’s job next year so he won’t be resting on his laurels.

We need to keep it tight and get one on the break.

But how do we break with purpose without pace and seven of the eleven tactically mandated to remain in our half?

 

[Justice]

The alternative was to hoof it upfield as nearly everybody else did and watch them come back at us again. Stephens tries very hard not to just hoof the ball away and often gets caught and castigated because of it. His intentions are excellent imo.

I find it way more depressing that nobody looks to find space for him to pass forward to them. They just let him burn or pass sideways and backwards. It’s not great but it’s better than an aimless hoof into the other half where there isn’t a single Albion player.

Against Cardiff I was convinced he was taking the piss so many balls just kicked to no one, the opposition or out of play. Yes he was having a shocker Hughton lives in hope sometimes with some of that Championship squad.

 

[Icy Gull]

Against Cardiff I was convinced he was taking the piss so many balls just kicked to no one, the opposition or out of play. Yes he was having a shocker Hughton lives in hope sometimes with some of that Championship squad.

He had a mare against Cardiff agreed, but he has played well since imo.

 

[portlock seagull]

The difference between us, Cardiff and Saints is quite small margins. We all have won 9 games, its the draws/losses in each of our other 26 games that differentiate us, Saints 10/16, us 7/19, Cardiff 4/22.

Saints are 3 Games better than us, where they got a draw instead of a loss, we're 3 games worse than Saints where got beat rather than draw, and Cardiff are 3 games worse than us where they lost rather than drew.

None of us 3 are any more or less likely to actually win though. And I would suggest our current form is the worst of all 3.

This is it. Cardiff are in the ascendancy and despite losing they score goals. If we’d lost 3-2 to Chelsea etc then I’d have some optimism. But we will play negative don’t concede football without scoring until the wire and I just don’t see that being enoughwhereas I can see Cardiff beating Fulham, Utd etc because they’ll play like their lives depend upon it. I’ve seen nothing to suggest we’re capable of that type of performance. Any last day ‘drama’ where Cardiff score and put us into the relegation spots I can see us collapsing rather than being motivated the other way. We huff and we puff but we ain’t got no TNT.

 

[Easy 10]

Dunno if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I noticed this mildly interesting little stat:

Newcastle Utd 2017-18
P35 W11 D8 L16 F35 A44 PTS 41

Newcastle Utd 2018-19
P35 W11 D8 L16 F35 A44 PTS 41

Fairly consistent, aren't they ?

 

[portlock seagull]

Err who to? The player marked and not moving? Where are all these players that you want him to pass the ball to. They are nearly all behind him or a yard in front or beside him and they don’t want the ball most of the time recently either.

You fell into my trap. Because that’s simply not true. There have been plenty of times throughout the season where a break was on yet Sgt Sideways failed to see it. Which in fairness is hard to do. When you’re always looking back, never forward.

 

[Icy Gull]

You fell into my trap. Because that’s simply not true. There have been plenty of times throughout the season where a break was on yet Sgt Sideways failed to see it. Which in fairness is hard to do. When you’re always looking back, never forward.

I give up, you have a down on him and nothing I can say is going to change your mind so let’s not waste any more of each others time, as your arguments aren’t going to change my mind either.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I give up, you have a down on him and nothing I can say is going to change your mind so let’s not waste any more of each others time, as your arguments aren’t going to change my mind either.

Especially when you fall into someone's cunningly laid trap!

 

[portlock seagull]

I give up, you have a down on him and nothing I can say is going to change your mind so let’s not waste any more of each others time, as your arguments aren’t going to change my mind either.

Fair enough. I want my midfielders to be combative leaders, creating and scoring goals too. He’s the antithesis of Nobby Horton in that respect.