Thoughts of the season

[SouthCoastOwl]

I can understand why people think the games have not been as entertaining, but I think this season at lot more teams have come to the Amex to just to get a point. I admit that our inability to take the chances created has meant they can just sit back a timewaste and see getting a point a great result. If the referees carded them for time wasting then we may get more entertaining games. I know it our inability to break them down is equal to the frustration, but now Oscar has had a season hopefully he will be able to work out what he needs to combat this next season.

This

 

[OzMike]

Yep, all good and can't wait till next season.
Not looking forward to the closed season b******t and moronic threads.

 

[Napper]

The last 3 seasons been up there with the best in the last 30 years so this season has felt a bit of an anti climax . In reality it's been pretty decent and a lot of clubs would love a season like this .

The cup run was good and genuinely did dream of wembley . Very disappointing the way the fizzled out and as previously mentioned probably won't get a chance like that again for a while .


Overall 7/10 but can understand lower scores when considering the last 3 seasons been solid 9/10

Already looking forward to next season regardless of tomorrow's scores

 

[dazzer6666]

With what was expected last August it's been a good season. Most of us realised that it was going to be disruptive due to injuries and Oscar settling in. On that basis, to finish the season challenging for a play-off place is quite remarkable.

Playing wise, with the odd exception, we looked solid but lacked "entertainment value" and this I put down to our inability to put our chances away.

Regardless of where we now finish, just outside the play-offs, or in them, or promoted(!!), the future looks very promising.

This, plus a tinge of disappointment that we missed a great FA Cup opportunity

 

[goldstone]

Somewhat underwhelming. And we completely screwed up an opportunity to reach the FA Cup semis. I will never forgive OG for that.

 

[casbom]

Somewhat underwhelming. And we completely screwed up an opportunity to reach the FA Cup semis. I will never forgive OG for that.

Yeah nothing to do with the fact that Hull were a decent side, and that even if he put out a full strength side in the first game we still would have drawn!

It's all ifs and buts this season, "if we had won against Blackpool etc" "but if Stephens didn't get an equaliser against Blackburn they would be right in the mix etc" so overall I give this season a 7/10 - To be challenging again for the Championship playoffs is a brilliant effort by the lads. Especially when you could argue 3 of our most creative players have been missing the whole season:

Orlandi
Buckley (never hit the heights of last season)
Spanish Dave (again never played as well as last season)

So for me whatever happens tomorrow it doesn't matter either way. If we're still in the Championship then I'll look forward to seeing who Oscar wants to bring in the summer.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Regardless of whether we re 6th or 7th it's been a very good season. We were playing catch up from the start given how little time OG had with the squad let alone make transfers! There's been some frustrating times of course, but I feel this year had been a rebuilding one as much as anything. There's no huge hurry to go up either (apart from finances of course). We ve again finished above teams with much bigger budgets and look like meeting FFP as well. I'm v content for a few more seasons in the championship and would point out 10th 4th & 6th/7th is now firmly establishing ourselves as a force in this league. Look at sides like Brum and Bolton who have bigger budgets than Us and a richer recent history - talk to their fans then tell me we've underachieved! We have a sustainable ish model compared to many clubs, the best stadium in the league and a training ground most chairman would give their right arm for. All this taken into account, it's been good - regardless of making the play offs or not!

I work with a lot of Birmingham fans. In terms of budget, theirs is eaten up by a very small portion of players. Zigic is a prime example depending on what telephone number you believe he is on but certainly in the 60K / 70K a week region if not more. These players are not that good and never have a chance in hell of getting this money elsewhere so Birmingham are stuck with them. Our budget is obviously spread across more quality players. Without checking, their overall playing budget maybe more but they have little ability to attract players even if they stay up as the playing budget simply has to come down. This is where the overall figures don't tell the full story, I believe, we should be finishing above them even if the numbers say otherwise.

 

[Seagulltonian]

One of the main things for me this season has been the quality of referee's and assistants we've had at the Amex in 2013/14!

Some completely farcical decisions - The Bournemouth penalty springs to mind!
Away teams time-wasting! - El-habsi/Wigan - got warned by the ref on numerous occasions, and he kept doing it! Only for an outfield player (sorry, can't remember who.) getting booked the first time he did it!

Referee's that seem fairly biased towards the away team, with 25,000 home fans shouting their disapproval at the rubbish decisions given against us!

In conclusion, in the games that I've seen, as an overall average, the quality of referee's has gone down again, and I'm just hoping Saturday's one is fair and impartial as a referee should be, and not the pile of s**t we have seen at the Amex this season!

 

[El Presidente]

Somewhat underwhelming. And we completely screwed up an opportunity to reach the FA Cup semis. I will never forgive OG for that.

Shouldn't you be blaming Leo for missing a straightforward headed chance when we were 1-0 up in the first half?

 

[Machiavelli]

Shouldn't you be blaming Leo for missing a straightforward headed chance when we were 1-0 up in the first half?

Is it the case that someone always has to be blamed?

 

[Machiavelli]

One of the main things for me this season has been the quality of referee's and assistants we've had at the Amex in 2013/14!

Some completely farcical decisions - The Bournemouth penalty springs to mind!
Away teams time-wasting! - El-habsi/Wigan - got warned by the ref on numerous occasions, and he kept doing it! Only for an outfield player (sorry, can't remember who.) getting booked the first time he did it!

Referee's that seem fairly biased towards the away team, with 25,000 home fans shouting their disapproval at the rubbish decisions given against us!

In conclusion, in the games that I've seen, as an overall average, the quality of referee's has gone down again, and I'm just hoping Saturday's one is fair and impartial as a referee should be, and not the pile of s**t we have seen at the Amex this season!

On balance, I think more crucial decisions have gone against us this season (in other words, I'm challenging that old dictum that 'everything evens itself out over a season'). What gets me, however, is the time-wasting. The FA/FIFA/UEFA really need to do something about this, and referees need to enforce the ruling appropriately. It's so transparent that it's going on, and it's not only frustrating but it's mind-numbingly dull. It's this, rather than Oscar's style of football which has attracted plenty of comment on NSC, that will prompt me to re-consider the outlay of going to see football.

 

[countryman]

Serious question - paticularly given recent Chelsea performances as an example - wins playing in a defensive manner or drawers/losses playing 'attacking way'?

Attacking way every time. Attacking football is a lot more entertaining. I'd rather risk letting more goals in if it meant we scored more. Only 6 teams in the Championship have scored less goals then us and they are all at the bottom end of the table and we've only managed to score two or more goals in a league game 12 times this season which isn't very good.

And as you are using Chelsea as an example, look at Liverpool and Manchester City. Who is going to be enjoying this season more? Scoring more is a lot more fun then conceding less.

If we could break quickly it would be a lot better. We tend to let the opposition get back into position before we've managed to get the ball up the pitch meaning it's a lot harder to score.

 

[Biscuit]

Regardless of whether we re 6th or 7th it's been a very good season. We were playing catch up from the start given how little time OG had with the squad let alone make transfers! There's been some frustrating times of course, but I feel this year had been a rebuilding one as much as anything. There's no huge hurry to go up either (apart from finances of course). We ve again finished above teams with much bigger budgets and look like meeting FFP as well. I'm v content for a few more seasons in the championship and would point out 10th 4th & 6th/7th is now firmly establishing ourselves as a force in this league. Look at sides like Brum and Bolton who have bigger budgets than Us and a richer recent history - talk to their fans then tell me we've underachieved! We have a sustainable ish model compared to many clubs, the best stadium in the league and a training ground most chairman would give their right arm for. All this taken into account, it's been good - regardless of making the play offs or not!

I going to half agree. I agree that whether we make the play-offs or not, that in itself won't dictate if it's been a good season or not. Unfortunately, for me, I won't remember this season as a classic - although winning the play-offs could change that.

We've had a horrendous January transfer window and we've played some unbelievably tedious football. We're still within touching distance and Garcia should be praised for that. Next year I'd like to see us come out the traps and go all guns firing. I want to see the fast, direct football I was promised all those months ago.

I don't blame Oscar for the poor transfer dealings, I don't blame Oscar for the injuries. I think he's done OK. I'd like to see more from both him (tactically) and the club (in regard to transfers) next year. Sadly I think the combination of negative tactics and poor transfers has cost us dear this season.

Oh and going out so lamely when we had a real chance of making the FA Cup Quarter Final was very disappointing.

 

[Biscuit]

Shouldn't you be blaming Leo for missing a straightforward headed chance when we were 1-0 up in the first half?

I see what you're saying, but picking a below strength squad also played a part. PIG in goal for example might have meant Ulloa's miss was immaterial.

 

[El Presidente]

Is it the case that someone always has to be blamed?

Fair comment, but this is NSC.

 

[London Irish]

Underwhelming for me - had got used to really bossing teams in recent years but seems so much more of a lottery these days, we might play well, but more often than not we've fallen short - the Blackpool result summing up our season.

I'll be anxiously sweating it tomorrow of course - hoping our luck will be in but I'm 90 per cent expecting disappointment. And even if we got in the play-offs I wouldn't allow myself any expectations there either, the team just hasn't clicked this season. I hope it is the injuries, the new combinations etc but I'm sceptical looking at the impact new managers like Uwe Rosler have made in a short space of time.

 

[Ernest]

Too many people on here spouting cliches about injuries and disruptions, haven't seen CMS make much difference as I predicted. Hopefully next season there will be no excuses and people will have to see Oscar is not up to the job

 

[Machiavelli]

Fair comment, but this is NSC.

Tis true, but you always came across as The King and, as such, beyond reproach. So why are the standards slipping all of a sudden

 

[El Presidente]

Tis true, but you always came across as The King and, as such, beyond reproach. So why are the standards slipping all of a sudden

Fair comment.

I was just observing that it's easy to point the finger. Had it been Barnes missing that chance instead of Ulloa there would have been a rush on sales of tin hats in Sussex as the OUTRAGED strapped on their jackboots and set up a lynch party.

 

[Machiavelli]

Fair comment.

I was just observing that it's easy to point the finger. Had it been Barnes missing that chance instead of Ulloa there would have been a rush on sales of tin hats in Sussex as the OUTRAGED strapped on their jackboots and set up a lynch party.

Not quite sure what to make of that man from Argentina after his performances this season...