mkowl

Shite, next question

What would be the rationale. The expectation that players are professional and will look after this themselves ?Clearly there is an obligation but if you are not being assessed, monitored etc how do you know. Is their base level below other Championship teams. Is it part of the review undertaken as to the quantum of injuries we have had and long lasting ones at that to under prepare.

In part there is a degree of loyalty to the squad that got you promoted and provided 2 years of winning, if not particular an exciting brand of football. The misnomer was that this was a "Championship squad". It wasn't it was just way better than the average League 1 squad. The errors did not get punished, the piss poor crosses, shots miles wide, the one on ones flunked get forgotten because the sheer volume of chances created and goals scored. The difference in this league is plain to see. I get the players are escaping criticism, but frankly in reality they are playing to their capabilities.

Fair points KM Do you think this is simply age meaning the fitness levels are naturally on the decline. Did the shorter pre season but clearly disturbed with Moore's departure and the delay in Xisco being appointed meaning the usual fitness work was compromised Was it deliberate policy - some managers want to avoid later season fatigue

The one thing you cannot accuse this lot of is lack of effort. Confidence drains quickly for sure. Maybe just maybe if we score first it could be different. But frankly their technical abilities and physical conditioning are below the level required. Plymouth have won at a canter in the end, without being brilliant, they were simply clinical at one end and did not really get troubled by our attackers at the other.

Seriously there will be zero point - we will be at match game 27 already when the window opens. Ok mathematically it's not over but I can see us not being in double figures points wise and cut adrift by 20 plus points Who would want to join us for starters. There is a comment above about having a mass clear out in January, you simply cannot do that with players under contract. This is going to be a long grim season and our attention and resources are better directed to re-build in League 1 not wasting funds trying to retrieve this

Not a chance - don't get me wrong there is a game plan but frankly the players are not good enough at the basics to execute it

Another very basic mistake in midfield

I mean what chance do we have when players are lacking basic qualities required in the Championship

It's better organised shite that's for sure, but its nail on head in that our players are just lacking quality

But you have to take the chances when they come because the opposition will. Its almost like watching us sometimes last season with the boot on the other foot.

Tbh Tee it is better, but we have zero quality in the forward areas. At the same time there is a mistake always waiting in that defence and a quick move bypasses our midfield I mean we are competitive but the inherent weakness in those key areas makes this task virtually impossible to retrieve. And the psychological impact of constant losses can not be underestimated

Awful defending

Just as likely 4 3 3

Crikey only 2 changes, this Rohl fella not got the memo. Like Byers in And no Patterson can only be a positive attacking wise

Well it must be my turn to fail miserably to stop the rot.

3 Nil Moore out

As plans go I would have had more confidence if Baldrick had devised them.

Reading the written decisions then erm the safety officer might want to get his CV up to date. "Very good at cut and paste" "Not so good at proof reading" Favourite bit is where it states " the stewards were facing the pitch, watching the penalty shoot out and celebrated the winner" Tbf I would have done that as well

Presume all the other play off clubs are getting similar, iirc all had some form of pitch invasion

I admire your tenacity Mr Lint in continuing the lone argument. Good job I never did that on Carlos. Your last paragraph is interesting, I never got carried away with last season because as you rightly say that squad never really enthused me football wise. We were more flat track bullies, that tactically got found out on occasion and stumbled across the finishing line. I never bought this was a decent Championship squad hiding in League 1. And I consider my thoughts are justified in that regard. The next stage recruitment is where the issue lies. It was so scattergun and failed to add any real quality

I think we all understand change is needed. I kept hearing that Xisco was all about revolution not evolution. Well perhaps the players were savvy enough to realise this revolution was like some crackpot leftie one. The outcome would be terrible and not work. And none of us could really work out what that entailed anyway. What radical way of football was trying to be introduced. Just because Pep has success playing out from the back doesn't mean the rest of the world should follow. A good coach plays to the strengths of the players to start with and Xisco simply was too arrogant in his beliefs to do that

Well it's a bad day for Gladbach In the space of 5 mins, a player sent off, conceded a penalty, keeper saves it but was off his line, same guy scores the retaken one. Tbf the ref got every decision right

The other side of that equation is that we always seem liable to concede a goal. Tbf the lad yesterday took it well and by reversing into the near side, Dawson was unsighted a tad. And I suppose once we play sides nearer the top will the games in fact be tight

And those pondering salvation in the January window, the game v Hull on 1st Jan is Matchday 26 As invariably happens there would be another couple of games before the window closes. The risk is we will be cut adrift from memory bliss to such an extent by that stage