| If you don't believe players down tools 07:48 - Apr 21 with 2416 views | Bobbychase |
Norwich City
13-match unbeaten run when fighting for promotion, including one game where they scored seven goals. They (unfortunately) steamrollered everybody.
Promotion assured, they lose the next two.
Nobody wants to be sitting on a beach in Dubai with their WAG with a leg in plaster.
Job done, ease off.
Our shower are the same in a way. Almost all of them know they won't be here next season so why get injured or bust a gut in a cause you no longer believe in?
Which is shameful but that's the sport we support.
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:24 - Apr 21 with 1792 views | itfcjoe |
They've lost 2 games to the form teams in the division, one where they had someone sent off after 20 minutes or so.
Losing 1-0 at home to Watford who are absolutely flying is hardly downing tools |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:30 - Apr 21 with 1737 views | Churchman |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:24 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
They've lost 2 games to the form teams in the division, one where they had someone sent off after 20 minutes or so.
Losing 1-0 at home to Watford who are absolutely flying is hardly downing tools |
Norwich are the best team in that division by a mile. Two weeks ago they’d have beaten Watford. Margins in sport are fine. Just a few percent off and there’s the difference. If people think our lot are 100% busting a gut every game, I’d have to disagree. |  | | |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:31 - Apr 21 with 1733 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:24 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
They've lost 2 games to the form teams in the division, one where they had someone sent off after 20 minutes or so.
Losing 1-0 at home to Watford who are absolutely flying is hardly downing tools |
Bad analogy, maybe, but our players have either downed tools, or are not match fit.
I suspect it's a combination of the two.
It goes someway to explain Lamberts obsession with changing the team every two minutes, and with our ongoing and repeated injury issues over the last few years. I think that something of a 'boys club' has been allowed to exist at ITFC, where the power rests with the players in the main, and its a laugh a minute.
It's all too relaxed, too easy for them. I'm glad most of them are going. Anyone thinking 70% of this lot are fit to wear the shirt, especially one commemorating 1981? Wow. |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:37 - Apr 21 with 1703 views | jayessess |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:30 - Apr 21 by Churchman |
Norwich are the best team in that division by a mile. Two weeks ago they’d have beaten Watford. Margins in sport are fine. Just a few percent off and there’s the difference. If people think our lot are 100% busting a gut every game, I’d have to disagree. |
Norwich have achieved their goals for the season and their players will reap the rewards for that. If their performances drop off slightly it costs them nothing.
Some of ours are going to be desperately casting about for employment in a matter of weeks in the most difficult labour market for young footballers that they will have ever known and one of the most recent lines on their CV will read "not good enough to have an impact against Northampton in League One".
The loanees' main clubs will have a loan manager who looks through videos of their performances and make recommendations to the club about their future.
The under contract players are determining whether they'll be in Cook's future plans or whether they too will be shipped out.
The first situation is not the same. |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:41 - Apr 21 with 1658 views | Bobbychase |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:37 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
Norwich have achieved their goals for the season and their players will reap the rewards for that. If their performances drop off slightly it costs them nothing.
Some of ours are going to be desperately casting about for employment in a matter of weeks in the most difficult labour market for young footballers that they will have ever known and one of the most recent lines on their CV will read "not good enough to have an impact against Northampton in League One".
The loanees' main clubs will have a loan manager who looks through videos of their performances and make recommendations to the club about their future.
The under contract players are determining whether they'll be in Cook's future plans or whether they too will be shipped out.
The first situation is not the same. |
"If their performances drop off slightly it costs them nothing"
Isn't that the same as ours? The unhealthy situation, where almost all the senior players will not be here next season, has bred the same scenario.
People are looking for our players to be sitting in the centre circle in a deckchair as proof they have downed tools, it doesn't have to be that overt.
Watch the games, watch the amount of times we pull out of 50-50 challenges, or don't make an effort to get into the box, or underhit a pass. They don't have to have an ice cream in one hand and a cocktail in the other to be guilty of putting in less effort than the opposition. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:46 - Apr 21 with 1631 views | jayessess |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:31 - Apr 21 by Cheltenham_Blue |
Bad analogy, maybe, but our players have either downed tools, or are not match fit.
I suspect it's a combination of the two.
It goes someway to explain Lamberts obsession with changing the team every two minutes, and with our ongoing and repeated injury issues over the last few years. I think that something of a 'boys club' has been allowed to exist at ITFC, where the power rests with the players in the main, and its a laugh a minute.
It's all too relaxed, too easy for them. I'm glad most of them are going. Anyone thinking 70% of this lot are fit to wear the shirt, especially one commemorating 1981? Wow. |
Do you honestly look at the team play and think "these lads look relaxed"? I think they look fearful, anxious, terrified they're going to make a mistake.
We put in 12 crosses in the first half yesterday and completed 1. At least half of those were from inside the penalty area. That's not about effort. It's not even really about technical ability. That's about composure. Composure is easy when you're relaxed, calm, at ease. It's hard when you're stressed.
Relaxed? Would be a fine thing. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:48 - Apr 21 with 1612 views | ITFCBlues |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:24 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
They've lost 2 games to the form teams in the division, one where they had someone sent off after 20 minutes or so.
Losing 1-0 at home to Watford who are absolutely flying is hardly downing tools |
I love watching you on the pod. You talk sense and are usually spot on. But for me, you're getting this totally wrong. This isn't a good group of players of best in the league. There's alot of overrated rubbish. There's one goalscorer who's constantly injured. Nothing in wide areas or even midfield.
Cook has pedigree, that can't be questioned. Look at his track record. Look how he motivated thay Wigan team after lockdown who were in administration and not being paid.
You may have some inside info of the players not liking cook or his methods. But frankly, this group of players are a constant over the three worst years in the clubs history and I really don't care what they think anymore. There's almost zero pedigree in this squad or proof they can succeed. It's been said that Chambo and Skuse came back fitter than anyone in thay squad, what does that say about this group of players?
Good riddance to them and let's get this new era underway properly and start a complete fresh with players who want to play for this club. |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:49 - Apr 21 with 1620 views | itfcjoe |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:31 - Apr 21 by Cheltenham_Blue |
Bad analogy, maybe, but our players have either downed tools, or are not match fit.
I suspect it's a combination of the two.
It goes someway to explain Lamberts obsession with changing the team every two minutes, and with our ongoing and repeated injury issues over the last few years. I think that something of a 'boys club' has been allowed to exist at ITFC, where the power rests with the players in the main, and its a laugh a minute.
It's all too relaxed, too easy for them. I'm glad most of them are going. Anyone thinking 70% of this lot are fit to wear the shirt, especially one commemorating 1981? Wow. |
I think the players have had a tough time of things this year, I know they won't get any sympathy.
Lambert literally ignored them for months, they were ignored through covid - the manager spoke to the players 2 times in the extended March to July break. These were on calls arranged by the fitness coach.
From what I understand there wasn't a proper conditioning programme put in place, they were given spin bikes and basically told to keep themselves fit.
Most of Hurst's signings were signed on very low Championship wages when they signed, which were then subsequently cut in half so became big disparities in squad on who earns what - and players like Jackson who had interest from Bournemouth for a 7 figure fee is on a couple of grand a week, getting offered rubbish new contracts, and played (or not played) in a formation that doesn't suit him and just wasting a year of his career.
I've heard via one player that when PL was in charge it was the worse club he's ever been at, I mentioned this to someone else, they said they'd heard the same from someone else but realisticaly it couild have been from anyone
Lambert walked round the training ground, quite literally, not speaking to the players, no relationship with them at all then would do things like drag senior players along on away trips and then whe the team was put up on the projector they'd see they aren't playing and have to sit in stands before heading back on the subs bus with no one speaking to them to explain why.
The moral and spirit had been beaten out of these players by the previous regime, I think for those of any knowledge of the camp, the fact that when Gill and Walker effectively took over things seemed to turn quite quickly gave us hope that that was all it needed, and someone with the positivity of Cook as well as the great track record would be able to push us forwards to the play offs (even if we'd have likely lost)
But it was obviously far too far gone, and whatever Cook has tried to do hasn't worked. The change should have been made so much earlier though. Cook should have had the window to bring in 4 of his guys and it may have worked.
I don't like all this hating on the players now, that it is totally their fault, they've been brow beaten into submission by terrible ownership and terrible management, they've had to keep themselves going for months on end and keeping us in with a shot - the change hasn't worked, the manager will deservedly get time based on track record, but some of these players will still be here and we'll need to get more out of them next year | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:52 - Apr 21 with 1575 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:46 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
Do you honestly look at the team play and think "these lads look relaxed"? I think they look fearful, anxious, terrified they're going to make a mistake.
We put in 12 crosses in the first half yesterday and completed 1. At least half of those were from inside the penalty area. That's not about effort. It's not even really about technical ability. That's about composure. Composure is easy when you're relaxed, calm, at ease. It's hard when you're stressed.
Relaxed? Would be a fine thing. |
I should have been clearer, I didn't mean relaxed on the pitch.
I meant off it and in everything else they do. The senior players at this club, need clearing out. Chambers, Ex' Skuse, Edwards, Sears just for starters.
Yes they look stressed on the pitch, no one playing football likes to lose, I played in the worst team every to grace the Sunday leagues, we always lost, but we were always gutted when we did, and we weren't professional footballers.
How many of this lot are losing sleep? 4? 5? Maybe. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:52 - Apr 21 with 1578 views | Kropotkin123 |
Or more simply, just look at that last goal against Northampton. Where the players half heartedly run to the opposition, and instead of trying to tackle, they mildly look to intercept the pass in a completely non committal and non threatening way. |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:53 - Apr 21 with 1560 views | jayessess |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:41 - Apr 21 by Bobbychase |
"If their performances drop off slightly it costs them nothing"
Isn't that the same as ours? The unhealthy situation, where almost all the senior players will not be here next season, has bred the same scenario.
People are looking for our players to be sitting in the centre circle in a deckchair as proof they have downed tools, it doesn't have to be that overt.
Watch the games, watch the amount of times we pull out of 50-50 challenges, or don't make an effort to get into the box, or underhit a pass. They don't have to have an ice cream in one hand and a cocktail in the other to be guilty of putting in less effort than the opposition. |
No, it isn't the same at all.
No one is going to form a judgement of Emi Buendia because he slacked off a little in a few dead rubbers after being the best player in the division all year.
People at Arsenal and Borussia Munchengladbach absolutely are going to form an opinion of Mark McGuinness' and Keanan Bennetts' performances for us. Sunderland or whoever absolutely are going to look at Gwion Edwards failing to score for months and months and decide what contract, if any, they want to offer him. Stephen Ward was on record just last week saying he wanted a new contract here.
Being rubbish here will cost all of them money or future opportunities. [Post edited 21 Apr 2021 8:55]
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:55 - Apr 21 with 1546 views | Bobbychase |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:46 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
Do you honestly look at the team play and think "these lads look relaxed"? I think they look fearful, anxious, terrified they're going to make a mistake.
We put in 12 crosses in the first half yesterday and completed 1. At least half of those were from inside the penalty area. That's not about effort. It's not even really about technical ability. That's about composure. Composure is easy when you're relaxed, calm, at ease. It's hard when you're stressed.
Relaxed? Would be a fine thing. |
There's an elephant in the room here - they've been playing all season, and continue to play, in empty stadiums.
There is no pressure on them, no crowds to groan at a misplaced pass or boo at the end of a defeat. No songs about "you're not fit to wear the shirt" being sung.
Cook can't put them under pressure because they know as well as he does that they won't be here next season.
Lord help some of them if they continue in this manner at different clubs when fans are allowed back into stadiums.
They are under zero pressure. And yet they still fail. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:55 - Apr 21 with 1543 views | itfcjoe |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:48 - Apr 21 by ITFCBlues |
I love watching you on the pod. You talk sense and are usually spot on. But for me, you're getting this totally wrong. This isn't a good group of players of best in the league. There's alot of overrated rubbish. There's one goalscorer who's constantly injured. Nothing in wide areas or even midfield.
Cook has pedigree, that can't be questioned. Look at his track record. Look how he motivated thay Wigan team after lockdown who were in administration and not being paid.
You may have some inside info of the players not liking cook or his methods. But frankly, this group of players are a constant over the three worst years in the clubs history and I really don't care what they think anymore. There's almost zero pedigree in this squad or proof they can succeed. It's been said that Chambo and Skuse came back fitter than anyone in thay squad, what does that say about this group of players?
Good riddance to them and let's get this new era underway properly and start a complete fresh with players who want to play for this club. |
Just to clarify I've got nothing from inside about Cook and his methods so don't want to give the impression that I do.
My later post in this thread probably explains feelings a little clearer on this - Cook has a great record, and deserves a chance and will likely get one - but I don't think any fan hand on heart expected it to go like this when Cook came in - I didn't think we'd go up, but I expected us to be pushing strongly for the play offs.
The squad is totally mentally shot it seems, but the manager has to take some responsibility for it getting worse - I'm amazed at how scot free he appears to some fans | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:58 - Apr 21 with 1504 views | jayessess |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:52 - Apr 21 by Cheltenham_Blue |
I should have been clearer, I didn't mean relaxed on the pitch.
I meant off it and in everything else they do. The senior players at this club, need clearing out. Chambers, Ex' Skuse, Edwards, Sears just for starters.
Yes they look stressed on the pitch, no one playing football likes to lose, I played in the worst team every to grace the Sunday leagues, we always lost, but we were always gutted when we did, and we weren't professional footballers.
How many of this lot are losing sleep? 4? 5? Maybe. |
I'd imagine almost all of them are extremely anxious about their futures. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:59 - Apr 21 with 1489 views | Bobbychase |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:53 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
No, it isn't the same at all.
No one is going to form a judgement of Emi Buendia because he slacked off a little in a few dead rubbers after being the best player in the division all year.
People at Arsenal and Borussia Munchengladbach absolutely are going to form an opinion of Mark McGuinness' and Keanan Bennetts' performances for us. Sunderland or whoever absolutely are going to look at Gwion Edwards failing to score for months and months and decide what contract, if any, they want to offer him. Stephen Ward was on record just last week saying he wanted a new contract here.
Being rubbish here will cost all of them money or future opportunities. [Post edited 21 Apr 2021 8:55]
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OK, so explain my point repeated below. Am I wrong? If they are so concerned about new contracts or what their parent club thinks of them, why is this happening?
Watch the games, watch the amount of times we pull out of 50-50 challenges, or don't make an effort to get into the box, or underhit a pass. They don't have to have an ice cream in one hand and a cocktail in the other to be guilty of putting in less effort than the opposition. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:59 - Apr 21 with 1487 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:58 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
I'd imagine almost all of them are extremely anxious about their futures. |
You'd imagine they would play for them then.
Or maybe you wouldn't? | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:03 - Apr 21 with 1448 views | Bobbychase |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:59 - Apr 21 by Cheltenham_Blue |
You'd imagine they would play for them then.
Or maybe you wouldn't? |
They do a very, very poor impression of people playing for their futures.
They do a much more convincing impression of people putting in just enough effort not to be made a scapegoat but not enough to win a football match.
Or score a goal. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:04 - Apr 21 with 1433 views | jayessess |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:59 - Apr 21 by Cheltenham_Blue |
You'd imagine they would play for them then.
Or maybe you wouldn't? |
I don't believe that they aren't.
There are a million reasons why a football team as individuals or as a collective don't function well. I think it's almost never about effort.
We as fans settle on effort as an explanation because it's the easiest thing to blame people for. "These lads don't want to play for the shirt, it's a disgrace" etc. Reality is, they've all fought hard their entire lives for these opportunities and they're watching it all go down the toilet. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:06 - Apr 21 with 1403 views | hype313 |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:55 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
Just to clarify I've got nothing from inside about Cook and his methods so don't want to give the impression that I do.
My later post in this thread probably explains feelings a little clearer on this - Cook has a great record, and deserves a chance and will likely get one - but I don't think any fan hand on heart expected it to go like this when Cook came in - I didn't think we'd go up, but I expected us to be pushing strongly for the play offs.
The squad is totally mentally shot it seems, but the manager has to take some responsibility for it getting worse - I'm amazed at how scot free he appears to some fans |
I'll be honest, I never thought we would make the play off's with or without Cook. I could see that this was a squad of disenfranchised, fractured, mentally shot players who were collectively all out of form or constantly injured.
Normally you would expect a new manager bounce, but things had got to rock bottom. Gill was able to eek out a couple of results, but one swallow doesn't make a summer.
We are at the end of the line with 90% of these players, we have new ownership, fresh ideas and a manager with the gravitas to do great things once he's been given the tools.
yes it's been disappointing, and yes Cook has probably used up some credit, but sometimes as fans you really have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, especially with us right now as there are a multitude of caveats that have been instrumental in our demise. |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:09 - Apr 21 with 1372 views | Bobbychase |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:04 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
I don't believe that they aren't.
There are a million reasons why a football team as individuals or as a collective don't function well. I think it's almost never about effort.
We as fans settle on effort as an explanation because it's the easiest thing to blame people for. "These lads don't want to play for the shirt, it's a disgrace" etc. Reality is, they've all fought hard their entire lives for these opportunities and they're watching it all go down the toilet. |
It's not an "easy" explanation. It's infuriating. But I've watched every game this season and that's what I see. They do just enough to appear to be trying, but not enough to get results.
88 minutes last night, Northampton concede a corner. Their players are up in arms, surround the ref, they're livid. They think it came off a Town player. That's when 3-0 up and coasting to victory. That's caring.
When was the last time you ever saw our lot get worked up about anything. | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:13 - Apr 21 with 1347 views | jayessess |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:59 - Apr 21 by Bobbychase |
OK, so explain my point repeated below. Am I wrong? If they are so concerned about new contracts or what their parent club thinks of them, why is this happening?
Watch the games, watch the amount of times we pull out of 50-50 challenges, or don't make an effort to get into the box, or underhit a pass. They don't have to have an ice cream in one hand and a cocktail in the other to be guilty of putting in less effort than the opposition. |
I've watched every single game we've played this season.
I think all 3 of those things have little to do with "effort" per se. 50-50 tackles are about conviction, bravery, belief that you're going to win the ball. Runs into the box are about weighing the risks of when to go and when not to. What does under-hitting a pass have to do with effort? You think they're too lazy to hit it harder?! | |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:15 - Apr 21 with 1341 views | patrickswell |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:55 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
Just to clarify I've got nothing from inside about Cook and his methods so don't want to give the impression that I do.
My later post in this thread probably explains feelings a little clearer on this - Cook has a great record, and deserves a chance and will likely get one - but I don't think any fan hand on heart expected it to go like this when Cook came in - I didn't think we'd go up, but I expected us to be pushing strongly for the play offs.
The squad is totally mentally shot it seems, but the manager has to take some responsibility for it getting worse - I'm amazed at how scot free he appears to some fans |
He’s getting off Scot-free because we set a record for iFollow tickets in his first game, after having arrived talking about going for automatic promotion, only to see the players put in a performance which screamed, “Oh no....there’s a bloke shouting at us from the dug out again who actually expects something of us. Ugh!”
Enough is enough. |  | | |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:18 - Apr 21 with 1298 views | gordon |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:49 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
I think the players have had a tough time of things this year, I know they won't get any sympathy.
Lambert literally ignored them for months, they were ignored through covid - the manager spoke to the players 2 times in the extended March to July break. These were on calls arranged by the fitness coach.
From what I understand there wasn't a proper conditioning programme put in place, they were given spin bikes and basically told to keep themselves fit.
Most of Hurst's signings were signed on very low Championship wages when they signed, which were then subsequently cut in half so became big disparities in squad on who earns what - and players like Jackson who had interest from Bournemouth for a 7 figure fee is on a couple of grand a week, getting offered rubbish new contracts, and played (or not played) in a formation that doesn't suit him and just wasting a year of his career.
I've heard via one player that when PL was in charge it was the worse club he's ever been at, I mentioned this to someone else, they said they'd heard the same from someone else but realisticaly it couild have been from anyone
Lambert walked round the training ground, quite literally, not speaking to the players, no relationship with them at all then would do things like drag senior players along on away trips and then whe the team was put up on the projector they'd see they aren't playing and have to sit in stands before heading back on the subs bus with no one speaking to them to explain why.
The moral and spirit had been beaten out of these players by the previous regime, I think for those of any knowledge of the camp, the fact that when Gill and Walker effectively took over things seemed to turn quite quickly gave us hope that that was all it needed, and someone with the positivity of Cook as well as the great track record would be able to push us forwards to the play offs (even if we'd have likely lost)
But it was obviously far too far gone, and whatever Cook has tried to do hasn't worked. The change should have been made so much earlier though. Cook should have had the window to bring in 4 of his guys and it may have worked.
I don't like all this hating on the players now, that it is totally their fault, they've been brow beaten into submission by terrible ownership and terrible management, they've had to keep themselves going for months on end and keeping us in with a shot - the change hasn't worked, the manager will deservedly get time based on track record, but some of these players will still be here and we'll need to get more out of them next year |
Totally agree with all that - the negativity towards the players on here is appalling- they've been treated poorly by the club in lots of different ways as you say, over the last few years, the morale and spirit must've been dreadful already, and then a new bloke comes in and announces that a journeyman lower league midfielder who has never coached before is disappointed with their quality.
Regardless of whether Cook ultimately builds a successful team, the man management and approach at the end of this season has been tone deaf. |  | | |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:19 - Apr 21 with 1285 views | Guthrum |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 08:49 - Apr 21 by itfcjoe |
I think the players have had a tough time of things this year, I know they won't get any sympathy.
Lambert literally ignored them for months, they were ignored through covid - the manager spoke to the players 2 times in the extended March to July break. These were on calls arranged by the fitness coach.
From what I understand there wasn't a proper conditioning programme put in place, they were given spin bikes and basically told to keep themselves fit.
Most of Hurst's signings were signed on very low Championship wages when they signed, which were then subsequently cut in half so became big disparities in squad on who earns what - and players like Jackson who had interest from Bournemouth for a 7 figure fee is on a couple of grand a week, getting offered rubbish new contracts, and played (or not played) in a formation that doesn't suit him and just wasting a year of his career.
I've heard via one player that when PL was in charge it was the worse club he's ever been at, I mentioned this to someone else, they said they'd heard the same from someone else but realisticaly it couild have been from anyone
Lambert walked round the training ground, quite literally, not speaking to the players, no relationship with them at all then would do things like drag senior players along on away trips and then whe the team was put up on the projector they'd see they aren't playing and have to sit in stands before heading back on the subs bus with no one speaking to them to explain why.
The moral and spirit had been beaten out of these players by the previous regime, I think for those of any knowledge of the camp, the fact that when Gill and Walker effectively took over things seemed to turn quite quickly gave us hope that that was all it needed, and someone with the positivity of Cook as well as the great track record would be able to push us forwards to the play offs (even if we'd have likely lost)
But it was obviously far too far gone, and whatever Cook has tried to do hasn't worked. The change should have been made so much earlier though. Cook should have had the window to bring in 4 of his guys and it may have worked.
I don't like all this hating on the players now, that it is totally their fault, they've been brow beaten into submission by terrible ownership and terrible management, they've had to keep themselves going for months on end and keeping us in with a shot - the change hasn't worked, the manager will deservedly get time based on track record, but some of these players will still be here and we'll need to get more out of them next year |
What seems to have shocked people is not that we are taking a long time to turn things around, but that there is apparently a continued decline. That may be more apparent than real - I think the run of three wins supposedly or formally under Gill gives a false impression (may have been a sort of post-Lambert "bounce" and were certainly not convincing). But the fact we can't score at all now is a step backwards.
Fans are casting around for a reason why. Cook has a good pedigree at this level, so it shouldn't be him (tho he is now beginning to get pelters from some). That leaves only the players. The old scapegoats like Skuse and Chambers are not playing or have been dropped with no change of energy, so they can't be blamed.
Everything we try does not work. The malaise seems to affect pretty much the whole squad. It does look from the outside very much as if they have collectively given up.
Or, as you point out, they may be mentally exhausted. Like running through treacle, unable to maintain a sharpness of concentration, continually making mistakes. At the end of their tether and incapable of pushing further. I suspect most of us who have done high pressure or tight deadline jobs have been there to some extent. |  |
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| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:21 - Apr 21 with 1278 views | Bobbychase |
| If you don't believe players down tools on 09:13 - Apr 21 by jayessess |
I've watched every single game we've played this season.
I think all 3 of those things have little to do with "effort" per se. 50-50 tackles are about conviction, bravery, belief that you're going to win the ball. Runs into the box are about weighing the risks of when to go and when not to. What does under-hitting a pass have to do with effort? You think they're too lazy to hit it harder?! |
I think they don't care. Players who care fill the air with curses when they get a simple pass wrong, or bawl out team-mates who give them a hospital pass.
I don't see any of that from our players now. | |
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