| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:33 - Feb 23 with 2320 views | textbackup |
Don’t need to read it. We watch it weekly. |  |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:45 - Feb 23 with 2272 views | tractorboy1978 |
I thought yesterday was a perfect example of how hard it is at this level for a team like us. To get a win, you basically need every player to be on the top of their game, no individual errors, the opposition to have a bit of an off day, the ref to be on your side and to have a little bit of extra luck thrown in too.
By and large we played well and yet we lost 4-1. If Tuanzebe was playing do we go in 2-1 down at half time? Probably not. |  | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:53 - Feb 23 with 2198 views | BseaBlue |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:45 - Feb 23 by tractorboy1978 |
I thought yesterday was a perfect example of how hard it is at this level for a team like us. To get a win, you basically need every player to be on the top of their game, no individual errors, the opposition to have a bit of an off day, the ref to be on your side and to have a little bit of extra luck thrown in too.
By and large we played well and yet we lost 4-1. If Tuanzebe was playing do we go in 2-1 down at half time? Probably not. |
I think your second paragraph is also a fantastic point. Axel has probably been our best defender this year. Losing one player can provide so costly as there just isn't the quality in depth thats afforded to the other premier league teams.
Add in that we have had basically no consistency from anyone with the exception of Delap (who still looks very raw at times too) and it just proves the gulf is there.
I still believe we will be stronger for it though and that we will go back down in a much better position for the future. |  | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:55 - Feb 23 with 2193 views | Battersea_Blue |
Don't know if this has been spotted/already posted, but yesterday's results for the 3 promoted teams, who were all at home, was 0-4, 0-4 and 1-4.
That says everything. | | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:01 - Feb 23 with 2163 views | ArnieM |
But we're not being beaten by skill or technique. We are being beaten by pace and counter attacking football. Even Maidstone beat us playing this way. We're far too slow in the middle of the park. |  |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:18 - Feb 23 with 2051 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:53 - Feb 23 by BseaBlue |
I think your second paragraph is also a fantastic point. Axel has probably been our best defender this year. Losing one player can provide so costly as there just isn't the quality in depth thats afforded to the other premier league teams.
Add in that we have had basically no consistency from anyone with the exception of Delap (who still looks very raw at times too) and it just proves the gulf is there.
I still believe we will be stronger for it though and that we will go back down in a much better position for the future. |
I don't often disagree with M Mills listening on the radio after a game but his thoughts on Harry Clarke being first choice over Tuanzebe seemed way off. |  |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:53 - Feb 23 with 1927 views | bsw72 |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:01 - Feb 23 by ArnieM |
But we're not being beaten by skill or technique. We are being beaten by pace and counter attacking football. Even Maidstone beat us playing this way. We're far too slow in the middle of the park. |
If only it was that simple. |  | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:59 - Feb 23 with 1892 views | CopfordBlue |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:18 - Feb 23 by BanksterDebtSlave |
I don't often disagree with M Mills listening on the radio after a game but his thoughts on Harry Clarke being first choice over Tuanzebe seemed way off. |
I was surprised but as it was MM talking about a position he played in I found what he had to say quite interesting. He’s always quite diplomatic and is understandably a big fan of Kieran so is reluctant to criticise but I feel he’s held back a lot this season in his post-match analysis. Reading between the lines I think he’s frustrated that so many of the promoted team were discarded so quickly. In the same conversation yesterday he was praising Chaplin and what he could bring to the team. | |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 09:05 - Feb 23 with 1849 views | Jrm_72 |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:18 - Feb 23 by BanksterDebtSlave |
I don't often disagree with M Mills listening on the radio after a game but his thoughts on Harry Clarke being first choice over Tuanzebe seemed way off. |
Yeah same. If Godfrey was had on toast yesterday Harry wouldve been caviar and smoked salmon.
I love Harry, one of my favourite current town players, proper cult hero. But you just have to remember the Brentford game. Keane Lewis-Potter was getting by so easily he was being handed a hot towel and complimentary pack of pretzels on the way through. | | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 09:11 - Feb 23 with 1813 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 08:01 - Feb 23 by ArnieM |
But we're not being beaten by skill or technique. We are being beaten by pace and counter attacking football. Even Maidstone beat us playing this way. We're far too slow in the middle of the park. |
Frustrating thing tho Arnie is it's not even the pace that's killing us It's the lack of basic defensive ability from fullbacks.
I don't think we have a cb issue. We didn't have a cb issue last season.
Our midfielders have pretty solid stats in regards to duals and interceptions tackles etc.
Our fullbacks however just don't cut the mustard defensively. And this is our biggest issue imo and the main cause for our problems this season.
We haven't got that balance right. |  |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 12:09 - Feb 23 with 1553 views | ITFCMonk |
I think Luton being rock bottom balances this out though |  |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 12:16 - Feb 23 with 1527 views | pointofblue |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 12:09 - Feb 23 by ITFCMonk |
I think Luton being rock bottom balances this out though |
That's addressed in the article. He also mentions Sunderland in 2017-18. Sometimes confidence can be drained to such an extent it can be hard to pick up and go again. I hope it doesn't happen to us. | |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 13:18 - Feb 23 with 1430 views | ITFC_Forever |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:55 - Feb 23 by Battersea_Blue |
Don't know if this has been spotted/already posted, but yesterday's results for the 3 promoted teams, who were all at home, was 0-4, 0-4 and 1-4.
That says everything. |
Leicester didn’t lose 0-4 yesterday.
Friday, maybe… |  |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 13:20 - Feb 23 with 1421 views | DarkBrandon |
The annoying thing is that we were pretty close.
All if and buts … but
We’ve had a few of the close games and marginal decisions go against us, especially early
If just a couple of our signings had done slightly better. Most obviously Muric and Clarke. Maybe Phillips who has a ceiling we haven’t seen
Injuries keep coming. Ogbene, Axel, Burns, Sammy, Chaplin, now Cajuste and Morsy.
The lack of a striker signing. Not for want of trying of course.
Some things have gone our way … most obviously McKenna staying and Delap’s form … but they do seem outweighed.
We had a chance. And although it hasn’t gone, it feels like it has |  | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 13:25 - Feb 23 with 1399 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 09:05 - Feb 23 by Jrm_72 |
Yeah same. If Godfrey was had on toast yesterday Harry wouldve been caviar and smoked salmon.
I love Harry, one of my favourite current town players, proper cult hero. But you just have to remember the Brentford game. Keane Lewis-Potter was getting by so easily he was being handed a hot towel and complimentary pack of pretzels on the way through. |
I think he is quicker, harder working, more agile. I think he would have done better. | | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 14:12 - Feb 23 with 1305 views | OsmansCleanSheet |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 07:55 - Feb 23 by Battersea_Blue |
Don't know if this has been spotted/already posted, but yesterday's results for the 3 promoted teams, who were all at home, was 0-4, 0-4 and 1-4.
That says everything. |
And all against mid-table teams. |  | | |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 17:12 - Feb 23 with 1139 views | TheBoyBlue |
It is in danger of becoming self perpetuating, if it isn't already.
If Luton had stayed up by the skin of their teeth then it might have given us a genuine relegation fight. But ultimately, all the teams that we pinpointed as teams we could possibly target are now just too well established. Even Forest who I thought were the most likely to be in the fight with us promoted clubs have kicked on beyond anything we could hope for currently. The changes of manager at Everton and Wolves have shown that the issues there were more to do with bad management rather than the quality of the players.
Once upon a time promoted teams could hope to bridge the gap with one or two 'second-season' teams, but whoever comes up from the Championship this summer, who the heck are they actually expected to finish above in all reality? Maybe a dramatic change of circumstances at one of those well managed middle clubs such as Bournemouth, Fulham or Brentford, but otherwise it's just going to be more of the same.
Whilst I suspect there are a lot in the Premier League who will be just fine about that, surely the whole appeal of the PL is the once genuine jeopardy of it all top and bottom. If it loses that completely then who is going to be interested in it in a few years? | |
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 17:24 - Feb 23 with 1094 views | pointofblue |
I posted this in another thread but this sits better here.
Last season, whilst all three teams promoted from the Championship were relgated from the Premier League, all three promoted from League One survived in the Championship. All three teams relegated from the Premier League finished in the top four in 23/24. This season, two of the relegated three are in the top three (with the other place being taken up by a side relegated the season before) but two of the promoted sides are eight and nine points clear of the bottom three.
Going further down the pyramid, the relegated three from the Championship finished 8th, 12th (would have been 10th without the points deduction) and 17th in League One in 23/24, whilst the promoted four finished 9th, 11th, 14th and 24th. This season the relegated three sit 1st, 5th and 14th whilst the promoted four are currently 3rd, 4th, 15th (six points from the drop) and 22nd.
For League Two, the promoted duo in 23/24 finished 2nd and 14th whilst the relegated four ended up 4th, 15th, 17th and 24th. This season, the promoted teams are 10th and 13th whilst the relegatded clubs are 6th, 11th, 14th and 24th. The Football League is far better at parity than the Premier League and it looks like the gap will just grow further. [Post edited 23 Feb 17:28]
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| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 17:31 - Feb 23 with 1069 views | iamatractorboy |
| Another excellent article from the Guardian re the gulf between the Prem & C on 17:12 - Feb 23 by TheBoyBlue |
It is in danger of becoming self perpetuating, if it isn't already.
If Luton had stayed up by the skin of their teeth then it might have given us a genuine relegation fight. But ultimately, all the teams that we pinpointed as teams we could possibly target are now just too well established. Even Forest who I thought were the most likely to be in the fight with us promoted clubs have kicked on beyond anything we could hope for currently. The changes of manager at Everton and Wolves have shown that the issues there were more to do with bad management rather than the quality of the players.
Once upon a time promoted teams could hope to bridge the gap with one or two 'second-season' teams, but whoever comes up from the Championship this summer, who the heck are they actually expected to finish above in all reality? Maybe a dramatic change of circumstances at one of those well managed middle clubs such as Bournemouth, Fulham or Brentford, but otherwise it's just going to be more of the same.
Whilst I suspect there are a lot in the Premier League who will be just fine about that, surely the whole appeal of the PL is the once genuine jeopardy of it all top and bottom. If it loses that completely then who is going to be interested in it in a few years? |
Spot on. And the problem is down to the combination of the ridiculous disparity in finances between leagues, and the PSR. And PSR ain't going anywhere; you need 14 PL teams to vote through any changes (I think), and that's never going to happen because...
The middling PL teams won't vote for it because it makes it very unlikely they will go down. For the same PSR reason, they will also find it tricky to bridge the gap to the top teams and European football (yes, yes I know the likes of Forest, Bournemouth and Fulham have a shot this year but it's VERY rare), but this is outweighed by the insurance they have against relegation. And the top teams won't vote for it precisely because it almost guarantees them European football season after season (again, yes I'm aware Man Utd and Spurs have been terrible this season). | | | |
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