| My final take on last night 13:46 - Oct 18 with 2175 views | GlasgowBlue |
We didn't play badly. In the first half we had a blatant penalty appeal turned down, Szmods had one cleared off the line and we missed the penalty we were awarded.
Boro also had some great chances. Palmer made 4 top draw saves. The first half was a wonderful advert for Championship football.
The issue I have with this current crop of players is not the quality. It's the character. We went in on a downer at half time, came our poorly in the second half and our heads dropped completely when they scored their second goal and we never looked like getting back into the game until the changes were made.
Think how many times we came back from losing positions in 2023/24.
The double winning promotion team had a never say die attitude. This crop don't. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 13:54 - Oct 18 with 2111 views | FrimleyBlue |
Think my worry about this new group goes back to the Keane years where James Pullen once mentioned that players didn't care if they won, lost or drew games.
With our 23/24 side, their character won games on its own, all players with limited abilities but bringing out the best in each other, living their best lives and acheiving things they never thought would be achieveable.
Now we've got a host of well payed players, who's talents can basically transfer them across to different teams at a whim regardless of how they actually do at town, their agents can always blame the other players. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 13:56 - Oct 18 with 2094 views | catch74 |
Agreed.
Think we’re also missing the footballing skills of Hladky, the route out of the back Hladky - Woolf - Morsy and the patterns of play from Burns Chaplin and even Donacien down the right hand side.
Walle Egeli seems pretty isolated on the right.
We’ve certainly got better players but still more team building to come. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 14:02 - Oct 18 with 2056 views | waveneyblue |
| My final take on last night on 13:54 - Oct 18 by FrimleyBlue |
Think my worry about this new group goes back to the Keane years where James Pullen once mentioned that players didn't care if they won, lost or drew games.
With our 23/24 side, their character won games on its own, all players with limited abilities but bringing out the best in each other, living their best lives and acheiving things they never thought would be achieveable.
Now we've got a host of well payed players, who's talents can basically transfer them across to different teams at a whim regardless of how they actually do at town, their agents can always blame the other players. |
Thats a bit of a hot take, suggesting they dont care.
I honestly dont believe that for a minute and nothing ive seen suggests its the case.
Theres some absolute guff written after defeats or poor performances. |  | | |
| My final take on last night on 14:05 - Oct 18 with 2015 views | Garv |
| My final take on last night on 14:02 - Oct 18 by waveneyblue |
Thats a bit of a hot take, suggesting they dont care.
I honestly dont believe that for a minute and nothing ive seen suggests its the case.
Theres some absolute guff written after defeats or poor performances. |
All about optics though isn't it.
No one can definitively say they don't care, that'd be ridiculous. But there's one or two that don't exactly give off a real passionate or 'up for the fight' vibe, and that doesn't help the overall feeling amongst fans while results are inconsistent and away performances continue to be poor.
[Post edited 18 Oct 2025 14:07]
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| My final take on last night on 14:05 - Oct 18 with 2007 views | FrimleyBlue |
| My final take on last night on 14:02 - Oct 18 by waveneyblue |
Thats a bit of a hot take, suggesting they dont care.
I honestly dont believe that for a minute and nothing ive seen suggests its the case.
Theres some absolute guff written after defeats or poor performances. |
It wasn't a direct suggestion that they don't care, but on the character point made by the OP, I was trying to explain how i feel a difference between the likes of the 23/24 side and the current group, with the 23/24 group there was more on the line to bust a gut for to achieve the unthinkable. | |
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| My final take on last night on 14:12 - Oct 18 with 1924 views | Illinoisblue |
That character was forged in the hard yards of scrapping together in league one. This group, for multiple reasons, have been brought together in a hurry.
You can’t buy spirit and togetherness. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 14:15 - Oct 18 with 1883 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Think that’s glass half full to be honest when you look at the pens, getting one out of those situations was about right and we still had a chance at 0-0 to take the lead and Hirst blew it.
We never particularly had control and our keeper was far busier. We’d been begging for a team to be more open after all the 11 behind the ball stuff and still deserved to lose the game. Can’t remember a goal from open play on the road. Not all bad but concerning from where we want to be after a decent sample size now.
More frustrating is we had a chance to make a statement after a decent week leading up to the break and then turned out that kind of performance and another loss away from home. [Post edited 18 Oct 2025 14:18]
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| My final take on last night on 14:16 - Oct 18 with 1875 views | Bent_double |
I thought we were exceptionally poor for the first 20 mins, no drive, desire or ability to find a teammate with a simple pass.
Yes, should've been a pen for the blantant (although not deliberate) handball - the 'keeper would have had to make an excellent save to stop a goal. The actual pen award was very soft, and was probaly the ref correcting his error.
Much, much better after the subs, which were probably 10 mins too late. We could've grabbed an equaliser, or Boro could've scored 2 or 3 more. Heyho.
Not seen anything to inspire me from any of the away games so far, we always seem to wait to go a goal down before getting stuck in. Maybe we should start the re-arranged Blackburn game a goal down...
Not the end-of-the-world, but McKenna needs something, or someone, to light a fire under this lot pretty sharpish before a 5-point gap to top 2 becomes a 15-point gap. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 14:17 - Oct 18 with 1860 views | Phantasm |
| My final take on last night on 13:54 - Oct 18 by FrimleyBlue |
Think my worry about this new group goes back to the Keane years where James Pullen once mentioned that players didn't care if they won, lost or drew games.
With our 23/24 side, their character won games on its own, all players with limited abilities but bringing out the best in each other, living their best lives and acheiving things they never thought would be achieveable.
Now we've got a host of well payed players, who's talents can basically transfer them across to different teams at a whim regardless of how they actually do at town, their agents can always blame the other players. |
Small point of order: it was Shane Supple. James Pullen was until recently our kit man. |  | | |
| My final take on last night on 14:19 - Oct 18 with 1830 views | Herbivore |
Largely agree. First half I thought we looked quite in control for 30 minutes without necessarily creating much, then 15 minutes of carnage before half time where it could easily have ended up 3-3 but we find ourselves 1-0 down. Second half we lacked leadership and character out there I thought. Poor decisions being made, a lack of urgency at times, nobody showing the courage to try and make something happen. It made for quite an infuriating watch overall, but some of the reaction has, as ever, been massively over the top. We lost to a good side who put in a good performance, on another day we get a result despite being short of the level we should be capable of.
I posted on another thread, since the transfer window closed we've taken 10 points from 5 games and sit third in the form table. Things are not desperate, we need to find that extra couple of percent and we should be top strong for this league. |  |
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| Spot on on 14:22 - Oct 18 with 1784 views | Dyland |
We lacked intensity generally. Our lack of aggression and tempo at the start of the second half was particularly disappointing. Agree we are lacking leadership and spirit. Hopefully it will come, and sooner rather than later. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 14:22 - Oct 18 with 1777 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| My final take on last night on 14:12 - Oct 18 by Illinoisblue |
That character was forged in the hard yards of scrapping together in league one. This group, for multiple reasons, have been brought together in a hurry.
You can’t buy spirit and togetherness. |
We’re not brave enough in the final third and a bit toothless away from at the same time. | |
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| My final take on last night on 14:36 - Oct 18 with 1668 views | britbiker |
I would love to see us break at speed like so many have done against us this season.
Even at 2 nil we fancied around passing between the keeper and the backs. Palmer was waiting at one point for their forward to close him down before passing it sideways. Their attacker didn't do it as they were two up and he was quite happy for us to go slow. |  | | |
| My final take on last night on 14:43 - Oct 18 with 1603 views | Swansea_Blue |
I think that’s a fair accusation. They don’t yet have that mental toughness and we miss Morsy driving everyone on. Our midfield is very quiet and non-impactful now. Every side needs a Morsy, a Jim, a Keane.
I couldn’t believe the Sky pundit was saying it obviously wasn’t a pen. Looked a stonewaller to me and I’d have been very relieved if the tables were reversed. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 14:44 - Oct 18 with 1588 views | catch74 |
| My final take on last night on 14:43 - Oct 18 by Swansea_Blue |
I think that’s a fair accusation. They don’t yet have that mental toughness and we miss Morsy driving everyone on. Our midfield is very quiet and non-impactful now. Every side needs a Morsy, a Jim, a Keane.
I couldn’t believe the Sky pundit was saying it obviously wasn’t a pen. Looked a stonewaller to me and I’d have been very relieved if the tables were reversed. |
You wonder why players put their hands/arms behind their backs if you’re allowed to save a goal like that. | |
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| My final take on last night on 15:34 - Oct 18 with 1439 views | Benters |
| My final take on last night on 14:43 - Oct 18 by Swansea_Blue |
I think that’s a fair accusation. They don’t yet have that mental toughness and we miss Morsy driving everyone on. Our midfield is very quiet and non-impactful now. Every side needs a Morsy, a Jim, a Keane.
I couldn’t believe the Sky pundit was saying it obviously wasn’t a pen. Looked a stonewaller to me and I’d have been very relieved if the tables were reversed. |
I thought it was a penalty,I bet it would have been given if it was for one of the big four in the Premiership. |  |
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| My final take on last night on 15:43 - Oct 18 with 1401 views | catch74 |
| My final take on last night on 15:34 - Oct 18 by Benters |
I thought it was a penalty,I bet it would have been given if it was for one of the big four in the Premiership. |
Who would you have as the big four nowadays Benters?
Was quite straightforward for a time. I’ve just looked at the table and Bournemouth are top - the next three are less of a surprise. | |
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| My final take on last night on 16:21 - Oct 18 with 1309 views | reusersfreekicks |
I disagree with the first sentence.We did play badly.
Still question marks hanging over a number of our purchases. Plus they do not function as a team, but a set of individuals thrown together.
Have we bought the right players.
Is our training and set up getting the best out of them. So many questions remaining [Post edited 18 Oct 2025 16:24]
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| My final take on last night on 22:05 - Oct 21 with 883 views | GlasgowBlue |
And there we go again. Once we conceded the first we completely lost our belief and composure.
This is a psychological issue rather than one of ability. Do we still have the bloke in the yellow shoes on retainer? | |
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| My final take on last night on 22:09 - Oct 21 with 833 views | FrimleyBlue |
| My final take on last night on 16:21 - Oct 18 by reusersfreekicks |
I disagree with the first sentence.We did play badly.
Still question marks hanging over a number of our purchases. Plus they do not function as a team, but a set of individuals thrown together.
Have we bought the right players.
Is our training and set up getting the best out of them. So many questions remaining [Post edited 18 Oct 2025 16:24]
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We've lost alot of staff in the summer. Our set piece coach has a new anayliser who must be putting together a 10000 essay.
Plus.... solely based on whispers from the club we have a mix of players the manager wanted mixed with ones he didn't. So.... | |
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| My final take on last night on 01:21 - Oct 22 with 698 views | Miaow |
| My final take on last night on 22:09 - Oct 21 by FrimleyBlue |
We've lost alot of staff in the summer. Our set piece coach has a new anayliser who must be putting together a 10000 essay.
Plus.... solely based on whispers from the club we have a mix of players the manager wanted mixed with ones he didn't. So.... |
Your second point would not be a surprise at all. |  |
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