| Yesterday was absolutely gutting 11:53 - Feb 23 with 3682 views | SomethingBlue |
Really, really gutting. I can't shake it. I am thinking about everything that has been squandered. The excellent start to the season and lead at the top, yes, but also the goodwill and enthusiasm for the task in hand that was — pretty much against expectation — generated among the fanbase. That's right on the edge now, if it hasn't already fallen off the cliff, and I fear it's going to be a very long way back once the mood has turned again. Was reasonably ugly at the end and I don't think any of it was unreasonable.
The game itself? For 35/40 minutes I was happy enough; we probably all were. Seemed as if we could use that performance as a solid platform to go on and win it in the second half. I wonder if subconsciously the players began to think that too as the clock wound down. This might sound ludicrous but I saw their goal coming and said shortly before it that we needed to be careful. In the preceding five minutes our energy had dipped; things had begun to drift for the first time. Lambert and Taylor had both spotted it on the side, you could tell from their body language, but the seeds had been sown. We aren't really a team that can do that and get away with it, and we were duly picked off by a goal that looks worse every time I see it.
That second half was abysmal. Just dreadful. By the end we were playing like a team three goals down; one that had a duty to keep going and trying to salvage something, but with no real hope or belief that it could happen. Oxford are billed as an exceptional passing team but here they just did a job on us, and did it brilliantly under little strain. If only we had different sides to us like that. I never once felt we would score.
Lambert messed it up. At Norwich he would win games for them with his changes and in-game tweaks, time and again. He was brilliant at it; their fans will say as much. So what was that yesterday? Putting Bishop on the left and going to a four made a deteriorating performance worse, actually managed to rob us of any width whatsoever and left us short in the middle. Couldn't Sears have come on as a wide man if that's what we were after? Wouldn't Dobra be an option for those games, which seem to come every week now, where we have zero spark against well organised opponents? Why no Huws or Dozzell given that Nolan, after a good start to the game, shrunk to the extent that I can barely remember a forward pass or run beyond the front men? It was all wrong.
Keane had a good first half but, quite aside from his unwillingness to contest headers, was embarrassingly flat-footed in the second. This would actually have been a good game for Norwood to get under their centre-backs' skin, as he did to an extent in the away fixture. I would like to know exactly what has happened there as it is going to cost us massively. We were clearly aware his issues had not gone away and that there would be the risk of another absence. Why was no striker brought in during January? It's not acceptable.
Don't know what happens now, especially without our two front-line strikers for three massive games. Maybe it will focus us a little and, just as we did when apparently injury-ravaged at the start of the season, we'll pull some results out of the bag. But I make the margin for error virtually zero, the odds incredibly long, and this team well short of what it needs to avoid an outcome to the season that will debilitate us beyond recognition.
|  |
| |  |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:01 - Feb 23 with 3131 views | thebooks |
I think that sums it all up really well.
As to where we go? I still think we’ll make the play-offs because of our run-in. But, as you say, the good will has been squandered, which means *any* slip up will be rounded on — the crowd “turned” yesterday. That makes things even trickier as it could get really ugly and ME is left with a decision to make.
Even if we make the play-offs, there’s nothing in our performances to suggest we’ll play well against a half-decent team over two legs. You never know, though; everything starts again in the play-offs and we might have built some momentum. |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:03 - Feb 23 with 3106 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:01 - Feb 23 by thebooks |
I think that sums it all up really well.
As to where we go? I still think we’ll make the play-offs because of our run-in. But, as you say, the good will has been squandered, which means *any* slip up will be rounded on — the crowd “turned” yesterday. That makes things even trickier as it could get really ugly and ME is left with a decision to make.
Even if we make the play-offs, there’s nothing in our performances to suggest we’ll play well against a half-decent team over two legs. You never know, though; everything starts again in the play-offs and we might have built some momentum. |
Well, we are now missing our most potent player in terms of goals and assists for 3 games so that isn't going to help. I don't know where the goals are coming from, I think this season is done and dusted. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:05 - Feb 23 with 3098 views | patrickswell |
At the risk of repeating the popular mantra regarding Lambert at Norwich, how much of those brilliant in-game tweaks were down to Ian Culverhouse? Because his ability to change games seems to have dribbled away over his subsequent jobs. |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:05 - Feb 23 with 3091 views | thebooks |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:03 - Feb 23 by tractorboy1978 |
Well, we are now missing our most potent player in terms of goals and assists for 3 games so that isn't going to help. I don't know where the goals are coming from, I think this season is done and dusted. |
Yes, that’s possible. I only feel *fairly* confident we’ll make the play-offs. Could get very ugly from here in. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:09 - Feb 23 with 3067 views | IpswichKnight |
I doubt it was Lambert making those decisions at Norwich l, sounds like it was Culverhouse I think who was his assistant. He is a man manager and cheerleader not a tactician and we lack someone to go this isn’t working change it. The best coaches make changes as soon as they spot the problem, Eddie Jones made a change in a test match after 20 minutes that’s unheard of the result England put 40 points on the opposition, we are lucky if we make any changes until 70/80 minutes.
We have no X factor, no one going to get you off your seat and NO pace apart from Jackson. Next 3 games will be very very one paced. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:09 - Feb 23 with 3067 views | waveneyblue |
At the start of this season I said we need a nasty bastard in midfield. To run the game with the ref, put their foot in when needed and to do the simple stuff. Skuse is too nice, Downes is too young and hotheaded and we have nobody in the squad capable. These players aren't expensive and there's loads of them in the lower leagues.
Every year Evans tries to fluke it (No recruitment in winter 2015, no recruitment this winter) and it never works.
Like the OP,, I believe this is our our one shot, mess this up and we are the new Coventry (This year excepted). We will be looking at 10,000 crowds and Division 1 relegation battles.... |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:23 - Feb 23 with 2970 views | davblue |
I really can’t be bothered to go over this again.
It’s just Groundhog Day. |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:25 - Feb 23 with 2948 views | Bluefish |
Did PRP show any evidence of that ability at Blackburn, Wolves, Villa or Stoke? Some are looking for something that isn't there. The evidence against him from his time here is overwhelming, there aren't even any green shoots. It is a desolate wasteland that some are desperate to still celebrate. He must go now! |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:45 - Feb 23 with 2828 views | SomethingBlue |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:01 - Feb 23 by thebooks |
I think that sums it all up really well.
As to where we go? I still think we’ll make the play-offs because of our run-in. But, as you say, the good will has been squandered, which means *any* slip up will be rounded on — the crowd “turned” yesterday. That makes things even trickier as it could get really ugly and ME is left with a decision to make.
Even if we make the play-offs, there’s nothing in our performances to suggest we’ll play well against a half-decent team over two legs. You never know, though; everything starts again in the play-offs and we might have built some momentum. |
Play-offs are still possible, I agree, but we still need to snap out of this immediately and I am not sure how that happens in the next three very tough games unless something changes quickly. | |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:48 - Feb 23 with 2812 views | TheTrueBlue1878 |
Mick Mills made some really valid points yesterday.
Lambert Rotated and Halted his way off the top spot. |  |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:58 - Feb 23 with 2722 views | Bluefish |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:48 - Feb 23 by TheTrueBlue1878 |
Mick Mills made some really valid points yesterday.
Lambert Rotated and Halted his way off the top spot. |
I'm not convinced by that theory, we were rotating from game 1 and getting the results. We never looked convincing at any point at all, this was always coming. The good results were the freak blip in all of this | |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 13:03 - Feb 23 with 2694 views | brazil1982 |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:09 - Feb 23 by waveneyblue |
At the start of this season I said we need a nasty bastard in midfield. To run the game with the ref, put their foot in when needed and to do the simple stuff. Skuse is too nice, Downes is too young and hotheaded and we have nobody in the squad capable. These players aren't expensive and there's loads of them in the lower leagues.
Every year Evans tries to fluke it (No recruitment in winter 2015, no recruitment this winter) and it never works.
Like the OP,, I believe this is our our one shot, mess this up and we are the new Coventry (This year excepted). We will be looking at 10,000 crowds and Division 1 relegation battles.... |
I completely agree. Any player worth more than £300k will be sold, we will be dreadfully disappointed and frustrated with the transfer fees we receive (although it will be "undisclosed "). Little or nothing will be released for bringing players in. Our hard work bringing through young players will have to start again.
Other players will leave.
We will reinvest in frees and loans. We will slip down this league. The goodwill will go, we have incredible support home and away this year. What a dreadful mess. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 13:14 - Feb 23 with 2639 views | LankHenners |
That sums up the 2nd half really well - just going through the motions without forcing the issue. The switch of formation made us worse and Bishop only got on the ball when he dropped back to the centre circle to take it off the CBs which is a waste of what he can do. And then Sears on at 89, well...
As much as we played pretty well in the 1st and created some good openings, it was clear Oxford weren't at it - lots of misplaced passes and sloppy bits of play until they clicked for the goal then were able to hold us off as they cut out the defensive errors in the 2nd.
Keane was a disappointment yesterday - was well involved but every touch was too heavy and every pass too short or too long. Agree, not getting in someone to take the pressure off us up top in January seemed short-sighted at the time and now we've been punished for it. The amount of times this club has managed to make the wrong decisions at the worst times over the last decade or so is outstanding.
I've said this multiple times re: Dobra - whilst not at the stage to be a constant in the first XI, it's clear he's got lots of talent and enthusiasm, with the bravery and confidence to run at people, take shots, cause problems. All the umming and ahhing the club did over sending him on loan then deciding against it because he was needed here and now where is he? Was half-expecting him to be on the bench yesterday given the lack of attacking options but alas, and Dozzell was brought in who can pick a pass and looks to move forwards was left on the bench.
Whatever Lambert had a decade ago has gone, he can't change things mid-game and he has to shoulder the blame for the belief that seems to have been drained from the players. As a manager he seems more of a motivator than a tactician but appears to have lost what he had of the former. As we all know, no point over-analysing words in pressers but I've not been a fan at all of his general tone this season: from OTT rubbing the tinpot trophy cup penalty shoot-out win over Peterborough in the faces of everyone who dared criticised his barmy rotation policy to a succession of excuses as we've slipped down the table ("maybe playing away from home will suit us", "maybe being the hunters rather than the hunted will suit us", and yesterday's "maybe the adversity will help us") his attitude has been pretty poor. He should have gone before Christmas but now it's too late if he went tomorrow. What a sad waste this season has been, and I fear it's only the beginning. |  |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:09 - Feb 23 with 2419 views | brogansnose |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:58 - Feb 23 by Bluefish |
I'm not convinced by that theory, we were rotating from game 1 and getting the results. We never looked convincing at any point at all, this was always coming. The good results were the freak blip in all of this |
He has got to go. He's used up all his possible excuses and , like you say, those early season results were not convincing. He has overseen a relegation, I'll give him some leeway on that but he should have done better, and he has now spunked our chance of getting out of this poxy division for the forseable future and that's with six months of preparation. This one is all on Lambert, there will inevitably be an inquest on the bigger picture of Evans tenure, but Lambert has this all on him. |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:17 - Feb 23 with 2367 views | strikalite |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:09 - Feb 23 by brogansnose |
He has got to go. He's used up all his possible excuses and , like you say, those early season results were not convincing. He has overseen a relegation, I'll give him some leeway on that but he should have done better, and he has now spunked our chance of getting out of this poxy division for the forseable future and that's with six months of preparation. This one is all on Lambert, there will inevitably be an inquest on the bigger picture of Evans tenure, but Lambert has this all on him. |
Agree, you know what I blame Lambert far more than ME, yes Evans should have made a change imo but ultimately Lambert has got a good squad for this Division, he hasn't blended a flowing side out of it, he's failed with El Miz, he's failed with Dobra too, the buck stops with him... |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:23 - Feb 23 with 2335 views | brogansnose |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:17 - Feb 23 by strikalite |
Agree, you know what I blame Lambert far more than ME, yes Evans should have made a change imo but ultimately Lambert has got a good squad for this Division, he hasn't blended a flowing side out of it, he's failed with El Miz, he's failed with Dobra too, the buck stops with him... |
I would be gutted if we miss out on getting in Nathan Jones. People will be opposed but to my mind he fits the bill with his style of football on a shoestring budget, knows this league and would play and develop the youngsters bridging the U23's under Klugg to the first team. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:28 - Feb 23 with 2316 views | strikalite |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:23 - Feb 23 by brogansnose |
I would be gutted if we miss out on getting in Nathan Jones. People will be opposed but to my mind he fits the bill with his style of football on a shoestring budget, knows this league and would play and develop the youngsters bridging the U23's under Klugg to the first team. |
Agree he'd be perfect to work with the talent we have, such an upbeat character too, I'd swap for him in a heartbeat.. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:39 - Feb 23 with 2271 views | Bluefish |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:09 - Feb 23 by brogansnose |
He has got to go. He's used up all his possible excuses and , like you say, those early season results were not convincing. He has overseen a relegation, I'll give him some leeway on that but he should have done better, and he has now spunked our chance of getting out of this poxy division for the forseable future and that's with six months of preparation. This one is all on Lambert, there will inevitably be an inquest on the bigger picture of Evans tenure, but Lambert has this all on him. |
Agreed but I would put more of last season on him, he had over half a season and a significant january spend | |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:43 - Feb 23 with 2251 views | brogansnose |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:39 - Feb 23 by Bluefish |
Agreed but I would put more of last season on him, he had over half a season and a significant january spend |
See you at Bristol buh. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:44 - Feb 23 with 2242 views | EdwardStone |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 12:23 - Feb 23 by davblue |
I really can’t be bothered to go over this again.
It’s just Groundhog Day. |
Groundhog Day...all over again |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:46 - Feb 23 with 2233 views | Bluefish |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:43 - Feb 23 by brogansnose |
See you at Bristol buh. |
Aye been a while | |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:53 - Feb 23 with 2188 views | SomethingBlue |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:23 - Feb 23 by brogansnose |
I would be gutted if we miss out on getting in Nathan Jones. People will be opposed but to my mind he fits the bill with his style of football on a shoestring budget, knows this league and would play and develop the youngsters bridging the U23's under Klugg to the first team. |
My strong suspicion is that it's John McGreal next season, with a brief to make the most of the academy talent and shoot for the play-offs if he can. I offer no comment on that, it's just my hunch. | |
| |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 15:15 - Feb 23 with 2107 views | Churchman |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:53 - Feb 23 by SomethingBlue |
My strong suspicion is that it's John McGreal next season, with a brief to make the most of the academy talent and shoot for the play-offs if he can. I offer no comment on that, it's just my hunch. |
4 wins in 22, the only players worthy of the name to be flogged at the seasons end for change and add ons, surely the brief for PL or a successor is please try and keep up in Div One. With 4 to go down and that shower, it’s going to be a mighty challenge. |  | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 15:17 - Feb 23 with 2104 views | brogansnose |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 14:53 - Feb 23 by SomethingBlue |
My strong suspicion is that it's John McGreal next season, with a brief to make the most of the academy talent and shoot for the play-offs if he can. I offer no comment on that, it's just my hunch. |
Yeah, I could see McGreal getting the gig too with the same brief. | | | |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 15:31 - Feb 23 with 2065 views | textbackup |
| Yesterday was absolutely gutting on 15:17 - Feb 23 by brogansnose |
Yeah, I could see McGreal getting the gig too with the same brief. |
If ME were to sit down at end of season, having seen us finish 8th, could even he think that PL will ‘do better’ the follow season with a weaker squad?! Lol
Whole thing will be An absolute joke if he stays |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
