harpendenfox

For the umpteenth time our success in this One Day Cup is in part down to the fact that we have had hardly any Hundred players. Look at how inexperienced the Essex side was yesterday. There two highest scorers were both 18 year olds. So we lose Ackermann. This is not some ECB conspiracy to do one over Leicestershire. He played in the comp last year, so it is hardly a surprise. He has been a super player for us in this tournament, but now we must adapt again. Kimber will need to bowl some spin, and perhaps bat at 6 with Scriven at 7 with Ramji added to the bowling attack. Enough with the victim mentality. If we take one point from a washout on Friday, and beat Yorkshire on Sunday, we might well finish top anyway

Me too. It was like the culmination of 18 months of decline.

From the Huddersfield forum: If Iheanacho starts 3-1 Leicester, if Vardy starts we have a better chance. So lets hope for the latter.

Since posting my negative comment 30 minutes ago Mulder and Kimber have played quite superbly.

our inability to win from good positions is becoming legendary. All on Mulder and Kimber now, plenty of time and not a particularly demanding run rate with one short boundary. Mind you we couldn't beat Staffordshire so Surrey is a tall order

Chilwell now takes consistently good and menacing corners for Chelsea. He has improved since he left us. Our inability to make a corner to descend roughly on the penalty spot is baffling. Bizarrely only Perez has managed to take a decent corner or two for us in the last year

Ah, but the law of averages suggest another draw is well overdue then. 2-2. A brace of Desmonds against Brentford

I know we are all guilty of piling on to a particular player when we are feeling frustrated. But with poor old Dan it's something else. I suspect if you asked 100 people who are season ticket holders this question: 'do you think Danny Ward is a good goalkeeper?' Not one would say yes. Unless they're being properly awkward. Certainly less than 5%. Even the elderly bloke I stood next to in the urinal at half-time felt the need to express his alarm at the performance of our current custodian. I think we're talking Josh Low levels of universal agreement.

We were absolutely cruising at 2-0 against Brentford on the opening day, and fell to pieces in a style reminiscent of so many collapses in recent years. Our lack of calmness under pressure has been a significant feature of the last two years in particular. We have simply forgotten how to chisel out a one goal win.

So over the last few years I've watched a programme on Sky Atlantic called Babylon Berlin. Yes it is a work of fiction, but is based on the atmosphere in early 1930s Berlin. It's great viewing in its own right in my opinion, but for a portrayal of how the atrocities of Nazism emerged, how once unacceptable behaviour becomes acceptable, it is fascinating viewing. I know many will feel politics should be kept out of sport, and here we are on a sports forum, but some things are more important than football. As a long time FoxesTalk participant I'd also like to comment that I think this particular thread has been excellent, full of extremely thoughtful contributions, and debated in a civilised manner, which is not always our strong point!

My suggestion if Barnes is not fit is to play Vardy on the left. Remember this time two years ago when Kelechi was banging in goals for fun and Vardy was on a long drought? Vardy played in a kind of inside left position, with licence to just run at defenders. It seemed to work, and relieved of the worry of being the main goalscorer, perhaps it will allow Vardy to assume a different role in the last few months of his career. I'd love to see him running at defenders, getting into the box, and 'earning' dodgy penalties as only Vardy can.

6 points separate the bottom 9 teams. I guess we are currently a typical bottom half team. We're just very moderate, and were last season, but managed to win more games against really poor teams. Trouble is we've lost Vardy's goals, so we're struggling even more this season. You're right, we absolutely should have won yesterday. Kelechi had 3 chances you would normally back him to bag, plus the bar rattle in the last minute. I don't have any problem with the effort we put in yesterday, it's more the lack of ability to pass to a teammate or hit the target. We know we can do better. Is it tension as much as anything?I hope your cautious optimism proves to be correct.

I'm just hoping that the beloved fancam focuses on two supporters who look all smiley and lovely, who then proceed to throw willy puller signs when they see themselves on the big screen. That'll cheer me up. I'm also very much looking forward to the instructions on how to use the honesty flags, and the warning to ensure I'm not hit by a t-shirt being launched into the crowd at half-time, when as ever I will be sipping on an over-priced luke warm bovril. Not to mention the friggin football. Still looking forward to it, because basically I'm an idiot. It's the hope that kills you.

well he got 15 goals in 25 Premier League games last season. I'm not sure anyone could have predicted his game would fall off a cliff to such an extent this season - except you, perhaps! For someone so cocksure he appears bereft of confidence now. It's so sad to see

I see absolutely no evidence whatsoever that he is not interested

In reality by full time we will have played three of the top four in a fortnight and secured a minimum of three points, which we would probably all have settled for before we kicked off against Spurs. Along with some familiar failings we also played well for 30 minutes at Old Trafford, and could/should have scored two goals in that period. In all likelihood we will lose on Saturday, but I retain a glimmer of optimism that I haven't had until recently. I hope we pose some threat, take the game deep, and avoid shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes. In other words if we are to lose, let it be that it is because Arsenal play well, rather than we self-destruct. But I'm going to suggest a 2-2 draw

This sort of shit makes me embarrassed to love football, and we are not immune

I hope and suspect not, but would be great to think he could be in the squad within a couple of weeks, and return to action for the final 20 minutes against Spurs when we're already 3-0 up. Allow me to dream awhile would you?

And then injured for the rest of the season. West Ham's record is pretty poor on injuries. Ings the latest example

He will forever be remembered for not being caught for handball in the lead up to Youri's moment of total genius. And scoring goals against rubbish opponents. And that miss at Chelsea. And getting injured a lot. And jogging back half-heartedly once knocked all too easily off the ball.

It is blatantly obvious that a player like Barnes is woefully down on his confidence. So your plan when he makes mistake would be to get on his back, right? To me, this shows a basic lack of understanding of human nature on your part

I also received the automated reply, which will have the wise guys amongst us saying 'see, waste of time'. I guess I held out some vague type of hope that she might at least spend a couple of moments considering my thoughts on communication, but clearly not. As I mentioned at the beginning of the thread I did feel I wanted to get something of my chest, even if no one of significance read it. A modest banner outlining my discontent may appear on Saturday afternoon. Will probably change everything.

It's both 'not his fault he gets paid so much' and 'a bloodsucking leech'!

What have you done, other than write a number of really angry posts on a Foxestalk, as a matter of interest?

I think I'd rather send an email than a death threat if that's okay with you?