Home Form. Not great reading.

[cityfanlee23]

Just now, chapero82 said:

The fans don’t like Puel’s decision makings that’s the problem! 

 

What is is there to get excited about? To get the droid jumping you need to instill hope and let fans dream!

 

saying in interviews Wolves are better equipped doesn’t help matters!

 

and the crazy starting line ups and subs doesn’t help!

 

At times we haven’t had a shot on target until the 70th minute, how are you supposed to get excited over that? 

The fans aren't football managers. 

Who gives a shit if you disagree with a sub? How does that feel to the player coming on? Our fans are terrible. They've turned into a bunch of entitled children who cannot understand just how big a job puel has taken on. When he arrived we had 21 players that were past it, too one dimensional or just not good enough. Fans expect overnight results.

[LinekersLugs]

Maybe the fans need to get behind the team and ramp up the atmosphere a notch or two it’s a bit of a clapper only place at moment 

[MC Prussian]

1 minute ago, cityfanlee23 said:

The fans aren't football managers. 

Who gives a shit if you disagree with a sub? How does that feel to the player coming on? Our fans are terrible. They've turned into a bunch of entitled children who cannot understand just how big a job puel has taken on. When he arrived we had 21 players that were past it, too one dimensional or just not good enough. Fans expect overnight results.

Nope, they can at least expect some kind of progress over the course of more than a year.

Including more and more players under the age of 25 is an excellent calling card, but what about our style of play or the results? What about our sportive ambitions?

Giving it all up just for the sake of being able to boast the most amount of youngsters in a starting XI?

[Fox85]

Home form terrible.

Away form acceptable.

 

Over all form last 20 games 22 points.

 

Don't care how you look at it that's relation form

[LestaAl]

As a STH I pays my money to be entertained and to support my team. The club is failing on one of these as a consequence of poor team performance , transfer policy and no doubt other things too.

So as one of the so called ‘entitled supporters’ I feel I’m being let down by the club. I am sure they will resolve it but meantime I am pretty hacked off.

[yorkie1999]

So far this season

home W4 L6 D2

away W5 L5 D3

points 32

per game 1.28

 

Not much in it really. If we carry on like that till the end of the season we'll end up on 48 points, one more than last season. Progress.

[chapero82]

3 minutes ago, cityfanlee23 said:

The fans aren't football managers. 

Who gives a shit if you disagree with a sub? How does that feel to the player coming on? Our fans are terrible. They've turned into a bunch of entitled children who cannot understand just how big a job puel has taken on. When he arrived we had 21 players that were past it, too one dimensional or just not good enough. Fans expect overnight results.

 you seem to be one acting like a entitled child 

[Babylon]

1 minute ago, MC Prussian said:

So we're sacrificing sportive success (progressing in cup competitions, winning league matches, aiming for 7th spot) for the sake of adding more and more players under the age of 25?

Great, because I don't read it that way when both Puel and Top (or Vichai, bless his soul) come up with their wishy-washy programme contributions. You know how hard it is to say something new every two weeks or so with a comment? In the end, it all becomes one big regurgitation.

You admit it yourself - it's usually so generic, it leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

 

I'm all for creating a healthy basis for the future, but you've got to couple this with winning performances also.

 

I mean, should we finish below 13th or even near the relegation spots, then looking back at where we once were (7th) makes the progress of youth players a bittersweet affair.

The football on show isn't truly the best, we can and ought to do better.

 

The upcoming Crystal Palace and Brighton games are perfect opportunities to get back to where we could be, and I do hope we take these chances. The manager and the players need to sway the home fans' opinion back in their favour by winning at the KP, otherwise we're looking at the start of a very disappointing season.

Vichai clearly understood that the way we were trying to go about things wasn't going to be easy, because he talked about "consolidation", "transition". We know the club are investing heavily off the field which is clearly going to limit on the field budgets for a while, whilst obviously also being vocal about investing in youth players.

 

So, are they sacrificing short term success (if you can call it that), in favour of a long term aim and plan, then I'd say yes they are.

[Fox85]

2 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

So far this season

home W4 L6 D2

away W5 L5 D3

points 32

per game 1.28

 

Not much in it really. If we carry on like that till the end of the season we'll end up on 48 points, one more than last season. Progress.

Would you say we are getting better I.E improving.

 

Or getting worse since the start of the season

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Fox85 said:

Home form terrible.

Away form acceptable.

 

Over all form last 20 games 22 points.

 

Don't care how you look at it that's relation form

1.1 points per game would get you 42 points, which would see you safe in 22 out of the 23 premier league seasons and level with 18th-placed West Ham in the remaining one.

[turtmcfly]

7 minutes ago, Fox85 said:

Home form terrible.

Away form acceptable.

 

Over all form last 20 games 22 points.

 

Don't care how you look at it that's relation form

 

Can I look at it by working out that those last 20 games repeated across a season would leave us on 42 points, which last year would have put us joint 13th?

 

[yorkie1999]

Just now, Fox85 said:

Would you say we are getting better I.E improving.

 

Or getting worse since the start of the season

We're not improving, obviously, but we're not really getting any worse. We're a mid table club from the midlands who are currently mid table and will end up mid table.

 

 

[chapero82]

 

[st albans fox]

7 minutes ago, Guest said:

1.1 points per game would get you 42 points, which would see you safe in 22 out of the 23 premier league seasons and level with 18th-placed West Ham in the remaining one.

have to say i was looking it from every angle and i couldn't work it out!

 

anyway, my take is that this squad shouldn't be half a dozen points behind wolves. not much more to discuss. top and rudders need to decide why. if they feel the tragedy is partly responsible then they may decide to stick ………. i suspect they wont and the players/staff relationship with the manager has already done for him.

[elvisfmcfly]

22 minutes ago, cityfanlee23 said:

The fans aren't football managers. 

Who gives a shit if you disagree with a sub? How does that feel to the player coming on? Our fans are terrible. They've turned into a bunch of entitled children who cannot understand just how big a job puel has taken on. When he arrived we had 21 players that were past it, too one dimensional or just not good enough. Fans expect overnight results.

No we just expect to not keep waking up to the alarm at 6am playing I’ve got you babe! 

[TMELcfc]

I am not criticising fans for venting their opinion is the right way to go about any of this, nor is it actually going to change anything.

The atmosphere for me is very flat, and that is generated by the performance... the fans need something to cheer about. Nearly every week we concede in the first 15 minutes and the football is a bit dull. The players for a while now, look like they aren't buying into him by the half hearted effort I'm seeing (from most, not all). Our home form this season (or since Puel has taken charge) has been poor, plus are seeing less and less goals (for us anyway!). So again, there's only so many times you can ask people to cheer and create an atmosphere when what is happening on the pitch in front us is anything but inspiring. 

 

With regards to 'booing', I do disagree with booing players coming on, its stupid, and adds creates nothing to an already flat atmosphere.

However... I felt the booing yesterday when Maddison was subbed was fans showing anger towards Puel, not at Ghezzal. Again down to opinions i guess, but the booing started as Maddison was coming off, the boo's didn't just wait until Ghezzal came on. It is hard to interpret, only the people booing knew why they were booing.  

 

Football creates a diverse set of opinions and everyone is entitled to their own (as long as it doesn't become offensive etc.) and so don't expect with a few posts on here all of a sudden everyone is going to be all smiles and hugging each other. The bottom line is, something has to happen on the pitch, to affect the atmosphere, and in my opinion, right now, that 'something', that 'spark' is missing. 

Nothing will change now until Puel has gone, it has gone too far I think for him to turn it around. It is all 'gut feelings', but I don't think the majority of the squad are with him anymore either, looks like they are losing/lost confidence in him or even themselves, it show's most weeks. 

 

Let's see if he can turn it around from now until the end of the season, but if nothing changes, we will be on the manager merry-go-round again come May/June.

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, The Doctor said:

I'm not defending the home form, I'm pointing out where the problem is, and it's that our fans are entitled brats. If I were a city player I'd be much happier playing away at the moment, and that's what we're seeing. Its not a coincidence that we're miles better away from home and pulling out form that would have us challenging Europe if we could replicate it at home. It's infuriating we can't, but ask yourself, would you feel comfortable and be able to do your best work if you had to do it with the atmosphere players are exposed to at home? 

The reason we are better away from home is because we still offer zero danger as a team except for playing counter attacking football. Teams have wised up to this and it's simple, we gift teams the lead and then they sit back and we spend the rest of the game laboured and lofting in aimless crosses. It is happening nearly every home game we play bar the odd game where a team comes an takes the game to us. Watford are the last team i'd class as of similar ilk to us or worse who came and tried to attack us and we picked them off. When was the last time we beat a team that sat back on us? Huddersfield at home, who are one of the worst teams to ever grace the Premier League. It's the only home win since incidentally Huddersfield and Watford this time last year against a team who sits back on us. That has just nearly made me chunder. We are so easy to play against, I'm surprised the bigger teams don't do it to us as well as they are missing a trick.

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

16 minutes ago, chapero82 said:

 

Christ some of them are soft. And we didnt see the stupid fouls for pens

 

We are like butter in the first 15 mins 

[yorkie1999]

7 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

The reason we are better away from home is because we still offer zero danger as a team except for playing counter attacking football. Teams have wised up to this and it's simple, we gift teams the lead and then they sit back and we spend the rest of the game laboured and lofting in aimless crosses. It is happening nearly every home game we play bar the odd game where a team comes an takes the game to us. Watford are the last team i'd class as of similar ilk to us or worse who came and tried to attack us and we picked them off. When was the last time we beat a team that sat back on us? Huddersfield at home, who are one of the worst teams to ever grace the Premier League. It's the only home win since incidentally Huddersfield and Watford this time last year against a team who sits back on us. That has just nearly made me chunder. We are so easy to play against, I'm surprised the bigger teams don't do it to us as well as they are missing a trick.

Which is why we needed a tall target man in january, anyone, just someone to aim at, even peter crouch could have done a job for us, but what did we get, another friggin midfielder.

[AylestoneRaider]

1 hour ago, The Doctor said:

Either way it's self perpetuating. People forget that this is a team of kids - look at yesterdays line up: 32, 25, 25, 31, 22, 26, 22, 22, 22, 21, 32. Average age 25, half the starting line up eligible for the u23s team. The biggest change people want, Choudhury or Tielemans in for Mendy? Another 21 year old in midfield (instead of the 26 year old).

Most of the side are still kids, and the shit they get the moment they take a slight misstep is going to kill their confidence and self-belief. I don't think it's any surprise that Barnes, the one who's managed to be away from our fans most of the season, looks the most confident. 

 

Come on, our fans are ridiculously entitled now and have been since the summer of 2016. The bad atmospheres pre-date Puel by more than a year, as a fanbase we've not been able to get it up for anything aside from the Champions League games since winning the title.

The entitled fan base bit is true to some degree, but if the team attacks with purpose and doesn’t concede first every home game the atmosphere would improve. It is simply not true to say our fans wouldn’t get right behind the team if they were being entertained.

 

I think Puel has a lot of qualities. Our performances against the top sides are good. But, even the most ardent Puel fan must see that the style of football at home is having a negative impact on the atmosphere? Come on???  

[FoxFossil]

28 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Vichai clearly understood that the way we were trying to go about things wasn't going to be easy, because he talked about "consolidation", "transition". We know the club are investing heavily off the field which is clearly going to limit on the field budgets for a while, whilst obviously also being vocal about investing in youth players.

 

So, are they sacrificing short term success (if you can call it that), in favour of a long term aim and plan, then I'd say yes they are.

Agree with much of this, so guess the question is, what is long term? 3 years? 5 years? Provided we see genuine progress on the pitch in say 2 years, then I think most long term fans would accept this transition period for what it is. 

[Collibosher70]

1 hour ago, The Doctor said:

I'm not defending the home form, I'm pointing out where the problem is, and it's that our fans are entitled brats. If I were a city player I'd be much happier playing away at the moment, and that's what we're seeing. Its not a coincidence that we're miles better away from home and pulling out form that would have us challenging Europe if we could replicate it at home. It's infuriating we can't, but ask yourself, would you feel comfortable and be able to do your best work if you had to do it with the atmosphere players are exposed to at home? 

Prescribe yourself a lie down...you'll feel better.

[SixtiesFox]

Ironically, the way Puel sets up the team at the start of games is designed to not concede. We sit back in our own half with eleven men behind the ball inviting pressure. As a result, we surrender the initiative and leave ourselves open to making an error, which we quite often do. We concede the first goal and then have to chase the game. These slow starts are a result of Puel's tactics. Another consequence of these 'slow' starts is that there is very little to enthuse the crowd so the atmosphere is dead. This encourages the away team as taking the home crowd out of the game is a crucial tactic. Consider how we began games during the great escape and compare that with how we start games now. The onus is on the home team to seize the initiative and impose their will on the opposition. If Puel does not change his approach, particularly at home, the damning statistics outlined in this thread will be his downfall, as it was at Southampton. Furthermore, for a board considering ground expansion home form and entertainment value will be critical in justifying that decision. 

[lcfc278]

I think you have to look at the bigger picture, yes our home form is dire at the minute as yes, there's a lot of unrest. I think we've got a bright future though, especially for next season, so many young players playing and coming through.

 

Starting games slowly has definitely been our undoing. We've consistently played really well after going behind and have been very unlucky.

 

The encouraging thing is we easily better than at least 10/11 teams in the league, squad-wise were currently on a par with teams around us like Bournemouth, Watford, Everton and Wolves and I think over the next 5 years we'll have a lot more potential to grow and surpass these teams and the club will ultimately be a lot more attractive to potential signings with the training ground and stadium developments.

 

Keep the faith! 

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, MC Prussian said:

Reminiscent of last season, and Puel's season at Southampton.

 

I'd like to see some progress results-wise, not just having people banging on about "oh, look - he's giving so many young players a chance".

That's great - but what are our goals for the rest of the season? Just play along, hoping for the odd win here or there? Would we be happy with "just surviving"?

 

I'd like to know what our ambitions are. Fouled out in both cup competitions, and seemingly not interested again in pushing for 7th spot.

Quo vadis?

This is important. The fact that our home form is echoing exactly how Southampton played under Puel is worrying. It makes it harder to write it off as bad luck or the struggles of a young team. There seems to be something about the way that Puel sets up/motivates his teams that lead to this soporific, ineffective form at home.