After 15 games played, do you think we are going down?

[Daggers]

Wout has been a revelation.

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, Paninistickers said:

I suppose there are usually 4 or 5 teams each season (who dont get relegated, Southampton, everton etc) have a period on free fall, gaining sorta 1 point from 21....and our horror  run was magnified because it was the first 7 games and not cloaked by a drop from, say,.9th to 17th. 

 

I think someone said on this forum ( in the heat of our bad run) that they recalled palace having a similar monstrous start a few years ago and ended easy in mid table. 

...the despair of some posters, including my self that this poor performances were spread over a long period of time!!!

  We seem to be focusing on this season,  the problem had been there for much longer.

  I think the next shout for the next manager to go would be Vieira. 

[Dan]

Only chance is if a situation arises where we sell maybe both Maddison and Tielemans, and don't act properly do adequately replace them, and Rodgers throws his toys out of the pram again and gives up like the first 7 games.

 

Can't see it though. It would've been one of the biggest underperformances in Premier League history if we'd gone down with this side.

[volpeazzurro]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Sorry that is singularly the most ridiculous Rodger’s bashing tactic yet. 

Neither goal yesterday was a worldie I note and you remove KDB, Rodri, John Stones, Edison and that Portugese lad they would be less effective

I think in fairness that there's some merit in his statement. The decline had not been a sudden issue, it had been quite prolonged. Whichever way we looked at it we were defensively very poor, particularly from set peices and were leaking goals last season and this. The latter was highlighted by the media at length, we can't escape it, it was fact. Not only that, Rodgers and his coaching team had more than ample time to address it and either didn't or couldn't for whatever reason. Yes, there were injuries but also some very very poor or bizarre tactics, formations, team selections and substitutions at times.

 

So what happened? I can't personally believe that one new player has made all the difference, though he has made quite a bit, but for me, it's also what's going on in front of and around him. There can surely be no doubt that our new coaching import has been a major influence and as Matt Piper rightly pointed out, don't let's get hung up on the 'set peice' label because he's far more than that.

 

In fairness to Rodgers himself, he does seem to have adopted changes which is to his credit. His rhetoric has also changed which is something that had previously got my goat and wasn't really doing his reputation any good either. He does have his good points and all over I think it's a team effort of manager, coaching and player soul searching and long may it continue. I was certainly in the Rodgers out camp but couldn't see a better replacement so thus far, this has to be the best solution all round. There are also a lot of teams with far worse squads than us.

 

However, if we are to spend more money, I suggest we speak to the man responsible for signing Faus 🤣

[Pliskin]

We will finish top four. Just the the initial seasons the other way round. 

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, volpeazzurro said:

I think in fairness that there's some merit in his statement. The decline had not been a sudden issue, it had been quite prolonged. Whichever way we looked at it we were defensively very poor, particularly from set peices and were leaking goals last season and this. The latter was highlighted by the media at length, we can't escape it, it was fact. Not only that, Rodgers and his coaching team had more than ample time to address it and either didn't or couldn't for whatever reason. Yes, there were injuries but also some very very poor or bizarre tactics, formations, team selections and substitutions at times.

 

So what happened? I can't personally believe that one new player has made all the difference, though he has made quite a bit, but for me, it's also what's going on in front of and around him. There can surely be no doubt that our new coaching import has been a major influence and as Matt Piper rightly pointed out, don't let's get hung up on the 'set peice' label because he's far more than that.

 

In fairness to Rodgers himself, he does seem to have adopted changes which is to his credit. His rhetoric has also changed which is something that had previously got my goat and wasn't really doing his reputation any good either. He does have his good points and all over I think it's a team effort of manager, coaching and player soul searching and long may it continue. I was certainly in the Rodgers out camp but couldn't see a better replacement so thus far, this has to be the best solution all round. There are also a lot of teams with far worse squads than us.

 

However, if we are to spend more money, I suggest we speak to the man responsible for signing Faus 🤣

Think you are being overly kind, but I will confess that the why we are seeing an improvement is unclear. I railed against the refusal against giving the manager any credit, and have said previously that it must be a combination of factors, some of which is Faes, some Set Piece coach, some Rodgers, and some factors unforeseen by us.

 

And also really hope we see more left-field signings akin to the Wout signing  (especially as we will likely need another CB before long!)

[David Lowe]

2 hours ago, FosseSpark said:

Basically at this stage Knudsen and Stowell could be manager IMO. The current squad just needs solid defensive shape and Barnes, Maddison, Tielemans, Daka, Vardy sort the goals out with their individual brilliance. Theres nothing about our attacking play that Rodgers controls or coaches into the team i dont think. Unless he has tielemans practicing 30yd top bins volleys or has taught barnes to run 40 yds with the ball and smash it in. 

If we routinely scored specific types of goals due to a 'style' youd take your hat off to rodgers, but if you take maddison, tielemans or.barnes out of the team then rodgers couldnt replicate the same with others.

 

That is nonsense. Just compare the number of goals we have scored to teams like Wolves, it doesn’t happen by chance! Why can’t he teach them how/when to play through balls, how to finish or the technique required for worldies?

[David Hankey]

2 hours ago, FosseSpark said:

Basically at this stage Knudsen and Stowell could be manager IMO. The current squad just needs solid defensive shape and Barnes, Maddison, Tielemans, Daka, Vardy sort the goals out with their individual brilliance. Theres nothing about our attacking play that Rodgers controls or coaches into the team i dont think. Unless he has tielemans practicing 30yd top bins volleys or has taught barnes to run 40 yds with the ball and smash it in. 

If we routinely scored specific types of goals due to a 'style' youd take your hat off to rodgers, but if you take maddison, tielemans or.barnes out of the team then rodgers couldnt replicate the same with others.

 

Basically Stowell has outlived his usefulness. I don't what he does on the training ground but prior to every home it's the same routine, stale and repetitive.

 

A fresh face in that position will bring in new ideas and methods and not before time.

[RowlattsFox]

Worth remembering we are not clear of danger yet. We all know how quickly we can get go back out of form. Other teams have improved as well. We should go from strength to strength from now on though. 

[Balj]

I don't think we are out of trouble yet - any number of teams in or around us (as shown this weekend) can pick up results and go on runs too. We have good momentum at the moment but as mentioned above Youri and/or Madders going in Jan could stall that. As could another few injuries on top of Evans and Justin already. We would lose so much control and creativity in the middle of the park without Youri and Madders that we might find goals hard to come by. 

 

Would like to see us add a player or 2 in January for some depth - Wilf coming back is the not the same Wilf as he was a year or two back.

[TrentFox]

My preseason prediction was “13th, after a bumpy ride”. I’m sticking with that, I think. After 7 games, I couldn’t see us getting another point. Right now, we look very good. But it’s fragile. We are only a few points above drop zone. One bad Madders injury and it will be significantly more difficult. I’ll be delighted to get to the end and be in mid-table and go again in the summer transfer market. 

[Fazzer 7]

In answer to the question. Not now, no. 

[Tuna]

No we are not going down the way we are playing at the moment, it's actually a shame we have the break for the World Cup because our form is excellent.

I think and hope we will strengthen in the transfer window and can look forward to a decent second half of the season.

[Guest Col city fan]

We have gone from being a team looking like relegation would be a real possibility to one where relegation would be surprising now.

BUT if we happen to offload Tielemans and Madders in January, that could quickly change imo.

How they are playing, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Newcastle coming in again for Maddison, but I think teams will wait for Youri till next summer.

[Unabomber]

Amartey closely followed by Faes have somehow saved us. It’s been remarkable. 

[Bob Weasel Fox]

It was a dreadful start and no wonder an unhealthy percentage thought we were certs for relegation 

 

im glad we’ve turned things around 

 

long May it continue 

[Adrian]

We weren't just a little unlucky or a bit off the pace (like west ham currently for example )..we were increasing dreadful...a trend you could trace back to last year when some soft end of season wins glossed over our  vulnerabilities ...but after seeing Everton and West ham I admit I might have been wrong about Rogers...ah well that's why I'm paid to analyse data not manage footy 

[HybridFox]

We're not out of the woods yet and still a couple of bad results from dropping right back in it.

 

But the momentum has shifted and would be a massive shock personally if we perished from here. That said, whether we can push on up the business half of the table remains to be seen.

Edited 14 November 2022 by TK95

[StriderHiryu]

I thought we were down!
 

6 defeats in a row, 7 in 8, capitulation every week, conceding from set pieces, Danny Ward not capable of catching wind, etc, etc. It wasn’t like in 14/15 where we were getting beaten every week but were always competitive, but rather it looked like the end of an era with almost every player out of form. Confidence had been shot to pieces and many players were coming to the of their contracts. Teams where that happens tend to go down! 
 

Everyone at the club deserves massive praise, especially the manager. Wout Faes saved the season, but that’s down to the way the club can consistently pluck talents from other leagues and develop them, and had someone lined up. Then there’s Knudsen, Youri finding his shooting boots, Soumare improving, Barnes on a hot streak, etc, etc. 
 

Overall this squad has underperformed, but winning away at Wolves, Everton and West Ham in the same season without conceding a goal is not something we did even when winning the title. Everton and Wolves might be hopeless but West Ham have a central midfielder that starts for Brazil! That’s very good going and exciting for 2023. 
 

It’s great we’ve turned it around but I remind myself to appreciate the good times. This squad is going to change a lot in the next few years! I think in years to come we’ll look back at the pairing of Tielemans and Maddison and think “wow! did they really play for us!” Those two are a joy to watch on their day. 

 

 

[Fightforever]

Faes has been amazing and the new set piece coach. Good on the club for realising that everything can't be simply left to the manager.

Part of me thinks that after seeing

 

Rodgers' peformance rather than sacking him they just reduced his role in practise and got the other coaching staff members to have more input into how we play.

 

We are moving in the right direction at the top and its showing on the pitch

Edited 14 November 2022 by Fightforever

[Finnegan]

12 hours ago, Unabomber said:

Amartey closely followed by Faes have somehow saved us. It’s been remarkable. 

 

 

You are such a troll. 

[Number 6]

Whether Youri is here post Jan could depend on the world cup, in either him having a stormer or somebody losing a central midfielder to injury. Wouldn't be surprised to see somebody have a bid or two for him to get in ahead of other clubs for the summer.

[Simoken]

9 hours ago, Fightforever said:

Faes has been amazing and the new set piece coach. Good on the club for realising that everything can't be simply left to the manager.

Part of me thinks that after seeing

 

Rodgers' peformance rather than sacking him they just reduced his role in practise and got the other coaching staff members to have more input into how we play.

 

We are moving in the right direction at the top and its showing on the pitch

like most... you just literally made that up. How the **** do you know anything unless you are the fly on the wall.

[daddylonglegs]

I never thought i'd say we'll stay up 4 weeks ago. 

 

The truth is we are improving & we keep finding teams even worse than we are. They're probably worse than we were even when we were playing really badly at the start of the season (Forest, Wolves, Everton to name a few). 

 

Hopefully we can go far in one of the cups and have a solid mid table finish. 

[drofmor55]

Losing Kasper was a very big issue...not only on the pitch but his influence in the dressing room. Danny Ward came in and from a cold start was expected to perform to a high standard. With hindsight its

easy to see now that he needed a run of games to get up to speed and build his confidence. Sometimes i  think we forget that players are humans beings  and not machines.