The final straw??

[FOXSE]

2 minutes ago, Cropwellfox said:

The critical mass of the fan base won’t turn until it’s far far too late and we are adrift at the bottom of the champ next season below Derby and Posh. Even then it’ll just be polite grumbling. Heart has been completely ripped out this club, from the owners through the squad to the stands. 

Should really turn when 10 points clarify at the top of the league, create a proper hostile environment for the players to be confused about....

[Bob Hazels shorts]

2 hours ago, Dahnsouff said:

It gets right on my tits. People moan about Hamza, Praet, Faes, etc, but then claim we have the bestest team ever seen in the championship. We have arguably one of the best teams when fit/in form, but our subs are middling at best. Momentum would cover those deficiencies, but we struggling to regain it and that is in part on Enzo. These are professionals, so show some pride (Shout out to Hamza here) so it should not be reliant on just ego stroking from the manager.

We could have changed/ subbed 50% of our outfield players with the £95m we had on them bench

 

Most supports have be pro Hamza, he’s not up to playing as a IRB though 

 

Him ineffectively crowding out midfield offers Fatawu no support or protection.

it also drags Faes out wide.

 

Major achievement to not get promoted with our squad 

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, Bob Hazels shorts said:

We could have changed/ subbed 50% of our outfield players with the £95m we had on them bench

 

Most supports have be pro Hamza, he’s not up to playing as a IRB though 

 

Him ineffectively crowding out midfield offers Fatawu no support or protection.

it also drags Faes out wide.

 

Major achievement to not get promoted with our squad 

Just because we paid 95m for them, this does not mean they are worth that.
 

Do not disagree that Enzo has a very narrow tactical requirement and this limits our substitution opportunities severely. However, after 75% of a season where it has been massively successful, for better or for worse, it was always unlikely he would rip up the script and go in a whole new direction. Maybe it’s his inexperience, maybe (some of) the players are gutless. 

[James_lcfc]

2 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

I don't know why this gets banded about still. We might have one of the most expensive squads ever seen, but its nowhere near being one of the best. Our midfield is actually piss poor. Ndidi's redemption now looks like it was a short term flash in the pan (he was dropping off before his injury) and he was a player who has been horrific for at least 2 seasons. Winks is tidy but very rarely does anything progressive and KDH is a one footed fraud. Praet is an imbecile who hasn't wanted to step foot in Leicestershire for the last 3 seasons and Yunus is probably a winger, probably an attack midfielder - nobody knows.  And that's it my friend - thats what Enzo has to pick from. 

 

We have a terrible midfield massively overrated by the fans. They can barely pass, can't cross and heaven forbid if we get set piece. 

Very good post and pretty accurate unfortunately.

 

We had fans on here saying our midfield was clearly ‘top 8 Premier League quality’ earlier in the season.
Just absolutely deluded.

 

A lot of our early wins were very fortunate. I was enjoying the ride but it felt pretty obvious to me that Enzo and the team were overachieving. Almost all of them are just overpaid Championship players.
 

Can’t wait to see the back of a lot of them.

[Chelmofox]

1 hour ago, jayfox26 said:

You've mentioned Praet several times here, he's only played a few games. Our main midfield is KDH, Winks and Ndidi. I wouldn't swap them for the Leeds midfielders. I do agree though, that Leeds have good depth in the attacking areas, something we really lack. 

I mention Praet because one of the big arguments is that Enzo doesn't use the bench. Preat is your game changing sub who can change the game? I despair. 

Edited 30 March by Chelmofox
Cant feking spell anymore

[dr.o.ball]

28 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Again, we really don't.

It really is and we really are, but only up to a point. Absolutely outplaying Leeds in the first 15 shows how good we can be, but the game is 90 + minutes long. And that's what splits the fans. And that's the managers job. And that's why Farke's Leeds looks so much better when it really matters. Ipswich will battle for a draw at 90 +.

[volpeazzurro]

6 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

I mention Praet because one of the big arguments is that Enzo doesn't use the bench. Preat if your game changing sub who can change the game? I despair. 

Albrighton for a start, not only for his experience and work rate, but he'll at least deliver the ball into the opposition box without fannying around for 5 minutes.

[Chelmofox]

6 minutes ago, James_lcfc said:

Very good post and pretty accurate unfortunately.

 

We had fans on here saying our midfield was clearly ‘top 8 Premier League quality’ earlier in the season.
Just absolutely deluded.

 

A lot of our early wins were very fortunate. I was enjoying the ride but it felt pretty obvious to me that Enzo and the team were overachieving. Almost all of them are just overpaid Championship players.
 

Can’t wait to see the back of a lot of them.

There is almost cataclysmic levels of delusion going on, made worse by our good run in the early winter period where many other teams struggled.  My favourite deluded point when we were doing well was 'with the best squad ever seen in the championship, my nan could win this league'. Fans are on another level sometimes.

 

Although we had some half decent incomings in the summer window, what we actually did was a small percentage of what was needed. This forum was a basket case of fans demanding we keep Nacho and Ndidi because they will be playing (and in Nachos case) scoring for fun in this league. We are now suffering the consequences for keeping average players with no winning mentality who have one foot (and a toe from the other foot) in the departure lounge. 

 

Enzo got a good song out of this lot at the start and middle of this season. Now its not working. Those on the way out have seen their performances drop massively. KDH isn't going to be turn into some sort of machine if we play 4-4-2. His mind is elsewhere. Ndidi turned from 'Ndidio' into a Soumare tribute act yesterday. This is the players not doing their jobs properly, because they don't have to anymore. 

[Chelmofox]

5 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

Albrighton for a start, not only for his experience and work rate, but he'll at least deliver the ball into the opposition box without fannying around for 5 minutes.

I love Sharky, but this is a guy who couldn't get in the West Brom team last year. I never doubt his experience would offer something, but i'm not going to pretend he is the game changing sub thats going to rip up the form book. 

Edited 30 March by Chelmofox

[Chelmofox]

56 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

Comparing to Leeds is not the point here is it? We do have one of the best midfields in the league: games against Leeds, Southampton, and even Ipswich account for 6/46 games. In the other 40 at least we have the stronger team. So the team is clearly stronger than the majority of the league, as claimed. We're clearly not performing at those levels at the moment though.

lolz! So when I challenge  'this is the best squad the championship has ever seen', i'm not allowed to compare to squads that are actually better all of a sudden? Posters aren't saying - we are better than a lot, there is an overwhelming point being raised that this is in fact 'the best'. Its not - not by a long way.

 

If people are happy to accept that our midfield is actually only average in this division, then maybe our form might be understood a bit more.

[Paninistickers]

1 minute ago, Chelmofox said:

My favourite deluded point when we were doing well was 'with the best squad ever seen in the championship, my nan could win this league'. Fans are on another level sometime

 

1 minute ago, Chelmofox said:

basket case of fans demanding we keep Nacho and Ndidi because they will be playing (and in Nachos case) scoring for fun in this league

The squad Is clearly miles above the standard needed to go up. It's nonsense to claim otherwise. 

 

Is it delusional to believe that Kels is, if utilised properly, a better player than George Hirst?  Yet Hirst was lead man for our biggest rival. You reckon Kieran McKenna, in an ideal world,.would've signed Kels.or Hirst this summer? 

 

Or that Souttar was signed last season as essentially the top championship centre half....yet our manager refuses to play him. 

 

We also signed another proven top championship player, Doyle, who the manager asks to perform a role he clearly isn't equipped for. 

 

There's three players, all of whom deemed not suitable by our manager, who'd more or less walk into any team.in the division. 

 

How about KDH, who most people freely admit is the best player in the division. 

 

As for your jibe at Wilf, he's been largely outstanding this season. Another level. 

 

 

[Leeds Fox]

16 minutes ago, dr.o.ball said:

It really is and we really are, but only up to a point. Absolutely outplaying Leeds in the first 15 shows how good we can be, but the game is 90 + minutes long. And that's what splits the fans. And that's the managers job. And that's why Farke's Leeds looks so much better when it really matters. Ipswich will battle for a draw at 90 +.

Leeds could’ve scored a couple in the first stages of that game. Once it settled we dominated for long periods, but unfortunately it wasn’t for the 90 as you say.

[Ian S]

1 hour ago, Spudulike said:

Were you at Ashton Gate yesterday? Our fans were absolutely behind the team until it was clear what was unfolding. The main show of anger/disappointment was resevered for full time. 

 

I will always back the team (I'll be driving 280 miles on Monday) whilst the game is on but not sure that I'll hold back if we get another shambolic performance. It's too much to watch that twice in 3 days and I'm at the end of my tether. 

Well put, it was the response after going behind that really provoked a reaction and rightly so. 

[Ian S]

If it turns nasty on Monday it will only be the minority as per last season whilst the happy clappers give us pelters for voicing our disapproval at what is fast becoming a total clusterf***  . 

[foxinsocks]

We dominate games... but get hit on the break or make mistakes.  We all know we got ahead winning games we shouldn't have done.  However, I think clubs know how to play is no... and without creativity we cant make and take chances.

This approach works for man city coz they have world class players... harland  dasilver, de Breyner  foden etc. 

A while back I heard a radio discussion comparing pep and Jose teams ..the conclusionwl was that peps tactics require super players while Jose did not need 11 superplayers.  

I am giving up ... exoectingnour usual poor run in. I expect cov to beat us in the playoffs.  Eitherway the pl is beyond us with this squad.

 

Edited 30 March by foxinsocks

[volpeazzurro]

13 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

I love Sharky, but this is a guy who couldn't get in the West Brom team last year. I never doubt his experience would offer something, but i'm not going to pretend he is the game changing sub thats going to rip up the form book. 

Do you know why he didn't get in their team? Probably didn't fit the system? 

 

He couldn't have done any worse than our other two yesterday and would have fresh legs too. At least he can pass and cross without constantly giving the ball away. 

[Chelmofox]

1 minute ago, Paninistickers said:

 

The squad Is clearly miles above the standard needed to go up. It's nonsense to claim otherwise. 

 

Is it delusional to believe that Kels is, if utilised properly, a better player than George Hirst?  Yet Hirst was lead man for our biggest rival. You reckon Kieran McKenna, in an ideal world,.would've signed Kels.or Hirst this summer? 

 

Or that Souttar was signed last season as essentially the top championship centre half....yet our manager refuses to play him. 

 

We also signed another proven top championship player, Doyle, who the manager asks to perform a role he clearly isn't equipped for. 

 

There's three players, all of whom deemed not suitable by our manager, who'd more or less walk into any team.in the division. 

 

How about KDH, who most people freely admit is the best player in the division. 

 

As for your jibe at Wilf, he's been largely outstanding this season. Another level. 

 

 

Dont agree - sorry. But you have every right to feel as you do (as does everyone). Look at our midfield on paper again, its not great. Its even worse when you understand that only one of them (Winks) is a player who isn't known to be leaving.

 

But to tackle your points briefly, if I am McKenna, I wouldn't touch Kels with a barge pole (there is a reason we haven't been able to offload him). They aren't where they are just because of Hirst. They've been able to recruit a squad around their playing philosophy. It didn't just click this year - it took time.  We still have a mishmash of overpaid average players and prima donnas who don't want to be here.

 

Souttar - i don't know. I wasn't sold on him when we bought. But i don't think he sorts our our midfield anyway where our biggest issues are.

 

Doyle is a kid. Played on loan for Cov in a team that didn't get promoted. Good passer, but slower than my wife after a curry. 

 

KDH isn't the best player in the division because he thinks he is.  The best player in the division can use both feet. There are many better out there but KDH has managed to build a reputation as 'the best' somehow. Lets hope that reputation lends itself to the transfer fee when he goes, but don't be surprised when the average player goes for an average fee. Brighton aren't idiots.

 

Wilf had a renaissance at the start of the season, but before he got injured we started to see some massive howlers from him. Remember him missing some sitters from close range?! Now, 8 games (well - not if in the playoffs  ) away from a huge signing on fee somewhere, the performances are nowhere where they were.  They won't be - and i warned about this. Any player who knows they are out (contract or pre agreed transfer fee) mentally checks out - like it or not.

 

It's all average mate - not brilliant. The best thing we can do is accept this and as fans do everything we can do to elevate that average across the line. If we need to stroke KDH's balls a little to make him feel that he is special then lets do it - anything to get us out of this division. But i am not going to think anymore that this is somehow an elite ensemble of the best the Championship has ever seen. It's really not.  

[Dahnsouff]

Far too much idealising about players from in times gone.

[Sly]

4 hours ago, Nolucklcfc said:

Probably yeah. But the players and management have to accept that if you let a 17 point lead slip, you’re going to get that. 

Top will write a strongly worded letter to the customers shortly, abusing us all and asking for our patience. 

[trugerkem]

34 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

Albrighton for a start, not only for his experience and work rate, but he'll at least deliver the ball into the opposition box without fannying around for 5 minutes.

Exactly the reason he doesn’t use him … he encourages fannying around for 5 minutes .. as baffling as that might be 

[Arkie Bennett]

13 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

Do you know why he didn't get in their team? Probably didn't fit the system? 

 

He couldn't have done any worse than our other two yesterday and would have fresh legs too. At least he can pass and cross without constantly giving the ball away. 

My Baggies mate said he was great on his debut and worse than rubbish thereafter.

[Winstonthedog]

It's easy to say we are the best or strongest team in the championship and on paper that's very true .... however we play on grass .... and on grass we are nowhere near the best  ... bearing in mind individuals don't make good teams ... some not so good players make good teams because they do a job for the team 

[Number 6]

34 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

lolz! So when I challenge  'this is the best squad the championship has ever seen', i'm not allowed to compare to squads that are actually better all of a sudden? Posters aren't saying - we are better than a lot, there is an overwhelming point being raised that this is in fact 'the best'. Its not - not by a long way.

 

If people are happy to accept that our midfield is actually only average in this division, then maybe our form might be understood a bit more.

The bit you had responded to was a comment which said our squad was "miles better than most of the league", which is clearly true. It didn't said it was miles better than any championship team ever. 

 

Our midfield is wayyyyy better than average in this league.

[Chelmofox]

4 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

The bit you had responded to was a comment which said our squad was "miles better than most of the league", which is clearly true. It didn't said it was miles better than any championship team ever. 

 

Our midfield is wayyyyy better than average in this league.

The point i responded to was :

 

We have one of the best sides this league has ever seen 

 

That's not even making the case for being above average is it? People are still blowing hot air up their backsides that Nacho played really well the year we won the FA cup, The Preat is an international (actually used to be - hasn't been picked for ages), that KDH is the best player in the Championship and that Ndidi is still that monster from a few seasons ago. That's before you look at the fact there are no further options on the bench (well - depending on how you view Yunus). 

 

The more i look at it, the worse out midfield options are.

[Number 6]

Just now, Chelmofox said:

The point i responded to was :

 

We have one of the best sides this league has ever seen 

 

That's not even making the case for being above average is it? People are still blowing hot air up their backsides that Nacho played really well the year we won the FA cup, The Preat is an international (actually used to be - hasn't been picked for ages), that KDH is the best player in the Championship and that Ndidi is still that monster from a few seasons ago. That's before you look at the fact there are no further options on the bench (well - depending on how you view Yunus). 

 

The more i look at it, the worse out midfield options are.

That wasn't the bit I had quote responded to. There was a second comment about the team being miles better than the majority of the division, which is clearly true and clearly not in reference to the clubs up there with us.

 

If that's what you think about our squad then you must be really pro-Enzo given he has such a terrible group up around the top of the table?