Scapegoats, Silver Bullets, Expectations & Over-Reactions

[cc_star]

Everyone seems to think we're a Premiership side in waiting, if we just change 'one more' thing, there's always a silver bullet around the corner which will replace whatever scapegoat of the week we have at the moment.

Strikers

In the summer until the transfer window closed, the scapegoat was lack of a striker, we'd piss the division if we just sign a 20 goal man... Many were mentioned: Maynard, CMS, Yak, Cox, Long and even Jelavic were the silver bullet to provide the goals which would lead us to Insta-Prem

Well, we've got a 20 goal man, in fact we've go 2 of them in Nugent (1 in 4 or 5) and Beckford (1 in 7), but you wouldn't think so to look at them, Nugent puts loads of effort in running around but accomplishing very little other than earning the fans adoration for actually running & as for Beckford... well, don't get me started.

Strikers no longer scapegoat

Formation

Then once we set foot on the pitch and looked shit at Cov & lost to Reading & Brizzle it was all the formation's fault... If only Sven would pick the right formation, well the formation has changed no longer is it the ineffective 4-3-3, but now it's a flat 4-4-2 and we arrived there via the Diamond 4-1-2-1-2, meaning we've tinkered with how we play more than any other team in the division

Formation no longer scapegoat

Wingers

The next silver bullet which will lead us instantly to the promised land is of course we have only 1 natural wideman, we need wingers, well that's on the back-burner till January, so what else can we make a scapegoat..

Wingers, still a scapegoat but one we can't do anything about, so we'll have to move on to another scapegoat

...The midfield

This player goes missing, this player isn't good enough & this player blah blah fukin blah

Now with a forward who can run around a bit but actually accomplish little & his partner who I have serios doubts is the actual footballer Jermaine Beckford, it's not like the midfield have got many options in front of them and then with our defence behind them Mills (liability) SSL (carthorse) Bamba (bombscare) there's not a lot of security behind them either.

We've probably got more midfielders than any other team in the division, we've played almost all of them, Abe couldn't dominate his lunch, he could just about cause a nuisance but offers next to nothing going forward, Fernandes blows hot & cold & for every good performance there's an equal bad one, Johnson is, well was a class player, but just like so many other sicknotes is taking the piss out people who pay his wages & Danns, surely this guy is having a laugh... there isn't a chance he's any better than a million hung-over men playing on a Sunday morning, at this level he really is shit... So regardless of who we pick we'll come up short

Now that everyone's realised that, the next silver bullet is to sign a couple of CMs (because the 9 we've got aren't good enough )

Yes, there's room to improve, but crap? come on what short memories everyone seems to have, we were shit under Levein, Kelly & Holloway, now we're decidedly average as proved by our mid-table finish last season & our current mid-table position this season

And what exactly does everyone think this new silver bullet of a midfielder is going to achieve, with inadequate forwards, no wingers & a defence that at times is a nightmare? Add all that up & it equals mid-table (at best) regardless of who plays/signs.

As I see it, we aren't a Premiership side in waiting & whilst I'd love to go up this year I really don't think we will. I think everyone needs a dose of reality, because apart from a couple of positions (Peltier & Kasper, although made a nightmare decision today to come charging out which could have cost us the point) we're a mid-table side, the animosity poured into these forums every time someone or the team collectively doesn't meet their ridiculously high expectations is a joke.

Yes some players need improving, that's what happens when you're a mid-table side... I don't see what good it does pouring vitriol out almost every week, especially when you have to support that player next week & no one can be replaced until the window opens... and then we can move on to the next silver bullet & then make them a scapegoat when it doesn't lead to insta-Prem

[Guest Col city fan]

Everyone seems to think we're a Premiership side in waiting, if we just change 'one more' thing, there's always a silver bullet around the corner which will replace whatever scapegoat of the week we have at the moment.

Strikers

In the summer until the transfer window closed, the scapegoat was lack of a striker, we'd piss the division if we just sign a 20 goal man... Many were mentioned: Maynard, CMS, Yak, Cox, Long and even Jelavic were the silver bullet to provide the goals which would lead us to Insta-Prem

Well, we've got a 20 goal man, in fact we've go 2 of them in Nugent (1 in 4 or 5) and Beckford (1 in 7), but you wouldn't think so to look at them, Nugent puts loads of effort in running around but accomplishing very little other than earning the fans adoration for actually running & as for Beckford... well, don't get me started.

Strikers no longer scapegoat

Formation

Then once we set foot on the pitch and looked shit at Cov & lost to Reading & Brizzle it was all the formation's fault... If only Sven would pick the right formation, well the formation has changed no longer is it the ineffective 4-3-3, but now it's a flat 4-4-2 and we arrived there via the Diamond 4-1-2-1-2, meaning we've tinkered with how we play more than any other team in the division

Formation no longer scapegoat

Wingers

The next silver bullet which will lead us instantly to the promised land is of course we have only 1 natural wideman, we need wingers, well that's on the back-burner till January, so what else can we make a scapegoat..

Wingers, still a scapegoat but one we can't do anything about, so we'll have to move on to another scapegoat

...The midfield

This player goes missing, this player isn't good enough & this player blah blah fukin blah

Now with a forward who can run around a bit but actually accomplish little & his partner who I have serios doubts is the actual footballer Jermaine Beckford, it's not like the midfield have got many options in front of them and then with our defence behind them Mills (liability) SSL (carthorse) Bamba (bombscare) there's not a lot of security behind them either.

We've probably got more midfielders than any other team in the division, we've played almost all of them, Abe couldn't dominate his lunch, he could just about cause a nuisance but offers next to nothing going forward, Fernandes blows hot & cold & for every good performance there's an equal bad one, Johnson is, well was a class player, but just like so many other sicknotes is taking the piss out people who pay his wages & Danns, surely this guy is having a laugh... there isn't a chance he's any better than a million hung-over men playing on a Sunday morning, at this level he really is shit... So regardless of who we pick we'll come up short

Now that everyone's realised that, the next silver bullet is to sign a couple of CMs (because the 9 we've got aren't good enough )

Yes, there's room to improve, but crap? come on what short memories everyone seems to have, we were shit under Levein, Kelly & Holloway, now we're decidedly average as proved by our mid-table finish last season & our current mid-table position this season

And what exactly does everyone think this new silver bullet of a midfielder is going to achieve, with inadequate forwards, no wingers & a defence that at times is a nightmare? Add all that up & it equals mid-table (at best) regardless of who plays/signs.

As I see it, we aren't a Premiership side in waiting & whilst I'd love to go up this year I really don't think we will. I think everyone needs a dose of reality, because apart from a couple of positions (Peltier & Kasper, although made a nightmare decision today to come charging out which could have cost us the point) we're a mid-table side, the animosity poured into these forums every time someone or the team collectively doesn't meet their ridiculously high expectations is a joke.

Yes some players need improving, that's what happens when you're a mid-table side... I don't see what good it does pouring vitriol out almost every week, especially when you have to support that player next week & no one can be replaced until the window opens... and then we can move on to the next silver bullet & then make them a scapegoat when it doesn't lead to insta-Prem

Interesting...

Two points:

1. People make scapegoats of things...it's what happens and is a natural reaction to a loss, underperformance, underachievement, a crisis etc etc... so what you are writing is not surprising. People want reasons for things, and scapegoating provides an easy option.

2. To accept that we are a 'mid-table' side is, by definition, to accept that Sven must have made a MAJOR fook up of everything! We werent even a mid-table side when Pearson left us...instead we very nearly made the play-off final. Are you suggesting that the squad, despite the money spent, the players signed, is now actually WORSE than when Pearson left for Hull?

If so, then Sven mast have made many many errors?

Is that what you are saying

[THEFATBASTARD]

Your right, lets leave it to Top and his dad to over react, we should just expect nowt. After all none of our players are rated,except by themselves.

[Nick]

Everyone seems to think we're a Premiership side in waiting, if we just change 'one more' thing, there's always a silver bullet around the corner which will replace whatever scapegoat of the week we have at the moment.

Strikers

In the summer until the transfer window closed, the scapegoat was lack of a striker, we'd piss the division if we just sign a 20 goal man... Many were mentioned: Maynard, CMS, Yak, Cox, Long and even Jelavic were the silver bullet to provide the goals which would lead us to Insta-Prem

Well, we've got a 20 goal man, in fact we've go 2 of them in Nugent (1 in 4 or 5) and Beckford (1 in 7), but you wouldn't think so to look at them, Nugent puts loads of effort in running around but accomplishing very little other than earning the fans adoration for actually running & as for Beckford... well, don't get me started.

Strikers no longer scapegoat

Formation

Then once we set foot on the pitch and looked shit at Cov & lost to Reading & Brizzle it was all the formation's fault... If only Sven would pick the right formation, well the formation has changed no longer is it the ineffective 4-3-3, but now it's a flat 4-4-2 and we arrived there via the Diamond 4-1-2-1-2, meaning we've tinkered with how we play more than any other team in the division

Formation no longer scapegoat

Wingers

The next silver bullet which will lead us instantly to the promised land is of course we have only 1 natural wideman, we need wingers, well that's on the back-burner till January, so what else can we make a scapegoat..

Wingers, still a scapegoat but one we can't do anything about, so we'll have to move on to another scapegoat

...The midfield

This player goes missing, this player isn't good enough & this player blah blah fukin blah

Now with a forward who can run around a bit but actually accomplish little & his partner who I have serios doubts is the actual footballer Jermaine Beckford, it's not like the midfield have got many options in front of them and then with our defence behind them Mills (liability) SSL (carthorse) Bamba (bombscare) there's not a lot of security behind them either.

We've probably got more midfielders than any other team in the division, we've played almost all of them, Abe couldn't dominate his lunch, he could just about cause a nuisance but offers next to nothing going forward, Fernandes blows hot & cold & for every good performance there's an equal bad one, Johnson is, well was a class player, but just like so many other sicknotes is taking the piss out people who pay his wages & Danns, surely this guy is having a laugh... there isn't a chance he's any better than a million hung-over men playing on a Sunday morning, at this level he really is shit... So regardless of who we pick we'll come up short

Now that everyone's realised that, the next silver bullet is to sign a couple of CMs (because the 9 we've got aren't good enough )

Yes, there's room to improve, but crap? come on what short memories everyone seems to have, we were shit under Levein, Kelly & Holloway, now we're decidedly average as proved by our mid-table finish last season & our current mid-table position this season

And what exactly does everyone think this new silver bullet of a midfielder is going to achieve, with inadequate forwards, no wingers & a defence that at times is a nightmare? Add all that up & it equals mid-table (at best) regardless of who plays/signs.

As I see it, we aren't a Premiership side in waiting & whilst I'd love to go up this year I really don't think we will. I think everyone needs a dose of reality, because apart from a couple of positions (Peltier & Kasper, although made a nightmare decision today to come charging out which could have cost us the point) we're a mid-table side, the animosity poured into these forums every time someone or the team collectively doesn't meet their ridiculously high expectations is a joke.

Yes some players need improving, that's what happens when you're a mid-table side... I don't see what good it does pouring vitriol out almost every week, especially when you have to support that player next week & no one can be replaced until the window opens... and then we can move on to the next silver bullet & then make them a scapegoat when it doesn't lead to insta-Prem

You missed out blaming Sven for everything..........

[cc_star]

Interesting...

Two points:

1. People make scapegoats of things...it's what happens and is a natural reaction to a loss, underperformance, underachievement, a crisis etc etc... so what you are writing is not surprising. People want reasons for things, and scapegoating provides an easy option.

2. To accept that we are a 'mid-table' side is, by definition, to accept that Sven must have made a MAJOR fook up of everything! We werent even a mid-table side when Pearson left us...instead we very nearly made the play-off final. Are you suggesting that the squad, despite the money spent, the players signed, is now actually WORSE than when Pearson left for Hull?

If so, then Sven mast have made many many errors?

Is that what you are saying

It's obviously more unbalanced & the players which excelled 2 years ago have been ****ed around by mis-management of Sousa & Sven in the meantime, so yes perhaps we are worse despite supposedly better players adding to the squad

But I don't accept we're a mid-table side, but by definition we are one unless something much, much better happens

[Cropwellfox]

The wisest teacher of all, hindsight, is exposing a series of mistakes brought about by Sven, but Andrew Neville also has to take his share of responsibility. The fact that we're paying wages to Michaels Ball and Johnson, have 8 central midfielders on the books, yet no winger not here when Pearson was last time, awarded new contracts to Oakley and Howard, invested somewhere between 7 and 9 million pounds on just 2 players, and basically swapped Hobbs for St Ledger - all decisions that now seem at best misguided. The size of our squad is rediculous - Players like Kennedy and Moussa would be perfectly adequate as cover in the championship - now Pearson is going to have to try to move players out who will be more than happy to sit on their contracts without shifting their arses.

[Kitchandro]

I really do think we are a couple of signings from being 'there'. Ironically, they would be midfielders.

I don't agree with al this scapegoat stuff, but there are some players who don't look good enough at the moment. Whether they all need to be replaced I don't know, they at least need a kick up the arse.

I think we're already looking more promising under Pearson than we did under Sven, there was quite a bit of luck involved in the result today.

[Happy Fox]

Ultimately if we don't achieve promotion this season we will see another managerial change, unless Top and co have patience harsh reality but the remit that NP knows he has to deliver or he will sacked. This short termism isn't helping us but what can you do. Personally NP will need time and he will deliver automatic promotion next year imo

[Kitchandro]

The wisest teacher of all, hindsight, is exposing a series of mistakes brought about by Sven, but Andrew Neville also has to take his share of responsibility. The fact that we're paying wages to Michaels Ball and Johnson, have 8 central midfielders on the books, yet no winger not here when Pearson was last time, awarded new contracts to Oakley and Howard, invested somewhere between 7 and 9 million pounds on just 2 players, and basically swapped Hobbs for St Ledger - all decisions that now seem at best misguided. The size of our squad is rediculous - Players like Kennedy and Moussa would be perfectly adequate as cover in the championship - now Pearson is going to have to try to move players out who will be more than happy to sit on their contracts without shifting their arses.

Well at least we're not paying for all of him.

[Kitchandro]

Ultimately if we don't achieve promotion this season we will see another managerial change, unless Top and co have patience harsh reality but the remit that NP knows he has to deliver or he will sacked. This short termism is helping us but what can you do. Personally NP will need time and he will deliver automatic promotion next year imo

He needs time but he's got enough to get us in the top 6, and I still think that's very achievable.

[Trav Le Bleu]

You missed out blaming Sven for everything..........

You beat me to saying what I would have said, had you not beaten me to saying it.

[stourbridgefox]

I think everyone is missing the blindingly obvious...

since when has a silver bullet got rid of a scapegoat?

[accessory]

It's not unrealistic to expect and demand better results and performances than we've seen so far this season.

Nearly 26000 turned up yesterday - a bigger crowd than at three Premier League games. Six of our starting line-up cost us £1m or more to acquire and a seventh came off the bench. How many players of similar value did the visitors have?

But while the opposition may have been limited individually, as a team they showed greater desire, spirit and motivation. They treated the game as a cup final. As in the Reading and Millwall games (and countless others during the past decade), the millionaire fatcats wearing City colours found themselves struggling to cope.

There's a serious character flaw in the team which neither Sousa nor Sven were able to erase. If Pearson is to avoid their fate he needs to correct it - and very soon. At the moment, though, he doesn't seem to recognise there's even a problem. That's what should really worry us.

[Guest Col city fan]

It's not unrealistic to expect and demand better results and performances than we've seen so far this season.

Nearly 26000 turned up yesterday - a bigger

crowd than at three Premier League games. Six of our starting line-up cost us £1m or more to acquire and a seventh came off the bench. How many players of similar value did the visitors have?

But while the opposition may have been limited

individually, as a team they showed greater desire, spirit and motivation. They treated the game as a cup final. As in the Reading and Millwall games (and countless others during the past decade), the millionaire fatcats wearing City colours found themselves struggling to cope.

There's a serious character flaw in the team which neither Sousa nor Sven were able to erase. If Pearson is to avoid their fate he needs to correct it - and very soon. At the moment, though, he doesn't seem to recognise there's

even a problem. That's what should really worry us.

I doubt this very much.

Pearson is a shrewd man and will take no nonsense.

I'm sure he will know who is going to be in his future plans and who isn't.

Of course, at present he can't do much about it because he is left with some of Svens signings and some of his own players who are now a couple of years older.

Where I do agree is that we should be doing much much better.

Who, if they are being just honest and open with themselves would have expected, at the start of the season, that we would go on to lose at home to Brizzle and Millwall and draw to Peterborough.

Not me, for one..

The thing is, we are actually very fortunate because no team is running away with this division. The Hammers lost yesterday, Southampton only sneaked a draw. If Nige can turn this round we are still in with a great chance.. Amazingly.....

[Happy Fox]

I doubt this very much.

Pearson is a shrewd man and will take no nonsense.

I'm sure he will know who is going to be in his future plans and who isn't.

Of course, at present he can't do much about it because he is left with some of Svens signings and some of his own players who are now a couple of years older.

Where I do agree is that we should be doing much much better.

Who, if they are being just honest and open with themselves would have expected, at the start of the season, that we would go on to lose at home to Brizzle and Millwall and draw to Peterborough.

Not me, for one..

The thing is, we are actually very fortunate because no team is running away with this division. The Hammers lost yesterday, Southampton only sneaked a draw. If Nige can turn this round we are still in with a great chance.. Amazingly.....

That is the bizarre thing really isn't it. This division has no stand out teams like when Newcastle and West Brom where in the champ, can still see West Ham winning the title but second spot is still up for grabs as daft as that may still sound.

[He's not bald]

I think everyone is missing the blindingly obvious...

since when has a silver bullet got rid of a scapegoat?

Good job we are foxes and not werewolves! :fox:

[Magictv]

So what's your point then?

[accessory]

That is the bizarre thing really isn't it. This division has no stand out teams like when Newcastle and West Brom where in the champ, can still see West Ham winning the title but second spot is still up for grabs as daft as that may still sound.

Southampton, despite yesterday's draw, have only dropped TWO points at home all season. Compare and contrast with our FOURTEEN. And they can grind out results when playing badly. We've shown all season we're not able to do this.

West Ham are going through a blip at the moment, but Big Sam and the core of quality players (Green, Noble etc) should see them through this. They'll also be able to add further recruits in January if need be.

[seenitall]

I doubt this very much.

Pearson is a shrewd man and will take no nonsense.

I'm sure he will know who is going to be in his future plans and who isn't.

Of course, at present he can't do much about it because he is left with some of Svens signings and some of his own players who are now a couple of years older.

Where I do agree is that we should be doing much much better.

Who, if they are being just honest and open with themselves would have expected, at the start of the season, that we would go on to lose at home to Brizzle and Millwall and draw to Peterborough.

Not me, for one..

The thing is, we are actually very fortunate because no team is running away with this division. The Hammers lost yesterday, Southampton only sneaked a draw. If Nige can turn this round we are still in with a great chance.. Amazingly.....

So now we have to wait for Nige to be able to buy his own team before we can moan - how many games does get after that (and let's hope he buys better than the trash he bought last time he played football manager with real money) If he buys in Jan and you give him the 13 game allowance to turn them into world beaters that Top thinks is adequate do you really think he will have a premiership challenging side? We needed stability here and a bit of patience - you think I just blow Sven and Beckford but managers need time (and a year is rarely enough) and strikers need supply and confidence - there are no better strikers on paper than the ones we have - we needed to spend a couple of years building a new side and every time Top has a strop we will slide back down the greasy pole and the 2 years or so begins again - Nige was the nearest we had to anyone doing that last time he was here but we have lost 2 seasons now to the Thai bozos panicking. There's a scapegoat for you all.......

[Happy Fox]

Southampton, despite yesterday's draw, have only dropped TWO points at home all season. Compare and contrast with our FOURTEEN. And they can grind out results when playing badly. We've shown all season we're not able to do this.

West Ham are going through a blip at the moment, but Big Sam and the core of quality players (Green, Noble etc) should see them through this. They'll also be able to add further recruits in January if need be.

I wouldn't judge us just yet lets see who we bring in January and whether we can salvage this rather disappointing season so far.