Staying Up Thread 2019/20
- Thread starter The Fear
- Start date
Claret & Blue Blood
Vital 1st Team Regular
That's it - all over. I know there are 4 games to go and points are still available but I can't see us picking up a single point from those games. I switched over at half time and watched Fools and Horses as I couldn't stomach watching the heads drop further in the second half.
We have at least achieved another 'first' this season and that is the shortest stay in the top flight and that might have been the case from the start but on the street I grew up on, you didn't go down without a fight and we will drop back to the Championship with a whimper. I saw little or no fight last night and whilst there was an obvious gap in terms of quality, there should never be any gap in terms of effort, desire or fighting spirit.
We can blame who we want - Lerner for selling to Xia, Bruce for signing old players, EUFA for the ban on Chelsea that took Tammy away, poor signings from Suso, poor coaching from Smith and Terry or even weak tea from Doris - but at the end of the day when the players cross the line onto the pitch they are totally accountable for playing with passion and not hiding. Too many went into hiding last night and could not hold their heads up and say "I gave it all".
I hope that Grealish, Mings and a few others go and we get good money for them - but based on last night that might be difficult - and we start again next season with the Ron Saunders spirit of "you ain't getting past me".
Smith as manager? I'm not sure. Terry as coach? No way.
Let's see how the promoted teams do next season and how many of the teams who are around the bottom with us this season survive. There is one good thing about us going down and that is the two 'danger' teams will not be there and those going down with us will not be real threats.
We have at least achieved another 'first' this season and that is the shortest stay in the top flight and that might have been the case from the start but on the street I grew up on, you didn't go down without a fight and we will drop back to the Championship with a whimper. I saw little or no fight last night and whilst there was an obvious gap in terms of quality, there should never be any gap in terms of effort, desire or fighting spirit.
We can blame who we want - Lerner for selling to Xia, Bruce for signing old players, EUFA for the ban on Chelsea that took Tammy away, poor signings from Suso, poor coaching from Smith and Terry or even weak tea from Doris - but at the end of the day when the players cross the line onto the pitch they are totally accountable for playing with passion and not hiding. Too many went into hiding last night and could not hold their heads up and say "I gave it all".
I hope that Grealish, Mings and a few others go and we get good money for them - but based on last night that might be difficult - and we start again next season with the Ron Saunders spirit of "you ain't getting past me".
Smith as manager? I'm not sure. Terry as coach? No way.
Let's see how the promoted teams do next season and how many of the teams who are around the bottom with us this season survive. There is one good thing about us going down and that is the two 'danger' teams will not be there and those going down with us will not be real threats.
JW1985
Vital Champions League
Last night encapsulated our season perfectly. Showed a bit of promise that we never fulfilled, a VAR cock up and we then show our complete mental fragility by totally falling apart.
Never have I seen a more fragile set of players than this lot. Yes that penalty was a disgrace and It probably felt fucking terrible to see it given after they'd started well and hit the woodwork 30 seconds earlier but jesus you have to try to not let it get to you if you're out there on the pitch. Use it as fuel and get back at them, let us fans do the moaning.
I wonder what would have been if we'd signed a Heaton type in a couple of other positions. Perhaps if Cahill hadn't been so set on staying in London or we'd brought in a more experienced, steady midfielder would this type of collapse happen as often as it has.
Never have I seen a more fragile set of players than this lot. Yes that penalty was a disgrace and It probably felt fucking terrible to see it given after they'd started well and hit the woodwork 30 seconds earlier but jesus you have to try to not let it get to you if you're out there on the pitch. Use it as fuel and get back at them, let us fans do the moaning.
I wonder what would have been if we'd signed a Heaton type in a couple of other positions. Perhaps if Cahill hadn't been so set on staying in London or we'd brought in a more experienced, steady midfielder would this type of collapse happen as often as it has.
We are down now, 2 mistakes (I'm sure there are lots) I believe we made, not signing Cahill or Benrahma, experience at the back, which would have helped Mings settle, in premiership, and a striker who is obviously class, and had experienced the English game, albeit in the championship. Now we loose, all our quality players and start again.... this is getting tedious... year after year..
DeanoVilla
One Bloody Number
Seems our only hope now is to beat Palace and west ham and hope Watford or West ham don't win another game.
Can't see us winning again.
Can't see them not.
We're down.
Can't see us winning again.
Can't see them not.
We're down.
Wurzel
Vital Football Legend
Good news is the season will be over soon and the inquest can start, and presumably straight away. If it was me I would be making the big decisions immediately we are officially relegated. One thing for certain the management system that was put in place when these new owners took over has failed miserably so that will need changing. Then the process of recruiting and rectifying these miss steps must start to give the new team a chance to identify targets for the budget we will have available.
DeanoVilla
One Bloody Number
Bournemouth have the hardest run in in the league. They are gone.
Villa have the 7th hardest run in. We're gone.
West ham have the 2nd easiest run in and Watford the 9th easiest. They are safe.
Villa have the 7th hardest run in. We're gone.
West ham have the 2nd easiest run in and Watford the 9th easiest. They are safe.
BringbakMON
Vital Football Hero
nah just need to win 3 for half a chance to stay up - no problem
now we're up to speed and everything.
Just hope that we have a plan and act immediately once we're relegated rather than the poncing about we normally do.....doubt it tbh
now we're up to speed and everything.
Just hope that we have a plan and act immediately once we're relegated rather than the poncing about we normally do.....doubt it tbh
tarzansbrother
Vital Football Hero
Thing is wurzel - how long will the owners and club get to have the inquest due to Corona? Recruiting one of or more Manager/CEO/Director of football, sorting out the rats that will want to leave, deciding on what players to sign that will be championship standard - big bloody job. I would imagine the owners have already identified a replacement but for what position - and you can add in the fact Terry looks likely to leave the gravy train along with the 3% chance of us staying up.
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starchild65
Vital Squad Member
Lolley will replace the departing Grealish and Pukki will come in when Wesley goes. And I think they will display a hunger and desire to achieve. Pukki scores goals, Wesley doesn't.
gmvillan
The Shackles Are Off!
If Pukki is the answer then not a cat-in-hell's chance he'll go from one relegated team to another.
Wurzel
Vital Football Legend
Jermane Jenas talking absolute bollocks on BBC Radio 5 saying we have to sell our better players because of financial reasons if we go down. It's as if these pundits know nothing about clubs outside of the top 5. Does he not understand who our owners are? I think I will trust their handling of our finances over a pundit.
tarzansbrother
Vital Football Hero
Jenas is a complete penis - useless player and pundit
McParlandTheGreat
Vital Champions League
Funny thing, I saw only the second half of Sunday's game, and by and large I didn't see players giving up trying. Over-run yes, by a vastly better team with their tails up. Jack definitely off his game, yes. But I didn't see the players giving up as such; the scoreline would have doubled if they had.
I don't see the owners doing a mass head-roll cull. The club as a whole is probably better run than it ever has been, and that's down to Purslow. If we're to come out of this with a better head coach, which is the critical thing, then he would probably be crucial in getting the quality coach we need. Pitarch may or may not go, but I think that's because DoFs quite often move on; I don't buy the line of him imposing his own selection of useless players on DS being the cause of our problems.
I reckon getting in a coach of the right quality, then finding the right players to fill the weak spots in this unbalanced squad of ours, is the key to next season.
I don't see the owners doing a mass head-roll cull. The club as a whole is probably better run than it ever has been, and that's down to Purslow. If we're to come out of this with a better head coach, which is the critical thing, then he would probably be crucial in getting the quality coach we need. Pitarch may or may not go, but I think that's because DoFs quite often move on; I don't buy the line of him imposing his own selection of useless players on DS being the cause of our problems.
I reckon getting in a coach of the right quality, then finding the right players to fill the weak spots in this unbalanced squad of ours, is the key to next season.
I was with you all the way. Until your last sentence. I think Norwich especially and Bournemouth will be well placed for top 6 finishes at least.
gmvillan
The Shackles Are Off!
The best piece of business we can do in the summer is move Grealish and Mings on for decent money (who knows what that is given the lockdown implications) buy or even loan a striker, and retain the vast majority of the current squad. That would at least provide some continuity moving forward. Whether it will happen or not, who knows.... I honestly don't see how we will even get our money back on Mings to be honest, but we should snap the hand off of the first bid over 24 million. Maybe, just maybe, if nobody will pay the money for him he might get the wake-up call he needs that it's time to become a proper defender, not a self-preservationist.....
Claret & Blue Blood
Vital 1st Team Regular
I see your point Robbali but I think that Bournemouth are more at risk of losing their best players than we are (assuming we had some!) Ake will go, King will go, C Wilson will go, Ramsdale will likely move on, H Wilson will either go back to Pool or sold, Fraser already gone. On top of that Howe will probably be poached for another PL team. I feel that they will be in a much bigger rebuilding programme than we will be.
Norwich will probably lose Farke and a few senior players but they will be there or there abouts (to quote Potato Head)
Silhillvilla
Vital Football Legend
Players more interested in partying and their latest hair style than staying up. Losing that key match at Bournemouth then within 24 hours we get wind numerous players are on the lash in Dubai amongst them our captain tells it's own story about where the priorities lay this season
