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young woody 4:23 Thu Apr 16
Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Christmas day we were sitting in 4th and in my option playing some decent stuff. All though I didn’t think we would finish 4th Europe via the league was really on.

Then we went to Chelsea away and played a weak team, Nolan returned and we lost and it seemed to have gone downhill from there. I mean that was one of the only times we could of gone to Chelsea and given them a real good game in years.

Then we had the cup which for some stupid reason I really thought we were going to do well in we fucked that up as well.

Is it really all down to the manager (In my option yes) or did we get found out a bit as well.

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The White Horse 4:14 Tue Apr 21
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Of course it's down to the manager Hellloooo.....
FFS.

Nicey 10:36 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Having your son on 99 goals and being desperate for him to make 100 hasn't helped

Pedro 10:19 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

So many reasons I think. To name a few:

Players are not fit enough. A reason why we let in so many late goals and also why we are not lasting the season.

The " end of season well done lads" trip to Dubai. What was the point of that.

The uncertainty over Sams future. The players are hardly busting a gut to keep him in a job.

Reverting back to the 451 formation.

Pushing Downing out wide

Recalling Nolan and Carroll at the first opportunity.

Leading 1 nil and then setting back in most games since christmas.

Song's goal being incorrectly ruled out against Arsenal. A win there and we could have really pushed on.

Sir Alf 7:13 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Willtell 6:46 Mon Apr 20

Agree with all of that from my playing days, even at the lower levels, this kind of thing happens. If you tell the manager you think he has got it wrong, and said manager is insecure psychologically or bloody minded, they can bomb you out for good.

Some football teams, and more relevantly their managers, are like the workplace in general still using military or industrial age management theories based on command and control. It relies on a strict hierarchy or class system where the boss cannot be questioned and the idea of "dialogue" and ironically working as a team is unheard of. BFS is old school and from teh industrial age whereas teh modern day manager is more of a psychologist and works with all his team and listens to them perhaps?

Willtell 6:48 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

I think there is a problem with WHO as I and others keep getting double posts!

Willtell 6:46 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Oh OK Sir Alf. The thing is that all the players seem to like SA but I know players. They will discuss what has happened but they wouldn't dare express in public. They know better than us that Nolan is past it and was being picked in spite of his form or lack of it but still back him as captain.

I think that was what caused big rifts between Ravel and Zarate with Sam but gets swallowed by Poyet, Nene and Amalfitano. Most players that want to stay in Pro football at the EPL level are used to swallowing their pride while collecting their £millions.

Watching the 4 players interviewed before the game Sunday, the first question was - why it was going so right in the first part of the season and so wrong now? I liked Nolan's reply "I was injured and couldn't play."

Then they all laughed as if he was joking. Most players won't rock the boat or upset team morale but I hoped someone would say "that's right." They didn't but I have no doubt they thought it....

That bottled up frustration knowing they can't say anything without becoming an outcast themselves means they just go through the motions every time SA says they need to play a way they disagree with...

Valencia keeps showing he isn't a left winger by going through the motions. He's a centre forward as anyone could see in the last 15minutes at Citeh. Downing discovered a new lease of life and an England call from playing centrally behind the strikers so goes through the motions every time he plays on the wing.

Cresswell and Jenkinson don't bomb forward as much as they used to. We have 3 defensive midfielders yet every week I see us end up leaving ourselves open to quick breaks... SA has lost the plot imo and the sooner he goes the better for everyone.

Willtell 6:46 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Sir Alf 5:46 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Agree Willtell.

I just think there are a few factors at play and even if we had stuck with the diamond and excluding Nolan and even Carroll as starters for longer, eventually teams would work out ways to counter the tactics. All that said, we will never know and what I think we all agree on is that BFS took the first chance he got to reintroduce his Carroll / Nolan attacking axis. To do that involved moving Downing wide and sacrifing Zarate.

Momentum was undoubtedly lost and with it belief. Nolan did ok in his little cameo on Saturday. Nothing spectacular but he tried and although he failed in front of goal he did, for once, not make things worse. The counterview is that the move of Valencia to a central position was what really gave us a bit more attacking edge?

To cut a long story short, my thinking is that BFS's position is untenable and unless he wins all the remaining games in swashbuckling style and a goal feast, the tipping pointhas been reached. He will do more damage than good now.

Alex V 5:41 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Two matches we definitely started with the diamond shape since Christmas - the losses at West Brom in the cup, and at home against Palace.

Willtell 5:05 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Sir Alf 3:33 Mon Apr 20
Normally I have no problem agreeing with your posts but we have not played the midfield diamond since Christmas. I remember one game where SA actually gloated after one of our rare wins that he changed it back to the diamond in the 2nd half. Some wondered why the fuck he didn't start that way but that's SA.

We play 4-5-1 with 1 striker 2 wingers and 3 midfield half-backs. When we played 4-4-2 last year we had Sakho and Valencia moving all over the place up front and Downing playing behind them. SA is not comfortable playing that way for long and his changes to re-introduce Nolan and Carroll together with ACON taking Sakho ruined the momentum.

Spandex Sidney 4:51 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Yeah there are 4 main reasons for this:

1) Allardyce
2) Sam Allardyce
3) Sam Allardyce being a footballing dinosaur
4) The board for not sacking Sam Allardyce already

ashikodi 4:49 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

et personal when your football knowledge has been exposed as absolute shit. That's your style Glenn and it's poor.

Glenn Rodent 4:45 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Ashicunto,

Pancho has you nailed on - you are an absolute twat.

There was a WHO 2015 Cunt of the year awards and you are veering towards No.1 spot.

ashikodi 4:42 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

So pancho, you agree with Rodent regarding those players, cunternor?

Pancho 4:39 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Oh the IRONY!

ashikodi 4:37 Mon Apr 20

You are a no nothing cunt.

ashikodi 4:37 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Sanogo was a sub.
Sinclair one goal, whoopee.
Fletcher - west brom have lost 5 of their last 7 games.
Elia can't get in the team.
Everton having a terrible season for them.

You are a no nothing cunt.

if they are examples of players who have transformed their clubs (sanogo, elia, fletcher etc) then god help us when you tell us your poor signings of January.

Glenn Rodent 4:19 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

"From the weekend" So now it has gone from positive January signing to a one game positive signing. Do you want to change the goal posts anymore?

Read it and weep you pr*ck!

Lennon:-
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/aaron-lennon-evertons-new-gerard-9075991

Sinclair:-
His goals got them through to an eventual FA Cup final plus - http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2015/03/13/tim-sherwood-talks-up-scott-sinclairs-aston-villa-impact/

Palace: Sanogo played on Saturday plus Fletcher for WBA who has had no impact you say actually captained them to victory.

Elia - scored on his debut for Southampton in a 1–0 win away to Manchester United at Old Trafford. He also scored his first Premier League goals with a brace in a 2–1 victory at Newcastle United on 17 January 2015.

No positive impact then? - Give it up.

ashikodi 4:04 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Glenn, good to know where you're coming from.

You haven't a clue.

From the weekend:
Elia was sub for Southampton.
Palace had no January signings playing.
West brom have been shit in games fletcher played apart from yesterday.

Again, tell me a January signing that's made a difference to their team?

Glenn Rodent 3:56 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

ashikodi 3:53 Mon Apr 20

They have all made a positive impact and I have already said yes you idiot.

young woody 3:56 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

I was furious watching yesterday we hardly tried.

All though Enner looked half decent and his run at the end was very good..until the finish. Cant wait to see him next year.

ashikodi 3:53 Mon Apr 20
Re: Thoughts on the reason for such a bad 2nd half of the season.

Glenn, I'm asking you, have they been good signings? have they made a difference to those teams seasons?

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