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| Should The Worst Happen...; Relegation "a blessing in disguise?" | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 29 2006, 09:39 AM (187 Views) | |
| Tactix | Apr 29 2006, 09:39 AM Post #1 |
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Peter Enckelman
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My fingers have remained crossed since gravity's wrath pulled us down into this sorry mess that is the battle for premiership survival, and its fair to say that with 2 games left in the season, my now deformed and arthritic fingers are hoping their self-sacrifice pays off. But, as the title of this thread implies, will the unthinkable 'relegation', really deliver an insummountable blow to our teams progression? ...Its easy to state the obvious, the premiership is the premier division in English, or more fitting, British football, and its higjly unlikely that anyone would set relegation as their objective for a season long campaign. But...demotion does beckon a wind of change, and lets be honest, we need as much changing as a baby with a bloated diper (sorry for the American colloquialism there, i can assure you i'm not from the land of the free). ...This spring will warrant more than a seasonal flicker of the duster and swing with the broomstick, we need a full fledged shake down. The jurassic Kenneths, and incapable Martin's need to move on, the Heskey's can go and bring in a quid or 2, the decripid Sutton's can return to the retirement homes and enjoy their pensions, the Nicky Butt's can go and feel their coffers at another impressionable side from the Midlands, the Julian Gray's can go and make a living as Bobby Valentino stunt doubles, and just about every other piece of overpaid, under performing wastepipes can go and cramp the style of another dressing room. ...Yes, 'The Drop', quite like the snip, threatens ones masculinity, and leaves you a little slim on the wasteline, but the revolution it ensues could potentially shape the future of our beloved Blues. The likes of Ojji and Sadler could establish themselves as first team members, a full season could aid Kilkenny's progress, and the Andre the Giant, Kuqi, could prove a Peter Crouch in disguise, not to say the latter been some sort of revelation, but in the odd game, the guys been a handful for member a defender. Tactically, things could change. The Championship is a marathon, not just because of the extra 8 games, but when one takes into consideration the earlier entrances into the domestic cups, and the spread of these games, i.e. Saturday - Wednesday - Saturday (3 games in a week) on many occassions, you'll appreciate how demanding the division is. Perhaps Bruce will take a leaf out of McClaren's book and toggle with the system with the players at his disposal in mind, as opposed to just pertaining to the age old orthodoxy that is the 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 vs. the Bigger boys. ...I think i'll stop at that point, as its alot to digest, but what do you guys think, should things not work in our favour in the next few games, what would you like to see in terms of team development in the summer? |
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| The32ndOfDecember | Apr 29 2006, 10:03 AM Post #2 |
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No, it wouldn't be a blessing in disguise. Yes the club does need a clear out on the playing front but you can do that without having to suffer relegation. The younger players can get a years experiance by going out on-loan. That's basically what the system was invented for. As far as Sadler and Kilkenny are concerned, they are involved in the first team anyway. Especially Sadler, he is currently our first choice left-back. Be careful what you wish for. :blink: |
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| Tactix | Apr 29 2006, 10:26 AM Post #3 |
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Peter Enckelman
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The point i was making was how we cam make something good come out of something bad. Premiership survival would mean that new deals would have to be offered to Sutton and Butt, amongst many other attrocities that Bruce agreed upon. ...Relegation is looking all the more likely, and the point im stressing here is that, we can go one of 2 ways, should the drop become our destiny. We can do the Man City thing, and fill our coffers with decrepid old fools, or 2, bring through some of the fresh air in our youth side, and use the income generated by the sales of the dead weight that dumped us in this predicament in the first place, and sign one or 2 proven players who'll make a difference. For example, a Dean Ashton, instead of a DJ Campbell, im not saying we should go and sign the former, but rather that Bruce should concentrate his efforts on 1 or 2 key players, rather than building a squad full of Robbie Blakes. |
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| StaffsMark | Apr 29 2006, 10:34 AM Post #4 |
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Geoff Horsfield
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wtf** am fed up with supporters who think that relegation can be a good thing! it's not - end of story! it's supporters who are willing to look upon relegation as a blessing in disguise who give this board and the football club the excuse of under-performing! we fought 16yrs to be a Premiership team - it's the best league in the world - and yet becuae of our plight we're trying to make excuses that relegation isn't all that bad. do me a favour.... :angry: |
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| Tactix | Apr 29 2006, 12:17 PM Post #5 |
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Peter Enckelman
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Im not trying to make light of the situation, but rather stating the fact that relegation will coerce Bruce into making decisions about the side, that he wouldnt have done otherwise. ...Dont get me wrong, relegation will be such a dissappointment, but on the evidence of this season, one that is justified. I do worry about our bouncebackability, and feel that if we do drop into the quagmire of the lower leagues we may struggle to regain our position amount England's elite. ...This season has been a comedy of errors, from a managerial perspective, poor signings, poor tactics and pure incompetence of the highest order. Signing a past it Sutton, who'd scored no goals for ages in Scotland, and failed to score any when given the chance at Chelsea, was assinignity of the highest order. DJ Campbell was an insult to every fan who invests a significant proportion of his annual income into acquiring a season ticket, and the less said of Alex Bruce and Robbie Blake the better. ...Too many times this season we were left wanting; goals, cleansheets, a completed pass, a succesful dribble, 2 steady feet, and a well timed tackle, just to mention a few. That, in my opinion is too long a list for any side proposing their candidacy for premiership survival. ...With 38 cracks at the whip, Steven failed to realise that Kenneth is as dead as the dodo, Martin would be better off in the NBA, and Mario is more Luigi than anything else. Relegation would be an adequate return for the poverty of premiership performances we put in this season. Not even Grimsby, Donacster or Burton lost to premiership opposition by the margin to which we succumbed to Liverpool. When was the last time you saw such a poorly contested derby? how about the Man City game earlier on this season? we dont deserve to be in this league plain and simple. Yet, given the chance to turn the ship around, Bruce opted for a window cleaner from Brentford and a perennial loser from Bradford or wherever it was from which he acquired the lack of servcies from Robert Blake, not to mention Pandiani. ...This season has shown all the frailties in Steve's locker, and frankly, relegations the only thing thats going to force him into realisation. Thankfully we're bankrolled by 2 of the more wealthy chairmans in the game, so the drop in revenue wont hit us Leeds style, but it will ensue some degree of discipline amongst the anomie which Bruce has created. On the pitch, the guys play like they've never trained together, and look as interested as the disruptive pupil at the back of my GCSE English class all those years ago. ...We need to lose some dead weight, Bruce hasn't got the metal to dump the likes of Emile whose failed to deliver anything since his arrival, and his merrymen who strutt across the pitch like primadonnas more interested in their hairstyles and post-match grooming than the 3 points at stake on the grasses green. ...The other day i read that Gary Oneil covered 8 miles in one game last saturday, i doubt Julian Gray or Nicky Butt have covered half that distance in their cars in the past 3 months! Its a disgrace, we all know whats at stake, yet the guys are playing like they dont give a toss. The capitulation against Villa was embarassing to say the least, and all this talk of injuries doesnt rinse for me. Yes we've been unfortunate over the course of this season, but i dont recall us starting any games without a full complement of players. Whether you've got your best 11 out, or 2 of your most influentuial players missing, theres no excuse for a 7-nil drubbing, or a thumping in the derby. ...Correct me if im wrong but havent Arsenal gone near enough the whole season with Ross from Friends at leftback, Nelson Munce from the Simpsons playing centrehalf with Kolo, and a few more kids playing truant from school scattered throughout their starting 11, and look what they've achieved. Fair enough they've an Henry to call upon, but for 6-7 million, 2/3s of the price Arsene paid for Thierry, one would've expected atleast a fraction of the same return from Emile. Hell, Dean Ashton cost about the same as Emile, and look at what he's given Pardew. ...I dont want us to go down, but Bruce doesnt deserve the fortune of a great escape. Last season the Baggies gave blood, sweat and tears, till the fat lady's lungs burst, till the last man was standing, and got their just deserves, we on the other hand, have done none of the such. In 36 games, we've managed to humiliate ourselves and show how far we are away from being an established top flight side, and its only right the bubble burst. ...We asked for defensive solidarity, Bruce insisted on resurrecting Martin Taylor, when we wanted tactical ingenuity, he played a leftback in centre-mid, when we asked for goals, he brought a shops own brand centre-forward from Brentford; the facts are there for all to see. Bruce failed to get anything out the nothings he assembled at our side, and to add insult to injury, insisted upon adding more refuse to the dump, by swarraying into the transfer market in search of relics like Sutton and misfits like Latka. ...I want us to stay up, but relegation will be a much needed, lesson learnt. |
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| blueblood | Apr 29 2006, 12:24 PM Post #6 |
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Johnny Vincent
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I would make a reply based on your post but i dont famcy reading an essay so ill make it based on the title. How can losing many of your best players and an enormous loss of revenue be a blessing? Thats just ridiculous. There is nothing good to come from relegation. |
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| Tactix | Apr 29 2006, 01:20 PM Post #7 |
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Peter Enckelman
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We dont deserve to be in the premiership, this season has been nothing besides shambolick. If i were a neutral, i'd say Pompey deserve their stay, we've done nothing to maintain our tenure in the top league. ...Just to reiterate my point once again, i never said i'd pick relegation ahead of premiership survival, but rather, should we go down, it would be a much needed kick up the back for Bruce, and hopefully would force his hand into a major clear-out. As for 'Good players', Pennant aside, who are you referring to? Upson whose spent more time on the stretcher than on the grass, or Hesky whsoe done nothing whilst on the pitch? ...Once again i will repeat myself, just to make sure you do understand me here, i am not welcoming relegation with open arms, but rather trying see the light at the end of a dark tunnel, that would be a stint in the wasteland of the Coca Cola championship. ...We need a 'transition', a change from the pointlessly overpaid, to burst of fresh blood. The likes of Ojji could step up from the ressies, quite like Sadler has, and the rebirth of the second city could begin. At present, we're stagnating, there are too many rotting carcasses in the dressing room, and starting 11, to make any successful defence of our premiership status. |
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| Tactix | May 12 2006, 12:14 PM Post #8 |
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Peter Enckelman
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Well, as predicted the worst happened, now is the time for the 'Blessing in disguise'. I think we are part of the way to recieving that very blessing. The departure of 9 **** sorry excuse for first-teamers leaves our squad free of dead weight; the outbursts from Kenny have put the tactics, training and dressing room under the microscope, and the pressure on Bruce is forcing him to put his reputation on the line. ...I dont see us bringing 9 players in, and dont think we need to. We have some talented players in the ressies that can be promoted to the first-team and if given a chance, could do a job. Leeds have reached the playoff final on a shoe-string budget with a side made up of alot of young talent, and are an testament to the fact that you dont need overpaid panzys to get out of the CCC. ...Yes experience is a prerequisite, but not in the form of knackered old knees, i.e Kenny Cunningham. Nows the time for the Sadler's, Oji's and Kilkenny's to shine, its important we build a young, hungry side that wants to play, and wants to achieve rather than accept failure. In an earlier post i identified some players i think could help us make the transition from the old to the New Birmingham and urge Bruce to look to the examples of those that come before him, i.e. the Wigans and Readings of this world. Reading's success was built on the backbone of a young side, with the likes of Sidwell, Lita and Kitson catipulting them to glory. We need to share the same ethos, let the youth build our present and oour future. |
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2:15 PM Jul 11