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| Expectation Management!; We need to hold the line as a club... | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 4 2007, 08:44 AM (363 Views) | |
| royalblue | Sep 4 2007, 08:44 AM Post #1 |
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royalblue
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No question the performance, more so than the result against Boro,has caused quite a few Blues fans to have a go about both past and more recent dissatisfations with the club,Board,manager,transfer policy and style of play etc. Firstly, I want to say that in my opinion something is not right at the club and I strongly believe it is that our current Board have not got the finanical stomach for the cost of competitive Premier League football.Maybe they are right.To be honest the costs are crazy but that is the market we are in.The market that we spent a lot of money and time to get into.Is it a case for them of 'be careful what you wish for?'.No question the influx of billionarie owners and increased Sky money as hyper inflated the market but was that not predictable?That said they have served the club well over the years, if maybe with a lack of real ambition and have found the current costs in the top flight to much for their taste.They have steadfastly held the view they will not risk the future of the club by spending money the club does not have and frankly I can respect that.The problem is they have made promises about spending big and making sure that the club is not in the position it was two seasons ago.The question is have they made good on that promise? In my opinion no.The failure to sign Mido was a major mistake IMO.OK people will say that he is trouble and has never settled anywhere but we needed him not just as a player but to assure us that we are serious about staying in this division.Things are not just what they are,they are about what they mean.What does it mean to our club that we failed to get our top summer transfer target or even a reasonable alternative?Just what was it that Boro could offer that we could not?Did we lose our bottle when the loan deal was not acceptable to Spurs and they wanted to sell him for a large fee?I wonder.We did not get him or anyone like him and I can't help feeling if Jerome's two goals against a poor Derby side were seized upon as justification for not spending big on an alternative to Mido?Taking nothing away from Jerome,who I rate highly but clearly SB had his sights set on Mido. The reality is that that is now in the past and we have deal with our current situation.We have to hold the line and be careful about our expectations.Some clearly expected us to get something out of the Boro game and see them as a side we should do better against than we did.I don't agree.Boro have spent a lot of money on that side and are going to be strong a home against teams like us.The performance was poor and that is a different matter in my opinion and we will need to see how the team comes back from this against Bolton.We still have a number of experienced players to be available and in games away from St A's they will be important. I think we must expect little on our travels this season.It is our home form that will determine our fate. Let's keep our powdwer dry for now.There are still 33 games to go. Let your heart beat strong and all that. **thumbup |
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| bornblues64 | Sep 4 2007, 09:16 AM Post #2 |
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Mikael Forssell
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I read what you said but whatever the board may or may not do, whatever their intentions good or bad. It still doesnt change the fact a centre half was in midfield, a player who only uses his left foot to stand on was a left back and possibly the most skilful player Blues have was left to roam the field like a lost sheep. Im pretty sure the Golds Brady or Sullivan had nothing to do with that. Im sure like a lot of Blues and football fans in general the only concern for me is what happens on the pitch. |
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| cotswold chris | Sep 4 2007, 09:53 AM Post #3 |
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Steve Claridge
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well said royal blue! |
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| tevets | Sep 4 2007, 10:23 AM Post #4 |
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Geoff Horsfield
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I agree. Frankly I largely don’t care who owns the club, or even how much they do or don’t spend, it is making the best of what we have and ultimately what happens on the pitch that counts. In those areas we have seriously under performed for quite a while, often even in the Championship. We are going to struggle this season, that is just a fact. Should we really be making things harder for ourselves with so many players out of position and limiting tactics? We have been our own biggest handicap for a long time. |
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| Jolly Jack | Sep 4 2007, 10:24 AM Post #5 |
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There is nothing surprising at all about the truly woeful performance on Saturday. It's becoming like a stuck record. Tactical Ineptness followed by overpaid players going through the motions because Bruce has no man-management followed by Bruce doing his bumbling everyones favorite confused uncle act at the press conference. I have said for years that Bruce should be shown the door, I called for his head at the time of promotion arguing that that is his limit as a manager. The biggest mistake the club made has not sacking Bruce over the summer. Don't get me wrong but I've met the bloke and he's a very nice chap, but so's my Grandad and he doesn't know ***** about football management. This is already looking like a long dark winter, It's going to be a question of us v Derby for the lowest ever Premiership points total. |
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| royalblue | Sep 4 2007, 10:51 AM Post #6 |
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royalblue
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I take your point.The performance against Boro was not acceptable and in fairness to him, SB has been fothright in saying as much.The point that I was trying to make is that we need to be careful not to expect too much on our travels as supporters.I am not saying we should not turn up as a team ( which it sounds like we did on saturday) but judge ourselves against what do at home against teams likes Boro rather than away. We had two left backs in Queudue and Sadler not available last saturday.Djourou by all accounts had an excellent game in midfield against Derby and apparently fancies himself as a midfielder rather than a defender.Jaidi had a nightmare and we have yet to see Schmitz kick a ball for the club.Kapo has ability but does not look right on the wing. I my opinion we will have to play two different teams at home and away.At home we have to take a few risks to win games and start with de-Rdder ( when he is fit of course) Kapo in the centre of midfield and Forssell up front with Jerome.Away we will will need to play two tight banks of four and four and in some games four and five in midfield.A five man midfield of Larsson,Oubina,Johnson,Muamba and McSheffrey with a lone striker in Jerome or O'Connor might not be attractive but will make us difficult to beat.Kelly,Ridgewell,Schmitz and Queudue at the back in front of Taylor will be both experienced and interesting to see how they gel.This will leave us the option of bringing de-Ridder,Kapo,Forssell and if he signs Kallon off the bench to try and nick something late on in games if needed.What I think we must avoid is allowing teams to impose their game on us too easily and going behind early in games.We have a young squad and inpatient fans.Getting on the team's back will do nothing for the younger players confidence.Many wanted the young,hungry approach but what comes with that is inconsistent performances in some games and dissappointing defeats.Remember Muamba has just turned 19yrs and Djourou is not much older. We still have options with the players we have got and time to sort things out.We did not do the transfer business that many of us wanted or SB wanted I am sure so it is not going to an easy ride IMO.If we can accept that and get better organised away from home we will give ourselves a fighting chance.It is now about what we do in the next game and already that falls in the 'must win or at least must not lose' category. Let your heart beat strong and all that. **thumbup |
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| Penguin Blue | Sep 4 2007, 11:05 AM Post #7 |
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Mikael Forssell
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i think it goes back to before then; we should have sacked him in the OCtober/November/December of our relegaton season. always hard to sack a manager after promotion! i honestly believe that had gone through a change of manager then we would have retained our Premiership status and not be lagging behind the likes of Reading, Wigan and Fulham now! |
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| Trésor Luntala | Sep 4 2007, 11:11 AM Post #8 |
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It probably won't change anything, but if it helps, Djourou is a centre midfielder, Wenger moved him to centre half. |
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| bornblues64 | Sep 4 2007, 11:32 AM Post #9 |
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Mikael Forssell
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Then i'll trust Wengers judgment Carror old boy **thumbup But i agree with Royal Blue to a certain extent Blues have no god given right to win home or away in whatever division. Its just when you see the same mistakes week in week out that have been happening arguably for 3 years now in regards to players positions i just feel :banghead: I mean Saturday why didnt Parnaby play right back and Kelly left back? Not ideal ok but it woiuld have been slightly better and yes ok Djourou may be able to play in midfield but with Jaidi having a mare why werent things changed? As for Kapo playing him on the left wing is suicidal, hes going to leave the left back more exposed than lady of the nights chest in Amsterdam. Surely if we the humble general public can see these things why cant the management team?? I mean Boro were running riot at the back line, why not drop Djourou back and go five at the back and try to change things. There seems to be a Plan A and thats it. Like a bloody pub team sometimes, no thought at all. Or as they say --- Is it just me? |
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| TBone | Sep 4 2007, 11:35 AM Post #10 |
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Garry Pendrey
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I respect your opinion, but why do you think the Board haven't sacked Bruce and are in the process of offering him a new 4 year contract? Surely they're not that naive, or aware of some of the fans' feelings. They must even have a modicum of footballing knowledge amongst themselves. They're obviously not in it to lose money, and success on the field will reap dividends for their bank balances. Why do you think they persist with him? |
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| djmmusic | Sep 4 2007, 12:30 PM Post #11 |
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Alex Govan
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The reason players will choose Middlesborough over us is the fact that they are an established Premiership side, who have won the Carling Cup and have played in the UEFA cup. We are a newly promoted side. We have to battle, beg, borrow, steal and battle again to survive in this division. Forget about last time. The clock is reset. If you want to make comparisons, make them with 02/03 season when we were last a newly promoted side. |
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| proccy_blues | Sep 4 2007, 12:39 PM Post #12 |
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Joe Bradford
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then you get (many) people moaning that there's no-one further upfield to receive the ball.. and yes, it is you.... :D |
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| tevets | Sep 4 2007, 01:16 PM Post #13 |
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Geoff Horsfield
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I wish I knew the answer to that one. I really think it is down to them not run the club as a business, despite saying they will. Yes financially the books have to balance but otherwise it is more of a hobby or a private club. They get on well with Bruce and that seems to matter more than performance. I bet if a manager had performed as poorly as Bruce has at time in one of their ‘proper businesses’ he would have been out the door quicker than he could say ‘I don’t understand why we played so badly’. Relegation and the alienating of the fan base in the way it all happened really isn’t the way to run a business. It has cost them financially which makes their stance over Bruce all the more puzzling. |
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| bornblues64 | Sep 4 2007, 01:27 PM Post #14 |
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Mikael Forssell
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How dare you!!! Moan, me????????????? |
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| TBone | Sep 4 2007, 02:07 PM Post #15 |
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Garry Pendrey
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IMO I don't think it has cost them financially. They are businessmen at the end of the day. Making a loss isn't an option. I would guess that any of their money put "into" the club has only been done so in a loan capacity and has been/will be repaid in full along with business rates of interest. As with any of their businesses, any sign of losing money hand over fist and the company would be sold off asap. Okay, there appears to be a takeover in the midst, but I would put that down to a lack of motivation for Sullivan rather than having to sell because of the club losing money. Still not sure that anyone can explain their persistance with Bruce, though. |
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| salad_dodger | Sep 4 2007, 05:32 PM Post #16 |
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Paul Tait
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IMO, its because they do not want to payout if they sacked him, because he never questions their ambition, or rather the lack of it, never questions the transfer budget, maybe its for them reasons? What i do know is that this club is now where it was 5 years ago, struggling to stay in the prem, for me that says the club hasn't moved on in 5 years and IMO half of that is down to the management of the playing staff. |
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