RDCW

1 minute ago, Mark Kelly said:

Sloppy first half, still some good performances, Caicedo , Cucurella and Jackson have been excellent but there has been some lacadaisiacal football played, it's hot, it's the end of the year and let's face it Sheffield couldn't beat an egg so there's no real hope for us and couple that to the fraudulent PGMOL giving us that tosser again I can understand why it's been a bit after the lord mayor's show. 

We need to put this to bed. 

Yes. Gallagher is being industrious but inaccurate. I think he's knackered, which is as much mental as physical.

3 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Only a yellow?!

Followed by a yellow for Cucurella.

Anthony Taylor, you are a grade A twat.

That VAR haven't intervened and advised a red is utterly scandalous. 

What a goal!

That decision is straight up bent! That can't be a mistake; it is direct evidence of bias, or worse, corruption. 

42 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Ok. 
 

Not a problem, on every topic I will sing from the hymn sheet a the majority. With the exception of Poch, where the majority think he’s a complete looser, whereas I am of the opinion that he done an outstanding job with the bag of dolly mixture given to him by a couple of scouts. 
 

as I wrote earlier Poch, the bloke at Bournemouth and the new coach  a at palace, have improved the total points this season compared to the clubs totals last season. This a another data point that doesn’t suit the Poch is a looser agenda 

As for Jackson if he’s so good, why are the club actively “if you believe the media” looking for a No1 striker?

Stop it! I'm on to you, you little tinker!

On 13/05/2024 at 14:20, Holymoly said:

Apologies for reviving an almost dead thread but I thought it was the most relevant for this thought.

How are we going to avoid a penalty going into the new season considering the supposed financial hole we've dug ourselves into? It's surely exacerbated by our need to go back into the transfer market to plug the holes our current squad has, particularly concerning the lack of experience.

I've been hearing some worrying rumours that we might consider selling Cobham which, if true, is short termism gone mad? Some people have suggested that we just hold up our hands, take a ten point deduction and move on. The trouble with that though I would have thought is that this years loss will continue to be part of the equation for three more years (?)

Another question that arises is that UEFA rules are even more stringent than the PL so how will that work if we do indeed end up in Europe next season?

After the optimism of the last pre-season which didn't end up translating into the season itself I wonder where our heads will be by the time we turn up to Stamford Bridge in August, if indeed there is a Stamford Bridge to turn up to?

The anxiety just never ends with this club, does it? Why can't things ever be simple?!

On 13/05/2024 at 10:16, ROTG said:

No guessing by me, it’s about analysing what he’s done and when he’s done it during a game.  
 

although he has hit some decent numbers a majority of them were when the team was coasting. Cant remember him scoring the all important goal to win a game.  

All goals are important, ask Man U and Forest and ask the boys who let a 2 goal lead slip against Arsenal. 

Whatever, you are so consistently on the wrong side of every argument that I now realise that it's deliberate on your part. I could kick myself for not having recognised it before 🤭

3 minutes ago, chara said:

To ANY side..... for all the "Modern" changes in the game the "old" spine of a side concept,,,keeper CH CF still holds true regardless of how those basic positions are defined or called these days,,,keeper central dominant defender striker leading a line...matters not the titles or how much more "fluid" positions are now..or am I just too OG?

Petr is as good (or average if you wish)as any of the wide range of average EPL keepers on display every week,,,as with The Poch no point in changing like for like or near enough. Am I the only one who sees Petr make competent saves week in week out that imho Sanchez and Kepa made look difficult?

No, you're not the only one, Chara! I am happy with Petrovic at Number 1. I think he is a good, uncomplicated keeper who generally makes the saves he should and is capable of real quality. His distribution is fine and he has plenty of scope, at his age, to keep improving. He has made mistakes, but all keepers do and there are many areas to be strengthened before looking at the keeper.

5 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

I respect your opinion on this, but I’m really surprised that you think this is a top 3 squad with a better coach. 
I have no doubts over the quality in the squad, but I just can’t see any situation where they are a top3 squad ( of what we have had available) right now.  Too inexperienced, too inconsistent, too many players thrown together to form any type of team mentality. These are the things that grind out results , they turn draws into wins and losses into draws. 
I think @Sciatika called it well at the start of the season when he said we would start slow and progress through the season. It’s turned out as he predicted. 
I’m still doubtful Poch will be here next season, but 3 quality additions and it’s all on him then. 10-15 games in needs to return 18- 28 pts , otherwise he is underachieving and we need to consider alternative options. 

I don't really rate any of the other teams in the Premier League at the moment, apart from City. Arsenal are better than us, but don't have better players, just a better coach in my view. Liverpool are not as good as they were, Villa are OK but not brilliant and won't have the element of surprise next year. Spurs are Spurs and they have a pretty facile coach. United are years away from competence and probably need a rebuild. We may even get top 3 next season despite Pochettino, but I don't think we can win it with him. As I said elsewhere we either need to extend Pochettino by that optional year, or sack him at the end of the season, because we can't go into next season with a "dead man walking". I have a feeling we will use the Broja, Ziyech and (with luck) Lukaku funds to buy a centre half and a new number 9, sadly will sell Chalobah and Gallagher (the latter over wage negotiations) to have enough funds and that will be that. We will struggle without Conor; he offers so much to the team psychologically as well as physically, but I'm not sure he is sufficiently valued by the selectors, although he clearly is by Pochettino.

4 hours ago, east lower said:

Believe me, I have very little - if any confidence in the coaches ability and like you I’d say that there has been a ‘forming’ stage/process taking place. 

People like me (and maybe you?) believe this is taking place through natural progression I.e. the more you work with someone the better you know their strengths, weaknesses, habits and others think it’s the coaches ability. However simple things like getting your best defensive header of the ball to attack any corner or even mark their main threat can’t be in the modern smart coach handbook. That must sit on the bedside table of our man.

 

This is so self-evidently true that I am astonished that Pochettino is being talked up. This is a very good group of players, albeit with far too many of them introduced in one go, and they have found a way to overcome (on an inconsistent basis) the inadequacies of the coaching regime. What Pochettino can be considered to have done effectively is to  have provided a "safe" space for the squad members; what he has not done is to coach any kind of rational series of tactical systems and that is still evidenced in the performances against Man U, Sheff U and Forest. That we found a way to win two of those games was entirely down to individual brilliance by excellent players like Palmer, James and Caicido, flashes of brilliance from the much maligned Jackson and Sterling and a couple of excellent contributions from the otherwise awful Mudryk. None of those goals scored were conceived from a tactical rationale and the goals conceded were crass in some cases.

It looks like Pochettino will be here next season, so we will have the opportunity to see how it all develops, but I anticipate further improvement, continued inconsistency and more exasperation that the group will underachieve  on its potential. A better coach would be capable of top 3, but hey ho.

Well whatever your view of Pochettino is it would be madness to go into next season with him on an unextended contract. Either he needs to be sacked or have a year's extension, because we all know what happens when the manager is a dead man walking. 

I'm pretty relaxed about Jackson. I think he offers a lot to the squad and his inconsistency in front of goal is eminently fixable: it's largely confidence based. Given too much time to think mental clarity and technique abandon him; when he has to react in the moment he is a lot better. The important thing is that he is quick, works hard, keeps going and despite some bad misses has scored a good few. He is an athlete with a good work ethic and no little skill, so once he works on remaining calm in the moment (taking a leaf out of Palmer's book) and gains a bit more experience, we'll have a very tidy forward.

33 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

"This isn't fucking over", leaving Kingsmeadow now with Emma's words ringing. Honestly now think we'll batter Spurs and it'll be a straight shoot out on the last day.

Watched it on Sky. Amazing performance from Charles, Reiten, Aggie and Cuthbert in particular, but also Sophie Ingle and the rest! Guro Reiten has such fire. It's been a brilliant day all round - take a bow Blackstenius! It's back in our hands I'd say, but Man U away is tricky!

Just now, RDCW said:

Of course! I think we could though easily have won them all except the Sheff Utd one (in which our performance did not warrant the win). We were the better side in all the others and were robbed against Villa, so although I am fantasising somewhat, it does illustrate that our squad is better than the league position has shown. I am a lot more optimistic about next season now, even with the prospect of Poch's inadequacy as a coach : if his man management skills and the intrinsic quality of the squad can overcome his lack of detailed preparation then we will have a pretty good season next year.

Add to that the fact that we didn't pick up many points we didn't deserve (iirc).

1 minute ago, Miguelito07 said:

I get what you’re saying (writing) but you’re assuming we would have won ALL those games. 

Of course! I think we could though easily have won them all except the Sheff Utd one (in which our performance did not warrant the win). We were the better side in all the others and were robbed against Villa, so although I am fantasising somewhat, it does illustrate that our squad is better than the league position has shown. I am a lot more optimistic about next season now, even with the prospect of Poch's inadequacy as a coach : if his man management skills and the intrinsic quality of the squad can overcome his lack of detailed preparation then we will have a pretty good season next year.

9 minutes ago, Miguelito07 said:

You forgot Burnley at home 😞

Yes I did 😆. 12 points gone begging puts us within sniffing distance (1 point) of the Champions League places !

An excellent performance today, admittedly against a poor opposition. What strikes me is that those 10 dropped points in drawing with Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Sheffield Utd and Aston Villa, all of which games were winnable and in which, with the exception of Sheff Utd were deserving of the win , made the season much more disappointing than it should have been and put us firmly in Europa League territory. 

It's nice finally to be getting some pleasure out of watching the Blues !

24 minutes ago, Sciatika said:

Considerably improved bench today.

I was thinking that! All back at once!

23 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Don't necessarily disagree that selling James probably makes more sense from an availability perspective, no point being better if you can't play at least half a season with any regularity. Plus with Gusto showcasing his quality we'd have a ready to go replacement. However, if we did sell James his market would likely be limited because of what we'd likely want. We'd probably not entertain a domestic sale on such a player, so it would really only leave Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern as the only real financially capable sides right now. 

Not sure how much any of them would pay without seeing him string a period of games together again.

Also Reece is on a long, new contract and would, I am guessing, be fairly resistant to leaving the club.

Well, what a joyous evening's football! We were well up for it, competed solidly and could have had a couple more first half goals. The boys looked and played like they cared and the skill level was high. The defence looked like a unit and, Mudryk aside (a bit of a-curate's egg, but mostly bad), the whole side played well. 

Without wishing to rain on the parade, though, we did have a bit of luck. Earlier in the season midfield turnovers like those given up by Cucurella, Gallagher and Caicedo were punished with opposition goals. They also missed at least 2 absolute sitters.  I don't think we were bad in the 1st quarter of this season and our luck seems to have turned. 

Having said all that, we deserved to win and we saw some real talent. Buzzing !

46 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

Yes and no. The ticket money is such an insignificant slice of revenue now, but take your point. 

I am bracing for the announcement. 

Edit - some very basic maths to illustrate the point:

circa 27k season tickets at 900 quid = 24.3m

A 20% price increase (which would be outrageous) generates an extra 4.86m. Barley touches the sides. 

It may not be significant for them, but it is for me. It also begs the question, if it doesn't make much difference to them, why put the prices up at all? It seems to me that, regardless of the low marginal utility of the increased revenue levied from me (and the increases are justified as a necessary measure to run the club) it is indeed my money they are playing with. Not just my money, not just gate receipts, of course, but nevertheless my money. To that extent wilful wastage is of concern to me, even before we start talking about the real costs of such profligacy. 

1 hour ago, paulw66 said:

It's not my money either. It's none of ours. That doesn't mean anyone here wants the club to waste money, not because it directly impacts our own bank account, but because it directly impacts the club's ability to spend elsewhere.

That's just a nonsense argument. 

It is my money if they increase season ticket prices to make up for their profligacy. 

1 hour ago, east lower said:

Still sell them now.

Not really a fan of small dogs, don’t get me wrong - love most animals but the small dog syndrome thing gets a bit wearing. 

I take my Husky out and the small dogs have a yap and get all spiky at her. She just looks at them in disdain and wanders off. Same as the German Shepherd’s did.

Huskies and GSDs ARE small dogs 😉

21 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

It's over, isn't it.

Looks like it.