Any hope still lingering that we can avoid the drop has been dashed - certainly as far as my household is concerned. I'm not being defeatist...I would love us to turn things around...but I simply can't see how we are going to do it.
We are now five points behind the team in the last relegation spot and in very real danger of being cast adrift with Derby. Soon the pundits won't even be talking about us facing relegation, it will be which of Sunderland, Wigan, Bolton will be going down with us.
I really can't believe we are in this position. In the first couple of games the new squad looked young, fit and exciting. In fact I was more enthusiastic about our prospects than I had been for the past couple of seasons. How wrong was I?
There are a few reasons for our plight. Firstly, under-investment in the club over the past five years (prior to last summer); getting rid of Chris Coleman when we weren't anywhere near the relegation zone rather than giving him money to spend; and Lawrie Sanchez.
I know he didn't mean to screw us up - but the fact is that he completely dismantled a team, replaced them with, in retrospect, a pretty average bunch of players and took us to the brink of relegation. Absolutely disastrous.
Of course not all the signings have been poor. Paul Konchesky has been one of the bright sparks of the season, Bouazza has been exciting when fit and Healy has shown he can score goals...when he is given the chance to play. Others - such as Davis and Hughes - have been okay at best.
Then we look at players like Kamara...This is where the big money has been spent but apart from a fantastic bicycle kick against Spurs he has been excrutiatingly awful; while the fact that we swapped Rosenior for the lumbering Seol still keeps me awake at night.
The man I feel sorry for is Roy Hodgson. He has an impossible task - which I think he realises, judging from what he says in interviews. Like Paul Jewell, I imagine he knows we'll be a Championship side next season and is planning for then.
Signing off
5 years ago
5 comments:
I'm not ready to give up yet Rob. I know how bleak it looks but I'm pinning my hopes on us bringing in those 2/3 key players that can sort out the balance in the team. We just need to stay in touch with those above us and get that long overdue run of results to get us going.
you're probably right Chopper. I'm just feeling very, very down about the whole situation at the moment. Maybe if we have Bully and McBride back full time then there could be a great escape. fingers crossed eh?
Welcome to my world with Derby. At least you will have us to prop you up.
Actually I'm feeling pretty glum today as well. It's chucking it down and there's flood warnings in the South West. I'm praying the game gets called off or I reckon we've had it in the cup. It could be getting worse before it gets better. Bully & McBride are going to need time to get back to anything like they were before, and assuming we do get those 2 or 3 new signings they'll have to adjust as well. I think come the end of Feb we'll need to have seen some sort of recovery or we're done for.
it's ironic really - the last time we played at Bristol Rovers it was chucking it down...I've never felt so wet at a football match before. To be honest the whole situation is depressing me. I used to go to football to relax and unwind...now it's the one thing that winds me up the most so I end up going to work to relax!
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