[Archived] Is Our Recent Form Down To The Intertoto

[waggy]

Is our recent form a consequence of the intertoto,i seem to remenber other english teams who qualified for the intertoto starting the season brightly then there season tailing off

[RevidgeBlue]

Good point waggy, personally I think its much too early in the season to blame it on intertoto "burn out" that seems to happen to teams later on in the new year generally.

Plus we conveniently managed to lessen our workload by getting dumped out of the UEFA Cup before the bloody thing had even properly started anyway!

[Ben-2000]

Well the Vetra games were like Pre-season friendlies so the only one's we've had are My-Pa and Larissa... I don't think playing these games has affected us a great deal.

[Hughesy]

Not affected us no, I think that is a lame excuse that shouldnt be used.

I think one of our main problems this season is our defending, its been poor! Yes Samba is excellent but the others have all made too many mistakes if you ask me.

Also our main Men in the middle, i.e. Dunn, Pedersen, Tugay havent performed to their top level.

I still think for us, we have had a great start and im still positive for the future.

[RevidgeBlue]

I suppose you also have to consider that despite our recent poor performances, we're still probably six or seven points ahead of where we were at the corresponding point the last two seasons.

The problem being in each of the last two seasons that we managed more or less a clean sweep over the christmas fixtures and you can't see that happening this time round the way we're playing.

[bellamy11]

As Waggy has said, this is not the first time an Intertoto team has hit a slump a few months into the season.

My theory, rather than it being burnout, is that it is a complete myth. The teams that have to go through the Intertoto Cup have to be inconsistent anyway or they would have qualified for Europe through the league. Therefore they have to be the kind of team who will go through slumps. It can happen to top 4 teams so it's definitely going to happen to us.

It's the same theory as the increase in girls being called Britney. It isn't because of Britney Spears. It's simply because as the number of Britney's increase, the chance of somebody with that name becoming famous (i.e. her) increase likewise. We aren't slumping because of the Interoto, we're slumping because our level has been qualifying for the Intertoto.

[John]

Easy excuse, but intertoto having an affect?

Great start to the season afterall.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I did raise this about a month ago. A significant number of teams look tired, there's a lot of poor football on show. Now we started earlier and we have played more football than a number of teams around us in the league. We have a smallish squad and have had a number of injuries.

So we should be concerned, but not hysterical a la a number of people on the Board, who should know better.

33 points, plenty to play for and to look forward to.

[philipl]

...and a free Fa Cup 4th round week-end, a free FA Cup 5th round week-end and a free FA Cup 6th round week-end and the odd international breaks where all the team get breaks because their national managers will drop them for being rubbish now.

Intertoto has nothing to do with it.

Something suddenly broke and Sparky hasn't been able to mend it. I suspect the second half against Villa showed everybody how to beat our way of "defending" and every Prem team (and Coventry) got the old video machines out and told their players what they needed to do.

Above all, the thing which is killing us is Nelsen's failure to recover from his surgery. In previous seasons he was not only Mr Dependable but the rock the rest of the team looked to. Now he looks anguished about what he cannot do any more and he is not there for himself never mind the rest of the team.

[SamTheShrew]

totally agree philip. nelsen has been a liability in the past couple of games. heres hoping that he can recapture his form and lead us out of this sticky patch

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I see it from the other angle, our early start made us " hit the ground running", the rest of the league has caught up with us now fitness wise.

[frosty]

Basically the Intertoto games were friendlies, and as Tyrone said above it helped our start to the season. This bad slump has nothing to do with the Intertoto.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

That excuse for current form Waggles is almost as ludicrous as the one being touted that half our ruddy squad needs a 'rest'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A 'rest' ?...hows about a proper kick up the arse for the underperformers

[FourLaneBlue]

Basically the Intertoto games were friendlies, and as Tyrone said above it helped our start to the season. This bad slump has nothing to do with the Intertoto.

Maybe the Intertoto gave us a boost on the other teams and without it we would really be struggling. We have been doing better later on in games than in the first half for most of the season as witnessed by coming from behind so often.

[Alan75]

The number of games played and the quality of opposition was no different to a pre season warm up, except that these were competative games.

[joey_big_nose]

...and a free Fa Cup 4th round week-end, a free FA Cup 5th round week-end and a free FA Cup 6th round week-end and the odd international breaks where all the team get breaks because their national managers will drop them for being rubbish now.

Intertoto has nothing to do with it.

Something suddenly broke and Sparky hasn't been able to mend it. I suspect the second half against Villa showed everybody how to beat our way of "defending" and every Prem team (and Coventry) got the old video machines out and told their players what they needed to do.

Above all, the thing which is killing us is Nelsen's failure to recover from his surgery. In previous seasons he was not only Mr Dependable but the rock the rest of the team looked to. Now he looks anguished about what he cannot do any more and he is not there for himself never mind the rest of the team.

The fact that Coventry felt capable of playing three up front yesterday suggests that how to hurt us is now widely understood to anyone who studiws the tapes of our previous games. Our defence is very exposed, we play two very attacking full backs and our central midifeld provides little protection. Plus our key man and captain has lost two yards of pace and we play a very high defensive line when in possession. So the answer is hurt us on the counter with bags of speed.

I guess the way to sort it out is:

1) Buy a fast striker so we can play deeper and hit teams on the counterattack.

2) Get a good defensive minded midfielder who can protect the central defence

3) Buy a right back with pace whose main priorities lie with covering the centrebacks as opposed to getting forward.

4) Get another central defender who is solid and has pace

And really we are sort of doing that. 1) Domi (if he is any good, which Mr E doesn't think he is) 2) Sidwell. 3) Not sure....4) Not sure either- ideally somehow getting the old Nelsen back.

Signing a player like Huddlestone - who is good - might not help us deal with these fundamental problems as he is not really much of a tackler nor quick.

[roversmum]

That excuse for current form Waggles is almost as ludicrous as the one being touted that half our ruddy squad needs a 'rest'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A 'rest' ?...hows about a proper kick up the arse for the underperformers

They have been having rather a nice rest out on the pitch lately I thought.

Perhaps Sparky should take them down to the nearest park next Saturday or Sunday morning for a reality check. There they will find teams who play for the love of the game in untenable conditions without renumeration (in fact they pay to play) and give their all in their spare time after a week at work.

[waggy]

it is my VIEW that the intertoto has effected our form,i seem to remenber villa and foolham started the premier season well and then struggled later on in the season,i might be wrong but i certianly think we have peaked as a team far to early this season

[Wild Irish Rover]

They have been having rather a nice rest out on the pitch lately I thought.

Perhaps Sparky should take them down to the nearest park next Saturday or Sunday morning for a reality check. There they will find teams who play for the love of the game in untenable conditions without renumeration (in fact they pay to play) and give their all in their spare time after a week at work.

'S funny, but I was thinking exactly the same thing as I was getting ready to referee at Pleasington yesterday - Rovers of course used to train down there (on what is now sand pitch 8) and I reckon it would be a good move to remind our beloved 'professionals' that there IS more to a game of football than just turning up. I might just invite Hughesey to send some stars out on a cold Sunday morning for a reality check - it would be interesting to see who turned up..

Can't agree that the dip in form is due to the Intertoto involvement, though it is hard to reconcile the difference between the team that put on such abject performances against Sunderland and Coventry with the heroes who took us nearly all the way in the Cup against Chelski last season. Given that football is such a confidence thing, however, who is to say that we can't put all this behind us with a few decent performances in the Prem - surely Sparky must be racking his brain trying to figure out a solution that doesn't involve wholesale change.

Come on, you erm... mighty blues

[revolutionrock!]

I have a question

In the pub on Sat, someone raised the question that the Inter Toto Cup , from next season , will be axed. Thus leaving the Uefa/Champs League Places left.

Anyone know if this is right?

[FourLaneBlue]

it is my VIEW that the intertoto has effected our form,i seem to remenber villa and foolham started the premier season well and then struggled later on in the season,i might be wrong but i certianly think we have peaked as a team far to early this season

Every single season we have good and bad patches...so why is it now suddenly the fault of the Intertoto?

We played two games in the Intertoto against FK Vetra and two against MyPa to get to the same stage of the Uefa Cup as we started at last season.

So...this is all down to us playing four games which we would have played as friendles against someone else anyway most likely?

Bellamy's post sums it up best.

[FourLaneBlue]

In the pub on Sat, someone raised the question that the Inter Toto Cup , from next season , will be axed. Thus leaving the Uefa/Champs League Places left.

Anyone know if this is right?

Almost...but it is being axed from 2009 not next season so there will still be an Intertoto place up for grabs in this league campaign.

[Scotty]

Didn't we appoint a new fitness coach a couple of months ago? I wonder if his methods are, at least in the short term, taking their toll on the squad because we do look pretty tired these days. Maybe we'll reap the benefit in the coming months.

[roversmum]

Wasn't that the guy who came from Bolton? Didn't seem to have done their ageing team much harm last season though Still, you have to wonder, Scotty.

[Iceman]

Damn,is Souness now our fitness coach….