The Relegation Thread (15th edition)

[jim mk2]

This might be an over reaction but we were so abysmal today it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility we’ll end up in a relegation fight. 

I was shocked how bad we were. It’s been said many times but the defence is so soft it makes blancmange look like a lump of concrete. Bennett Williams Bell and yes lenighan looked what they are which is league one defenders 

QPR are very average but we gifted them all 4 goals with defending straight out of Sunday league football. Their supporters who were expecting another defeat - they haven’t beaten us in any competition for 20 years - were actually laughing at us. It was that embarrassing

We actually played well in patches in the 2nd half despite conceding 3 goals mainly because the statue that is Danny Graham had been withdrawn at half time. The team looked more fluid and Dack came into the game more. I like Danny but on that display he’s not worth a  place

As for Mowbray time is surely running out. The team looked demotivated and disinterested in the 1st half when QPR were surely there for the taking. And did my eyes deceive me but did Mowbray have Evans at centre half and Tosin at right back after Lenighan went off? What sort of muddled thinking is going on there? 

Sorry for the rant but the prospect of a 5 hour journey home and having spent the best part if £200 I’m sure not the only fan who feels severely cheesed off to put it politely.

Well done to all those who made the trip. We deserve an apology from Mowbray 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

52 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

This might be an over reaction but we were so abysmal today it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility we’ll end up in a relegation fight. 

I was shocked how bad we were. It’s been said many times but the defence is so soft it makes blancmange look like a lump of concrete. Bennett Williams Bell and yes lenighan looked what they are which is league one defenders 

QPR are very average but we gifted them all 4 goals with defending straight out of Sunday league football. Their supporters who were expecting another defeat - they haven’t beaten us in any competition for 20 years - were actually laughing at us. It was that embarrassing

We actually played well in patches in the 2nd half despite conceding 3 goals mainly because the statue that is Danny Graham had been withdrawn at half time. The team looked more fluid and Dack came into the game more. I like Danny but on that display he’s not worth a  place

As for Mowbray time is surely running out. The team looked demotivated and disinterested in the 1st half when QPR were surely there for the taking. And did my eyes deceive me but did Mowbray have Evans at centre half and Tosin at right back after Lenighan went off? What sort of muddled thinking is going on there? 

Sorry for the rant but the prospect of a 5 hour journey home and having spent the best part if £200 I’m sure not the only fan who feels severely cheesed off to put it politely.

Well done to all those who made the trip. We deserve an apology from Mowbray 

 

You won't get one Jim, you can bet on that. They'll all be out on this piss tonight without a care in the World. When I played badly I wanted lie down in a darkened room and not speak to anyone until Sunday.

[JHRover]

Unfortunately for Mowbray he hasn't got the ready made excuse of playing a side with loads of money, big squad of proven players or 30,000 fans on. 

QPR have nothing we don't but dismantled us with ease. Difference is a manager who knows what he is doing.

If we can be swept away by a side like QPR and be beaten at home with ease by Charlton and Luton then relegation has to be a concern. I said at the start of the season that I'd shake hands on 21st. That doesn't mean I think the manager is doing well if we do better than that, but that his management and recruitment has resulted in that.

Bigger concern is that Mowbray's sides tend to collapse in the 2nd half of seasons. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

47 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Unfortunately for Mowbray he hasn't got the ready made excuse of playing a side with loads of money, big squad of proven players or 30,000 fans on. 

QPR have nothing we don't but dismantled us with ease. Difference is a manager who knows what he is doing.

If we can be swept away by a side like QPR and be beaten at home with ease by Charlton and Luton then relegation has to be a concern. I said at the start of the season that I'd shake hands on 21st. That doesn't mean I think the manager is doing well if we do better than that, but that his management and recruitment has resulted in that.

Bigger concern is that Mowbray's sides tend to collapse in the 2nd half of seasons. 

Well we've started early this season !  Makes you wonder just how rigorous the training schedule is ?

[philipl]

I don't think it is fitness, it is getting selection and tactics horribly wrong 3 games out of 9. If we weren't fit we wouldn't have closed out previous victories the way we have been doing.

Rothwell disappointed but I bet that dribble through most of QPR in the 85th minute was a "sod your instructions, this is what I can do given the chance to play the way I should be played" moment.

[alcd]

That was an absolutely abysmal display at QPR and mirrored the many similar 2nd half capitulations last season, particularly away from home. A team that can't defend (and particularly not a lead) and has no prolific-scoring striker is going to struggle. If Cunningham is out for a long period (and the sideways impact on knee looked bad) then God help us with Bell as the back up. The build-up play is turgid and lacks width as both "wingers" always go inside and Rothwell seems capable only of running sideways. A couple more abject shows like this and it will be time to sack Mowbray before the clocks go back. 

[OldEwoodBlue]

Just now, alcd said:

That was an absolutely abysmal display at QPR and mirrored the many similar 2nd half capitulations last season, particularly away from home. A team that can't defend (and particularly not a lead) and has no prolific-scoring striker is going to struggle. If Cunningham is out for a long period (and the sideways impact on knee looked bad) then God help us with Bell as the back up. The build-up play is turgid and lacks width as both "wingers" always go inside and Rothwell seems capable only of running sideways. A couple more abject shows like this and it will be time to sack Mowbray before the clocks go back. 

Under no circumstances must Bell ever play for this football club again.

 

[Waggy76]

Just now, OldEwoodBlue said:

Under no circumstances must Bell ever play for this football club again.

 

Unfortunately he will ....

[oldjamfan1]

19 hours ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

Under no circumstances must Bell ever play for this football club again.

 

It should, indeed, be the Bell end. 

[RevidgeBlue]

20 hours ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

Under no circumstances must Bell ever play for this football club again.

 

I think that every time Bennett pulls on the shirt. Yet he's first name on the team sheet. The likes of Graham, Evans and Bennett should be nowhere near the first eleven imo. Until the favouritism towards certain players ends and we pick our better players in their natural positions we have no hope of progression.

Don't think that will ever happen under Mowbray.

[RevidgeBlue]

On 05/10/2019 at 18:34, jim mk2 said:

We actually played well in patches in the 2nd half despite conceding 3 goals mainly because the statue that is Danny Graham had been withdrawn at half time. The team looked more fluid and Dack came into the game more. 

 

Ah, someone else has seen the light, welcome jim.

The trouble is, we needed real quality in that position in summer to replace Graham but ended up spending £5m on Gallagher who proved he wasn't much good the last time he was here and who if anything appears to have gone even further backwards in the interim.

Why would you spend big (ish) money on a striker you've already seen isn't much good? It should be a lucky escape not a signal to open the cheque book. I really don't understand it.

[Blue blood]

Don't think we will get relegated as we still have a decent squad and there are a lot of poor teams in this division. 

In fact a lot of the squad is pretty good or at least certainly no worse than a lot of teams. We are admittedly somewhat short up front and on defensive numbers but the squad is solidly a championship level squad. In fact I'd suggest we are  a rock hard centre back and good striker from being a good/strong championship team. Problem is the players and tactics are chopped and changed and there's not much rhyme or reason to said changes. Combined with our obsession of playing it along the back line it's going to limit us a lot. That said I feel we have enough in the tank to get enough points to survive. We'll raise our game and get a few points off the better teams and beat some of the average ones a la Hull and Reading to stay up. 

[DE.]

With Del and the Bell now back to being our first choice left backs we can at the very least only expect mid-table now. Teams with any sense are going to destroy us down that side of the pitch. 

[JacknOry]

i would be tempted to give Downing a go there....i know, i know...but he can hardly be worse than those two. Plus, it frees up a midfield spot for Holtby.

[Amo]

35 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

i would be tempted to give Downing a go there....

Not sure he'd be best pleased with that

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stewart-downing-being-played-left-back-8104315

[DE.]

With Stoke and Huddersfield both beginning to revive themselves we had better start looking over our shoulders. Keep throwing away points as we are doing and it won't be long until we're fighting to stay in the division.

[Husky]

Well at least Reading's late winner means we aren't closer to the relegation zone than the play-off zone.

 

Points wise It's equal #TotalStability

[G Somerset Rover]

I struggle to see where the next win is coming from. Brum I can see at best a draw but in likelihood a narrow defeat. PNE will turn us over by a couple of goals, not a doubt in my mind. Sheff Weds are looking decent under Monk so that’ll probably be another Ewood draw. Leeds away = defeat. Then Barnsley at home - the big question is can Mowbray make it 3 defeats from 3 at home to the promoted boys? Looking a bit grim to me, lads.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[matt83]

12 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

I struggle to see where the next win is coming from. Brum I can see at best a draw but in likelihood a narrow defeat. PNE will turn us over by a couple of goals, not a doubt in my mind. Sheff Weds are looking decent under Monk so that’ll probably be another Ewood draw. Leeds away = defeat. Then Barnsley at home - the big question is can Mowbray make it 3 defeats from 3 at home to the promoted boys? Looking a bit grim to me, lads.

I think there’s an international break after Leeds and before Barnsley. Could be the time to pull the trigger. Particularly if only pick up a couple of points in next 4 games. 

[Pedro]

He should've been potted last season during that terrible 2nd run we had.   The fanboys will buy the upcoming tripe that it is injuries that are making us struggle but in truth, it is tactics, tinkering and selections. 

[Blue blood]

Think this is very possible - mainly because we will slowly slip into said position at this rate. Under Clueless from the start it was obvious we were struggling. This season I feel it will be a slow sink, or like a dingy slowly drifting out to sea, we won't realise we are in trouble till it is too late. A point here and there, the odd win, but if other teams similarly pick up their act, we could be in a world of trouble. 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Blue blood said:

Think this is very possible - mainly because we will slowly slip into said position at this rate. Under Clueless from the start it was obvious we were struggling. This season I feel it will be a slow sink, or like a dingy slowly drifting out to sea, we won't realise we are in trouble till it is too late. A point here and there, the odd win, but if other teams similarly pick up their act, we could be in a world of trouble. 

 

Just look at the impact the Cowley's have had at Hudds. They looked down and out at half time but their management came up with a way to get them back into the game and they won the second half. Nothing our guy did altered that, we were second best for 45 minutes. Some of the teams that you would have though would have really struggled, like Charlton and Luton, are doing fine. Hudds will get clear, in fact the thought crossed my mind that they could easily end up with more points than us by May.

We can't stop conceding soft goals. Our latest style of passing it around in our half until we lose it won't cure that, it'll just make it worse, especially when the back 4 changes every week. That's how teams get relegated.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Sparks Rover]

Yes it’s a long time since Tony made a sub that impacted like Bacuna did yesterday.

 

mowbray out

[DE.]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Just look at the impact the Cowley's have had at Hudds. They looked down and out at half time but their management came up with a way to get them back into the game and they won the second half. Nothing our guy did altered that, we were second best for 45 minutes. Some of the teams that you would have though would have really struggled, like Charlton and Luton, are doing fine. Hudds will get clear, in fact the thought crossed my mind that they could easily end up with more points than us by May.

We can't stop conceding soft goals. Our latest style of passing it around in our half until we lose it won't cure that, it'll just make it worse, especially when the back 4 changes every week. That's how teams get relegated.

Hudds are only six points behind us as it stands, and Stoke are seven points behind. If either of those two have gotten past us by the end of December then statistically speaking we are in serious trouble based on what would have been required for either of them to stay up based on the start they had.

[MarkBRFC]

We'll keep limping on, winning once in every 4 or 5 games or so just to give us enough of a cushion to be sucked into any real trouble, whilst others tell us we're only 6 points, 7 points, 8 points etc off the play offs with every passing week.