• All - as you will understand, the forum is exceptionally busy at this time. The admins and moderators simply don't have time to read every post in every thread. Could you PLEASE use the "Report" option below a post to flag any content that you feel we need to be aware of. We'll review everything reported as a priority and deal with it accordingly. Thank you.

The Relegation Dogfight 23/24

Rockabilly

Rockabilly

GAFF LAD. "Open your knees and feel the breeze"
Quntib Hollox said:
Last week Brighton had a tough European away game and we chose to sit back and play a passive game.
Luton should be demoralised tonight, shattered and bruised. I’m hoping for a positive outlook at least.
Click to expand...
Aye, let's bloody well hope so.
 
steppan

steppan

First Team Squad
Let’s hope that players don’t go into it thinking it’s already won. As tired and hurt as they are, you can guarantee they will go out and give it everything they got in front of their own fans
 
J

jdthebrit

First Team Squad
Get Out of Jail Free card handed to Forest. Now Nuno has to play it.
Deep breaths. I had a panic attack this morning, until I remembered the null point awarded Luton from the Bournemouth jury.
 
Erik

Erik

oopsy daisy!
LTLF Minion
Funny old World.

Back in December there were a people saying we should be ignoring other teams poor form and concentrate solely on Forest's poor form, which was sending us down. Now we've got people telling us that we should be ignoring Forest's poor form because clubs around us are also in poor form and will struggle to stay up as a result.

I believe we'll stay up, but it might be close. Our squad isn't yet as good or deep enough as we thought it was back in September. We were always staying up because there are three very weak teams this season.

We have not helped ourselves with recruitment and failure to adhere to the financial rules though and it's understandable why people should be worried.
 
Last edited:
Monkman

Monkman

Grenville Morris
Erik said:
I believe we'll stay up, but it might be close. Our squad isn't yet as good or deep enough as we thought it was back in September. We were always staying up because there are three very weak teams this season.
Click to expand...
It's a funny one isn't it. On paper this squad should be good enough not to be in relegation trouble. And we can argue about who's the better manager, Cooper or Nuno, but the reality is they're both pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good. So the combination of that squad and either of those managers should have been enough to have us comfortably around 13th or 14th.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for the poor season. One isn't controversial, it's that the squad is too big, so there are too many similar options to try out and we never have a settled side. Again that's afflicted both managers. The other one is a bit more out there but bear with me - I wonder if the emergence of Murillo has been an unsettling factor. Don't get me wrong, he's clearly an incredible player and will likely have a stellar career, but we were arguably doing better before his introduction (two wins from our first few games, only four since). The issue is that he's apparently a guaranteed starter (again under both managers), but we have so many other CBs that it's basically a long rotating cast list at RCB. I reckon if he hadn't played, we'd have had Boly and Niakhate (on the left where he's more comfortable) for the majority of the season and might have been much more steady at the back, as much due to better defensive cohesion though consistency as anything. How many games have we lost when we've scored 1 and even 2 goals?!
 
Notcher

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
The Frog said:
Not sure if this is in reference to the whole game as I didn’t see it, but having just watched the highlights not one goal was a ball over the top?
Click to expand...
Aye, their weakness was down both flanks but overwhelmingly on their left which was music to my eyes. This should be Elanga Vs Dan Burn the sequel if we ensure we constantly keep feeding him. CHO should get plenty of joy down their left too
 
M

MaxiRobriguez

Bob McKinlay
Monkman said:
It's a funny one isn't it. On paper this squad should be good enough not to be in relegation trouble. And we can argue about who's the better manager, Cooper or Nuno, but the reality is they're both pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good. So the combination of that squad and either of those managers should have been enough to have us comfortably around 13th or 14th.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for the poor season. One isn't controversial, it's that the squad is too big, so there are too many similar options to try out and we never have a settled side. Again that's afflicted both managers. The other one is a bit more out there but bear with me - I wonder if the emergence of Murillo has been an unsettling factor. Don't get me wrong, he's clearly an incredible player and will likely have a stellar career, but we were arguably doing better before his introduction (two wins from our first few games, only four since). The issue is that he's apparently a guaranteed starter (again under both managers), but we have so many other CBs that it's basically a long rotating cast list at RCB. I reckon if he hadn't played, we'd have had Boly and Niakhate (on the left where he's more comfortable) for the majority of the season and might have been much more steady at the back, as much due to better defensive cohesion though consistency as anything. How many games have we lost when we've scored 1 and even 2 goals?!
Click to expand...

Constant undermining from the top brass whether it's ridiculous levels of attrition, unnecessary marquee signings, advice on team selections, suggesting the aim is to challenge for Europe or telling the media the manager is under pressure is probably the overriding factor as to why two good managers with a decent squad area struggling to get consistency from the players.
 
Notcher

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
Monkman said:
It's a funny one isn't it. On paper this squad should be good enough not to be in relegation trouble. And we can argue about who's the better manager, Cooper or Nuno, but the reality is they're both pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good. So the combination of that squad and either of those managers should have been enough to have us comfortably around 13th or 14th.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for the poor season. One isn't controversial, it's that the squad is too big, so there are too many similar options to try out and we never have a settled side. Again that's afflicted both managers. The other one is a bit more out there but bear with me - I wonder if the emergence of Murillo has been an unsettling factor. Don't get me wrong, he's clearly an incredible player and will likely have a stellar career, but we were arguably doing better before his introduction (two wins from our first few games, only four since). The issue is that he's apparently a guaranteed starter (again under both managers), but we have so many other CBs that it's basically a long rotating cast list at RCB. I reckon if he hadn't played, we'd have had Boly and Niakhate (on the left where he's more comfortable) for the majority of the season and might have been much more steady at the back, as much due to better defensive cohesion though consistency as anything. How many games have we lost when we've scored 1 and even 2 goals?!
Click to expand...
Murrillos emergence came through another factor, injuries. He cemented his place when Niakhate got injured and his performances made it pretty difficult to drop him again along with the fact the Niakhate didn't really do anything to play his way back in when he did get a chance.

So along with those injuries, of which there plenty then AFCON that's another 2 pretty big factors why this team has never been able to get firing for prolonged periods.
 
M

MaxiRobriguez

Bob McKinlay
Monkman said:
Sorry but they sound more like agenda-driven nebulous fan complaints rather than concrete footballing reasons. I don't see how most of them apply to Nuno for starters.
Click to expand...

The only one that doesn't apply to Nuno, yet, is his job security being deliberately leaked to the press.
 
D

DB1702

Viv Anderson
MaxiRobriguez said:
Constant undermining from the top brass whether it's ridiculous levels of attrition, unnecessary marquee signings, advice on team selections, suggesting the aim is to challenge for Europe or telling the media the manager is under pressure is probably the overriding factor as to why two good managers with a decent squad area struggling to get consistency from the players.
Click to expand...
Sorry but that sounds very much like something Gary Neville on one of his numerous rants about United's problem being all about ownership - the players HAVE to take some of the responsibility - individual errors have been costing us all season.

- CHO kick the ball into row Z vs Liverpool - that's nothing to do with the top brass at the club that's just basic football sense, I watched Saka kick boot the ball down field last saturday when Arsenal were defending deep into injury time.

Our defending and attacking from set pieces has been all season below par at best a combination of players switching off and not having the desire to win the ball and biazerly 2 good managers think its a good idea to let MGW take corners and set pieces when its clearly a weakness in his otherwise excellent game.

Its been a collective failure EM those around him, Cooper and the players all bear responsibility for the sad position we find ourselves in.

The good news is we have 10 games to put this right even with 3-6 points coming off for FFP we CAN still stay up.
 
MASE

MASE

Up-Front
Monkman said:
It's a funny one isn't it. On paper this squad should be good enough not to be in relegation trouble. And we can argue about who's the better manager, Cooper or Nuno, but the reality is they're both pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good. So the combination of that squad and either of those managers should have been enough to have us comfortably around 13th or 14th.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for the poor season. One isn't controversial, it's that the squad is too big, so there are too many similar options to try out and we never have a settled side. Again that's afflicted both managers. The other one is a bit more out there but bear with me - I wonder if the emergence of Murillo has been an unsettling factor. Don't get me wrong, he's clearly an incredible player and will likely have a stellar career, but we were arguably doing better before his introduction (two wins from our first few games, only four since). The issue is that he's apparently a guaranteed starter (again under both managers), but we have so many other CBs that it's basically a long rotating cast list at RCB. I reckon if he hadn't played, we'd have had Boly and Niakhate (on the left where he's more comfortable) for the majority of the season and might have been much more steady at the back, as much due to better defensive cohesion though consistency as anything. How many games have we lost when we've scored 1 and even 2 goals?!
Click to expand...

Outside of Gibbs White, who himself has been inconsistent, theres precious little in that squad to hang your hat on at Premier league level. the notion a manager rocks up & has that squad a "comfortable" 13th or 14th is fantasy.

Its been chucked together with no obvious strategy in the hope it gels, Cooper had it tight at the back with no attacking intent & a cracking team spirit, Nunos clueless at the back with some half decent attacking combinations but absolutely no apparent togetherness.

In summary this squads all round ability at this level lacks, so if it doesnt get its shit together & beat Luton, we'll likely go back to where we belong. So Nuno pick your best team, shake yourself up & start moving us away from trouble.
 
Monkman

Monkman

Grenville Morris
Notcher said:
Murrillos emergence came through another factor, injuries. He cemented his place when Niakhate got injured and his performances made it pretty difficult to drop him again along with the fact the Niakhate didn't really do anything to play his way back in when he did get a chance.

So along with those injuries, of which there plenty then AFCON that's another 2 pretty big factors why this team has never been able to get firing for prolonged periods.
Click to expand...
Haha, the Niakhate injury myth surfaces again! He was suspended for Murillo's second game after being sent off playing left back in Murillo's first game (Brentford), and hasn't been injured since. So if it wasn't for Murillo he'd likely have been our LCB against Brentford, and ever since, with Boly at RCB. Apart from AFCON of course.

Screenshot_2024-03-14-08-49-41-82_df198e732186825c8df26e3c5a10d7cd.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom