No complaints today. You never enjoy losing but we were beaten by a better team. I thought Taylor was onside for his disallowed goal but it would be a stretch to say that we were unlucky overall. Norwich missed some gilt edged chances. Fisher was excellent all afternoon. They all worked hard, with the possible exception of Halford who looks to me like he only wants to or perhaps can only play walking football. Joe Newell still looks off the pace.
Norwich played one up front at home by the way. It seems to be working for them.
At the end of the day we were playing a side who have retained 90% of the players who nearly stayed in the Premier League last season and who dwarf us financially. Their turnover is several times what ours is. They have the parachute money and their season ticket holders alone would fill our stadium twice over. That means they can leave £6m players on the subs bench. That bit of extra quality will normally tell over 90 minutes and will certainly tell over the course of a season. Unfortunately the same is true of nearly every other club in our division as well.
We have stayed up in the last couple of seasons by the skin of our teeth. In the first season we had the momentum of coming up which Barnsley and Burton have benefitted from (but which is running out of steam). Last season we performed miracles and had some big slices of luck under Warnock and TS gambled some money over a short period to see if we could hang on and it paid off. Both seasons we were aided by having a couple of competitors self destructing. This season we might well go down. To be honest I would rather go down than go bust spending what we might need to spend to compete, and perhaps (like Norwich with their relegation from the Premier League) we might enjoy being competitive in the league below rather than struggle most weeks. It hurts a bit to think like that, but isn't that the brutal reality?
I think we have shown enough recently to suggest that we are improving and have some fight in us. If we go down trying to do the right things and living within our means I can live with it.
So you think if or should, I say when we go down, the team is good enough to compete in L1. With less revenue with poor attendacies and a manager with no man management skills never mind motivational skill. A team has to have belief in themselves did you see enough today?
Smiler, I was a lot further down the stand (on the halfway line), and wondered about Taylor being flagged off-side, there seems to be no luck when you are down there.
I think that what we had today would be very competitive in League One. I saw no lack of effort. Just a 5% difference in class that money can buy and that is enough to make the difference.
That Norwich team was relegated last season and they got stick from their supporters for not trying hard enough and their manager got stick for not being experienced enough or vocal enough. The harsh reality for them was that they were too good for the Championship but relative small fry in the Premier League. Same with Burnley.
The gaps between the divisions are wide and are getting wider. A very realistic supporter commented to me after the game today that we are in the same league as Norwich in name only. We went up to the Championship as the fifth best team in League One and have done well to survive for two years but unless we get a massive injection of cash from somewhere its always going to be tough for us in there.
I think the OP from smiler is probably as balanced a view as one can arrive at looking at our last few seasons.
If you look at all the gaps we have been unable to fill in terms of quality you'd have to agree with his summary.
I too can live with going back down and agree it hurts to say it but I think we will have to perform incredibly well to survive now. It's not stubbs it's the squad that we need to be focusing on.
The sad thing is that we are about where we were in L1 in terms of squad . I think it's been too much of a stretch and it's snapped for now.
My hope is we can really continue to learn and keep trying as a club and supporting as fans
I know all the arguments about the parachute payments, big budgets etc etc and its an undeniable fact we cant compete in the wages dept. But, I think we have some real talent in the squad this season, and I believe we CAN compete, but only if the team is set up right and there is a decent strategy in place to counter the opposing managers plan. This is where Warnock was at his best and how we have to continue to play it. Stubbs seems to be a one trick pony and its just not working.
We need another Warnock type manager. Accepting the fact that we are doomed to relegation, is not acceptable and while we still have a chance we should be battling like hell to retain our Championship status. Relegation would be a financial disaster for the club and could set back the clubs development (with regards to further external investment) for years to come rendering all the hard work and progress over the last 5 years a waste . NYS will become a bit of a white elephant with crowds of 5000.
Stubbs seems a decent bloke and I feel sorry for him but my club comes first. He has to go.
I wouldnt mind losing away at Norwich if we hadn't previously lost to the likes of Blackburn and Cardiff to name just two.
With each passing game we are being cast even further adrift. On Tuesday it will be 'it's never easy to go to Birmingham' and then Saturday will be 'Stam as got them playing well'....
