Where does the fault lie (4 Viewers)

[rupert_bear]

Around Christmas time we were handily placed in the league having pulled back the 10 point deduction and within striking distance of the play-offs, so where does the blame lie ? Defence despite bringing in centre half Danny Seabourne leaks goals like a sieve, has Pressley done enough on that department, was the Webster/Jordan Clarke pairing as poor as a lot were saying, certainly let less goals in or has the pressing game initially a success been sussed and is SP a one trick pony. In my opinion we are staring relegation in the face which could be catastrophic for our future.

 

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[dongonzalos]

A training regime that pushes the players to the maximum.
IMO this is how we got our initial success. Catching out the opposition with our pace and power. However by training at a greater intensity than other teams the players need rotation.

That is something we could not do.

Now we are suffering.

 

[Grendel]

A training regime that pushes the players to the maximum.
IMO this is how we got our initial success. Catching out the opposition with our pace and power. However by training at a greater intensity than other teams the players need rotation.

That is something we could not do.

Now we are suffering.

So man for man whose was the best squad tonight? You've often bigged up baker, Barton and Christie yet they are not even good enough to get in the team.

 

[NottsCov]

We haven't been able to defend for shit all season, and we should have strengthened in January. But losing the Clarke/Wilson partnership at the turn of the year is the reason we're dropping. They're still the 4th highest scoring partnership in all 4 divisions despite not playing together since new year. If Burnley had lost the Vokes/Ings partnership at new years they certainly wouldn't be where they are now.

 

[dongonzalos]

So man for man whose was the best squad tonight? You've often bigged up baker, Barton and Christie yet they are not even good enough to get in the team.

Irrelevant if the squad is knackered from a high intensity training and playing regime.

We were always going to drop off around January time without rotation prior to that.

That added to the disruption that happens when you sell your top goal scorer in January as we have seen before

 

[bigfatronssba]

The fault lies within the culture of the club and has been the same for the last 20 years. Until this loser mentality is expelled our season's will always follow the same pattern.

For a start fans need to stop thinking we're having an amazing season because we're mid table in league 1.

 

[ecky]

Irrelevant if the squad is knackered from a high intensity training and playing regime.

We were always going to drop off around January time without rotation prior to that.

That added to the disruption that happens when you sell your top goal scorer in January as we have seen before

There will be an exodus in the summer, loanees, freebies trialists are all temporary and a sustainable team cannot be built with them.

Lack of real funds and an inability to address our major flaw (defending) has cost us dearly.

My money would be on a Nuneaton v Coventry next season, and under the present owners I will be hoping Nuneaton achieve great things

 

[steveo1987]

There will be an exodus in the summer, loanees, freebies trialists are all temporary and a sustainable team cannot be built with them.

Lack of real funds and an inability to address our major flaw (defending) has cost us dearly.

My money would be on a Nuneaton v Coventry next season, and under the present owners I will be hoping Nuneaton achieve great things

Fair comment. However we will stay up but I fear for us the following season. We look like going down if we lose 5-6 key players.

 

[covmark]

The fault lies within the culture of the club and has been the same for the last 20 years. Until this loser mentality is expelled our season's will always follow the same pattern.

For a start fans need to stop thinking we're having an amazing season because we're mid table in league 1.

Good post, lost count at the amount of times that our season has gone to shit after Christmas.
Depressing.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

The owners are at fault for not being able to back sp. The off field nonsense is deeply affecting the players and until resolved we will die slowly.

 

[skybluelee]

The fault lies within the culture of the club and has been the same for the last 20 years. Until this loser mentality is expelled our season's will always follow the same pattern.

For a start fans need to stop thinking we're having an amazing season because we're mid table in league 1.

Only 20?...

 

[thaiskyblue]

4 little letters,_ _ _ _.

 

[Astute]

I am not allowed to have an opinion here as part of it would be to do with the finances of our club.

 

[skybluetony176]

So man for man whose was the best squad tonight? You've often bigged up baker, Barton and Christie yet they are not even good enough to get in the team.

Things not going well at home at the moment grendull?

Every reply you make at the moment seems to angling for an argument.

In answer to the OP I have to agree with what dongalnzalos said.

 

[Grendel]

Irrelevant if the squad is knackered from a high intensity training and playing regime.

We were always going to drop off around January time without rotation prior to that.

That added to the disruption that happens when you sell your top goal scorer in January as we have seen before

We actually started dropping off when Seabourne became first choice centre half.

 

[Astute]

We actually started dropping off when Seabourne became first choice centre half.

Or when Wilson got injured.

 

[The Gentleman]

We actually started dropping off when Seabourne became first choice centre half.

Our defensive frailties were there before that happened, it's just that we had the we'll score more than you mentality. The only problem with that plan is that as everyone knows no team can keep scoring like we were because of injuries, loss of form, lack of squad depth and players leaving

 

[DazzleTommyDazzle]

Without going over any of the usual debates, I'm not sure that we should be too surprised.

On or two of the older posters on the site did post in the early heady days of the season that we should take a cautionary look back at Bobby Gould's first season in charge.

Then a very inexperienced ( in first division terms) fairly light squad hit the ground running and was placed fourth just before Christmas, having thrashed one of the "great Liverpool sides" 4-0.

However as the demands of the season started to weigh down on the squad and as other teams started to get wise to the relative unknowns, it all got a lot tougher and we finally avoided relegation by winning our last game of the season.

Not a carbon copy, but in my view a number of pretty close similarities.

 

[DaleM]

We actually started dropping off when Seabourne became first choice centre half.

Or when Clarke pissed off

 

[spider_ricoh]

We actually started dropping off when Seabourne became first choice centre half.

Surprised you're not on here blaming Andy Thorn and/or ACL and/or Saddam Hussein

 

[NortonSkyBlue]

could it not be that the cream is rising to the top and sadly we are not the cream. Poor squad, especially defensively, mediocre management and poor ownership tells me that we are where we should be and given the circumstances actually doing better than some expected. Relegation? wont make any difference, just excelerate speed of the destructive journey we are already embarked on.

 

[Gint11]

Every successful team in the history of football has had a good defense. We don't.

 

[italiahorse]

We actually started dropping off when Seabourne became first choice centre half.

I think he is playing out of position. I think he would make a better Chairman.

 

[The Prefect]

So man for man whose was the best squad tonight? You've often bigged up baker, Barton and Christie yet they are not even good enough to get in the team.

Grendel, comments like this remind me of picking teams in the playground when I was a child. The 'not even good enough' players were always left out. It's not like that in professional football.

Baker, Barton and Christie are all good enough to be in the team, injuries aside they are out of favour. Barton played well at Bristol City and the club managed a lucky win. There are a lot of factors that could dictate whether players are selected. With the club being so short of funds any contractual payments based on appearances may lead to players being dropped because the club can't afford the payments. SP isn't going to stand up and say that he can't play someone because the club can't afford it...

For anyone here old enough to remember under the then Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit, Rob Lee lost the captaincy and his squad number and was made to train with the youth teams. Bobby Robson took over and he was back in and playing regularly. Not good enough doesn't come into it - out of favour does.

I suspect that team selection is partly being governed by financial matters. I doubt we'll see our first choice team again this season because finances will dictate it will be broken up at the end of the season with any players of value being moved out. We look safe(ish) from relegation so the more expensive players will be phased out and cheaper options put into the team.

 

[stupot07]

Are you really suggesting that baker, Christie and Barton were on the bench because of finances?

 

[Grendel]

Are you suggesting that baker, Christie and Barton were on the bench because of finances?

And that Barton is good enough anyway?

 

[The Gentleman]

And that Barton is good enough anyway?

In the right system, yes. Not suggesting that we change our style for one man but playing a proper defensive midfielder along with this system would make us harder to beat.

 

[wince]

We look safe(ish) from relegation so the more expensive players will be phased out and cheaper options put into the team

The two games at easter are allways massive 6 points that can make and brake a season

 

[stupot07]

In the right system, yes. Not suggesting that we change our style for one man but playing a proper defensive midfielder along with this system would make us harder to beat.

Bartons a strange one, neither Robins nor Pressley seem to rate him, Preston weren't that bothered about letting him go on the cheap (bearing in mind the previousLiverpool speculation).

 

[torchomatic]

Clarke wanting to leave and Wilson getting injured derailed it for me. The wins against Peterborough and Rotherham were really the last time we performed well.

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

Bartons a strange one, neither Robins nor Pressley seem to rate him, Preston weren't that bothered about letting him go on the cheap (bearing in mind the previousLiverpool speculation).

tbf I have heard both be very complimentary about him, saying he's the type of player that you would have to build the system around him. It's just been that other players have always been ahead of him

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

Also it is obvious that Clarke and Wilson were carrying this team, we won't move forward in this division until we start defending properly.

 

[stupot07]

Also it is obvious that Clarke and Wilson were carrying this team, we won't move forward in this division until we start defending properly.

Very true, including a midfield that can do their jobs defensively.

 

[Sterling Archer]

I'll repeat what I always do for this kind of question.

- We have a small inexperienced squad ravaged by financial difficulties and a transfer embargo;
- We started off with -10 pts;
- Considering the above, this bad form was inevitable;
- Any club would struggle losing a 20 goal a season striker;
- A lot of people predicted a lower mid table finish at the start of the season and would've been happy with that, all things considered;
- If people had offered us the pts total we currently have at this stage, at the start of the season, I'm willing to bet 95% of Cov fans would've taken it. As for the 5%, then they would've had unrealistic expectations.

 

[The Prefect]

Are you really suggesting that baker, Christie and Barton were on the bench because of finances?

Could be - I wouldn't be surprised if it was the case. Some of these players will have been around on good contracts for a while. Appearance payments to squad players will be less than to these senior professionals.

I do accept that this might not be the case. It seems we're seeing strange team selections at present - it is a possible explanation...