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Patches OHoolahan

We never looked like getting promoted

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At no stage this season have I felt confident that we would be promoted. Certainly we flattered to deceive in the early parts of the season, but our descent down the table after THAT Newcastle defeat has been accompanied by a sense of numbing inevitability on my part.

The current wave of apathy sweeping over the fan base indicates that I am not alone in this feeling. In most recent seasons I have felt a certain sense of excitement, an anticipation that we would, eventually, force our way into the playoffs, that we had a chance of escaping relegation but that feeling has been sorely absent this season.

It is incumbent upon the board to take action, to inject an inkling of excitement into the club again. The same tired excuses are trotted out game after game by Mr Neil. I appreciate what he has done for the club in the past and I certainly respect his achievements, but there is a long term rot in the squad that he has distinctly failed to address during his time at the club. Moreover, some of his recent purchases, or rather a lack thereof, have made little sense. Spending £7 million on a winger when we are already blessed with a number of talented wide-men is frankly bewildering.

Without action this season or early in the close season I fear a prolonged period of inertia which will eventually be punctured with a further deterioration in our position, as we gradually lose the quality members of our squad.

This is not a bad team. Far from it. That is what makes our present situation all the more frustrating. Build the team around the likes of the Murphy twins, Maddison, Pritchard, Howson and Oliveira. Consider overhauling the defence (bar perhaps Pinto). But first and foremost, new direction is needed from the dugout. We cannot continue down the present path as we saw where it led in 2008/2009. We laboured too long under the ponderous direction of Nigel Worthington after relegation from the Premier League and subsequently a series of poor appointments compounded our position to diminish the advantage gained from our brief stay in the top tier.

I implore the board to see sense and to recognise that their loyalty to Alex Neil, admirable though it may be, is misplaced and is not in the long term interests of this club. If finance is the primary motivation in their decision-making, then the board need to seriously consider the current downward momentum that we have, and the financial implications of that continuing into next season. This is not a time to shy away from taking difficult decisions, we fans require, indeed deserve hard-headed decision making from the board and if they are not able to take those decisions, they need to consider their own positions and that of the vacant CEO role very carefully.

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Not entirely true. Remember there was a time when we were top of the league. Yes performances were always a concern as was our alarming rate of conceding goals but importantly we were winning games and doing the business. Unfortunately that was all against teams outside the top six. We line up against Brighton and bam, we get found out.

There''s no doubt I think that even attempting to solve our defensive problems in the summer would have made a huge difference. But even so, given the squad we have collectively as a team we have massively underperformed. Whether that''s down to the manager or the players I''m not sure, but someone needs to pay for our mistakes. Sadly I doubt the board or club management will be ruthless enough to right those wrongs in time for next season. As always, expect mediocrity.

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Even at the start of the season when we were picking up results we looked shattered, after 5-10 games we were out for the count!

I put it down to a premier league hang over, I know they play less games but the intensity of a relegation battle really took its toll and we''re paying for it now.

We needed a total clear out this summer if you want to be hypercritical but we seemed to invest in frilly, bums on seats players like Pritchard and Maddison when really we needed a new backbone.

Newcastle suffered the same fate early on, unable to pick up points, struggling for form but they invested heavily in what they needed. A goal machine in Dwight Gayle.

Now in terms of player I don''t think there''s a massive amount of difference between Cam and Gayle, the one thing I do notice is Cameron looks like he''s carrying the weight of the teams goal scoring duties on his shoulders for the last 3 years and he looks knackered. Gayle pretty much sat on the bench for 3 years at Palace and is fresh and has something to prove.

Our squad has nothing to prove, have achieved pretty much everything they will accomplish in football and are running down the clock before they go out to pasture. AN is still a young hungry manager being let down by players who think they are either too good for this dog fight i.e Klose, Brady. We need every squad member pulling in the right direction. Cameron''s break from ranks shows its not the manager, he said we''re not doing what we are told simple as that. For me you really see a players worth in times like these, when the chips are down who''s going to stand up and be counted. Who really has the fire in their belly? With Klose and Martin not overly bothered about giving 110% every week we''re never getting out of this league.

When we went up we had a hunger, a desire to be premier league. Nathan Redmond and Martin Olsson optimised this. Will do whatever it takes to be the best and look at them now.

Give AN this summer to really get his teeth in and rip the team to shreds, if we''re still mid table after 10 games go get whoevers just been sacked from the relegation rat race.

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I really, really do not want that idiot "ripping the team to shreds" - it could set us back years. Despite performances we still have the basis of a good side. If coached, managed and motivated properly it could be a very good side with perhaps some rebuilding of the defence.

Why the board and it seems some fans are prepared to sacrifice everything for that little sh*t of a manager is beyond me.

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Ps in my view Jetome was choosing his words carefully but wanted to convey the message that they don''t respect the coaching staff.

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Villa

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Wolves

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Palace

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Sunderland

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Coventry

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

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Leicester new manager two wins.

If you can defend a manager who against a bottom three club knowing our only realistic chance of play offs meant we needed three points instead took off a winger and put defender on to preserve his own precious job .

You trust the clown who said hindsight wonderful thing over complete lack of investment in defence when every fan , expert saying we needed competition in back four.

Puts players out who are clearly not fit enough to play ninety minutes at pace.

Response to thrashing is to have only ONE shot on target against bottom three side!

Good luck fans like you are the reason we are in the mess we are

Accept Poor standards expect poor standards

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Someone was obviously spoilt as a child and got everything they always wanted!

If they players won''t graft no manager not even Jose Mourinho is getting this lot promoted.

We''re not a good team, we don''t even have that great individuals anymore!

Losing McNally was the end of the dream.

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[quote user="Thisisbabyish"]Villa

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Wolves

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Palace

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Sunderland

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Coventry

Cracking new manager - still rubbish[/quote]

Or of course you could look at Chelsea, where the new manager has got pretty much the same players to the top of the league!

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So what does it say about those group of players!

Mourinho has transformed United who couldn''t buy a win under Moyes and Van Gaal, so does that make him a bad manager because the players downed tools?

Players are 100% to blame in this, who the hell would want to manage a football team 😳

Did anyone hear about the Olymipakos manager sacked 9 points clear at the top of the Turkish league? Savage!

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At the start of the season we were up there not playing well but getting results. The confidence and weaknesses were exposed after the Newcastle away game as it was after the same fixture last season. Another competent manager could have got top 6

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[quote user="Alfie54"][quote user="Thisisbabyish"]Villa

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Wolves

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Palace

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Sunderland

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Coventry

Cracking new manager - still rubbish[/quote]

Or of course you could look at Chelsea, where the new manager has got pretty much the same players to the top of the league![/quote]

Leeds?

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[quote user="Thisisbabyish"]So what does it say about those group of players!

Mourinho has transformed United who couldn''t buy a win under Moyes and Van Gaal, so does that make him a bad manager because the players downed tools?

Players are 100% to blame in this, who the hell would want to manage a football team 😳

Did anyone hear about the Olymipakos manager sacked 9 points clear at the top of the Turkish league? Savage![/quote]

You really are clueless! Turkish league?

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[quote user="Thisisbabyish"]Villa

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Wolves

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Palace

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Sunderland

Cracking new manager - still rubbish

Coventry

Cracking new manager - still rubbish[/quote]Any reason you have left the likes of Leeds and Huddersfield off that list ?

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Just 11 miserly points in the whole of the second half of last season. After a few wins early this campaign against low placed opposition, we now have 26 points from the last 23 Champs matches..all this is way more than a blip, its a long term slideSeems Delia has placed her faith in Alex to get the club a big overhaul this summer. From the transfer windows  since he has been here, just cannot see him capable of  overseeing a big clear out and getting the required replacements in. Add to that his very average to poor record of making the right sub changes, picking a strong first 11 and now seemingly, players who are just not inspired by his kind of  approach, its no wonder the fan base is concerned.We have been here before, and worse, just hope the worse does not come back also.

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[quote user="Thisisbabyish"]Haha someone had clueless as their word of the day 😆✊🏻[/quote]

Notice you are not disagreeing with that considered analysis.

To do so would confirm that you are indeed clueless.

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In my view AN has lost is hunger too. I think he expected to walk this league evidenced by poor workrate of the team, lack of pressing when not in possession, persistent selection of out of form players (Martin, Naismith amongst others). No way back, has to go before he destroys the young emerging talent we do have.

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