Will a loss tonight be unacceptable?

[zema abbey football genius 36]

3 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

After all in some ways you can argue that our result against Boro was one of our worst results all season, but in other ways you can at least try and handwave it. Boro are one of the best teams in this divison, half our team is out injured including our two main centrebacks, the weather was awful.. Whatever you want to come up with you can try and just put it down to a one off awful result.

But QPR? They are 20th. Staring down relegation. They lost 3-0 to Coventry in their last match, their last win was over a month ago with a 1-0 victory and since then they have even lost 6-1 to Blackpool.

I mean come on, if we lose tonight what excuses could we possibly come up with?

I put the 5-1 defeat solely down to the awful weather. How were we supposed to play that slick, front foot football we have been enjoying all season in those conditions? It should have been called off. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by zema abbey football genius

[Norfolk Dan 308]

We will win v QPR. Why ? To prolong the agony.... 

[Capt. Pants 4,332]

Of course it will be unacceptable if we lose to them. Injuries are not an excuse as we have Byram back who can step in at CB, he's played there in the Premier League. It's up to Wagner to select the right team and motivate the players.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves on misery meltdown, we might win, Preston lose, Blackburn and Coventry draw and suddenly every team is under pressure. 

 

[It's Character Forming 1,167]

If it's "unacceptable" how do we refuse to accept it ?  Ask for a rematch ?  Pretend it doesn't happen ?  What does this even mean ?

 

We've been totally inconsistent since Wagner took over.  Before then, we were consistently poor for the last part of Smith's reign.  Under Wagner we have good games mixed with games where we are poor for part or all of the game.

 

Right now, we've lost our first choice CBs and the player we've been using as DM, meaning it's a makeshift defence that is very vulnerable. People love to have a go at Hanley, Gibson and McLean but the truth is they are really good players at this level.  Also,  Pukki is massively out of form and Sargent is still coming back from injury and Idah is struggling.  

 

So I can see this game going either way honestly.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

One of my golf mates is a Baggie and if they finish above us, its my round so it will not be acceptable if we don't win let alone lose.

[Google Bot 3,391]

2 hours ago, Don’t be Krul said:

QPR must be nearly (if not) bottom of the form table. Along come Norwich. Will a loss be unacceptable? More like inevitable!

I saw this posted online at the start of the week.... 

Here is what the Championship table would look like if the season had started on 1st January 2023

So anyone subscribing the ACN line of thought, brace yourselves!

[Nexus_Canary 1,047]

3 hours ago, hogesar said:

Depends if those fans self-reflect upon the demanding Smith is sacked and not seeing the huge improvement they all said was inevitable. "anyone" could do better with this squad, was the thought at the time. Since they've got that one wrong they might be better placed keeping quiet re Webber.

Wagner is a huge improvement on Smith.

Actually acknowledges the existence of a fan base for starters. has a better record 3 months vs a year so don't try bringing Smith into this there are literally zeros positives from his tenure apart from the day he was fired.

[Yellowfuture 71]

Is the **** in the sombrero still there?

[king canary 7,705]

3 hours ago, hogesar said:

Depends if those fans self-reflect upon the demanding Smith is sacked and not seeing the huge improvement they all said was inevitable. "anyone" could do better with this squad, was the thought at the time. Since they've got that one wrong they might be better placed keeping quiet re Webber.

Oh c'mon this is just...

Because a different manager hasn't led to significant improvement in the squad, this points to the fans being the ones in the wrong about Webber? And in no way does it point to the guy who assembled this squad maybe not doing a good job?

Incredible cognitive dissonance on display here.

[It's Character Forming 1,167]

3 hours ago, hogesar said:

Depends if those fans self-reflect upon the demanding Smith is sacked and not seeing the huge improvement they all said was inevitable. "anyone" could do better with this squad, was the thought at the time. Since they've got that one wrong they might be better placed keeping quiet re Webber.

Bit of a straw man there @hogesaralmost like LYB has hacked your account !

[baldy09 163]

If Wagner sends out our "Giggle squad" ie Idah at the front  then we be in for a laugh and cry and a booooooooooooooo

[essex canary 516]

3 hours ago, nutty nigel said:

Is Fernandez still their owner?

Perhaps he's poor now...

It is offering those generous bond returns that did it. Mind the promotion bonus only runs until 2025/26.

[nutty nigel 7,669]

8 minutes ago, essex canary said:

It is offering those generous bond returns that did it. Mind the promotion bonus only runs until 2025/26.

So is Fernandez still their owner?

Is he poor now?

[canarydan23 4,141]

4 hours ago, hogesar said:

Depends if those fans self-reflect upon the demanding Smith is sacked and not seeing the huge improvement they all said was inevitable. "anyone" could do better with this squad, was the thought at the time. Since they've got that one wrong they might be better placed keeping quiet re Webber.

Conversely, improving on Smith was one of the easiest assignments in football history and Webber have somehow managed to fail at that too.

[littleyellowbirdie 2,614]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

Oh c'mon this is just...

Because a different manager hasn't led to significant improvement in the squad, this points to the fans being the ones in the wrong about Webber? And in no way does it point to the guy who assembled this squad maybe not doing a good job?

Incredible cognitive dissonance on display here.

It definitely points to a number of fans being wrong that a change of manager would sort everything... twice if you include Farke as well as Smith.

I'm reminded of when things clicked under Farke and the number of people on Canary call saying 'I was wrong'. That's all very well if you aren't starting from a position of people being absolutely adamant that they're right that sacking <insert name here> is the magic fix to the footballing woes at any given time. You can't rule out the possibility that a lot of fans are wrong about a lot of things, especially the ins and outs of decision-making of off-pitch staff who do answer for their actions to the board behind closed doors.

When people say 'football's a game of opinions', I think that originally meant opinions about what happens on the pitch. Nowadays, that seems to be more opinions about what happens in the boardroom, in the dressing room, in the AGM, and in the latest accounts.

 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by littleyellowbirdie

[nutty nigel 7,669]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

Oh c'mon this is just...

Because a different manager hasn't led to significant improvement in the squad, this points to the fans being the ones in the wrong about Webber? And in no way does it point to the guy who assembled this squad maybe not doing a good job?

Incredible cognitive dissonance on display here.

But does it suggest fans were wrong about Smith?

Perhaps Webber should have been the first pound of flesh as we are now just two pounds of flesh away from it being Attanasio's fault..

[king canary 7,705]

32 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

Conversely, improving on Smith was one of the easiest assignments in football history and Webber have somehow managed to fail at that too.

Exactly.

The fact he replaced the manager who was clearly underachieving with another who has failed to improve much leads to one of two conclusions...

1- Webber cocked up a 2nd managerial appointment in a row.

Or

2- The squad Webber assembled that is likely one of the highest paid in the league is not actually that good.

Neither of them exactly paint our SD in a glowing light.

Still, easier to claim it's the fans who are wrong I guess...

[hogesar 9,820]

2 hours ago, king canary said:

Oh c'mon this is just...

Because a different manager hasn't led to significant improvement in the squad, this points to the fans being the ones in the wrong about Webber? And in no way does it point to the guy who assembled this squad maybe not doing a good job?

Incredible cognitive dissonance on display here.

Yeah I'm not doing it without intent.

It's the hyperbole of "anyone" could do better than Smith with this squad.

It's not about significant improvements. We've not even equalled Smiths best run at this level with this team yet. 

1 hour ago, king canary said:

Exactly.

The fact he replaced the manager who was clearly underachieving with another who has failed to improve much leads to one of two conclusions...

1- Webber cocked up a 2nd managerial appointment in a row.

Or

2- The squad Webber assembled that is likely one of the highest paid in the league is not actually that good.

Neither of them exactly paint our SD in a glowing light.

Still, easier to claim it's the fans who are wrong I guess...

If the squad isn't good enough then yes that's on Webber.

But guess what, the fans can get things wrong too. If the squad isn't good enough to begin with then why the claim anyone could do better than Smith? Why create all the negativity around the man and stereotype him for being English etc etc? We all saw it on here let alone in the stands.

Webber can have underperformed but that doesn't mean fans can't be wrong either does it?

[crispeduk 282]

5 hours ago, Yellowhammer said:

Tonight will decide who is in with a chance of the playoffs , lose and we can forget it especially if all the others around us win , in some ways will be a blessing as just my ready . 

Yes we might be put us out of our misery. Yet for myself I will still defend to the hilt my right to be an opinionated tw*t. It’s one of the joys of following football – and when times are bad it can become the only one (apart from looking back that is). Trouble is in this bonkers division this season many of our opinions can’t stand the test of time, even as short a time as 90 minutes plus stoppage. Yes a loss tonight pretty well leaves us dead in the water, but a win could put us in a play-off spot !!!  What’s that all about after our almost unbroken dire recent run (whatever the causes)? It does make it difficult to be that opinionated tw*t. Can’t wait for next season – however this one pans out.

[littleyellowbirdie 2,614]

3 hours ago, canarydan23 said:

Conversely, improving on Smith was one of the easiest assignments in football history and Webber have somehow managed to fail at that too.

All the evidence suggests the opposite and that many fans were simply wrong in their excessive criticism of Smith.

Not a criticism of Wagner, who deserves respect as much as Smith for his history in the Championship and Premier league, but the club has lost money appeasing fans by sacking Smith, and we've gone backwards on results on the back of it, with that trend continuing tonight it seems.

Edited April 19, 2023 by littleyellowbirdie

[Midlands Yellow 4,118]

8 hours ago, hogesar said:

Chelsea interviewed him this season. That's a huge club considering him for a position. No other SD in this division was considered. I believe when he leaves us he's considering getting into another sport. I wouldn't be surprised for him to make a success of it elsewhere and reap the financial benefits from doing so. Some are jealous of him, I get that.

Him and is wife should go into the residential care business, they could fleece Delia and Micky for a few more million.  

Edited April 19, 2023 by Midlands Yellow

[canarydan23 4,141]

23 minutes ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

All the evidence suggests the opposite and that many fans were simply wrong in their excessive criticism of Smith.

Not a criticism of Wagner, who deserves respect as much as Smith for his history in the Championship and Premier league, but the club has lost money appeasing fans by sacking Smith, and we've gone backwards on results on the back of it, with that trend continuing tonight it seems.

Then it's Webber then, isn't it?

If the league's most well-renumerated squad, that includes around half a dozen players who cost £5 million or more to purchase (and there are 3 teams above us whose record signing cost less than Nunez, our 2nd most expensive signing this summer, cost us), is failing to finish top 6, and it's not the fault of Smith or Wagner, it's a catastrophic failing by Webber, isn't it?

Glad we agree on something else; the need for electoral reform and the fact that Webber has done an appalling job.