Going down?

[leenus 0]

Ive just been reading this and i cant believe none of you cant think we cannot stay up. Having watching alot of the games i think our team spirit and fitness is enough to beat anyone. With players like ashton,hux and francis i think that the amount of goals they can produce enough to even beat man u. after what has happened this season with the boro game i think our team spirit will become superior

who else thinks we can do it

[3pmkickoff 0]

Team spirit only get''s you so far. The Boro game was a false hope, yes we did well to claw back but we conceded two soft goals.

Having seen the majority of games this season and also seen the performances of our relegation rivals it''s safe to say that we won''t be staying up as the likes of Palace and Southampton are playing far better than we are

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Absolutely.  I''m sure we can do it.  One bad performance and everyone''s heads drop.  At the end of the day we''re 2 points from safety and can still take points off two of the bottom 4

[BedsCanary 0]

I have faith in our team spirit and effort.

But I don''t have faith in our ability to not concede goals

[Dame to Blame 95]

[quote]Absolutely. I''m sure we can do it. One bad performance and everyone''s heads drop. At the end of the day we''re 2 points from safety and can still take points off two of the bottom 4[/quote]

Yes and both are away from home and we know what we have been like this season away from home.

[Splendid Rush 0]

It''s not one bad performance, though.  Away from home in the last few games we have been appalling at Villa and Blackburn, and at Everton we deserved something from the game but lacked the ability to kill it off.  At what used to be Fortress Carrow Road we have conceded 6 in 2 and have been outplayed for long periods.  We have not kept a clean sheet for 20 games. 

Nobody can say we are too good to go down, or we have been unlucky.  We have simply not performed to the required standard.

Barring a miracle, we will go down.  Unfortunately, that is the reality.

[ZLF 271]

Of course we have team spirit and fitness levels - but that isnt enough in premier footall, you actually need to know how to pass a ball, control it,defend as a team and create and take chances too - otherwise any side could win the title by simply getting fitter than anyone else and generating a solid team spirit.

What people forget is that as recently as the start of the last season our defence was shipping goals left right and centre - we were shipping goals in the fizzy pop at a faster rate per game than we had done since Worthy took over.  This was a defence comprised of (the sainted) Malky, Flem, Eddie and Drury, with cover from Holt and Francis.   Substitute Doc for Malky and that is the defence we have relied on this season; it couldnt cut the mustard a level down UNTIL Hux came and releived the pressure - after that the did ok as they basically were not exposed to anyprolonged pressure as opponents efforts went to subdue our attacking threat.  

The only player out of that defensive 6 to make prem level so far is Francis, while some of the others (Flem briefly, Eddie more consistently, Drury patchily) have at time played better than their ability but still not to prem standard.  At no stage can any of those same 6 players have their fitness or committment challenged - they have all given everything this season; unfortunately it has not been enough.

This season Hux is still a threat but is up against defenders who can contain, if not control, him either alone or as is usually the case with the support from the right winger (when played left) or another defender.  As such our midfield and defence are facing a therat more frequently than last season and that threat is of a far superior ability than they are used to.

To buy that ''Hux protection'' in the prem means strikers like Henry - who we simply will not attract let alone afford.

The club has signed some good defenders (Helveg, Doc, Charlie) but worthy is keeping his own counsel as to why he is persisting with defenders who, without assistance, could not keep out the likes of an ageing Dean Holdsworth in a poor wimbledon side last season, let alone the likes of Dickov and Johansen before we even get to the gods like Henry.  Not signing cover was a criminal mistake.

BUT we are still in with a major chance to survive this season - it reamains in our own hands to ensure we dont lose many points to soton or palarse and pick up points to citeh brum and charlton etc.  The team CAN defend better even with the current poor personnel as long as the training ground time is wisely spent - picking the best players and dropping favourites who have underperformed will help too (If McVeigh had underperformed for 20 mins like Flem has he would have been dropped - let alone doing so for 20 games...)   It needs a change but we can do it. 

I just dont think that Worthy will make the changes that are needed.

OTBC 

[First Wizard 0]

[quote]Ive just been reading this and i cant believe none of you cant think we cannot stay up. Having watching alot of the games i think our team spirit and fitness is enough to beat anyone. With players lik...[/quote]

Hold on Leenus!, don''t you dump me with the posters who have given up, with still 33 points left to play for!.

I could have done with your support a few days ago, when I was fighting a loosing battle against the defeatists, I was saying the same things as you, as were a few others.

And still we were shot down.

So for your future reference, and indeed anybody else, City will not go down, I guarantee it.

As a 1st wizard, I''ve seen the end of season table, so trust me, wizards don''t lie my friend!.

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

[quote]Hold on Leenus!, don''t you dump me with the posters who have given up, with still 33 points left to play for!. I could have done with your support a few days ago, when I was fighting a loosing battle...[/quote]

how exactly?

weren''t you the same wizard who guaranteed the arrival of harewood (not that he would have made a difference) ?

[First Wizard 0]

[quote]how exactly? weren''t you the same wizard who guaranteed the arrival of harewood (not that he would have made a difference) ?[/quote]

Thats right Fillet, hang an old frail wizard for one tiny error!.

Anyway, who''s to say Harewood wont sign?. I did explain at the time, that predicting the exact time frame was tricky, did I not?.