Rumblings of discontent..

[Warren Hill 0]

Anybody saying "if things were so good last season, why are we spending money/changing players etc" is comparing apples with oranges.

Man United won the league but they''re looking to bring in players. As somebody (Ricardo?) stated you have to run to stand still, I started a thread regarding the fact months ago.

However you want to dress it up, the squad we had last season was good enough to finish 11th in the Premier League. Our performances over 38 games were good enough to finish 11th in the Premier League. This summer we have looked to improve our squad further, just like every other club AND (this is where people didn''t get it on the thread I started) it''s quite conceivable that our improved squad this season finishes lower in the league table than our inferior squad last season because they will be measured against all the other improved squads.

As for the grumbling, it has continued from last season, when we went 2-1 down Saturday somebody behind me in the Barclay proclaimed that we''d be relegated having learned nothing from last year. If people are suggesting that these grumbles are all new and this seasons, they are liars. "Constructively criticising" Hughton''s cautious approach or for the "same old negative substitutions" are gripes with their origins firmly in last season. It''s insincere to suggest otherwise.

At the end of last season (when we finished in our highest league position for 20 years), Hughton''s critics graciously gave him "10 games" at the start of this season to show some more attacking intent, a more entertaining style. So far we''ve played one game. That being a thoroughly entertaining 2-2 draw with a very good Everton side. We scored two good goals, we played with pace in wide positions, we defended resolutely, only being undone by a screamer and perhaps a defensive lapse from our 19 year old summer signing who was still given the MOTM award. We had key players missing from the squad including a 5m striker, our player of last season and the player who scored the most direct free-kicks in the Premier League last season.

I''d say that was a pretty good start to his "10 game trial". In terms of entertainment, we made it to p3 on MOTD. A schedule picked by "neutrals".

Saying you''re backing something isn''t the same as actually doing it and sometimes things that are written or said betray true feelings. You see it every day in the workplace, you''ll see it here on a message board.

It isn''t the "message" itself, it''s the way that it is delivered.

Oops, it''s long again...

[BOO 0]

"Could the rumblings just be trapped wind"

That''s probably what they are, gripe water and syrup of figs would probably assist the OP to relieve his anxiety!

[Cerberus 0]

Warren,Certainly on my part and I would suspect a few others, complaining about new players was deeply ironic.  Do you honestly believe that there are any City fans who are not happy with the new signings!  You could have saved yourself the long post.

[Warren Hill 0]

Louis, your intentions were clear enough to me, thanks for the clarification all the same.

And you weren''t really complaining about new players, you were trying to use the signing of said players to validate your opinion regarding playing performances last season. I explained why this is like comparing apples with oranges.

So while you feel I have wasted my time, I feel that the points I have made are salient.

It''s not the message, it''s the way it''s delivered.

[Cerberus 0]

Warren,I wont labour the point further, but I wasnt doing as you suggested, or not intentionally. My aim was to simply expose the inconsistency between critisicing those who concerned about our previosu performances yet welcoming the new players as bringing something new. Its called having your cake and eating it. Our performance after Christmas was clear for all to see and there is very little to defend it. My post wasnt actually about this and more about the one upmanship that prevails on this board. We all support the same tean for gos sake.

[nutty nigel 7,528]

[quote user="Louis Cyphre"]Warren,

I wont labour the point further, but I wasnt doing as you suggested, or not intentionally. My aim was to simply expose the inconsistency between critisicing those who concerned about our previosu performances yet welcoming the new players as bringing something new. Its called having your cake and eating it. Our performance after Christmas was clear for all to see and there is very little to defend it. My post wasnt actually about this and more about the one upmanship that prevails on this board. We all support the same tean for gos sake.
[/quote]

 

Louis, the inconsistency comes from those who are never happy and have to criticise the club whatever they do. At the end of the previous season even before Lambert left the criticism was all about our defence. We were scoring goals fine, finished mid-table, but the consensus from those that know best was that we wouldn''t get away with it again and needed to improve the defence as a priority. The club did that. Spent practically the whole budget doing that. Not surprisingly our defensive players were now better than our forward players. That''s hardly rocket science given that we spent a lot of money trying to achieve just that. So happy with what we had defensively this summer the budget was spent well and truly on attacking players. It''s called progression. This is the point I was trying to make yesterday where winky isolated part of it for his signature.

 

So the question I have for those who know best is was Hughton right to stick with the attacking players he inherited and build from the back as he spent the budget improving the team. Or should he have built from the front and stuck with the defensive players he inherited? It''s a simple question. Don''t wait ''til the end of the season and highlight another failure. Pin your colours to the mast now.

 

Here''s mine - I think he was spot on to build from the back first. I don''t think for one minute we''d have stayed up last season if he hadn''t. But that''s just my opinion. What''s yours?

 

 

[Indy 3,297]

The issue is that a lot of City fans me included found it hard to watch some of the football the second half of the season, (I for one understood that Hughton was just doing what he set out to do, keep us in this division, very well done in the end as we finished 11), but that is the bench mark a lot of fans use to measure the performance against Everton.

 

The thing is, it is easy to say we were negative and at times we did sit deep, but Everton are no mugs and we kept with them with 5 first team players out!

 

It was unfortuante that we played Everton who are a physical side first up, they probably made us look worse than we really were.

 

I agree with Nutty though, Hutghton did shore up the team, made us hard to beat last term and now he has added quality and pace to his system. Give it the next two games and we will see the results of this improvement. Then people can be more realisitc either critical or not!.

 

This is a building project, we don''t have the funds to go out and buy a new starting 11, but build year on year, give it time and if required, be critical with a good arguement.

[nutty nigel 7,528]

Good post Indy. Now you''ve become realistic and said some of the games in the second half of the season you won''t get any argument from me. But I strongly suspect some of the games this season will be a bit dull too. Not just our games but everyone''s games. But you are being critical with a reasonable argument something your previous post certainly wasn''t.