Anyone still think...

[Mr Brownstone 0]

That our players aren''t good enough?

There''s been a fair bit of noise on here lately about our players not being good enough, Championship quality, bottom 6, and other such nonsense. Does anyone still have that opinion?

I think most of the reason that so many posters, myself included, get frustrated with Hughton is that we know our players are capable of better.

Today Hughton got it spot on, huge credit to him and every single player, they did us and themselves proud. And that''s with Turner, R. Bennett, Howson, Snodgrass, E. Bennett and Elmander out with injuries and Wes not featuring.

Here''s hoping we back that performance up with another at Upton Park on Tuesday night.

PS - Thought we did the players proud today too, hope Lakey made it down and enjoyed the atmosphere.

[Juggy 0]

We still can''t bury our chances.

Would love to see stats on goals per chances (per team), we must surely be at the bottom of the table.

You have to score goals to win games. We didn''t expect a result today, but we need goals between now and the end of the season to stay up.

There is something that Stehrling and Ince have over Redmond....... goals. That''s why one of them will go to the World Cup this year and Redmond won''t.

Really hope he can start chipping in with one or two, and Pilkington will hopefully hit the goal trail again if he stays fit.

[Mr Brownstone 0]

It''s just not quite running for us in front of goal at the moment.

I''m a firm believer that you make your own luck, if we can sustain today''s performance levels then it''ll come.

[SeattleCanary 0]

They''re good enough. We are starting to look more like a team, and a solid unit on todays showing. We just need to sort the final 3rd out, and find a settled side that gel together. We''ve had to chop and change formations and personnel more or less every game.

[Juggy 0]

Yes stupid old Lady Luck, she has been hanging around for far too long now, over a year now that that we have struggled for goals.

But of course you "make your own luck", and I would suggest that we start trying to make our own luck by changing the management team at the end of the season.

"luck" has been used far too many times as an excuse now, ever since we hammered Cardiff at home with 33 shots and came away with a 0-0 thrashing we seem to have seriously struggled with luck in front of goal.

Maybe Wiz has switched to the old blue and white and put a hex on our attacking players. I don''t believe in Harry Potter rubbish though, and "luck" doesn''t sit with me, so it remains Hughton''s responsibility to me, with his tenure coming to an end in early June with a ''thanks and good luck'' message.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

[quote user="Mr Brownstone"]It''s just not quite running for us in front of goal at the moment.

I''m a firm believer that you make your own luck, if we can sustain today''s performance levels then it''ll come.[/quote]at the moment? This moment has been on & off since Hughton took charge...

[Mr Brownstone 0]

Well, yes, hence my hope that we can sustain today''s performance levels.

[ron obvious 1,711]

Well I still think they''re not good enough.

Not good enough to be a top ten team. Not good enough if key players get injured. Not good enough because they are inconsistent.

There are so many variables in football. As well as skill, athleticism, strength, speed, intelligence, we have form, injuries, mental attitude & good old fashioned luck (or, if you prefer, an insoluble chain of events that started with the Big Bang) to contend with.

No team, or player, is completely consistent throughout a season. Generally speaking, the better players play at a consistently higher level overall.

I should think ManC were at a collective low for them (certainly much lower than when we played them last). How do you explain the Arsenal result today? I bet it''s analysed to death on MOTD.

But that''s what makes football such a great game; dozens & dozens of factors influencing every second of the game. Which can turn in a minute (or two) - how do you explain the Cardiff game??

So I don''t think our team are suddenly going to become consistently top quality. It''s possible - I''d be overjoyed if it happened - but I don''t expect it to happen. We''ll be up & down till the end of the season.

But I reckon we''ll survive!

OTBC!

[Rogue Baboon 0]

[quote user="Mr Brownstone"]Well, yes, hence my hope that we can sustain today''s performance levels.[/quote] but we didn''t score? Playing like today for the rest of the season will result in lots of 0-0 draws between now and the end of the season

[Mr Brownstone 0]

Ron - I''m not saying they''re good enough to finish 5th, but they''re good enough to keep their noses clear of trouble.

Some may disagree but I''d like to think Man City were collectively poor today because of the way we played. It wasn''t just a backs to the walls job either, we threatened on the break and probably had the better chances.

Rogue - We won''t be playing against the most expensive squad of footballers this country has ever seen every week. Play like that Tuesday and we''ll come home with 3 points.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

[quote user="Mr Brownstone"]Well, yes, hence my hope that we can sustain today''s performance levels.[/quote] but we didn''t score? Playing like today for the rest of the season will result in lots of 0-0 draws between now and the end of the season

[Mr Brownstone 0]

I responded to that above ^^^^

[Mr Brownstone 0]

I''m not saying they''re good enough to finish 5th, but they''re good enough to keep their noses clear of trouble.

Some may disagree but I''d like to think Man City were collectively poor today because of the way we played. It wasn''t just a backs to the walls job either, we threatened on the break and probably had the better chances.

[drurys testamonials V 15 0]

The team are good enough if they can play to their full potential for every game BUT they''re not.Something is missing from the mix

[Jack Flash 17]

Could the missing piece of the puzzle be that elusive leader, and just maybe Yobo could be it. He looked calm, very assured and a big lad to boot. He''ll do for me.

[Mr Brownstone 0]

I think the return of Tettey and playing 3 in the middle was the big factor today.

Yobo played very well today though, he and Seb seemed to have a good understanding straight off the bat which is encouraging.

[ZLF 334]

I have never bought into the players are not good enough mantra, injuries to some key positions have really hindered us this season, stretching us to play squad fillers too often - that we have only been able to play fer tettey and howson together so infrequently and the impact on results shows this.

We do have a couple of positions that could do with strengthening, but even then those we have do a good enough job.

As with Worthy in 2005 finding the right mix can take time.