To get perspective, look back

[0Amarillo<P><FONT color=#cccc00 size=4><EM> º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸ Amarillo ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°<EM><FONT><P>ddMMyyyy0Falseen-US<P><FONT color=#cccc00 size=4><EM> º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸ Amarillo ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°<EM><FONT><P>True 0]

There seems to be a lot of unrest at the moment, largely because of results so far this season (no one would be complaining if we''d won every game 3-0, right?) But I have been thinking over the past week that we need some perspective. I know we haven''t been playing as well as we know we can... but if we look back even a couple of years....

The season we went up, if we''re honest, we really struggled against the teams that went up with us. We beat Palace at home but they were the better side that night. We drew with West Brom and they looked very strong. We also managed a draw with West Ham, and they too looked very strong. I remember thinking when we got promoted: those ''hardest'' games of the season would become the ''easiest'' in the Prem! We also lost to a lower league side in our traditional manner.

So here we are in August 2005. We drew with Palace in a game we dominated for long periods and were disappointed not to win. We''ve beaten the lower league side (only just, but at least we did, unlike against Cheltenham, Northampton etc.) Which teams in the Championship fill us with fear and dread? None, we think we can beat them all. We won''t, but we don''t fear anyone.

So despite relegation I feel that our expectations are up at another level. We now expect to beat Palace (a team that we''ve always struggled with) and to beat that lower league side with ease (a task we''ve always struggled with!).

So while I''m not pleased with all the results or performances so far, I do want to wait a couple of months to see how it all settles down.

I think perhaps I''m more patient than some fans...!

[Ian 1,136]

To be honest, I think a lot of fans are now convinced we won''t win a game this season, and perhaps their frustration is understandable going on current form.However, people seem to forget that even the great teams and players have poor runs of form. We ARE capable of beating the majority of teams in this league, we just have to get our self-belief back, and what better way to do this than by stuffing Leeds on Sat?! Here''s hoping!The worst thing would be for a few games to go by with us still not getting 3 points -- can you imagine another scenario like last season when we went 13 games without a loss?!

[Saint Canary 0]

[quote]There seems to be a lot of unrest at the moment, largely because of results so far this season (no one would be complaining if we''d won every game 3-0, right?) But I have been thinking over the past w...[/quote]

Although I do agree with you on the whole Ama,  I don''t really think you can totally blame high expectations for the disappointment fans are feeling.  We are joint favourites for the title and I think quite rightly people expected more than three points after playing four games, three of which were home fixtures.

 

[0Amarillo<P><FONT color=#cccc00 size=4><EM> º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸ Amarillo ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°<EM><FONT><P>ddMMyyyy0Falseen-US<P><FONT color=#cccc00 size=4><EM> º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸ Amarillo ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°<EM><FONT><P>True 0]

But that''s my point... "expected more than 3 point".

Why "expected"? Sure, I *hoped* for 9 points, but expectation is a dangerous thing. In fact, experience suggests it usually works against us. That''s why we have a poor record against lower league teams. That''s why Man Utd was our biggest win last season - no-one (least of all the players) expected it...!

It''s one area that Worthy hasn''t been able to address, despite his best efforts. Whenever we play an ''easy game on paper'', it''s always tough. Worthy and the players will come out in the media saying ''we won''t underestimate them... it''s going to be tough... blah...blah...blah'' and them promptly go and put in a below-par performance. When we genuinely do think it''s going to be a tough game, we up our work-rate and perform much much better. It''s been that way for years and is part of the mentality of the club, unfortunately.

So the sooner the whole club, players and fans alike, finally land back on earth with a bump, ignore what the bookies are saying, ignore our own hype about having the best strikeforce in the league with a "£10m" striker and start believing and playing as though it IS a mountain, but one that we CAN climb, then we''ll be okay.

And I think that will be soon, if not now, and that is why I''m not worried about the longer term. And certainly not hysterical as some fans on message boards appear to be!

[Mook 0]

I am not frustrated because of expectation, or our poor start to the season.

I am frustrated because there are sides to NW''s management that I was annoyed with two/three seasons ago that STILL haven''t been addressed.

We don''t move off the ball, elementary passing seems beyond our players, we have too many underperformers in the side for long periods while other players are scapegoated, our reserves are bloody diabolical, we would rather buy a 30 year old proven player than give one of our youngsters a chance to become a 30 year old proven player etc etc etc.

I am not whinging because we have started badly.

I am whinging because I expected it, and frankly, I think it will get worse before it gets better.

[0Amarillo<P><FONT color=#cccc00 size=4><EM> º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸ Amarillo ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°<EM><FONT><P>ddMMyyyy0Falseen-US<P><FONT color=#cccc00 size=4><EM> º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸ Amarillo ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°<EM><FONT><P>True 0]

[quote]I am not frustrated because of expectation, or our poor start to the season. I am frustrated because there are sides to NW''s management that I was annoyed with two/three seasons ago that STILL haven''...[/quote]

Aye, but there are sides to my personality that annoy my wife and have done for years, and I STILL haven''t addressed them.

Worthy''s tyle is his style. It was good enough to get us promoted which is more than you can say for many other managers. I guess fans will never be united on whether to play stylish or effective football. Unless you are Arsenal or Chelsea you can''t have both at the same time it seems.

No, our players aren''t all brilliant. Or more accurately, they aren''t all brilliant all of the time. They have flashes, good spells in games, good games, good seasons sometimes.

But I have long believed that the main difference between a good player (in the Championship) and a great player (in the Prem) isn''t their quality per se. Safri can score a goal to rival any of Lampard''s... the difference is almost entirely consistency. You expect Lampard to do it every other game. Safri does it once per season.

Similarly, great players are always in space, keep the ball, complete their passes. It''s easy to do... but it''s hard to do it consistently. Anyone who does do it consistently becomes player of the season and is poached by a bigger club.

As for their age... well some people say "you never win anything with kids" and other''s say "give the kids a chance". The fact is, whenever the team isn''t winning, people will suggest that those players not playing could make the difference. It''s a straw to cling to. But the manager sees how the players are performing day in and day out. How focussed they are, how fit they are, how in form they are.

One man''s dogmatic selections are another''s settled consistent team selections after all....

[YankeeCanary 0]

Amarillo, I am not sure which posts you are reading but if you read what Mook, Fatman Fat and a number of others are saying ( including me ) I don''t know how you can end up writing something like you have written. We clearly feel, as Mook says, that the appropriate actions were not taken over the past couple of seasons. This would have given us a chance of survival last season and would have us a hell of a lot better prepared coming into this season. We are not building on the progress we made and, if we fail to get promotion this season ( and I say without two key signings there is a very good chance that we will fail ) then we will go backwards for a few seasons. I did not expect us to succeed this season because of all the reasons that have been previously stated. Perhaps you''ve not been on the board much recently and have not kept up. 

[Tumbleweed 106]

I''m frustrated because we are getting less out of our players than the sum of their parts. Not just once or twice but consistently, virtually since we won the title.

We have some good players and some great players. We have spent more in this past 18 months or so than ever before. Yet we are still underachieving- regularly.

Plus, we make a mistake if we look back. To do that brings regret, excuses, complacency. Winners look forward, strive for constant improvement, compare them selves to their betters and work out how to get there.

I don''t really give a stuff where we were last season, the one before that or in 1972. That''s all for a fireside moment over a glass of port and a dewy eyed evening looking through old programmes.

I care about now and what Nigel is going to do about the current situation with the current players, budget, coaches and opposition.