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So many problems this season: Adjustment to the new stadium, injuries, the Payet Sulk, -- yet for all that we finished 11th, equal points with Bournemouth in 10th, and just two points off eighth. Say what you like, but if we had managed to win just ONE more match, we'd have finished 8th -- only one spot below last season's finish. For me, the three straight losses to Bournemouth, Leicester and Hull tell a big part of the story. The beginning of the season was a disaster that can be put down largely to the recruitment & Payet fiasco. The team showed resilience and overcame that in January. But come those three vital matches, we already had players who weren't fully fit, and who may have made their injuries worse by continuing to play. Nobody can be too happy with this past season; perhaps "relieved" is the best word for it now. But we've come through it in a fashion not too bad given all the woes, and maybe we can set about building for a better season next time around. But lest we read too much positivity into the finish, there's a caveat: this season only six points separated 8th and 17th -- that's CRAZY. We have to do better, and should aim again for the 60 point tier.
pulling no punches
we need to get to the bottom of what was wrong with the club this season...from poor investment in the transfer market to poor training and motivation because lets face it some of the players were shockingly inept...and of course the injury record was unbelievable considering we moved to new high tech all singing and dancing training facilities just what the hell is going on there? lots of work needs to be done and with bilic having his hip replacement this week which hopefully goes well the club needs to decide very quickly on the direction they are going to take.
Amen mcbikeman, bilic was
Amen mcbikeman, bilic was poor this season but we seriously need to look at everything and set out to improve it. As there was so much wrong this season and most of it WASNT on the field of play.
I, at times
was not happy with Slavs performance, but I now thing that because of the problems they have had, he should stay and be given the chance to sort it out
It's amazing -- basically EVERYTHING went wrong.
I think the people who say that the transfer strategy was a bust are right. The people who say that the tactics were are bust are right. The people who say that the injuries should never have happened with our new training facilities and a professional head of sports medicine are right. The people who say that players at times showed little or no interest are right. The people who say the move to the London stadium, and the pitch there, affected us are right. The people who say that Slav was far too adventurous and far too stubborn are right. I really feel we're lucky we didn't get relegated. I think that can only mean one thing: there is actually more quality in the side (perhaps even the manager) than we have given credit for. Serious underperformance all around, but if the moves are made to correct that, perhaps we have something to build from. Just one optimistic way of looking at it.
Let's clear away the cloud,
Let's clear away the cloud, ultimately 11 th flattered us and we were awful pretty much all season. I think we deserved to go down, apart from maybe 2 or 3 performances. Not only that had we played like that in the championship we would be about where Ipswich finished!
Bournemouth, Leicester and Hull
Reading your post Ashes those three games were exactly my thoughts just prior to playing them. Off the back of a run against strong opposition Slav was stated as saying something along the lines of "now we have these games next we'll be aiming at 9 points." Nothing wrong with the sentiment but to say that to the press will only ensure those clubs will dig in to make sure you're eating those words and humble pie. If he did say that and I expect he did that is an amateur's mistake and one that didn't make me think we'd get much out of them. There really is no gain in stoking the opposition they can usually manage that themselves. If we had managed those games better and taken the points 2017 side of the season could have been very different.
It's not our position we have
It's not our position we have been in this season or our lack of points that p:sses me off its the inept way we played. So many games we have been atrocious. Far too many poor games from a team almost exactly the same as last season. Regardless of last season signings that are often mentioned, just the players from the previous season should have performed far better than they did. That's why I think bilic was extremely poor this season. Shocking the way he used some of those players. Yes we had a lot of injuries but to play 3 decent games in a season. Not on.
yes, you're right, North Bank.
I also recall the statement. I guess I can't fault him for having the attitude, but he would have been better served to have said, "We have three tough matches ahead -- including last season's champions". But I also think we might even have won those matches if he hadn't persisted in playing Randolph.