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Thread: Traditional ‘dip’ or annual crisis?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    Traditional ‘dip’ or annual crisis?

    Looking at our form since the turn of the year there has to be cause for concern. A brief appraisal of performances in the seven league matches of 2018 might reasonably read...
    Sheffield United H...outplayed for most of the match.
    Birmingham A...convincing after a dodgy start, could have won 5-1.
    Bristol City H...ultimately unlucky but unconvincing.
    Millwall A...battling but slightly fortunate.
    Brentford H...patchy performance, flattered by scoreline.
    Norwich H...largely outplayed.
    Sheffield Wednesday A...outfought.
    We’ve taken ten points from a possible 21 since the turn of the year - mid table form - and the chance of making any meaningful additions to the squad seem to have been and gone. On the other hand, we’ve only lost once, so...back to the title question...thoughts?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    6,799
    Too soon to panic but form / signs are not great. Villa and Cardiff have had bad patches too, so maybe its our turn and then all will drop back into place. Automatic was always going to be a stretch and I'd be more than happy with a playoff position given the unproven unfinished work in progress that was our team at 1 August.

    But if only we had picked up Anichebe.... I think we really miss the square peg in a round hole factor that he could bring.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    9,155
    Again this is all about who has the bottle, there will be a lot more twists and turns before the final game comes so which team has the credentials to go all the way! For me the favourites have to be Villa, the reason for this IMO is John Terry as captain and Sreve Bruce as manager! At the beginning of the season I thought Terry was the best signing in the Championship and I still think that. Steve Bruce is he that good? I don't really know but he's won more promotions from the Championship than any other manager and also seems to have a lot of luck on his side, put together these two facts and the money they've spent and it really should be job done! But don't rule Us, Cardiff or Fulham out just yet as the season has enough games left for any of the chasing pack to put together a promotion winning charge!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    4,716
    We have to kick back strong. Villa might have a mini dip, but I expect the rest to push on. We have different characters to the past, so hopefully we can turn the tide. I do feel though, that you can feel it in the atmosphere that we expect our annual catastrophe, and this must reach the players, no matter how much they try to put it at the back of their minds.

    I don't want us to get complacent, so some scrappy / undeserved wins will be the best medicine IMO, preferably a decent comeback victory.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    7,156
    It's just a bump in the road, this is a competitive sport, teams DO lose sometimes, get over it, move on.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    I’m neither panicking nor ruling anything out, just asking the question on the basis of the evidence I’ve seen.
    We’re all scarred from the experience of recent seasons and there is beginning to be a real feeling of deja vu which I hope doesn’t spread to the players.
    I think Villa’s form depends heavily on the fitness of Grealish and Terry and we’ve all seen the previous dips in form from them, Cardiff and, perhaps most spectacularly, Sheffield United.
    Question seems to be, can we benefit from eight days of rest and pull things round starting at Elland Road next week?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    3,001
    Whilst not wishing o sound negative I don't see it as a 'bump in the road's but more a culmination of factors. We've had numerous good results playing iffy, that cannot last. Since losing Hughes and Hendrick we've operated with a largely defensive and uncreative midfield, that places too much reliance on defensive strength and lady luck. That is failing now. The pace in an offensive mode has been affected by the loss of Russell who despite his lack of end product stretches teams and allows us to switch from defence to attack quickly enabling the defence to re-group and for our shape to be re-established! That has not been replaced! We've lost 3 strikers who could enable us to change tack either for a specific game or late in a game. That has not been replaced! We have had little quality from the wide areas, that has not been addressed. Lawrence has been a major disappointment and has brought little to the team.
    So for me, play-offs will be a great result and who knows then!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
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    212
    Quote Originally Posted by roger_ramjet View Post
    Too soon to panic but form / signs are not great. Villa and Cardiff have had bad patches too, so maybe its our turn and then all will drop back into place. Automatic was always going to be a stretch and I'd be more than happy with a playoff position given the unproven unfinished work in progress that was our team at 1 August.

    But if only we had picked up Anichebe.... I think we really miss the square peg in a round hole factor that he could bring.
    Sorry don't buy this building for the future with the signings we have made suggests we were going for it this season. Very few purchases for the future in fact sold young players in Hendrick Hughes and Ince replaced with Hudds Leds Nugent Davies and no game time for under23 . Only wisdom Lawrence maybe

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramAnag View Post
    ted.
    Question seems to be, can we benefit from eight days of rest and pull things round starting at Elland Road next week?
    Elland Road? Please tell me that's wrong. I thought it was at Pride Park!!!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by Manofpride View Post
    Elland Road? Please tell me that's wrong. I thought it was at Pride Park!!!
    Course it is. Sorry, my mistake. Still reeling from last night...wherever it is, three points now seems essential.

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