Quote Originally Posted by champs95 View Post
Hopefully you read this Auks, and maybe it will explain to you where I am coming from a bit.
In response to that last sentence.

"This is an intriguing game between two evenly-matched teams, both of which are a bit down on form (and, probably, confidence). The outcome is unpredictable. I'm looking forward to it, and quite excited by the prospect."
I am dreading this game. I have only really enjoyed watching 2 or maybe 3 games this season. I rarely enjoy watching us. It is rare we play well for 90 mins. I enjoyed Bristol and Hull away.
They were the only games I thought we looked a decent side, and deserved to win.
I am normally watching games through my fingers, its that bad at times.
I do think the standard is often pretty poor.
I see alot of 'safe' football at this level. Easy sideways passing or back. No real flair, no real passion. It happens in small short outbursts. At our club, its all very nice, very safe. No taking risks. Nobody is being pushed to improve or run an extra mile. Its all very much going through the motions.
Without Dack, I find it hard to get excited about any players. Nobody wants to do anything different, take on the opposition. Find a killer pass. Its all get the ball, pass it back to the full back (like Downing does, which you translate to he is a good player and his stats say he is) ....he isn't. I've spent 33 years watching different levels of football, and players. He is a 'safe' footballer at the very end of his career. Good pro, but adds nothing. And wont do anything to get me off my seat. I don't go and watch professional football to see players do what I can do with ease. I go to see them do things I couldn't. You can tell me all you like about his stats all you like. I will maintain we will always be a middling side treading water going nowhere with guys like him, Johnson, Bennett etc.

I generally get this feeling we could, and should be doing better. And its rare I end up after match, thinking we have given a great account of ourselves. At times, I do think we play quite good football, which I like. That's literally the only reason I still go. I wouldn't bother making a 3 hour round trip for games if we where like Wigan or Birmingham who just kick people, and play no football. At least we try. I'll give us that. Defensively, I find it painful to watch, as I never feel confident. I fear the ball going anywhere near that keeper. If Bennett touches the ball I can barely watch, as something woeful normally happens.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow, not one bit. If we play well, over 90 mins, it will be a rarity.
Yes, of course we can scrap a win. This level shows anyone can do that. And tomorrow, I think the law of averages will mean we shade this one.

As for enjoying, Its rare you get a good game over 90 mins at this level. That is also decent quality. It is normally quite even. Buy quality wise, I don't think its good.

I do think we will win this 2-1.
Have I got any interest? No. I am missing (by choice) this home game for the first time in a while. And I have paid for my ticket already as I have a season ticket. I am not sure I will be coming back to Ewood anytime soon. I have just lost interest massively over the past season.[/QUOTE]

But I don't expect many games at this level to have top-notch football. That doesn't mean they can't be exciting!
Did you not enjoy the Reading and Brentford games as well? I actually thought the best football was in the Fulham match, but - obviously - it's better if the result goes our way.
We will have to agree to differ on Downing.
I thought his goal against Forest was pure class, but it hardly got a mention because we lost the game. (Incidentally, we played good football in the second half of that game too).
When you say of Downing that he won't take us forward, I assume you mean we need players a couple of grades up from him. Just be realistic, Champs! Where are such players going to come from, at a price we can afford? We struck lucky with Dack, but that's not going to happen very often. If we had youngsters who were miles better, I simply don't believe that Mowbray wouldn't be playing them.
Anyway, you have impossibly high standards. I remember you being lukewarm about John McGinn at Villa last season!
I tend not to look at the big picture, in any case. I just go from game to game. Maybe that's why I don't get so down in the dumps. My take is that the next game can always change a good run or a bad one, and you can never predict things accurately in advance.
Let's imagine, though, that we play really well against Preston and win comfortably. I just don't see how that gets explained by fans who are always trying to construct or identify some long-term pattern.
For someone like me, on the other hand, it's not a problem. I just say, "That's football", and move on the next game - where we might be crap!
Of course, I must admit I get sucked in sometimes. I honestly thought we would stroll the Wigan game! C'est la vie!