Theregulars

Again, played yesterday.

Anderson isn’t good enough.

People continue to miss the point re: shelvey. The point is we need a squad, with options who we know can contribute at PL level. Shelvey was that, as recently as our great run last season. We’ve made a money move to get rid, fine; but it’s a gamble and now we have to pay for that gamble by relying on crap players. I therefore conclude it wasn’t an intelligent gamble in all the circumstances. It’s really simple.

How does it? The performance was poor, the performances in general are trending downwards and the transfer window was not particularly impressive. It’s a relatively bad patch performance and results wise (I don’t think draws are great, especially when it’s the only result you get), and we had a poor transfer window (which I think is going to cost us the very significant opportunity of CL football when multiple usual challengers are having a bad season). The board, manager and squad are being criticised, and rightly so. There’s absolutely bot all highly strung about saying so. I’d say, in fact, that the reactions to this viewpoint are highly strung; it’s almost like “dissent” isn’t allowed.

I’ve said over and over what I expected: don’t sell shelvey without a replacement. That’s fuck all to do with FFP. We’re now short on CMs and it looks so short-sighted. Don’t agree with you re: Britain; so many people bleat on about “it could be worse” when you want better for yourself and others. I don’t think you understand my point: I have no issue whatsoever with any of our results and performances; today’s performance was dross and it’s right to call it so, but doing so triggers this ludicrous “don’t be so entitled” backlash. There’s nothing entitled about saying today’s performance wasn’t good enough. Plainly, it wasn’t.

Well your point just plays into mine - the lack of squad depth was in plain sight before the transfer window, and we’ve come out with a shallower squad. The board and Howe have taken a brainless gamble and today exposed it. It’s highlighted their inexperience, hopefully they learn from it. They’ve had 3 windows. 2 have been good, 1 looks reckless. It was so predictable that going the rest of the season that light on strikers and central midfielders was a dumbass thing to do. But hey Ho, we got a bit of coin for shelvey, so all’s well. To make the post gammon-proof, I explicitly emphasise that this was their first mistake.

Needs a spell on the bench once Targett’s fit. Today was the worst in a line of worsening league performances. Wank song too.

Shit today. That’s why Wilson is first choice. Doesn’t look ready to start. Back to the bench and rightly so.

I disagree; some people on here have taken on a quasi-religious fervour about Howe, the board and the squad whereby any criticism makes you some kind of ungrateful heathen. We’ve been playing mediocre for about 6 weeks, and the performances are - by and large - getting worse. This boring “appreciate what you’ve got” attitude (a broader problem in Britain, I might add) will hold us back in my view. That’s the approach we took to the transfer window and we look worse for it. We’re so lacklustre at the minute and if we don’t shape up we’ll get comfortably put to the sword by a good side in the cup final. Howe has 2 weeks to figure something out - we shouldn’t be in this position, but we’ve landed ourselves in this position by taking a commercial approach to football in the transfer window.

But what is not valid about saying we played like shit today? That doesn’t mean we’re saying the season isn’t great! We’re saying today was bollocks.

Exactly this. If you make any criticism you’re fickle, or an arsehole, or a closet mackem, or entitled, or divorced from reality. It’s so fucking tiresome. The board deserve criticism for a mediocre window. The players deserve some today for being shit. This place is so fucking binary at times, it’s a real bore.

Fantastic post.

I did, yeh. Did you?

The idiot in the room is an idiot.

Nope, not arguing with myself at all. I’ve been consistent in my analysis: we were shit. My point is that the excuses you give don’t justify a performance that poor. I think they justify looking below par and a bit knackered; not being unable to pass the ball to your own teammates or having no identifiable offensive strategy.

Yes - I’m agreeing with you. My point is that the reasons and excuses are meh for me. We played poorly against a poor side.

All valid. We were still shit. That’s all I’m saying: today, we were shit. We are of course allowed some off days, but I’m allowed to call them such.

No go on - try me, please!

Sure; but still shit.

This NO CRITICISM ALLOWED!!1!111!!! argument is my beef. We deserve much criticism today, we were shit. That’s all most are saying.

Totally see the big picture. To be clear: we are having a great season. I am very impressed with all involved. However, today’s performance was shit. I’m not saying it invalidates everything, but today’s performance was undoubtedly not a good performance. It’s brain-rot to disagree. We passed the ball to the other side over and over again.

Cool - care to meet the argument with an actual argument as opposed to cliche after cliche? I suspect you don’t have one.

That’s not what I’m arguing. I’m arguing it’s a needless gamble. Sounds like we agree, really!

Difference for me is we played well in those games. We didn’t today. Nobody is saying we expect a win every match, some are just saying we didn’t play well today. Round and round and round and round….

And the reaction by others has been too casual and anti-factual.