Because a psychologist costs money and that money needs to be spent on players that never play for us.
Serious question, if we did actually WIN tomorrow, would you bother to get your hopes up? I don't think I would, but doing the "double" over Manure would be pretty nice. We all know what would happen - we lost 0-3/0-4 to @rse in the next game (we are at home, so more than likely). IF we beat Manure and Arsenal - maybe a bit of hope would be rekindled... but, let's be honest, two good performances back to back are way beyond us.
Our survival chances would improve from "extremely remote" to just "very remote" so no change in pulse rate. However the defeat will see our chances dip from "extremely remote" to "extremely very extremely remote"
We are crying out for one. Not just the sums on those players like Fletcher. Never understood the signing. You bring players in to make an impact not to fill a squad is my thought. All the money that goes out in severance payments to managers and their coaching staff and hiring new staff. Must be over ten to fifteen million this season alone.
Agreed. As Gino continues to flush what little capital we do have down the toilet on paying managers off, we could of actually paid a medical experienced psychologist to come in and have a one to one with any players who are struggling. I know we all mocked Rose tongue-in-cheek for his weight issues, but nobody knew the whole story or why he suddenly gave up. Had he be given the chance air his views with a person who knows the sport inside-out, help might of been given. Generally, when we concede a goal - it's game over. Only against Everton and Newcastle have we actually come from behind to get something this season. Is that also a fragile confidence trigger? It does feel like it, heads drop and we mentally give up. Look at Wednesday - go behind to an admittedly great goal, then totally bottle it. It's going to be even more of a concern if this carries over into next season. Even if Gino did address it, for some players you feel it's never going to be enough.
Much like the Villa game I can enjoy this one as I think we have no chance of winning. Lose 3 or 4 nil thats ok I was expecting it, lose by one goal I can say well we gave it a good go, if we snatch a draw I will be happy as its a very good point or if the unthinkable happens and we win then fantastic and the miracle is back on.
No, not in the slightest - apart from anything else, it would just fit the previously conjectured pattern that our players can very occasionally raise themselves to actually bother to pay attention for a full 90 and make the requisite effort in a game when they see the bright lights of the big city and some famous stars to be judged against, and make the pathetic, unbothered capitulations against one average team in poor form to another average team in poor form that have been the hallmark of our season even starker and more annoying. I also think we've been utterly taught the lesson at this stage (and after Palace, if you say you haven't, you must have skipped school that day - it's the only explanation) that one swallow does not a summer make with this squad, and one performance or even win (though the sample size is shockingly small...) doesn't actually tell us anything about where this team is or its prospects. They're still just as, and perhaps seemingly even more so, likely to lapse back into lazy farce the very next game. Again, look at Palace - it wasn't even a week; a mere four days out from a workmanlike and morale-boosting win against a team far higher up the table, we serve up that lethargic disgrace of a performance. We would, of course, also be relying on multiple good performances in a row to actually have any kind of chance, and the evidence that we had some kind of miraculous turnaround (literally, given Hodgson seems to be quite happy publicly admitting he has no idea how that would be achieved) wouldn't come until three, four, or five games in - something that I have no confidence we are capable of whatsoever.
Too much negativity, it's no surprise we got battered by Palace at home, call yourselves fans? I'm looking forward to this, a trip to the magical Old Trafford and getting to watch the likes of Ronaldo and Bruno is an absolute privilege! I just hope the fans continue to support the lads throughout, even if we're four or five down, getting on the players backs isn't going to help anyone. Anyway, off to the bunker I go, got to gather some flags and face paint. YOU ORNSSSS
More talking about our recent form rather than the season as a whole. Also dichotomy is a great word and no one should ever miss a chance to use it.
What would be Watfordy as others have pointed out is somehow contriving to beat Utd and doing the double over them and still being relegated Even more Watfordy to completely capitulate though. I expect a sending off for us.
I see Pedro and Kucka are available. Wonder which one is more likely to play given the tactics we will deploy - literally all 11 in our own half behind the ball.
I love the fact people are saying we have no chance because of the weak willed nature of the team. We've had bl00dy good teams in the past go up there and the best we've had in the league is a draw. We would more than likely lose every time we go there. Our current standard of team makes no difference I'm going tomorrow and looking forward to it. Away games are so much better anyway. Yes we will probably lose but it's a funny old game so you never know.
I am still trying to understand how Harry Maguire is worth £80M? He's above average at best, that price tag was ludicrous even in today's market.
Good on you for going-weird season if we beat Man U in the league at OT for the first time having also beaten Everton at Goodison for the first time. My statto research says the last time we won away on Feb 26th was in 1955-at Leyton Orient in Div 3 South so there's a lot of history (!) to overcome.
All this talk about psychologists. There are many of us who have needed psychological counselling in our lives. And benefitted from it. And footballers as individuals are like anyone else and may have been through all sorts of crap. But, I'm not sure that the professional occupation of sports psychologist coming in and sorting out the team have too much to offer beyond stating the obvious, and a few models from the journals. Graham Taylor and Elton John had it instinctively and as part of their passion for the game, the club, the players and the fans - still, I'm old, I remember this. Still never mind the players on the pitch. There's enough material in this Club for an entire conference ...
Hope I’m wrong… But I’ve had a sense since Wednesday that the defeat has totally knocked the stuffing out of players and staff alike. I’ve got a nagging sense that tomorrow will see us going through the motions and United will see us as a team they can be all out attack against. I fear we might get walloped.
I’m out on the piss in London for a mates birthday tomorrow so will thankfully be able to avoid this shambles.
Wahey! Me too. I don’t make it back to the UK during the season too often, but I was glad we were away up north as it numbs the sense of obligation to attend I feel if we have a home fixture. It’s always a waste of a rare Saturday.
Just not 4-3-3 again today FFS. It’s the worst formation for us. It leaves the midfield outnumbered and the forwards all half the width of the pitch from each other and largely out of the game. We’re not Liverpool and can’t pull it off.
We don’t have fabulous wing-backs, so obviously 4-4-2. Two banks of four are hard to break down and a lone striker of our calibre, getting little service, hasn’t much of a hope. Two strikers, close together, closing the ball down as the other team plays out. We’d probably still lose most games, but at least all eleven players would be engaged in the battle.
But we played 442 against Burnley, West Ham and Brighton and it left the forwards completely isolated. It doesn't suit Sarr and we don't have players who can put in a shift and play as a winger at the same time, which is why Roy opted for Cleverley and Kucka. 433 is the best way of packing the midfield and getting the best out of Sarr and Dennis, it just looks terrible at the moment because of the way Roy is using the players. I don't know what the answer is, 343 maybe??
We don’t have a formation that is a clear and obvious answer because the squad is so unbalanced. Whatever you do, unearths a deficiency in the squad somewhere else. 4-4-2? We don’t have two genuine strikers or two genuine wide midfielders. 4-3-3? We don’t have a midfield 3 energetic and composed enough. 3-4-3? Don’t have three quality CB’s and any combination of only two of our crap CM’s leaves the team short of something. Scott Duxbury out.
