Tommy Cockles

It has.

On my way into London now. Not sure I’ve ever been as unenthusiastic about going to a match as this. Thursday night in early January, weather is awful, we’re awful, we’re going to lose, they are going to win the league, it’s a dog of a ground to get away from and I will have to walk about 40 mins to avoid the endless queues at the nearer tube stations to ensure I get my last train. In the torrential rain. And wind. Someone should make a song about this sort of thing.

He always seemed to be a tortured soul didn’t he, Amorim. Like he knew he shouldn’t be there.

I said early on in the thread that he was like some expensive piece of machinery that we hadn’t worked out what all the dials and knobs do yet. I think it’s worse than that, I think there’s a great big manual that came with him and we’ve gone “I’m not reading that, we’ll just wing it, wave him around, point him in the right direction, it will all be fine”. Thing is these things can be very expensive and enduring mistakes. I’ve got a £1300 telescope in my garage from 20 years ago that is testament to this.

No he slotted one earlier. I think it was a more clear cut offside as I don’t think they did the whole “checking VAR” palaver on the screen Tidy enough finish though.

The guys a good coach, you can’t do what he did last year - especially all those HT turnarounds - and not be more than capable. I think that we changed too much, I’ve not read MacAllister on this but it chimed with me. Elite football teams are highly tuned things, tweaks here and there. Big massive tear-ups, not so much. Fact is an awful lot of talent left the club either through their choice, or our choice, or through tragic circumstances. And what’s come in has underperformed, and he’s done a poor job in making it work so far. I still believe in him FWIW - but time, and patience, are running out.

I will get stick but I thought we responded well 2nd half, after an admittedly awful 1st half. We weren’t exactly beating the door down but I thought we deserved to nick it. The scenes at 2-1 in our end were superb and it makes the end result that much more painful. Wirtz sub seemed nuts, he’d scored, had one disallowed, showed a few signs. You’d think you’d want him on the pitch for the last 15, his confidence should be high. Hauling him off just erodes everything again.

Well yes, but why are they using the Saturday TV timeslots rather than the Sunday ones?

Well I’m going. Just found out that it’s 1500 & not 1400 which shows how on top of things I am. Weird that the schedule of games mirrors a Saturday. As in 1230, 1500 & 1730. Anyone know why that is?

There had been an upturn, we were scoring and creating a few chances, and winning. There was some purpose and threat to what we were doing. Not nearly enough like, but it was on some kind of upward trajectory. That all evaporated tonight.

Ha ha. Well I’m going to both of them so I’ve got to give myself something to hold on to.

Stood up for him/them after Wolves as we did actually win the game with 2 bits of real quality, and showed a few other flashes. But tonight was indefensible. Leeds were well set up, combative and hard to break down, but we could have played for a week and not scored. Too slow, too timid. Just got to work through this, I do believe it will get better but the next 2 games worry me massively. We will lose them both without a big upturn in performance.

I was there. 4-0 up after about 25 mins and still 4-0 up with about 20 mins to go. And yeah at 4-2 Barnes scored and the relief lasted about 2 mins. They made it 5-4 with a couple mins left but there was barely any injury time. Would have been about 8 minutes these days, and they defo would have scored again. Leeds first season back up after ages out, was like the Wild West pre match near the station.

Good result for Wolves last night I see

Folk (rightly) moan about how bad we are at set pieces and give Slot stick. Club takes action in reaction to how bad we are at set pieces and (probably the same) folk moan about it and give Slot stick. Slotdingers Paradox.

That’s fair enough, I get it. For the record I’m not happy either, but I think there have been a number of situations outside the managers control and have that have come together in a perfect storm to properly mess us up this season. Also he’s made some decisions that haven’t helped, and I’m not excusing him from blame completely. i like him though and I think he will get us back up there and so I feel a bit defensive when it feels like there’s narratives and hyperbole flying about. I’ve seen loads worse. With no thought at all I will pick 5 that I was in the ground for: 5-1 at Coventry, 4-1 at Spurs (Wembley), 3-0 at Watford, 3-0 at WBA, 4-0 at Spurs. We did actually win on Saturday, scored 2 good goals & hit the woodwork twice. Anyway, whatever. I’m bored of it now. I love you all.

So on average they concede 2 a game then. Like they did on Saturday. I hope they stay up now just to spite you.

I didn’t mean them, I meant our performance against them being called “worst ever”.

I never said they weren’t. All I have said is that they are difficult to play through hence why they are tending to lose by the odd goal, including away to 2 of the 3 teams above us. Losing is losing, and so they have no points, and so are “historically s***e” They aren’t getting humped 4 or 5 every week, so it was unlikely we would do that, especially given our current state. I didn’t think Saturday was great by any means but the “worst ever” nonsense needs challenging.

Just read his comments now, TBH I think what he’s said is encouraging. They know there is an issue, they know where it is, and they are working on it. Be more of a worry if there was denial or claiming it was just bad luck or whatever. It needs sorting ASAP with Leeds and obviously Arsenal on the horizon, obviously.

Yeah the set piece situation is a shocker. The last 2 games pan out very differently if we don’t concede those goals. Solid 2-0 win away at Spurs, either the same, or maybe go on to win 3 or 4, against Wolves. Neither team threatened us really in open play beforehand. Instead the course of both games, and dare I say it how our performances were perceived, was changed by our inability to defend them properly.

Ha ha. True. I’m just glad the reference landed.

I’m not patronising you Swipe am I, I’m just presenting a different perspective. And I haven't said Wolves aren’t terrible, either to myself, or to you. Of course they are. I have said they are hard to play through, which they are. Arsenal, top of the League, toiled against them too. As did Villa in 3rd. You give Arsenal credit for winning the game anyway. You give us no credit, because they are terrible, and instead say it highlights our issues. I happen to think that’s unfair. Sorry if this is challenging.* * Ok that was patronising. Thanks for coming Paul.

Fancies himself as the new Grim Reaper this lad. Crap News Cook.

Think you’ll find they made Arsenal panic as well. As did Brighton yesterday who we beat more soundly. But you chose to give them credit instead “because they won” You could give us some credit too if you were so minded. But you’re not, you want it to be the other way. Thats fine, I get it. Lets see how it all pans out.