Why exactly is it "highly unlikely" we slip out of the play offs? We're 6 points above the bottom half and only 2 points above 7th and 8th, who both have a game in hand.
But considering how close we are to much lower places in the league, saying it's "highly likely" we finish in the play offs when there's 18 games left is... Stupid. At least at this point. Lose a couple on the bounce and we could easily find ourselves outsides the play off spots.
There's no point speculating where we might be in 6 games time. Apart from the top two every team in this league is capable of putting together a run of defeats
He turns 25 next month, he should be at the peak of his game and not learning how to use his talent each week. And talent means sod all when effort levels aren't high.
So have others? Being terrible hasn’t been unique to us. Teams like WBA and Boro are gathering pace. And as 2 years ago showed, momentum is key and teams below us have that and undoubtedly others will get it. We might also get good momentum but we don’t seem close, everyone can see that. Just believing we can carry on like this and secure a playoff place is extremely naive and unrealistic (I’m not saying this is what you have suggested). Saying it’s ‘highly unlikely’ at this point that we miss out is premature IMO.
Lots of good points have already been made that I won’t repeat, but a couple of extra thoughts from me: Choudhury’s passing today was abysmal. He seemed to have miscuing the ball, scuffing it or slicing it straight up in the air down to a tee throughout. Really added to the lack of control and panic we seemed to often have in possession. We barely won a second ball all game. We’d win a 50/50 tackle or head the ball back into the mix and time and time again no Watford player was there challenging meaningfully for the dropping ball. Really frustrating. I didn’t think the ref got anything too wrong - as I said on Shoutbox the only thing our attackers do consistently with any purpose is run into the box and collapse at the merest contact, so it’s hard to tell live what’s legit or not - but I really didn’t get the head injury delay in the first half. It looked from the other end like the Rotherham player was bleeding but why did he need to be treated on the pitch, thereby stopping play for about 3 minutes? The player wasn’t on the floor, he walked to the ref who called the physios on and then got bandaged up. And as a result he was able to come straight back on when play resumed. I’m sure only a few years ago he’d have been told to use his two good legs and walk off to be treated, no matter how long it took. And of course after that we yet again had a non-injury being ‘treated’ conveniently midway through the first half, while every other player from both sides went to the touch line for drinks, a team talk and tactical refinements. These mid-half breaks are happening nearly every game now.
Easy to get carried away with today's result, but it's still 7 from the last 9 points available, with half a side out injured. Bilic has also been going at a win every other game, so unless something drastic happens I personally can't see us finishing outside the top 4, let alone top 6
Henrique Araujo will make a massive difference. Benfica class shown already today with Ferreira. I'd hate to play with Bayo.
On the referee point, there were two clear penalty shouts. Both are usually given. Both occurred right in front of where I was sitting so I saw them clearly. Sarr was fouled on both occasions. Where referee’s were favouring us last time we were in the Champ, I think we’re certainly getting a raw deal time time around.
The 2nd one was clear as day. Unfortunately Sarr has made a rod for his own back by going down with literally any contact in the box
This is a definite element of it, in that he thinks he is Zaha, essentially, in that he can wander and jink and gadfly about half-heartedly as much as he wants, because at some point in the game he will just pick the ball up, beat every member of the opposition team whilst slaloming into the box and sit the goalie down for a perfect close-quarters lob/tunnel, thereby justifying his existence on the pitch. The problem is that he doesn't have a tenth of Zaha's close-control on the ball, and as a result he's basically incapable of doing that. Instead we are treated to him taking one accelerated stride alongside the box, slowing down, predictably trying to cut in (as the idea forms visibly in a thought bubble emanating from his head) and getting either outpaced, outmuscled, or both, as he blooters the ball 5 feet further in front of him than he thought he was going to every single time, despite the now rather considerable weight of evidence available to him when making the judgement. I remember when Andre Gray used to say that Sarr was 'our Messi' in training, and we were just all waiting to see that manifest on the pitch. At this point, by no means is he incapable of doing good things, but I don't think we've seen a single piece of evidence to suggest that he can even be classified as 'good on the ball', let alone the kind of single-impact game-winner a bawbag like Zaha can claim to be.
It doesn't seem to be problem for players like Vardy and Zaha. They've built careers on conning the referee for cheap penalties.
Why? What rational reason can you give for referee’s conspiring against us? That probably sounds pointed in the way it’s written and it’s honestly not - but I’d be interested to hear some deeper reasoning behind these opinions as I just don’t get it. Officiating is bad across the board is how I see it. It’s not unique to us.
All will be revealed next 6 games. After that we might be the prime playoff contender. But equally we might be 12th and in poor form.
Sarr and Davis consistently throw themselves to the floor looking for penalties. Every couple of games Bachmann fakes an injury or throws himself down. It's just a bit boring and we'd be calling it out if it was the opposition.
At least with younger players in the team they make mistakes from trying. Some of the more senior pros we've had these last few years make mistakes and then hide in games.
We should have been given two penalties today. Nothing more controversial than that. Just my opinion. I’m not interested in speaking about ‘deeper reasoning’ or ‘conspiracies’. I’ll leave that to others.
Don't see we have much to fear. We've only been beaten by one of those teams, winning 4, drawing 1. We're better when we're not likely to dominate the ball
Shoutout to the two slightly tipsy lads near me in the Rookery, one of whom was at only his second ever game who were having a wail of a time, genuinely laughing it up and finding the whole thing hilarious and entertaining. I'm pleased someone enjoyed todays game and hope they come back, you get a bit old and cynical but it did remind me of how much I used love coming to games when I was in my late teens/early 20s when nothing really mattered and it was just a bit of fun.
I’ve said we deserved 2 penalties on a previous post, so I agree. And fair enough on your latter point - I took you saying us getting decisions last time in the Championship that we aren’t getting now, as a pointer to something deeper. My genuine apologies.
We are better when we think we have something to prove against the better teams. But because there’s so few of them in this league, we look rank bad often because we don’t bother against the many teams we feel are inferior to us. We have the players for this league - but arrogance, a lack of philosophy/style and an injury problem is clearly putting us well behind the curve.
Completely disagree about Bilic, today I saw us try and win a game for 90 minutes, same as v Crackpool. Not bothered about patterns of play, formations etc. It's been so long since I saw us play to win that I'm more than happy with him.
Definitely possible no? WBA, Boro and Norwich all with tails up. It’s not out of the question we are midtable next month after the next run of games if the new signings don’t hit the ground running. Id say we aren’t guaranteed playoffs at all.
It’s the best the division has to offer and all are in better form that when we played them. Think we will get stuffed personally by Boro, Burnley, Sheff Utd and WBA despite how well we did against them under “out of depth” Edwards. Anyway we will soon know,
We have been tosh with academy kids destined for a future in League 2 / non-league on the pitch and still beat the team in 6th and have taken 7 from 9. Add Louza, Pedro to that squad, hope Arajuo is good and you still think we won't make top 6 in this pony division? Impossible. Morris, Adeyemo, Ade-Poku, Bacuna & Bayo. All players who have no business being anywhere near a promotion chasing squad. Gaspar has done surprisingly well in central midfield but 3 weeks ago you could probably add him to the list. Bilic has been severely hamstrung (pardon the pun) and we're STILL 3rd with 18 games of a 46 game season left.
