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A good summary of the match. We may be 3 points nearer safety but the general performance by the team was very poor. Other than 25 minutes at the start of the 2nd half - when the team played football on the ground, and Clarke's pass and Varney's goal, we could have been a pub Sunday League side - bad passes, high balls to nobody, passing back when we had an advantage going forward. Tommy Spurr seems to be under instructions from AI not to go forward with the ball but to stay back - this has destroyed his natural game and sapped his confidence and he made a series of howlers which explains why Grant always hoofs it as far as he can rather than throw it out - the worst example when he passed it to Spurr from a goal kick.

We may just stay up but I have limited confidence that AI will transform the team into a proper footballing squad next season. The strange thing is that the players are capable of playing proper football - they did it in the early part of the season under Laws but failed to make it count. Three of my friends who are "occasional attenders" were there last night and, other than the result, I cannot think of a worse advert if we are trying to get people to buy season tickets for next year. Tell me I am being pessimistic please.

A massive win. Well done to all. I think we will stay up. As for transformation of the team that will only come with a bigger playing staff budget AI cannot turnmediocre championship players into PL players. All he can do is organise them and prevent us from going into L1. It sadly is as simple as that.

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did the results predictor on the bbc site today. and in a wonderful, hypothetical world we are safe. however, the more i think about it the more it seems the last game of the season is going to be the decider. if so i reckon we could pull a bigger crowd than the pigs game...

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Think we need to appreciate what AIs remit is here. Staying up. Simple as. He has inherited a CRAP bunch of players who had only won 4 games all season wasnt it? Hes managed 7 wins and 3 draws with those same players. Yes its not prety to watch, but IFG he keeps us up then he has an opportunity in the Summer to bring in his own players. If he can bring in the likes of nolan then I thin we are in for happier times. But lets stop up first eh?

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TBH guys given our position what's the point of criticising AI's managership ? We won and we move on. We all knew when he took over the way to safety with this bunch is to scrap, scrape or gouge a win whatever way we could. Can't personally cope with late winners luckily we don't do it often :biggrin:

We got lucky last night imo Watford were easily the better team first half whilst not really threatening the goal they were pressing us back into our area and I simply couldn't believe our seeming lack of quality ideas, passion or energy. Interesting note for the team if they want support to lift them : that 2nd half just a couple of tackles and the impression they were actually bothered and the crowd got going.

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I've not seen as bad a first half for years if ever.It was diabolical.

We came out well after half time but then it was awful again as soon as they scored . Did very well to win it because we were shocking.

I know it's singling people out but Soares, Tudgay and Spurr were the worst offenders.

Spurr looked like the game was new to him, to say Tudgay looked half-arsed would be being kind,and I know Soares is playing out of position but he is just simply not good enough.

Varney was totally anonymous until thE first ten mins of second half. Having said that,he looked a threat from the wing at times and I think he should stay there until JJ is fit.

There was one shot off target by us in the whole of the first half

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We won, nothing else matters at the end of the day. Staying up is all that counts and if that means another 3 or 4 wins playing garbage I think the majority of us would accept that.

Andrew, I understand your comments fully. Personally, I think anyone expecting fantasy football from an Alan Irvine side is going to be greatly disappointed. If we can stay up this year I expect him to mould a functional football team that does the basics very well without ever being massively entertaining. I tend to think we'll become a bit like one previous clubs, Everton just in the Championship.

I can accept that though as the football played under Brian at the start of the season was good, but the results weren't there so I'd accept a more pragmatic approach for being further up the table.

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I must be strange in that I dont really care about the standard as long as we win. Not just cos we're fighting a relegation battle at the moment either. I've had a gutfull of losing full stop. I dont even want a playoff push. Mid table mediocrity where we win more than we have been doing in the last few years will do me for starters. I'll take ugly wins if they all feel like that one last night.

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I must be strange in that I dont really care about the standard as long as we win. Not just cos we're fighting a relegation battle at the moment either. I've had a gutfull of losing full stop. I dont even want a playoff push. Mid table mediocrity where we win more than we have been doing in the last few years will do me for starters. I'll take ugly wins if they all feel like that one last night.

No you're not mate I think lots of us accept that right now the score at the final whistle is all that counts. people expecting to be entertained should stay on tailtone road and watch the traffic lights change cos it isn't going to happen with this lot.

But if you want to experience feeling: expectant, nonplussed, anxious, excstatic, poleaxed, despair , and jubilantly, hysterically over friendly to strangers come to sunny Hillsborough home of the 2018 WC :biggrin:

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It was an unbelieiveable match.

No doubt the poor performance for much of the game is down to nerves and pressure. Watford could afford to draw it, or sit back and go for a win on the break, so although we needed to attack losing the game wouldve been a disaster. Most Wednesday teams in recent history have struggled when they really need a win. At least they delivered in the end.

I think we have the chance to pick up a sneaky away win, United is always 50/50 then either Bristol or Palace. They are the games I would have my eye on...but it probably wont work out like that.

Losing Miller is a blow, I hope JJ can come in on Saturday.

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re: the switch to 4-3-3 [or 4-4-3 as reported on the OS - no wonder we won!]

did it look like we'd actually been trained how to play using that shape? i remember so many horrible horrible observations of us trying it earlier in the season only to watch us fall apart...

were tudgay and varney both playing off clarke as old fashioned inside forwards? i've heard mention of varney contributing well from wide areas, but obviously he nicked the goal so must've been playing central at times as well.

guess the shift in formation would also explain why soares was playing so narrow next to potter and *other* centre mid [don't know who played]. might consider posting that in his defence in the other thread against someone who criticised him for it - but i didn't see the rest of his performance.

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Utter gash last night. There were times where players actually looked like they had never played football.

I know Varney scored late, but our strike force has zero goal threat. Tudgay was once again lazy and utter garbage. Does he not want to score?

Worrying the fact that it was our 2 loan players who scored.

Asa footballing spectacle, i don't blame those who will not buy a season ticket next season. you can head up to Warminster Road on a Sunday morning and be more entertained, with better football being played.

On the massive plus side, which is all that matters at the moment, is that we won.

We will however lose on Saturday, even if we only play half as bad as that.

Edited by Chris Akabusi
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Utter gash last night. There were times where players actually looked like they had never played football. did you leave at half time?

I know Varney scored late, but our strike force has zero goal threat. so 2 goals scored = zero?

Tudgay was once again lazy and utter garbage. Does he not want to score? addressed in other threads. works hard in other areas over the pitch. however lack of goals at times is worrying

Worrying the fact that it was our 2 loan players who scored. how dare we shrewdly acquire players?

Asa footballing spectacle, i don't blame those who will not buy a season ticket next season. if you won't be there i'd be tempted to go, guessing you'd be a moaning get all game

you can head up to Warminster Road on a Sunday morning and be more entertained, with better football being played. don't care about better football as long as we stay up

On the massive plus side, which is all that matters at the moment, is that we won. finally, some positivity

We will however lose on Saturday, even if we only play half as bad as that. oh wait, my mistake. it was obviously a fleeting thought...

some people...

Edited by aussieowl87
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I've not seen as bad a first half for years if ever.

This is why I love football fans, they have a memory of about 5 minutes and a tendency to exaggerate everything :biggrin:

Come on, yes it was pretty horrible in terms of the effort and endeavour we knew we were going to need to stay up, but it wasn't a terrible first half. Watford never looked like scoring for one, apart from perhaps the chance Spurr gifted to them.

I take it you didn't see the first half at Bramall Lane this season then?

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Guest owls_4_life

This is why I love football fans, they have a memory of about 5 minutes and a tendency to exaggerate everything :biggrin:

Come on, yes it was pretty horrible in terms of the effort and endeavour we knew we were going to need to stay up, but it wasn't a terrible first half. Watford never looked like scoring for one, apart from perhaps the chance Spurr gifted to them.

I take it you didn't see the first half at Bramall Lane this season then?

Or Doncaster at home, Ipswich at home and Watford away?!

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