Quite enjoyed that actually...

[bradowl]

I've only just calmed down enough to post again. 

 

Absolutely distraught that we didn't come away with at least a point, thought we made them look very average, especially second half. Mad moment right at end cost us a point, I've not had chance to watch highlights yet but it didn't look good. 

 

Lots of good performances, can't make out Murphy's performance, does some good things but also some awful stuff, the one right at end when Nuhui played ball to him and for some reason he was stood a yard off pitch. Ffs 

[frastheowl]

 

I missed the first 20 minutes of the game (the stream was down up until that point). 

 

So, we were 1-0 down at that point, although, from their commentators, it seemed like it was against the run of play.

 

For the rest of the half, we were passengers. Passive, not engaging with WBA, and WBA began to look very comfortable, if not threatening too much. 

 

After the break, we looked a lot sharper. More aggressive in the press, and that seemed to rattle WBA out of their comfort zone, and they began to make mistakes...but we seemed to lack any belief in and around the penalty area. Kieran Lee was the biggest culprit. He got into a number of great positions, but he seems so hesitant and lacking confidence at the minute. 

 

That said, it was Lee who pressed and won us the penalty, and after Fletcher stuck it away, we looked the side in the ascendency. We played some nice football, and caused a couple of dicey moments for WBA...but mostly from set piece situations (Fox and Iorfa's chances in particular). 

 

My issue at the minute, is we seem to have significant periods in games where we look good on the ball and effective in transition. But we look devoid of ideas when it comes to the danger area. And that's a concern. Because I'm not sure what the answer is. With Bannan and Lee in midfield in front of the screening Hutchinson, that allows us to get control of games...but is Fletcher too static, too immobile to play the link up role and be the goal threat?

 

And while ever we continue to commit football suicide from 85 minutes and onwards, our inability to convert our dominant periods into goals will continue to cost us.

 

It really is nothing new. It's the same issues we've had for three seasons now. When will we finally solve the riddle?!

[sonofbert2]

15 minutes ago, frastheowl said:

 

It really is nothing new. It's the same issues we've had for three seasons now. When will we finally solve the riddle?!

 

Support Man City although I’ve been practicing a scouse accent just in case.

[hangonrose]

On 23/11/2019 at 22:11, debram said:

Fine lines/margins of which we are always the wrong side of, when will it ever change. 

The same fine lines were working for us earlier in the season with single goal margin wins....

[asteener1867]

its how it panned out..Thats the galling bit.

WEst Brom away...not going to be easy is it?

We hold our own, probably edge it, then it goes t *ts..

Off we go..why can't we do this, why can't we do that?

all fair enough arguments.but the bigger picture goes missing.

We are not a million miles off are we?

Heads down keep going.

our problem is not putting the games away...Like Cardif, like Blackburn, Leeds and Swansea...Its fine margins

[McRightSide]

12 minutes ago, hangonrose said:

The same fine lines were working for us earlier in the season with single goal margin wins....

Against the easy teams...

[adelphi1867]

On 24/11/2019 at 08:53, gurujuan said:

Although in those six games, Bullen had a much better win percentage than Monk. Maybe he could have influenced our summer dealings, but most of us were happy enough with those anyway. The only problem for me was, that we didn’t go through with our plans to bring in some young loanees from the top flight 

Bruce stated in the summer that it would take 2-3 windows to sort out Wednesday, we have had 1 at this moment in time.

Hopefully, we will be able to bring in those Loanees in January, one of which, at least,  has got to be a forward, then a winger and a c/m/f'er.

[SallyCinnamon]

5 hours ago, frastheowl said:

 

I missed the first 20 minutes of the game (the stream was down up until that point). 

 

So, we were 1-0 down at that point, although, from their commentators, it seemed like it was against the run of play.

 

For the rest of the half, we were passengers. Passive, not engaging with WBA, and WBA began to look very comfortable, if not threatening too much. 

 

After the break, we looked a lot sharper. More aggressive in the press, and that seemed to rattle WBA out of their comfort zone, and they began to make mistakes...but we seemed to lack any belief in and around the penalty area. Kieran Lee was the biggest culprit. He got into a number of great positions, but he seems so hesitant and lacking confidence at the minute. 

 

That said, it was Lee who pressed and won us the penalty, and after Fletcher stuck it away, we looked the side in the ascendency. We played some nice football, and caused a couple of dicey moments for WBA...but mostly from set piece situations (Fox and Iorfa's chances in particular). 

 

My issue at the minute, is we seem to have significant periods in games where we look good on the ball and effective in transition. But we look devoid of ideas when it comes to the danger area. And that's a concern. Because I'm not sure what the answer is. With Bannan and Lee in midfield in front of the screening Hutchinson, that allows us to get control of games...but is Fletcher too static, too immobile to play the link up role and be the goal threat?

 

And while ever we continue to commit football suicide from 85 minutes and onwards, our inability to convert our dominant periods into goals will continue to cost us.

 

It really is nothing new. It's the same issues we've had for three seasons now. When will we finally solve the riddle?!

 

Until we replace them with better players.

 

Can't keep roughly the same side for 4 years and expect them to produce different results. We are capable of pretty football and we have some talented individuals, but they aren't good enough for promotion. Which is why we are still in the Championship. A lot of these players peaked 2/3 seasons ago and we are still expecting them to improve. Simply not going to happen.

 

Encouraged by the signings we made in the summer (apart from Murphy and Bates who haven't offered much or anything). Hopefully next summer we can finally start making the serious changed needed. Starting with the spine of the squad. 

 

 

[Guest]

Has the site been down? I wanted to give my regards to Vulva I have to say I really enjoyed the game and to be honest if Palmer and Westwood hadn't messed up a draw would have been a fair result. i think we shaded the first half. The Dingle Reject always scores against us. we poor second half. I was expecting The hard game you brought. As we start slow after international breaks. Out of these 3 games i was expecting 4pts at most. A gap is building between the top 2 now, We need to widen it more before the window

[gurujuan]

31 minutes ago, adelphi1867 said:

Bruce stated in the summer that it would take 2-3 windows to sort out Wednesday, we have had 1 at this moment in time.

Hopefully, we will be able to bring in those Loanees in January, one of which, at least,  has got to be a forward, then a winger and a c/m/f'er.

Yes, hopefully

[Owls-Fan]

On 24/11/2019 at 12:06, Buckwheat said:

Yep, but I'd rather have been not the toughest like Barnsley, Charlton and Reading who took points away from them at The Hawthorns.

interesting point of view.  So by that logic you’d rather have Man Utd’s team and manager than Man City’s, as Man Utd are the only team able to draw against Liverpool and Man City lost against them.

 

Personally I’d rather have our squad and manager than Barnsley, Charlton and reading as I would feel we will finish higher up the table than them, as a season is 46 games. But each to their own I suppose 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Owls-Fan

[frastheowl]

1 hour ago, SallyCinnamon said:

 

Until we replace them with better players.

 

Can't keep roughly the same side for 4 years and expect them to produce different results. We are capable of pretty football and we have some talented individuals, but they aren't good enough for promotion. Which is why we are still in the Championship. A lot of these players peaked 2/3 seasons ago and we are still expecting them to improve. Simply not going to happen.

 

Encouraged by the signings we made in the summer (apart from Murphy and Bates who haven't offered much or anything). Hopefully next summer we can finally start making the serious changed needed. Starting with the spine of the squad. 

 

 

 

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but two of the front three on Saturday are new signings. 

 

Luongo has played a fair amount of games, and hasn't really improved things in midfield either. Don't get me wrong, he's done alright...but is he any better than Lee?

 

It's a pretty lazy argument to say "replace them with better players." Every club in the country could improve their fortunes by doing that. And it's never as easy as that is it...as we know all too well. 

 

For me, we are still naturally too cautious. Our wide men and midfielders aren't enough of a goal threat...and yet, our tendency to play two fairly defensive minded full backs and a holding midfielder really does exasperate things when it comes to creating good chances. 

 

For the most part in the last 3-4 years, we've had managers try and make a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 work, with varying degrees of success.  But, regardless of the man in charge, those systems haven't been successful enough. 

 

 

[SallyCinnamon]

1 minute ago, frastheowl said:

 

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but two of the front three on Saturday are new signings. 

 

Luongo has played a fair amount of games, and hasn't really improved things in midfield either. Don't get me wrong, he's done alright...but is he any better than Lee?

 

It's a pretty lazy argument to say "replace them with better players." Every club in the country could improve their fortunes by doing that. And it's never as easy as that is it...as we know all too well. 

 

For me, we are still naturally too cautious. Our wide men and midfielders aren't enough of a goal threat...and yet, our tendency to play two fairly defensive minded full backs and a holding midfielder really does exasperate things when it comes to creating good chances. 

 

For the most part in the last 3-4 years, we've had managers try and make a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 work, with varying degrees of success.  But, regardless of the man in charge, those systems haven't been successful enough. 

 

 

What do you mean by successful? Over the past two seasons we’ve produced results of a mid table side. And that is where we’ve finished. Some good results and some bad results. That looks to be the way this season is going too.

 

Its not a lazy argument at all. These players aren’t good enough anymore to push for the play offs. Squad needs freshening up with some quality. It’s the harsh reality. 

 

[SiJ]

A team reaches the end of its cycle. 

 

This core group of players reached theirs a few years back. 

 

We are pretty much reliant on the same spine that we have been for 5 or so years. 

 

Worth remembering that the likes of Westwood, Lees, Hutchinson and Lee were here before Chansiri. 

 

I hoped that the new signings would breed a bit of new life into that old guard and the experience of that old guard  (plus the quality they possess) would bode well going forward. 

 

Tbf, we aren't a bad side, far from it. It's just that we aren't as good as we once were and I don't think we've got enough to sustain a top 6 challenge. 

 

Mentally...old habits die hard and this team still struggles to see out those big games when it really matters. There is a fragility which has started to rear its ugly head again and we are throwing away points when we shouldn't be. In the last three games we should have taken 7 points and yet we end up with a measly 2 due to individual errors and lack of organisation right at the death. 

 

I see that all the players are saying the right things in the press and blah blah (tbf, what else can they say), but it wouldn't surprise me if we play well against Brum, Charlton etc., miss easy chances, concede a stupid goal and then have a meltdown right at the death. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by SiJ

[debram]

3 hours ago, hangonrose said:

The same fine lines were working for us earlier in the season with single goal margin wins....

Yes against the lesser sides, doesn't bear well. 

[adelphi1867]

11 hours ago, frastheowl said:

 

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but two of the front three on Saturday are new signings. 

 

Luongo has played a fair amount of games, and hasn't really improved things in midfield either. Don't get me wrong, he's done alright...but is he any better than Lee?

 

It's a pretty lazy argument to say "replace them with better players." Every club in the country could improve their fortunes by doing that. And it's never as easy as that is it...as we know all too well. 

 

For me, we are still naturally too cautious. Our wide men and midfielders aren't enough of a goal threat...and yet, our tendency to play two fairly defensive minded full backs and a holding midfielder really does exasperate things when it comes to creating good chances. 

 

For the most part in the last 3-4 years, we've had managers try and make a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 work, with varying degrees of success.  But, regardless of the man in charge, those systems haven't been successful enough. 

 

 

Yes he is, I was surprised when Lee got a new contract after his misfortunate injury absence.

We have had the chance to improve the full back situation over the last 4 season's and failed.

It is no good just wishing for these things, we are where we are with the squad now and can only play members of that squad.

[Beauchief Owl]

On 24/11/2019 at 00:35, Blue and white said:

We missed a trick when Bruce left, makes you wonder how much he knew about the impending shitstorm that was heading our way and did it have any influence in him leaving.

I like Monk and think given time and backing he could be good for us, my only criticism of his appointment was the 6 weeks it took to appoint him, he was available all along and we fecked about.

The delay was due to Bullen getting a few good results early on and then the support for 'Give it to him, he's been loyal blah, blah ., blah'. DC gave him a chance and thankfully made the right decision to give it to GM IMO. 

[gurujuan]

1 hour ago, Beauchief Owl said:

The delay was due to Bullen getting a few good results early on and then the support for 'Give it to him, he's been loyal blah, blah ., blah'. DC gave him a chance and thankfully made the right decision to give it to GM IMO. 

I’ll just stop you there, as of now, Bullen’s 6 games produced a much better win percentage than Monk has so far Hopefully, the appointment of Monk WILL turn out to be a good appointment, but at the moment, he’s no better than what we had

[oldishowl]

7 minutes ago, gurujuan said:

I’ll just stop you there, as of now, Bullen’s 6 games produced a much better win percentage than Monk has so far Hopefully, the appointment of Monk WILL turn out to be a good appointment, but at the moment, he’s no better than what we had

I don’t miss many games and I am pretty sure that Monk is a lot better manager than Bullen.

 

[gurujuan]

1 minute ago, oldishowl said:

I don’t miss many games and I am pretty sure that Monk is a lot better manager than Bullen.

 

Yes he probably is, and hopefully he will prove that At the moment though, he has not managed to improve on Bullen’s early season record