Bournemouth Verdict

[goldeneyed]

Why is anyone surprised? The thinness of the squad combined with an injury epidemic and constant VAR injustices is bound to result in these kind of jaded performances.

The failure to even come up with a £4m loan fee for Broja or secure any kind of striker in January was always going to be fatal to aspirations.

Shi and Fosun need to take a good look in the mirror this summer. O'Neill has done all he could in the circumstances. Now with Man City and Liverpool defeats coming up plus perhaps two more defeats the season is going to end in tatters with all positive momentum nullified and perhaps £10m lost in prize money due to the collapse in league position.

So yes a poor performance and VAR crookedness but the truth is the club have seeded this disastrous decline themselves and something was always bound to give.

I expect a draw at best vs an injury hit Luton. That says it all.

 

[Perton Wolf]

Why is anyone surprised? The thinness of the squad combined with an injury epidemic and constant VAR injustices is bound to result in these kind of jaded performances.

The failure to even come up with a £4m loan fee for Broja or secure any kind of striker in January was always going to be fatal to aspirations.

Shi and Fosun need to take a good look in the mirror this summer. O'Neill has done all he could in the circumstances. Now with Man City and Liverpool defeats coming up plus perhaps two more defeats the season is going to end in tatters with all positive momentum nullified and perhaps £10m lost in prize money due to the collapse in league position.

So yes a poor performance and VAR crookedness but the truth is the club have seeded this disastrous decline themselves and something was always bound to give.

I expect a draw at best vs an injury hit Luton. That says it all.

Thing is, the Broja loan clause didn't sound great, but he'd be playing for us every week so we likely would've played a pittance for him for 5 months.

I get why we didn't go for him as such but the fact we signed nobody was crap.

 

[lets all have a disco]

ONeil made too many errors last night in tactics and formation but the biggest errors were dropping Bueno, Chirewa and Traore. All should have started. All are fresh and showed that against Arsenal and both Traore and Chirewa looked far more positive when they came on. We can go on all we like about tired players but I start to lose sympathy when you leave out players that are fresh.

No disagreing with the theory ...just don't think those 3 replacements are anywhere near good enough........Rayan replaced Bueno.....yes you could argue Rayan could have been used where Doyle was but for me Bueno would have been done over by Semenyo, constantly so wouldn't have improved the situation.....

Bouba would have given us a bit of energy..but if he would have played where Doyle was he would also have been lost....bouba run about but is very poor on the ball ....chirwera for Sarabia.....alright Sarabia has struggled a bit with having to do the majority of the forward play on his own, and looks a bit shattered but he had our only effort on goal and his is our set piece specialist which neither Chirewa would offer ...

I still sympathise with Oneil that the depth isn't good enough...if money was available I think O'Neil would replace all of Bouba Chirwera Bueno in a heartbeat .

Although you are right with fresher players ...had we started those 3 defeat was even more inevitable....

 

[RosehillWolf]

Let’s face it. We are **** without Dawson at the back and Neto up top. We’ve taken 2 points from the last 15 , lost 4 home games on the bounce and we have very little confidence that wrongs will be righted in the summer
We badly need new owners with proper ambition , need a new influx of good players and we need to regain our identity
I can’t really see anything other than treading water next year and hoping for 17th again
If that’s the level of expectation I’m out

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

Poor performance in the main and not helped by an incompetent set of officials.

I get why the form has dropped off though. How can any team maintain form when injuries mean that the team is constantly having to chop and change and players can't get a run of games to build match fitness and find form? The likes of Cunha, Hwang etc have barely had any football over the last couple of months and you can see how short of match fitness some of them are and the lack of cohesion in the team at times.

It's obvious that a midfield 3 of Lemina, Gomes and Doyle doesn't work but there isn't really an option at the moment. Sarabia's form has fell off a cliff but we can't utilise his strengths at the moment.

Opinions on the reasons why we are in this situation have been done to death on other threads but I'd love to know what squad we could realistically have put together that would have rode the amount of injuries we have had to significant players with no corresponding dip in form.

One thing I really didn't like last night was the amount of people in the crowd who got on the players backs and the amount of comments about them being 'on the beach' from around me in the North Bank. I commented to the bloke next to me that it sounded like a game back in Kenny Jackett's final season. After what we've achieved this season against the odds if we can't take a dip in form and get behind the players after what's happened recently then what does that say about us?

 

[Irish_Wolf]

20 minutes at home agin 10 men and a team who were below us in the league.

This board littered with excuses for players being tired or injured. Every team has played the same amount and those in Europe more. Every team has injuries some teams with more.

We deliberately decided on having a smaller squad so can't moan when 2 main players are injured but so many using Dawson and Neto as an excuse.

GON isn't cutting it just now. Poor displays reflect on him. Limited squad and standard of player replacements reflects on recruitment and the board.

It's not good, take of the gold tinted glasses, we could have been challenging for a European spot with earlier form, now we have relegation form just because we reached safety and have basically down tools as job done. That's a disgraceful mentality so I'm looking at GON.

 

[Perton Wolf]

Let’s face it. We are **** without Dawson at the back and Neto up top. We’ve taken 2 points from the last 15 , lost 4 home games on the bounce and we have very little confidence that wrongs will be righted in the summer
We badly need new owners with proper ambition , need a new influx of good players and we need to regain our identity
I can’t really see anything other than treading water next year and hoping for 17th again
If that’s the level of expectation I’m out

That's the best we can hope for with FOSUN now, the ambition has gone.

Badly need fresh impetus and investment.

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

20 minutes at home agin 10 men and a team who were below us in the league.

This board littered with excuses for players being tired or injured. Every team has played the same amount and those in Europe more. Every team has injuries some teams with more.

We deliberately decided on having a smaller squad so can't moan when 2 main players are injured but so many using Dawson and Neto as an excuse.

GON isn't cutting it just now. Poor displays reflect on him. Limited squad and standard of player replacements reflects on recruitment and the board.

It's not good, take of the gold tinted glasses, we could have been challenging for a European spot with earlier form, now we have relegation form just because we reached safety and have basically down tools as job done. That's a disgraceful mentality so I'm looking at GON.

Well, that is just about the most negative post I've read in ages.

So in your world no player is ever allowed to be tired and you think injuries affect each team equally? which team has suffered more with injuries this last few months than us? I can only think of Brighton and Newcastle that have had comparable injury lists to us and both team's form fell off a cliff until they got some players back.

And I'm sorry but if you think the players have downed tools then you have a very cynical world view my friend.

Oh, and it's possible to not take the most extremely negative spin and view on events available and not have rose tinted glasses on.

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

Fair play to GON he avoided the VAR controversy talk and blamed himself and the players for the worst performance of the season
Too many substandard last night, terrible passing and pressing first half marginally better second half
Subs made too late to matter and even when we finally make a decent move VAR gets involved
First "goal" should have stood,and still not convinced about the off side, even their manager wasnt sure about it
Oh well season almost done but we need better from everyone in the last few games,we are better than the dross served up last night

 

[lets all have a disco]

Due to our lack of firepower.....his game plan seemed to be Rayan on Semenyo and Lemina to pick up Solanke.....which in turned rendered us ineffective.......

 

[WorcesterWanderer]

Something I will say... At the start of the match I felt a bit out of place and was quiet with my chanting and singing because I was quite nervous and overwhelmed by the occasion.

As soon as the first disallowed goal happened however, I was screaming, shouting, swearing, making gestures towards the ref, chanting with everyone else and even getting up out of my seat. By extra time my voice was starting to go. I realised that there were thousands of people backing me up who felt the same emotions as me and it was beautiful despite the loss. Mrs reckons I'll be at it for 90 minutes during the Palace match.

 

[fleck1]

grimmest 45 mins of the season, the squad is either half fit or absolutely knackered. If it wasn't for Sa they'd have been 4 or 5 up and out of sight by half time. Between that and VAR I'm over this season, lets see what they hit us with on the season tickets because it wont take much to pack that up as well.

 

[wulfie88]

 

[SA Wolf]

Well, that is just about the most negative post I've read in ages.

So in your world no player is ever allowed to be tired and you think injuries affect each team equally? which team has suffered more with injuries this last few months than us? I can only think of Brighton and Newcastle that have had comparable injury lists to us and both team's form fell off a cliff until they got some players back.

And I'm sorry but if you think the players have downed tools then you have a very cynical world view my friend.

Oh, and it's possible to not take the most extremely negative spin and view on events available and not have rose tinted glasses on.

You are right in some respects; that every team has injuries, but some are affected more than others. However, stating that only Brighton and Newcastle have had comparable injury lists is not true.
Liverpool won the Carabao cup without Jota, Salah, TAA, Jones, Thiago, Gravenberch and a host of others. They use the likes of Clark, McConnell, Danns, Qhansah and Bradley. And that in itself tells a story. Liverpool's ability to bring players through to support the first team is head and shoulders above ours. While Fraser, Chiwome, Chirewa and Okoduwa may come good in the future; Liverpool, Man City's and other have players ready to step up. Of course, they attract the best young talent in the country, if not the world, however, our drop-off in form, tiredness, small squad would not have such a devastating affect on results if we had younger players ready to step up. We don't!

Luton, Villa, Chelsea, Sheff Utd, Man U and even Bournemouth have had as many, if not more injuries than us. Most seem to have coped better.

 

[Kingswood Wolf]

Contrast the way we played versus how Bournemouth did. A big game for both managers, I can imagine GON put a lot of time and energy into preparation for this game. And look what happened. Bournemouth to a man looked faster, fitter, more organised, more confident, more skillful and all seemed to know exactly what they were meant to do. Wolves meanwhile... jeez.

If you're a Bournemouth fan this morning, I think you know who you'd rather have managing you now.

As for the GON links to Liverpool, Man Utd ... ENGLAND?! Do. Me. A. Favour.

Bin this season off and see what Fosun come up with this summer. But on this showing and that of the last 3 months, next autumn could be emotional.

Also I hate Bournemouth.

 

[Contrarian]

You are right in some respects; that every team has injuries, but some are affected more than others. However, stating that only Brighton and Newcastle have had comparable injury lists is not true.
Liverpool won the Carabao cup without Jota, Salah, TAA, Jones, Thiago, Gravenberch and a host of others. They use the likes of Clark, McConnell, Danns, Qhansah and Bradley. And that in itself tells a story. Liverpool's ability to bring players through to support the first team is head and shoulders above ours. While Fraser, Chiwome, Chirewa and Okoduwa may come good in the future; Liverpool, Man City's and other have players ready to step up. Of course, they attract the best young talent in the country, if not the world, however, our drop-off in form, tiredness, small squad would not have such a devastating affect on results if we had younger players ready to step up. We don't!

Luton, Villa, Chelsea, Sheff Utd, Man U and even Bournemouth have had as many, if not more injuries than us. Most seem to have coped better.

Yes, agree with this. Though we will never match Liverpool so comparisons are futile. The question is more why we looked a league behind Bournemouth? And while our attack has been decimated, our defence and midfield have got off lightly with injuries. It doesn't explain why Bournemouth cut through our midfield like it wasn't there for the entire first half. The dropping of Traore - after possibly his best performance for us - seems odd as we looked better as soon as he came on. More of solid presence who could break up those attacks. Why drop the one player who wouldn't be tired and who would be keen to impress when given a rare chance?

The disorganised defence is a feature we've seen for months. Only now we don't have Dawson for the heroic last ditch tackle. But defenders being in apparently random positions leaving opponents in acres of space is not down to injuries or exhaustion.

TBF , this could be in part due to our way of playing that is based on hard running. In contrast , Bournemouth (and other teams we've seen recently such as Arsenal and Fulham) , get the ball to do the work. Our passing is generally poor for this level. Whether we would need different players to play that way, or it's coaching, I don't know, but it is consistently a problem. Though I'm still not convinced our defence/midfield have run any further than is typical for this division. I do wonder if all these excuses in advance, that have been going on for months, end up preparing for failure. "No problem if we lose, lads, with all our problems, it's enough just to get 11 players on a pitch" doesn't sound motivating.

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

You are right in some respects; that every team has injuries, but some are affected more than others. However, stating that only Brighton and Newcastle have had comparable injury lists is not true.
Liverpool won the Carabao cup without Jota, Salah, TAA, Jones, Thiago, Gravenberch and a host of others. They use the likes of Clark, McConnell, Danns, Qhansah and Bradley. And that in itself tells a story. Liverpool's ability to bring players through to support the first team is head and shoulders above ours. While Fraser, Chiwome, Chirewa and Okoduwa may come good in the future; Liverpool, Man City's and other have players ready to step up. Of course, they attract the best young talent in the country, if not the world, however, our drop-off in form, tiredness, small squad would not have such a devastating affect on results if we had younger players ready to step up. We don't!

Luton, Villa, Chelsea, Sheff Utd, Man U and even Bournemouth have had as many, if not more injuries than us. Most seem to have coped better.

Although i agree with most of your post i do think that we are the only club that has had one area of our squad decimated by injuries ie the attack
No other team has had the entire attack wiped out for months like us
While thats no excuse for not having enough depth in our squad, it is a legitimate excuse for our drop off in form and playing people out of position effecting the whole set up of the team
We cant be compared to teams like Liverpool or Man C who have virtually 2 teams that could play in the Prem and do well we just arent at that level, but i agree we should have far more depth in quality all round

 

[Oliwolf44]

Only watched the highlights on youtube as ive checked out for the rest of this season (and maybe more in general). having said that, not sure what the goal was disallowed for and also dont think it should have been a red card for them either as the player appeared to tuck his studs in purposely not to make it a red card offence. heavy tackle and definitely a yellow though

 

[marrs-guitar]

Contrast the way we played versus how Bournemouth did. A big game for both managers, I can imagine GON put a lot of time and energy into preparation for this game. And look what happened. Bournemouth to a man looked faster, fitter, more organised, more confident, more skillful and all seemed to know exactly what they were meant to do. Wolves meanwhile... jeez.

If you're a Bournemouth fan this morning, I think you know who you'd rather have managing you now.

What was even worse was that Bournemouth had a day less to prepare in.

In hindsight it's a real shame that the Lopetegui saga dragged on so long, otherwise we could have got Iraola in here. After the rocky period of adjusting to his methods at the start of the season, he looks a clear upgrade on O'Neil at Bournemouth.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

What was even worse was that Bournemouth had a day less to prepare in.

In hindsight it's a real shame that the Lopetegui saga dragged on so long, otherwise we could have got Iraola in here. After the rocky period of adjusting to his methods at the start of the season, he looks a clear upgrade on O'Neil at Bournemouth.

I'm sure he'd have been on the first plane when told we had to make a £100m net transfer profit rather than the £100m net loss that he got at Bournemouth.

 

[SuperGran]

I'm sure he'd have been on the first plane when told we had to make a £100m net transfer profit rather than the £100m net loss that he got at Bournemouth.

He’s had a full preseason at Bournemouth money to improve the squad no where near the injury’s to key players we’ve had and they’re what two points above us?

 

[marrs-guitar]

I'm sure he'd have been on the first plane when told we had to make a £100m net transfer profit rather than the £100m net loss that he got at Bournemouth.

Shi would have lied to him about the finances anyway so that's irrelevant, but I expect he would have come here if we wanted.

The Premier League is a huge draw to coaches and even with the sales we made we still had a squad that would have appealed to him: Neto, Cunha, Gomes, Sarabia I'm sure would be a better prospect for him and his Spanish style than Phillip Billing and Dominik Solanke. We'll never know though...

 

[Wolves in Limerick]

I was listening to Radio 5 last evening whose main commentary game was Everton V Liverpool. They went around the grounds regularly. They had little to say about the disallowed goal other than to say that there had been an earlier incident involving Cunha. On the Bournemouth sending off however they were highly critical of the decision suggesting that under no circumstances was it a sending off. The Guardian report today suggests that the decision to disallow the goal was wrong and that the sending off was as a result of a dangerous tackle on Doherty.

 

[Severnup]

Whichever way you look at it, our poor run of games as coincided with the loss of Dawson .

 

[Contrarian]

I was listening to Radio 5 last evening whose main commentary game was Everton V Liverpool. They went around the grounds regularly. They had little to say about the disallowed goal other than to say that there had been an earlier incident involving Cunha. On the Bournemouth sending off however they were highly critical of the decision suggesting that under no circumstances was it a sending off. The Guardian report today suggests that the decision to disallow the goal was wrong and that the sending off was as a result of a dangerous tackle on Doherty.

Which shows that VAR isn't the solution. In my opnion , both decisions were wrong. The goal should have stood (I've seen more forceful accidental collisions in a supermarket queue) and it should have been a yellow card. Kilman made a worse challenge v Arsenal, for example, yet was only a yellow. It's that inconsistency that annoys.

If there is nowhere near a consensus on what a correct decision would be, then VAR becomes a waste of time. Online, even some Bournemouth fans are saying the goal shouldn't have been disallowed, Though they did totally outplay us for most of the match, that is irrelevant unless VAR has expanded its role to enforcing "deserved" results?

 

[Jefe]

Whichever way you look at it, our poor run of games as coincided with the loss of Dawson .

He's been a massive loss for us. As challenging as the centre forward issue has been for us, a Dawson succession plan is becoming equally vital.
Kilman has looked very ordinary indeed without him.

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

Although i agree with most of your post i do think that we are the only club that has had one area of our squad decimated by injuries ie the attack
No other team has had the entire attack wiped out for months like us
While thats no excuse for not having enough depth in our squad, it is a legitimate excuse for our drop off in form and playing people out of position effecting the whole set up of the team
We cant be compared to teams like Liverpool or Man C who have virtually 2 teams that could play in the Prem and do well we just arent at that level, but i agree we should have far more depth in quality all round

That's the salient point isn't it. You can cover injuries if they are spread around each area of the pitch but no team can adequately plan cover for an entire area of the pitch being wiped out. Because, as you say, you have to fill those gaps and it leaves you short in other areas. We had to play Lemina further up front, which meant Doyle and Gomes both had to play, which meant that we suddenly looked light in midfield on the bench. RAN has to play further forward, which means that we are now short of cover at wing back.

It's a dilemma teams like us are always going to struggle with. We don't have the financial muscle to have a squad of 26 top end Premier league standard players like Man City or Liverpool etc so what do you do? We've seen this season that our starting XI fully fit is a match for anyone in the league, but to do that means there is a drop off in quality to the back up players. Do we improve the depth of the squad but then dilute the strength of the first XI by reverting to the mean? What's more likely to succeed, an squad of players of the same ability but only slightly above average players or a top level first XI but below average back up.

To put it another way, what improves your team more, one Mattheus Cunha at or 4 Boubacar Traores?

 

[Andywolf74]

Let’s face it. We are **** without Dawson at the back and Neto up top. We’ve taken 2 points from the last 15 , lost 4 home games on the bounce and we have very little confidence that wrongs will be righted in the summer
We badly need new owners with proper ambition , need a new influx of good players and we need to regain our identity
I can’t really see anything other than treading water next year and hoping for 17th again
If that’s the level of expectation I’m out

Agree with all of the above but unfortunately new owners couldn't splash the cash (assuming they'd want to) due to poor transfer dealings (primarily from summer 2020 up to an including summer 2022). It's becoming increasingly clear that running even a very successful Premier League football club won't necessarily generate a return on your investment, so I feel getting new owners would be even more challenging than in the Steve Morgan era, where our mid table Championship position and huge potential were a more attractive proposition.
As we've seen from Jan 2023 onwards, some of our best signings have been from relatively modest outlays and between Hobbs and O'Neil I'm hopeful some further similar outlay signings will add value to our starting line up. I still feel that we don't look as good as value for the win's we get when compared to teams around us like Bournemouth and Fulham and if we could learn and recruit players who can retain possession for longer periods, I think it would be an absolute game changer in both attacking terms but also reducing pressure on our frequently over worked defence.
Our opponents on Saturday have at least two players who I think would make a big difference for us (Morris and Barkley) and if Luton are relegated are exactly the type of player I'd like us to be looking at.

 

[UEAwolf]

All a bit 'meh' wasn't it?

Our players weren't up for it - the crowd wasn't up for it (even allowing for Bournemouth's poor turn out, a crowd of circa 25k for a PL match is hardly evidence of a need for Fosun to increase capacity) and the dream team officials of Attwell and England.

I'm not sure what our tactics were in the first half? RAN with licence to roam? Toti as LWB when we were in possession?

Of course the goal should have stood, but equally we should have been 4-0 down at half time.

Thought Traore played well again when he came on. Chiwera too.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

He’s had a full preseason at Bournemouth money to improve the squad no where near the injury’s to key players we’ve had and they’re what two points above us?

I'm not comparing how he's done to how O'Neil has done, although last night did make some of the stuff we read on here about how much they'd be regretting sacking O'Neil look a bit silly. My point was that he would probably have kept his options open if we'd sacked Lopetegui in June and offered him the job. Shi might have tried his sales pitch of course, but then again he's probably got Lopetegui's phone number!

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

All a bit 'meh' wasn't it?

Our players weren't up for it - the crowd wasn't up for it (even allowing for Bournemouth's poor turn out, a crowd of circa 25k for a PL match is hardly evidence of a need for Fosun to increase capacity) and the dream team officials of Attwell and England.

I'm not sure what our tactics were in the first half? RAN with licence to roam? Toti as LWB when we were in possession?

Of course the goal should have stood, but equally we should have been 4-0 down at half time.

Thought Traore played well again when he came on. Chiwera too.

I'd missed the attendance, that says a lot. 22.5k STH, maybe 1k from Bournemouth, so we only actually sold 3k tickets to home fans.

Toti was just LB in the first half CH in the second half as far as I could see. RAN played LW.

 

[Perton Wolf]

All a bit 'meh' wasn't it?

Our players weren't up for it - the crowd wasn't up for it (even allowing for Bournemouth's poor turn out, a crowd of circa 25k for a PL match is hardly evidence of a need for Fosun to increase capacity) and the dream team officials of Attwell and England.

I'm not sure what our tactics were in the first half? RAN with licence to roam? Toti as LWB when we were in possession?

Of course the goal should have stood, but equally we should have been 4-0 down at half time.

Thought Traore played well again when he came on. Chiwera too.

Disagree on the capacity point, it was a dead rubber game between two midtable sides and we're in really poor form.

 

[WorcesterWanderer]

I am on a Facebook football group full of Man U and Chelsea fans crying about how hard they've got it. After yesterday that has ****ed me off more than it usually would. Chelsea won a European Cup three years ago and they will inevitably buy their way back up. Man U won a domestic cup last season and are in another final this year. They are sitting 6th at the time of writing.

Yes yes, perspective and expectations and all that but my God have some ****ing self awareness.

 

[goldeneyed]

Inevitably with this short bad run some turn on GON quietly forgetting that he has had no support whatsoever from the board to strengthen the squad and has seen all his best attackers injured for long periods of time, plus losing his most important defender Dawson to injury, plus seeing £140m of talent disposed of just before he arrived with 4 days to prepare v Man U away.

GON has done a great job and he has done his best with a thin and injury battered squad. He is always honest in his interviews and in general has set the team up very well. The VAR controversy has cost us something like 12 points and he is not responsible for the huge loss of key players to injury.

There are ups and downs and the squad are looking jaded and over-stretched right now. Hwang and Cunha are not match fit for starters. Sarabia looks weak and knackered. We are finishing with a whimper but all this was so predictable and while GON obviously has to take some responsibility, the players themselves and especially the Board are those who need to accept the blame if we end up with no more points this season and a plunging league position.

 

[kinyo298]

CITEHTAP from the back to the front.

 

[Kingswood Wolf]

Inevitably with this short bad run some turn on GON quietly forgetting that he has had no support whatsoever from the board to strengthen the squad and has seen all his best attackers injured for long periods of time, plus losing his most important defender Dawson to injury, plus seeing £140m of talent disposed of just before he arrived with 4 days to prepare v Man U away.

GON has done a great job and he has done his best with a thin and injury battered squad. He is always honest in his interviews and in general has set the team up very well. The VAR controversy has cost us something like 12 points and he is not responsible for the huge loss of key players to injury.

There are ups and downs and the squad are looking jaded and over-stretched right now. Hwang and Cunha are not match fit for starters. Sarabia looks weak and knackered. We are finishing with a whimper but all this was so predictable and while GON obviously has to take some responsibility, the players themselves and especially the Board are those who need to accept the blame if we end up with no more points this season and a plunging league position.

Fair points. I am blinded by my general (and probably unfair and unfounded) dislike for GON and undeserved love of JL. The above is all true, therefore, next season is the litmus test I guess.

Question will be though, if it all goes pear shaped, where does Fosun's blame end and GON's begin? Really hard to know.

 

[Nivada]

No disagreing with the theory ...just don't think those 3 replacements are anywhere near good enough........Rayan replaced Bueno.....yes you could argue Rayan could have been used where Doyle was but for me Bueno would have been done over by Semenyo, constantly so wouldn't have improved the situation.....

Bouba would have given us a bit of energy..but if he would have played where Doyle was he would also have been lost....bouba run about but is very poor on the ball ....chirwera for Sarabia.....alright Sarabia has struggled a bit with having to do the majority of the forward play on his own, and looks a bit shattered but he had our only effort on goal and his is our set piece specialist which neither Chirewa would offer ...

I still sympathise with Oneil that the depth isn't good enough...if money was available I think O'Neil would replace all of Bouba Chirwera Bueno in a heartbeat .

Although you are right with fresher players ...had we started those 3 defeat was even more inevitable....

Disagree that Bouba is poor on the ball. Don't remember him giving it away once against Arsenal.

 

[WorcesterWanderer]

Anyone else read the article from the Athletic defending Atwell? "Hard not to feel for him on a human level". **** right off you soppy ****. How about feeling for the supporters who were entirely justified in what they had to say about him? I

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Whichever way you look at it, our poor run of games as coincided with the loss of Dawson .

Because he’s the only leader we have at the back…. If anything we need to sign more vocal leaders…..

 

[WorcesterWanderer]

Fair points. I am blinded by my general (and probably unfair and unfounded) dislike for GON and undeserved love of JL. The above is all true, therefore, next season is the litmus test I guess.

Question will be though, if it all goes pear shaped, where does Fosun's blame end and GON's begin? Really hard to know.

Suppose you could say, look at Fosun for the players that are brought in (or not) and then GON for how they are utilised? Don't know if it can be that simple.