You know you have just read my mind, what you have articulated is exactly what I was thinking prior to this match, all the good work and resurrection after poor results of a similar nature was all now dependent on winning this game to complete the revival and get back what we had lost. And we blow it as somehow I just expected tbh.Mr_incredible wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 5:49 pmMoyse cant have it both ways. He likes a small squad so he doesn't have to make too many decisions, then moans about fixtures piling up. If we are to be a regular top 6 club which is a BIG if with this club, hes going to have to make better use of the squad places. Of course Diop and Dawson weren't good enough today....was he not paying attention when the same thing happened last year. I said to my dad before the game, this is gonna be a game too far for them together just like the Newcastle game was last year. I knew our lineup was never going to match Leeds for workrate and yes looking at the bench there wasn't really an obvious fix. The players are blowing out of their asses and players like Diop and Dawson have 'gotten us through' but Moyse has to take this on the chin. He's had a month to sort out another defender. I would have preferred that he'd made the squad decisions he needs to make on Masuaku, Yarmalenko and co last year and we could have moved on. This isn't intended to give the players or Moyse a coating for today...We get it and were happy to be where we are, afterall we could spend 250 million in Jan and still be no higher in the league!!!.....but if we are to truely move forward as a club we cant stand still and make the same old excuses about having no options
And yes Moyes has been fantastic for us worked wonders and for that endlessly grateful. But there is one aspect of him that has been consistent throughout his career ultra careful with transfers and waiting and waiting which yes has been a positive for us because of previous madness but it has a downside. It means we end up waiting too long and inevitably getting a result like todays when the clear and obvious weakness we have got away with bites us badly. Even at Mancs players the need to replenish a team living off fumes and Fergies ability to maintain quality beyond its sell by date. That is my longer term worry at a team like us as it was with Everton you will inevitably hit a plateau whereby his snail like pace will mean you end up only replacing the players who for one reason or another leave the club be it age, injury or moving on up as a few of ours will likely do if we can’t sustain momentum. As you say this is a problem like the striker position that we have managed since the Summer and even before and sadly this one result ( though not the only in reality) is once things even out going to make top 4 maybe top 6 far tougher to achieve now, a win a decent chance if still a tough one perhaps. On such drawn out or not decisions lies that line between success and failure in the end.
Now it’s difficult to criticise Moyes from our perspective considering what he has achieved but none the less it’s frustrating when you think we pulled ourselves back into contention knowing we have a chance of strengthening in Jan only with half of it gone no success in so doing has occurred when even before injuries we were on thin ice. Personally despite my frustration and present annoyance I won’t lay into Moyes for this weakness. But I do fear if he isn’t very careful this will be his downfall amongst a section of the fan base. He has set a standard achieved it with limited assets but if it keeps holding back our potential to compete season long and some of this will be seen as his own apparent intransigence in strengthening the squad sooner rather than later hostility will mount especially if players want to leave as a result or perceived as a result. Next six months into the Summer window will be crucial in this regard and should we fail to strengthen the next two weeks then annoyance now after a wasted 3 pts will only ferment that. He has set a high standard that he will for right or wrong be judged by and comments like defenders about to return or indeed Bowens goals taking pressure off what needs to be strengthened really won’t help his cause. That was unwise on his part.
On another note if Kretinsky is indeed to take over the club in the next 18 mths this could affect him too. If be it now or Summer the required strengthening doesn’t take place and form tails off again this season or next season you will potentially get the neutrals and GSB acolytes starting to blame him as well as Moyes for the timing of any downtown. I pray that blips like today don’t develop and go there but Moyes really does have to adapt somewhat I fear if things aren’t going to go sour at some stage with the fan base. Hell some were calling for his head after the December events. Contentment will remain fragile I fear.
