Spot on. For me the rot started when we failed to qualify for the champions League an half decent run in would have seen us over the line. That season, showed hard working commited team with a striker in form can produce results. However it hid the fact that we don't have enough pace, movement off the ball , strength or technical ability to fully flourish in this league. We look lost at the back when pressed, not by one player but by a team. We struggle to maintain pressure anywhere on the park. Big teams can bully us. Quality teams pass us to death. Haller may not have been the answer but selling and failing to replace him at the same time was a big mistake, that we still suffer from. Transfers have looked ok on paper, but we get carried away too soon and then get on their backs far too quickly. However, the biggest issue is that If Moyes preference is to be solid and hope odd chances create goals then we are not buying players that for into the mould. If that isn't what h wants , I honestly have no idea what style of football he wants to play.e20too wrote: ↑Mon Dec 26, 2022 11:32 pm That one game just as every previous game for the most part tells me the players either don’t understand or are totally dissolutioned with whatever coaching is taking place. The defenders seem to have little idea what their position is as demonstrated by your full back deciding to players despite looking across the line 5 yards further back than everyone else. Sure is good to see the month off has led to no greater defensive understanding whatsoever has been instilled. Worse still is the post match delusion, I can understand to a degree Rice at least trying to be positive (if unconvincing) but seriously listening to Moyes go on about only fractionally being below par, the defence playing generally well and having to get back to their best displays this season (have we had any) is just beyond comprehension. Has he had long term memory loss by any chance and thinks he’s been managing the opposition this season?
Simple fact is the manager and club has sat still under the superficial illusion that all was well when serious rot had actually been setting in for 18mths with the warning signs repeatedly ignored and then belatedly panic buy to try to solve matters, ironically with players who just might have done well when we were actually performing above our ability, but now are totally unsuited and I’ll prepared for turning this mess around. Good teams spend money at least by choice, when doing well, not when you are falling down a hole and when it is left that late the players you need are very different, yet not for the first time this club has totally failed to learn that simple lesson.
Due to underlying mass hatred of The Gang of 3 and the London Stadium the chance of the rest of this season going pear-shaped if things don't improve very soon is a real possibility.
I stopped watching them live a while ago, however, apart from Soton, I can't think of another premier league team, currently, who are less attractive to watch.