Match Day Thread FC Midtjylland V Saints. Europa League Play Off 2nd Leg 27/08/15 ko 19:45

Thanks Diego. Nice to have a calm external perspective on this.

We're not top 4 material (I didn't think we were last year) but I'm with you. We just haven't gelled. Yet.

Vin

 

Unlucky fellas.

 

Not sure it was unlucky, more just didn't perform. Hopefully Ron gets some time on the training ground now and builds their confidence back up.

 

Blimey seeing Jose's interview on this thread I reckon Norwich must be rubbing their hands with glee, if he represents the club and players then clearly there is no confidence throughout the staff at all.

I think we're going to see five across the back, hoping we can hold the mighty Norwich City's free-scoring forwards goalless.

It's gonna take a quite a few seasons before we move on to the 'next stage', if ever.

 

As fans we tend to go from the sublime to the ridiculous and from one extreme to another. This statement Shepherds is just that. It was only a short time back and in this calendar year, we were all discussing if we could or should make the Champions League and now we're at "quite a few seasons before we move on to the next stage".

This happens in football. Things Ebb and flow; none more so than the emotions and views of football fans.

 

Its a massive missed opportunity, i was desperate for us to qualify for the group stages and i honestly thought we would do it quite comfortably. I've no idea when our next chance of europe will come but i imagine we could be waiting a few years.

I am absolutly gutted/disapointed this morning and even a tad embarrased. One thing for sure though, i will be cheering on the boys in every single game hoping that we can some how correct this travesty by performing a minor miracle and qualifying for europe again this season.

 

I would disagree slightly.

Ebb and flow suggests up and down undulations which is true and fair enough.

From last season to this season is like jumping off a cliff, we aren't just not playing very well, we are pretty crap and it's not even bad luck, our style of play is really contributing towards it. At best I would say Koeman does not have confidence in his available players to play the way we did last season - that is poor if it is true.

I have never mentioned Champions League Football, I hate it personally and never watch it, but it is the club who mention it, the players, Les Reed, why can't we do it? and so forth.

For me the 'next stage' is a regular top ten side, and at the moment to achieve that this season something is going to have to drastically change and I mean drastically.

If we struggle this season, hoof it and look clueless, what player who is worth their salt, is going to want to come here? Just look at West Ham's recruitment I guess, that is who we appear to be modelled on at the moment.

Still we might win 6-0 Sunday and then everything changes again.

 

I agree Kitch with this, with the exception of the waiting a few years. This is a hiccup. We mustn't forget the overall direction of the club and one set back (exiting the Europa League earlier than planned) isn't going to change the plans and drive of the club. Don't be surprised if we are in Europe again next season of the season after.

 

Shepherd's correct me if I'm wrong here - I may be.

Are you giving up on a top ten finish this year after 3 league games? Strewth! (For what it's worth, I predicted below that before a ball was kicked). We've also finished top ten in the last two seasons and one season dropping out, isn't disasterous (I said exactly this in pre-season).

I also don't think we'll play that way all season either. Please give some credit to Ron, the coaching staff and Les. I know it's not been good in the last two particularly, but come on.

 

For me, its not the losses that worry me too much, its the way we are playing that worries me a little.we look a shadow of the team we once were

 

I forgot to mention as part of the match thread, I thought Pelle looked to hold the ball up a lot last night and bring people into play. He did that pretty well on the occasions the ball wasn't at head height! When you consider the awful conditions, he did quite well for me last night.

That's both games against them he has held it and looked to lay it off simply. He didn't do that at Watford in between, but I hope and it looks as if he's been told to do more of that.

Keep doing that Pelle and it'll come good.

 

Hope your right fats, be really interesting to see what the fall out from the players and staff and management is after this, i believe the club was convinced that we would qualify and now we haven't i wonder what the effect of that will be.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

Every team loses games and plays poorly, every team, but this season we seem to have completely changed style to a sort of we've just been promoted and hope we can stay up style, just because two or three players are out?!

If we keep this up, these tactics, we are not going to finish anywhere near the top ten, which is actually okay, we're not ManUre, but don't sell it as 'we are trying to move to the next level' etc. That's what Cortese did and look where that ended - all our good players left when they finally realised it was all smoke and mirrors.

 

Ok I give up. I tried to be positive and cheer you up. Seems I have no chance. Hopefully the lads will play well, win 2-0 and you can post us a really big smiley

 

Now we're out of Europe we should go 100% at the League Cup.

 

Of course it's disappointing having our European dreams burst apart so early. But all the stats relating to other competitors in previous seasons suggest we've actually dodged a bullet there.

As for the performance, I'm struggling to find any positives there, other than the obvious; we can only improve from that.

I honestly don't care if we don't win on Sunday. I just want to see us retain some possession, provide options in front of the ball, string some passes together on the ground, and show some belief.

There's a lot of work to be done with this squad, but it's only August.

 

I agree, I thought he played well. But really, all this thumping the ball up to him has got to stop. Where did this come from? In the past we were often not direct enough and I was often crying out for a route one. But this is getting ridiculous now. Mind you it doesn't help when you have 5 defenders as the midfield felt a little depleted.

Without Mane we look a tad devoid of creativity up front, although it did improve with Tadic.

 

Hope the boys beat Norwich on Sunday, Ron needs to change our shape back to last seasons and start creating again.
I am slightly concerned we haven't scored from open play in 281 mins

 

For me, Tadic and Mane in attacking roles, Ron can pick the rest as he likes