Why we are going down

[THEWELLERNUT70]

It's interesting that people still feel to defend their position over our two keepers yet the basics are since the return of Muric by and large results have been better, performances have been better and more often than not he's been our man of the match

Go figure!

[NewClaret]

Our defense

Roberts and Taylor should have played more.
Muric as our no. 1 all season.

Plenty of games Cork would have been great even just to see out games. We have dumped over 20 points from winning positions.

Tean selection and use of Subs / Game management has been the real issue.
That falls to VK.

Losing plyers like Tella and HarwoodB also.
Even Barnes!!!

Pace has to accept some responsibility.
Are we a Football Club or a Player Farm?

With respect, if you cannot understand why Kompany didn’t buy THB, or why he hasn’t liked playing Roberts or Charlie, or think Barnes and Cork should be playing…. You really don’t understand our system.

Recovery pace for our defence (and midfield) is absolutely vital to our system so unless you’re rapid (which THB, Roberts, Cork, Barnes and to a lesser extent Charlie - are not). It’s exactly the same at City and why all their back line are so quick, walker especially.

I agree about the game management part.

[MT03ALG]

One reason why we are going down is that we are not wanted in the so-called Premier League. Our gain (NO VAR!), their loss.
The Premier League is also wrongly named, now second best to the Bundesliga et al.

[RammyClaret61]

With respect, if you cannot understand why Kompany didn’t buy THB, or why he hasn’t liked playing Roberts or Charlie, or think Barnes and Cork should be playing…. You really don’t understand our system.

Recovery pace for our defence (and midfield) is absolutely vital to our system so unless you’re rapid (which THB, Roberts, Cork, Barnes and to a lesser extent Charlie - are not). It’s exactly the same at City and why all their back line are so quick, walker especially.

I agree about the game management part.

36 games in, when will our system start working?

[mikeS]

We were relegated because we weren't good enough.
In all departments.
From management - they bought a mixed bag of a squad of young inexperienced average players and expected them to knit together from the off. There were players arrived almost daily from clubs and leagues most fans had never heard of.
The Team changes that were made weekly.
Injuries to key players like Bayer and Koleisho.
Poor substitution choices.
Letting stupid goals in.
There's a long long list of what you can point a finger at.
The Buck stops at the management of the club and the decisions they made in the summer, and the players they picked to start.

[NL Claret]

We were relegated because we weren't good enough.
In all departments.
From management - they bought a mixed bag of a squad of young inexperienced average players and expected them to knit together from the off. There were players arrived almost daily from clubs and leagues most fans had never heard of.
The Team changes that were made weekly.
Injuries to key players like Bayer and Koleisho.
Poor substitution choices.
Letting stupid goals in.
There's a long long list of what you can point a finger at.
The Buck stops at the management of the club and the decisions they made in the summer, and the players they picked to start.

Just need to add naivety and very poor discipline to the last and I don’t think that’s far off. The first team needed strengthening with PL experienced GK, CH, CM and CF, all with a physical presence. You cannot go into a season with Jay Rod as back up CF. Not signing aLB in 2 transfer windows has not helped either.

[CryerBFC]

As I sat there for the first 10/15 mins yesterday, I said to a few round me, last seasons team would have bagged a couple by now. We should have built the team around last seasons, not make wholesale changes. The only changes I’ve been happy with this season are Berge and Odobert.

VK got everything he could have got wrong, wrong.

Muric from the start, he fits the way we play and pushes the whole team another 20 yards up the pitch.
Roberts, would have had him in for experience.
THB I would have signed.
Beyer/Ekdal as a partner, can’t say Esteve as he became a bit of a must get in in January
Taylor for his experience
Cullen and Berge
Tella/Zaroury/Benson/Odobert/Koleosho 2 from 5 for the wide spots
JBG/Brownhill in a 10
Foster up top
I’d have kept Barnes for his experience too, games like yesterday he would have been right up for the battle with their centre halves and he’s never shy of having a shot either.

For me I’m glad we’re going back down, Championship is far more enjoyable than the commercialised money pit that is the PL

[CrosspoolClarets]

We can debate systems till we are blue in the face but when we play a big 7 club who are “on it” (they sometimes luckily are not) we cannot have Assignon bombing down the right with Vitinho creeping into left midfield at the same time leaving two at the back. There is a time and a place and that is not how you play the big 7. Hence we have been spanked at home by them 7 times with 24 goals conceded in those games. It is naivety on steroids. I’m not even convinced the big 7 play EACH OTHER in that way. There has to be some respect shown to the opposition.

[CryerBFC]

As I sat there for the first 10/15 mins yesterday, I said to a few round me, last seasons team would have bagged a couple by now. We should have built the team around last seasons, not make wholesale changes. The only changes I’ve been happy with this season are Berge and Odobert.

VK got everything he could have got wrong, wrong.

Muric from the start, he fits the way we play and pushes the whole team another 20 yards up the pitch.
Roberts, would have had him in for experience.
THB I would have signed.
Beyer/Ekdal as a partner, can’t say Esteve as he became a bit of a must get in in January
Taylor for his experience
Cullen and Berge
Tella/Zaroury/Benson/Odobert/Koleosho 2 from 5 for the wide spots
JBG/Brownhill in a 10
Foster up top
I’d have kept Barnes for his experience too, games like yesterday he would have been right up for the battle with their centre halves and he’s never shy of having a shot either.

For me I’m glad we’re going back down, Championship is far more enjoyable than the commercialised money pit that is the PL

[CrosspoolClarets]

We can debate systems till we are blue in the face but when we play a big 7 club who are “on it” (they sometimes luckily are not) we cannot have Assignon bombing down the right with Vitinho creeping into left midfield at the same time leaving two at the back. There is a time and a place and that is not how you play the big 7. Hence we have been spanked at home by them 7 times with 24 goals conceded in those games. It is naivety on steroids. I’m not even convinced the big 7 play EACH OTHER in that way. There has to be some respect shown to the opposition.

[CryerBFC]

As I sat there for the first 10/15 mins yesterday, I said to a few round me, last seasons team would have bagged a couple by now. We should have built the team around last seasons, not make wholesale changes. The only changes I’ve been happy with this season are Berge and Odobert.

VK got everything he could have got wrong, wrong.

Muric from the start, he fits the way we play and pushes the whole team another 20 yards up the pitch.
Roberts, would have had him in for experience.
THB I would have signed.
Beyer/Ekdal as a partner, can’t say Esteve as he became a bit of a must get in in January
Taylor for his experience
Cullen and Berge
Tella/Zaroury/Benson/Odobert/Koleosho 2 from 5 for the wide spots
JBG/Brownhill in a 10
Foster up top
I’d have kept Barnes for his experience too, games like yesterday he would have been right up for the battle with their centre halves and he’s never shy of having a shot either.

For me I’m glad we’re going back down, Championship is far more enjoyable than the commercialised money pit that is the PL

[CrosspoolClarets]

We can debate systems till we are blue in the face but when we play a big 7 club who are “on it” (they sometimes luckily are not) we cannot have Assignon bombing down the right with Vitinho creeping into left midfield at the same time leaving two at the back. There is a time and a place and that is not how you play the big 7. Hence we have been spanked at home by them 7 times with 24 goals conceded in those games. It is naivety on steroids. I’m not even convinced the big 7 play EACH OTHER in that way. There has to be some respect shown to the opposition.

[CrosspoolClarets]

We can debate systems till we are blue in the face but when we play a big 7 club who are “on it” (they sometimes luckily are not) we cannot have Assignon bombing down the right with Vitinho creeping into left midfield at the same time leaving two at the back. There is a time and a place and that is not how you play the big 7. Hence we have been spanked at home by them 7 times with 24 goals conceded in those games. It is naivety on steroids. I’m not even convinced the big 7 play EACH OTHER in that way. There has to be some respect shown to the opposition.

[kentonclaret]

It's interesting that people still feel to defend their position over our two keepers yet the basics are since the return of Muric by and large results have been better, performances have been better and more often than not he's been our man of the match

Go figure!

Of course results and performances have been better because the fixtures list has been kind over the past 8 games. As soon as we encountered a top 7 club with something to play for we got spanked.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Of course results and performances have been better because the fixtures list has been kind over the past 8 games. As soon as we encountered a top 7 club with something to play for we got spanked.

I can flip that and point you to the reverse of those fixtures earlier on in the season where the outcomes were poorer. You seem to conveniently forget a draw at both Manchester Utd and Chelsea in that "kind run"

Hey ho

[kentonclaret]

I can flip that and point you to the reverse of those fixtures earlier on in the season where the outcomes were poorer. You seem to conveniently forget a draw at both Manchester Utd and Chelsea in that "kind run"

Hey ho

Manchester United? The only game that they have managed to win (in 90 minutes) of their last 6 fixtures was against Sheffield United.
We managed to draw at home with a Wolves side missing both of their senior strikers and since playing us have won just once in 6 matches (a 2-1 home win over Luton).
We also managed to draw at home against an injury ravaged Brighton side that has managed just a single victory in their last 8 matches scoring 3 goals and conceding 16!
When we played the reverse fixtures against Brighton and Wolves both sides were in far better shape and form. When we lost away to Wolves did they have 1 or both of Cunha and Neto available to start from the off or did they have an unproven youngster leading the attack?

[kentonclaret]

I can flip that and point you to the reverse of those fixtures earlier on in the season where the outcomes were poorer. You seem to conveniently forget a draw at both Manchester Utd and Chelsea in that "kind run"

Hey ho

When we played Wolves away they had Chan and Cunha leading the attack (23 goals between them this season).
When we played Wolves at home recently they had a young academy player Chiwome leading the front line both main strikers not deemed fit to start.
Hardly a fair comparison.

[ClaretPete001]

We can debate systems till we are blue in the face but when we play a big 7 club who are “on it” (they sometimes luckily are not) we cannot have Assignon bombing down the right with Vitinho creeping into left midfield at the same time leaving two at the back. There is a time and a place and that is not how you play the big 7. Hence we have been spanked at home by them 7 times with 24 goals conceded in those games. It is naivety on steroids. I’m not even convinced the big 7 play EACH OTHER in that way. There has to be some respect shown to the opposition.

For someone who is usually uber positive Crosspool, you have hit the nail on the head.

That was exactly the problem. Two Centre Halves on the half way line with two full backs awol and some of the best attacking talent in Europe waiting for a packed defence to clear it. You could see it from minute one.

So, what do you do now? Sack the manager?

[fanzone]

Somehow last seasons team was far superior to the one we have had on the pitch all season. The signings we have made have been a borderline criminal activity they have been that bad. Having to rely on Taylor, JBG, Brownhill,Jay Rod all season shows just how bad it was, the four above weren’t good enough the last time we went down from the premier league.

[fanzone]

Somehow last seasons team was far superior to the one we have had on the pitch all season. The signings we have made have been a borderline criminal activity they have been that bad. Having to rely on Taylor, JBG, Brownhill,Jay Rod all season shows just how bad it was, the four above weren’t good enough the last time we went down from the premier league.

[fanzone]

Somehow last seasons team was far superior to the one we have had on the pitch all season. The signings we have made have been a borderline criminal activity they have been that bad. Having to rely on Taylor, JBG, Brownhill,Jay Rod all season shows just how bad it was, the four above weren’t good enough the last time we went down from the premier league.

[NewClaret]

36 games in, when will our system start working?

Personally I think it has since January.

I don’t expect this system or any system will regularly beat the big boys in this league though, so perspectives will always depend how your expectations are set.

[ElectroClaret]

....so perspectives will always depend how your expectations are set.

Pretty low now, I would have thought.

[NewClaret]

Pretty low now, I would have thought.

All I can say is that mine are never ever that we will beat the top 8 or so in the league. I always go in to them expecting a loss. Below that I’m a bit more hopeful and confident.

[daveisaclaret]

All I can say is that mine are never ever that we will beat the top 8 or so in the league. I always go in to them expecting a loss. Below that I’m a bit more hopeful and confident.

It's right that we can never go into a game against the top teams expecting a win. However, barring a miracle at Spurs this will be our first season in the Premier League era where we haven't beaten a single one. In every previous Premier League season we have beaten one of the top 5.

[NewClaret]

It's right that we can never go into a game against the top teams expecting a win. However, barring a miracle at Spurs this will be our first season in the Premier League era where we haven't beaten a single one. In every previous Premier League season we have beaten one of the top 5.

Good stat. Not really surprising with what I would imagine is also our youngest ever premier league side?

[Wo Didi]

We signed too much sh**e and the manager seemed to lose touch with reality. Looking forward to football without VAR next season.

[Carlos the Great]

I don’t think it’s a witch hunt saying it was an incredibly naive decision to make Trafford our number 1 keeper from the start and not making him earn that shirt …it certainly didn’t help our chances of survival and there are many other poor decisions Tella being the stand out one for me

[THEWELLERNUT70]

When we played Wolves away they had Chan and Cunha leading the attack (23 goals between them this season).
When we played Wolves at home recently they had a young academy player Chiwome leading the front line both main strikers not deemed fit to start.
Hardly a fair comparison.

So that's one game then, hardly a fair comparison

[IanMcL]

One reason why we are going down is that we are not wanted in the so-called Premier League. Our gain (NO VAR!), their loss.
The Premier League is also wrongly named, now second best to the Bundesliga et al.

We are not 'preferred' is probably more accurate, in the management of the Prem brand.

[kentonclaret]

I can flip that and point you to the reverse of those fixtures earlier on in the season where the outcomes were poorer. You seem to conveniently forget a draw at both Manchester Utd and Chelsea in that "kind run"

Hey ho

Comparing team performance and results in reverse fixtures to try and make a point just doesn’t work as a realistic measure.
The Tottenham team that beat us up at Turf Moor was playing some champagne football under Ange who won the Manager Of The Month Award for August, September and October. The Tottenham team that we will face next Saturday are on a 4 game losing run and in danger of not even finishing in 5th place let alone 4th.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Comparing team performance and results in reverse fixtures to try and make a point just doesn’t work as a realistic measure.
The Tottenham team that beat us up at Turf Moor was playing some champagne football under Ange who won the Manager Of The Month Award for August, September and October. The Tottenham team that we will face next Saturday are on a 4 game losing run and in danger of not even finishing in 5th place let alone 4th.

And yet again you omit to mention the harder teams we have had in our "easier" run. Arguably Chelsea and Utd in that easier run are our best two performances of the season and why are you even mentioning Spuds when we dont even play then until next week in the league. Honestly I'm baffled by the line of defense!!

[leelad]

Not being loyal to the players that got us up last season (Zaroury, Benson, Muric, Cullen) and giving them a chance to prove their worth in the Prem from the start of the season.
Think we could have tried harder to sign one of either THB, Maatsen or Tella.
The summer recruitment strategy, what was the plan? You create a 'spine' through the team of experienced heads coupled with the players that got you to this position in the first place. A complete absence on both these fronts.
That stat of 25 points? conceded from winning positions. Inability to see games out when we are ahead.
No recognized strike pairing. Look at Barnes and Wood at their peak, minimum of 20 goals from these two.
Substitutions being made too late.
Our poor home record, back in the day a trip to turf moor for an opposing team meant a difficult game ahead, not the case anymore.
Our disciplinary record.
Being too open at the back, giving the ball away cheaply in our half leading to goals being conceded.

[bfcjg]

Losing Koleosho was a major blow. Genuine pace and so exciting. As mentioned Trafford set a low standard and the damage was done before Muric came back.

[Murger]

All this guff about the manager learning. Does he really need to learn that you need a strong spine for the team to build on? Seems pretty basic to me.
The way he treated the promotion squad will have left a pretty bad taste to the current players (and any future ones).

[NL Claret]

All this guff about the manager learning. Does he really need to learn that you need a strong spine for the team to build on? Seems pretty basic to me.
The way he treated the promotion squad will have left a pretty bad taste to the current players (and any future ones).

I’m not getting this way he treated the promotion squad, Muric unproven in PL and prone to gaffs, Roberts not good enough in the PL, Beyer injury prone, most posters slate Brownhill, most posters overlook Cullen started the season and struggled, Zaroury’s end product left him in December 2022, Benson wasn’t a starter in the division below and probably wouldn’t cope with the physical nature of the PL, oh and would offer nothing defensively which you need in the PL.

Had VK (I’m not saying he is the answer btw) stuck with the above players and we did as badly as we have, he would have been slated for been too loyal to players who are not at the required level for the PL. Poor recruitment, tactics, team selection, game management , shocking discipline (that includes the manager with touchline bans and a big fine) and baffling substitutions are the reason we are going down, nothing to do with a GK or not picking players who got us in the PL.

[Ric_C]

We were relegated because we weren't good enough.
In all departments.
From management - they bought a mixed bag of a squad of young inexperienced average players and expected them to knit together from the off. There were players arrived almost daily from clubs and leagues most fans had never heard of.
The Team changes that were made weekly.
Injuries to key players like Bayer and Koleisho.
Poor substitution choices.
Letting stupid goals in.
There's a long long list of what you can point a finger at.
The Buck stops at the management of the club and the decisions they made in the summer, and the players they picked to start.

Pretty much spot on

Poor recruitment (still no decent striker, left back or defensive midfielder)
Striker and left back situations over the season have been an absolute shambles
Injuries
Lost about 8 points due to VAR
No plan B against the top sides
No plan B when winning games
Not changing the keeper early enough
Not keeping the same system as last year

But overall the league is getting ridiculous to compete in. I personally feel that unless you have some real physicality, the top 10 will blow you away 9 times out of 10 if you try and play football against them. This is something we need to address moving forward.

[Cooclaret]

Kompany is arrogant. He wanted to play a brand of football that you can’t play in the Premier League. Someone above said you’ve got to respect the opposition, that’s bang on. Kompany doesn’t.


He doesn’t have a plan b.

I hope Pep has a word over the summer.

[Neil]

I’m not getting this way he treated the promotion squad, Muric unproven in PL and prone to gaffs, Roberts not good enough in the PL, Beyer injury prone, most posters slate Brownhill, most posters overlook Cullen started the season and struggled, Zaroury’s end product left him in December 2022, Benson wasn’t a starter in the division below and probably wouldn’t cope with the physical nature of the PL, oh and would offer nothing defensively which you need in the PL.

Had VK (I’m not saying he is the answer btw) stuck with the above players and we did as badly as we have, he would have been slated for been too loyal to players who are not at the required level for the PL. Poor recruitment, tactics, team selection, game management , shocking discipline (that includes the manager with touchline bans and a big fine) and baffling substitutions are the reason we are going down, nothing to do with a GK or not picking players who got us in the PL.

I'm not sure he would have been slated for playing most of the promotion squad.

You don't find many promoted sides discarding most of the teams that got them up.

The sensible approach would have been to make a few additions to the starting line up in the positions that we were obviously short in, ie left back, centre midfield, centre forward and a replacement for THB.

I genuinely believe that most fans, regardless of some of the comments you see on here straight after a defeat, would have accepted going down that way a lot easier.

I may be wrong here but didn't both Benson and Zaroury sign new deals last summer? If he thought they weren't good enough then what was the point? The only answer would be he could.get a higher fee if they were sold but they never saw the shop window.

Was there any evidence to suggest JBL or Tresor were better Premier League players?
I understand Redmond for experience but the amount of wingers on the books is comical given the needs elsewhere.

What has annoyed most fans, well certainly myself, is thinking you can play players out of their natural position at this level and compete with far superior opposition.

I like Vitinho but he's a £1 million pound right back palying on the opposite side of the pitch. And he brings him off the bench when he's not playing when we're chasing games two or three down with ten minutes left ahead of Benson???

Foster playing wide right when we've got upteen wingers on the bench.

Odobert starting probably every game since Koleosho got injured when he's been attending footballers anonymous meetings since before xmas?

One last point, did he get lucky with Berge and was he planning on signing a central midfielder?
He became available out of the blue and there was no speculation prior to the signing.
God knows how bad it would have been with Cullen and Brownhill all season.

[turbo5]

My views on why we are going down are around the owners and the naivety thinking they can easily and quickly turn multiple million pound young potential players into 20-30 million pounds players. If only football was so simple everybody would be doing it !

A few years ago we assembled a relatively new squad when VK took the reins. Good or lucky recruitment mixed with experienced ex premier league pros eventually saw us dominate the Championship once the side gelled. (the gulf between the leagues is off the scale) The owners also lowered the wage bill selling old older members of the squad for massive profits and they thought they had hit gold with this business model. Trying to attempt survival in this league needed a lot more than unproven kids who had played in lower leagues or international farmers leagues.

This season they flooded the team with new players some have shown glimmers of potential whilst others have been dire, The more expensive ones haven't been the better ones. It's like buying an expensive suit or item , where you have paid so much for it you better use it. whether this is coming from VK or the owners we don't know. The owners (business men out to make money nothing else , don't be taken in by them, they aren't loyal to the club, they are loyal to their investment nothing else) If you had paid millions for certain players you want that investment to at least retain their value. As the season progressed we were all bought into VK's strategy that players need so many hours /games to gel . It never really happened, Like a gambler in a casino where you stick with black and red keeps on winning. (everybody is screaming for change , but you stick with your model , it will work eventually so you think, you convince the owners to stick with you) The team of last season was broken up , those that remained had been cast aside to make way for the new wonder kids on the block. By Christmas it became clear the strategy wasnt working, the owners most probably fearing the worst, but with the transfer fund spent on future potential and no more available funds , loans were our only option. Again it took a while to gel and they have been glimmers of improvement but too little too late. I am not saying Muric was the winning formula but he acted as the catalyst for this change.

In a work situation if you manage a department with 30 people , some very experienced but on higher salaries do you get rid of everybody on higher salaries and replace them all at once with high performing students ? lots of potential but need nurturing , gradual introduction , learn off the older experienced workers. I genuinely believe we changed too much too soon, rather than gradual introduction , earning your right to play. some players were given positions because of what they cost at the expense of better more experienced players being dumped as last years toys that nobody wants . Our recent better performances have been with some of these players being introduced back personally I don't see a simple solution to fix it. What Dyche built has been destroyed and a new business model introduced with a more modern thinking manager. I am just unsure that a club of our size without billionaire owners can compete at this level , nobody wants us in the league we are just the non league cup side playing the big boys every week, Doubt we bring the big media giants any revenue unless playing a big side.

[Robbo1882]

The reason we're going down is the number of sloppy goals we give away entirely of our own making, losing the ball in and around our own penalty area and trying to play open expansive football and teams on the whole have ripped us apart.

[kentonclaret]

It's interesting that people still feel to defend their position over our two keepers yet the basics are since the return of Muric by and large results have been better, performances have been better and more often than not he's been our man of the match

Go figure!

Results have been better

For the 8 games that Muric has been in goal Burnley have played just a single match against a side in the top 7 (Newcastle) and got spanked.

In the previous 9 games that Trafford had been in goal Burnley faced all of the top 4.

So it would have been amazing if results and performances did not show at least some improvement.

Match coming up against a top 5 team next so let’s see if the improvement is maintained.

[bumba]

Results have been better

For the 8 games that Muric has been in goal Burnley have played just a single match against a side in the top 7 (Newcastle) and got spanked.

In the previous 9 games that Trafford had been in goal Burnley faced all of the top 4.

So it would have been amazing if results and performances did not show at least some improvement.

Match coming up against a top 5 team next so let’s see if the improvement is maintained.

More important than the results being better is the general play and goalkeeping in every department has been much improved.

[Foshiznik]

seems to be a lot of short memories here regarding one of our goalkeepers single handedly losing us points in two consecutive games and in the last game being at fault for the first goal on Saturday…

We are going down because we are shite but that’s not been helped by both goalkeepers this season.

[thelifeofbrian]

were going down because of VK- this is on him im afraid,

[FulledgeClaret]

Points lost from a winning position is the reason we are going down, what is it 24 pts dropped. Just half of those points would have seen us safe weeks ago 6 of them would have us in with a good chance and most likely being in the driving seat come the last day of the season. some of those points have been lost due to poor tactics and a manager unwilling to park the bus for the last 15 mins and try to hold onto those points.

[Lord_Bob]

We're going down because we made a complete balls up of our Summer recruitment. We were down before a ball was kicked.

We signed a bunch of shiny toys and when VK came to put the first team sheet together, he suddenly realized we had 15 wingers and 0 left backs. Now he is juggling pieces and putting square pegs in round holes and can't put a TEAM together, just a random collection of pieces.

Not sure who was responsible for recruitment last Summer, but hopefully they are not in charge this Summer.

[CrosspoolClarets]

We can debate systems till we are blue in the face but when we play a big 7 club who are “on it” (they sometimes luckily are not) we cannot have Assignon bombing down the right with Vitinho creeping into left midfield at the same time leaving two at the back. There is a time and a place and that is not how you play the big 7. Hence we have been spanked at home by them 7 times with 24 goals conceded in those games. It is naivety on steroids. I’m not even convinced the big 7 play EACH OTHER in that way. There has to be some respect shown to the opposition.

Apologies, just spotted my “echo” on this page

The problem with the board appears to be linked to WiFi speed, because I was elsewhere when I posted that and it did it for a first time, gave me an online stutter.

[CrosspoolClarets]

It's right that we can never go into a game against the top teams expecting a win. However, barring a miracle at Spurs this will be our first season in the Premier League era where we haven't beaten a single one. In every previous Premier League season we have beaten one of the top 5.

On this stat, which I have now seen a dozen times this weekend, I don’t buy it. Away we could have beaten Chelsea but for poor officiating (the penalty). We could also have beaten Man Utd home and away very easily. We could have beaten Villa (top 4 even if not big 7) but for a dodgy penalty and a red card that broke the rules. We may yet beat Spurs (I’m not banking on it).

The real issue is the home form, too open, especially against the big teams. I can accept the argument at home, but not away.

[daveisaclaret]

On this stat, which I have now seen a dozen times this weekend, I don’t buy it. Away we could have beaten Chelsea but for poor officiating (the penalty). We could also have beaten Man Utd home and away very easily. We could have beaten Villa (top 4 even if not big 7) but for a dodgy penalty and a red card that broke the rules. We may yet beat Spurs (I’m not banking on it).

The real issue is the home form, too open, especially against the big teams. I can accept the argument at home, but not away.

How many points do you get for games you could have won?