tommorow we have to have

[Fish111]

I seriously hope the Fulham team that played Juve in midweek turn up tomorrow, that was a feckin awesome display.

[Biamp]

Even if we end up with a point, then our game against Everton is a have to win.

[Im_Spartacus]

I can actually see us going all out to get the 3 points tomorrow. Although Fulham are on a high, they did actually win that match against 10 men, then 9. The energy they will have exerted in firswt winning the game, then the party atmosphere afterwards, will take its toll and I fully expect us to completely boss the game from around 60 minutes onwards. Hopefully we are a couple up by then.

I know you have the caveat that hopefully we will be a couple up by then, but if they know they might fade, and we are shit in the first half anyway, there is an argument to say that their tactic will be to try and blow us away in the first half?

If we had one, just one performance which we could use as a yardstick for the sort of performance we need tomorrow, it would remove my doubts, but we have been total and utter gash in the opening half of every away game we have played under Mancini.

There is also the caveat of 'I can actually see us going all out to get the 3 points tomorrow', and that's from the off. Mancio has acknowledged, as we all know, that their is something wrong with the first half displays and will have been trying to rectify it, whether a mind set or general set-up issue. Every team we play seems to get at us in the first half so I'd suggest that this has become a tactic, however, we have shown all season that we cannot be under-estimated and more or less come back with a vengance. The first half against Sunderland I'll put down to clearing out the pipes, but now I am expecting fireworks from all involved, afterall, Mancio has stated himself that he wants that Champions League spot.

Winning football games is his job, you make it sound like winning our other away games were not important.

Has he not been trying to solve this very problem from the minute he got here, he and the team have failed dismally to grasp the nettle based on not just the results away from home, but in particular the performances which have generally been poor ALL season, but particularly lame under Mancini. So he was pissed off last week, do you not think he was pissed off against Hull, Everton, Stoke etc...........were these games also not important - had we not fucked those up, he wouldnt be under the pressure he is now.

I'm fed up to the back teeth of hearing players coming out telling us how important this game or that game is over recent months, only for them to turn in an absolute shitter of a performance. If hot air won us points we would be top of the league.

This game is no more or less important that Sunderland last week, and the first half was one of the worst I have ever seen, similarly Chelsea - both of which were preceeded with statements by the players about what an important game it is. We stole points from those two games despite turning up with no idea how to win the game. Maybe our luck is changing after the shambles of playing shit and losing at Hull, Stoke, Everton etc, we might be starting to play shit and win/draw which can't be a bad thing.

After our last few first half efforts, I would just be happy if we can pass to our own players in the first half tomorrow, that would be a start and would help us to not put ourselves under pressure. If we build from that very very basic element of football, we have a fighting chance.

John, why so negative, you sound like the sky's falling in? We are in a position, with a freshly assembled team, with a new manager that has been in the seat for less than 3 months, where we have a realistic shot at fourth, and if not that, at least European football next season. We all know, as well as Mancio, exactly how the team have failed to produce, especially in the first 20 minutes or so of matches, bit as they say, it is a team issue that is being addressed.

NB. One thing that may cheer you up is that even though we seem to play crap in the first half, Mancio is actually averaging 2.6 points at home (only dropping points to Liverpool as you've mentioned earlier) and 1.33 away, which if he carries on the same vein, will give us approximately 71 points. (For comparison Hughes averaged 2.25 at home and 1.22 away)

Negative or realistic?

I have no beef with his record for us, it is not his fault that players cannot make a simple 10 yard pass - it is totally inexcusable to put ourselves under that pressure and no doubt Bobby is tearing his hair out. I have to conclude that a large part of this is the players attitude - as changing the manager has not resolved that problem, but Mancini has brought on his own problems by setting us out not to lose - without the first idea how we will actually go about winning the game. Our mistakes are being driven by sheer fear of losing.

Lately though at least we have picked up points despite the performances in the first half which should have seen the opposition out of sight. It might mean our luck has changed from playing badly and losing.

To suggest we are going to turn up and turn in a vintage performance tomorrow because our manager is pissed off that we have been uber poor in other games is surely pushing optimism to the limit? I'm just fed up of my optimism being trampled on time and again by a group of players who with a few exceptions appear as though they dont give a shit a lot of the time.

I will be happy for us to do the basics right, in which case we stand a chance of winning. If approach the game with the stark fear of losing like we have been, then we will not win unless we have another Hilario type performance from the opposition.

[Blue Since 76]

We just need to go for it against fulham. They'll be on a high from thursday, but will hopefully have their eye on other things i.e. europe and wednesday's fa cup replay. No better time to play them, followed by 2 home games which will get rid of the game in hand. The next 9 days are going to be a critical point of the season.

[Blue Since 76]

agree with you, suprising spurs managed to beat stoke away.

The thing that worries me for the run in is that we dont have many players in our first 11 that have experience dealing with pressure at the top level.

Apart from tevez, bridge, swp, toure, adebayor, de jong and kompany you're right, they've won nothing.

[john68]

Fulham are a good side and well organised. Sitting back and letting them come on to us could be suicidal. They played on Thursday so our best chance is to run them ragged and get them to expend their energy chasing shadows. If they get a whiff of success their tired legs won't seem to feel as heavy. If we impose our game on them and their heads drop, their legs will seem very heavy.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Fulham are a good side and well organised. Sitting back and letting them come on to us could be suicidal. They played on Thursday so our best chance is to run them ragged and get them to expend their energy chasing shadows. If they get a whiff of success their tired legs won't seem to feel as heavy. If we impose our game on them and their heads drop, their legs will seem very heavy.

Exactly as I see it. After such a high it won't be that easy for them to adjust to what is in effect a humdrum league match.

[Beefymcfc]

I know you have the caveat that hopefully we will be a couple up by then, but if they know they might fade, and we are shit in the first half anyway, there is an argument to say that their tactic will be to try and blow us away in the first half?

If we had one, just one performance which we could use as a yardstick for the sort of performance we need tomorrow, it would remove my doubts, but we have been total and utter gash in the opening half of every away game we have played under Mancini.

There is also the caveat of 'I can actually see us going all out to get the 3 points tomorrow', and that's from the off. Mancio has acknowledged, as we all know, that their is something wrong with the first half displays and will have been trying to rectify it, whether a mind set or general set-up issue. Every team we play seems to get at us in the first half so I'd suggest that this has become a tactic, however, we have shown all season that we cannot be under-estimated and more or less come back with a vengance. The first half against Sunderland I'll put down to clearing out the pipes, but now I am expecting fireworks from all involved, afterall, Mancio has stated himself that he wants that Champions League spot.

Winning football games is his job, you make it sound like winning our other away games were not important.

Has he not been trying to solve this very problem from the minute he got here, he and the team have failed dismally to grasp the nettle based on not just the results away from home, but in particular the performances which have generally been poor ALL season, but particularly lame under Mancini. So he was pissed off last week, do you not think he was pissed off against Hull, Everton, Stoke etc...........were these games also not important - had we not fucked those up, he wouldnt be under the pressure he is now.

I'm fed up to the back teeth of hearing players coming out telling us how important this game or that game is over recent months, only for them to turn in an absolute shitter of a performance. If hot air won us points we would be top of the league.

This game is no more or less important that Sunderland last week, and the first half was one of the worst I have ever seen, similarly Chelsea - both of which were preceeded with statements by the players about what an important game it is. We stole points from those two games despite turning up with no idea how to win the game. Maybe our luck is changing after the shambles of playing shit and losing at Hull, Stoke, Everton etc, we might be starting to play shit and win/draw which can't be a bad thing.

After our last few first half efforts, I would just be happy if we can pass to our own players in the first half tomorrow, that would be a start and would help us to not put ourselves under pressure. If we build from that very very basic element of football, we have a fighting chance.

John, why so negative, you sound like the sky's falling in? We are in a position, with a freshly assembled team, with a new manager that has been in the seat for less than 3 months, where we have a realistic shot at fourth, and if not that, at least European football next season. We all know, as well as Mancio, exactly how the team have failed to produce, especially in the first 20 minutes or so of matches, bit as they say, it is a team issue that is being addressed.

NB. One thing that may cheer you up is that even though we seem to play crap in the first half, Mancio is actually averaging 2.6 points at home (only dropping points to Liverpool as you've mentioned earlier) and 1.33 away, which if he carries on the same vein, will give us approximately 71 points. (For comparison Hughes averaged 2.25 at home and 1.22 away)

Negative or realistic?

I have no beef with his record for us, it is not his fault that players cannot make a simple 10 yard pass - it is totally inexcusable to put ourselves under that pressure and no doubt Bobby is tearing his hair out. I have to conclude that a large part of this is the players attitude - as changing the manager has not resolved that problem, but Mancini has brought on his own problems by setting us out not to lose - without the first idea how we will actually go about winning the game. Our mistakes are being driven by sheer fear of losing.

Lately though at least we have picked up points despite the performances in the first half which should have seen the opposition out of sight. It might mean our luck has changed from playing badly and losing.

To suggest we are going to turn up and turn in a vintage performance tomorrow because our manager is pissed off that we have been uber poor in other games is surely pushing optimism to the limit? I'm just fed up of my optimism being trampled on time and again by a group of players who with a few exceptions appear as though they dont give a shit a lot of the time.

I will be happy for us to do the basics right, in which case we stand a chance of winning. If approach the game with the stark fear of losing like we have been, then we will not win unless we have another Hilario type performance from the opposition.

Are you happy then today mate?