I believe on HOL I asserted that whilst it is possible that we could attain a top 10 finish, perhaps in a solitary season, my view was that for the foreseeable future the best we could attain is perhaps 12th which of course is where we are at the present time.

What is currently alarming is the 'Direction of travel'.Only 1 win in our last 9 PL games and that was at lowly Bournemouth.Only 6 points from these games and only 5 goals scored.Running stats the lowest in the PL and some abject performances.

It is only a matter of time before we are overtaken by some of the teams below us.Southampton have just sacked Jones, so perhaps they will benefit from a new manager 'Bounce'.

Edited by Willo (12 Feb 2023 11.00am)

Yeah I’m not sure where the criticism of Doucoure comes from?

I still think he’s one of our more solid players in there and if anything there’s so little in front of him and Hughes when we play it can be easy to see why the CMs might be the two most frustrated players on the pitch.

I just couldn’t see where any inspiration, game plan for getting in on goal or threat was coming from when we moved it forward yesterday.

Schlupp becomes almost completely ineffective when starting a match but is useful as an impact sub, I’ve got a lot of love for Ayew but he seems to play his own match all the time, Olise is not a CAM needs players around him and to be isolated against full backs so he can perform with a bit of independence and I’ve long stood up for him but JPM looked absolutely awful.

Playing as we do with so many individualistic players who I’m assuming are supposed to be interchanging in positions just pans out as an ineffective unit with no cohesion or rhythm, hence the inability to create let alone finish from open play.

Whatever PV is trying to do is not working however he seems incapable of changing things.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Arsenal, West Ham and Brighton denied victories by VAR.

The West Ham one stands out, where the spam defender tipped a goal-bound ball expertly round the post.

However somehow that was 'not handball'!

To my mind the Brighton scorer was not offside but their player in front of him to the left was, when the ball was last kicked.

But it's all become totally bonkers.

Scrap VAR completely and change handball to be deliberate and offside to be a player completely in front of the last defender when the ball last kicked.

Just a thought.

At about 89” they had the ball out wide and played a cross in that only just sailed over heads and went out for a GK. I turned to my brother and said “We’re lucky there’s been so many of them today”. They looked leagues apart from us in controlling the match, their passing and football, they just looked very weak in front of goal and for that I am extremely grateful.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

The "Cause for concern" goes beyond attaining a point against a team above us in the table.

The fact remains that we beat Bournemouth, a team below is in the table, who had lost 2 of their previous 3 Home games and 1 was against struggling Southampton.

Edited by Willo (12 Feb 2023 12.03pm)

we are know 9 to 1 to be relegated, we were 26 to 1 a month ago, after Brentford, Liverpool, A Villa and Man city we will be about 3 to 1

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn