Seven games to go but we are 100% relegated so it's time to look back at what a disaster this season has been and how our PL decade has unravelled. The future is uncertain and difficult. I don't see the current squad bouncing back, they are more likely to do a Sunderland and a lot of them will have no interest in playing football in the championship.
I've been looking back over my posts from last summer to see how things have worked out against what I thought at the time. My comments below about Gibbs, Burke, Greg, Rondon, Barry, lack of pace, complacency with injuries and the medical department have all proved to be spot on. Which is incredibly frustrating as the writing was on the wall. Our demise has been entirely predictable.
July 22: "Glad were not signing Gibbs. Very average player on his way down. Not tall, strong, or decent in the air. "
August 1st: "Last year we had the best record in the league for player availability which it seems had led to complacency. The board and medical department have been congratulating themselves but luck must surely be a very important factor. One unlucky season with a few serious injuries to key players would cripple our very small squad and we cannot expect the likes of Mcauley to last forever.
The team is stale, the manager is professional but dull and the board have no ambition to incentivise fans to grow the fan base. We have no decedent strikers, aren't scoring any goals from open play and just lost to Bristol Rovers (albeit friendly). Throw in the awful finish to last season and it's very difficult to be positive in the slightest"
August 5th: "Can someone with more gazumption than me remind me how many goals we have scored this pre-season and how many from open play? I recall a Dawson header against Palace from a corner I think and Robson-Kanu at Port Vale. Have we scored twice in single game? What's worrying for me is we have been so pathetic for so long that these things are now considered normal."
August 14th: "I work in Liverpool and the Everton fans I know laughed and apologised when the Barry link first emerged."
August 24th on Burke: "He started 10 games for Forest and just 5 for RB Leipzig last season - how on earth do 15 starts in two years constitute two full seasons? We're signing potential. I've not seen much of him, looking at YouTube videos he seems be very direct but a bit chaotic in his decision making and final pass or shot. Hopefully he's a replacement for McClean who gives his maximum but lacks ability."
August 30th: "As fantastic as it is to be linked with and signing defenders and defensive midfielders is there any chance of signing a striker with pace and a decent goal to game ratio? Or have we given up on the pretence of trying to score from open play?"
August 30th on Greg: "Judging by the meltdown on this thread I'd presumed we'd signed Messi. Good signing on loan for a year and hope he settles in quick and makes the impact hoped for but I can't get anywhere near as excited as some of the posters on here with another defensive midfielder. Good luck Krychowiak."
August 30th on what we needed: "Striker with lots of pace - we have lots of average paced players 27-30 but not an out and out quick striker which we have been missing for years. Fosteri at Wednesday wouldn't be the worst option".
September 8th: "Rondon is an awful footballer who can't control the ball, link the play or shoot. On the plus side he works hard and is good at heading crosses. He's just a very poor striker who isn't a goalscorer. From the BBC: "Rondon was once again poor with no efforts and a 41.2% passing accuracy, which is not ideal if your role is to bring others into play."
I have zero confidence that the club will be in state to mount a concerted promotion push next season. The club is in turmoil with uncertainty at all levels.
