our annual winter slump

[spider-Neil]

this has happened pretty much every season for 20 years and if GH and rafa had had 'decent' winters (let alone good) in the season they came second we would in all likelihood have won the league. so why do think we have a poor NOV/DEC every season (beyond the obvious we don't win enough games) and how is this season going to be any different? serious opinions please, I'm interested in dicussion rather than smart arse one line 'win more games' answers. many thanks 🙂

 

[Rosco]

Too many soft foreigners that dont perform in cold weather?

 

[Judge Jules]

A succession of Marmite managers, whom players either loved or hated, would be my guess. By November those players who didn't like them had just about had enough.

The reason why this coming season will be different is that Kenny looks to be pretty much universally liked and admired throughout the club (and beyond).

 

[the count]

It seems that we have been labelled a one/two man team for a long time.
If there is truth in that then you could see that the teams form would dip when the star players form slumps.

Doesn't explain why it is always November/December when it happens though.

 

[Rosco]

When were the CL group stages normally on?

 

[OLD_Lewy]

i suppose the obvious answer is that we simply didnt have the squad for it, i suppose its a good thing then that we have a whole reserve team full of midfielders

 

[Judge Jules]

Thing is, though, the squads we did have were probably capable of doing better than they actually did if they'd been handled right. Look at the season we finished second under Rafa.

 

[Richey]

I'm not sure it is always November/December. On a couple of times we definitely have fallen apart at that time (most notably under Houllier in I think 2002/03) but not every season has been a disaster at that time, and a couple haven't been too bad at all.

We have suffered just as much from poor starts to seasons

 

[Athens]

Here's a shot in the dark (quite literally) SAD. That seasonal affective disorder or what ever it's called. The short days/long nights take their toll on everyone but that coupled with the weather that the British isles gets effects people with darker skin more than us pale faced. Although this doesn't explain why other teams don't suffer from the same slump (or do they?).

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=athensruairi link=topic=45682.msg1346261#msg1346261 date=1307612379]
Here's a shot in the dark (quite literally) SAD. That seasonal affective disorder or what ever it's called. The short days/long nights take their toll on everyone but that coupled with the weather that the British isles gets effects people with darker skin more than us pale faced. Although this doesn't explain why other teams don't suffer from the same slump (or do they?).
[/quote]

nice answer.

 

[spider-Neil]

personally I think it's the following

1. we have played mentally taxing football for a long time.
i.e. high concentration levels needed because our game is based on taking a lead and then attempting to hold on rather than playing with freedom, that will eventually take it's toll.

2. over relience on a small core of talented players.
when these players hit a wall then rarely do the 'lesser' players step up to fill that gap.

3. a small squad.
maybe there are lots of playrers in the small but only a small group of players are consistantly picked and fatigue is bound to set in.

4. not enough players up for a fight/AKA not enough bastards.
I'm not talking not enough match winners all over the pitch (although this is a factor) I mean not enough players who do whatever takes to win a match even it means 'cheating' (cynical challenges to stop runs, etc)

that's my obsevation but it still doesn't explain why in nov/dec rather than say, jan/feb.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Get rid of the soft foreigners and sign some young hard nosed English youngsters

 

[mark1975]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=45682.msg1346246#msg1346246 date=1307611593]
Too many soft foreigners that dont perform in cold weather?
[/quote]

Could well be. It seems to be more than that though, we seem to hit a brick wall. The season we finished second though, it's fair to point out, we were riding our luck in the first part of the season and giving away soft goals but winning when not performing particularly well. Thanks to Rafa's 'saving players for second half of the season' tactics, after the slump we looked phenomenal.

Hopefully having young, hungry, Premiership adjusted players will make the difference in future seasons.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=45682.msg1346272#msg1346272 date=1307614131]
Hopefully having young, hungry, Premiership adjusted players will make the difference in future seasons.


[/quote]

I absolutely think this is the reason kenny is targeting the players he is because we need a radical shift as our tactics/transfer policy of the past decade hasn't worked (with regards to winning the league).