Veteran bottlers

[Dublin blue 75]

Win last night and arsenal draw and we get within 2-3 wins of top four. Win v Aston Villa in late August and we go top. RS put out a second string side in cup we are favourites. And last season away to RS, Gomes runs the game and we give it up epically at the end.

There has been a consistent psychological fear or lack of self-confidence through the spine of this team for some years and it continues to present on nights like those above. It is not evident in much of our more recent squad additions and - IMO - was not evident last night until we brought on two of our veterans (in tenure at least) and what can only be described as a passenger in Niasse. The performance levels and confidence of the other 8 players already on the park dropped instantly. We dropped back into the last third and resorted to hoofing it out for touch. The pinball defending for the equaliser was head wobbling stuff.

And Pickford's foibles instantly re-appeared. To kick on next season, we need to no longer see any of those three subs that came on last night and we need to cash in on Pickford for FFP if nothing else. His catastrophic clangers are far far too regular now. Carlo is truly getting to see the depths of the task in hand in full technicolour.

 

[BernieH]

There's a few threads already on this line of thinking mate

 

[Brisan123]

Could not agree more.
Carlo has sen the extent of the mess he inherited.
A cull of biblical proportions is needed.
Very few are safe
Digne,Mina,Holgate,Gomes Gbamin,Bernard,Ricarlison,DCL,Kean,Iwobi,
Only 5-6 should be regular starters.
The rest are either dead and buried or know they are on thin ice.

 

[Dublin blue 75]

Yes. Too many of them just don't look arsed. Contrast with the RS, or Sheffield United. For different reasons and each with lads at different stages of their career trajectory but those lads would all run through brick walls for their team and manager. Many of ours are signed from 'top' clubs where they were surplus to requirements and are on rather different trajectories where their motivations may be different.

We bring in Carlo Ancelotti and many of our lot still aren't bothered. It is a full on purge that is needed.

 

[Jim Hopper]

We just simply have too many players on big wages who genuinely don’t give a crap and are happy to stroll around or switch off because regardless of their performance or effort they will still get their big fat pay cheques at the end of the week and will be selected again the following week. We badly need a massive overhaul, get rid of the weak mentalities and half arsers in the dressing room.

 

[Richard Alex]

Last night the team played well
They were bothered. If it was a boxing match it would have been stopped.
That was daylight robbery. Newcastle didn’t deserve even 1 goal let alone 2.
I just think the 2 subs killed us as they are not good enough
Also the main issue has reared its ugly head again
We let in 2 set piece goals last night and against West Ham. Sort this out and we have an extra 4 points from last 2 games
Small margins.