Dean Smith

[Indigo]

Disappointing one today but as I said in the pre-match thread I had a bad feeling about it with our absentees. Our squad simply doesn't have the depth to cope with such key losses, Jack goes without saying but we really missed Mings' presence today, for his qualities beyond just his playing ability as much as anything else.

Seeing a lot of moaning on social media about Smith not changing things up to regain some kind of a foothold in the game, but when those options are Nakamba - a defensive-minded player who would do the opposite of relieve pressure - and Ross Barkley - whom a sizable portion of the fan base have no time for anyway - I can see why he'd have difficulty in doing so. Even Sanson would have been a massive aid today and he's far from even being settled yet.

Extremely underwhelming finish to the season all told but I have faith that we're getting there. Even as our form has tailed off you can still see flashes of what we're capable of - even today - and I think that added consistency will come both with experience and adding further quality in the summer.

[lexicon]

Yep, not the result we wanted but nothing to really lose any sleep over. 

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, lexicon said:

Yep, not the result we wanted but nothing to really lose any sleep over. 

Key for me. And when was the last time we could actually say that after the 36th game of the season?

[GingerCollins29]

1 hour ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

 

I'm not new to the post match bitching from the usual suspects on here, but them to that. 

Alexa, define irony

[One For The Road]

55 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

I'm sorry but that's simply not true. Jimenez is a HUGE player for Wolves, they are 10 times the team with him in it.

I didn't say he wasn't. Just that Jack is on a far greater trajectory and everything we do goes through him.

If they hadn't sold Jota they'd have coped better with Jiminez and us losing Jack effectively ended our season.

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by One For The Road

[DCJonah]

Maybe worth pointing out that Sheff U beat Everton and Liverpool needed a last minute winner from their keeper to beat West Brom. 

 

[The_Steve]

8 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Maybe worth pointing out that Sheff U beat Everton and Liverpool needed a last minute winner from their keeper to beat West Brom. 

 

West Brom stuck 5 past Chelsea. Fulham beat Liverpool. Funny old year.

[vreitti]

8 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Maybe worth pointing out that Sheff U beat Everton and Liverpool needed a last minute winner from their keeper to beat West Brom. 

 

Can't say I've checked their message boards, but I'm sure their fans also call for Klopp and Ancelotti to be sacked. 

[VillaFaninLondon]

1 hour ago, One For The Road said:

I didn't say he wasn't. Just that Jack is on a far greater trajectory and everything we do goes through him.

If they hadn't sold Jota they'd have coped better with Jiminez and us losing Jack effectively ended our season.

 

Everything Wolves did went through Jimenez too - he was the focal point of the whole team. Selling Jota and Doherty had its impact too but I'm pretty certain Wolves would be several places higher had Jimenez not got injured.

 

I agree that we're more a one man team than anyone else in the league though and that simply has to change next season. 

[mykeyb]

Wonder how many Sheffield United fans were happy with their final league position and didn't really mind their form over the last 10 games or so of last season.

Admittedly I would expect our recruitment to be better than theirs but our form in 2021 is a major concern.

[DCJonah]

3 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

Wonder how many Sheffield United fans were happy with their final league position and didn't really mind their form over the last 10 games or so of last season.

Admittedly I would expect our recruitment to be better than theirs but our form in 2021 is a major concern.

I asked this previously. 

For all those worried, is there clear correlation between final 10 games form and league position the following year?

[One For The Road]

24 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I asked this previously. 

For all those worried, is there clear correlation between final 10 games form and league position the following year?

Palace lost 7 out of their last 8 last season. So the answer is no.

 

[useless]

Heyyy end of season form can carry from season into the next, our good start to this season could well have been in part due to our good finish to last season. But guess what it's not a set rule, Leicester City last season were showing close to relegation form from the start of the new year up until the end of the season, which lead to them missing out on champions league when at one stage they looked to have it guaranteed, and many of their fans wanted Rodgers sacked.

Edited May 16, 2021 by useless

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, One For The Road said:

Palace lost 7 out of their last 8 last season. So the answer is no.

 

I'd imagine Liverpool did OK their final 10 games, yet have ended much lower. 

Last season after the new year, West Ham only won 5 premier league games. 

Our disastrous run in 2021 has seen us win 6. 

Sure hope we don't do what they did the following season.

Panic stations.

[Tomaszk]

Enjoyed most of the game today. Don't blame Smith for the game slipping away particularly, seems I'm in the minority.

I think we'd have won with only Cash, Mings and Sanson fit.

Finishing 11th next season will not see him sacked I don't think.

If we can get a clear, obvious step up, I'd be interested. Still don't think that's available to us right now.

[VillaChris]

I think we'll be o.k start of next season. Depends on fixture list (remember we were supposed to play Man. City away first game so having that postponed and starting with Sheffield United and Fulham was a massive help) but crowds of 20k + hopefully in which the players will enjoy and we will have a lift from 2-3 signings that can hopefully come straight into the team or at least make the bench more competitive.

I'm not too concerned with the start, just got to do enough to keep in touch with those above. It's not like West Ham were that high going into November for instance.

Key for us to break cycle of last 20 years is not to fall away from February onwards as that's been a massive mental problem. We dip while those around us get into their stride. Simply means more credible first team options and far more rotation even during games e.g. McGinn being subbed, sometimes the full backs being rested, Ollie having a breather for the odd game etc.

I reckon we might have learnt from this season a bit and will be fairly active in January 2022 window aswell.

[Dave-R]

If we go for big hitters we will be okay, if we don't and buy like we did season gone we may do around the same as we've done this season, for all we know we may do slightly worse.

I think it's now time for the Owners get as much coinage out they can and secure what has happened this season. We need some serious heavy hitters in or I fear we will do worse. If I were Grealish I'd be saying to those above him and the Owners look now is the time to get some players in to help me out better as I can't do this all alone. If I were Jack is be saying to myself out of those players we signed summer gone that Watkins and Martinez were the best, but we need to sign even better and aim higher.

If I were Grealish knowing my ability I would be saying to myself I want signings that are better than me to come in. Before anyone says there isn't anyone better than him, of course there is but they just do it all in a different way, there own way.

Unfortunately we're at a point now where we have to go spend big on players to reach higher and compete or we will end up with a season that drys up.

Smith has to also learn to rotate better, I do think partly because he's relied on the same players all season that they have just conked out, ran out of gas and they face players that have been rotated much better more frequently.

[peterw]

I think that palace saw our right-back position as our weakness and exploited it. Elmo is no Cash and Traore gave him little cover in the first half, and similar story with El Ghazi second half. cash can usually make up for that with his speed and timing but sadly not Elmo. We got found out because of our lack of depth. We just move on.

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, peterw said:

I think that palace saw our right-back position as our weakness and exploited it. Elmo is no Cash and Traore gave him little cover in the first half, and similar story with El Ghazi second half. cash can usually make up for that with his speed and timing but sadly not Elmo. We got found out because of our lack of depth. We just move on.

Then thats the fault of smith. If elmo isn't good enough then why not show some faith in kesler? Didnt even make the benxh but instead we have taylor on there who isnt even going to be here next season.

We have nothing to play for. I dont see the harm in giving kesler some game time against palace. 

[peterw]

maybe because he doesn't think kessler would be able to stand up to someone like Zaha given that one is a highly rated premier league footballer and the other someone that has not played first team football.

This is in the same vein as your Chukwuemeka argument. It may have some validity and why not throw him in against Spurs? Maybe not if Son id playing? Chelsea? Maybe they'd be a better option given they're likely to rest players ahead of the CL final.