Gary O'Neil

[SlowDownDerek]

I’ve never been happier than under Howe so you couldn’t be more wrong. 40 points was well within reach for this squad, in my opinion, with a decent manager.

Howe's average top flight points total was 42 so it's strange that you seemingly hold O'Neil to higher standards. If O'Neil gets over 40 points will you still be moaning that he didn't beat Wolves, Palace and Southampton at home when our squad was thin?

 

[Neil Dawson]

As stated before, every bookmaker had us as short odds-on favourite for relegation before the season starts.

Likewise every "expert" pundit had us finishing bottom, some even suggestion we could beat Derby's lowest points record.

The facts are that we are a couple of results from safety and yet we still have fans booing our own players during games.

Every bookmaker had Leicester to go down the year they won the league.

Every ‘expert pundit’ called us wrong for years under Eddie.

The facts are we are a couple of results from safety and yet we still have fans saying our squad is insufficient. The same fans that wanted Parker sacked for saying the same ironically.

You should have more faith and support the lads.

 

[Neil Dawson]

Howe's average top flight points total was 42 so it's strange that you seemingly hold O'Neil to higher standards. If O'Neil gets over 40 points will you still be moaning that he didn't beat Wolves, Palace and Southampton at home when our squad was thin?

The league is weaker. I think we are all agreed on that aren’t we? The fact there has never been a relegation battle like this is because we haven’t had this many poor teams before. How many teams do you watch against us and think they are superior players? Not even against Newcastle home and away did i think that. Should have beaten them here. Compare that to our first year up when everyone looked better individually but team spirit got us through.

It saddens me the low opinion people have of the core squad that have been with us years.

 

[Sorry Roger]

Not sure I follow the logic. Surely the reason that there are more teams at risk of relegation than usual is simply that, unusually, there aren’t one or two very poor sides such as Norwich and Watford last year.

For me, that makes the league stronger rather than weaker.

 

[SlowDownDerek]

The league is weaker. I think we are all agreed on that aren’t we? The fact there has never been a relegation battle like this is because we haven’t had this many poor teams before. How many teams do you watch against us and think they are superior players? Not even against Newcastle home and away did i think that. Should have beaten them here. Compare that to our first year up when everyone looked better individually but team spirit got us through.

It saddens me the low opinion people have of the core squad that have been with us years.

Why on earth would the league be weaker? The financial dominance of the league has gone into overdrive since we were last in it.

In the period around Christmas when our form was poor I thought that the difference was most often lack of quality. I still think we lack quality in the final third and that's why we've not made games more comfortable or have lost points. I think the fact that we have done so well is credit to O'Neil and how he's got them motivated despite some obvious tactical missteps.

 

[nd9cherry]

Glad to see GON has been promoted to CEO according to a well known poster..........

 

[Johnny Comelately]

For me I think a number of our supporters expectations vs quality and depth of the squad are a little over the top. Whether a reasonable barometer or not is debateable but look who the bookies and "media experts" consistently tipped for relegation. It was always AFCB.

The lack of quality to come off of the bench until the January signings and returning key players-Neto, Tavernier, Solanke and as it turns out Rothwell, have made us by and large competitive since.

Somewhat agree on the a better manager could have got us a couple more points debate, specifically on sorting the obvious set piece weakness.

The ups and downs of performances though are really a consequence of the quality of the team/squad and it's availability, IMHO. There is only so much a manager can do with the talent at his disposal.

Well, we had 16 points from 16 games before the January signings came and 16 points since so I'm not really sure that your argument stands up.

 

[USCherry]

It's crazy. Your expectations of 40+ points after 32 games means you think this squad should have finished top half judging by the league table. A squad straight out of the championship which is widely accepted as having underinvestment during the summer window due to the impending sale.

Funny thing is that since we strengthened in January we have shown form that would put us comfortably top-half.

Kind of begs the question, when would you be happy with the club?

I know that we have gained points from a losing position a couple of times this season, but because we lost from 2 goals leads three times this season, you could legitimately argue that we should be on 40 points by now if we were able to defend that type of lead.

 

[SlowDownDerek]

I know that we have gained points from a losing position a couple of times this season, but because we lost from 2 goals leads three times this season, you could legitimately argue that we should be on 40 points by now if we were able to defend that type of lead.

True but every side can always point to where they could have picked up more points. We should have won the league long before the final few minutes in 2015 but we didn't.

Of course we could have had more than 40 points by now but I don't think that everyone in football that predicted we'd struggle this season was completely off their rocker so 33 points after 32 games is good whatever way you look at it.

 

[Neil Dawson]

I don't think that everyone in football that predicted we'd struggle this season was completely off their rocker so 33 points after 32 games is good whatever way you look at it.

There’s just no sense in that argument. I don’t think anyone that thought Leicester would struggle in 2015 was off their rocker but they’d probably revised that opinion by the end of April… like me and some other fans have about us come the end of April.

 

[Neil Dawson]

Well, we had 16 points from 16 games before the January signings came and 16 points since so I'm not really sure that your argument stands up.

Ssshhh…. Don’t burst their bubble… its a rubbish squad its a rubbish squad… although Parker should be sacked for saying it and anyone booing the players is not a supporter…

Hysterical!

 

[New Old Cherry]

Even an 'experienced' manager would have struggled to get much out of what was a grossly overrated squad...Bristolcityish on a good day.
It's f√cking weird..one of the most promising players for years at DC doesn't get a look in. Stacey..had we given him a decent run in the side , we'd have an accomplished PL player now, just right to take over from Smithy!
I noticed things going downhill just after Yems left...he must have had some added value over the period on Howes staff.
Then two other fairly decent anglers, JW and JT fell foul of the Afcb Forum Elite...with grossly unfair attrition.
But wtf do I know.. .just subjective nonsense ?
I drone on, mercillously....
Parker somehow galvanised a few tricks out of what he inherited..enough to squeeze out of the English '2nd Division'...then used the elevation to promote some w@nkers clothing range..the silly bugger..taking his eye off the ball a few games into the new season..hey ho we are where we are now with, thankfully, a guy whose head is screwed on quite tight..but once again aggravating the Elitists in the BH post-code...who can't seem to realise that we are still punching above our weight on and off the pitch.
Once we climb out of this mess in a few weeks...it's immediately over to Mr Foley re - Stadium, 'Training Ground' and 'Football Town'...Issuei !
And I'll be 'On It' ...oh yes Batman !

 

[MB1980]

It’s simple for me. I’m happy when I think the squad are being utilised to their correct ability and barring the odd off day are lined up correctly and perform to their potential in every match. I’m less bothered about results otherwise I would never have supported us and gone for Liverpool or Man U like most people my age. There’s been plenty of seasons in all divisions I’ve been happy under the above criteria. We all look at things differently and threads would be a lot shorter if you could accept this in people if you don’t mind me saying.

You say it’s crazy to think we should have 40 points by now. We’ve got 33 with what I think we can all agree is an inexperienced manager and we didn’t beat Southampton, Wolves, Palace under Viera and Forest at home. It’s crazy to me to think we couldn’t have got 40 points but there you go!

We have decent squad for sure, but still bottom 3 on paper imo. There's no 'norwich' or such this. Fans of every club down at the bottom would no doubt feel they had chance of survival with the right man at the helm... and rightly so imo. But, it is a zero sum game... teams have to get relegated don't they, so something has to give and fans somewhere will be extremely disappointed.

I'm not o Neil's fan as such, I'm interested in results and for this season, survival... which he's almost managed to achieve now, despite some awful performances.

 

[SlowDownDerek]

There’s just no sense in that argument. I don’t think anyone that thought Leicester would struggle in 2015 was off their rocker but they’d probably revised that opinion by the end of April… like me and some other fans have about us come the end of April.

So the only 5000/1 upset that's ever happened in English football is now the benchmark is it? A stretch even for you.

There's simply no getting away from it Neil... if he keeps us up he's done very well as have the recruitment team. I know it's not what you hoped for but it's true.

 

[SlowDownDerek]

Well, we had 16 points from 16 games before the January signings came and 16 points since so I'm not really sure that your argument stands up.

Not true though is it. 16 points from 19 games before Dango came on the 19th January when he went straight in the side and made a difference.

17 points from 13 games since.

0.84 PPG before, which is equivalent to 32 points per season and almost guaranteed relegation.

1.3 PPG since, which is equivalent to over 49 points and guaranteed safety.

But shhhhh don't tell Neil because Leicester won the league once which somehow proves AFCB are shite.

 

[Neil Dawson]

So the only 5000/1 upset that's ever happened in English football is now the benchmark is it? A stretch even for you.

There's simply no getting away from it Neil... if he keeps us up he's done very well as have the recruitment team. I know it's not what you hoped for but it's true.

It is what I hoped for and expected.

The Leicester example was to prove a point. Every year I’d say there’s at least about 20 teams who revise their pre season predictions come April. Newcastle, Arsenal, Brighton and Villa are doing it as we speak…

 

[SlowDownDerek]

Ssshhh…. Don’t burst their bubble… its a rubbish squad its a rubbish squad… although Parker should be sacked for saying it and anyone booing the players is not a supporter…

Hysterical!

Oh dear, I suppose that's the pitfalls of wanting to believe stats that prove your pre-conceived opinions.

 

[New Old Cherry]

So you're agreeing with me then......there's no reason why we can't do anything better than just surviving.

Yep on reflection..I guess am. You do talk rather a lot of sense most of the time.
Once you get past my very random unfiltered offerings....the minds can be met to produce affinity.!

 

[SlowDownDerek]

It is what I hoped for and expected.

The Leicester example was to prove a point. Every year I’d say there’s at least about 20 teams who revise their pre season predictions come April. Newcastle, Arsenal, Brighton and Villa are doing it as we speak…

It's what I hoped for too, which is why I'm pleased with how it's gone so far.

Not sure I'm following you here. Are you saying the fact that he's exceeded expectations to the extent that you've had to revise your pre season predictions is not to O'Neil's credit but it's because the squad was better than you'd initially thought? Obviously not because of the recruitment but because of the 'core players' that Howe left behind?

 

[Neil Dawson]

Not true though is it. 16 points from 19 games before Dango came on the 19th January when he went straight in the side and made a difference.

17 points from 13 games since.

0.84 PPG before, which is equivalent to 32 per season and almost guaranteed relegation.

1.3 PPG since, which is equivalent to over 49 points and guaranteed safety.

But shhhhh don't tell Neil because Leicester won the league once which somehow proves AFCB are shite.

Yep. It’s all down to one new player folks. A forward who has thundered in a grand total of one goal. He is also the pick of the six new signings having started more games than the rest of them put together…you couldn’t make this stuff up you really couldn’t. Still it’s keeping me amused.