Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

Why we are better away

We go to various away fixtures not expecting to win and so our fans go and just simply support our boys and sing for 90 minutes. If mistakes happen there are a few mumbles of discontent but generally various chants of support drown those out.

At home however, our fans really got on the boys back and this makes the players feel so uncomfortable and obviously effects performance levels.

Cardiff at home is a great example of how simply supporting our team can make them feel like they can win games. we were 2-0 down from sloppy goals and at the foot of the table. But even the West Stand could be heard and Chrissy Powells red and white army didnt stop until the end of the game. We scored 5 goals against a team that clearly has class and are going to be Champions.

I dont care if we are 8-0 down to any team, ill be screaming encouragement to the team.

We are a team capable of winning matches, so lets give the boys the encouragement they deserve and dont add pointless pressure to them.

In Chris Powell we trust.
«1

Comments

  • Here Here. Save the moaning for in the pub after
  • crap. It's because at home we set up too defensively when the onus should be on us to get at the other team. So what happens is we allow the other team to get at us and invariably win. It works away from home because we are compact and take the odd chance that comes our way.

    The fans don't get on the boys backs at home. We can see from the start that CP has set us up all wrongly and is too negative. We never start on the front foot. Saturday is a case in point. It was all Forest from the off. It works both ways and we need to see that the team mean business. Most fans only go to home games remember and at the moment do not like what they are seeing.
  • you also have to understand were are always crap this time of year. We even wobbled last season.
    Why this is, god knows but its been happening for 40 years to my knowledge.
  • COMPLETELY agree with OP, in fact was going to start a thread like this myself. I'll C+P what I wrote on another thread:

    "I'd go as far as to say that if there is a valid scapegoat for our poor home form, it's the fans. The buck stops with our frankly bloody awful support. One misplaced pass and people are hurling abuse, muttering about Powell's tactical ineptitude, screaming their little heads off as if they expect Dennis Bergkamp, CB Fry and the new Pope to suddenly materialise and levitate the ball into the net using only the power of their own synergised consciousness. It's appalling to hear and I hate it. By all means boo hated opponents (I was booing Marlon King very loudly whenever he touched the ball the other week), but as the stadium announced says, get behind the boys for crying out loud! Players should ONLY get stick if they're not putting in the effort, or they're doing very, very stupid things. And even then, the stick should be reserved for afterwards. WHAT DO YOU AND THE TEAM POSSIBLY HAVE TO GAIN FROM GETTING ON THEIR BACKS DURING A MATCH? THE MANAGER CAN JOLLY WELL SEE FOR HIMSELF IF THEY ARE PLAYING WELL OR BADLY"
  • Here we go again. Absolute bollocks. When have the crowd "really got on the boys backs"?

    Our home performances by and large have been nothing short if pathetic. We have the worst record in the league I believe.

    Said it numerous times already, the crowd have been uncredibly patient in home games.
  • edited February 2013
    We invite pressure by being too deep and more often than not having no "out" threat whatsoever.

    Teams can press us and sit their back four on the halfway line or as close to as possible when Haynes isn't playing up front as they know we aren't going to get in behind them. Haynes' pace and Fuller's skill is the extent of our threat, plus perhaps Wagstaff from wide about twice per game. Our central midfield is immobile and unimposing either offensively or defensively. A decent back four and midfield four will fancy their chances against us and we play into their hands.
  • It's that old gypsy curse on the valley
  • It's that old gypsy curse on the valley

    Yup, that's the one
  • edited February 2013
    Oh, so it's the fans fault. I thought it was the players on the pitch. We're shit at home and it has nothing to do with the crowd whatsoever. I refuse to let professional players off the hook and point the finger at fans who pay their money and have been going long before these players arrived and will be there long after they have left.

    I respectfully however completely disagree with the OP and see it as a case of vice- versa. Our record at home is shocking, I do believe we should get behind our team at every game but we've been so bad at home all season the frustration is now more than justified.

    About time the team gave something for the crowd to cheer about.
  • edited February 2013
    The problem is that teams play a similar game against us at the Valley as we do away – and we are very good at it – pressing – depriving the other team of time and space- frustrating them. Then the home team opens up a bit and gets punished. I’m not sure Forest was such a great example of this because to be honest, whilst they did do those things effectively, they also played some excellent football and would have been tricky opponents however we played. Having said that, Chrissy was countering it by not opening up – to be fair- whilst we created absolutely nothing – I don’t recall Hamer having to make a meaningful save before Kermogant got sent off.

    The problem is that it is difficult to counter pressing tactics– the aim is to stop opponents playing after all. I think the teams that do best against this tactic have strong attacks and create chances. Injuries have not been kind but Haynes has pace and Fuller strength and that might be an effective combination at home – one which we have had limited opportunity to see. I’d have Wilson on the right as he links up so well with Solly and maybe Evina on the left, who can link up with Wiggins. With willing runners and numbers up front, it should be easier for the midfield to make passes than when everybody is being closed down.
  • Sponsored links:


  • Here we go again. Absolute bollocks. When have the crowd "really got on the boys backs"?

    Erm, every single time the ball is given away? No matter how early in the game it is or what the score is?

    Open your ears.

    We saw the positive effect the crowd had on the team during the Cardiff game. Had the crowd not carried on giving their support that night, then we would have been beaten comprehensively.

    What pisses me off is all this rubbish about "I pay my money, they shouldn't need my support to do well, they're professionals etc"............Ok, fine. Sit there and say nothing then. Don't get on their backs when they've done something wrong if you can't be prepared to stick by them and give them praise when they do something right.

    Same as ANY workplace. If you give people grief for the slightest mistake, it can badly affect morale. And don't start getting on the high horse saying "they should be able to deal with it". Truth is, they're human - and if you can't understand that then you're better off leaving your "support" at home.

    Rant over.
  • I'm been to plenty of games where the atmosphere has been decent and we've lost.

    Who can we blame that day?
  • Everyone knows they are human. The thing is the fans are human as well and humans show frustration when frustrated.
  • So it is not the manager or players' fault when we lose - it is the supporters' fault.

    Bullshit.

    I appreciate that Powell is entirely beyond reproach by many here (until he totalls screws up a formation, mentality or substitution) and that certain players can do no wrong (until it is so blindingly obvious that they have) but to think the fans consistently lose (or win) games is fantasy.
  • Let's also bear in mind that (estimate) over half of the home fans at The Valley (c6,000) don't make a noise all game regardless of what happens.
  • I think the crowd can have an effect when we go behind, but so do all crowds. Leicester fans booed them off at half time last Tuesday. I think the real secret is to work out a way that is effective against the tactics employed by opponents. We have displayed other issues at home like defending a lead too deeply so the issue doesn't apply equally to every game.

    Burnley will be a good test though, because I'm pretty sure they will press and try to frustrate us.
  • edited February 2013
    I had a moan elsewhere about the sarcastic jeering of Cort on saturday when he tried to have a run with the ball, but overall you can't blame the crowd for whats been served up this year. Like Clem said they've been very patient, as times gone on the performances have got more and more negative. Its very noticeable the gloom that descends after 10 minutes or so when everyone realises theres more of the same coming.
  • PL54 said:

    So it is not the manager or players' fault when we lose - it is the supporters' fault.

    Bullshit.

    I appreciate that Powell is entirely beyond reproach by many here (until he totalls screws up a formation, mentality or substitution) and that certain players can do no wrong (until it is so blindingly obvious that they have) but to think the fans consistently lose (or win) games is fantasy.

    I haven't said that. You've massively twisted what some are trying to say.

    The point I'm trying to make is that the crowd have a huge impact on how a game can go when it is in the balance (which it was at 0-0). Had the crowd really got behind the team and given them the same encouragement that they did for the Cardiff game, then the result might have still been a loss considering we had 10 men, but I'm certain that the performance would have been more positive from us.

    Everyone knows they are human. The thing is the fans are human as well and humans show frustration when frustrated.

    Do you scream and shout all day at work and call them "fucking useless" if they do something wrong? Do you condescendingly cheer someone when they do something right when having a bad day?

    Football fans are complete idiots at times. We have an abundance of them.
  • It's probably none of these reasons. It could be that we've been a bit unlucky to play sides when they've had their strongest side available, or have happened to play sides when they're on good form compared to their average performance over the season.

    Whilst I am also fed up with people jeering our own players, I think it's highly unlikely that that is the main reason for our poor home form.
  • edited February 2013
    cafctom said:

    PL54 said:

    So it is not the manager or players' fault when we lose - it is the supporters' fault.

    Bullshit.

    I appreciate that Powell is entirely beyond reproach by many here (until he totalls screws up a formation, mentality or substitution) and that certain players can do no wrong (until it is so blindingly obvious that they have) but to think the fans consistently lose (or win) games is fantasy.

    I haven't said that. You've massively twisted what some are trying to say.

    The point I'm trying to make is that the crowd have a huge impact on how a game can go when it is in the balance (which it was at 0-0). Had the crowd really got behind the team and given them the same encouragement that they did for the Cardiff game, then the result might have still been a loss considering we had 10 men, but I'm certain that the performance would have been more positive from us.

    Everyone knows they are human. The thing is the fans are human as well and humans show frustration when frustrated.

    Do you scream and shout all day at work and call them "fucking useless" if they do something wrong? Do you condescendingly cheer someone when they do something right when having a bad day?

    Football fans are complete idiots at times. We have an abundance of them.
    No of course not. The worst you'll get from me is a roll of the eyes or at worst a tutt. As for your workplace comment if i turned up and consistently under performed i would be sacked.

    However not everybody is the same as me and people will be more vocal with their dis- approval and that is something I accept as we are all different and react differently to all situations.

    Last season I was well and truly on your side when so called fans booed against Notts county and a couple of other teams because we weren't playing well that day compared to the rest of the season. This season the fans have been patient and the team have in most part been abysmal.

    If you think that everyone is going to get behind the team when dross is being served every week then you with respect are mistaken.


    The way to get the crowd on side is to win games and if you can't then at least play well. This has not happened.
  • Sponsored links:


  • It's that old gypsy curse on the valley

    Old lady Nigel, from that creepy house just outside of town.
  • We don't attack enough, our home support is quite good I've been all round the country and home supports are usually rubbish, okay the valley isn't San siro but it's better than most
  • We lose at home because we sit deep from the first minute and if we do score we sit even deeper. In league 1 we got away with it as the opposition were shit. I would love to see us go after teams from the start, only games I've seen that was Leicester and Cardiff second half.
  • edited February 2013

    our home support is quite good I've been all round the country and home supports are usually rubbish, okay the valley isn't San siro but it's better than most

    Leicester was unbelievably quiet and they were in the play offs, there is a definite lull at most teams home grounds these day, mainly thanks to the seats
  • Think our fans have been incredibly patient given the dross we've had to watch at home this season. It's hard to get behind the players when they turn in such dire performances.
    Blaming our fans is a joke - CP and the players have to take responsibility.
  • People are overplaying fans' impact on players. A fan cheering isn't going to turn Pritchard into a 7 foot wonder, or Jackson into a 100m sprinter.

    The players on the pitch are responsible for results. No amount of cheering was going to turn that performance around on saturday.

    Remember the match against Birmingham? We had just scored, the fans were in good voice and then the team sat back and conceded a goal. No fault on the fans at all.
  • So we've blamed the manager, nearly every player, the pitch and now the ones who actually give over their hard earned to watch the first three be incompetent.


    I hope we win on Saturday so much.
  • So we've blamed the manager, nearly every player, the pitch and now the ones who actually give over their hard earned to watch the first three be incompetent.

    Don't forget the stinkbombs and catering.

  • Why are we better away? The players we have in our squad at the moment are better suited to a 4-5-1 system, which is more effective away from home using a counter attacking style of play. It is what it is.
    I doubt if it will change before the end of the season, unless we sign an experienced championship-level central midfielder, who will allow the manager to switch to a more attacking 4-4-2 at home. There aren't many about, available & in our wages bracket.
  • Blaming the fans is copout,the fans have been patient and in the main are always behind the team but the home forms becoming a bit of a crisis. The set up of the team at home is clearly not working and surely the times come to be a bit more adventurous.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!