The where the F*ck did it all go wrong thread

[RG7Fan]

It wouldn't surprise me if this whole dip in form/Clarke speaking to Fulham saga is a rather cunning ploy by Clarke...

Probably was informed of the Fulham interest around the time of the whole second half shambles at Craven Cottage...then came out with all the excuses about injuries and the loans stifling how he wants to play etc...spoke to Fulham who were reluctant to pay the compensation plus Clarke's demands...now Clarke is just running us into the ground until he gets sacked...takes the money from us and the walks into the Fulham role...it seems odd how Fulham have gone from wanting to appoint someone quickly to now biding their time! almost as though something is in place it just needs some time for it to happen...really underhand from both Clarke and Fulham.

Also, let's face it Clarke's record even before he took over wasn't exactly great...he ran out of ideas at West Brom pretty quickly after the initial honeymoon period when he was still surfing on the crest of Hodgson's ideas..I just think he got his way in the summer and tried the massive rebuild...and the run of wins was down to catching opponents out with the way we were playing...international break gave opponents time to suss us out and the rest is history...Clarke soon realised it wasn't going to work and was beyond his ability...he's now wanting out as quick as possible...

As has been mentioned...I think Clarke should do the honourable thing and resign...however, this being football he's going to make us suffer and take every penny he can...utter joke...

Talk about conspiracy theory ...

[Winston Smith]

Has Clarke ever accounted for his whereabouts in the early hours of sunday 31st August 1997?

[quickwingerswife]

I did breathe out when Adkins left, it was getting very silly. Those notes being passed out onto the pitch, over coaching and pathetic performances were embarrassing everywhere we went. Then we took on the Mumbler and it all seemed to be heading in thr right direction,. It all seems to have gone wrong when we offloaded one high earner in the Pog and spent a fortune for a useless Ferrari owning Vydra. Will we never learn? The scruffy Mumbler has to go now, take his over coaching methods with him and put someone in who lets a team play some fluid football with a bit of confidence at the back. Take that useless overrated Hector with him and get Chelsea to rubber stamp a loan move to another unsuspecting club who have been hoodwinked by his apparent cool class, or lack of it. What is the football Director doing at present?, we never hear from him. Is he ashamed to admit he's made a huge mistake with the Mumbler?

[From Despair To Where?]

I did breathe out when Adkins left, it was getting very silly. Those notes being passed out onto the pitch, over coaching and pathetic performances were embarrassing everywhere we went. Then we took on the Mumbler and it all seemed to be heading in thr right direction,. It all seems to have gone wrong when we offloaded one high earner in the Pog and spent a fortune for a useless Ferrari owning Vydra. Will we never learn? The scruffy Mumbler has to go now, take his over coaching methods with him and put someone in who lets a team play some fluid football with a bit of confidence at the back. Take that useless overrated Hector with him and get Chelsea to rubber stamp a loan move to another unsuspecting club who have been hoodwinked by his apparent cool class, or lack of it. What is the football Director doing at present?, we never hear from him. Is he ashamed to admit he's made a huge mistake with the Mumbler?

Ddidn't realise Clarke was Hammond's choice

[quickwingerswife]

Hammond made all the noises about Clarke's pedigree, quiet now.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I still reckon something was going on before this Fulham story broke that coincided with our sudden drop in form

[Half Horse]

Clarke won't resign, we're all he has now.

His stock is pretty much worthless after his Fulham flirtation. Let's face it, the team have lost form, Clarke has lost over 50% of the supporters trust with most of us never being able or willing to trust him again. Every marginal loss or draw will be met with negativity toward Clarke. The owners can't trust him now and again let's be honest, would you want to move forward, invest, trust and work a man like Clarke.

It doesn't look good. I'm expecting a long drawn out messy divorce with Clarke holding out for his contractual pay off.

I think this is a pretty accurate summary of the situation, particularly the reference to the owners

[Millsy]

McCleary = best right winger in this division.

Blackman = one of best strikers in this division.

The best are consistant performers. Neither are.

If Blackman were the best he'd be in the premiership by now.

True none is consistent enough, but because they don't get the chance. I'll def stand by McCleary being too good for us.

[Millsy]

It wouldn't surprise me if this whole dip in form/Clarke speaking to Fulham saga is a rather cunning ploy by Clarke...

Probably was informed of the Fulham interest around the time of the whole second half shambles at Craven Cottage...then came out with all the excuses about injuries and the loans stifling how he wants to play etc...spoke to Fulham who were reluctant to pay the compensation plus Clarke's demands...now Clarke is just running us into the ground until he gets sacked...takes the money from us and the walks into the Fulham role...it seems odd how Fulham have gone from wanting to appoint someone quickly to now biding their time! almost as though something is in place it just needs some time for it to happen...really underhand from both Clarke and Fulham.

Also, let's face it Clarke's record even before he took over wasn't exactly great...he ran out of ideas at West Brom pretty quickly after the initial honeymoon period when he was still surfing on the crest of Hodgson's ideas..I just think he got his way in the summer and tried the massive rebuild...and the run of wins was down to catching opponents out with the way we were playing...international break gave opponents time to suss us out and the rest is history...Clarke soon realised it wasn't going to work and was beyond his ability...he's now wanting out as quick as possible...

As has been mentioned...I think Clarke should do the honourable thing and resign...however, this being football he's going to make us suffer and take every penny he can...utter joke...

Good theory, but I just can't believe it to be honest. Too uncertain how long it'd take for us to get rid of Clarke for Fulham to wait around. And Clarke would surely try to keep winning matches in the meantime for his own record. Good thinking though - certainly a different angle on it all!

[Millsy]

McCleary = best right winger in this division.

Blackman = one of best strikers in this division.

So what does he do? Not play McCleary but put Blackman in that position.

I mean, if we had no right winger and were desperate then yeah put a strker (not Blackmen) there. But we do have one of the division's best right wingers. And we are taking Blackman from his proven position to fill it instead. I just don't get it.

Blackman's best performances for us, including every(?) goal he's scored this season, have come on the right wing.

Interesting, and you may well be right.

Admittedly I don't go to away games so go by the commentary team on BBC Berks who are pretty certain he looks very dangerous when up front properly, and Blackman has said so himself too. If what you say is true that all his goals have come from the right wing I wonder how many the team have scored by other wingers when he's up front alone. Snowball? someone else? Happy for me (and BBC Berks) to stand corrected on this.

[Millsy]

How about this thought: it hasn't gone wrong at all.

?

With so few results a few wins or losses can put you in the wrong place in the table. But now the season is progressing we're seeing exactly what we are - a good upper midtable side who can for playoffs. Isn't that better than where we were before?

And isn't it exciting that we have shown flashes of excellence, which when injuries and form allow we may well tap into later in the season?

All this talk of it "going wrong" suggests that we were definite title contenders all along but now we're not for some mysterious reason.

[CountryRoyal]

How about this thought: it hasn't gone wrong at all.

?

With so few results a few wins or losses can put you in the wrong place in the table. But now the season is progressing we're seeing exactly what we are - a good upper midtable side who can for playoffs. Isn't that better than where we were before?

And isn't it exciting that we have shown flashes of excellence, which when injuries and form allow we may well tap into later in the season?

All this talk of it "going wrong" suggests that we were definite title contenders all along but now we're not for some mysterious reason.

Massively clutching at straws there. The bookies are seldom wrong and there was a reason they slashed the odds dramatically on us finishing in the top6/getting promoted/winning the title after dead line day.

This is a top quality squad should be firmly challenging for automatic promotion or at least comfortably in the playoffs. To say anything else is either ignorant, deluded or both.

[Caversham Royal]

Where did it all go wrong? When Steve Clarke became manager. He sucks......

And you swallow.

Wow, you are a wit.

[genome]

I still reckon something was going on before this Fulham story broke that coincided with our sudden drop in form

Piazon sexual assault story breaks, we're contractually obliged to play him by Chelsea and this causes a rift between the players and management. Clarkes decides he wants to get out ASAP, this fails and he has to come back.

Of course I'm making this shit up but you never know.

[semtex1871]

It wouldn't surprise me if this whole dip in form/Clarke speaking to Fulham saga is a rather cunning ploy by Clarke...

Probably was informed of the Fulham interest around the time of the whole second half shambles at Craven Cottage...then came out with all the excuses about injuries and the loans stifling how he wants to play etc...spoke to Fulham who were reluctant to pay the compensation plus Clarke's demands...now Clarke is just running us into the ground until he gets sacked...takes the money from us and the walks into the Fulham role...it seems odd how Fulham have gone from wanting to appoint someone quickly to now biding their time! almost as though something is in place it just needs some time for it to happen...really underhand from both Clarke and Fulham.

Also, let's face it Clarke's record even before he took over wasn't exactly great...he ran out of ideas at West Brom pretty quickly after the initial honeymoon period when he was still surfing on the crest of Hodgson's ideas..I just think he got his way in the summer and tried the massive rebuild...and the run of wins was down to catching opponents out with the way we were playing...international break gave opponents time to suss us out and the rest is history...Clarke soon realised it wasn't going to work and was beyond his ability...he's now wanting out as quick as possible...

As has been mentioned...I think Clarke should do the honourable thing and resign...however, this being football he's going to make us suffer and take every penny he can...utter joke...

I think you're onto something here.....sounds very plausible.....

[sandman]

Where did it all go wrong? When Steve Clarke became manager. He sucks......

And you swallow.

Wow, you are a wit.

And you're a tit.

I like this highbrow interaction we're having here. Really encapsulates the magic of the team board.

[frimmers3]

It's like looking forward to doing "The Times" cryptic,and finding by mistake they have published "The Sun's" quick crossword.

[Caversham Royal]

Nothing highbrow about you 'mighty Sandman', so I'll stop the interaction.
Magic......

[John Smith]

McCleary = best right winger in this division.

Blackman = one of best strikers in this division.

So what does he do? Not play McCleary but put Blackman in that position.

I mean, if we had no right winger and were desperate then yeah put a strker (not Blackmen) there. But we do have one of the division's best right wingers. And we are taking Blackman from his proven position to fill it instead. I just don't get it.

But that's just nitpicking. To answer the question it went wrong when Fulham somehow came back to beat us. Confidence burst. Downhill from there.

Fully agree with this. I'm not the biggest Robson-Kanu fan but I'd have him back starting on the left ASAP - he was linking up well with Blackman before it went wrong (starting at Fulham). McCleary needs to start on the right with Blackman the main man in the middle - no other way.

Vydra and John as the impact subs, send back Piazon.

Orlando Sa can be left to be the waterboy or something for all the good he does.

[Top Flight]

Piazon is a talented player. He will/should improve the more he plays and become an outstanding 'star' player. But the problem is his attitude. He doesn't play with any spirit or tenacity. He is a luxury that we can only afford with Quinn and Tshibola in the team. His body language is very negative as well.

Piazon is very clever at finding little pockets of space and dictating some of the attacking play. But defensively he is a liability. He will need to add some steel to his game otherwise he has no chance at Chelsea. Just look at how Mourinho has been dealing with Hazard lately.