Who/what is to blame?

[Gunnarsson's_Gunners]

A bit of everything is to blame tbh. Ownership, because Adkins would have been able to spend a bit of cash to bring in the 7 or so players that he had wanted to. Player performance because they failed to turn up to the races in the games such as Yeovil, Barnsley, Sheff Wed, Millwall, Blackpool etc. Adkins because his slow tempo game has cost us points this season where the players have just been incapable of playing that style. Home support, because we really shoud have been attracting high crowds all season to get behind the team, and with players like McAnuff, who only decide to turn up to the games where there is great support and desire to win games e.g. yesterday, Man Utd at home last year and others. Home form, the sticky patch in February, March and April time was frustrating and cost us many points.

I dont think you can pinpoint exactly where it went wrong but ownership was probably the biggest factor.

[Mr Angry]

ownership and injuries is what i went with. AZ promising money then disappearing and leaving us in the shitter. then the ridiculous string of injuries that led us to have wingers play in the middle of the pitch, players out of position, etc.

+1

Our midfield was utterly devastated by injuries and then the whole ownership debacle meant Adkins was not only unable to bring in any new players in Jan but couldn't even retain Baird and Sharp on loan.

Very easy to blame Adkins for everything, but that really would be too simplistic.

[genome]

Agreed, unfortunately we have many simple fans.

[SCIAG]

With such narrow margins, all those things are to blame. If any of them had been a little better at just one crucial moment, we would have made the playoffs.

I would blame three things for our failure to secure a spot the way that Derby and QPR did.

1) Injuries. Roberts' season long injury left us severely short up front (except for three months). We spent huge chunks of the season with three of our first four central midfielders injured, and a few times had all four out. At one stage we were down to four defenders. Our wingers have stayed fit though, bar Drenthe (and his bereavement).
2) Player performance. Le Fondre and McCleary are clearly talented players, but they're both far too inconsistent. If they turned it on (nearly) every week, we would have been fine.
3) Selection. Adkins has not shown enough faith in young players. We spent too long with right backs at left back - admittedly putting Obita there was something of a masterstroke, but if it has happened earlier... HRK is no good behind the striker. Blackman isn't suited to either of our systems. Hector is not a midfielder, and should have been ahead of Gorkss. Taylor has been neglected all season, as has Tshibola. In fairness, Adkins sees them in training and we don't, but Taylor's impressive performances have surely warranted selection ahead of Akpan more often.

[Ouroboros]

I blame Reading Dave.

[Ian Royal]

With such narrow margins, all those things are to blame. If any of them had been a little better at just one crucial moment, we would have made the playoffs.

I would blame three things for our failure to secure a spot the way that Derby and QPR did.

1) Injuries. Roberts' season long injury left us severely short up front (except for three months). We spent huge chunks of the season with three of our first four central midfielders injured, and a few times had all four out. At one stage we were down to four defenders. Our wingers have stayed fit though, bar Drenthe (and his bereavement).
2) Player performance. Le Fondre and McCleary are clearly talented players, but they're both far too inconsistent. If they turned it on (nearly) every week, we would have been fine.
3) Selection. Adkins has not shown enough faith in young players. We spent too long with right backs at left back - admittedly putting Obita there was something of a masterstroke, but if it has happened earlier... HRK is no good behind the striker. Blackman isn't suited to either of our systems. Hector is not a midfielder, and should have been ahead of Gorkss. Taylor has been neglected all season, as has Tshibola. In fairness, Adkins sees them in training and we don't, but Taylor's impressive performances have surely warranted selection ahead of Akpan more often.

Taylor's problem seems to me to be that he's an attacking midfielder when we really needed a more all round central midfielder. Agree on Hector - although I believe he has played a bit in midfield and I think got ahead of Taylor because of his defensive qualities. Tshibola looks good and it's a shame we haven't seen him, but I'm really not sure he'd have done any better than Akpan quite yet. He didn't have the stamina to last 90 minutes against Utd U21s the other day, so I'm not sure he'd manage in the big boys league quite yet. A good pre-season in him and hopefully we'll see him next season.

[The Cube]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

what on earth are you going on about? it was quite obvious that we were playing for the win. for gods sake we had one deflected off the line, and an mccleary one on one that should have gone in barring a massive save from their keeper, and there was another one or two huge chances. all these chances on another day could have easily gone in for us.

[genome]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

No he didn't

[Pepe the Horseman]

I blame Reading Dave.

RIP

[Pseud O'Nym]

I blame Reading Dave.

Reading4eva surely?

[Ian Royal]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

Not to me. I posed the question on the 'You're the manager - what would you do thread' and I can quite clearly remember looking at the clock in the the last 10 minutes and thinking, we'll we're clearly not playing for the draw then.

If we were playing for a draw, why did we have 7 shots in the last 15 minutes to their 1?

Revisionist nonsense.

[Pepe the Horseman]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

Not to me. I posed the question on the 'You're the manager - what would you do thread' and I can quite clearly remember looking at the clock in the the last 10 minutes and thinking, we'll we're clearly not playing for the draw then.

If we were playing for a draw, why did we have 7 shots in the last 15 minutes to their 1?

Revisionist nonsense.

Yep. Fair enough if people have got a problem with Adkins, but to say we were playing for a draw is utter bollocks.

[TheBaldOne]

A mixture of injuries, ownership and player performance I think.

If we hadn't have had long term injuries to Karacan and Morrison and short term injuries to Guthrie, Williams and McCleary we probably would have finished a lot higher. Equally, though our "squad players" have not stepped up and performed and our lack of midfield has cost us dearly.

The ownership issues have not helped either, leaving us with a lack of funds to sign the positions we needed to strenghen in january, i.e. left back, centre-midfield and another striker. Hence, all these combined factors are why we have failed.

Next season, it is crucial if some key players leave, i.e. Guthrie, Williams, McCleary, McAnuff, Le Fondre, Pog, we replace with hungry adkins' type players either from our own academy or sign from somewhere else.

[harry]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

Not to me. I posed the question on the 'You're the manager - what would you do thread' and I can quite clearly remember looking at the clock in the the last 10 minutes and thinking, we'll we're clearly not playing for the draw then.

If we were playing for a draw, why did we have 7 shots in the last 15 minutes to their 1?

Revisionist nonsense.

Yep. Fair enough if people have got a problem with Adkins, but to say we were playing for a draw is utter bollocks.

All of the above responses plus this:
When has a keeper going up for a corner been a defensive measure?
I've always assumed it was a desperate attempt to score a goal (see federici v Cardiff).

[Whatevs]

Make no mistake it has been a failure of a season.
Looking at the predictions (of neutrals) at the start of the season you'd have to say Reading and Bolton have been the Championship's top 2 underachievers.

A large number of factors are to blame for our failure this season. Only a fool would tell you that it was any one or two things.

Players have underperformed.
Manager has underperformed.
Injuries have taken their toll.
Owner has been a dick.
If your definition of a supporter is "tell the players how oxf*rd perfect they are even when they're clearly shit" then I, along with quite a few other fans have underperformed.

dunno but probably this ^^^

[The Cube]

In the late stages of the match we had an attack with two of our players in the area and three on our halfway line (every Burnley player back defending).

When McCarthy had the ball on about 90 minutes and wanted to distribute it quickly Pearce told him to hold on to it.

For the corner just before the news of Brighton's goal came in, Obita slowly jogged over to take it.


Those are just from memory - a look at the video will show many other instances of a lack of urgency towards the end. Players clearly acting under instructions which said something like "protect what we have rather than go for a winning goal".

[Ian Royal]

Nonsense. If you're playing for a draw you put it in the corners and pass it around the back. You don't have 7 shots on goal and send your keeper forward.

Not panic-attacking, is not playing for a draw.

[RoyalBlue]

The only way I could choose two options would be if the poll was expanded to have Nigel Adkins twice.

I mean, this fool even had us playing for a draw towards the end of the game on Saturday (and I'm not just saying that with the benefit of hindsight - it was obviously stupid at the time).

what on earth are you going on about? it was quite obvious that we were playing for the win. for gods sake we had one deflected off the line, and an mccleary one on one that should have gone in barring a massive save from their keeper, and there was another one or two huge chances. all these chances on another day could have easily gone in for us.

I think it was three great saves from their keeper (of which the one against McCleary was probably the easiest) plus the time when he handled it outside his area to deny ALF - despite the Sky commentary team claiming he didn't, even their pictures suggested that he did reach out of his area to catch the ball but managed to twist backwards whilst he was in the air, thus landing with the ball on the partly behind the line.

I'm pretty sure there was at least one other incident in addition to Pog's shot when the ball was cleared off the line.

We also had a cast iron penalty denied by the incompetent officials.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Simple Adkins

Most Championship clubs would dream of having a squad like ours. I know we have had injuries but we have had ample replacements and our clueless manager has failed miserably with his tactics.

I am yet to see a game plan and we are now at the end of the season.

Why will next season be any better? Can someone tell me.

My only enjoyment this season is having a few beers with mates before the games. Then the football starts