I don't necessarily think there is any probem with the majority of the players in our squad, I'm convinced it's purely down to things like work rate, tactics and attitude. The same starting line up looked fantastic against Palace. Since then it has been a different kettle of fish. The ability is there in our team for the most part. There are players I'd put question marks over such as Danns and St Ledger but in the main it would be nice to see everyone pulling in the same direction putting 110% in and being a bit more assertive and proactive as Pearson had mentioned a few games ago!
First half was very even. Two great goals, but we hardly played Palace off the park did we? And they're a side who were in some of the worst form in the division at the time too. I'm not saying it wasn't a worthy victory, because if you take your chances you deserve to win, but it's not like it was the kind of performance that showed top 2 class.
No offence, TS, but I think anyone who thinks we do have the players is seriously deluding themselves and putting unnecessary expectations and pressure on the side. The odd game here and there against Derby we have performed well, but these are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most of the season we have just looked like a mid-table side and if you actually look at the reputation/history of these individual players you realise they've never actually been that good.
It's all well and good saying Beckford and Nugent will become top Championship strikers if they get the service, but where is this idea coming from? Nugent has never been more than a 1 in 3/1 in 4 Championship striker, he's never been more prolific than Fryatt has been really and Beckford scored a lot of goals in the division below, again, much like Fryatt, but still has yet to really prove himself above that level. I'm not saying they won't come good, but they've never proven themselves to be top Championship strikers before, so I'm not quite sure why people are so sure they are top Championship strikers but just lack the service and let's face it, they have pretty much the same midfield and the same service Waghorn and Fryatt had in 09/10 and don't look any better.
Similarly, Mills and St. Ledger, when in the past have they ever shown they are top Championship defenders? When we signed Mills, reading through the Reading forums they all laughed at us and said how overrated and inconsistent he was, how poor his discipline was and what a poor captain he was, a lot on here wrote it off as bitterness, but everything they said has been true so far. Peterborough and Middlesbrough fans will both tell you SSL is absolute wank and PNE will say the same about him for the past 2 seasons or so as well and he's only ever really had one good season in a side which finished 5th or 6th iirc.
Again, not saying that these players won't definitely come good, I'm just not sure where this unflinching belief some have that these players make up one of the top squads in the division come from, because these players have never shown it in the past, why do people suddenly think these players are very good Championship players and are are just underperforming? They may well be very good Championship players under the right management, but what exactly have the shown in the past for people to say that they are such? For people to constantly defend the likes of Beckford, St. Ledger and Mills saying they will definitely come good etc. just seems a little odd to me. Are they really underpeforming or is it just that they're performing at their usual level?
Playing devil's advocate to an extent here, but I do believe that this idea some have that we are one of the best squads in the division seems to be somewhat like putting one's hands over one's ears and shouting "blah blah blah" very loudly and I also believe it's somewhat detrimental to the squad and the level of expectations we should be at too (as shown by the booing off on Saturday when drawing at home to Peterborough).
