Not every reason is an excuse. But it is likely not the only reason indeed. However,

I did find the Birmingham game interesting - the way they approached the game really made me feel they'd heard all the public stories about our players not being fit enough, and obviously are aware that we usually start brightly and then tail off in the second half, whether that be to do with the opposition changing to become more aggressive in their attacking, fitness, or a combination of both, and that they'd decided to just come at us hell and leather from the off. Then if it is the adjustment to a less cautious approach that kills us they'd kill us immediately, and if it was the fitness then we'd be extra knackered come second half.

In my opinion, it was the former that was shown to be our biggest problem. And therefore I expect all teams to be at our throats from the first minute from now on.

Posted By: Legacy Fan on November 24th 2025 at 09:55:54

Message Thread

Clement not a masochist, he says (NCFC) - Old Git, Nov 24, 08:24:10
- The fans certainly seem to be swallowing this fitness excuse hook line and sinker (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:10:35
  - Way too simplistic a view (NCFC) - Kev, Nov 24, 14:19:20
    - I don't think you've understood my point correctly (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 15:14:07
      - I agree that it is a mixture of the two elements (NCFC) - Kev, Nov 24, 15:57:31
  - I think it’s quite clever from PC (NCFC) - Chair_of_the_Bored, Nov 24, 12:44:03
  - don't think they needed to go public with the bleep test (NCFC) - Tombs, Nov 24, 10:48:41
    - Guess I'm in a minority (NCFC) - Kev, Nov 24, 14:23:07
    - I think framed as a new start and assessing the lads fully would have been fine (NCFC) - Sainz and Sinners, Nov 24, 11:36:07
    - Fair (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 11:14:37
    - Eggsactly (n/m) (NCFC) - Legacy Fan, Nov 24, 11:00:38
    - Was on a dog walk yesterday with pal. Said exactly the same thing… (NCFC) - WalksietheReturn, Nov 24, 10:55:22
      - No way that anything like that goes out from the media team without careful scrutiny (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:58:19
        
        “Look how hard we’re working! Honestly, we are!” (n/m) (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 11:16:14
    - Yes, completely agree (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:53:01
      - i read your post after i posted that and am drawing to the same conclusion (NCFC) - Tombs, Nov 24, 11:39:43
  - Fitness is not why we conceded after 3 minutes and should have been 3 down after 20 (NCFC) - Jim, Nov 24, 10:36:57
    - Exactly. So why is sooooo much fuss being made of it? (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:43:27
      - Because as I said the other day (NCFC) - Charles21, Nov 24, 11:07:10
        
        True, and while there has looked some truth to it (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 11:09:42
  - Not every reason is an excuse. But it is likely not the only reason indeed. However, (NCFC) - Legacy Fan, Nov 24, 09:55:54
    - At home, up against a struggling team devoid of confidence (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:00:44
  - sort of agree but not quite (NCFC) - big member, Nov 24, 09:54:09
  - Amazing that a professional footballer can't tell if they're fit enough 2 or 3 games (NCFC) - BSE Canary, Nov 24, 09:47:00
    - Stacey was spot on in his post match chat (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 09:50:50
  - But we won’t see improved fitness for weeks … (NCFC) - loz, Nov 24, 09:20:15
    - Indeed - so why make such a big deal out of it? (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:24:52
      - I think the fitness thing is quite big in terms of professionalism as Stacey points out in (NCFC) - Sainz and Sinners, Nov 24, 09:49:34
        
        But if it is a professionalism issue, rather than a training / coaching one (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:54:37
        
        No just the players is it... staff noticing unfit or badly prepared players (NCFC) - Sainz and Sinners, Nov 24, 10:14:12
        
        lol - or...... (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:41:58
        
        The Coaching meetings go something like this.... (NCFC) - BSE Canary, Nov 24, 10:21:05
        
        Can't understand why they wouldn't be giving 100%, none of this lot (NCFC) - BSE Canary, Nov 24, 09:51:48
    - I wouldn’t judge too much from Saturday brums last 3… (NCFC) - loz, Nov 24, 09:20:58
      - I agree - Sat was a free hit - very likely to lose, and we did (n/m) (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:24:49
  - Wasn't preseason organised by JHT? Not even Manning's fault (NCFC) - Trent_Canary, Nov 24, 09:18:36
    - Was there no way he could have changed it? (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:30:30
    - I just can't believe Manning wouldn't have had the same fitness data (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:21:34
      - I'm assuming the fitness department is not his remit (NCFC) - Trent_Canary, Nov 24, 09:29:37
        
        How could the fitness of the players not be the remit of the Head Coach? (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:31:07
        
        I'm just making assumptions based on what I've seen and heard (NCFC) - Trent_Canary, Nov 24, 09:37:01
        
        Isn't that more to do with the volume of muscle injuries, rather than aerobic fitness? (n/m) (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:39:06
        
        They should be reviewing the whole thing imo (n/m) (NCFC) - Trent_Canary, Nov 24, 09:53:41
    - let's wait a month to see whether it changes anything (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:20:54
    - Correct. Pre season was a car crash. (NCFC) - WalksietheReturn, Nov 24, 09:20:32
  - why do we let in so many 2nd half goals? (n/m) (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:16:20
    - Because we're shit? (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:18:26
      - Absolutely this (n/m) (NCFC) - Charles21, Nov 24, 10:28:17
      - ^this, is the correct answer^ (n/m) (NCFC) - BSE Canary, Nov 24, 09:49:03
      - being shit would tend to suggest an even distribution though (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:23:53
        
        I hope you're right, but I don't see it (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:29:37
        
        Schwartau has now played about 55 times for us (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 09:53:18
        
        He needs to be sold to the Dutch league (NCFC) - Charles21, Nov 24, 10:29:44
- best thing about is this is what it tells us about attanasio's intentions (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:08:23
  - Yes, that was encouraging (NCFC) - Old Git, Nov 24, 09:13:47
  - Having read that Archant piece where Clement justifies picking Duddy (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:13:21
  - Tomorrow is close to must win, and it's certainly must not lose (n/m) (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:12:03
    - This isn’t even debatable. We must win. We are cut adrift and (NCFC) - WalksietheReturn, Nov 24, 09:23:19
      - I think we could draw tomorrow and stay up (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:26:13
        
        I’d say we need a 5 match unbeaten run with 3 wins, starting now (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:34:55
        
        That’s Ipswich’s current run, and would just about get us out of the bottom 3 (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:41:50
        
        sure - with about a million left games to go - it would be great (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:56:54
        
        I think so, yes (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 10:01:42
        
        I don't really agree that such a drastic immediate turnaround is necessary (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:38:55
        
        Apart from Oxford, all the teams above us are over 1ppg for the season (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:48:10
        
        I agree we need a run at some point (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:53:44
        
        We need more than that. (NCFC) - WalksietheReturn, Nov 24, 10:57:42
        
        Well in that case, we might as well give up (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 11:00:18
        
        I agree we don't need anything as dramatic (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:44:42
        
        That’s not much different, is it? (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:54:23
        
        I didn't say we needed to win the next two (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:56:33
        
        No, I know. Sorry. (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 09:59:40
        
        Yeah - I do agree with you that we need start a run (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:02:01
        
        I’m breaking the habit of a lifetime and not going or watching (NCFC) - APB, Nov 24, 10:08:41
        
        and the most desperate thing is.... (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 10:13:56
        
        We haven't won since August! (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 10:15:11
        
        we will shit them (n/m) (NCFC) - Jumbo1, Nov 24, 10:27:02
        
        VMT (n/m) (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 10:27:47
    - If we lose then that’s it (n/m) (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 09:15:40
      - Yes, I think so. Not just because of the points difference, but if we can't beat oxford... (NCFC) - SimonOTBC, Nov 24, 09:16:19
        
        well, yes, there is that! (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:17:57
        
        The red flag was the lack of effort and intensity (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 09:21:19
        
        well ... you should be dropped (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:26:51
        
        Stacey, Sarge, Kenny (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 09:36:40
    - it's pretty close to that, I agree! (n/m) (NCFC) - paulg, Nov 24, 09:15:00
- Bit unfair on the fans that (NCFC) - jamesward, Nov 24, 08:30:03

Reply to Message

In order to add a post to the WotB Message Board you must be a registered WotB user.

If you are not yet registered then please visit the registration page. You should ensure that their browser is setup to accept cookies.