Whats Happening?

So, whats happened?

Most of our players have been subject to the ?black dog? at one time or another over the last year or so. Just look at the ?evidence??

Robert Green-loss of confidence. Seems palpable. Is this the same goalie who played in the play off final (remember THAT save? One of the best I have ever seen and remains so), and looked so solid in the promotion season? From day 1 in the Prem he looked edgy, nervous, prone to errors and lack of concentration, he seemed reluctant to boss the defence ?maybe he had grown accustomed to Malky doing it for him?-and, even now, he seems as if he is distracted, he doesn?t have the presence, the confidence. Whats up Greeno?

Adam Drury-hell, where do I start? When he started playing for us, he looked a dream signing and I was certain he?d go onto bigger and better things. Fast, aware, good in the tackle, passed the ball well, got forward-I remember Worthington saying his only fault was he didn?t get enough goals, well, I?d take that Adam Drury back again now in an instant, goals or no goals. Another whose confidence seems to have gone, so often, he?d try to make things happen, now he seems afraid to do very much other than get rid of the ball, sometimes he gets it and you think it must be on fire, so nervous and edgy he is when in possession. And he doesn?t go looking for it the way he used to, and where have those forward runs gone? Add to this the fact he is a really likeable and nice bloke, its such a shame. Whats up Adam?

Darren Huckerby-I don?t know, is it his twin brother turning out for us now? When he came, he was torture, torture to opposition defences that is. Looking back at his last game when he was on loan (Cardiff??) he looked completely and utterly unplayable, rather than thinking we?d sign him, I thought we?d done him and Man City a favour, and he?d get a move to another Prem club. Now he is often torture to watch-ANOTHER one whose shoulders and head have dropped, its like taking a stud dog to the vets to be ?done?, we had the ?before?, now we have the ?after?-Hucks was fast, exciting, he wound opposition defences up, scored goals, created chances galore and was THE player in the division, when we got promoted, Alan Hansen said he ?couldn?t wait to see Darren Huckerby playing again?. He?s a shadow of the player he was, again, its as if a season back in the Prem destroyed him, people are now questioning his place in the team, and where that place should be-in attack, on the left, super sub, SUPER SUB, come on! Whats up Hucks?

Paul McVeigh-Same again. Season of the play offs, people were talking about him, R5 Live gave him some rave reviews, Tottenham were, at one point, supposed to be interested in getting him back. Scored goals for fun, tap ins, long range (Coventry away anyone?) and overhead kicks, a constant threat. Then, well, as above, something seemed to kick in and drain not only his confidence, but his character. ANOTHER player whose spark seems to have gone out? Whats up Pocket?

What has happened to these players to suddenly make them so ineffective compared to how they were a couple of years ago? Has their motivation gone? Their commitment? Their confidence? A mix of all three? They could ?and should- be head and shoulders above most players in their positions in this division, but they just don?t seem to have that special something that marked them out so clearly when we went up. It just doesn?t add up, players such as these are quality enough to surely be able to play at the same high standard, season in, season out. They?re not bad players all of a sudden. So what is it?

Or am I seeing things that aren't there, did we over achieve?

Posted By: Martin Peters, Feb 9, 16:06:51