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Xhaka not happy with the early leavers


Chewit said:
Earlier in the season we played deeper, more entrenched with the same siege mentality that got us promoted …. But now for some reason we expect them to play like Man City.

It looks like fans expectations. I am turning up to matches expecting us to roar them on regardless, but it appears most of us have got bored or deluded as to our true place.

Look at these possession stats at home this season
West Ham 37% ,
Brentford 54%
Villa 29%
wolves 41%
Everton 61%
Arsenal 35 m%
Bournemouth 43%
Mags 46%.
Leeds 43% ,
Man City 32% ,

That’s right during our purple patch we had more than 50% at home only twice. Strikes me we were pretty enthused back then playing West Ham with 37%.

Yes the team is not playing as well, but it’s indisputable that we are not supporting as well either.

It’s time the team and the fans regained its secret weapon. A never say die approach both on and off the pitch
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That's the top and bottom of it all, the whole situation. It's boring to watch week in week out for the best part of 3 month. It's tough to keep your spirits up watching that.
 
I normally stay to the end and wait the twenty minutes for the East Stand to finally empty.

Yesterday I just thought we were garbage and left on 85 mins.

We were that bad I didn’t even watch the last few minutes of normal time on the concourse. I walked straight out.
 
I noticed that MOTD showed the ref blowing the final whistle which seemed fairly pointless footage. About half empty. Or half full. I was there, but it doesn't look good.
 
John Byrne 92Crew said:
True, if that's what being a fan is about though, the likes of Crawley or Blackpool wouldn't get anyone through the gates. I can fully understand fans leaving early if we have been hammered, it's freezing and there's 8 mins injury time but not when there's one goal in it after the season we have had. It's consistent as well, not just yesterday, if someone goes week after week but always leaves early then that's pretty shit, I'd rather have an empty seat for the full 90. We have had better atmospheres with 28k in League One than we did yesterday. (Not on about people who need to leave early for work/family events etc)

I think football fans as a whole, us included, have become more reactive than proactive. We respond well when something good happens but are fairly neutral otherwise.
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So what was the deal during the playoffs, and in the first half of this season where on almost every game we were under the cosh, had low possession and barely any chances.

I will tell you what, the fans attitude to playing in the Premiership.

We have become deluded and entitled within 30 games.

We are odds on for relegation next season if the Stadium of Light is like that next season. Talk about how the players play all you like if they don’t have confidence and energy to play at the levels they have, when they get the support we are toast.

Every commentator in UK has talked about the SOL having the best atmosphere this season about it being our secret weapon, about how difficult it is for the opposition to play in.

What about all of this do people not understand?
 
Burns said:
He's right. It's pathetic. Where are you going on a Saturday afternoon that means you have to leave 15 minutes before the end of the game?

Best fans in the land my a***. Til The End (unless we're losing)
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I was told after the mid-week 3-0 win against Burnley that it was because of kids at school, work the next day etc. No different on Saturdays. The next mid-week game, the same will be said again.
 
Alfa said:
What those stats don’t reveal is the lack of intensity which was my point. I don’t need stats to tell me what I can clearly see with my own eyes.
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Explain? Its easy to press players when you are in a mid to low block the whole game, conserve energy and break at pace.

I think lately he’s trying to play a bit more expansive. We just aren’t very good at it yet and clearly don’t have the right attacking players.
Our defenders are some of the best in the prem. our attacking front 3 what ever combination is one of the worst
 
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