"Excellent" defenders found wanting again as McCarthy's men race towards the bottom.

[gabbsthenewt]

Good read Bob! I would rate the 3-0 cup loss to Northampton last September as being in the same category of the routings you mention - that day we had a pretty much full side team out against newly promoted (and then relegated) L1 opposition who absolutely played us off the park as if they were top of the Premiership - much the same time albeit in the cup - the signs of our defense being no match for league one defenders, and our lack of any sort of creativity up top was evident pretty much the same time last year and still haven't been addressed. We had lost Mendez Laing, eventually stopped using Hoilett, Murphy was just as hot and cold as ever, we'd brought in Ojo and Wilson and we still felt short for most people's liking. Now Mendez Laing, Hoilett, Murphy, Ojo and Wilson - less, we are stuck with the same dross in the middle of the park from the usual suspects and with some promising youngsters fighting to adapt and learn. I love seeing real promising looking youngsters being blooded into the team more but it really should say it all when a team is having to make regulars of 3 or 4 of them. It's a low point like many low points, and we must hope things are addressed and get on with our day for now trying to not get too wound up by CCFC!

[the other bob wilson]

Good read Bob! I would rate the 3-0 cup loss to Northampton last September as being in the same category of the routings you mention - that day we had a pretty much full side team out against newly promoted (and then relegated) L1 opposition who absolutely played us off the park as if they were top of the Premiership - much the same time albeit in the cup - the signs of our defense being no match for league one defenders, and our lack of any sort of creativity up top was evident pretty much the same time last year and still haven't been addressed. We had lost Mendez Laing, eventually stopped using Hoilett, Murphy was just as hot and cold as ever, we'd brought in Ojo and Wilson and we still felt short for most people's liking. Now Mendez Laing, Hoilett, Murphy, Ojo and Wilson - less, we are stuck with the same dross in the middle of the park from the usual suspects and with some promising youngsters fighting to adapt and learn. I love seeing real promising looking youngsters being blooded into the team more but it really should say it all when a team is having to make regulars of 3 or 4 of them. It's a low point like many low points, and we must hope things are addressed and get on with our day for now trying to not get too wound up by CCFC!

Northampton would be the one I’d select out of all of the early round cup exits to lower league teams we’ve suffered in the last fifteen years or so as the worst, so I know what you mean to some extent, but it still was a cup game and, clearly they figure a lot lower than league matches on any list of club priorities.

This summer, the attacking midfield/winger section of the squad has been decimated, while the central defenders and four central midfielders who, collectively, have restricted the number of styles we can play in to one in these last two and a bit seasons remain in place. Apart from Wilson (who I’m certain would have chosen Fulham over us even if we had been able to match their offer), I wasn’t too bothered to see any of others you mentioned go, but they were all capable of making an impact at this level and to expect Giles and Colwill to match or improve on what the lot of them would do over the course of.a season is asking an awful lot.