[QUOTE=Penarth Blues;4674139]Thanks for writing this - I was just about to make the same post. That elusive bubble of confidence and belief has well and truly burst for the players. They were abject against a poor Leeds side and we NEVER looked like imposing any form of order on the game. The epitome of this for me is Ralls who looked slow and terrified all afternoon. No idea what they've said to him but he looks a shadow of the player he was last year. I was hoping he'd step up this year but he's stepped off by the look of it...

I'm now genuinely concerned for our season as I don't see where we go from here. The positives from the game today that I saw were:

1. Amos looks like he has something solid and reassuring about him - good to see him bollocking his players when they let Leeds through

2. Kadeem still has that desire and ability to get forward - though why he was then placed at right back when Connolly came off was beyond me

3. Lambert has a great touch and pass, and is really good at holding the ball up. Not that it matters if there is no-one in support

4. Gunnarsson really put a shift in. However his inability to keep a move going once he's won the ball is his Achilles heel. One early pass to Noone when we had them in trouble was so poor it didn't warrant the label of being shit.


So this season is now a Relegation fight already - and one I can't see us winning based on these first games. Still, every club wants to win and someone has to miss out. I don't see how to change this without changing the coach and settling on a first team squad that can actually play football.

For me the only players who should automatically be in the team at this point are:

Amos
Peltier
Connolly
Whitts (if only to ensure we have someone who can pass the ball to another player on our team)

Everyone else has yet to earn the right to play[/QUOT

I can't understand the huge lack of confidence, it's like the whole squad has been struck down with it, and it doesn't look like there is any way back at the moment, there's not a hint of self belief on that pitch. We don't have bad players, none of them are great, but the majority are decent operators at this level, and mid-table shouldn't be an issue. I've never seen anything like it, a group of half decent players with no stomach. Forget formations, the lack of belief is worrying.