The turning point

I know for many the turning point this season was the Chelsea home game and I can very much see that but for me the turning point this season came a bit earlier.

I remember coming home from the away win in Southampton after we had just won two in a row and were something like 15th or 16th and thinking that at long last we were beginning to look like a team that had worked out how to get positive results against those teams outside the top 6 and with home games to come against Watford and Everton I was quietly confident that we could pick up at least three or four points from those two games.

Then came a two week break without a game because of the FA Cup. The manager said that it had been planned to go away for warm weather training but he then said that he was giving the players time off "to be with their families" and some time to reflect following the emotions of the Sala situation.

Pictures then emerged of some of the players on holiday together during that time off - not quite the warm weather training that was intended I suppose but showed the unity amongst the players if nothing else!

Arriving for the Watford game and seeing that the winning team had been changed to accommodate Morrison was a big worry. Not only did it seem as if he had been rushed back too soon but the back four that had been so impressive against Bournemouth and Southampton was broken up with the added consequence of putting Bruno at full back again where he had struggled all season.

For me it was definitely that break coming at the wrong time and disrupting the momentum that we were building for the first and only time during the season that was ultimately the turning point. The next three games (Watford, Everton and Wolves) where we got no points at all ultimately gave us too big a mountain to climb.

Such a shame because before then I had really thought that we had a decent chance of survival.

I know for many the turning point this season was the Chelsea home game and I can very much see that but for me the turning point this season came a bit earlier.

I remember coming home from the away win in Southampton after we had just won two in a row and were something like 15th or 16th and thinking that at long last we were beginning to look like a team that had worked out how to get positive results against those teams outside the top 6 and with home games to come against Watford and Everton I was quietly confident that we could pick up at least three or four points from those two games.

Then came a two week break without a game because of the FA Cup. The manager said that it had been planned to go away for warm weather training but he then said that he was giving the players time off "to be with their families" and some time to reflect following the emotions of the Sala situation.

Pictures then emerged of some of the players on holiday together during that time off - not quite the warm weather training that was intended I suppose but showed the unity amongst the players if nothing else!

Arriving for the Watford game and seeing that the winning team had been changed to accommodate Morrison was a big worry. Not only did it seem as if he had been rushed back too soon but the back four that had been so impressive against Bournemouth and Southampton was broken up with the added consequence of putting Bruno at full back again where he had struggled all season.

For me it was definitely that break coming at the wrong time and disrupting the momentum that we were building for the first and only time during the season that was ultimately the turning point. The next three games (Watford, Everton and Wolves) where we got no points at all ultimately gave us too big a mountain to climb.

Such a shame because before then I had really thought that we had a decent chance of survival.

Break didn't help but the crucial part was accommodating Morrison which upset the stability of defence which only returned when BAMBA was injured and we reverted to a more balanced back 4? Must say thats one of nw faults he keeps playing players even when its not in teams interests (favourites)

I know for many the turning point this season was the Chelsea home game and I can very much see that but for me the turning point this season came a bit earlier.

I remember coming home from the away win in Southampton after we had just won two in a row and were something like 15th or 16th and thinking that at long last we were beginning to look like a team that had worked out how to get positive results against those teams outside the top 6 and with home games to come against Watford and Everton I was quietly confident that we could pick up at least three or four points from those two games.

Then came a two week break without a game because of the FA Cup. The manager said that it had been planned to go away for warm weather training but he then said that he was giving the players time off "to be with their families" and some time to reflect following the emotions of the Sala situation.

Pictures then emerged of some of the players on holiday together during that time off - not quite the warm weather training that was intended I suppose but showed the unity amongst the players if nothing else!

Arriving for the Watford game and seeing that the winning team had been changed to accommodate Morrison was a big worry. Not only did it seem as if he had been rushed back too soon but the back four that had been so impressive against Bournemouth and Southampton was broken up with the added consequence of putting Bruno at full back again where he had struggled all season.

For me it was definitely that break coming at the wrong time and disrupting the momentum that we were building for the first and only time during the season that was ultimately the turning point. The next three games (Watford, Everton and Wolves) where we got no points at all ultimately gave us too big a mountain to climb.

Such a shame because before then I had really thought that we had a decent chance of survival.

My line of thinking too,I am not a professional athlete,by any stretch of the imagination, but suffered a similar fate when I was a youngster compared to now a burst appendix,and was off school for eight weeks,and then no contact sport for another 4 weeks,I also said at the time NW rushed him back too soon,and in doing so made a big mistake imho.

I know for many the turning point this season was the Chelsea home game and I can very much see that but for me the turning point this season came a bit earlier.

I remember coming home from the away win in Southampton after we had just won two in a row and were something like 15th or 16th and thinking that at long last we were beginning to look like a team that had worked out how to get positive results against those teams outside the top 6 and with home games to come against Watford and Everton I was quietly confident that we could pick up at least three or four points from those two games.

Then came a two week break without a game because of the FA Cup. The manager said that it had been planned to go away for warm weather training but he then said that he was giving the players time off "to be with their families" and some time to reflect following the emotions of the Sala situation.

Pictures then emerged of some of the players on holiday together during that time off - not quite the warm weather training that was intended I suppose but showed the unity amongst the players if nothing else!

Arriving for the Watford game and seeing that the winning team had been changed to accommodate Morrison was a big worry. Not only did it seem as if he had been rushed back too soon but the back four that had been so impressive against Bournemouth and Southampton was broken up with the added consequence of putting Bruno at full back again where he had struggled all season.

For me it was definitely that break coming at the wrong time and disrupting the momentum that we were building for the first and only time during the season that was ultimately the turning point. The next three games (Watford, Everton and Wolves) where we got no points at all ultimately gave us too big a mountain to climb.

Such a shame because before then I had really thought that we had a decent chance of survival.

Break didn't help but the crucial part was accommodating Morrison which upset the stability of defence which only returned when BAMBA was injured and we reverted to a more balanced back 4? Must say thats one of nw faults he keeps playing players even when its not in teams interests (favourites)

Morrison was on the bench .. pelts fell ill so NW asked Moza to give it a go { you know this but it does not fit the agenda } ...we were battered by Watford and mozza was not our worse player..but eh oh if we lose its always someone plus Warnock to blame. never ever ever we were not good enough and do not have the quality and the other team were actually a better team..

We had a back 5 v Southampton.

Paterson and Bamba being injured was the turning point for me. Took away the ability to play wing backs away from home which had been a success.

Plus pelts had a bug v Watford (that most of the squad had).

Key Injuries during the run-in to Arter, and Ralls didn't help !!!

I think there were too many turning points.

We seemed like we had settled on a team, formation, good win, then there was kick in the teeth. Then we settled again, and another kick.

Our issue was we never put together a proper decent run. Just when it looked like we were about to we got stuffed, or lost by the odd fluke, or an international break.

I know for many the turning point this season was the Chelsea home game and I can very much see that but for me the turning point this season came a bit earlier.

I remember coming home from the away win in Southampton after we had just won two in a row and were something like 15th or 16th and thinking that at long last we were beginning to look like a team that had worked out how to get positive results against those teams outside the top 6 and with home games to come against Watford and Everton I was quietly confident that we could pick up at least three or four points from those two games.

Then came a two week break without a game because of the FA Cup. The manager said that it had been planned to go away for warm weather training but he then said that he was giving the players time off "to be with their families" and some time to reflect following the emotions of the Sala situation.

Pictures then emerged of some of the players on holiday together during that time off - not quite the warm weather training that was intended I suppose but showed the unity amongst the players if nothing else!

Arriving for the Watford game and seeing that the winning team had been changed to accommodate Morrison was a big worry. Not only did it seem as if he had been rushed back too soon but the back four that had been so impressive against Bournemouth and Southampton was broken up with the added consequence of putting Bruno at full back again where he had struggled all season.

For me it was definitely that break coming at the wrong time and disrupting the momentum that we were building for the first and only time during the season that was ultimately the turning point. The next three games (Watford, Everton and Wolves) where we got no points at all ultimately gave us too big a mountain to climb.

Such a shame because before then I had really thought that we had a decent chance of survival.

Break didn't help but the crucial part was accommodating Morrison which upset the stability of defence which only returned when BAMBA was injured and we reverted to a more balanced back 4? Must say thats one of nw faults he keeps playing players even when its not in teams interests (favourites)

Morrison was on the bench .. pelts fell ill so NW asked Moza to give it a go { you know this but it does not fit the agenda } ...we were battered by Watford and mozza was not our worse player..but eh oh if we lose its always someone plus Warnock to blame. never ever ever we were not good enough and do not have the quality and the other team were actually a better team..

Don't have an agenda it was my opinion thats all just like yours dont agree but then who cares

I think generally we were just not good or consistent enough throughout the season. I hoped from day one that we could finish above three teams, and still believed that was possible almost until the end. For me, as I said on here not long back, I lost hope of us avoiding relegation after the Chelsea match. I always believed that game was the final nail in our coffin, but we lost points that we should'nt have lost at various times during the season.

I know it's the season that counts and you can't pin you're season on individual games but I remember coming out of the Huddersfield home game and thinking that not winning the game was a huge blow, I was dissapointed on how we played that day, Huddersfield were there for the taking in my opinion, then we went and lost 3 nill away at Newcastle.

I'm proud of the players and the Manager and credit to them but still feel a sense of what if, we were just to cautious at times for me.