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Post by lutonloyal on May 3, 2022 9:31:04 GMT
Brilliant day on the boat (great to see Ironman & IKJP on Orange Boat one) then spoilt by the football (first 20 mins apart) This is now officially my worst ever Luton defeat (thankfully missed Brentford 7-0 in 2019 and was too young to travel to Lincoln in 1966 for our 8-1 defeat at Sincil Bank) I've seen in 55 + years of attending Hatters matches.
We are on our knees now and in all honesty I think it will be a bridge too far v Reading. BUT it is still in our hands and I personally DO want to see us in the Play Offs and at least getting a chance to reach the Greed is Good Premiership. Said this previously though, if we did get there although we'll gladly take the riches to help with finances toward our new ground - the social media meltdown when we lose most weeks and risk more routs like yesterday - will be unbearable!
Whatever happens it's still been a season beyond most of our pre season dreams and we will end up at the very worst 8th - the highest LTFC league table finish in 30 years since we were last in the top flight 1991-92.
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Post by lancshatter on May 3, 2022 9:40:06 GMT
Well said! We have a long way still to go to compete regularly with the richest clubs, but the progress made in the circumstances is absolutely phenomenal! Whatever happens next week and beyond we have the BEST club to support. So proud to be a Hatter.
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Post by proudhattersince74 on May 3, 2022 13:03:24 GMT
We lost at Fulham, so what? Most other Championship clubs also lose to Fulham.
We rarely do well at London clubs and to expect anything other than a defeat would have been unrealistic (bordering on fantasy) given their spending power, position in the league, lack of pressure on them (as they were already promoted) and our miserable, ever extending injury list.
Would I have been happier for us to fight like Trojans and then succumb to a 95th minute deflection rather than getting a tonking? Not at all - in fact I think it may have been a lot worse. GD was buggered as soon as we lost so 1-0 or 7-0 really isn't a factor in the big picture IMO.
There are some (very few, admittedly) positives to take:
1. Jordan Clark is still alive.
2. We got 1 point and only lost 1-8 on aggregate against Fulham ... compared to 0 points and 0-8 vs Brum.
3. We actually managed to finish with 11 players so nobody is suspended for the Reading game. My biggest fear, as the referee ran around the pitch with his yellow card already in his hand waiting for any Fulham players to fall over, roll around and for their no. 6 to windmill in his face, was that our already understaffed squad may lose one or two more.
4. Their GK had to make the first save of the game - first goals are so bloody important but we did wilt far too easily once Fulham breezed through us and scored their first goal.
5. No other team in this division has the variety of players and/or technicians that Fulham have - Reading certainly don't so a properly organised team with, please God, an operating midfield with legs to chase and harass, can, quite bizarrely, still get us over the line.
6. TBH, I've felt that we do have that type of performance in us since gaining promotion to the Championship. As proven at Brentford two seasons ago. We've got away with so much over the last couple of seasons (eg some poor results helped by other teams getting just as poor or worse results) that it has to catch up with us at some point: yesterday was one of those days where the opposition could have fallen into a muddy puddle and found a tenner ... everything they tried came off and everything that came off proceeded to hurt us. We have been just as poor on a few other occasions but have managed to bounce back almost immediately afterwards - we can but hope!
7. I was wearing my lucky socks so conceding seven compared to what it could have been was fairly reasonable.
8. We were poor as a collective but I am particularly concerned that our left flank looks to have thrown out a welcome mat to the opposition. Hopefully Clark can feature vs Reading and stiffen up the defending down that side. Bell certainly looks like he needs as much help as he can muster. We must stop the supply of crosses, especially now that Lucas Joao is back in the Reading forward line.
We went, we saw, we lost, we left, we prepare.
COYH
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Post by bms on May 3, 2022 13:08:34 GMT
I was as disappointed as any Town fan at yesterday's performance and result but I think the context and timing of this game played a big part in the outcome. Fulham needed a performance in order to become Champions after a post promotion lull. They were at their best yesterday. Conversely, in addition to having to field a weakened side due to injuries, we then suffered the double blow of losing Campbell and Fred. The despondency at conceding the second goal plus the accumulation of 4? yellows in the first half made for an impossible second half - i suspect Nathan advised the players not to risk iffy challenges and tackles for the obvious. I think the injury to Shea has had a bigger impact than we might imagine. I thought Ingram did ok but inevitably, our defensive game suffered as a result of Shea's absence in a game where we faced the most potent threat. Our players aslo knew that this wasnt their last chance to seal a play off place whereas for Fulham, this was the last chance to seal winning the league in front of their fans. Before the game I did wonder if Nathan would field the weakest legitimate side to 'throw' the match in order to gain a week's recovery for a couple of players. Think he was right not to have done that but the result suggests that the outcome would have been no worse. I saw a post match comment stating that Fulham's squad cost £233million, ours £3.4million. Similarly, we are still waiting for construction of our (relatively humble) new stadium to begin. Here's what Fulham have already done www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/what-happening-fulhams-new-riverside-23149519With regard to next Saturday, there will be no shortage of desire from the players available or the entire staff team and Board to secure a Play Off place. That in itself will be the most remarkable of achievements. An unlikely promotion (due to the extent of the injuries we face) can only bring postitve benefits - it would seal the construction and running of Power Court, enable us to invest in youth development and improved training/medical facilities and some players plus give the club an enormous boost both on and off the field. It's always about the next game but especially so next week. Onwards and Upwards COYH!!
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