Semi Final Match Thread

[Tombwfc]

Still feeling numb from yesterday.
At 4 o clock yesterday, I felt like everything was going to go our way. Watching Davo walk out with the pride he did and our crowd were buzzing with excitement. The stadium was strange got to say. Never been to either Wembley and felt detached and further away all game.
Davo was ineffective, Elmo is not a centre mid (and without europe I suspect no longer a wanderer) and our defense was non existent. The first two goals were defensive slip ups and after that it was all too easy for them.
Fair plays to every one who stayed to the 90th and clapped off the boys (which I did) and especially well done to the lads who stood up and supported the lads for all 90, after the 5th goal I couldn't force myself to sing anymore.
If you'd have offered me a top ten and an fa cup semi I'd hav snatched your hands off in august. Still proud of getting so far no matter what happened
Good luck to stoke in he final, hope they win it now

What if they'd added 'You'll get dicked by Stoke and pay hundreds to see the worst ever performance in an FA Cup game at Wembley'?

I'd have taken being put out quietly by Fulham.

[LiOC]

Still feeling numb from yesterday.
At 4 o clock yesterday, I felt like everything was going to go our way. Watching Davo walk out with the pride he did and our crowd were buzzing with excitement. The stadium was strange got to say. Never been to either Wembley and felt detached and further away all game.
Davo was ineffective, Elmo is not a centre mid (and without europe I suspect no longer a wanderer) and our defense was non existent. The first two goals were defensive slip ups and after that it was all too easy for them.
Fair plays to every one who stayed to the 90th and clapped off the boys (which I did) and especially well done to the lads who stood up and supported the lads for all 90, after the 5th goal I couldn't force myself to sing anymore.
If you'd have offered me a top ten and an fa cup semi I'd hav snatched your hands off in august. Still proud of getting so far no matter what happened
Good luck to stoke in he final, hope they win it now

What if they'd added 'You'll get dicked by Stoke and pay hundreds to see the worst ever performance in an FA Cup game at Wembley'?

I'd have taken being put out quietly by Fulham.

Ok, paying hundred quid (ish) is ridiculous and I think yesterday is why semis are not for Wembley, nothing worse than that coach journey home after that rather than old trafford/ villa park.

However, yes still would have taken it. The feeling for Bolton by the town in the past few weeks has been amazing. Yes it'll crash back down to earth now but Birmingham and the build up were great feelings.

Yes, today I'd rather be feeling like a stokie will be but it's been a great season still. Let's not let it fade away now

[BWFC_Insane]

Its been a decent season so far. But if we lose 4 of the next 6 and finish bottom half or thereabouts and add that to the absolute humiliation at Wembley it certainly won't be one we look back on with any fondness.

Even escaping relegation gives you some elation at the end. This season could end up being the most dismal end we've had yet.

Lets hope not.

[Raven]

HAd a shite day today at work as im sure everyone has. People have tried to not speak to me but even people wanting to show sympathy I have held in contempt. I've been such a grumpy bastard,

Losing is fine. Losing 5-0 to a team below us in the league having just wilted and died without so much as a whimper...absolutely disgraceful.

There are players there who have tarnished careers with BWFC. People like Kevin Davies, Jussi. I'm not sure if I can ever forgive them. When I see that list of all time appearances and Jussi will be on it (hopefully nowhere near hopkinsons record - should be dropped for good now) I'm sure I will come back to this day where he played like an absolute soppy tw*t.

I read what I wrote on p13 and yeah normally I cringe a bit at post match + beers knee jerk bollocks after football has ruined my day out...I was fecking right. To the word. I would still transfer list every single one of those bastards. Would you want any of them in the trenches with you? Would you bollocks. They would probably sit there on twitter "Lolling" whilst we all got killed!! I know I'm wrong, I know Coyle will sort this out, but I've had the season absolutely f*cking ruined and I'm going to rant about it!

Yeah I know I will get some shit for that but thats what it feels like...enjoyed some cracking games this year, yet what will I remember? complete capitulation.

I see Kevins apologised. Looks like it really hurt him. And yet I dont care how he feels...well I do...I want him to hurt, I want the money grabbing mercenaries to feel an inch of my pain. To a man (well mouse) they all wilted. We deserve better. They should be fined, as a group what everyones tickets cost and donate it to charity...or even better our transfer kitty to replace them next year.

Horrible match. Has certainly put me off next week; I was already double booked...not any more. At the moment I can well see myself avoiding the football again until next season...and I hope we change some personnel...all this time devoted to looking on here, going to the game, getting worked up about going to Wembley etc etc absolutely ruined. I hold the players in complete contempt and totally responsible. Yes Coyle got his team wrong, but he didn't tell those wankers to go out there and not try did he.

Epic rant but glad its out of my system. Couldn't give a flying f*ck how the season finishes now. Means nothing.

Could not have put it better myself and still feel the same

[Raven]

I wonder if this ranting works.....so I will have a go

New Wembley – Expected so so much more especially after what was spent on it, it was just a glass/concrete oval, no character and no charm at all, the arch is pointless and looks shoddy and tacky – not a touch on the old twin towers. Place still stank of pee and looked like the cleaners had had the day off. They seem to have employed the same unhelpful disinterested staff. We all know about the cost of food etc but that was still taking the pee plus seeing at half time some of the food places running out is just daft! However the seats and view were excellent providing people sat down - as they didn’t it was just like any other old ground where you keep bobbing and weaving to see whats going on…………ok if you are a six footer. The stewards were about as much use as a chocolate tea guard as they did nothing about the standing even when someone asked them too – surely standing in a ground with seats is far more dangerous than the old terraces?. With all the emphasis on security when purchasing tickets just how did some Stoke fans end up in our end? The statue to Bobby Moore also looks tacky and if it was an after thought really.

When you compare Wembley to the Millennium Ground especially with the building costs then the Millennium wins hands down, plus Cardiff is a nicer place than that London.

As for the game not really much I can add to whats already been said, we were pathetic and some of our players a total disgrace and if I had my way would never wear the famous white shirt again – if I was our chairman I would make them refund all the fans for putting them through that. Not even sure what happened in the last 30 mins as I was so mad that after going for a quick pee I decided enough was enough and went home, I have never left a ground early in 30 odd years of going to football and seen some dire matches but have never felt so angry and disappointed at the lack of effort and commitment, can handle being beaten even stuffed but not when some players do absolutely nothing, Even though two of the worst culprits had gone in the second half this did nothing to calm me down.

Would I go again…not sure, not sure I can justify spending that amount of money any more on one game, would rather spend it on 2 or 3 of the cheaper league games that are not held in that dump in North London, definitely would not go (even to league games) if Petrov and Klasnic are playing!

As you can probably tell still not a happy bunny, would certainly recommend if you suffer from depression (the real thing not that thing some so called celebs get and are cured after a few days in a clinic) and are going through a bad patch then steer well clear of football

[Lord Kangana]

Worse than a relegation season?

Piss off, what bollox.

[BWFC_Insane]

Worse than a relegation season?

Piss off, what bollox.

Read again.

[Lord Kangana]

I have. You are claiming more excitement in a relegation dogfight.

People like you deserve Megson.

[BWFC_Insane]

I have. You are claiming more excitement in a relegation dogfight.
People like you deserve Megson.

Than getting dicked 5-0 at Wembley and having 6 league games with very little actual achievement to strive for?

Of course there is.

My point was survive relegation and you end the season on a high.

The end to this season could well be quite dismal. As I said lets hope not. That doesn't mean I'd want us to be a in scrap at the bottom. That really is quite a different statement.

[LiOC]

Its been a decent season so far. But if we lose 4 of the next 6 and finish bottom half or thereabouts and add that to the absolute humiliation at Wembley it certainly won't be one we look back on with any fondness.

Even escaping relegation gives you some elation at the end. This season could end up being the most dismal end we've had yet.

Lets hope not.

I do sort of agree but I think this season is going to be remembered for more than our league position. It's been an exciting season in that I genuinely have felt like we could beat anyone, and games have been fun again, no let's hope for a draw nonsense.

Equally I don't want to see us fade away now. This is where owen has to earn his money, if he can motivate the squad after that, Which is meat to be what he's good at, then we can still finish strong.

[Lord Kangana]

2 wins and one draw means Newcastle would have to find 4 wins to the end of the season.

You're right we could fade, and you're right Owen needs to earn his money, but he's already earnt his money getting us in a position that we haven't been in since 2006-07, and the aspiration of matching those top 8 finishes.

Whats at stake now is a fifth top-8 finish in 8 seasons. Even to be competing for that is a massive achievement for our club. F*ck relegation dogfights, I know which I prefer.

[LiOC]

You're right we could fade, and you're right Owen needs to earn his money, but he's already earnt his money getting us in a position that we haven't been in since 2006-07, and the aspiration of matching those top 8 finishes.

Whats at stake now is a fifth top-8 finish in 8 seasons. Even to be competing for that is a massive achievement for our club. F*ck relegation dogfights, I know which I prefer.

exactly, what I meant was that this is the sort of situation that Owen should be able to fix, that's what he's meant to be good at, bringing confidence, which is what we've been driving on all season.
Top eight still an achievement, and we should get behind the lads.
On the plus side with that weekend I booked off, just in case, I can now o to the blackpool away game

[BWFC_Insane]

You're right we could fade, and you're right Owen needs to earn his money, but he's already earnt his money getting us in a position that we haven't been in since 2006-07, and the aspiration of matching those top 8 finishes.

Whats at stake now is a fifth top-8 finish in 8 seasons. Even to be competing for that is a massive achievement for our club. F*ck relegation dogfights, I know which I prefer.

exactly, what I meant was that this is the sort of situation that Owen should be able to fix, that's what he's meant to be good at, bringing confidence, which is what we've been driving on all season.
Top eight still an achievement, and we should get behind the lads.
On the plus side with that weekend I booked off, just in case, I can now o to the blackpool away game

Which is fine, but seasons are about more than "where you finish". We still have a fair bit to do to achieve a top 8 position anyways but assuming we do....

Had we lost to Wigan or Fulham away in the FA cup early doors and finished 8th everyone would be happy. But you can't take away the context of the cup run, the money fans spent and the way we went out on the big occassion.

That will taint the league position no matter what you or anyone else would like to claim. Rationally if we finish 8th it will be a good season. But it won't feel like one to the vast majority of supporters. At the end of the day seasons are often defined in the memory by their ending.

Which is why qualifying for Europe for the first time, or escaping the drop at West Ham's expense bring back fantastic memories for me. The ending this year is at best going to be about the players and management making amends for the worst display I've probably ever seen from the Wanderers. At worst its going to be heads down nowt to see here time.

Either way whatever the rational evaluation for the season may be that won't stop many not having very fond memories of it. As I've said all along under Allardyce we hit the glass ceiling and its been hard work ever since. Coyle has reunited the fans and the team but I worry a lot of that work was undone at Wembley. But in terms of pushing for new exciting things Sunday was our last chance, this year at least.

[Lord Kangana]

By vast majority I take it you mean yourself, or have you conducted a straw poll?

[BWFC_Insane]

By vast majority I take it you mean yourself, or have you conducted a straw poll?

Obviously by vast majority I'm talking about the 5000 who'd be returning as soon as Megson left.

[Lord Kangana]

So no then.

[BWFC_Insane]

So no then.

Ok everythings great, nobody is fed up everyone is really buzzing for the last 6 games of the season and there won't be any fans who have little enthusiasm for the last 6 games.

Quick look round the various forums tells me you're right. The excitement and buzz is really palpable! Thanks for correcting me.

[Lord Kangana]

A quick look around the forums suggests only you and me are posting on here, and a fair few on Wanderersways are getting over it and getting on with it.

ANd the 5000 figure is about 3000 out as a direct comparison between West Ham at home this season and last.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We asked for safety from relegation. Check.
We asked for a "decent cup run". Check.
We even longed jokingly for "mid-table having nothing to play for". Check.

Let's be clear, Sunday was one of the weirdest and worst Wanderers days on record. But to say the entire season is tarnished, that we'll look back badly upon it, is frankly preposterous. I know it's therapeutic to throw things against the wall but really, it's a short-sighted over-reaction to say that history will judge this a traumatic season. Do we remember 1993/94 solely for Mark Patterson's backpass to Darren Beckford and the subsequent 13 points from the last 13 games - relegation form – that saw us drop from 11th to 14th? Or do we remember a growing belief that we can operate at a higher level playing attractive football and making a name for ourselves across the land?

I know Stoke was worse than Oldham. I know people are hurting. But I strongly suggest perspectives are currently warped. This is football: you pick yourself up, you carry on, starting with the next game against a wobbling Arsenal. Even my nine-year-olds, attending their first ever BWFC game, know better: "There's always next year, dad".

[BWFC_Insane]

We asked for safety from relegation. Check.
We asked for a "decent cup run". Check.
We even longed jokingly for "mid-table having nothing to play for". Check.

Let's be clear, Sunday was one of the weirdest and worst Wanderers days on record. But to say the entire season is tarnished, that we'll look back badly upon it, is frankly preposterous. I know it's therapeutic to throw things against the wall but really, it's a short-sighted over-reaction to say that history will judge this a traumatic season. Do we remember 1993/94 solely for Mark Patterson's backpass to Darren Beckford and the subsequent 13 points from the last 13 games - relegation form – that saw us drop from 11th to 14th? Or do we remember a growing belief that we can operate at a higher level playing attractive football and making a name for ourselves across the land?

I know Stoke was worse than Oldham. I know people are hurting. But I strongly suggest perspectives are currently warped. This is football: you pick yourself up, you carry on, starting with the next game against a wobbling Arsenal. Even my nine-year-olds, attending their first ever BWFC game, know better: "There's always next year, dad".

Errr yes actually!

I get the rational argument of its been a good season because we're safe and will end up somewhere in mid table. My brain accepts that. My heart can't.

And I still think in 10 years nobody looks back and says well we finished midtable that season, they'll look back and remember Wemberlee and the horrible feeling after.