Our abysmall start to the season has been blamed in many quarter’s on the horrendous series of fixtures landed upon us by the totaly random computer ( my arse ) at premier HQ.
Have we now turned a corner ? well even shearer acknowledge that our fixtures were to say the least " tough" and that our next set should be on a par with where we are at . And thats it isnt it “where we are at”.
Over the next two months we will certainly see where we really are under our gary and yesterdays result has done little to change my view that our management team are well below par for the premiership battle.
It would seem that brighton are no superstars despite their lofty league position but are simply more consistent than us and have had a much easier fixture list as have most.
So it will be extremely interesting to see whether we can now make true progress or whether all yesterdays bit of luck achieved was to paper over the cracks of a shambles of a start.
Very apt analogy,there’s just something I can’t put my finger on ,we have got good players,but you watch other teams and think why can’t we do that, can’t begin to think of the turmoil caused by getting 2 goals and conceding none by reverting to a back 4
Think Doyle needs an extended run and I still prefer Jose to Johnson
I think the finish at Brighton was a minor miracle given that they were ready to
Go 3-1 then passed to Doyle!
Then Cunha got a deflection
Yes we have had some tough luck but we have never looked good enough for 90+ minutes in any game
I watched the Classico last night
Folk rave about Madrid and Barca but much of the play I saw was no better than the fare at Brighton
Some insane defending by both teams in Madrid.
What’s our issue? Yes we have quality players. We also don’t play brave enough football.
Sorry but I think its expecting too much of Lemina and taking him off was a big decision … that worked for Gary.
I was at last season’s finale when Palace ran rings around us so I’m not confident about next weekend …. Beat them and we are surely on our way back
Some interesting inciteful thoughts above.
I agree that the point against Brighton really proves very little either way given the freakish way it was achieved. Aside from the fact that the team really do have Gary’s back and any thoughts he’d lost the dressing room have been totally disproved.
The ‘unfortunate’ hand we were dealt with the fixture list, I feel, has had a massive impact on our start to the season. The two points we have gleaned, away at Forest and Brighton, are, when you look at the table, excellent results and the only real shitshow was Brentford.
Upcoming fixtures are now much kinder but the pressure is on and that’s never good. I’m heading up for Palace but fear they are nowhere near as bad as their league position would indicate so a tough afternoon is in prospect. Three points would go a long way towards lifting the gloom around the club and I forsee midtable by Christmas.
How’s that for positivity?
I wish I’d contacted you now mate. The PMDG’er and I can’t make it next week because we’re going away for our 25th wedding anniversary and I was going to leave our tickets at Dougie and Barbara’s. I assumed as it is going to be on telly you’d be watching it from your local. Never mind. Enjoy the match.
Spikey asks a good question. Turning point ? The next 8 games will give an answer to it. I would like to see 5 wins out of that lot. So a return of 17 points from 17 games puts us probably outside of the bottom 3. Interesting in the early days of J-Lo we were on 10 points from 16 games and a win at Everton on Boxing Day put us on 13 from 17. And we still survived. But we need wins. And we need them quickly.
Yeah DG. You’re right of course. I don’t usually make the trip if it’s on the telebox but I bought the ticket before it was announced as a telebox game.
No matter. I’ve got a great seat and I always enjoy a floodlit match.
Hopefully catch you both for Southampton.
And errr…happy anniversary.
Cheers Franski! We’re getting away to sunny Somerset for a few days to rent an old railway cottage that sits next to the West Somerset railway track. Not quite Paris but it’ll do us!
12 points minimum from the next 8 games. I don’t think they’ve played terribly - been competitive in most matches (putting aside Chelsea and Brentford) … but GO’N needs to revert to a back three and hire at least two more defenders to cover the back half of the season.
