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He lost the best attacking players last season, Philogene and Kaba, then had injuries to this season's best O'Dowda and Ramsey, he had to adapt the team, Colwill is coming on slowly but wasn't ready.Originally Posted by Pedro de la Rosa
Is that right Eric? I don't know where to check that easily (I need a spreadsheet!) but my impression was that we were comfortably in the top half for most of the season and only slipped into the bottom half a month or so ago before the recent good run.
Correct, and we have only conceded one goal in the last four games and won the last three, there is more than one way to skin a cat!
It doesn't matter how you score, just score and don't concede and you win!
Don't want to come over all lugubrious (to use Rich Munn's word) again, but if we really are in the top ten on merit, then this season's Championship is nowhere near as good as many would have us believe - taken as a whole, I'd say our displays so far this season merit a position of around fourteenth to eighteenth.We are a decent top-half team, who were unlucky to lose two of our best players for most of the season, we are weak at left back and Strikers but have improved with just a few new players in a tough January window. We have a solid base for Bulut to build from next season.
A couple of posters predicting finishing 20th and below finishes are not going to be happy when we are solid in games picking up valuable points and moving up to tenth in the table
I'd been a little mistaken, probably due to the fact we've spend such a long time in the lower reaches of the form table.
We've spent 14 games in the bottom half, 22 in the top half. 10 of those weeks in the top half have been placed at 10-12. We've been in the playoffs twice. That's all according to Wikipedia.
We spent between games 7 and 24 in the top half, mainly due to our good start. Of course, we could have had a dreadful first few months, been invincible since new year, been in exactly the same position as we are in now and then have been a bottom half team.
Indeed. Why don't more sides copy our brand of football? It's madness trying to play some attractive, attacking play, when all you need to do is force set pieces and get your head on them.
Wasn't there a period for a while where we only scored headers a few years back - maybe it's a club rule that we can only score one way at any given time ??
Do people really think the championship is better this year or is it we have three quality sides for championship level in Leicester Leeds and Southampton and one wild card in Ipswich - that would be my view and I still think the first three in that list will struggle massively in the premiership just as last year's promoted sides have
In the days when Aden Flint was top scorer?
Possibly but I am sure it was like 8/9 games where we only scored from headers - as you said probably lying coincided with us being a team of giants - maybe one of the more stats minded people on here will know
Yes, I think you make a fair point, it's probably true to say we have a much stronger three that came down compared to the promoted sides in 22/23 and Ipswich are clearly much better than any of the sides that went down last season, but there isn't a great deal to separate the teams occupying fifth to twenty third places. Whichever version it is though, I don't believe the overall standard is so low that a team with the obvious limitations that we have are in the top ten on merit.
Not 100 per cent sure this is right, but back in 21/22 the only goals we scored which weren't headers in the first fourteen league games of the season were Rubin Colwill's two at Forest - there was an own goal by the wurzels keeper Bentley, but I'm pretty sure that came off his head as well
Strangely enough. all three of our goals at Stoke in game number fifteen were from shots from open play.
It's probably better than ever the teams that came down are still better than the ones that went up, Cardiff City have made a massive improvement as we've gone from 21st with a bit of luck to top half.
We are slowly trying to improve it, but we don't have the players and we've had a transfer embargo?
What do you want Trollope like football and going down to the conference passing and losing?
Rome wasn't built in a day, have a bit of patience and stop being so negative, moan about the state of the roads and bins, not the improvement in fortunes on the pitch.
I think the three that came down are better still than the three that went up.
No it's not what style you play it's making the most of the players at your disposal and playing to their strengths, the league won't lie, we are where we are.
It's not fair we are top half because we had a good start
Yes we had a good start because we had good fit attacking players!
Was the stoke game when we were 3 nil down - Morrisons first game?Not 100 per cent sure this is right, but back in 21/22 the only goals we scored which weren't headers in the first fourteen league games of the season were Rubin Colwill's two at Forest - there was an own goal by the wurzels keeper Bentley, but I'm pretty sure that came off his head as well
Strangely enough. all three of our goals at Stoke in game number fifteen were from shots from open play.
I think we are where we are table wise because that's where we deserve to be at the moment - personally I think we will finish bottom half as our run in whilst not impossible includes a lot of sides above us and our record this season against sides above is not great
I do want to see a better style of play and there were glimpses of it last night only when we moved the ball quickly but I do feel we have suffered from a thin squad including players taking up places that weren't wanted and also a couple of key long term injuries to two of our more attack minded players
Bulut has made some odd selections and equally some odd substitutions but personally I do want him to stay and have a proper couple of transfers windows because if he is not staying, either through the clubs wants or bulut has decided it is not for him, then I hope the club knows what they are doing, because as each day passes the slower off the mark we will be for next season on transfers and pre season matches
One key advantage of not being in a promotion or relation battle is we can be clear with possible targets what the plan is for next season but I am really concerned that we will be on the back foot yet again in the summer and it will be the club hierarchy who will be to blame for that
Yes, it was Stoke when we were 3-0 down.
I remember the goal Ramsey scored at Ipswich, it was superb in its build up and execution - maybe I got too excited by it, but, although last night’s goal was a pleasant surprise, there’s been nothing like it since. Obviously, Ramsey’s injuries haven’t helped, but there was always a chance that was going to happen and, anyway, when it came to midfield creativity, we were putting all of our eggs in one basket with him. Colwill has improved and there are flashes from Turnbull that are promising, but I can’t help thinking that Bulut will be a counter attacking, 1-0 type manager even if we had the players capable of something more ambitious and attractive.
Let’s reduce the analysis paralysis and strip it back to some basic key points:
1. Morale looks good and belief restored - always a good indicator
2. The defence issue has been sorted with Horvath, Phillips and the left back from Man City.
3. The effect of .2 is to drastically reduce goals conceded, converting losses into draws and draws into wins
4. Results and Form have now bumped up and are exceeding the average points per game accumulated prior to those changes
5. Although it isn’t possession-based football that Generation Z and a few purists obsess about, the football and passing is high quality in the areas that matter
6. We have squad depth at keeper, defence, midfield and up front. This means that as other teams energy levels drain, we have fresh legs running into the second half of the season
7. We still have Ramsey to return at some point and this run of form is being achieved without him
We will make top six, or be damn close. Heads up all. Negative Nellies need not apply. The boys are on their way and all the signs to me is this is a “Tally Ho” moment.
Sit back and enjoy the ride. We are in for one hell of an exciting season finish!
I am more bothered with the way we play, the lack of a plan and the diabolical level of communication from the club.
I understand there will be people that are happy to just get points on the board, that are happy as long as we win and don't care how we play.
In Colwill's first proper season with us he scored 5 goals. He showed flashes of brilliance and had an eye for the spectacular. Over the last 2 seasons he's scored 1 league goal. Last season he was limited to 4 starting appearances and had injury issues, but the fact that, in 11 league starts this season, 1 league goal is a poor return. It was a belter as well that sealed victory against the Wurzels.
Now, while his overall team play is improving; his tenacity to set up a goal for Karlon Grant against Stoke was great, I hope this isn't to the detriment of a young player who is capable of brilliance. I felt similar happened with Peter Whittingham when Malky went defensive in our promotion season. I never felt we saw much of his genius afterwards, that we certainly saw under Dave Jones.
Why do you have to label people purists and gen z? I personally haven't called for a possession based style, although having players capable in possession would be nice, I would merely like to be entertained. People were happy with last night, it wasn't terrible but there were times there was a forward pass on and the slowness of thinking/inabitily to see/play the pass was laughable. There were times we played it backwards, and all it needed was a midfielder to move 5 yards and make themselves available but they seemed static.
We did have spells where we passed the ball but that shouldn't be a reason for our fans to get all excited.
What about the issues with the lack of plan at the club? lack of direction?
Fair play, you've posted some bollocks on here recently and that's up there with any of it.
1. I hope morale is boosted.
2. We'll see about our defence issue when we've played the next few fixtures, not teams down the bottom.
3. See .2
4. Results and form has bumped up by playing some poor Championship sides. I'm not knocking that, but a bit of realism here.
5. Football and passing is high quality in the areas that matter. Yes, I've never seen such a creative City team. Ipswich will be quaking in their boots.
6. Bullshit.
7. Maybe. This run of 3 wins against crap teams has indeed been achieved without him, as was the dross we suffered for months.
If we make the top 6 I'll donate £100 to any charity you choose. How about if we don't make the top 6, you do the same?
At last someone with some positivity, yes things are on the way up, maybe not that far up though
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