Looking at next four games Middlesbro, Hull, West Ham and Ipswich, I can't help but feel a little nervous. A minimum of six points will be needed and even that would leave us in bottom half of table. Maybe well find a cure this year to our Tuesday night bogey
Its not just how many points we get, its how we play. We need something to hold onto, to give us hope. The problem we've got is that we dont look like winning away from home(forget QPR, theyd found theyd got promotion ten minutes before the game) and the record post Xmas was shocking. Hull and middlesborough, will be really up for the game. Cant see grayson lasting long
Those 4 clubs we're playing are all in a state of transition, wheres we have the same squad really. We're playing them at the best time and could catch them out before they start to gel, but we need to have a plan B because we'll struggle against quality, and we need to fight, which has been absent too. On paper we'll be lucky coming out with anything from these games, and that's not a nice feeling as we could be bottom of the league after only 5-games with maybe a 2points if we're lucky. It's not good enough and we should have done something about it straight after the season finished, but we've done nothing
Ideally, we need to win all 4 and by a decent margin. After saturday, we need to send a message to the Championship that we can compete, we can be promotion contenders. It'll be a tough season, but writing us off after one game is ridiculous.
I would echo what Liw has said.... I want to see: - a defence that defends - a midfield that snaps in the tackle and passes - two wingers that attcack and seem interested...... - A strike force that can shoot! And a set of Leeds fans who stop calling for the Managers head after one game!!!!!
Trouble is one of the advantages we were supposed to have over our rivals this season was that we had a settled squad who knew each others game & wouldn't need time to gel. On saturday we played like total strangers.
Early to say I know but the next two league matches at home could totally break our season. If we don't manage 6 points or worse say we get two draws and two points it would not look good going to Ipswich and West Ham expecting much. Two home wins are vital in the league, tonights match with Bradford is Graysons chance to tinker and get it right.
NW...The question you should ask is, would you like to get promotion and the team play crap or the team plays like Brazil but we stay in the Championship.
You know what I mean. A team can play unattractive football (in the eyes of the supporters) and still pick up points. Arsenal won things but were boring to watch, Newcastle played open football but won foook all.
In answer to the original question, I think 7 points would be more than acceptable. For a start we are playing 2 matches away against who in my opinion, are well fancied for promotion. Its the 2 home games we need to get the points from. All this Grayson out nonsense is pathetic. We have started the season without our best striker, a winger who clearly is not fit, and another one whose future is completely up in the air, which is unsettling. This was the backbone of most of our goalscoring last season. I do agree however, that the defence needs sorting. Its like a broken record. If O'Brien continues to perform like he did on Saturday then Tom Lees has to be given a chance. He should also start tonight. Things should get better over the next few weeks, and then we have more winnable fixtures. But if we're languishing around relegation come October, November, then my attitude might change a bit. Its OK though, the East Stand (Sponsored by Fabien Delph) should look great by then.................
There were 6 occasions in the league last season when we played back to back home games and not once did we win them both. That cost us in the end going into games as favourites and then not picking up 3 points. Therefore 2 solid home wins would be excellent but in reality a lack of goals will probably cost us again.
We should stop trying to get the best out of all our attacking players and just play a team that doesn't concede 3 goals to any half decent opposition. Put Gradel upfront, he's probably our best finisher atm, alongside Paynter to provide some strength to play off, with Snodgrass on the left and Howson or Clayton on the right. If we play the same team as against Southampton away at West Ham we'll get hammered.
Minimum of 5 points and good performances. But we should just look to get the most out of every game.
