So we're still clinging on to that seventh spot for dear life. Maybe it's our destiny to finish the season there? After a perhaps unsurprising loss to the Blades this weekend, what's of far greater concern was our inability to take more than two points from Sunderland, Huddersfield and Stoke. Two points from twelve hardly screams "play-off candidates" to our (many) close rivals. Blackburn, one place but four precious points better off than us, and our conquerors in the third round of the F A cup, have won three of their last five. We're clearly missing Dowell's guile and Hernandez's raw pace, but that's no excuse for only being able to muster a single effort on target in a home tie. Let's hope for a better outcome on (Good? ) Friday against Rovers. Team news, pundit predictions, etc to follow.
This will be another test of the players' character which I'm not very hopeful they will pass. The one positive is the improvement defensively, but unless we can muster more effective attacking play, the dire run will continue.
Or to put it another way, a glass 0.11* full is better than a completely empty one! * the reduction in goals conceded per game since DW took over. The clean sheet count currently stands at 4 from 13 (DW) as against 6 from 26 (DS), but it would take a huge dollop of optimism to expect anything other than convergence between now and the season's end.
Smith did improve the defence when he came in, but defensive errors kept cropping up whereas that is not the case recently. 'Goals conceded' and 'clean sheets kept' are not necessarily the most accurate indicators of defensive performance. McLean, Dowell, Sara, Nunez and Gibbs have all spoken about how much they have improved under Wagner - I can't remember any of them saying that under Smith. That, IMO, was Smith's major failing.
It would be nice to know what these more accurate indicators are then Rick. You're surely not referring to xGa?
It would seem that the composition of this team was the reason that DS couldn’t get them to perform. DW is now realising this. I should think that many of this squad, who have played in the EPL before, are not anxious to return.
Can't get my head around the game is today. Keep thinking it's tomorrow, and now I have gone and arranged to meet my son in law this afternoon.
Looks like a 4-2-3-1 to me with Lungi and Gibbs at CM, Sara in the 10 with Hernandez and Marquinos on the wings and Sarge up top
