Taking an alternative point of view, while only a few points behind the playoffs we are 10 points away from what should be certain safety. Negative perhaps but a huge improvement on where we were last year and with Rambo returning and the new signings there should be a surge in improvement on recent months. Maybe, just maybe, we might have a push at the playoffs. I think a lot will depend on how often Diedhiou can find the back of the net compared to the oxygen sucker, Grant, Etete and Meite. Baring injuries we now have a much stronger, all round squad so maybe a points haul in the upper fifties or sixty or so is possible.
Possible 91 but historically 75 should see us in the playoffs............... Mind you, we may drop the odd few points through drawing games we should have won.
Sunderland got 6th spot last season with 69 points and Leicester got 6th with just 68 one year - remember this season? Look who's top and look who's at the bottom........ https://www.skysports.com/championship-table/2012
It was me. It did look more structured earlier in the season, but our bad run saw us lose shape. Or more likely, us losing our shape saw the start of our bad run. It's easy to blame a few injuries, but good managers maximise what they get out of what's available to them. I'm not expecting us to be world beaters with Ramsey and O'Dowda, so certainly not without them, but I do feel we should have accumulated more than we have with what was available to us. DJ, Colin, Malky, you could see what they were trying to acheive. Not so in the last few months. I'm not saying we should sack Erol, but as I said some time ago, when he was blaming players, he needed to look in the mirror. Managers need to improve players, turn a disparate group into a coherent team. It isn't easy, but that's the job. Managers like DJ and Colin had an end game in mind. They devised interim approaches while they recruited the tools to do the job. I'm not seeing the steps from Erol. The way he speaks, he has and end goal and wants the players to deliver that now. If he hasn't got the players, it's not his fault. That is a failing.
Don't see why not Nin.... Granted we're talking about clutching at some very loose straws, and others are definitely better equipped than we are to make that surge into the play off spots but who knows eh? If we can somehow pick up say 9 or 10 points this month then we'd most likely be right in the mix going into the sharp end of the season and confidence can be a wonderful thing.... On the other hand it could go totally the other way and we may end up praying for another 10-15 points just to make sure we're safe by the end but hey, points make prizes and we DID pick up a maximum against a hard to beat Watford side.
I mentioned it but in a very guarded manner. However seeing the points level I estimated we could achieve I'm still a little away from the other figures quoted. If we get around 8/9th that remains a major improvement on last year and gives us a good base to progress from next season. Also let's not forget this is the first season in English football for Bulut, Goutas and Siopis. While experienced in other countries, adapting here will have been a big change for all of them, in football, culturally, socially and in family life. Next season will give us a much truer account of their abilities.
Agreed Brizzo. Possible 51 points available and if we can't get 10 of those for safety we deserve to be shot. Going for 20 from the 51 to finish top half would be a low ambition rate whereas an average of 2 points per game would put us on 74. That's playoff territory and entirely possible if the new recruits, together with Rambo and O'Dowda click. Don't bank on it but neither rule it out.
Thing is, if that were to happen then I wouldn't fully discount our chances as we'd be on a high for extending our season and either of those clubs would be gutted to miss out on automatic promotion...
I'd take that all day rather than wanting the season over with bottom 6 anguish or even mid table boredom for that matter. Anyway, I reckon it'll be Ipswich and Kieffer waiting for us in one-off at Wembley.....
So I've been giving it a lot of thought and this is what I thunk First of all I can't believe that Bulut hasn't been sacked while we sent Ike Ugbo, our biggest asset, to a team that is clearly going to be our biggest rival for automatic promotion. I also can't believe how many people on here are asking for a Director of Football. Why do we need to waste our (Vince's) money on such an unnecessary appointment? Are people so thick that they don't see that football is a simple game? All you have to do is kick the ball as hard as you can towards the opposition's goal. Then if the opposition have the ball, all that's needed is to get in the way of them kicking the ball towards our goal. And the idea that the opposition are trying to win is stupid. All we have to do is kick the ball harder than they do. If you disagree with this, I don't care. But it obviously means you know nothing about football
You've got Cling. Just sign really fit players who can get up and down the pitch a lot. All you do then is play under 7s football. Everyone around the ball. 11 in defense or 11 in attack.
I can't seem to find us on there?????? Oh, wait, we were already down in League 1 by then!!!!! fugging SISU have a lot to answer for still, I hold grudges for years, me!!!
I think we are where we are despite Bulut. Against Watford he changed to 8 defenders and even had the forward players back in our half defending a 1-0 lead. Is this the kind of football everyone is praising Bulut for? If we make the play-offs hes done the job, if we win the play-offs I will retract every word and give him that credit/ I have been critical of Wintle but he was very good against Watford, played more like Ralls, I say this about Wintle as I am not biased if a player does badly I am not happy I would rather give them credit when they play well. If Meitie scored a goal and won us the game no one would be happier than me.Bulut is lacking on players selections, substitutions and tactics,this has cost us points.
