http://www.englishfootball.info/championship/table/index.php?season=2010-11 plays http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/table So QPR finished with 13 more points that we have currently whilst their goal differece was only 4 better than ours is now. We have 8 games left, if we continue with our current ratio of just under 2 points a game, this would put us clear of QPR on points and goal difference. Now considering they were said to have blitzed the league...this is quite impressive COYR
The strange thing is that most Saints fans think we wobbled badly...that would be when we were second then. We started so strongly that losing our safety cushion with 2nd and, especially, third was traumatic, but the truth is that we have been one of the leaders all season. If we maintain this (cross fingers, spin round three times, touch wood) it will be a fantastic achievement in our first year in the Championship. Even if we don't it will still be a great season (just won't feel like it!).
The way we bounced back from our 'wobble' is the key to where we find ourselves now, I've no doubt of that. West Ham had thiers, responded and are now having another one. Readings lasted until the New Year, Boro and Cardiff have had extended wobbles. We're the only side who have ensured that their blip was minor and bounced back in a staggering manner!
The thing is Fran, we really did. Our form was genuine "relegation" form for long enough for that particular statistic to appear in the form tables. Our form either side of the blip is therefore even more impressive.
The fact that we haven't been outside the top 2 all season shows just what a remarkable season we have had. When we had our slump in form, West Ham, Cardiff, Birmingham, Boro all failed to capitalise. Has any team in the Championship gone the entire season without being outside the top 2?
It would very impressive to beat QPR´S points tally and goal difference but I prefer to compare us to Norwich and I think we will get more credit for exceeding what they did more than anyone else. They got a lot of plaudits for getting promoted in two consecutive seasons and to think that we could surpass that by being crowned champions is brilliant...We also had to compete with a team like West Ham who were huge favourites to go up above everyone else.
it is also the team has experience of pressure from last year, last 10 games 7 wins and 3 draws at average of 2.4 points a game- that is promotion winning form
Very true, it's the teams that showed late form (Norwich and Swansea) who have gone on to do well this seaosn as well. Now I know we're a bit odd as we started the season so well but our form recently has been unbelievable. Bodes well. As long as we keep this momemtum up of course....
Reading and West Ham are the Huddersfield and B'mouth of last season. West Ham will fall back behind Brighton IMO and Reading fall back a bit behind us and we'll wrap things up with 3 games to spare.
Does that mean we are the Brighton of last season? And Reading are the Southampton? Who are Brighton then? Confusing!
Actually, our form has resembled that of Wolves in 2008-09 (ironically the year we went down to League 1). They were 6 points clear with a game in hand on 57 points at the end of December, but only won another 7 points in the whole of Jan and Feb. But they were still top! By the end of March they were pulling away from the pack again, and they finished the season 7 points clear on 90 points. I'd like to think Saints will carry on the resemblance right up until the last game. 90 points would be nice too.
Yes someone (can't remember who) produced a table of that season and used Wolves to show the panicking fans that all was not lost when we were on our bad run.
The facts are that we have led the Championship for 3/4 of the season and have never been out of the top 2. A lot has been said about our mid-season 'blip', but the truth is that, compared with our form before and after it, it appeared to be worse than it actually was. To my mind, the team has only had a handful of poor performances this season (Bristol City H&A, Doncaster A, Leicester H)...we played ok at Brighton and were unlucky to lose 3-0 IMO
Talk of Brighton - this is one team to avoid in the play-offs as I feel that Gus Poyet will employ evey method possible to outwit technically better opponents by fair methods with the occasional use of the dark arts, namely feigning injury to get an opponent booked or sent off (Re Rickie) and a considerable amount of delaying tactics if the opposition get on top. Having said that the Seagulls will not need to resort to such devilish deeds should we get automatic promotion.
Impressive is an understatement, really; take out that twelve-game wobble, where we managed three wins, four draws and five losses, and we have 62 points in the other 26 matches...an average of 2.4 per game, with a 73% win rate.
