Well, with both teams anchored near the wrong end of the table, a win for either side on Saturday would be massive!!!!
Would be nice to beat the Scousers again, seems like an eternity since the last time. Next week could be our best chance for another eternity Last season we thought we could be more than a match for them and on the day it fell to bits, I'll be a little hurt if the same happens next week I think.
We stand as much I chance as we had done in every other week. One week we're going to smash a team, the frigging floodgates must open soon.
I think you could be right Beef - we keep creating the chances and on Radio Norfolk'n good, Rob said, "where are we going to get a goal from?", when we'd one cleared off the line and Harper just managed to get a hand to Surman's effort!!! Bring back 'Niuull' I say!!
Im getting seriously worried by this goal drout, i watched the game on line today and must say again lots of possesion but we looked toothless! Oh to have a player like Ba in your side in a tight match? Really don't rate Turner either, he looks no better than we had, was at fault for goal playing Ba on side, then nearly ****ed it right up for the pen! And to think he'll be up against Suarez this weekend, some-one who cant stay on his feet at the best of times !
I think you could be right Beef - we keep creating the chances and on Radio Norfolk'n good, Rob said, "where are we going to get a goal from?", when we'd one cleared off the line and Harper just managed to get a hand to Surman's effort!!! Bring back 'Niuull' I say!!
I cannot see anything but us being in the bottom 3 come Saturday. Not particularly confident at all at this moment in time that we will be in this division next year. I think Hughton is a good manager and hopefully he will turn things around but not sorting our striking options out before the start of the season is costing us. Vaughan on loan is puzzling. I would have sent out Chris Martin. We are playing OK but playing OK and losing means trouble. Still early I suppose and I do feel that there are teams that look potentially not as good as us. I also think that if Lambert was still here, we would also be in this position. If you look at the table, for me from Stoke downwards are where the bottom 3 will come from.
I have heard Vaughan was one of the highest earners at the club on 25k a week, a lot for him to sit on his but injured so can see why he has gone on loan. Things will come good soon. I am confident of that. I think we are better than last year. look really solid.
We didn't win any of our first five games last season, don't remember anyone suggesting Lambert was on borrowed time back then. Totally agree with Beef, someone is going to get smashed sometime soon - will it be Villa I wonder? People forget that Friedel played out of his skin in what one pundit described as "the game of his career" at Spurs when we were the better team and were also denied a stonewall penalty, Jaaskelainen made a phenomenal save to tip Jacko's goalbound shot over the bar last week in another game we should have won, Koo Pee Arr's penalty should never have been allowed to have stood in that match so there are three games that any other day we could easily have won to find ourselves comfortably in the top half. Apart from the obvious debacle at Fulham we've not been outclassed in the slightest and have looked solid and the back and played some nice, attractive stuff. Football is all about the fine margins, and this season so far we've not yet had the rub of the green and as soon as this turns itself around and we do get a bit of luck then the points will soon be totting up and this ridculous notion of Hughton having three games to save his job will be forgotten about
We need to remember that CH is still learning about the strengths and weaknesses of each individual in his squad. If you think it is taking a long time, just think back to League One and ask yourselves how long it took for Paul Lambert to get his priorities straight. Where were we after five games under PL that season? By last season PL knew all about most of his players. CH in contrast has seen comparatively little of them playing competitive matches. Hughton is clearly settled in his mind about the defence (and you can see he's got it largely right), though when Whittaker returns he has the RB question to look at further. Likewise, when Bettey is fully fit, there will be a question about DM. But I think he is still sussing out the resources available to him in attack. He has now given Surman a bit of a run, and today Hoolahan and Morison featured from the start. There's Bennett to come back, plus Butterfield and Kane. We're already creating chances; it's only a matter of time before we start taking them.
For the record Munky, we did win the fifth game (Bolton away), and that set us going. After 5 games we had 5 points as against our current 3.
Both excellent posts and it's pleasing to see that in general most fans are still feeling positive. IMO, we're really missing Pilks and E Bennett (I'm not advocating that we play them both, but at least they can both take on defenders and regularly beat them - I belive Bennett should start training on Monday). Also, Pilks scored 7 or 8 goals last season, some of which were rebounds.
I have no worries about the midfield or even the defence for that matter but it is our goal scoring that is a problem. It appeared to me although the stats might prove me wrong that Harper was the busier of the two keepers. That proved, I hope, I have to ask why theses chances aren't being taken. Unfortunately, the two best of our chances fell to Surman. I'm quite sure Holt, Jackson or even Hoolahan would have rounded Harper and tapped it in. Instinct. Then manybe that would give the lift that the front guys need. You don't have time to experiment or get acquainted in this league. You have to take your chance when it comes as there will be periods when you don't get any. Next game will not be the time to try something even different. Holt did look better than Morison when he came on. It didn't work with him on his own up front and the Magpies had two physical centre backs who had him in their pocket. Jackson did look sharp in the last ten minutes and was unlucky. I was all for Holt sitting at least a game out. But I assumed that would have still meant two up front. I thought Wes had a reasonable game and will be unlucky if he doesn't start next week. Who would he replace with two up front? Surman I think. Although Howson is not really going on from his earlier form, he can knock the one twos around the park so I think he should continue. If Pilks is fit then I guess Wes would miss out. We do have Donny to have a crack at first so I would advocate a near first team running out for that one in the hope of every thing clicking and the confidence restored up front.
I thought Wes had one of his better games today and think he should keep his place. Longing to see Tettey and Kane, so they may get a run out on Wednesday and can see some of the regular team being rested.
Speaking for myself, I will be feeling positive wherever we finish this season. The club is on the rise in every sense, even if there is a temporary return to the Championship. Anyone who thinks relegation this season will be the end of the world is way off the mark. There's more to it than being able to brag about being Premier League.
good post robbie. as for next week, i think liverpool seem to have the same disease as us at the moment! playing pretty well but not really getting the breaks they probably feel they deserve. lets hope they suffer one more week of heartache and we get our just desserts this time around
Liverpool have looked really poor in most of their games so far, if ever we have a chance to beat them it is now. But even last time they played us, they had a poor team performance, but one magnificent individual performance was enough to beat us easily. Not sure what to expect.
