I don't think so. Not with 3 points for a win and so many games still to go. We've taken 7 points from 9 in three games and are still just 6 ahead of you. Anybody can put a run together, including yourselves.
Villa's next three games Utd, City, Arsenal. I don't therefore it's of urgent importance that we cut that gap on Monday night.
Likewise, Sunderland's next two games are away to Everton and Fulham. Unlike Sunderland, those two can score goals. That said though, Stoke's next three do look alright, unfortunately. QPR(h), West Ham (a), Fulham (h).
Stoke were poor today. They began the game trying to play football, but only became threatening when they reverted to thumping the ball up to Crouch from inside their own half. I doubt if they will fancy West Ham away.
£12m rising to £14M, ridiculous fee. Soon as he scored a couple people were acting like it was the best buy of the season, but it was probably the worst transfer of the summer for me.
I disagree, he's one of the best finishers in the league without question and his stats this season demonstrate that. If they could get him the ball with any regularity he'd have scored even more.
And with Johnson, McClean and Larsson, you wouldn't think they would have any trouble giving him that service. Strange. Without having watched them at all closely this season, I do wonder what O'Neill has done to them. I'd put their poor end to last season just down to players already looking forward to their summer holidays. But it's just not picked back up again, even with the new signings.
It might be that he is still looking at the game in the same way that he was 10-15 years ago and hasn't moved with the game.
Sunderland are a funny old side. They were the best team in the league when Martin O'Neill took over and then they finished the season awfully. I would have thought that they'd have started the season well and look at a top half finish, but it doesn't look likely at the moment even with all the money they spent in the summer. I'd written them off as relegation candidates but I wouldn't write them off completely yet.
I just don't see that personally. His strong point is his finishing but even then I'd back at least 10 or 15 strikers in the league as betters finishers, and he has nothing else in his game. His record for goals in the Premiership in his 3 seasons is 8, 10 and 12, and 5 assists in those combined seasons. I just don't see £14m from that, but then again, we live in a world where Andy Carroll is valued at £35m so what the hell do I know?
Thanks RobbieBB for all of your positive comments. Maybe when we are under pressure then we will perform, it worked against Villa, here's hoping .
So what do we want in the QPR game a draw or a Rangers win? Don't think we want Rangers confidence back before we play them! Draw for me.
Indeed. And, unlike Mbia's straight red last week, any straight reds issued to QPR today for violent conduct will see that player banned against us. Can Diakete really get through the next 270 minutes without a red for violent conduct? Or any QPR player for that matter?
Have to agree re red cards. Can't see the game being a classic but worth a look just to confirm my impression that we should finish ahaed of both come May!
Trouble is with a club like QPR and their squad if they click they will get a run going. Reading did that last season after a poor start similar to this seasons and look where they finished. Not that I am saying we will become champions this season but first four will do me nicely.
ITV will NOT be happy. Their televised FA Cup 1st round tie between Braintree Town and Tranmere has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Maybe you don't see it, but that's what the stats say. He had the best conversion rate of any player in the league from clear-cut chances last season and scoring 12 goals in a season for a team like Wolves, who were relegated, is no mean feat. He started this season the same way, his first four or five shots all resulted in goals, it's just a shame (and a pretty damning indictment of the rest of the team) that he had so few shots! If he was playing for a better team he'd score a hatful, certainly worth £14m, but Sunderland are not getting value out of him and that's down to the rest of the team.
