We've played 8 of the current top 9 teams, 5 away from home. It's only going to get easier. Swansea, QPR, Newcastle without Coloccini, Norwich â all winnable games. After that, Liverpool away which we will likely lose, then Reading, Sunderland, Fulham and Stoke â all winnable games. These are games which are mostly easier than any we have had so far. Let's give Adkins another 10 games and see how things look then.
Yeah, unsure. NUFC without Coloccini will still have us. Ba, Cisse, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Tiote, Cabaye, Anita... more than enough.
There's no doubt that we've played a very difficult schedule, and could well turn it around. The concern, though, is that we have seen the same glaring defensive problems in all of our games against said opposition, and it's starting to become clear that they'll likely persist no matter the opposition. As big a concern, at least for me: we knew coming into the season that we'd need to score a shedload of goals to stay up, and initially we were doing exactly that. Of late, however, we haven't been the least bit dynamic...of our five goals in the past five league games, four have come from set-pieces. We can still run off enough points to be (at least) in striking distance of safety, but only if we can really take the game to the teams in the bottom half, something we have not done much of lately.
My doubts of us staying up are starting to grow, my doubts in Adkins are almost non-existant, he is still our man for me, unless things get truly dire. Unless Strachan or Moyes etc. start banging on Cortese's door begging for the job, I do not even vaguely consider sacking Nigel an option that would get us anywhere. We've had a seemingly endless carousel of useless and annoying twats through my lifetime, but Nigel is the kind of man and the kind of manager I want managing the team I love.
We can't keep saying that our weekend starts next weekend indefinitely. But I agree with the above, Adkins stays. It's so frustrating because 70% of our team is where we need it to be, but with those 3 defenders we haven't got a hope.
I think we looked better and played better before Ramirez came....There I've said it so pick the bones out of that Yes we needed more quality but I think we have added quality at the expenseof stability as we are now having to manouvre everyone else into 'slightly' less than ideal postions to accomodate. Would've preferred to see Lallana in the No10 role and bought a 12m left winger........... ......hang on a minute, in all the youtube vids I've seen Ramirez is playing on the left. Thoughts on that one?
They have quality all over the pitch, but frankly Taylor and Williamson makes our centre-half pairing look impressive.
The best we have looked all year was Villa with him playing, so I think we can discount that. If you want to pinpoint the moment this season it all went tits up - Richardson getting injured against Fulham. Half time against Villa, we took Fox off put Richardson on and shifted Clyne to the left. All of a sudden everything clicked, then he got injured against Fulham and everything has been crap ever since.
The thing is, though, why should Liverpool away be one we lose? Most teams are managing to come away with a point minimum against Liverpool. Why are the bottom games - way more pressure, three points worth way more to us, no points much more costly - likely to be something we can adapt to easier? We never beat Reading last season, and I am loathe to say we've improved relative to them - they might not have a win on the board, but they are not losing every game either. We also chalked Fulham at SMS as a must-win, and look what happened there - a point, just. I hope we can make the most of these games too, but I am certainly more nervous going into them than I am the ones we've had until now. I'd be surprised if Sunderland and Stoke looked at us as anything but - to use a metaphor from a Looney Tunes cartoon - a nice hot roast chicken: three points on a plate. And we have to navigate these games in our current mindset - as much as the early games were kicks in the teeth before they even kicked off; these 'easy' games now are going to be twice as hard as a result. Can we? Yes. Will we...?
Swansea without Vorm are a more enticing prospect. But are we even ruthless enough to take advantage of a team's weak spot? I have a feeling we're too nice to do so...
Ramirez played the first half against Villa didn't he? I was say that Clyne on the left and Richardson on the right was what turned that game not Ramirez. Good player but not sure having that great player is doing anything positive for us. I'd be tempted to choose Lallana or Ramirez. Playing the No10 role. The other on the bench. My choice would be Lallana. Ramirez on the left if needs be.
Reality is that so far we have not been good enough. IMO the players let the club down against Spurs and last night. Not enough desiore or passion being shown. We can and have to do better,
No such thing as easier games.. these teams are in this league by merit.. and to say QPR n Newcastle.., are easy.?
Of course there is such a thing. Are Norwich as hard to beat as Chelsea? No game is 'easy' but some are certainly easier than others.
Just cant agree that these games are mostly easier - all these teams are more than capable of beating us. It is Saints who need to improve as a team and individually to have a chance of beating these teams. No way would i write Swansea off as easy on Sat - but if Saints do improve and perform at the their best then sure they can beat them.
The fixture list did us no favours, because constant defeat must be wearing on the team confidence, but there is no certainty that we would have beaten lower sides either. We started brightly before reality hit, so perhaps we would have done, but who knows? Time for the team to man up and that includes Schneiderlin turning his back on the ball for the first goal. Being hit in the face hurts (I know because it happened to me once), but not as badly as losing again.
Three days before they play Maritimo. We saw how softened up Spurs were in the second half by their Euro trip. And Newcastle aren't as good. We can still do the business, starting now.
