I'm avoiding the change of manager, and Nicola remaining as chairman, so my choice would be Boruc's penalty save against Norwich, leaving the score at 0-0. It may have only earned us a single point in the great scheme of things, but it gave the team and the supporters a real lift. Alternatively, it was Punch's goal against Sunderland, which again earnt us a single point, but also prevented Sunderland from getting all three points, and going above us in the table. Anyway, that's my starter for ten, but there must be many other candidates. Thoughts?
The turning point for me was the 0-0 draw against Everton, Pochettino's first match in charge. We were superb and how we didn't win still remains a mystery to me!
Villa. We had lost the first four games, went 1-0 down, and had Goodison Park looming followed by a slew of other difficult games. A loss there and we'd have been in deep trouble; it's likely that we'd have finished September without a point, and we'd have found ourselves at the foot of the table for weeks more. Coming back to not only win but thrash them instilled a bit of self-belief that we desperately needed.
Coming back from 2 down at Chelsea. I think that instilled a lot of belief - sad it was NA`s farewell however.
The penalty save (Norwich) was no doubt very important, but I would hardly call it a turning point in our season. Likewise with Puncheon's goal against Sunderland - albeit just days later Wigan lost any way. There is a difference between an important event/scoreline and an event/scoreline which can be considered a turning point to a season. No, a turning point has to come much earlier in the season. For me, it's the QPR away win. We were bottom going into that game. Had we have lost that, I think QPR would have gone four points clear of us, and the prospect of us being cut adrift would have started to look very likely. It would have continued our poor start to the season, whilst also rendering that home point (and decent performance) vs Swansea almost useless. But I can also understand people who pick the Villa home win, the Newcastle home win, the Swansea home draw, or the Arsenal home draw. At a push, the Man City home game (for what it proved that we can do - but I still think we had already turned the corner long before then).
Looking like we'd thrown it away at home to Fulham, then snatching a point back at the death. But the thrashing of Villa was the key moment for me. It proved we really did belong in this division, and could even shine in it.
The first game we had Cork Schneiderlin as our CM pairing. Jack was a huge lift for the team and have been far better with him!
Yeah, that'll do for me too. It was a real turning too, not just a personal one. Preceding that game, Adkins had gradually got the team looking like one that could cope in the PL. Straight out of the box, so to speak, Pochettino's team looked the business. Not to be overly dramatic, it was a revelation.
I don't think there have been any particularly significant turning points this season. Obviously in terms of scorelines, our start to the season was poor, having lost the first 4 games. However I wouldn't say the Villa game, because despite winning 4-1, we went on to take 1 point from our next 5 games, so our form remained constant. Then you've got the home draw to Swansea or away win against QPR in November, which set us up to go on and put some points on the board. Even these games though cannot be seen as a huge turning point, as we were playing similar football to how we had been playing all season. From day 1 in the Premier League against City, we showed everyone that we know how to play good football, and we've maintained that quality of football right up until now. For me, the only thing that has changed is our ability to turn performances into points. That's not something that happens in 1 definitive turining point, that's just the product of the accumulation of experience in our young squad.
Cork coming back into the side after his injury for me, I know schneiderlin has been immense but cork for me is the unsung hero of the squad!
That is my choice too, I think it is the first time I have actually burst out laughing during open play. It ensured that Man C were never going to pull it back with some flukes.
I thought Van Persie's late two goals had a significant affect on our season. If we had have beaten Man United our season could have been very different, Adkins would probably still be in the job if he could have held onto a few more leads. Who knows what could have been, I'm not sure it's too helpful to isolate one moment when every moment could sway the season. In isolation Morgan running half the field to block a shot against West Brom was absolutely brilliant, but we had already lost so it was largely irrelevant. Same for Cork tackling with his head against Sunderland, seen by itself that was inspiring, it didn't really positively affect the game as he conceded a corner. In terms of really instilling confidence I think as soon as Pochettino came in we looked invigorated and were playing the football that suited us.
West Brom away was quite a pivitol point in the season, that defeat was pretty much rock bottom for us but after that we started getting a little more fight and managed to put some results together. We got out of the bottom three and pretty much stayed out of it from then on.
I think I would have to agree with those who say that Jack Cork's return from injury marked the start of us having a defence this season.
