Here is the top 10 based on the last 38 Premier League games, it shows us in a comfortable 8th position, 11 points more than West Brom and Swansea. It also shows that we have become very difficult to beat (only 8 losses, less than City), but need to turn more draws into wins. Interesting to see Arsenal on top over a longer period too, with a massive goal difference. Arsenal W 25 D 8 L 5 GD 43 Pts 83 Man Utd W 25 D7 L 6 GD 35 Pts 82 Man City W 23 D 6 L 9 GD 40 Pts 75 Spurs... W 22 D 9 L 7 GD 21 Pts 75 Chelsea W 21 D 9 L 8 GD 32 Pts 72 Liverpool W 20 D 10 L 8 GD 37 Pts 70 Everton W 17 D 14 L 7 GD 13 Pts 65 Saints... W 13 D 17 L 8 GD 10 Pts 56 Swansea W 11 D 12 L 15 GD -5 Pts 45 West Brom W 12 D 9 L 17 GD -8 Pts 45
Whilst looking at form over the last ten games, including a summer break, is fairly meaningless, it seems to me that a season's worth of games is a very resonable number on which to measure this. Shows how much we (obviously) improved last season and your assessment is good. Emphasises that we should be continuing to steadily improve, and that there's no suggestion that this will let up.
That is interesting, as a significant portion of the improvement has been this season alone. Last season Adkins was just getting into his good run, then Poch came in and steadied the ship. The last 10 games have been a leap forward. What we need is a comparative table of this season's results against the corresponding fixtures of last season, to see how significant the difference is. Nope, I'm not volunteering. OK, I might.
[TABLE="width: 550, align: left"] [TR] [TD]This Season[/TD] [TD]Last Season[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]WBA 0-1 Saints[/TD] [TD]WBA 2-0 Saints[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Saints 1-1 Sunderland[/TD] [TD]Saints 0-1 Sunderland[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Norwich 1-0 Saints[/TD] [TD]Norwich 0-0 Saints[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Saints 0-0 WHU[/TD] [TD]Saints 1-1 WHU[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Liverpool 0-1 Saints[/TD] [TD]Liverpool 1-0 Saints[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Saints 2-0 Crystal Palace[/TD] [TD]Saints 1-0 Reading [best result**][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Saints 2-0 Swansea[/TD] [TD]Saints 1-1 Swansea[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]ManU 1-1 Saints[/TD] [TD]ManU 2-1 Saints[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Saints 2-0 Fulham[/TD] [TD]Saints 2-2 Fulham [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Stoke 1-1 Saints[/TD] [TD]Stoke 3-3 Saints[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]11 goals scored[/TD] [TD]9 goals scored[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4 conceded[/TD] [TD]13 conceded [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]19 points[/TD] [TD]8 points [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]**against a relegated team. Other results ->[/TD] [TD]0-2 Wigan or 1-2 QPR[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Yeah, I used the table facility in the advanced editor. About the second time I've ever done that on here. EDIT: Forgot to mention... Over double the points. Less than a third of the goals conceded. More goals scored than a free-scoring side. Change the relegated team if you want to see an even bigger difference. Oh, and lastly, didn't mean to hi-jack, just augment the thread. Carry on.
I'd take this "last 38 games" analysis with a fairly heft pinch of salt, as you are essentially replacing our difficult start to last season with a relatively easy run of fixtures at the start of this one.
Hence why I constructed a comparative table in addition. However, you forgot that our difficult start to last season was essentially over, which is why I believe the timing of the OP's thread is fine.
we didn't beat Fulham 2-0 last season it was 2-2 so 8 points not 10 if my maths is right, even better.
Well spotted, cheers. Must have made a typo, because I got that info from Wiki instead of my faulty memory. I'll make the necessary correction.
On the strength of looking at Saints form I've been off to Wiki and followed our seasons back to where Jan Poortvliet resigned. I stopped there. The knife was twisting in my guts so badly I didn't want to see any more data. I think I'll just try to continue to blot out out the era of Wigley, Redknapp, Burley, Poortvliet, Wotte. I can easily put up with Sturrock, as Saints were still OK, after WGS. The first era back, that I can stomach remembering, and with great fondness is Pardew. Then onwards and upwards.
Your point would be more valid if our results against the more "difficult" opponents since Nov 5th 2012 had been poor, but in fact the opposite is true. In 10 games (5 home and 5 away), against the top 7 clubs in the league, we have won 4 drawn 4 and only lost 2, with a GD of +3
Very true, only away trips to Man City, Arsenal & Everton are omitted from the last 38 games and I think the table is a fair indication of where we are as a team in this league. We're proving to be more consistent than Swansea & WBA and we'll be pushing the merseyside clubs hard.
Suggests that Spurs are pretty much consistent in their league position and are at their level; and that Arsenal can win the league, but only if there is a long break halfway through. No wonder Wenger campaigns so vigorously for a winter break!
