After all the hysterics of the first couple of games with calls for MH to go and the rest, we've actually begun to shape up into a half-decent team. Each game since the Swansea debacle has seen an improvement and we're looking more solid as a unit. A lot of the credit for this has been the arrival of Ryan Nelsen who is clearly the main man in the back four vocally organising, and Anton, in particular, has benefited from his presence. Add to that Julio Cesar, who looked the real deal and we are much sounder in defence. The midfield pairing of Granero and Faurlin is really beginning to look like the perfect match-up and the confidence of the side is growing. A few weeks more working on this team should hopefully produce some positive results and boost us up the table. Tottenham next and all does not seem well at White hart Lane at present, so it might be just the right time to be playing them, who knows? We might just get something out of that one. All-in-all we ARE making progress...
You read my mind Kiwi, I don't know how I haven't picked up on what a great player he is before now. Another sign of progress is that, despite the injuries, I am not bricking it for the next game - we have a squad at last! Can still be strengthened, but so much better than last season.
i think he is nzs highest earning sportsman he was good at blackburn captain material..great at the world cup(nz only unbeaten team) hope he stays fit
As you say we are looking better every game If we can carry on from our second half performance against the Spuds we can get at least a point from WHL Naawich got a well deserved point from there so we should be confident we can pick up something
We as fans need to make progress too and take the focus off the side issues and distractions (handshakes, MOTD, Fulham's away support etc) and start appreciating where we are who we are and where we're going; to the toppermost of the poppermost.
did you see the size of nelsens jawline?? bloody hell you could park a bus on it! no fear of him getting knocked out in a punchup.
Another brick in the wall. Great to see the improvement in the team performance. Hopefully we will see more progress over coming weeks. We know from statistics, and our own experience, that it takes MH 8-10 weeks to get where he wants the team to be. So signs are good. Bench players know now that they need to impress the gaffer to get in the side. Everyone laid down their stake for their place, the others need to fight to get on the team sheet and make it theirs. Gonna be tough for some after yesterday's contributions and efforts.
He was so sheepish in his after match interview about that penalty decision. What everyone missed is that it was Terry running into Torres that made him fall over, not Nelsen.
Torres was pretty well snuffed out and threw his rattle out the pram when subbed, tells you all you need to know about how good Nelsen was...
I'm upbeat because we've clearly made significant progress as a team but we haven't dropped that many points in getting to this stage. A point away at Norwich and against Chelsea is nothing to be ashamed about. We lost to the champions away which is to be expected. Only the swans game has been a blip but look where they are on the table. Small price to pay for more game time. So many more points to be won, can only get better.
Totally agree. We are building steadily and are on course to do what MH teams do - begin slowly but build into a strong team. I can see many good signs which have been mentioned above, but I cant mention highly enough how excited I am to see Granero and Faurlin develop into a great central midfield. They are both hard working, energetic and not afraid of the tackle. That part of the park is where we have been found wanting many times over the years.
i saw the signs in the city game although some of the old traits were still evident,never really understood the Hughes out mallarky too many knees jerking for my liking.iv'e always been patient with rangers and always will,hopefully the injuries don't hurt us much as i heard today AJ only took a knock and should be ok next sunday. another stern test awaits at white hart lane but i'm growing more and more confident with each passing game,instead of perpetually hiding behind the sofa.onwards and upwards.
I don't think that it was pure coincidence that Phil Beard spoke out when he did about spending more in January. They ALL have to keep on their toes and work hard or they know that they could be out.
Nice article Sooper. Things are looking up for sure. Must create more chances though, especially against the lesser sides.
Don't think we should worry about RN's age, he is doing the job for us NOW and hopefully for another year or two. Sparky knows what he is doing. RN is a stop gap (but maybe a long stop gap) before Sparky gets in a younger model and works him up. As said above. Sparky's teams grow slowly. With little lead in time he built a team from January 2012 that just kept us up. He dismantled that team and started again over this summer, with his longer term project and it is just beginning to gel, it will build slowly...but I believe by January/Feb we will be comfortable....and hopefully we will have an uneventful run to the end (maybe peppered by an odd cup game or two) In Sparky we trust
