Are we an average team superbly managed and therefore over-achieving? or Are we one of the best teams in the division who don't score many and thus make hard work of our opponents?
third I'd say if any of the teams around us are overachieving, it's Palace. They were relegation favorites.
I'd say it's more the first but we're a play off team who's managed to get into second place with good team performances. We have no prolific striker but have managed to win ugly by the odd goal. We haven't played well since the Birmingham game but luckily our rivals have also been slipping up at the right time.
**** Palace- this is about HCFC. So many opposition fans say how crap we are how average we are etc We don't have a goalscorer and we don't have players that are rated by other fans or 'the pundits'. Yet we're where we are. How come?
"I don't think there was much in the game. I thought we were probably the better team, we probably created more chances. I thought it was a tight game, not much in it." Loser Mowbray after the match.
We're good. It's that stage of the season where you do have to grind it out, and as City have been up in top areas of the league all season, teams do now adopt tricky gameplans against us. Add to that the fact we've been missing, long term, probably the two best goalscorers in our squad (Aluko & Fryatt), and we've had to do it ugly and hang on at times. We have some class, no doubt. We are here on merit.
The table doesn't lie with 5 games to, best manager in the Championship and if Aluko had stayed fit we may have won it.
Yeah the table doesn't lie and my point was that at times we have looked ordinary .....which led to the question about superb management of modest group....or a great squad who are inconsistent.
The second option is about right, it's not only the players fault for the inconsistency though, Bruce has done a great job without a doubt but sometimes he is slow to react with tactics or doesn't bring fresh legs in when they are needed. So it's the team and manager that are very good but inconsistent. Average doesn't come into it.
You don't stay in the top six for three quarters of the season by simply being an average team riding on good fortune. We're not a finished article by any means and having a manager of Bruce's calibre has really progressed us as a club. We've lost some key players over the season (Aluko, Fryatt, Macca and Dudge) yet we've remained in the top places. It's shows how good this squad is when it can lose key players yet still keep going at the top.
This is a great and well timed poll! I can remember back to when folk on the terraces, in the dugouts and in the studios were praising our style and ability, but we simply kept under the radar. It did stop as we started to play uncharacteristic football that brought in an unhealthy measure of inconsistency. We have brought players in who have to adapt and we have lost critical players at crucial times - injuries have raped us at times. I personally believe that the only reason we have maintained our promotion bid is because we have a good, but frequently unsettled team under a very good manager. I am option 2, but there have been times when we have over-achieved and overcome injuries. I don't know if that helps!
^^^This^^^ Missing Hobbs, Meyler as well, only two centre half left now. Chester's been an unsung hero this season, consistently ace. If we'd have had Fryatt, Aluko and a fully fit squad we'd have secured promotion already. If we miss out, it'll be the injuries that's cost us. Who's off to Ipswich ? I'm buying tickets on Monday?
