..............and we were looking pretty sick with Young and Gabbs out of their depth on the touchline, and Slade holding a watching brief in the stands. That was a Friday night game, and by the time Sunday came around and the weekend was over, the table looked like this: - 05 Oct 2014 UK Position Played Goal Diff Points 1 Norwich 11 11 21 2 Nottm Forest 11 10 21 3 Watford 11 8 21 4 Derby 11 9 20 5 M'boro 11 8 20 6 Ipswich 11 6 19 7 Charlton 11 4 19 8 Wolves 11 3 19 9 Sheff Wed 11 3 17 10 Brentford 11 -1 17 11 Bournemouth 11 2 15 12 Blackburn 11 -2 15 13 Reading 11 -2 15 14 Leeds 11 -2 15 15 Cardiff 11 -1 13 16 Millwall 11 -3 12 17 Rotherham 11 -4 12 18 Huddersfield 11 -8 12 19 Brighton 11 -2 11 20 Birmingham 11 -6 11 21 Wigan 11 -2 10 22 Fulham 11 -10 7 23 Blackpool 11 -8 6 24 Bolton 11 -13 5 Slade came on board and just 8 games later and looking at the current table, what's happened to that top three back then who were level on points and heading the charge? As much as it's gone right for us, something has gone wrong for Forest, Norwich and Watford in the same short space of time. Now we're above two of them and level on points with the other. To be honest, and no disrespect intended (in fact a great deal of respect!), Bournemouth and Brentford look odly out of place up there. Just few weeks back Wolves were joint top - now Jackett can't buy a win and they're down to 12th. This is a crazy division - who's gonna do this? Looks like consistency will get its' rewards come May and even if a bit difficult to watch on times, that's what Slade has brought to the club. Player and system tweaking rather than the eccentric and often erratic changes by OGS must be the way. We might be a bit impatient to see the dominant flowing football stuff, but this is about making up for lost time. Accumulating points and not journo plaudits will do for now - the other stuff can come later.
In fairness to him, didn't Malky do much the same although perhaps a little more flexible with the system? Yes, and we had a much better start. Many have said that when we got promoted we were hardly a flair team and not much fun to watch - other than when Bellers was on song. What we would give now for him and his enthusiasm of 2 years ago!!!
Indeed. I think it's still early days but the signs are promising. The ship's course has been steadied and although we've ridden our luck a little, I think we're definitely able to calm down a little. Let's grind 'em out.
Think we're only 6 points of top? How the hell have we managed that! Think the quality of the division has decreased - no stand out team!
I think the championship has been poor for a number of seasons. When we were promoted it was the worst in many years and hasn't got any better.
A crap league it may be but it is interesting for that. It does though seem like a huge gulf to the Prem. Yoyo teams show that but this issue is added to by the inconsistencies prevalent in the championship. When we went up we started with a small but tight group that a lot of money added what was needed. We failed when we got up coz our additions then were poor. Sparkey is right that consistency will probably get us up but then it's a real lottery. Look at Southampton and Bournemouth and Brentford with us. What magic bullet do they have? Or is it still doomed? Will they get worked out? Or is it youth systems? Soton and Bournemouth have climbed out of deep crap and got moneyed people in but what is it with Brentford?
Brenford are a very well organised outfit with no real standout players, same goes for Bournemouth (remember Kermogants dinked pen, who could forget) but both managers are getting the best out of their respective teams, and i would have thought that the budgets at those clubs in considerably less than the likes of Us, Norwich, Derby etc. However they both have small squads and for them it is all about keeping what they have fit, and more importantly not tired, both in my opinion will start to show these signs in the coming months, when they get the odd injury and the players start to get burnt out a little. The bigger squads will prevail in the end and i totally expect us to make the play off's at the very least.
Don't know much about Brentford other than Rossler set them up as a tight, well organised outfit with great team spirit. All for one and one for all and all that. Continued success up to a point rests on finding the right players with the same ethos and reasonable talent. I know a bit more about Bournemouth and they have some very talented players who we will have to watch carefully on the 13th.
This division is mad. Remember losing at home to Posh 2 season back after 10 straight wins.? On paper City should be comfortable winners v Rotherham but one any day any team can beat another. Still galls me that we gave Blackpool their only win of the season. But that is more evidence of what can happen in this league. it doesn't happen in the top league, but the championship is just so unpredictable. City are doing just about ok without playing quality football; hanging onto the fringes of the top 6 without pulling up any trees. A defensive midfielder, a left winger and a striker in January all of decent pedigree will supplement the solid but unspectacular start.
Nin - I went for the time of the Blackpool game because it was the low point of the season for me. It was our last game before Slade came in, and after the clueless legacy left by OGS, we were rudderless under Young and Gabbs. No offence to them, I'm sure they tried their best but they looked like frightened rabbits caught in the headlights. It needed a fresh and steady hand on the tiller and Slade has provided that in spades. I must say after watching us collect 6 points at the CCS from Forest and Ipswich from his first two games, I was spitting a few feathers when we rolled over at Millwall. I did wonder at the time if those two home games were really indicative of things to come. Looking back at them after we'd just been beaten that day, I wondered if we'd just been lucky to catch Forest on a bad run, and to be honest, Ipswich should have gone in leading 3-0 at half time but then they blew it in the second half. Since then I can see the sense that Slade has brought to proceedings and if he can keep this going until Christmas, we'll have every chance in the New Year and less dependent upon other sides slipping up.
Spark, if ALF had scored one of his two chances v Millwall and him and or Macheda had scored v Birmingham when they both had one on ones we would be 5 points better off now. If we'd taken the lead at either Millwall or Birmingham we would have won. In all honesty as mediocre as we have been at home this season I can't honestly say i've seen a GOOD side come to Cardiff. Middlesbrough were efiicient but we were dire, first half v Norwich we played really well but the then manager cost the game. I don't think you can really throw the cup game v Bournemouth in the mix for discussion as we were so poor Ton Pentre would have beaten us that night. The point I'm trying to make is if we can keep the home form going and pick up a point or two on the road we will be right in the mix come May.
Leo, Norwich passed it around very nicely and deserved the tanking they gave us. Strange then that they have gone completely of the rails. The few times I have seen clips of B'mouth & Brentford they look like they can pass it around very well, and look positive going forward but unsure about their defences and staying power. That I think just leaves Rotherham & Charlton as a team we haven't played. Rotherham look quite neat and well organised but surely will come to defend on Saturday. City always though seem to struggle at the Valley. 5-4 I'd like to think the heavyweight clubs which include City will come through at the end of a 46 game campaign. BUT City have to strengthen in midfield, out wide and up top.
Pete (not Leo ) - the first 30 minutes against Norwich was the best half hour of football I've watched from City for years. We took Norwich apart and then we let them take us to pieces with Hoolihan (a guy I would love in our side) pulling the strings. Cam Jerome made a big difference second half and we had no answer - Ole looked like a little boy lost. Middlesbrough was quite different. We were s**t from the off and lost to a very average side at the time - we could hardly string two passes together. The fact that they're up toward the top right now says it all how poor the Championship is this season. I agree about the chances missed at Millwall and Brum. Not taking those sort of opportunities when they come along in the first half of the season could really tell at the end of it.
