So 9 games to go. 5 at home. Got to be 5 home wins, 2 aways and 2 draws. replicate what Burnley did in their last 9 games. Bristol City. WIN Wolves. WIN Brentford. WIN Leeds. WIN Rotherham. WIN Away Derby. DRAW Huddersfield. WIN Reading. DRAW Bolton. WIN In our last 9 games: Hull City. W 2. D 4. L 3. Goals Scored 5. Conceded 5. 10 points. Burnley. W 7. D 2. Scored 14. Conceded 5. 23 points. Brighton. W 5. D 3. L 1. Scored 15. Conceded 7. 18 points. Middlesbrough. W 4. D 2. L 3. Scored 10. Conceded 7. 14 points. Derby. W 4. D 2. L 3. Scored 11. Conceded 10. 14 points. Sheff Wed. W 4. D 3. L2. Scored 13. Conceded 4. 15 points. Ideally we should score 18 goals, 2 a game, this should ensure automatic. But... Looking at those stats 10 to 15 is the norm. Burnley picked up 23 points from 14 goals scored and only conceded 5. This should be doable with our defence. So we need to score around 14 goals. The tricky bit. Who's going to score them. Burnley's goals were scored by Vokes 7 (2pens). Gray 4 (1pen). Ward, Arfield and Mee. 2 defenders and a midfielder. Where are our goals going to come from? Top scorers so far in the League. 16 Hernandez. 6 Clucas and Diame 3 Akpom and Elmo. 2 Meyler, Aluko and Jake. 1.9 players on one. We need Hernandez to come back firing on all cylinders. At best I'd say 5. If Mo and Clucas can weigh in with 4 between them then it'll be a fair return for them. Thats still 5 needed. We really need to score some from corners and dead ball situations. Davies and Dawson really dont look like they are going to score. Do we bring Harry in and go 3 at the back, just for that bit of danger from set pieces? ATMOSPHERE. Its pretty poor. OLM said the club were going to do some discounts. When? We really need to ramp it up and show some support. It must be better to hear a crowd roaring you on and encouraging you, there's nerves showing on the pitch. People may not like the clappers but they do make some noise. I'd get them in for the Brizzle game. Come on City.
We must hope for the best, but really the team ought not to have got in this position. Regarding the atmosphere, there always seems to be some reason why sizeable sections of the crowd are disenchanted, the present time is no exception and thus some fans are not easily lifted.
We won't win all our final games, as you say we can't really afford to lose any of them but I just can't see us staying unbeaten. It'd be great if we can come back firing, but there's no confidence in that squad at the moment.
The international breaks are never popular with teams who are on a roll. They tend to break up the momentum. However on the other side for a team like City who seem to be losing their mojo it comes at a perfect time. we can only hope...
****ing hell. Why can't you put that much effort into the match day threads?? Is your missus still away?
On paper those home games look all winnable.. but so did MK Dons & Forest.. the international break COULD work in our favour.. we have to outperform Boro & Brighton now..
We needed to address it with a loan signing. I don't see the current form from our current goal getters improving anytime soon. We've lost our mojo, had about 6 windows to do something about it and failed.
Why do you suppose that was? Lack of money? Nobody out there? Bruce didn't think we needed anybody else? We should get burns to ask the question really.
Yeah, I mean none of the other 91 clubs in the country would be wanting some extra goals or another useful striker at this stage of the season, eh?
That's why I said 'Needed'. I know the window is closed now. Which makes it all the more ridiculous. Within touching distance, the owners do really need the riches of the PL to help sell the club - yet we have done nothing.
Something's clearly changed in the Allam's mindset, this was made crystal clear when we failed to sign Andre Gray. That failure to sign him could have been down to just one of several reasons, or a combination of a few. Perhaps the most damning one would be a waning of confidence in the managers previous striker signings. It appears to me that the Allam's are currently hoping that we get promoted despite their apparent financially paralysed mindset. They appear to have withdrawn their financial support, and if this is the case then there's little wonder that Steve Bruce doesn't look a well man at the moment.
