I write this as someone who sits in the R block for every home game . 3 games in and our home form has looked OK to me The last time we were promoted we started the season with a team who seemed to be outclassed every game. We never seemed to have control of the midfield. The season after we didn't seem to care This season, as a biased fan, we seem to have controlled most parts of every home game. We seem to care a lot more. At times we hit the 110% effort and completely control games, winning the ball back at will, though not as much as I would like I admit. We seem to be creating more chances than I have seen us create for some years. We seem to spend far more time on the edge of or in the other teams penalty area than before, including last season. We look more dangerous at corners I think we look like a premiership team at home so far against 3 established mid table teams, all 3 of who are currently probably fairly happy with how they are performing I reckon there are 4 or 5 goals this season in Matty P, Fer, Niko, Mutch, another 2 or 3 from Caulker, Barton, Hoilett, Zamora & 10 each from Vargas and Austin. Give it time lads. I also think harry eventually works out his best away team. I don't know what mine is yet. I know I'm not paid to get it right Players - pros - cons Green - has made some good saves & few obvious howlers for a long time & surely the least of our problems - goals always seem to get around him too easily Traore - thought he had maybe our best ever game for us Saturday & gets forwards well and holds off tricky pacey wingers eg Elmohamady - worries me when left last man with a hanging ball in the air and often seems to go to sleep Caulker - solid and consistent and did well to climb through 3 stoke defenders to score - solid and good enough surely Ferdinand- looked class for his 1st 20 minutes of his 1st game and crouch climbed all over him - but doesn't do it for 90 minutes ever it seems - ROTATE WITH NED & UP THE COMPETITION Isla - some say give him time but yep I agree he worries me - his pecker and keenness still stayed up which 2 seasons ago wouldn't have been the case with several players So lets keep off his back & let him get used to the premiership Joey - solid and holds a lot together - needs some goals and to raise the tempo of all around him. Mutch - looks solid and tidy and keen for a goal - solid and good enough surely Fer - looks to have quick feet and an eye for the goal - at his worst seems like those from 2 years ago - I WOULD DROP/SUB HIM OCCASIONALLY AND KEEP HIM KEEN Kancjar - looked very fit and very good - I worried when we got him back but he is fit so we just need to make sure the showboating doesn't start Matty Phillips - by some distance the best crosser of a ball we have (Traore can do it) and is getting better every game - doesn't control or shield a ball well enough & seems to get tackled when shielding the ball. I would love him to get a goal as I think his confidence would rocket. I think he will improve if he keeps getting games Hoillet - a good sub to have and happy for him to start when injuries kick in & seems to be tracking back better/well - he still runs into trouble more than the others Vargas - pacey and keen so give him time and I am confident he will do his share - some passing to date has been sloppy Charlie - will deliver as he always does and get 10 plus goals - not a true premiership striker though and lacks the pace and first touch to do it alone. Sandro TBA The bench always looks OK these days Pecker up lads and lasses. We have been in much much worse shape before
For me this highlights the problems as well as providing some optimistic relief from the doom and gloom. We are at the moment less than the sum of our parts, if the coaching team and the players can get themselves equal too or greater we should be ok. Other results this weekend didn't go our way - a battling/lucky draw against a pretty good Stoke side would have been an ok result had Man Utd not capitulated and Everton and Spurs not suffered from a Euro hangover.
We have to look at home form mainly since we never seem to travel well consistently. One loss (just), one win and a draw. Not the very worst by a long way although it has put us in the drop zone, hopefully temporarily.
