Now this is a big IF but IF we were to pick up 4 points from our next 4 games, compared to our fixtures against the opposition so far last season we would be only 1 point from from the total last season. ......................11/12 points..12/13 points Fulham........(a) 2-1....0.........5-0.....0 QPR............(h) 2-1....3.........1-1......1 Spurs..........(a) 1-2....6.........1-1.....2 West Ham....(h) 3-3....7..........0-0.....3 Comparing to blackburn Newcastle....(a) 1-0.....7.........1-0.....3 Liverpool......(h) 0-3....7..........2-5.....3 Chelsea........(a) 3-1....7..........4-1.....3 Arsenal........(h) 1-2...7..........1-0......6 Villa.............(a) 3-2...7............D......7 Stoke...........(h) 1-1...8............w.....10 So even though it seems that bad, as i say IF we pick up those 4 points then its not exactly that bad! Just a bit of fresh blood in the starting line up and we all know who were on about then i believe we can pick those points up
sorry holty, not sure i really understand the thread but certainly all is not lost... we've played six games for crying out loud!!
yes, sorry, i see it now - me being a bit thick! don't see how its particularly relevant though seeing as so much has changed between seasons - you just can't compare them in my opinion. but the gist of the thread is right, in that plenty can change in a short space of time and things could look very different in two or three weeks time.
On the bright side - we could have got our "blip" out of the way early on and can now charge on. Every side goes on a bad run during the course of a season - maybe we've done ours early
Im just putting the point across about how alot of people our concerned abput how many points were picking up but compared to the same fixtures were not far off! I know comparing them is not the same, but people blabbing about how were doomed cos we beat QPR and Spurs last season and we havent this year! I'm hoping that we pick up points in the games we didnt get as many last year if you catch my drift!?
Thanks for trying to make us feel better, I can see you out a lot of effort into that. My problem is that we look lost out there, it's the performances more than the results for me. I want to see more effort from our guys, we need to be fitter and faster.
So many factors to take into account aren't there. I do think making a comparison with fixtures from last season does have some merit, and I also agree that in a way it's the performance in certain games that is the greater cause for concern than the loss of 3 points. I think it's also true to say that momentum plays a part - picking up points regularly breeds the habit of collecting points and keeping the scoreboard ticking over to coin a cricket phrase. One of the factors I feel could count against us soon is the pressure to win certain games - the match at home to Stoke springs to mind. We didn't really have that at all last season, we were sitting comfortably in the table all season and had several teams below us that just didn't look like picking up enough points. This season I think there will be a number of 'must win' games and it will be interesting to see how we respond to that pressure. If I'm honest, my fear is that we might end up drawing some of these games rather than winning them, and therefore put even more pressure on ourselves to get results away from home. That said, I do think we have the players to survive this season. I think (hope?) Tettey could make a big difference and I also think Fox needs to play more regularly. Bassong does already look to be an absolutely key part of the defence and keeping him fit is going to be crucial. With Butterfield and Bennett still to come in, I think we have the right options in midfield and we must hope that Holty's goal on Saturday is the first of many.
As well as Johnson has played this season, he started last exactly the same and put him on the fringes of the england set up but then just completely lost form and to be honest never really got that back. I really do think Tettey and Fox is the way forward for our midfield. I also know that Hoolahan is important for our team, but i seriously believe that Butterfield could be even better!
What I don't understand is this. Last season our survival in the Premier League was every bit as precarious as this season; despite our belief in Lambert, nobody assumed he was magician enough to see us to safety; nobody knew how it was going to go; but there was none of this angst about being relegated. We accepted that it might happen, even that it was quite likely to happen, and we just got behind the team and resolved to enjoy the ride. This season is exactly the same. Our survival is precarious; we don't know whether Chris Hughton is magician enough to save us (despite his having made signings which by general consensus, have improved our squad); none of us know how it is going to go. BUT all around are people filled with gloomy foreboding and dire predictions, fretting over every slip and shortcoming, cataloguing omens of impending disaster. Why is this? Avoiding relegation is no more important than last season, indeed you can argue it would matter less as regards the well being of NCFC. Why are we finding it impossible to do what we did last season: accept that relegation is a real possibility, even quite likely, while getting fully behind the team and manager, resolved simply to enjoy the ride?
This thread has made me feel a little better but still there is lots to do for Hughton and the team.As said above this is all ifs and buts. The biggest thing is staying in this league as when you are out of it it can take a long time to get back. Some have mentioned the 7 year plan again. A new plan should be in place I.e.how to keep us in the league and not says "oh well it was all part of the plan". I like Hughton and hope he sorts it out but he has his work cut out.
Keep telling yourselves lads that it will all come good in the end and who knows - it might happen. I really do find some of the ' statements of fact ' being made to be rather unsubstantiated. Butterfield will be better than Wes ( our most talented player ) - I have seen that sort of comment made on several threads. On what is that based? We haven't seen him yet so how do you know? He hardly comes to us with a brilliant CV. Our squad is far stronger this year - based on what? We haven't seen enough of Bunn, Butterfield, Tettey, Kane and Whittaker to judge. Is Turner better than Whitbread or Ayala? Will Whittaker be better than Naughton? Did we really need Bunn? Is Snodgrass better than we already had? As far as I can see the only real proven improvement is Bassong but that hardly justifies ' our squad is far stronger this year' I really do think that we will improve as the season goes on as long as confidence is not completely shattered by hammerings in the next 2 games but it also has to be accepted that without considerable improvements in many aspects of the game ( e.g. effort ) we are certainties for the drop.
There is so much truth in what you say. Its unfair for people to say that others should not be concerned about our poor start. On the other hand it is early days and Wigan certainly survived after some hammerings last year. The quotes about certain players being better than others are unfounded at this level. We won't know for instance about Butterfield until he has played in the Premier league for a number of games. But clearly when you have a squad of 25, if certain players are out of form, there is no reason why they can't be replaced.
Nobody has answered my question yet. Why is there all this angst this season when in essence things are no different from last season? surgeryman says "the biggest thing is staying in this league as when you are out of it it can take a long time to get back". That was equally true a year ago, but we all just accepted that even if it would be better to survive, we might not. This year there's hand wringing all round. 1950 questions whether our squad is actually stronger. The only question that matters is whether it is strong enough to keep us up. We don't know, and we didn't know that last year either. I'm asking you people a question about your own psychology but none of you are offering me an answer!
As it stands we are still 2 places from last place, thanks to West Ham Utd last night. Let's perhaps be thankful that our expectations were not set as high as QPR's was. All those "World class" players (not my words) brought in and they appear to be struggling even more than last season! Of course not all is lost for us or QPR, well not yet anyway and while a number of their fans are turning on the manager I hope our fans will back off from this kind of thinking. Yes we can be angry, shocked or stunned by his selections and formations but let's just ride it out for the next two games where we do not realistically expect any points to come our way.
There is a new plan. If you refer to the transcript of David McNally's webchat last week (it's on the club web site), you will see someone asked about the current plan. In reply McNally mentioned several objectives, the first of which was staying in the PL.
Didn't i do a thread about this a couple of weeks ago, comparing exactly the same thing and got shouted down?
