Lambert had a fair measure of luck with two sending offs producing two unlikely wins. The results are only part of the picture as our performances indicate that we should be able to pick up more points than we have been. Yes the individual mistakes need to be cut down (they'll never be eliminated entirely, as Joe Hart demonstrated). I'm still optimistic that both AN and the players will prove more effective as the season goes on.
Cheers JK. It makes for grim reading, but frankly it sounds about right based on how performances have been. The only positive we have is that, remarkably, four teams have definitely been worse than us so far. I know we're supposed to focus on ourselves and do the best, but frankly if three of those four teams keep performing worse than us for the rest of the season I couldn't care less. We're now into our tough run, if we can get a point or three against Swansea that should keep our heads above water. Once we come out of the tough run if we're still clear of relegation zone it will start to look a little healthier. We also, Liverpool match aside, haven't really had any luck and I'm sure we will get a few more times where we get the rub of the green.
Well that certainly looks healthier now JK. Amazing that the 2012/13 team had 14 points from only 9 goals for. This will be even more interesting when we reach the half-way stage. please log in to view this image
One thing is for sure, its going to be close come the end of the season!! Wouldn't it be nice for us to 'do a Sunderland' and pick up some wins towards the end of the season against some of the big boys!
And bear in mind how narrow our two recent defeats were - against last year's champions...and this year's 'champions-elect' (Or maybe not so much after Saturday's Liverpoo result )
I still think that our performances have been better than our results indicate and I also think that goal difference is a good indicator by this point in the season: Norwich(-8), Newcastle(-12), Bournemouth(-13), Sunderland(-13), Villa(-14) A better goal difference can be like an extra point by the final reckoning at the end of the season, which is why I think these recent performances bode well for us. We're only 1 point off a point a game so far, whereas Newcastle are 3 off, Bournemouth are 4 off, Sunderland are 7 off, and Villa are 8 off. That's a key advantage at this stage and hopefully those gaps will increase.
I saw in an article today that no team has ever avoided relegation after just 5 points from their first 13 games. It would dramatically help our chances if both Villa and Sunderland could get cut adrift, and a very similar thing helped Lambert in his first season with Wolves and Blackburn. It just makes the season so much easier by relieving pressure.
For sure - if the bottom two get cut well adrift (and I don't want to talk it up, but they're making a pretty decent fist of it already!) then it means the third and final 'R' spot is fought out between those teams between 18th and 13th / 14th in the table. Nothing personal, Villains and Black Cats, but more of the same please... for the remaining 25 games of the season
Well done on the update JK! We have improved against the Lambert year of 2011-12 because we took a 5-1 thrashing by ManCity in the 14th match that year. Bit different to our 2-1 late defeat a couple of weeks ago.
That paints a rather grim picture, so here's one a bit more cheery! please log in to view this image Bah!
That does make it look grimmer than I thought. Even if you allow us 2 extra wins, say v Stoke and West Ham, we'd then only have the same numbers as the last time we went down. We need a win or 2 in the next 4 games. Still can't believe we were relegated in 94/95, by the way!
