I would be happy with a draw, will be interesting to see whether Gelhardt and or Crooks are in the match day squad.
Stoke really are a head scratcher, with Coates backing them they should be doing a lot better that they are. Pulis must quietly have a smile to himself, they wanted a different type of football, Hughes sis it for a shortish time, but since then they have been chopping and changing and look where it has got them.
Taking seven points from every five games will keep us up and we have four points from our last four – a win on Saturday makes it seven. We need the win if we want to make sure we don’t slip up or make it harder on ourselves.
Since the hapless German left our league form has steadily improved and if it continues we will surely climb the table. Our home form is still very poor though (only Cardiff are currently worse). A draw would be a good result on Saturday if we were picking up most of our points at home - but we're not. We need to find a way to win. A good start would be not to miss the obligatory open goal we get every game.
If I've got this right, we were 22nd when Walter was (rightly) sacked. We are now 23rd. Imo we look better under Selles, but our form relative to others around us hasn't improved as we're now a place lower. Correct me if I'm wrong. We are in big, big trouble. And the needed early signings to get us out of this mess are once again taking their time to happen. Hopefully Crooks and Gelhart will make a positive difference, but neither are coming to us fully match fit so will likely take a few weeks before we benefit fully and we desperately need 2 or 3 more signings that can make a real impact. I'm sure most other clubs around us will be strengthening too. I'm very happy with Selles, but, as you say, we need to find a way to win (a few).
Ye Our form since selles took over Has also seen portsmouth,oxford,qpr n cardiff pick up points too Its going to be a fight to the death
As we saw a few years ago.....anyone can get sucked in.....even a team a point off the playoffs on new years day....
Just because we're positionally lower doesn't mean our PPG isn't higher, it just means the teams around us have also picked up. If anything it illustrates just how important making the change was or we would be cut adrift.
We were bottom when Selles took over, dropped there after Dawson's brief spell in charge. The initial run of fixtures that Selles has had to deal with have been tough, playing a series of teams in and around the play offs, in Selles' run we've only played 2 of the bottom half vs 5 in the top half. In the same way that at the start of the season people say you can't judge the league til you're 10 games in, it's hard to judge Selles until he's had these next 3
... as I posted .."... but our form relative to others around us hasn't improved as we're now a place lower...". I agree, had Walter not been sacked I expect we would now be adrift.
Yes, think you are right, 22nd when Walter was sacked, but bottom when Selles actually took charge (following Daws' brief stint). I have faith in Selles. He needs serious help (with transfers in) asap, and one's that can make a near immediate impact. Not saying that anybody is doing so, but we shouldn't underestimate the deep trouble we are currently in.
Yes, although our form has improved, the teams around us continue to pick up points as well. Over the last ten games our form is still relegation level; over the last 5 and 6 we’re looking more mid table. However, as you point out that doesn’t necessarily mean that we will quickly pull away from danger. Other teams games in hand will drag us downwards - 2 draws last night - and we had quite a points deficit to catch up when we were bottom. If we get to safety, the maths of the situation is that that will take quite a lot of games. We aren’t going to be able to relax at all for the rest of this season (apart from hopefully the final handful of games).
I think Derby will find themselves in the mix. Their form recently and a lot of the underlying stats point towards them having a fall at some point
