All of us are about to find out whether we are a team capable of big things or not. So far our comparison with last season is pretty good... Palace Away won (last year reading won 3-1) equal Swansea Home won (last year won 1-0) equal Arsenal Away lost (last year lost 5-2) equal Norwich Home won (last year drew 1-1) plus 2 Cardiff Away won (last year wigan drew 2-2) plus 2 Chelsea Home drew (last year lost 4-2) plus 1 West Ham lost (last year won 3-1) minus 3 Villa away won (last year won 4-0) equal Hull Home won (last year Qpr won 2-1) equal thats 19 points from 9 matches that means fixture by fixture we are 2 points better of this season than last (when we got our highest ever points total in the premier League era) If I had used qpr instead of reading for the comparison with the Palace match and wigan instead of the Qpr for the Hull game we would have been 7 points better off so I am not trying to make us look better than we are. Our next set of matches are: Everton Away (last year we lost 2-1) Europa league Home Newcastle Home (last year we won 2-1) Man City Away (last year we lost 2-1) Europa League Away Man Utd Home (last year we drew 1-1) Fulham Away (last year we won 2-1) Sunderland Away (last year we won 2-1) Europa League Home Liverpool Home (last year we won 2-1) Q/F CoC v West Ham Southampton Away (last year we won 2-1) West Brom Home (last year we drew 1 all) Stoke Home (last year we drew nil nil) That was 18 points from those 10 games last season ... 5 wins 3 draws and 2 losses I get that stats do not tell the whole story...I know that we aren't creating many chances at times but I do think that apart from the West Ham match (in which I thought we came across as arrogant in our tactics, team selection and effort on the pitch) that the criticism is a little OTT.
Every club has a tough run, never understood why people look at a run of fixtures as all it does is create unnecessary worry, not a dig at the OP, but the old saying '' take one game at a time '' that's the only way to manage. Maybe for fans it's interesting but hopefully our management aren't looking at the fixtures and feeling under more pressure to win '' easier '' games because they have a tough run to prepare for.
We need the win against Newcastle, and a lively one with a couple of goals would be a big plus before what now looks like a daunting away game at Man City. I really think if we can beat Newcastle, a draw at Man City is doable. Though I don't know why I think that, teams tend to be so up and down...
"Not even we can keep a clean sheet at City at the moment. I'm not expecting anything from that game." Keeping the GD in that game down to 2, without having parked the bus, would be a victory.
If we went there with: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Kaboul, Chiriches, Vertonghen, Rose Capoue, Sandro, Paulinho Soldado It'd be a monumental task for any side to break down, besides, it wouldn't change too much to our attacking plan, Soldado still won't get any service
How about their clean sheet? depends if Hart is recalled. If they keep (no pun intended...ok, it was!) Pantaloonman you're probably right. Most of them will have the hump over the 3-1 beating we gave them last, I know we were at home that day, but that won't make any difference to City's players.
Everton did quite well in their recent game at City, who had some assitance from the ref (I believe). City are not unbeatable, and we have just the team to stifle them. The great thing is that we don't go into any games with 'no chance' as was the case not so many years ago - how quickly people forget!
City used to be our bitch not so long ago, as VH says we should go into every game feeling we can win. It's a tough run and I think we'll find out a lot more about our team in the next couple of months.
I think Hart may have had some bearing on previous iffy results for City, so I can't say I share the same degree of optimism with that reasoning, they seem a bit calmer with Pantsdown in goal. We should know all about that with the Brad/Lloris debate last season, it makes a hell of a difference to a defenders life.
Our next set of matches are: Everton Away (last year we lost 2-1) +1pt Newcastle Home (last year we won 2-1) Newcastle are quite up and down at the moment, if we can stifle them like we have most other teams we can get a win - equal Man City Away (last year we lost 2-1) If we beat Newcastle there will be less presure on this game, and a 1-1 is not a bad result at all. - +1pt Man Utd Home (last year we drew 1-1) Utd have looked better in the last few weeks, but not amazing. We have to fancy ourselves at home, and a win is possible - 2-1 - +3pts Fulham Away (last year we won 2-1) I'm feeling a win - equal Sunderland Away (last year we won 2-1) win - equal Liverpool Home (last year we won 2-1) I think SAS will be too much for us. - -3pts Southampton Away (last year we won 2-1) think this will be a draw - -2pts West Brom Home (last year we drew 1 all) Draw - equal Stoke Home (last year we drew nil nil) win - +2pts I make that - +2pts on last year which is good form (even if most games have to be endured rather than enjoyed atm)
The four game stretch from Everton away to Man U at home is one of the two hardest runs of games we'll have this season. I can't get past the idea that the most important thing is to beat Newcastle at home, the one fixture we have a (reasonably) good history with. If we win Sunday, we'd have four points from the first two games, and be in good shape to do well in the four game stretch. If not, not.
