Looking back, our October schedule was about as easy as it gets: away at Reading and South Hampton and a struggling 'Villa at home. Five points from those three games is an acceptable haul, but we should have done better. November looks a bit tougher. This should tell us how good we really are. I'm guessing we'll get 6 points from the 5 games. Everton Home - Not-so-easy win Arsenal Away - Loss Sunderland Home - Easier Win Stoke Away - Loss Chelsea Away - Likely Loss
November has never been a great month for us if my memory is correct, even going back pre-Premier. But I think home form this season has picked up, so that top teams coming to Fulham will not see us as a easy win. Last season I think we played better against the top teams away than we did the lower teams sometimes.
I'd like to think the boys will raise their game against better opposition. I think 8 points! How cool would that be? COYW p.s. Demps, it's Southampton - one word ol' son! LOL
We have taken points from top teams over the past year - 5-8 points is ok. Really looking forward to the challenge of Everton at home (well, we never get anything at their place). C O Y W
Ever since the fixture list came out I felt that in October we needed to get points on the board to cover us for a difficult November (kind of like squirrels storing up nuts for the winter). If November is a mare, our current points tally means it won't hurt us as much as it might have done. The 4 dropped points against Reading and Southampton may sting a bit more if things go badly, but I'm not as concerned as I feared that I might have been.
Captain - that's my feeling as well. If we were hovering just above the drop zone, I'd be worried, but we've got a little room to breathe. December, on the other hand, could prove a fruitful month for us: Home against Tottenham Home against Newcastle QPR Away Liverpool away Home against Southampton Home against Swansea I can envision us getting as many as 15 points in December.
This run will be a good test of our defence and squad depth- I think Dejegah will prove to be a good signing over the next month. I'm not sure how the Everton game will go- Brede will be put under pressure with crosses and long balls to Felliani and Jelavic. Even if we don't pick up too many points we should be alright- it could be worse- Hughes's points average of 0.33 in first 9 games has QPR set to get 12.6 (I'll be kind and round it up to 13) by the end of the season!
I don't think there's too much to be worried about there bar Chelsea away. Last nights game against Reading and on the weekend against QPR proved that Arsenal are by no means a great team at the moment and that if we attack them we have a good chance of scoring. Stoke away will be tough but they have absolutely no penetration up front, so keeping a clean sheet should be relatively simple. The home games are most certainly winnable and who knows what is going to happen against QPR.
I'm not sure I follow the logic about Arsenal, Bandit - they've just scored seven goals with their reserves! Before you say, 'it was only Reading', that's still four goals more than we scored against them, and Arsenal went on to win the match while we could only draw. I agree that we've got a chance against them, but I think we've got a chance against anyone. It's still a tough match.
The logic is simple Captain. We are one of the top scorers in the league, so scoring against a defence that conceded five to Reading a few days ago won't be much of a problem. The problem, however, will of course be keeping out the likes of Podolski and Cazorla.
Agreed Bandit, although we'll now be helped by Gervinho being ruled out - he made a big impact when he came on in last year's 1-1 draw. http://www.london24.com/sport/arsenal/arsenal_star_ruled_out_of_man_utd_fulham_and_tottenham_clashes_1_1677605 My son and I are repeating last year by going to the Arsenal and Chelsea away games - we were far from optomistic then but got a very pleasant surprise in both games. It would be nice to make it a nap hand and take in all five games but I think we'll give Stoke a miss. So, as we do, will only make a prediction for the four matches we are going to watch and .... we'll settle for 7 points.
I love the fact we are scoring well but I'd prefer to have a couple less goals and shore up our defence. I worry a lot that we will keep on shipping stupid goals all season if we don't get another quality CB in, particularly as it appears hangelands mind is on other things at the moment.
Well, there go two of the three points I was counting on from this game. Everton are good; there's no doubt about it. We were thoroughly outplayed.
