Serious question---How far have we really come?

Don’t get me wrong I was delighted with yesterdays performance and result and I am well aware of how much better our squad is, but have we come as far as we believe we have?

When we beat Chelsea we did not just beat them, we out played them and in every area we were better than them, was that the case yesterday?

We rode our luck at times yesterday and I know we could have snatched it but did we out play Arsenal? Is the fact that I, along I suspect with you, are overjoyed to get a no score draw a sign of not how far we have come but how far we still have to go.

This is not meant to be a negative post, it’s meant to be a post to spark debate.

Are our expectations higher than our achievements and should we lower them?

Interested to hear your views.

 

We rode our luck at times yesterday and I know we could have snatched it but did we out play Arsenal? Is the fact that I, along I suspect with you, are overjoyed to get a no score draw a sign of not how far we have come but how far we still have to go.

There are maybe 2 or 3 teams in the world capable of outplaying Aresnal, we are not one of them. We saw what we can do when everything clicks, ie the Chelsea game but that doesn't happen very often or not often enough.
I was very pleased with yesterday's performance, our defence were incredible and every player put in a shift.
We need to do that every game though, not just against the big boys.
Looking at our run in, it's still very possible to finish 6th this season and I will be disappointed if we finish below 8th.
KTF.

 

Glass half full or half empty? THE perennial conundrum faced by every SAFC supporter Syd! Progress made, but the journey goes on imho.

Likely to end up between 6th and 8th with c.52 points this year. If we do it will more than match my hopes, so we're ahead. Next year - which will be SB's 3rd season in charge will be the one where I think we can make a judgement on the overall managerial package he has brought, and what could be seen as realistic as regards potential European adventures and trophies.

 

Morning Bizzare, and I agree with you and its that fact that gives me that little concern. I read a lot about get past these hard games then we have a good run in, its the teams in the run in that get us. I, like you believe a top 6 or 7 finish is more than possible but to do it we need to move up. We need to be a team that other teams are dlighted to get a 0-0 draw against.

 

Good summary 59 and I think its the one I go with

 

We rode our luck but we also defended a lot better than we had in the previous 4 games so maybe the Everton result has given them the kick up the backside they needed. Still happy with anything above 12th for this season top ten would put us about a year ahead of schedule so as long as we don't throw it away in the last 6 or 7 games we should be okay for a decent finish. All the Europe talk was very premature and by some old heads who shold know SAFC better than that. Still a good weekend for us another point on the board the mags got beat just need a nice Man Utd win over Liverpool to keep them within touching distance of ourselves HAPPY DAYS.

 

I believe the clear sign of progress is that these days we can take and beat anyone by playing football. We did it at the Lane, The Bridge and now at The Emirates - serious progress ...can we do this at Sid James's next season too though-but if you don't mind?

Think back to the days when we'd try and hang on in suffering wave after wave of attack with the only respite -hoof it again. I recall steaming with frustration "HAVE A F---ing GO WILL YOU!?" - these days I expect to have a real go when we meet these teams home or away.

You want progress? We finish the season above them again & a top 10 finish would be fine and preferably 8th or better. The whole show feels like its moving in a much better direction -oh yes we can, change is coming.

 

Syd ~ You have come as far as a no armed man in a tossing competition. Neewhere.

 

we have come on tenfold . our london preformances alone tells me that . a TOP 8 finnish will be the iceing on the cake .

 

But still above you

 

Of course we have come on in leaps and bounds, don't forget the injuries, and another 2 new players trying to . settle into the team. When we are back to full strength i know in my heart a top 6 place is on the cards, Dannys back just in time for the party, we really need to pull all the stops to buy him.

 

We have a decent record against Arsenal (1 loss in last 11 games I believe) and have played well and picked up points against the other top clubs this season ,so,yes I believe there are signs of improvement.Still alot of things need improving,consistancy,for example,but I'm happy the way things are going.Ask this question next season and it will be easier to answer!

 

syd my opinion is we have taken great strides and will keep going forward, maybe the question is has THIS team come as far as it can? difficult one that as it has been shown that the squad does lack in depth, we have a top 15-16 players that on their day can take on anyone. however what our progress has done is to make safc an appealing moved for top players, so to answer your question how far have we come? a long way as now we attract top players from around the world. end of season some will leave and its up to steve bruce to attact the best players to safc, then we will see just how far we have come, but i believe that we are the most improved team of the year, and the deadwood will be replaced by top players, giving us a top SQUAD, then we can really compete, simple safc most improved team of the year, end of

 

Still think we have a long way to go - I think the comment that we are pleased to get a point says it all, we have a long way to go.

We need our midfield strong man Cattermole back, I think he's missed, as is Turner in my view.

I know all the reports are raving about Bramble but his problem is the same as it always was, he has at least one silly act in him and the rash charge for the ball when he let Nasri thro to give Arshavin his chance was not the action of a sharp defender. However his magnificent stumble into Arshavin was great "defending".

I am not complaining though, minimum 6 points out the last 9 games and I can relax, I've been a Sunderland supporter too long to count my chickens!

 

Our first choice XI is probably the best in living memory. We don't have much depth, true, but then we're not a CL club that can keep players happy by rotating.

We're playing a different kind of football, with much more control, possession and craft than in the past. I can't imagined Reidy or Wilko buying Gyan or Sessegnon. Titus will occasionally hit an up and under, but most of the time it's careful passing.

Our last two buys came from PSG and Inter. And we have the kind of players that other teams want. Till Brucie sold Kenwyne, what was our club record sale? Was it £6M for Bridges? Now we have reported interest around £20m for each of Hendo and Gyan, plust £24M for Bent.

So yes, we have definitely progressed. Sign up Danny, Sulley and Nedum in the summer and I'll be very happy.

 

I think we've progressed a great deal. Certainly it's the best squad and set-up I can remember as a Sunderland supporter. I think that signing players like Sessegnon and Muntari has been amazing, that players from clubs like PSG and Inter want to come to a cold, windy place like Sunderland and play physical football day in, day out. They could have chosen the easy option and stayed in Paris or Milan, but they've come to our club because, as His Quinnliness says; they want to buy into the idea of the club, a club that is so passionate even though we've won only 1 significant trophy in the past 40-odd years.

The future's bright, the future's red and white!

 

Not so long ago after 4 defeats in a row we would have gone to Arsenal, lay down & took a battering, yesterday though the battering for the most part bounced off our defence, so yes we have come a long in the past couple of years, we still have a way to go, but at least we are going in the right direction, the result can serve as a catalyst and have the stadium rocking for the Liverpool game, were hopefully we'll get back to winning ways

 

We are moving in the right direction..the future is red and white,and positive.We must sign our on-loan players on a permanent basis,and that includes Danny.Fergie will deal if the price is right..after all he's a Scot!!!

 

We are still a work in progress but if you think where we were and where we looked like going when Niall took over then we have come a very long way. It depends what your goal is. Top 10 then we are almost there. Champions then we are miles away

 

yeh i agree but i was or mabe still looking foward to europe football