top ten finish was the aim at the beginnign of the season, and our season should be judged on that. The blip was hardly Bruce's fault, unless he was deliberately injuring the players.... Our medical staff need to be looked at, as well how hard we train etc.
sum up the season.... which season, as i have three, hot season, where it's just ****ing hot, rainy season, where it's just ****ing hot, but wet, cold season, which is pretty much like the hot season. there you go big chris. p.s the skunks have got two seasons left in the prem..... spring and summer...
Folks I think we have got to put things into perspective here. Our aim for this season was to finish in the top 10 and that is still achievable. The first half to the season was great and that raised everyones (including mine) hopes that we could go better than tenth and maybe get into Europe. We then went on the bad run but dont forget that run coincided with us having to play the so called top teams during Feb to the beginning of April. Forget the injuries and the obvious loss of confidence that comes with losing we probably all thought at the beginning of the season we wouldn't get much from these games and would have hoped to have accumulated enough points by then to stave off any worries. Worries there have been, but we had an improved performance against Birmingham followed by a win against Wigan and things suddenly appear rosier. We have in my opinion 4 winnable games left and I know we have to go out and do the business but if we beat Bolton and win two of our other three games then who knows we could still be finishin in the top 8. If that was the case would we be happy. I think we might just consider it a successful season. So lets just see where we are after 38 games thats when the success of our season will be defined
This. Aside from the top 5 teams everyone in the leauge has been inconsistent this season, and even Chelsea had a slump. Beating Chelsea 3-0 did not define our Season, Neither did getting beat 5-1 off that lot. This season has been all about surprise results, but after 38 games you finish where you deserve. If we finish in the top 10, it's progress.
So far the season has been a success for me, I have only had to worry about relegtion for a couple of weeks up to the Wigan game, spent most of the season in the top half, injuries though cost a top ten finish, that's how it looks at the moment, having said that the result against Wigan would have raised the confidence of the team by a long way. I dont blame SB for the poor run recently, when I think about it, how many other managers would have coped with an injury list like ours. It did however show the lack of quality in depth, hopefully I won't have been the only one to see that & SB SNQ & Pope Ellis will get together & get it sorted.
It has been an unusual season to say the least. Chelsea away is probably the happiest i've been watching safc since 1973 at Wembley. There again halloween is probably the worst i've felt since 0-8 at west ham in the 60's (I wasn't at Watford) Before a ball was kicked this season I thought we could finish 7th and with luck 6th, as i thought we were far better than Fulham who were 7th 2 seasons ago. So some really good performances early season, some ****e after new year. Some poor tactics from SB. In a word the season has been a disappointment as we have no chance of finishing 7th which I believe we could have.
Typical SAFC lads build you up with some great results in the first half of the season then drop like a stone in the second half. Disappointing but not wholly unexpected.
Started, ok, got better, started to believe,,,,,,,,,,,,AGAIN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, then crap................ same old Sunderland, just more expensive for the punters.
Can't fault what you've said, dansafc. The trouble is the goalposts have moved. There's always four or five teams battling relegation. Then there's another little group just above that. Then there's usually a cut to the next level round about tenth place, and it's that next level we were looking for. The trouble is that cut hasn't turned out to be tenth. If you look at the table today (Thursday) there's only four points between Birmingham in 15th place and Fulham in 9th. Then there's a four point gap to Bolton in 8th. That's the jump in standard we were hoping for, and the truth is we haven't made it. We're still in that third tier, whether we call it 8th, 10th or whatever. I don't blame Bruce for the blip necessarilly. But he has no ideas what to do about it - twice. So whereas any manager can hit a blip, Bruce's blips become long ones.