...are going to define our season in my opinion.
So let's take a look at what we have coming:
Cardiff City (home)
Manchester United (away) League Cup 4th Round
Manchester City (away)
West Ham United (home)
Newcastle United (away)
Crystal Palace (home)
By anyone's reckoning, there's 'points to be had' amongst them, and I think we will find out by the final whistle against Palace whether we are to spend a season in mid table, looking over our shoulders (much like last season and as the vast majority of us felt would be the case this year) or a season playing catch up. We also might find ourselves in a League Cup quarter final for the second year running. Our season could have a significantly different slant on it by the end of November or we could be deep in the mire. Before the season kicked off I predicted we'd have 13 points after 10 games - this is still possible, although extremely unlikely. Judging by the next two games we are 3 points behind where I thought we'd be after 8 games (10 points). In other words, had Snodgrass scored that penalty against Villa and we gone on to win (as I'm sure we would have based on what I saw in that match), we'd be sitting 13th and Villa would be in the bottom three. The margins are quite fine at this stage of the season.
Now that didn't happen and we are where we are, but the last three games (four if you include the Watford comeback which will have given us confidence) have been very encouraging. On Saturday, Arsenal scored some sensational goals. Indeed, the opening goal by Wilshere is for me, the finest team goal I have ever seen in my life. Truly breathtaking and unstoppable. I read some fans say that we were 'statuesque'! Ok, you try defending passing that quick and intricate in a 5 yard square!! It was right out of the top drawer and I bet we don't see a better goal all season. We played well at The Emirates, just as we did against Chelsea. Strangely, although the scoreline seemed harsh it was probably also fair (if that makes sense).
Arsenal's quality was deserving of the three goal margin, even if our performance was worthy of something much tighter. Ruddy was superb, looked back to his best. Sometimes, you just have to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by something special and unlike the previous week, we were undone by skill as opposed to bad luck and a sloppy mistake. No shame in that, no shame at all. I thought it at the time and in hindsight I was right that the the decision to take Tettey off left us open to a hammering even if it did show that the manager was trying to get us back into the game - Hughton made the wrong call there. Having said that, had he stayed on I think we'd have still lost by a similar scoreline anyway, as we were tiring after chasing the game for so long against a team brimming with confidence. But we gave them a few scares - that was a very tough game for them, no question about it. The home fans were extremely concerned for a long period of that match that we'd take something from it.
But that's gone now, so to the next few games. Cardiff was always going to be a big match for us as it was one on paper which shouted out '3 points' before a ball had been kicked, and it still does. The glamour and glory that The Bluebirds felt early in the season will now have gone, replaced by the grind of the Premier League, where bad calls always go against you and you get a thumping every now and then. It's a good time to play them. After what has happened in the past week in South Wales, I have to say my opinion of Malky Mackay as a manager has diminished somewhat (not as a man - I love him to pieces). To allow his loyal right hand man to be pushed out of the door, with seemingly little fight suggests Malky is not quite as strong as I for one believed. On this evidence alone I'm not sure I'd be as keen on him arriving as manager here in the future. This game is there for the taking if we play as well as we have done in recent weeks. I would drop Martin (who had a 'mare at the weekend) and get Whittaker back in, not just because of Martin's form but Snodgrass' too - he seems to link better with the former Rangers man in my opinion. The rest of the team is fine although RvW should come in if fit.
Then we face United in the cup - a bit of a 'freebie' if you like. Hopefully we'll play with the pressure off and you just never know in cup football, just ask Luton. Citeh away is similar to Arsenal away. Yes we beat them last season but this is a team who have lost just 3 of their last 62 home games in the league. Anything from this game is a bonus. After this game, we should be aiming for a minimum of 7 points points from these next three games. West Ham at home is perfectly winnable if we perform well, Newcastle away is also a possible win while Palace too we should be looking for maximum points. 7 points would be a good result from these, 6 would be good too. Anything less than that (unless we win at Citeh) and I think we are below par.
So let's say we pick up 10 points from those next 5 games, a target which I feel, on current form, is perfectly attainable, that would give us 17 points from 13 games. I would suggest that is probably where we'd all have liked us to be at that stage. I think 14 points after 13 would be acceptable but if we struggle over the next five league games and have a lower total then I think the manager is going to be in trouble with a larger section of the fans than he currently is. It is still a vocal minority who are fighting for change and I think the past few performances have shown that some who were maybe calling for change before, were a little more on the fence than they maybe thought at the time.
The lead up to Christmas will be important. We can begin to find our true position within the league, which I don't think we have yet. I've watched a lot of games this season and there is no way that we are one of the three weakest teams in this division. Having watched Villa yesterday, they are no better than us. In fact, I still think we'll finish above them - and I doubt many on here think Villa will go down this year. I'm not a happy clapper. All I am is someone who can see that we aren't far away from pulling ourselves up the table. I'm glad to see others still feel the same way even after a heavy defeat.
OTBC IHWT
So let's take a look at what we have coming:
Cardiff City (home)
Manchester United (away) League Cup 4th Round
Manchester City (away)
West Ham United (home)
Newcastle United (away)
Crystal Palace (home)
By anyone's reckoning, there's 'points to be had' amongst them, and I think we will find out by the final whistle against Palace whether we are to spend a season in mid table, looking over our shoulders (much like last season and as the vast majority of us felt would be the case this year) or a season playing catch up. We also might find ourselves in a League Cup quarter final for the second year running. Our season could have a significantly different slant on it by the end of November or we could be deep in the mire. Before the season kicked off I predicted we'd have 13 points after 10 games - this is still possible, although extremely unlikely. Judging by the next two games we are 3 points behind where I thought we'd be after 8 games (10 points). In other words, had Snodgrass scored that penalty against Villa and we gone on to win (as I'm sure we would have based on what I saw in that match), we'd be sitting 13th and Villa would be in the bottom three. The margins are quite fine at this stage of the season.
Now that didn't happen and we are where we are, but the last three games (four if you include the Watford comeback which will have given us confidence) have been very encouraging. On Saturday, Arsenal scored some sensational goals. Indeed, the opening goal by Wilshere is for me, the finest team goal I have ever seen in my life. Truly breathtaking and unstoppable. I read some fans say that we were 'statuesque'! Ok, you try defending passing that quick and intricate in a 5 yard square!! It was right out of the top drawer and I bet we don't see a better goal all season. We played well at The Emirates, just as we did against Chelsea. Strangely, although the scoreline seemed harsh it was probably also fair (if that makes sense).
Arsenal's quality was deserving of the three goal margin, even if our performance was worthy of something much tighter. Ruddy was superb, looked back to his best. Sometimes, you just have to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by something special and unlike the previous week, we were undone by skill as opposed to bad luck and a sloppy mistake. No shame in that, no shame at all. I thought it at the time and in hindsight I was right that the the decision to take Tettey off left us open to a hammering even if it did show that the manager was trying to get us back into the game - Hughton made the wrong call there. Having said that, had he stayed on I think we'd have still lost by a similar scoreline anyway, as we were tiring after chasing the game for so long against a team brimming with confidence. But we gave them a few scares - that was a very tough game for them, no question about it. The home fans were extremely concerned for a long period of that match that we'd take something from it.
But that's gone now, so to the next few games. Cardiff was always going to be a big match for us as it was one on paper which shouted out '3 points' before a ball had been kicked, and it still does. The glamour and glory that The Bluebirds felt early in the season will now have gone, replaced by the grind of the Premier League, where bad calls always go against you and you get a thumping every now and then. It's a good time to play them. After what has happened in the past week in South Wales, I have to say my opinion of Malky Mackay as a manager has diminished somewhat (not as a man - I love him to pieces). To allow his loyal right hand man to be pushed out of the door, with seemingly little fight suggests Malky is not quite as strong as I for one believed. On this evidence alone I'm not sure I'd be as keen on him arriving as manager here in the future. This game is there for the taking if we play as well as we have done in recent weeks. I would drop Martin (who had a 'mare at the weekend) and get Whittaker back in, not just because of Martin's form but Snodgrass' too - he seems to link better with the former Rangers man in my opinion. The rest of the team is fine although RvW should come in if fit.
Then we face United in the cup - a bit of a 'freebie' if you like. Hopefully we'll play with the pressure off and you just never know in cup football, just ask Luton. Citeh away is similar to Arsenal away. Yes we beat them last season but this is a team who have lost just 3 of their last 62 home games in the league. Anything from this game is a bonus. After this game, we should be aiming for a minimum of 7 points points from these next three games. West Ham at home is perfectly winnable if we perform well, Newcastle away is also a possible win while Palace too we should be looking for maximum points. 7 points would be a good result from these, 6 would be good too. Anything less than that (unless we win at Citeh) and I think we are below par.
So let's say we pick up 10 points from those next 5 games, a target which I feel, on current form, is perfectly attainable, that would give us 17 points from 13 games. I would suggest that is probably where we'd all have liked us to be at that stage. I think 14 points after 13 would be acceptable but if we struggle over the next five league games and have a lower total then I think the manager is going to be in trouble with a larger section of the fans than he currently is. It is still a vocal minority who are fighting for change and I think the past few performances have shown that some who were maybe calling for change before, were a little more on the fence than they maybe thought at the time.
The lead up to Christmas will be important. We can begin to find our true position within the league, which I don't think we have yet. I've watched a lot of games this season and there is no way that we are one of the three weakest teams in this division. Having watched Villa yesterday, they are no better than us. In fact, I still think we'll finish above them - and I doubt many on here think Villa will go down this year. I'm not a happy clapper. All I am is someone who can see that we aren't far away from pulling ourselves up the table. I'm glad to see others still feel the same way even after a heavy defeat.
OTBC IHWT
except that maybe you do an injustice to marbles! "Must win game" is just another example of the cliched football nonsense in which too much discussion of football is couched. It would be fun to collect a phrase book for football fans made up entirely of such pearls of wisdom.