1 Defeat

[Paulmcfc2703]

We lost 18 times last season. I was saying then that we needed to turn those losses into draws at least.

All you can ask for is progress,it is frustrating but we need to be patient, it will come right.

You cant ignore that there is a fighting spirit in the club and that we are one of the hardest sides to beat.

it can also be perceived from a bottom half teams that we are one of the easiest top teams to get a result out of.

 

[alera]

You cant ignore that there is a fighting spirit in the club and that we are one of the hardest sides to beat.

Indeed this is not in question we have become very hard to beat this much is clear. We have had a fair few easy games though, many of which we should have won, this is also not in question.

it can also be perceived from a bottom half teams that we are one of the easiest top teams to get a result out of.

EXACTLY. A glance at our remaining fixture shows the second half of our season is much more difficult than the first.

We still have Chelsea and Arsenal to play away, Liverpool and scum at home. Villa at home (OK we have a good record but they are in fine form this season) Spuds at home. Plus a raft of tricky away matches. As a starting point thats 6 games where 3 points are anything but a certainly, at least 30% of our remaining fixtures I would rate as very hard.

Conclusion - we have to play much much better in the second half of the season especially in the key winable games if we want to maintain our current position or even push on for a top 4 finish. The only reason we are still in a fair position is that we have made up for some of our really terrible results again the poor sides with excellent results that were unexpected against the top teams - Wins at home against Arsenal and Chelsea, Draws away against Villa and Liverpool.

We cant keep relying on getting very good results against the best sides to keep us in the mix. As we all know its beating the easy teams home and away that gets you in the champions league spots. This has been Arsenals winning formula for years ! They hardly ever get decent results agains the other top 4 sides.

 

[ono]

I might start a thread saying "£250m and we're 2 points above Birmingham" :p

 

[alera]

I might start a thread saying "£250m and we're 2 points above Birmingham" :p

LOL, I pointed this out when I was in a mood during / after the Bolton game. It did not go down well at all but as they say it is an unfortunate truth.

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

I might start a thread saying "£250m and we're 2 points above Birmingham" :p

lol i would it could be worse on thursday ;)

 

[alera]

Birmmingham have an easy ish game at home on Thursday I think they will win. If we draw they will be level on points with us - thats pretty scary considering they are a newly promoted team.

 

[Quinny851]

I notice that there is a common theme here, 1 defeat all season and in the semi final of the cup. I think someone mentioned earlier in this thread that if you take the chelsea game out of the mix then its 8 draws on the spin. look at the teams we played and the results we've had in no particular order:

Villa - 1-1 i think that was actually a good point considering villa were/are flying this season (unprofessional on our part selling dunney to them days before we play i may add)

Birmingham 1-1 we played dreadful this game and for me its a shocking result.

Wigan 1-1 again this is a poor result, i know that they're our bogey side but still with the players we have we should of done better.

Fulham 2-2 this lot are an absolute shower. 2-0 up at home, we should of pasted these.

Burnley 3-3 again we get the initiative by going 3-2 up and then throw away.

Liverpool 2-2 this was our best opportunity to beat these. Gerrard wasn't fully fit, torres was out, again we go in front and then throw it away.

Hull 1-1 this for me was the worst. everyone know how shit this result was

Bolton 3-3 refereeing was awful, we showed good spirit to get back on level terms but at the start of the season this was a winnable game.

3 of these games were us playing at home. these home games we took the lead. against 2 of the teams at home (hull and burnley) have the worst away record in the premier league.

I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen but we have been very poor this season in terms of our performance and the opposition. on this bein of form we'll be lucky to finish in the top 10 never mind champions league.

Im sorry MH come may time judgment will be passed and i just hope we don't miss out on a top manager cos we can't carry on having transitional periods. things need to change and they need to change now!!!!

 

[KenTheLandlord]

You cant ignore that there is a fighting spirit in the club and that we are one of the hardest sides to beat.

Indeed this is not in question we have become very hard to beat this much is clear. We have had a fair few easy games though, many of which we should have won, this is also not in question.

it can also be perceived from a bottom half teams that we are one of the easiest top teams to get a result out of.

EXACTLY. A glance at our remaining fixture shows the second half of our season is much more difficult than the first.

We still have Chelsea and Arsenal to play away, Liverpool and scum at home. Villa at home (OK we have a good record but they are in fine form this season) Spuds at home. Plus a raft of tricky away matches. As a starting point thats 6 games where 3 points are anything but a certainly, at least 30% of our remaining fixtures I would rate as very hard.

Conclusion - we have to play much much better in the second half of the season especially in the key winable games if we want to maintain our current position or even push on for a top 4 finish. The only reason we are still in a fair position is that we have made up for some of our really terrible results again the poor sides with excellent results that were unexpected against the top teams - Wins at home against Arsenal and Chelsea, Draws away against Villa and Liverpool.

We cant keep relying on getting very good results against the best sides to keep us in the mix. As we all know its beating the easy teams home and away that gets you in the champions league spots. This has been Arsenals winning formula for years ! They hardly ever get decent results agains the other top 4 sides.

why are we playing different teams?

 

[Chris in London]

liverpool are the value bet. any team, with that track record, with gerrard and torres coming back, surely can't be the 'most vulnerable'. one of the others, probably tottenham or villa, will fall by the wayside towards the end. it's the lack of experience that counts in the second half of the season. betting against liverpool is like betting against the horse that's got 3 dnf's in a row, but has won countless times at the same length, on the same course, in the same class of race. if they are at a higher price now, it reflects two things, one, the fickleness of the market, and two, the importance of the points gained so far.

This ^^^^^.

Villa and Spurs will fall away come Feb/March, same as they always do. The top 3 are a shoe-in which means, IMO, us and Liverpool fighting it out for 4th. Four things in their favour:

1. Gerrard and Torres will eventually recover full form and fitness and they do not lose any big players to the ACoN
2. They have the experience of a close run-in - remember the way that Arsenal made their experience count last year
3. They are probably going to go on a run of games where they win 6 or 7 out of 8 and will then br right up in the mix.
4. Probably most importantly, they will be concentrating on finishing 4th to the exclusion of all else because they are knackered financially if they do not. I doubt the Europa league will hold much interest for them unless their B team gets them through to the semis.

Against that, we have the ability to strengthen in January, we too will have a purple patch, and we have man for man greater quality than them. I expect us to nick 4th from them, but not by much.

 

[BurnCK]

It makes me laugh how people are quick to write off Villa and Spurs, saying 'Oh they've been here before and usually fall apart in the 2nd half of the season'.

And what have we done over the years to make you think that we are in with a better shout ? We've hardly been a model of consistency ourselves.

It's between us and Liverpool ? Based on what ? As it stands, based on results and the league table, it is more likely us that won't get 4th spot.