Will We Achieve Promotion This Season?

Doubt it. Already sounds like good business for two players who don't want to be hear in January.

 

Was expecting to see us hitting some decent and encouraging form by game 10, with incremental steps forward and the odd step back leading up to that. Even Bournemouth was encouraging as we should’ve won that and they’re obviously going to be up there, Wycombe was a massive step back, however it could be a blessing in disguise. Another performance like that though and the alarm bells will be ringing.

Both Zola in his first season and Joka in his season had initial periods of form which were a lot worse than our start has been, yet went to improve and do much better.

 

I’m not so sure. Our squad has been toxic for a couple of seasons, one window doesn’t change that. This squad has been unable to start or finish seasons properly for some time. Our soft underbelly and lack of professionalism is still present.

How long can a squad be considered good but underperforming? Maybe they aren’t underperforming and are just pretty average bar one or two.

I think we have the makings of a good squad, but there is still a lot to do.

 

We were crap last season but we were playing at a much higher standard, in the previous season we reached the FA Cup final and challenged for a Europa League place. So we were only toxic last season.
We had a lot of issues in the summer and we have had quite a few important players out so far this season. I think the majority of teams in this division would be nowhere near the top of the league if they had so many players out and had the summer that we had.

 

Most teams think they are bad at attacking set pieces. The truth is, it’s generally very hard to score from them. Around 3% of corners in the PL for instance lead to a goal.

We were dreadful at scoring from corners in the PL, but finished 10/20 in terms of the rate we converted them into goals.

 

This season will be abandoned so no, we won't be promoted this season.

 

Its been toxic for at least 12 months, if not 18 barring a 2 weeks period over late December/Early Jan

 

I celebrate every snip of our cloth as much as every goal we score. More so even.

Knowing that our accounts are looking healthier is more important than winning games.

Some people crave a trophy or a high league position. For me, it would be having positive cash flow and a huge amount of spare cash to allow Gino to pay himself and Dux a massive bonus for a job well done. That would be the ultimate.

 

I think you’ve missed out a certain Italian club from your windfall scenario. Surely you like to see them benefit too?

 

Yes, it could be any of the poll options.

 

No

 

Lol

 

Harsh on Barnsley I think, limited technically, but their manager has continued in much the same vein as Struber when he was in charge there and seems to be getting the best out of them. Probably the least likely of the South Yorkshire teams to go down IMO. Woeful performance from us mind you

 

Don't forget Sheffield Wednesday, who are on a bad run of form after a bright first few games, lost to Wycombe to leave themselves on -4 points (less than a point per game in real terms when I'm sure they'd have been targeting 1.25 ppg to overcome the deficit).

If there's any crumbs of comfort to be had it's that we have players coming back, and at least some of our problems are easily solved by switching to a 4 at the back. Admittedly, none of that is a panacea

 

This is, perhaps, the most concerning thing. People are pointing out that we haven't got a natural CF starting games. Let's not forget how few chances have been created! The midfield is just as culpable as Sarr and Pedro. Players of that calibre should be doing so much better.

 

Oooh errr

 

Anyone changed their minds?

 

Thank god I voted no.

 

I am still hopeful, but on current form

 

I can't see it now. I think we'll get caught on the final day. The Brentford and Norwich games will be certain defeats, so it'll be all on winning those 2 home games. I just don't trust Watford will get the job done. When you apply even a little bit of pressure to this side it folds every time. It's down to the players to prove this statement wrong, but I just don't see they've got the stomach for it. Yesterday proved that.

 

You are right about Narrich, but I fancy us to get something at Brentford and win both home our games, 7 pts or even less will see us up automatically.

 

I think it’s 50/50, our points advantage is more or less nullified by our remaining fixtures. If we don’t make it from here then it will be more down to yesterday and not trying to kill off the game at Boro. We always knew these fixtures were coming, although we’re capable of winning all of them were equally capable of losing them all. The games against the top 3 teams in the league are games that the opposition are more than capable of having a say in, if Luton can do it, so can they.

 

One thing apart from the points advantage in our favour is the state of the pitches at Brentford and Norwich.
Both look decent and it has been mentioned before how poorly we have performed on cow fields like the Kennel,St Andrews etc.

 

Unfortunately I’m not sure I take much comfort from the pitch thing. I can’t reconcile the quality of the pitch being the difference between losing to one side and winning against one that has 60% more points than them. In the case of Norwich they’re the best passing team in the league, so surely any benefit would easily be negated by the fact their lovely pitch also suits them down to the ground.

 

Munoz has prattled on about "warriors" "gladiators" etc. These words seem to be favoured in sport at present.
In tennis the 'ready position' was changed by the LTA into 'the warrior position' a few years ago to encourage children to be good competitors.
It's all a load of gibberish really. The players need to show some heart and pride in their own individual performances.
Only TBFC won his individual dual yesterday, everyone else was out fought,out thought and in some cases out played by players two or three levels below.
You can carry one or two in a team but not nine or ten.
Munoz has done well to create a good atmosphere but the players have to grasp the opportunity now. They will be scarred for life if they don't.
I dread to think what we'll be like on here!

 

I understand you lack confidence about Watford getting the job done and you are nervous about us missing out on promotion, but to say “the Brentford and Norwich games will be certain defeats” is nonsense. That means there is a 0% chance of Watford even getting a draw against either of them, which is clearly not the case. It’s a different thing to say that in your opinion we will lose both games. Maybe we will but it is not certain. This is the Championship and, although it’s a cliche, anything can happen. Just like it did yesterday in several games.

 

We will go up still I think. But I think from this point it'll owe more to the failings of others than anything we do ourselves.

 

I tend to agree with this Burnsey

 

It will be a very strange feeling if we limp over the line, relief rather than euphoria. But will also kill any confidence going into next season. And which players would you actually want to start in the Premier League week in, week out? Sierralta, Hughes and Sarr for me. Chalobah if he can take his late season form forward rather than how he played for the first half of the season and maybe give Bachmann a chance. That's it. We'll spend most of the transfer window failing to offload Gray and Deeney again, and they'll be half of our strike force with no room in the wage budget to bring anyone else in.