Perspective and November games

[BishopsParkFantastic]

A sense of perspective with where we are now and our games in November.

We are currently in 8th position. Our five positive results (4W + 1D) have been against four clubs in the bottom 6 (most likely relegation candidates?) – clubs with only 3 wins between them!

The real test will be coming in November, when all our five matches will be against teams in the top 14.

Some thoughts:
Will our midfield be strong enough with, in my view, one quality creative CM 1st team player in Diarra – who is on a one year remaining contract/loan/deal, as are: Hangeland, Reither, Baird, Petric......and Jol?
Will our younger players, particularly Kaca and Frei get a look in – will we lose them?
Will one of our best, most consistent performers, Damien Duff be relegated to the bench to make way for Dejagah – will we lose him?

[Whitewash]

Sense of perspective perhaps? ;)

[BishopsParkFantastic]

Sense of perspective perhaps? ;)

Yes, and changed title of topic accordingly thank you

[Enter the Frei]

West Brom look a top side this year and they were comfortably dispatched, pushed the top two in the league all the way and even managed a win away from home.

We've kept 3 clean sheets at home and conceded 2 against a City said that was playing well. 32 points from 42 at home this calendar year, 10 goals in 4 games so far this season at the cottage.

Also Villa no matter how poor they are are always one of our bogey teams, and with our injury problems now behind us, I think it's time to be positive for a while.

At least until we have a shocker away at Reading ;)

[Bryanthebroom]

Very happy so far with our points return so far but think the November fixtures could make or break our season. Hope we can just nick a few more wins and stay in the top half until January when we can add to the squad and really push on for another decent finish. Coyw!!!!

[sipwell]

I think the games against the bottom teams are always the ones to be won. We did so, so we should be pleased (us winning is them losing). As for the future games, stronger teams tend to play more attacking football (the need to win), hence create opportunities for teams willing to play football. Fulham is such a side and has players who can deliver.

[TonyGilroy]

8 games played - 8th place.

4 of our 8 games have been against clubs currently above us.

[alfie]

A sense of perspective with where we are now and our games in November.

We are currently in 8th position. Our five positive results (4W + 1D) have been against four clubs in the bottom 6 (most likely relegation candidates?) – clubs with only 3 wins between them!

The real test will be coming in November, when all our five matches will be against teams in the top 14.

Some thoughts:
Will our midfield be strong enough with, in my view, one quality creative CM 1st team player in Diarra – who is on a one year remaining contract/loan/deal, as are: Hangeland, Reither, Baird, Petric......and Jol?
Will our younger players, particularly Kaca and Frei get a look in – will we lose them?
Will one of our best, most consistent performers, Damien Duff be relegated to the bench to make way for Dejagah – will we lose him?

Will i win the lottery?
with all due respect they are all questions no one can answer.

[JackyFulham90]

Well I think we can be getting 4 points against Reading & Everton also would expect us to beat Sunderland at home

[Oiseau]

Duff was unwell yesterday so I don't think that he's been dropped. Jol has quite a dilemma about whether to play Dejagah or Duff, though. Dejagah looked very impressive yesterday.

The contract situation is worrying me, too. Weren't they holding talks with Hangeland last week? It's too precarious to leave so many key players with only one year left under contract.

We've done well so far this season but we mustn't get too carried away. I'm not saying that we should be pessimistic or start 'Jol out'-ing, mind. We just have some very difficult matches coming up and could be vulnerable in the event of any more injuries.

[A Humble Man]

Being even more optimistic if we win our next four games we will be in the top four possibly even second. It is a long time since we have won at Arsenal and this is the time to do it as they are not playing well. Reading are the sort of team we must beat away to be serious contenders.  Everton and Sunderland should be beatable at home.  

We won yesterday without playing that well a sign of a good team.

The only teams we have lost to are above us in the table two in the top four, so the points we have gained and the position we are in the table is not a fluke.

[WolverineFFC]

I think the schedule so far has been even. Neither hard nor easy. 2 clubs in the top 4 (MUFC, MC), 2 in the bottom 3 (Norwich and Southampton). 2 relegation dodgers (AV and Wigan) and 2 clubs likely safe mid table (West Brom and WHU).

Considering FFC's start the past 2 seasons, I am ecstatic that we can start looking at how we get up the table vs how we get space away from the relegation zone.

 

[A Humble Man]

If we beat most of the Teams above us in the table home and away and get some points off the top four them we will not have many teams above us.  This has been our downfall in previous we cannot beat the poor teams away from home. Since Jol took over this is improving.

[Burt]

November games:

Everton home - 1 point
Arsenal away - 0 points
Sunderland home -3 points
Stoke away - 1 point
Chelsea away - 0 points

5 points from 5 games. Perhaps 7, if we get a win v Everton. Can't see much more than that though.

[Sector9]

November games:

Everton home - 1 point
Arsenal away - 0 points
Sunderland home -3 points
Stoke away - 1 point
Chelsea away - 0 points

5 points from 5 games. Perhaps 7, if we get a win v Everton. Can't see much more than that though.

I fancy a point at Arsenal...

[nose]

compared to other seasons I think this is a reasonable start. some nice football, some good looking new players, skill. OK not quite as tight at the back as we used to be but I used to complain that Roy's teams were brilliantly organised but a bit dull, like england are now. I like a bit more width and a more attacking style.
You can only play the teams in front of you and we were a bit unfortunate against both manchester clubs not to have got anything from either game. Southampton and west ham were poor performaces, but that happens, so all in all not a bad start and grounds for optimism.

In terms of the fixtures to come, the old cliche is the one I like, 'Take each game as it comes.'

[Whitewash]

Sense of perspective perhaps? ;)

Yes, and changed title of topic accordingly thank you

Mistake easily made, muddled the phrases 'keep things in proportion' and 'keep a sense of perspective'. Easily done

[JackyFulham90]

Think we can pick up points in our next games I would be targeting

A - Reading - 3
H - Everton - 1
A - Arsenal - 0
H - Sunderland - 3

We can definately pick up 7 to 9 points from our next 4 games I feel

[Scrumpy]

I think we'll beat Everton at our place. We nearly always do.  098.gif

[Scrumpy]

Did you know it took us 19 games to get 4 wins in the Premier League last season?

Have got there alot quicker this time around.