Next game sets the standard for the rest of the season?

[bill taylors apprentice]

The Championship is tough, not always high quality but tough and this means results will not always go to plan.
Of course we know this but recently our performances as well as results have been below expectations.

The quality of our squad has made it hard for the recent opposition to score against us despite our poor performances which is a small plus but if the team doesn't start playing with a more positive outlook we will become a team with a chance of top 2 (at best) rather than favourites.

Is it just a matter of confidence, I'm not sure?
It may be the illness in the squad knocked us back more long term than we think but I believe its now more a case of wrong attitude and expecting things to happen instead of making them happen.

Keeping the ball is over done, moving the ball forward at speed has diminished and the forward runs off the ball have stopped.
We have gone back to trying to work the ball through a crowded defence and that just makes life harder.
That kind of tactic works better when you are already winning, the opposition is tired and chasing the game but we need to be more dynamic and attack with pace and movement first.

If its more of the same next game we could be slipping back into the pack of potential promotion candidates rather than pace setters!
Keep the ball for sure, but play with power, pace and some arrogance!

[keithh]

Agreed.

[The Rational Fan]

It "next game sets the standard" is just a cliche. The truth is "win, lose or draw" the next game and the season still has 22 more games left. It may be worth considering we probably only need around 12 victories and six draws to finish ahead of Blackburn, WBA, and QPR in the table. We just need to destroy every team in the bottom half to go up.

[Woolly Mammoth]

No need to complicate matters with stats and figures and dissecting every detail, it’s just a simple game.
So the simple instruction is just keep winning our next game whoever it is, as the next game is the most important.
It does not matter who your opponent is just go out to win it, if we cannot win it at least come away unbeaten, nothing else to be discussed.

[Twig]

Agree with Bill about what nerds to change to get back to winning ways.

[AJW48361]

We certainly don’t look like a team lately that’s  going to destroy other  teams regardless of League positions.We need to install some added physicality to the side particularly in midfield.

[toshes mate]

Agree with Woolly (who also wrote a more lengthy piece elsewhere accuaretly describing the issues) that as long as you concentrate on winning each game as it comes the mindset is more likely to be the right one than constantly looking over your shoulder and down memory lane and asking why we didn't do better than we did do.  What's gone is gone and even if we knew the reasons we can't do anything about it now.  This squad is capable of running away with the Championship this season but they also have to make it happen one game at a time.

[ffcthereligion]

No need to complicate matters with stats and figures and dissecting every detail, it’s just a simple game.
So the simple instruction is just keep winning our next game whoever it is, as the next game is the most important.
It does not matter who your opponent is just go out to win it, if we cannot win it at least come away unbeaten, nothing else to be discussed.

+1

[filham]

Agree with th OP.
However, we have just had a long spell without a win and that form has to be reversed right away otherwise we will be on that slippery slope that will lead to mid table obscurity.
A win tomorrow at Reading is essential and with the loss of Seri and Onomah showing no signs of form, Silva has a mini crisis in midfield. We really need a performance from Cairney, Reed and Carvalho to open up the Reading defence and help create goal scoring chances.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Agree with Bill about what nerds to change to get back to winning ways.

Twig, what has Bill done to warrant being called a Nerd, and i do not think he needs to change either.

[brightster]

Funny how different people see our situation, I see it as we have been hit with a virus since Before Preston away, then injuries and according to MS we have had some issues with covid, we haven’t played since 20th December in the league.
That means we are have lost just 1 of our last 12 games (including Sat cup game).
4 points off the top with 2 games in hand and 3 points above West Brom again with 2 games in hand.
We are in a good position and am sure with all the issues hopefully clearing up we will be back to our form starting tomorrow night!

[ron]

Agree with the bit about the return to laboriously playing out from the back so much. It is tiring on legs needed to push forward, and only serves to raise anxieties, especially when the ball is played across the goal.

[bill taylors apprentice]

Well! That certainly sets a wonderful standard for the rest of the season!

We played with pace and movement, going forward at every opportunity and it worked.

Yes, they were a poor team but attacking football works for us!