Looking at this logically after some sleep (3 Viewers)

[Evo1883]

Come the end of November we'd have pretty much played the whole top half of the championship (you'd argue by the seasons end) it's been a brutal start and we haven't actually lost to anybody you'd have had us down as beating.

The fixtures have been fucking awful for us, you'd be hard pressed to find any team with a harder 12 game start than us in this league..

Keep the faith

We've lost to Blackburn, Bournemouth, Brentford, Bristol City and Middlesborough... 3 of these being away.

These sides will all arguably finish top 10

 

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[cc84cov]

Said it at pre season - where are the goals coming from

 

[Liquid Gold]

Said it at pre season - where are the goals coming from

You were saying we could be contending for promotion so don't give this revisionist bullshit, we can all see your posting history.

 

[hill83]

Isn't it all relative though? Bournemouth could have the exact same opening 12 games as us and it wouldn't be considered a tough start.
Looking at the league every game is tough. We need to up our game or we are fucked.

 

[cc84cov]

You were saying we could be contending for promotion so don't give this revisionist bullshit, we can all see your posting history.

Quote me on that pls ? I’ve said we will be bang in trouble early if we didn’t bring in experienced players at the level

Find me the quotes where I’ve said we will compete for promotion I’ll await your response

 

[Evo1883]

Isn't it all relative though? Bournemouth could have the exact same opening 12 games as us and it wouldn't be considered a tough start.
Looking at the league every game is tough. We need to up our game or we are fucked.

Agree, but much like years ago, we are in a position where certain fixtures are where we believe the points lie and others are just let's hope... Liverpool don't worry about many fixtures, but Burnley will look at where they pick the points up for survival... They don't expect points at Liverpool or City do they

 

[hill83]

True but they way we have started I'm worried about every fixture. I was before the season started.
I'm usually optimistic as well.

 

[Liquid Gold]

Quote me on that pls ? I’ve said we will be bang in trouble early if we didn’t bring in experienced players at the level

Find me the quotes where I’ve said we will compete for promotion I’ll await your response

How can you possibly know we won’t be in a promotion battle

I just remember you saying this when I said we'd be nowhere near a promotion fight. If you didn't think we would be why contest it?

 

[Evo1883]

True but they way we have started I'm worried about every fixture. I was before the season started.
I'm usually optimistic as well.

It's a natural reaction to losing games though mate.. I was extremely negative last night but I look at how we played against Bristol, QPR, Swansea and Barnsley and see that once the consistency comes we can and will be a better side than what we are


Our fixtures are horrible

 

[cc84cov]

I just remember you saying this when I said we'd be nowhere near a promotion fight. If you didn't think we would be why contest it?

Yes my point there is how can you see into the future

Find me the ones I said we will be competing as you first stated please thanks I’ll await your response

 

[hill83]

Yes my point there is how can you see into the future

Find me the ones I said we will be competing as you first stated please thanks I’ll await your response

We will definitely win the league by christmas 100% feel free to quote me, put a tenner on it it's happening and I mean this season in the championship m8 not league one and it's not banter I'm being deadly serious, make it twenty

 

[cc84cov]

banter right there might of even been league 1 im sure that one Hill

 

[Evo1883]

Have a look at the fixture drop from November 25th onwards.. You will see what I mean...

 

[cc84cov]

Have a look at the fixture drop from November 25th onwards.. You will see what I mean...

Games upcoming forest,Brum,Derby,Rotherham we have to be taking points

 

[Liquid Gold]

Yes my point there is how can you see into the future

Find me the ones I said we will be competing as you first stated please thanks I’ll await your response

To be fair you do seem to have said it will be a struggle, I just remember the post above so I'll retract what I said.

 

[Evo1883]

Games upcoming forest,Brum,Derby,Rotherham we have to be taking points

Yes you'd hope so...these are the games,, forest will come good though imo

 

[larry_david]

Thinking about it sensibly and considering MR comments last night. We are miles off fitness wise. 6 months off have killed us, instead of the players being refreshed they've gone the other way and picking up niggling injuries.

Every championship club except cov and Rotherham played a mini season less than 3 months ago which acted as an insane pre season. They're fitness is 3 months ahead of us. What this could mean however is in Dec /jan they are suffering serious burnout whereas we are hitting our stride like we did last year.

I only hope by that point we're not cut adrift

 

[cc84cov]

To be fair you do seem to have said it will be a struggle, I just remember the post above so I'll retract what I said.

Said it pre season mate was hoping for a couple of players experienced at the level,appreciate their reply and honesty mate

 

[cc84cov]

Thinking about it sensibly and considering MR comments last night. We are miles off fitness wise. 6 months off have killed us, instead of the players being refreshed they've gone the other way and picking up niggling injuries.



Every championship club except cov and Rotherham played a mini season less than 3 months ago which acted as an insane pre season. They're fitness is 3 months ahead of us. What this could mean however is in Dec /jan they are suffering serious burnout whereas we are hitting our stride like we did last year.

I only hope by that point we're not cut adrift

If derby beat Cardiff tonight we are 3rd bottom 2 adrift we could be 5 adrift if things don’t go our way this weekend

 

[hill83]

Games upcoming forest,Brum,Derby,Rotherham we have to be taking points

But it's Forest, Birmingham, Derby and Rotherham. Maybe it's because of last night, but aside from Rotherham none of those teams I would expect to still be down the bottom come the end of the season. Maybe Birmingham at a stretch.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I'd feel more down if I felt that we'd played to our best so far this season. I don't think we have.
We've also chopped and changed through injury / suspension. It's been similar to the start all of Robins' seasons in charge, including last season to a certain extent. It's taken a while to get to a way of playing, given the improvement in opposition we're just not getting away with it like we may have done previously.
Despite the histrionics on here, last night was broadly how we need to play when going away from home. People sight 18 shots to 3 but the vast majority were frustrated pot shots. We restricted Middlesbrough to very little otherwise and got into some good positions ourselves.
There is a long way to go and no need to panic at the minute.

 

[cc84cov]

But it's Forest, Birmingham, Derby and Rotherham. Maybe it's because of last night, but aside from Rotherham none of those teams I would expect to still be down the bottom come the end of the season. Maybe Birmingham at a stretch.

I agree I’m just looking league position mate and hoping we can catch them early as mentioned derby beat Cardiff tonight we’re 3rd bottom 2 points adrift if things don’t go our way we will be 5 adrift this weekend

 

[cc84cov]

I'd feel more down if I felt that we'd played to our best so far this season. I don't think we have.
We've also chopped and changed through injury / suspension. It's been similar to the start all of Robins' seasons in charge, including last season to a certain extent. It's taken a while to get to a way of playing, given the improvement in opposition we're just not getting away with it like we may have done previously.
Despite the histrionics on here, last night was broadly how we need to play when going away from home. People sight 18 shots to 3 but the vast majority were frustrated pot shots. We restricted Middlesbrough to very little otherwise and got into some good positions ourselves.
There is a long way to go and no need to panic at the minute.

We could be 5 points adrift 3rd bottom come end of this weekend

 

[larry_david]

I'd feel more down if I felt that we'd played to our best so far this season. I don't think we have.
We've also chopped and changed through injury / suspension. It's been similar to the start all of Robins' seasons in charge, including last season to a certain extent. It's taken a while to get to a way of playing, given the improvement in opposition we're just not getting away with it like we may have done previously.
Despite the histrionics on here, last night was broadly how we need to play when going away from home. People sight 18 shots to 3 but the vast majority were frustrated pot shots. We restricted Middlesbrough to very little otherwise and got into some good positions ourselves.
There is a long way to go and no need to panic at the minute.

Yep based on last night I fully expect us to win aggaainst them at home. They were utter dross. We know we are better than that

 

[larry_david]

We could be 5 points adrift 3rd bottom come end of this weekend

We were o hares bogey away from beating Swansea who are second. Early days

 

[lord_garrincha]

But it's Forest, Birmingham, Derby and Rotherham. Maybe it's because of last night, but aside from Rotherham none of those teams I would expect to still be down the bottom come the end of the season. Maybe Birmingham at a stretch.

It's going to be tough... The supposed 'worst of that lot', Rotherham, is not a gimme. Let's remember the draw against (I have erased the 4-0 from my mind) them... They were better than us 1st half, and we were better 2nd half... There was not much between them.

We need to find a away in the final 3rd... Allen, Shipley & Godden looked like they were running through treacle last night.

38 CUP FINALS LADS!!!

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

I thought the tactics were ok to stay in the game and we certainly found our feet in the middle of the second half. Shipley should have scored and we had two breaks where we outnumbered them and didn’t take advantage. Walker should have passed but was fouled. Then we were really deflated.

On to the next game. Robins seemingly has little answer without getting players up to fitness. I wonder if a change of formation or style is possible to help us compete. I can’t see it if I’m honest.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[PVA]

Yes I said this in another thread. 6 of our 8 games have been against current top half sides. The two bottom half teams we've played we've taken 4 points from. I'm definitely not panicking yet.

 

[cc84cov]

Behind on fitness but after a 6 month lay off we had a weeks holiday in pre season

 

[Grendel]

I'd feel more down if I felt that we'd played to our best so far this season. I don't think we have.
We've also chopped and changed through injury / suspension. It's been similar to the start all of Robins' seasons in charge, including last season to a certain extent. It's taken a while to get to a way of playing, given the improvement in opposition we're just not getting away with it like we may have done previously.
Despite the histrionics on here, last night was broadly how we need to play when going away from home. People sight 18 shots to 3 but the vast majority were frustrated pot shots. We restricted Middlesbrough to very little otherwise and got into some good positions ourselves.
There is a long way to go and no need to panic at the minute.

The big problem is he’s always built from the back and beat teams by the odd goal by dominating possession

We are leaking a couple a game.

I find it also odd with limited resources we signed walker who looks not a compliment to Godden and equally odd we signed Bakayoko who now seems 4th choice (even kastaneer got on last game ahead of him) and kept biamou who was always going to struggle at this level

 

[lord_garrincha]

Anyone got any thoughts?

4-4-2;
Get amongst them early doors;
Big man, small man up front;
Get it in the channels;
Pacey wingers - entertainers;
Characters in the dressing room... That's all I've got!

 

[cc84cov]

The big problem is he’s always built from the back and beat teams by the odd goal by dominating possession

We are leaking a couple a game.

I find it also odd with limited resources we signed walker who looks not a compliment to Godden and equally odd we signed Bakayoko who now seems 4th choice (even kastaneer got on last game ahead of him) and kept biamou who was always going to struggle at this level

Said this last night nicking 1-0’s at this level Isn’t gonna do it we just carry zero attacking threat

 

[hill83]

Still early though.

4-4-2;
Get amongst them early doors;
Big man, small man up front;
Get it in the channels;
Pacey wingers - entertainers;
Characters in the dressing room... That's all I've got!

Jumpers for goalposts
Little eyebrows at the back stick
Early reducer to let him know you are there
Win the league

 

[hill83]

I think it's because we haven't got any fans in the ground singing
"get into em" "fuck em up"

 

[cc84cov]

Beg Bristol to lend us Walsh in jan & find a player who has flare gets my vote