skybluelee
Well-Known Member
Not in the last 6 we didn't
Time to believe (16 Viewers)
- Thread starter Lamps
- Start date
lifeskyblue
Well-Known Member
I don’t think we’ve played particularly well at any point this season but under Lampard we have certainly tightened up defensively and become more efficient all over the pitch. Having Dovin as the clear Number 1 has helped calm the defence that has at times been chaotic.
With Grimes now sitting in front of the backline and EMC back I’m hopeful we can sneak 5th but I won’t be counting any chickens for a few weeks yet.
With Grimes now sitting in front of the backline and EMC back I’m hopeful we can sneak 5th but I won’t be counting any chickens for a few weeks yet.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
It's a very pragmatic approach and I'm all for it.
Not the time of the season to start trying to implement a long term strategy. That can wait until the close season.
Can we sneak 5th or 6th, definitely, but so can several other teams.
Let's see who holds their nerve, last minute winners certainly help.
Lamps
Well-Known Member
We don't need to keep up with our current form. Our current form is what's needed for those pushing for a top 2 finish. We did need it to make up for our poor start though.
People keep mentioning WBA as doing well and uncatchable. But their last 6 league games are 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats including losing to Plymouth 2 games ago. 8 points from 6 games.
Middlesbrough are also struggling. 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats from their last 6 games. 7 points from their last 6 league games.
So WBA and Middlesbrough got a combined 15 points from their last 6 games. The same as what we got from ours and we also had to play Leeds. And my guess is 5th and 6th will be between us, WBA, Middlesbrough and QPR.
ccfcricoh
Well-Known Member
long way to go...
there's a chance we need 9/10 more wins from 14 to make the play offs
7 at home, 7 away, to make the playoffs i think we need roughly these results:
Home
Away
Plus another win or 2 in the "trickier" games.
We're going to need to seriously improve our away record to stand a chance, or take some big wins in the harder home games
there's a chance we need 9/10 more wins from 14 to make the play offs
7 at home, 7 away, to make the playoffs i think we need roughly these results:
Home
| Preston - W |
| Stoke - W |
| Sunderland |
| Burnley |
| Portsmouth - W |
| West Brom |
| Middlesbrough |
Away
| Sheff Wednesday |
| Oxford Utd - W |
| Derby - W |
| Sheff Utd |
| Hull - W |
| Plymouth - W |
| Luton - W |
Plus another win or 2 in the "trickier" games.
We're going to need to seriously improve our away record to stand a chance, or take some big wins in the harder home games
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
The most successful teams tend to win even when not playing particularly well!
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
We’ve also played more games than those around us. To be clear, I think we’ll miss out by 2-4 points.
TomRad85
Well-Known Member
Burnley and Sheffield United have hardly thrilled their way into the top 3 have they. Absolute pair of dry arses.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Sure but they also play well from time to time.
Lamps
Well-Known Member
9 more wins would put us on 71 points. Only the top 4 sides are averaging 70 points or more. And none of the sides we're competing with for the last 2 places have decent recent form. That's how we caught them up so quickly. So unless 2 sides suddenly improve (not including us) we could end up with a record low points for making the playoffs.
There's a long way to go. Lots of twists and turns. Just happy to see us up there and in form and not having a bad run like most and looking over our shoulders at those catching up quickly.
nunchuckas
Well-Known Member
I agree. We are grinding out results, but it's been a tough watch at times, and we've rode our luck in terms of Dovin bailing us out with some brilliance at 0-0 in 3 of the past 5 league wins, that could have comfortably only been 2 wins without much change to the actual games/performance/tactics. Nothing wrong with making your own luck to kick on though, and grinding out ugly results if you can maintain it long term, but it's not been overly convincing or great to watch, yet.
Watford and Swansea are the only 2 convincing performances AND results so far, and I'll also give Lampard credit for the fact that we've been missing some of our best players during this period and we've still picked up the results one way or another. The potential upside is still there with Grimes coming in, EMC, Wright and Sheaf all to come back, we have a lot of room to improve our threat and dominance in games from here on.
The big unproven for me, under Lampard, is how we play/setup against better teams. We only really have the Leeds and Ipswich games so far as a sample size to go on, but we always used to be up for the big games under Robins, beating Leicester and Leeds at home, Wolves away, multiple Middlesbrough away games etc. so the jury is still out for me until the Sunderland and Sheff United home games in a month's time. If Lampard can keep getting the results against the mediocre teams that we usually struggle against, then I can see us making the playoffs just through the consistency of results, but I think we'll get pumped in them unless Lampard can also get us up for the bigger games and pose a threat, then I'll be fully convinced. But I don't understand the complete clamour over Lampard so far just because he's tightened things up a bit and got a few results off the back of Dovin's rise to brilliance, it's no more convincing than those phases when we previously gained some momentum under Robins, and looked unplayable at times. Time will tell!
Lamps
Well-Known Member
WBA v Blackburn tonight. 3 points and 1 point above us. After this only Middlesbrough above us with games in hand and they’re on a bad run.
In the top half of the table there's 2 sides that have played 1 game less, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford. Both are 2 points behind us.
Sheffield Wednesday away to Swansea tonight then they play us Saturday. Watford away to Middlesbrough Saturday. Most important is not to lose on Saturday. The table is going to look totally different Saturday night.
steve cooper
Well-Known Member
In the last 12 games (measured at 4, 6, 8,10,12 games) we haven't dropped out of the top 4. Won 7 of the last 12 and lost only 3 with GD of +6
steve cooper
Well-Known Member
We usually do well against Sunderland and Middlesboro. It's also time we beat West Brom, we always did OK against them historically.
Preston is a worry, They are not far behind us in the form table.
Major Tom
Well-Known Member
Could be Christine?
Ccfcisparks
Well-Known Member
I thought we played well against Watford and Blackburn
Lamps
Well-Known Member
Preston have nearly always had the better in midfield. Hopefully with Grimes this will change.
The two games I would be very happy with a point are away to Sheffield United as they have Hamer and home to Burnley as they don't let many goals in. Otherwise we should be looking for a minimum draw each game.
nunchuckas
Well-Known Member
Watford definitely, best performance under Lampard. Blackburn we rode our luck a bit in the first half and could have been 1 or 2 down had it not been for some heroics from Dovin. Then we grew into it and stunned them with a goal before and after half time, we then dominated after that, great win. But Dovin again gave us the opportunity to win it though.
PUSB-We_are_going_up
Well-Known Member
I think they’ll be a double pivot in a 4231
TomRad85
Well-Known Member
Our keeper is making saves so we are actually shit. I know we are not used to having a keeper that makes saves but this isn't the smoking anti-Lampard gun you think it is.
robbiethemole
Well-Known Member
Burnley are epitome of boring, grinding wins and look where they are. At this time of the season, give me points over performance every game. We are the form team and lots will be worried about us with our annual late surge for the top.
Sky Blue Goblin
Well-Known Member
StrettoBoy
Well-Known Member
It’s still a big ask for us to make the top six but the mere fact that we are still dreaming of it is a real testament to Lampard. I think we will finish seventh or eighth which - after our terrible start to the season and being haunted by the fear of relegation - is a tremendous achievement.
Let’s enjoy this purple patch whilst it lasts and see where it takes us. If we miss out I think we can have a real go next season. I suspect automatics will be a stretch too far but I fancy us for top four.
A lot of course will depend on who we lose in the summer. I believe we can cope with the loss of Sheaf and MVE but losing Haji would be a big blow. That said, we have had our purple patch without Haji and EMC.
Let’s enjoy this purple patch whilst it lasts and see where it takes us. If we miss out I think we can have a real go next season. I suspect automatics will be a stretch too far but I fancy us for top four.
A lot of course will depend on who we lose in the summer. I believe we can cope with the loss of Sheaf and MVE but losing Haji would be a big blow. That said, we have had our purple patch without Haji and EMC.
nunchuckas
Well-Known Member
It's not just 1 or 2 saves in 1 or 2 games though, he's been absolutely brilliant in 3 of our 5 wins - which is great, and above the norm of a competent Championship keeper 'that makes saves'. Our defence (outfield) has seen incremental improvements, and our keeping position has seen a drastic improvement, and so far it's been the difference in winning tight games instead of losing them - and there's nothing wrong with that.
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
The problem is that we haven't had a competent Championship goalkeeper for so long.
nunchuckas
Well-Known Member
I agree. We've gone from having incompetent keepers, to an exceptional one. He's been the difference in keeping our season alive since coming back into the side. If he maintains it until the end of the season I'd be seriously worried about losing him in the summer.
The top 4 teams over the last 20 are the top 4 at the moment. The 5th and 6th place teams over the last 20 are ourselves and QPR. We just beat QPR so no reason why we can't beat everyone below them in the form table. If we're getting results against all those teams outside the top 4, we're going to make it.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
First half Watford was probably the best. First half Blackburn was some of the worst but the two goals killed them and then we were OK once we went 541 I thought.
Dovin has genuinely made the difference for me.
We've had some good spells and good performances recently but I don't think we're actually playing that much better than earlier in the season. We've just got a keeper that doesn't let everything in.
Collins or Wilson concedes at least one last night.
(and before anyone says, no this is not a pro Robins/anti Lampard post or anything like that).
We've had some good spells and good performances recently but I don't think we're actually playing that much better than earlier in the season. We've just got a keeper that doesn't let everything in.
Collins or Wilson concedes at least one last night.
(and before anyone says, no this is not a pro Robins/anti Lampard post or anything like that).
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
No we were shit first half at Blackburn cos we were shit. Dovin just stopped us being shit turning into a 0-3 deficit.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
Same shit, different season really. Every year go in to the season hyped up that we've put a squad together to challenge, then we have a slow start and everyone declares we're relegation candidates and the players are stealing a living.
Then there's something that happens, usually an injury to a key player, that forces a change and we go off on another run and end up challenging for play offs.
As people were posting last night even fans of other clubs are commenting that we're doing the same thing every year. If only we could work out a way to have half decent form in the first couple of months of the season.
Just wish we'd have taken the extra 4 points from very winnable games against Cardiff and Portsmouth. Keep thinking back to those 2 games a looking at where those points would have us sat now. So frustrating.
Then there's something that happens, usually an injury to a key player, that forces a change and we go off on another run and end up challenging for play offs.
As people were posting last night even fans of other clubs are commenting that we're doing the same thing every year. If only we could work out a way to have half decent form in the first couple of months of the season.
Just wish we'd have taken the extra 4 points from very winnable games against Cardiff and Portsmouth. Keep thinking back to those 2 games a looking at where those points would have us sat now. So frustrating.