Can this still be a good season?

[navbasi]

4th is between Chelsea, Arsenal and us I think. All 3 have similar level of squads and it might come down to fine details who of the 3 gets 4th.

 

I'm looking forward to 2012 as I think we are defo on the right track, a couple of tweaks needed but that was always going to be the case.

 

Long Live The King.

[Guest The Big Green Bastard]

IMO a striker is a must in the jan window.

 

LS is an automatic choice at the moment, i would like to see some more competition for places up front for him to become the world-beater that we all believe he can be.

[gumps]

I was thinking about this the last few days after Boxing Day.

 

You know what? Our play has deserved another 12 points at least, and that's being conservative. That would've put us right on the tails of the Manc clubs.

 

We may have a goals scored record on a par with the bottom teams but we are where we are. What's in the past can't be undone and because thankfully our defense has been good we are still only 3 points off 4th! This was the realistic target at the start of the season.

 

We can't possibly hope that our defensive record will continue, but equally, I can't believe we will continue to be profligately wasteful in front of goal either.

 

We're half way now and at the moment it looks like us, Arsenal and Chelsea are fighting for 1 place. Going to be 2 big teams disappointed come May and let's make sure it's not us.

[gumps]

IMO a striker is a must in the jan window.

 

LS is an automatic choice at the moment, i would like to see some more competition for places up front for him to become the world-beater that we all believe he can be.

 

This is true.

 

See how well he plays/scores for Uruguay when he has Forlan or someone to support him.

[Evil_Ways]

I was thinking about this the last few days after Boxing Day.

 

You know what? Our play has deserved another 12 points at least, and that's being conservative. That would've put us right on the tails of the Manc clubs.

 

We may have a goals scored record on a par with the bottom teams but we are where we are. What's in the past can't be undone and because thankfully our defense has been good we are still only 3 points off 4th! This was the realistic target at the start of the season.

 

We can't possibly hope that our defensive record will continue, but equally, I can't believe we will continue to be profligately wasteful in front of goal either.

 

We're half way now and at the moment it looks like us, Arsenal and Chelsea are fighting for 1 place. Going to be 2 big teams disappointed come May and let's make sure it's not us.

 

Agreed.

Our performances have certauinly been alot better than the points tally we have to show for it. On course for 62 points this season, that would be terribly disappointing. But we had a very good spring last year, and with the right additions this january we should do alot better in terms of points. Hell, even without any additions we should do better, cause this horrendous finnishing cannot go on much longer. Did anyone see that video on the offal ?

Fucking ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

[Biscao]

Agreed.

On course for 62 points this season

 

How do you figure that one out? With our current tally we are (to be precise) on course for 65,5 pts. Why underestimate?

[NavyRedMan]

Yes, just need to start putting the ball in the back of the net, sounds obvious, but we've dropped so many points at home with draws, all games we were well in control of too.

[Guest San Don]

You only have to think of the shambles of last season to realise yes, this can still be a good season.

 

We are in the semi's of the LC. There's still the fa (spit) cup to come. The football we are playing is far better than almost anything served up in the last 10 years. OK we aint scoring as many as we should but all in all, we are looking at a better season.

[Horus]

The old adage says that the table never lies, except that some of us now believe that because a component of our team is failing (goal scoring) then we should ignore that and say we deserve more.

 

We have improved massively as a team, but there is no way on earth that we deserve to be on th coattails of the manc teams.

 

We have been surrendering points to teams we shouldn't and didn't deserve to, since we last won the league. It's just what we do. We have the points that we deserve and there is no way round that.

[Evil_Ways]

How do you figure that one out? With our current tally we are (to be precise) on course for 65,5 pts. Why underestimate?

 

Yeah, you are right. I was thinking we had played 19 games, and not 18...

But like i said, i do think our performances have been deserving of much more than 31 points from 18 games, and if we continue like this it would seem basically impossible for us not to get a better average in the second half of the season. However, to shift those odds in our favour we need to sort out some things, that's for sure.

[Evil_Ways]

The old adage says that the table never lies, except that some of us now believe that because a component of our team is failing (goal scoring) then we should ignore that and say we deserve more.

 

We have improved massively as a team, but there is no way on earth that we deserve to be on th coattails of the manc teams.

 

We have been surrendering points to teams we shouldn't and didn't deserve to, since we last won the league. It's just what we do. We have the points that we deserve and there is no way round that.

 

You are right since goal scoring is, if not the the most important, for sure one of the most important parts of football. However the amount of chances missed, the amount of times we've missed penalties (4 out of 5) and the number of wrongfully disallowed goals we've scored really is bizarre and i cannot imagine it's happened to a team in the PL before. It is like we are cursed or something. If 10% of those chances had gone in we'd be 10 points better off, easily.

[Horus]

You are right since goal scoring is, if not the the most important, for sure one of the most important parts of football. However the amount of chances missed, the amount of times we've missed penalties (4 out of 5) and the number of wrongfully disallowed goals we've scored really is bizarre and i cannot imagine it's happened to a team in the PL before. It is like we are cursed or something. If 10% of those chances had gone in we'd be 10 points better off, easily.

 

But what if we'd scored all these goals but had the worst defence and GK in the league?

 

The team is the sum of it's parts, and if one aspect of that team is failing, then the team isn't working as well as it should. We've established the foundations of potentially a very good team, but I think our attacking players (excluding Suarez, Gerrard, Bellamy and Maxi) just aren't good enough.

[Guest TK-421]

I've convinced myself that we're doomed. David Silva and co will dance through our porous (that's being generous) midfield, thus ending the carling cup dream. we'll shake things up for the FA cup game but that will be our undoing and we'll crash out in comical style. The suarez ban will kick in and gerrard will pick up another groin injury. the new striker will flatter to deceive and then be made a scapegoat by the world's greatest fans . Fourth Place? Haha, pull the other one.

 

Anything better than the above will be a bonus.

[Horus]

I've convinced myself that we're doomed. David Silva and co will dance through our porous (that's being generous) midfield, thus ending the carling cup dream. we'll shake things up for the FA cup game but that will be our undoing and we'll crash out in comical style. The suarez ban will kick in and gerrard will pick up another groin injury. the new striker will flatter to deceive and then be made a scapegoat by the world's greatest fans . Fourth Place? Haha, pull the other one.

 

Anything better than the above will be a bonus.

 

Funny you should say that, I've convinced myself that we're going to win every competition we're in for this season - The league, league cup and F.A. Cup. We'll beat City 55-0 on aggregate over 2 legs. Suarez will be issued a pardon from Jesus himself who glides down on a cloud to announce this to the world. We'll sign a striker in January but won't need him because Carroll ends the season on 40 goals as he leads us to our record equaling 19th title.

 

Anything worse than the above will be a let down.

[Evil_Ways]

But what if we'd scored all these goals but had the worst defence and GK in the league?

 

The team is the sum of it's parts, and if one aspect of that team is failing, then the team isn't working as well as it should. We've established the foundations of potentially a very good team, but I think our attacking players (excluding Suarez, Gerrard, Bellamy and Maxi) just aren't good enough.

 

It is, however our defensive record has been brilliant despite playing a very attack minded football, i mean it's not like our attacking game suffer because we are playing defensively or concentrating to much on the defensive side, in terms of style of play i believe we have the best balance we've had since 08/09.

 

I totally agree that we do need better attacking players. Despite the huge number of great chances we've created and missed, we waste as many opportunities to create something because of bad decisions in the final third.

And the solution to both that and scoring more goals would be to add players who are at their best in that part of the pitch. And while we might improve our goal scoring somewhat becase of a change in fortune that likely wont be enough, we simply need better attacking players, ruthless bastards.

[Biscao]

Yeah, you are right. I was thinking we had played 19 games, and not 18...

But like i said, i do think our performances have been deserving of much more than 31 points from 18 games, and if we continue like this it would seem basically impossible for us not to get a better average in the second half of the season. However, to shift those odds in our favour we need to sort out some things, that's for sure.

 

Sure, we need to sort out some things, but it's beginning to look farcial - we've missed 4 out of 5 pens (not sure every was in the league) and hit the wood 17 times. Shirley we're doing most things right? Except the most important thing ofc. ;)

[Ginny]

We are still capable of going on a run like we did towards the end of last season. We have the same players and been playing together longer now. I reckon it will click soon enough, those woodwork shots will start goin in, shots that have been flukely being saved by keepers playing out of their skin will start to go in.

 

Have faith lads.

[Guest TK-421]

Faith? Screw that . We're going to waste our remaining budget on Darren Bent. He's bound to get injured/ be crap.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

As long as we finish in the top four, I'll be over the moon. We need to get a couple of players, at least, in the transfer window, but I think we're still in a very good position. We've dropped so many ridiculous points. We should, judging solely on the quality of our play, be in contention for the title. The small matter of finishing has been the problem and we deserve to be where we are because of it.

 

However, we're only a few points adrift of fourth and a new striker and high-tempo midfielder will give us a great chance come the end of the season. Lots of points to play for yet.

[boomer39]

I've convinced myself that we're doomed. David Silva and co will dance through our porous (that's being generous) midfield, thus ending the carling cup dream. we'll shake things up for the FA cup game but that will be our undoing and we'll crash out in comical style. The suarez ban will kick in and gerrard will pick up another groin injury. the new striker will flatter to deceive and then be made a scapegoat by the world's greatest fans . Fourth Place? Haha, pull the other one.

 

Anything better than the above will be a bonus.

ever the optimist, then! or should that be "evra" the optimist....

celtic were 10 points behind rangers a few weeks ago... where are they now???

KEEP THE FAITH.....

[El Rojo]

 

YES WE CAN

[boomer39]

As long as we finish in the top four, I'll be over the moon. We need to get a couple of players, at least, in the transfer window, but I think we're still in a very good position. We've dropped so many ridiculous points. We should, judging solely on the quality of our play, be in contention for the title. The small matter of finishing has been the problem and we deserve to be where we are because of it.

 

However, we're only a few points adrift of fourth and a new striker and high-tempo midfielder will give us a great chance come the end of the season. Lots of points to play for yet.

well said young man... spurs apart, we were as good as city and the dung, better than chelsea and arsenal...just HAVE to improve against the "lesser" teams at home. away has been fine, 2 defeats,back to back,in early september, since then , spot on really(fulham got lucky)

the next 5 games will be crucial...only city,"on paper" is hard.. 12 points is a must... then bring on february!!!!!!

[Guest TK-421]

I remember people saying the five games we've just had would be easy and we'd win them all. I won't name names but it was code72.

[G Richards]

It can still be a good season. Anything from third to sixth seems possible and there will be some big teams missing out on next year's CL. A trophy would be very welcome, but I'd prefer top four in place of either domestic cup as that will be so important to our ongoing resurgence.

 

A goalscorer in January is a must, as we simply have to score more goals in the second half of the season to have any chance. All the great teams have built from the back. Our defence is very solid. Midfield is OK, though we will miss Lucas, but up front we are lacking, and this must be addressed or we will not score the goals we need to get top four.

[Guest The Big Green Bastard]

ever the optimist, then! or should that be "evra" the optimist....

celtic were 10 points behind rangers a few weeks ago... where are they now??? KEEP THE FAITH.....

 

I would hazard a guess at either 1st/2nd place? the same as it has been for roughly 50 years.

 

What's your point again?