Number 6

Table position looks much more precarious after this weekend with Wolves and Ipswich finally getting wins on the board. Once the goal scoring dries up then this defense puts us in deep deep trouble.

Harvey against the trees 😊

See these next two as a bit of a free hit. Would like to see us manage to successfully frustrate them a bit. The issue with low blocks we've implemented so far is that we've still given up good chances. Would be a good problem to crack given the run of games we have.

Fixtures not great for Wolves but Luton took 5 points from those fixtures last year (before yesterday's) and they were miles off the pace. Wolves would need to run at a 50pt a season pace for the remainder to hit 40, it's a big ask.

So all those people who learned his ways and went on to be very good managers was pure coincidence?

I voted yes. My prediction at the start of the season was that the three promoted teams would drop. I think we're about where I thought we'd be in terms of points, but the bad starts from Wolves and Palace has helped. I reckon averaging 0.9ppg for the remainder keeps us up.

34

Yeh agreed. Wonder if they got a little lucky playing Utd when they did. Their defence looks woeful.

These + us + Everton are the bottom 6 at the end of the season imo.

Nketiah is shite. Terrible signing. Clubs need to stop bailing out the big clubs by overpaying for their cast offs.

Think we need a big bastard up top like Wolves have. Doesn't even have to be prolific but think we'd have an outlet.

I know the result isn't what we wanted at the start, but it's nice to give Ipswich one of those back after last season.

Depends on your definition of soon. I don't think he'd survive 6 defeats.

Well he didn't sack Puel.

I know a lot don't like him and want him to go but I don't know why that seems to come with a pessimism that they won't axe him. The Rodgers situation was the outlier, most other managers have only ever been a bad 5 or 6 games away from the sack. Ranieri: 5 defeats without a goal Shakespeare: no win in 6 Puel: lost 5 in 6 All had more goodwill built up than Cooper and none has the points deduction change in circumstance that Cooper has had. On that basis the festive period looks most likely spot for Cooper to go imo: a tough November followed by Brighton, Newcastle, Wolves, Liverpool, Man City, and Villa. Plus we'd be going into a January where I'm expecting us to spend a bit with the points deduction threat dropped.

I think both teams will score given respective defensive capabilities. Will be a test of whether we can set up defensively as these seem to be one of the least potent teams in the division. Draw wouldn't be a disaster but need to be looking for all 3 here.

It's weird to continue to play defensive personnel when the set up seems to present great opportunities to opponents time and time again. Thought we did well up to the first goal, which was just a great hit, and Utd tails are up since then. Their defence looks almost as bad as ours though so who knows how this will end up.

I think it's been masked a bit by the fixtures but it seems a big assumption to say that's the only issue. From the very same fixtures last season Burnley took 2 points (same as Wolves), Sheff Utd got 3, and Luton got 5.

I'm not completely convinced by the "Wolves will be fine" narrative. They were pretty poor last season and looking at their squad I think they'll be in the conversation at least for most of the season. Palace I look at the likes of Eze, Wharton, Mateta, and Guehi and think they've got a solid spine there that would walk into our side.

Nowhere near as much credit in the bank for Cooper and circumstances around the points deduction has changed. I reckon he'll get shorter thrift than the average here, not more.

To be fair Ipswich have taken the lead in 4 of their 9 games this season but are yet to manage a win.

Not suggesting each block of 10 games will run out at the same rate, but each should be roughly at this rate. Probably our last 10 looks easiest block there. The 10 after Ipswich definitely looks trickier than the first, but there's still West Ham, Wolves, Newcastle, Brentford, Man U in there. Only Liverpool and Man City are the complete write offs.

It rarely amounts to anything, but I still love it when a goalkeeper goes up for a corner.

25 mins in and those stats for West Ham are honking again.

I think people need to remember that changing a manager isn't risk free. Obviously it could prove to be great but no guarantees that it's not worse. A month or so ago many were saying it was a terrible decision to not get Corberan in, and yet West Brom have just gone LLDDDD, having three 0-0s in their last 4.