4 Games In

[Drew Peacock]

51 minutes ago, Sir Shep said:

Well against udders I just hope we don't switch off and concede stupid goals, yes they've had a good start but surely we have enough quality to beat them. 

 

If it's a case of losing and not playing well then I'm afraid this baby will be coming out.....

 

As long as it's not this Pitchfork coming out. 

[somebum]

19 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Disasterous (sic) sentence, grammatically inept. X

Wow that's a good one ya sad tw@

[dedlock]

We have the number of points that on paper I anticipated when the fixtures were published. I hoped we might have picked up a couple more points but that would have been a bonus given the quality of the opposition.A better perspective will emerge after 8 or 9 games.

[Monsell1976]

Said when Shakespeare was appointed, that I don't think he's the man to take us forward, and don't think he would get us relegated, nothing has changed my opinion.

I expect yet another season scrapping around the bottom end of the table, the title win was a freak, and we are now at our level.

[Fox92]

1 minute ago, Monsell1976 said:

Said when Shakespeare was appointed, that I don't think he's the man to take us forward, and don't think he would get us relegated, nothing has changed my opinion.

I expect yet another season scrapping around the bottom end of the table, the title win was a freak, and we are now at our level.

Agree.

 

We'll not get relegated because we'll beat teams such as Brighton to ensure that, but I don't see us doing anything else positive. 

[STUHILL]

Think we have probably deserved a little more, even a draw against Chelsea or Arsenal but not to be. Beat Huddersfield and we will be looking OK again. Very tough start to our season and difficult to judge. 

I am concerned if we have to persist with James/N'didi though. Really hope we sort Silva deal out, otherwise Iborra is going to have to come in and make a big impact. We'll struggle otherwise. 

 

Not too concerned yet, but we really have to beat Huddersfield if we want to kick start our season after a tough run.  

[Johnthefoxrayner]

2 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Agree.

 

We'll not get relegated because we'll beat teams such as Brighton to ensure that, but I don't see us doing anything else positive. 

Tbf we have played 3 top teams and IMO we have not been hammered by them I still think that we can finish top 8

[Monsell1976]

1 hour ago, Fox92 said:

Agree.

 

We'll not get relegated because we'll beat teams such as Brighton to ensure that, but I don't see us doing anything else positive. 

We have 3 or 4 exciting seasons, which has got people believing we/ the players are better than we are.

Ignoring the freak season, we have had a relegation battle, 2 out of 3 season, and we are putting more or less the same team out.

Recruitment needs addressing, and a change around in the starting 11.

We need to get out of our heads these players won the league, and admit some aren't good enough, or in decline, and take a risk and try something new.

[Fox92]

1 minute ago, Johnthefoxrayner said:

Tbf we have played 3 top teams and IMO we have not been hammered by them I still think that we can finish top 8

Chelsea and United didn't get out of second gear.

[st albans fox]

Everton have been completely outplayed by both Chelsea and Spurs - we have performed better than they have, yet they are supposed to be top six contenders. And they aren't missing many players - PERSPECTIVE !!!!!!!

[st albans fox]

2 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Chelsea and United didn't get out of second gear.

Rubbish - we could have nicked a fairly undeserved point yesterday and united too a long tim to get in front. 

[EnglishOxide]

I can't believe people think we should be 'going for it' when in tight football matches against world class teams.

 

I'd rather lose 2-1 and be in the game with a couple of cautious/conservative subs than get opened up.

 

It's like they don't remember us getting twatted by these teams last season. Spurs ring a bell?

[kingfox]

We are where we should be.

 

The team has looked competitive in games and unlike last season we haven't been embarrassed yet.

 

A good performance and most importantly a win against Huddersfield is needed, after the Liverpool game will tell us where we are as a side, as of right now I'm not worried in the slightest.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

46 minutes ago, somebum said:

Disasterous start tactically inept 

Give it a rest.

[Tuna]

I think we've had a dreadful fixture list.

 

We've never been able to play our best team either. Lets see what we are capable of when Nacho, Iborra/Silva are in the first team.

 

We are more or less where I would have expected us to be. Huddersfield will be more of a barometer for where we are at the minute.

[Leamington Fox]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

While it might be a 'realistic' mentality that is a poor negative mentality.

 

Don't get me wrong, we can take many positives in how we've played, but in the same breath we can be mightly frustrated and angry about how it's gone.

 

Arsenal - They've been poor, awful some might even say, we were in command of the game but we literally threw it away. 3 points dropped, at the very least 2 points dropped.

 

Man Utd - They've undefeated and looking very good but Stoke challenged them, dared to attack them (Albeit at Stoke and not Old Trafford) they got a draw.

 

Chelsea - Similar to Arsenal (Although they have more quality that Arsenal) they've been poor and we fairly poor yesterday, the game could have been alot different and think we could have got a draw.

 

I'm sick of people seeing games against the top teams as a 'free hit' it's negative and the gap between the 'big' teams and 'small' teams is smaller than ever.

I was at Old Trafford and it was "men against boys" I am afraid.  They totally bossed us.

 

[Legend_in_blue]

Tactically at times we've regressed once again to Pearson plan A and yet our squad is the strongest it's ever been.

 

Our return could be between 5 and 7 points, yet our biggest hurdle has come about as a result of bizarre tactical decisions at key times in games.

 

Fine margins it may be but I'm not buying the "we're not getting the rub of the green" excuse from CS I heard on the radio this morning.

 

Odd times.

[sm1]

As long as we play with positive intent we'll finish in the top 10 no problem. The issue we have is when we play with a negative defensive mindset e.g. Utd and last 1/4 vs Arsenal. 

[nwl fox]

After 4 games i'd say we've had 3 really tough fixtures and won our other one....

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

Rubbish - we could have nicked a fairly undeserved point yesterday and united too a long tim to get in front. 

And Chelsea could have scored more than two. United battered us, we were waiting for them to score.

[Guest Col city fan]

2 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

And Chelsea could have scored more than two. United battered us, we were waiting for them to score.

It was like a training match for Utd imo. We wuz battered.

[Dan]

Disappointing that we haven't taken any points other than against Brighton, but it's half to be expected as well.

 

I do think he's been quite unlucky, but I think at the same time he has got a couple of things wrong and has paid the price for them too.

 

The midfield situation is just terrible luck for CS and I don't see how it can be viewed any differently. We've had our best midfielder sold and it looks pretty likely that we've bodged up getting his replacement in. Iborra has been injured, and I'd have had him down as someone that was brought in to add some steel against the top sides, so the timing of this one has been terrible as well. Factor in Iheanacho not being entirely fit too and I think he's been unlucky here.

 

On a game by game... Arsenal, I think he did cock the subs up late on but it was as much to do with individual errors as it was him.

 

Brighton, plain sailing. Gives me hope that we're still going to be a feared place to come for most sides.

 

The last two weren't great but I think they're probably the two sides in the league we're least likely to beat, based on style, they won't gift us openings like Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal will. Those two will lose single figures combined.

 

It hasn't been a good start but it's too early to write him off. I'll make a fairer judgement after the next two breaks. I want at least 6 points from the next 3. If we're seriously going to go for that Europa League spot (which looks open as Everton have been no better than us) then we need to be winning these games. I don't view Liverpool as being as hard as the last two games. They do play some great football but they're shocking at the back and will be missing Mane, Lallana and likely Coutinho against us too. It's very winnable.

 

So overall, a bit disappointed but there's more at fault here than just Shakespeare.

[Sublime_Coatsworth]

It was always going to see a tough start but I think most people will be disappointed we got nothing from Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal - especially the Arse.

 

Fingers crossed against Huddersfield, who we really should beat - irrespective of their flattering start.

[RumbleFox]

1 hour ago, somebum said:

Wow that's a good one ya sad tw@

Haha, thanks, I wasn't sure it was me best but nice to know it was OK.  X

[SuperMike]

The season is dead already with regards to top four / top six / top half. Gonna spend the next 34 games playing for pride. No way are we going to be in a relegation battle - the squad is way, way too strong for that. SUCH A WASTE! even 2 more points would have painted a completely different picture. 

Don't blame the players or the manager and ffs stop the constant rattle about 3-5-2 or 4-1-3-1-1 or all the other trendy Conté / Guaudiola inspired smart-ar*e formations. We are wot we are - we are the best at it, and it's just we've been shafted by the fixture computer and FiFa !  Roll on 2018/19 - premier league champions again!!