Half way mark

[iancognito]

14 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

Massive home games against Southampton, Ipswich, Palace all must win then we need to fi down 3 of 4 more from somewhere.

 

All down to the window, we probably need to spend 70m+ to stand a chance.

 

We also need Ndidi, Hermansen fit.

Ndidi doesn't get his place back ATM. Feel odd saying it but Soumare deserves it more right now. And I don't see a way he plays Winks, Bouba and Ndidi all in the same side without sacrificing creativity.

 

Aside from other dropped pts, that Wolves game has put a hole in our survival hopes. I still think West Ham will get dragged in to it because they're an ageing side with no proven scorer but we need two full backs,  a CB and maybe a Vardy replacement / back up to make a fight of it

[Bilo]

6 minutes ago, iancognito said:

Ndidi doesn't get his place back ATM. Feel odd saying it but Soumare deserves it more right now. And I don't see a way he plays Winks, Bouba and Ndidi all in the same side without sacrificing creativity.

 

Aside from other dropped pts, that Wolves game has put a hole in our survival hopes. I still think West Ham will get dragged in to it because they're an ageing side with no proven scorer but we need two full backs,  a CB and maybe a Vardy replacement / back up to make a fight of it

Good shout.

 

They looked far, far worse against Liverpool than we did.

[hebangsthedrums]

10 hours ago, Dmitry said:

The Wolves loss was unforgivable. On a positive note, finally the fans have found their collective voice. Tolerating mediocrity is no longer an option, and the management has heard that loud and clear. 

Agree with the first sentence, not sure about the second and the third I'm not sure is right - unless when you say management you mean RVN and below, as the upper management clearly tolerate mediocrity or worse, letting Rudders stay in situ for what is a vital month and beyond

[coolhandfox]

25 minutes ago, iancognito said:

Ndidi doesn't get his place back ATM. Feel odd saying it but Soumare deserves it more right now. And I don't see a way he plays Winks, Bouba and Ndidi all in the same side without sacrificing creativity.

 

Aside from other dropped pts, that Wolves game has put a hole in our survival hopes. I still think West Ham will get dragged in to it because they're an ageing side with no proven scorer but we need two full backs,  a CB and maybe a Vardy replacement / back up to make a fight of it

How many goals have we conceded without Ndidi? 

 

4 games without him we have conceded 12 average 3 a game.

 

With him we conceded 30 in 16 which is an average 1.87.

 

Now you could argue that's down more to Hermansen missing.

 

But he definitely makes us better defensively, personally I'd go for Soumare and Ndidi as the two 6. 

Edited 30 December 2024 by coolhandfox

[Blue-fox]

In order of priority we need in January in my opinion to give us half a chance, but we need at least 3 signings out of: 

 

1- a RB 

2- a CB 

3- a RW or LW

4- a striker 

 

Secondly, the points we need to pick up in January is 7 plus win against QPR in the cup because of it being a confidence booster. 
 

If we can do that then I think we are in with a chance of staying up. 

[cruzFOX]

Ruud is going to get us a win and when he does it’s going to put us on an important run of points. We also need everyone around us to drop points too which could happen

[Hammo]

Awful first half of the season - but not unexpected given the pre-season angst about the expected points deduction. Appointing Cooper was a disaster. No doubt about it. The man did not have a clue how to make the most of the (admittedly meagre) resources at his disposal, seemed to have only one approach every game regardless of the opposition - ie ‘defend and hope’ - and inspired nobody, players or fans.

 

We haven’t improved under Van Nistelrooy in terms of results but even with key players missing (Fatawu, Ricardo, Hermansen) there is at least method and structure to our play now and he appears to be gradually identifying the team’s weaknesses (off you come, JJ, hopefully for good) and, crucially, unlike Cooper (and Rodgers before him), learning from his mistakes (playing Ward v Wolves obviously the most glaring).

 

Yes, it will take an almighty comeback to stay up but we did it a decade ago from a seemingly impossible position, worse than this, and although we lost to Man City we showed enough promise in that game - take a bow, Bilal - to suggest that with a few improvements in key areas during January (full backs and wingers mostly, plus a decent striker to ease JV’s workload), survival is still possible.

 

I am uneasy about the second half of the season, sure, but I haven’t given up hope yet. 

[Filbert Fireworks]

The table doesnt lie. We're the 18th placed team. Ahead of Ipswich and Southampton. Do we deserve to be ahead of anybody else. 

 

We've won 3 games and not sure I see us improving on that. 

 

Cooper was an odd appointment and doomed from the start. 

 

For all the positivity on here we've absolutely nose dived under Ruud in terms of results. 4 straight defeats now. A crucial game against a relegation rival we lost 3-0.  12 goals conceded. Scored once.

 

We looked good against a thoroughly shaken man city in horrendous form, riddled with injuries on an unprecedented losing run matched only by us for poor form . We should have looked good and we should have won at home but we still lost 2-0. Stealing defeat from the jaws of victory. 

 

Ruud I'm not convinced by but he is at least changing in response to mistakess. The Wolves game needs to be made up for. Nice to see a plan and some nice sequences of play against Man City but think people are decieved by how  absolutely woeful that man city side were. 

 

Expected a new manager bounce instead we're on a 4game losing streak. Playing ward was on him. Newcastle and wolves results on him. 

 

Every team has injuries this time of year. Its not realistic to think our first choice starting 11 will turn out each week, no team has that luxury except a couple of the big 6. Even Man city were playing their no2 goalkeeper and second choice cb pairing, rodri out injured. We're not an unlucky exception other teams are managing it and we haven't so far. 

 

We're not going to bring in fullbacks, wingers and a new striker on our budget that can slot straight into the starting 11 from day 1 so not that optimistic about the january transfer window turning it around. 

 

If Ruud learns from his many mistakes perhaps we knick 17th if wolves or West ham bannana skin. Honestly struggle to see it happening though.

 

We needed Moyes. Except he probably didn't want or turned down the job. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 30 December 2024 by Filbert Fireworks
Typo

[Legend_in_blue]

We're assuming we can do good business in January where, in a more likely scenario, we're more than likely to find the next Ryan Bennett and consider this a success.

 

I can't see us reversing the Wolves result, unless we keep within 3 of them AND win at their place.  If they take 6 points off us, it's curtains.

[Thequickbrownfox]

Even though we avoided the points deduction, its phantom effects were almost worse. It landed us with Cooper which effectively burnt a dozen games for a start. It also made us a less attractive proposition, hence the summer signings were mediocre. Nevertheless there has been some sporadic excitement in the first half of the season and we do look a little bit better under Ruud. It'll be tough to survive, but there's always a chance and hopefully Vardy will soon become only our third player to hit 200 Leicester goals. 

[Bezzanator89]

Too defensively shambolic to warrant a place in this league. A team that consistently concedes at least two goals a game, regardless of the opposition, should hang their heads in shame.

 

Without adequate reinforcements and funds in January, the Championship and the EFL-sponsored dark abyss beckons.

[Clever Fox]

5 hours ago, iancognito said:

Ndidi doesn't get his place back ATM. Feel odd saying it but Soumare deserves it more right now. And I don't see a way he plays Winks, Bouba and Ndidi all in the same side without sacrificing creativity.

 

Aside from other dropped pts, that Wolves game has put a hole in our survival hopes. I still think West Ham will get dragged in to it because they're an ageing side with no proven scorer but we need two full backs,  a CB and maybe a Vardy replacement / back up to make a fight of it

That's exactly what I think he will do when all is available.  NDiddi holding MDF supported by Bouba and Winks, with Bouba and Winks free to get forward when we have possession.

 

I think we can forget Wolves, They're going to finish midtable. As othere's have said, West Ham seem to be struggling just as much as us.

 

I think it may end up with a battle between us West Ham Ipswich and Southampton.

[ceebeefox]

21 hours ago, FoxOnWheels said:

With half of the season now done, what are everyone’s thoughts so far and are we hopeful of survival or do we think we need to add to much in January and won’t pick up the quality? It looks as though we will need at-least 20 points from this next 19 games to have a chance, looks a big ask

The year we won the league, once we’d played everyone once I said to my son we’re the best team in this and we’ll win it if we don’t bottle it. Using that analogy, we’re struggling.

Yesterday’s performance however gave me hope, but I keep asking myself, if not us then who? It’ll need a window where we sign at least 2 that walk into the team and make a difference against the Brentford’s, Wolves, Fulham’s etc.

[JimJams]

Still think Evertons sheer lack of goals is our best chance.

[when_you're_smiling]

I had really low expectations to begin with anyway. With Southampton bringing in a decent keeper in and Ipswich’s signings while we were obviously weaker I couldn’t see how we’d stay up. That’s partly down to underestimating Mads who has more than proven he belongs at this level. I dread to think where we’d have been without him.

 

I do think we’re better than Ipswich and Southampton now. It’s a struggle currently seeing who else we can get above. It could depend on how long the Wolves new manager bounce lasts. I did wonder if Everton might fall down after an unusually good start, but they’ve just had two 0-0 draws with Chelsea and Arsenal. You wouldn’t back us to get a clean sheet against anyone. It’s also really worrying opposition players like Gakpo are commenting they’re surprised about how much time and options they have playing against.

 

It needs at least a Robert Huth-like game changing signing at the back. It’s difficult to buy in January though. You’re either going to pay over the odds or have to go for someone out of favour.

[jim5000]

Have to say it’s been a poor first half of the season. We look like a club without any kind of plan. We lurch from manager to manager without any consistent underlying tactical philosophy, we sign scattergun players that can’t get into the team, and are resorting to playing players that were loaned out last season as not good enough for the Championship.

 

Performances are improving under Ruud, kind of. We look more organised but the last 4 matches has still seen 12 goals conceded and only 1 scored.

 

We need major strengthening in January and no more cockup signings. 
 

Im not overly hopeful given the way the club is currently being run.

[lozzyblue fox]

With Ipswich now 2-0 up looks like we will start 2025 second from bottom.

[Wymsey]

12 hours ago, Bilo said:

One win away from leapfrogging Wolves, who have a nasty run of fixtures and should lose Cunha for a spell, and still only three points behind a genuinely honking Everton side who are really struggling at the moment.

 

Everyone keeps saying it, but the transfer window is huge. Three or four decent signings, especially at the back, are required. We're certainly getting more of an identity and the green shoots are beginning to show. 

 

I'd say we're probably favourites to go, but a lot can change.

It'd be great if they can actually go down for just one season at least..

They've been very fortunate for a few seasons now.