Middlesboro Post Match 0-0

[Guest MattP]

Just seen the Beckford chance, how on earth did he miss it?

[Austin]

Just home from work, been there since 5 .. Someone basically sum up tonights game for me?

Good point in my eyes.

[Donut]

Just home from work, been there since 5 .. Someone basically sum up tonights game for me?

Good point in my eyes.

A scrappy game with very little quality in the final third by either side. No real clear cut chances other than our biggest chance coming in the first half with Beckford missing a short range header.

Beckford, Johnson and Wellens all departed with knocks in the 2nd half however, the extent to which the players are injured i dont know yet though.

[Austin]

A scrappy game with very little quality in the final third by either side. No real clear cut chances other than our biggest chance coming in the first half with Beckford missing a short range header.

Beckford, Johnson and Wellens all departed with knocks in the 2nd half however, the extent to which the players are injured i dont know yet though.

Cheers mate, greatly appreciated

[MC Prussian]

Mine is actually the philosophy of the optimist, the belief that each and every game can be won if only we'd focus all our efforts on doing so.

Yes, we're unbeaten but you'd never guess it from the points we've won...just seven from the five Championship outings and four of them stalemates. Some would say four points gained from those draws. I would say eight points lost.

Dear Tony.

If only you knew what you were writing.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

What's that got to do anything?

Can people please stop saying "we are x points off 6th as well"? We should only be interested in what we are off 2nd, we didn't spend this outlay to end the season with a 1 in 4 chance of promotion in a lottery.

Stop moaning! Excellent point, and well done.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Good point.

Roll on Derby.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Good point.

Roll on Derby.

This

[Karljohn]

Weve won 3 games out of 9

Weve scored more than 2 goals in a league game once this season

Our top league scorer has got 2 goals

Weve already lost at home twice

Weve got the biggest, and on paper, one of, if not THE best squads in the league

And were all having a wank over a couple of back to back 0-0 draws

We have got the mentality of a small team. not one with big ambitions of promotion. I dont care if that statement hurts. Its true

Came on here yesterday and predicted a 3-1 win with beckford getting off the mark, dont even think it was 3-1 on shots on goal! have to agree with your final statement, yes its a good point but sides gunning to win the league will take 3 points when faced with what we have played in the last 2 games, they will find a goal from somwhere and I fear Derby will show us how to do it.

[Simmo86]

But we have better defenders than last season, plus a proper holding midfielder in Fernandes, I just wish he was played there.

Now we could easily play 4-3-3, if we only had a couple, or even one, quick winger. Sven doesn't believe in them though and we will really struggle to create with the team he is setting out.

We struggled to create tonight but we created more than enough chances against Brighton and more than enough to beat Cardiff.

[Guest Col city fan]

Came on here yesterday and predicted a 3-1 win with beckford getting off the mark, dont even think it was 3-1 on shots on goal! have to agree with your final statement, yes its a good point but sides gunning to win the league will take 3 points when faced with what we have played in the last 2 games, they will find a goal from somwhere and I fear Derby will show us how to do it.

And I told you that was an overly optimistic prediction given the circumstances involved in last nights game.....

We were never gonna score 3 against them last night with the formation played and players that Sven picked. But we did well to draw...

Now we need to go and win on Saturday to keep the confidence up

[CupidStunt]

Any news on Beckfords Injury yet?

[Bert]

Wow. Didn't realise there were so many arrogant people on here.

We've got no right to be in the automatic spots.

[Happy Fox]

Wow. Didn't realise there were so many arrogant people on here.

We've got no right to be in the automatic spots.

That should be our aim given the outlay of money spent and what the owners expect.

[Ric Flair]

It's not been a great start to the season, but after 9 games we are in the mix. Still well within touching distance of every team in the league, above and below. We couldn't say the same thing last season. I know we have spent a lot of money but that doesn't guarantee that we're going to walk away with the league. Usually quality rises to the top and after another 10-15 games I think we'll have got ourselves in the top 3 and we'll then take it from there. Team spirit and confidence is the key to getting wins in this league, that can often win over a squad of talented players, hopwever I see the team spirit and confidence growing amongst our camp and we all know the quality is there.

Keeping this unbeaten run going is important, we then need to start to turn draws in to wins to make a move, which i'm sure we'll do.

I'd like to see Sven fine tune our tactics in the next month by settling on a system that leaves us strong at the back but able to counter attack and hurt teams, which is what he's been famous for doing over his managerial career. We are missing an attacking midfielder who can roam from out wide, in to the middle and compliment our forwards.

It's a shame Beckford hasn't got off the mark yet, a goal or two for him and more will follow as that's what natural finishers like him do.

Bring on the shaggers on Saturday, I think we'll win but anyone predicting monster wins at the minute is going to be disappointed, it's not that easy.

[Dan]

People have simply GOT to stop comparing this year to last.

Guess what. Millwall in 9th last year beat our season last year.

People can't say "how many points did we have at this stage last year", why? Because there's a reason it's incomparable - that was an absolutely disastrous start. If we had less points than that, Sven would be gone, and rightly so.

In-fact, what we need to compare ourselves to, is how many QPR/Norwich had. You know, the two sides who came FIRST and SECOND.

QPR sat 1st with 23 points, a whole TEN better than we're on now. Norwich, following a 4-3 win over Leicester, had 16, three better than LCFC.

I'll say last night and Cardiff, I agree, two solid results, but solid at best. As an attacking unit, one goal in three games is abysmal, especially considering we've just spent £3-4mil on a striker.

I don't wish to sound negative and I'll credit us on a good point last night which many teams won't get - but we need to be better. We've got a small-time mentality, play-offs at best mentality, we've got to WIN at some of these places. Norwich/QPR, how would they have felt last year with 0-0 at Cardiff & Middlesbrough in a row? I don't think they'd be disastrous, but I feel they'd have certainly wanted 4 points.

I'll compare it again, Cardiff sit sixth and Middlesbrough second. This time last year it was funnily enough Cardiff in second, Reading in sixth. QPR took 4 points from those two games.

We're not playing like league winners, this sort of form is play-off material, not top two. Play-offs are a lottery and I feel with the money we've spent, we'll need to get the top two.

I don't want to sound negative but it's truth, we have not started well and the last three results for all which are good, basically don't cover the ground we lost by failing to beat shit like Forest & Barnsley, and losing at home to dross like Reading & Bristol City.

Derby at home is a massive game. I feel a win and this run all of a sudden looks good. But I think with October, Derby home, Birmingham away, Watford & Millwall at home, West Ham away - lets take what QPR, the league winners, did against the teams in those positions last year;

Derby (3rd). Norwich in 3rd at this time last year, QPR take one point at home.

Birmingham (19th, albeit with two games in hand, so call them 14th for arguments sake), Doncaster 14th last year, QPR take 3 points.

Watford (15th), Derby are 15th this time last year, QPR surprisingly only take a point.

Millwall (22nd), This time last year - Palace. QPR take 3 points.

West Ham (4th), This time last year - Watford, QPR take 3 points.

11 points out of 15 against the equivalent (to an extent) to what we'll face this month. That's form of league winners, and if we want it, we're gonna have to stretch our unbeaten run to eleven, and pick up 11 points against these games. Tough or not, they should be tougher for the opposition if we're supposed league winners.

Bit long-winded I know, just an alternative way to look at it.

[Happy Fox]

People have simply GOT to stop comparing this year to last.

Guess what. Millwall in 9th last year beat our season last year.

People can't say "how many points did we have at this stage last year", why? Because there's a reason it's incomparable - that was an absolutely disastrous start. If we had less points than that, Sven would be gone, and rightly so.

In-fact, what we need to compare ourselves to, is how many QPR/Norwich had. You know, the two sides who came FIRST and SECOND.

QPR sat 1st with 23 points, a whole TEN better than we're on now. Norwich, following a 4-3 win over Leicester, had 16, three better than LCFC.

I'll say last night and Cardiff, I agree, two solid results, but solid at best. As an attacking unit, one goal in three games is abysmal, especially considering we've just spent £3-4mil on a striker.

I don't wish to sound negative and I'll credit us on a good point last night which many teams won't get - but we need to be better. We've got a small-time mentality, play-offs at best mentality, we've got to WIN at some of these places. Norwich/QPR, how would they have felt last year with 0-0 at Cardiff & Middlesbrough in a row? I don't think they'd be disastrous, but I feel they'd have certainly wanted 4 points.

I'll compare it again, Cardiff sit sixth and Middlesbrough second. This time last year it was funnily enough Cardiff in second, Reading in sixth. QPR took 4 points from those two games.

We're not playing like league winners, this sort of form is play-off material, not top two. Play-offs are a lottery and I feel with the money we've spent, we'll need to get the top two.

I don't want to sound negative but it's truth, we have not started well and the last three results for all which are good, basically don't cover the ground we lost by failing to beat shit like Forest & Barnsley, and losing at home to dross like Reading & Bristol City.

Derby at home is a massive game. I feel a win and this run all of a sudden looks good. But I think with October, Derby home, Birmingham away, Watford & Millwall at home, West Ham away - lets take what QPR, the league winners, did against the teams in those positions last year;

Derby (3rd). Norwich in 3rd at this time last year, QPR take one point at home.

Birmingham (19th, albeit with two games in hand, so call them 14th for arguments sake), Doncaster 14th last year, QPR take 3 points.

Watford (15th), Derby are 15th this time last year, QPR surprisingly only take a point.

Millwall (22nd), This time last year - Palace. QPR take 3 points.

West Ham (4th), This time last year - Watford, QPR take 3 points.

11 points out of 15 against the equivalent (to an extent) to what we'll face this month. That's form of league winners, and if we want it, we're gonna have to stretch our unbeaten run to eleven, and pick up 11 points against these games. Tough or not, they should be tougher for the opposition if we're supposed league winners.

Bit long-winded I know, just an alternative way to look at it.

Top post mate

[Babylon]

Wow this place never changes does it, the last few results have been satisfactory considering they were away from home and against good teams.

The defence seems to have been sorted as we are no longer leaking goals left right and centre. We now obviously need to sort the goals scored column out.

It was massively unlikely a new team would come together and instantly be brilliant at everything no matter how much is spent, so long as areas all around the pitch keep improving as the defence has recently then we should do well.

[Dan]

Top post mate

Cheers Basically, I'm not going to say our results at Cardiff/Middlesbrough are bad, because they're not, and people saying a lot sides will struggle to keep a clean sheet there are very true, but if we're seriously aiming for the top two (which we are with this money spent) then we've simply got to be looking at 3 points minimum from these two games, and not just 2.

[The_Golden_Gunman]

When a team draws a lot of games it can mean one of two things. Either you're not far off being a really good team, or you're not far off being a really bad team. With Leicester at the moment, it's hard to say which direction we're heading in right now...

I like that we are looking strong defensively. The entire back 5 look strong and composed, and with Sven always likely to play a holding midfielder in front of them, I think our goals against column is likley to be one of the lowest in the division come May. A strong defense is very important for any team looking to mount a title challenge, so it's good to see the team so strong in this department.

However, going forward we are really poor. Not just in the last two games, but from the start of the season. We lack any real creativity or flair and despite having some decent forwards at the club like Beckford and Nugent I just don't see how we're going to create enough chances to allow these guys to score the number of goals we need to power a title challenge. I attribute this to having too many workmen like players in the middle of the park. Fernandes, Abe, Johnson and Wellens are all holding players. Only Andy King strikes me as a real creative outlet and to say that he's had an indifferent start to the season is being kind. Really we need someone in the mould of Taraabt (QPR), Adam (Blackpool) or Whittingham (Cardiff) to keep the team ticking over and make the play, but we're stuck with what we've got unitl the January transfer window, so Sven needs to find a way to make it work. Wellens can normally make us tick, but he's been shocking of recent.

A lot has been said about our lack of width, but I don't think it's as much of a problem as many others do. The Diamond system Sven employs relies on Peltier and Konchesky creating the width by bombing on from fullback, and I think both are doing a good job at this. The problem for me lies in the centre of the park as although we are good at winning the ball back and retaining possesion, we can't really do anything with it. Wellens and King's poor start to the season is a major contributor to this, and I really hope that those two get some form back quickly. Johnson looks better and better with each game he plays and it's possible that if we get him back to being fully fit that he could start pulling the strings for us, so that could be another solution. We need to find an answer quickly though, otherwise we can kiss goodbye to automatic promotion.

The Championship is probably the most competetive league anywhere in Europe. Even now almost 10 games into the season, could you honestly pick the division winner? In this division any point gained is valuable because the teams are so evenly matched that everyone can take points off one another. The key to promotion is getting and then maintaining momentum. Look at last season, terrible start, then Sven came in and we went on a wonderful run in January before subsequently self-destructing by losing to every team in the top 7 over a series of a few weeks. We're on an unbeaten run already, so if we can now use this momentum to add a few more wins under our belt and stay unbeaten, we might start to be come the real deal.

But right now, the jury is still out.

[Bert]

That should be our aim given the outlay of money spent and what the owners expect.

Yes, I agree and I think that's what the club Is aiming at too.

Just because we're well backed and have spent big, doesn't mean we have the given right to be In the top two. We've still got to go out and perform, and more importantly win games that we shod be winning.

[Happy Fox]

Yes, I agree and I think that's what the club Is aiming at too.

Just because we're well backed and have spent big, doesn't mean we have the given right to be In the top two. We've still got to go out and perform, and more importantly win games that we shod be winning.

I concur

[Dan]

Yes, I agree and I think that's what the club Is aiming at too.

Just because we're well backed and have spent big, doesn't mean we have the given right to be In the top two. We've still got to go out and perform, and more importantly win games that we shod be winning.

I don't think anyone's saying we've got a right to be in the top two. I can understand totally though people being frustrated at being below sides, like say Middlesbrough, who've spent very little in comparison.

[Dan]

When a team draws a lot of games it can mean one of two things. Either you're not far off being a really good team, or you're not far off being a really bad team. With Leicester at the moment, it's hard to say which direction we're heading in right now...

I like that we are looking strong defensively. The entire back 5 look strong and composed, and with Sven always likely to play a holding midfielder in front of them, I think our goals against column is likley to be one of the lowest in the division come May. A strong defense is very important for any team looking to mount a title challenge, so it's good to see the team so strong in this department.

However, going forward we are really poor. Not just in the last two games, but from the start of the season. We lack any real creativity or flair and despite having some decent forwards at the club like Beckford and Nugent I just don't see how we're going to create enough chances to allow these guys to score the number of goals we need to power a title challenge. I attribute this to having too many workmen like players in the middle of the park. Fernandes, Abe, Johnson and Wellens are all holding players. Only Andy King strikes me as a real creative outlet and to say that he's had an indifferent start to the season is being kind. Really we need someone in the mould of Taraabt (QPR), Adam (Blackpool) or Whittingham (Cardiff) to keep the team ticking over and make the play, but we're stuck with what we've got unitl the January transfer window, so Sven needs to find a way to make it work. Wellens can normally make us tick, but he's been shocking of recent.

A lot has been said about our lack of width, but I don't think it's as much of a problem as many others do. The Diamond system Sven employs relies on Peltier and Konchesky creating the width by bombing on from fullback, and I think both are doing a good job at this. The problem for me lies in the centre of the park as although we are good at winning the ball back and retaining possesion, we can't really do anything with it. Wellens and King's poor start to the season is a major contributor to this, and I really hope that those two get some form back quickly. Johnson looks better and better with each game he plays and it's possible that if we get him back to being fully fit that he could start pulling the strings for us, so that could be another solution. We need to find an answer quickly though, otherwise we can kiss goodbye to automatic promotion.

The Championship is probably the most competetive league anywhere in Europe. Even now almost 10 games into the season, could you honestly pick the division winner? In this division any point gained is valuable because the teams are so evenly matched that everyone can take points off one another. The key to promotion is getting and then maintaining momentum. Look at last season, terrible start, then Sven came in and we went on a wonderful run in January before subsequently self-destructing by losing to every team in the top 7 over a series of a few weeks. We're on an unbeaten run already, so if we can now use this momentum to add a few more wins under our belt and stay unbeaten, we might start to be come the real deal.

But right now, the jury is still out.

I agree with this but the solution is simple, get Wellens in a more attacking role in midfield. A lot of our fans have gone off him but it's simple, he's sat far too deep to ever be the matchwinner he's capable of being.

Some of his displays in centre midfield ever since he arrived, well they've basically been the heartbeat of good victories. His passing - people complain he gives it away often. Not being funny but you need someone who'll be ambitious. King isn't. For all he's good at keeping the ball, there's no killer pass, Wellens DOES offer this, even if he does give it away, he'll create more simply because he tries more.

[Bert]

I don't think anyone's saying we've got a right to be in the top two. I can understand totally though people being frustrated at being below sides, like say Middlesbrough, who've spent very little in comparison.

What, even though they remain the only unbeaten side in the league are actually a decent team?

Just because they haven't spent money doesn't automatically mean we should be beating them. On that logic we should beat everyone, because We've spent more than anyone in the league by a mile.