It's deja vu, all over again!

[marbelladave]

The end of October 2012.

 

City are in the top 2 after a great run of results and some excellent football, then we face a run of games against the better/tougher teams in this division, just like now.

 

Last season, we stopped trying to impose ourselves and started to react to the opposition, changing our game to suit the opposition, setting up more defensively, trying to maintain our shape and as a result we forgot how to play our own game and that was the beginning of the end for our season.

 

Sure we still beat the less good sides but a string of loses against the likes of Palace, Watford, Leeds, Millwall and the rest left us lacking in confidence and ripe for a fall.

 

For a moment or two in January we looked to be back on track, but it was really just two exceptional games and our decline continued soon after.

 

This season I don't think we are playing quite as well as 2012, but we are more experienced, more resilient and maybe in a better position to keep it going. In any case, the next 8-9 weeks are going to be crucial, I have not really got 'involved' in the season so far but the next few weeks should be interesting.

[K1FOX]

So your ready to get involved now? Basically as soon as we drop a couple of points you'll be baying for blood. Right ?

[Bilo]

Seem to remember another League Cup campaign including a thriller against Fulham at home as well.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhNyb7iMjvI

[marbelladave]

So your ready to get involved now? Basically as soon as we drop a couple of points you'll be baying for blood. Right ?

 

Absolutely, and yours will be first......

 

I've been to a fair number of games this season (9 of 13 in the league) so I am involved in that respect but good though our results have been they have, in the main, come against teams that were mostly mid table. 

 

This month, and particularly next month, bring us up against most of the promotion contenders and it was in this period last year, in similar games, that we lost our momentum. The thought that I am having is whether of not our new found resilience and experience will see us through or whether the better teams that we are now coming up against will expose our less than stellar defending.

[Monsell1976]

This is this season last seasons gone, I was very critical last season but this season has a different feel, and fingers crossed we push on, the only thing I would say is maybe a bit more rotation to prevent burn out, but what do I know, Pearson sees them day in day out so should know if there tired.

[cjslcfc]

Absolutely, and yours will be first......

 

I've been to a fair number of games this season (9 of 13 in the league) so I am involved in that respect but good though our results have been they have, in the main, come against teams that were mostly mid table. 

 

This month, and particularly next month, bring us up against most of the promotion contenders and it was in this period last year, in similar games, that we lost our momentum. The thought that I am having is whether of not our new found resilience and experience will see us through or whether the better teams that we are now coming up against will expose our less than stellar defending.

 

All I'd say about that is that we've beaten pretty much all of these teams. Even the low top half/midtable teams in the championship never consistently beat the lower teams. 

 

I agree, though, that this tougher month will bring to light how much we have improved or if this is just another false dawn. Personally, I think we will pass the test. We usually up our game against the bigger teams and it's the "lesser" teams we have been unable to conquer in the past. 

[Grewks]

Not since our last premiership stint have i looked so positively upon our squad.

 

 

some of the thoughts i had at the game against fulham the other night is just an example of this...

 

 

I just sat there looking at our starting eleven and thought...WOW. No king, nuge, vardy, dyer, de laet, moore, we have so so many quality players, especially when you consider the immense performances of the likes of miquel, wood and drinky that night. The we have knocky, morgan, james etc.

 

 

 

We have a squad of 18 - who on their day i would not replace them with a single player in this league.

 

 

Wood, vardy and nuge all offer something different - nuge the experience, vardy the pace and wood the immense link up play (the way he dominated two premier league experienced center halves just shows his talent)

 

Then we have drinky who had his best game in a city shirt, and IMO was the best midfielder on the park, looked even more dangerous than taarabt and ruiz. We had hammond who prevented fulham attacking through the middle all game. Is it a coincidence that their only attacks came from out wide? Then there is james, who at the end of last season looked a class above any other central players we played against.

 

 

 

The squad we have now is really something special, and when you consider the signings this summer - was (free) hammond (free), i would argue we have added more quality than when we spent 10 mil + under sven.

 

 

 

Everything has been brilliant this season, it is just a shame we cannot field more than 11 players, as right now you could make an argument for fielding 18.

[deanolegend1989]

We may have only played 1 of the top 7 but we have played 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th & 15th..winning 6 and drawing 1 of these. Not easy games...Being consistent is the key, no matter who its against. Winning all but 1 of these games is a promotion winning team. It wont be the results vs the top teams that will kill us..its if we continue to consistently win these hard fought games.

So far so good...If we can get either 4 or 6 from ther next 2 then Ill be delighted..even 2 or 3 wouldnt be awful.

[ozleicester]

Whilst there is some relevance in the "we havent played the top teams yet" staement. It is still misleading, if we had not beaten the teams weve played, some of them, would be in the top group.

 

Its because we play (and beat) them, that they arent top!! 

[Col city fan]

Tomorrow will be a good yardstick regarding how far we have come. Battle hard tomorrow and don't lose the game and the signs of real improvement will be continued IMO.

Lose away again and I'll still have my doubts regarding whether we can really get automatic promotion. The away form, as I've been saying for ages and ages (banging my drum) is key to this team's (and Pearson's) success or failure.

[_Fatboyslow_]

If you put Deano's stats with Oz's thinking I think you would be about right. As for comparing this season with lasts don't you think we look better Blanced and more composed Dave? Yes the fast flowing game has gone but the ease that we beat Wigan with was most impressive. We may not be as stylish as you would hope for but we do have a solid confident feel about us which is perhaps what we need.

[broughtonblue]

Not since our last premiership stint have i looked so positively upon our squad.

some of the thoughts i had at the game against fulham the other night is just an example of this...

I just sat there looking at our starting eleven and thought...WOW. No king, nuge, vardy, dyer, de laet, moore, we have so so many quality players, especially when you consider the immense performances of the likes of miquel, wood and drinky that night. The we have knocky, morgan, james etc.

We have a squad of 18 - who on their day i would not replace them with a single player in this league.

Wood, vardy and nuge all offer something different - nuge the experience, vardy the pace and wood the immense link up play (the way he dominated two premier league experienced center halves just shows his talent)

Then we have drinky who had his best game in a city shirt, and IMO was the best midfielder on the park, looked even more dangerous than taarabt and ruiz. We had hammond who prevented fulham attacking through the middle all game. Is it a coincidence that their only attacks came from out wide? Then there is james, who at the end of last season looked a class above any other central players we played against.

The squad we have now is really something special, and when you consider the signings this summer - was (free) hammond (free), i would argue we have added more quality than when we spent 10 mil + under sven.

Everything has been brilliant this season, it is just a shame we cannot field more than 11 players, as right now you could make an argument for fielding 18.

Agree 100% with this, some people at work were saying we took the cup lightly on Tuesday because of all the changes. I didn't feel we were weakened in any area by them.

[marbelladave]

Morning,

 

I'm actually very happy to see such a positive reaction to my thoughts so maybe it is just me who sees things this way.

 

Clearly we are not perfect and just listing where I think we can do better is not the point, what I guess i'm really looking at is whether our more pragmatic style (compared to last season) will see us do better against the better teams.

 

I'm in two minds, sometimes more. I see the way we ease off and let teams back into games we have already won, but that said we have got the job more often than not.......

 

I guess what I am apprehensive about is what happened this time last season when we made no real attempt to get after the better teams and found ourselves getting dominated. I really want to see us concentrating on our own performance and taking the game to them, not 'gung ho', but not negative like last season either.

 

And no, I don't expect us to win every game, but I do expect us to compete in every game, starting tomorrow.......

[_Fatboyslow_]

And no, I don't expect us to win every game, but I do expect us to compete in every game, starting tomorrow.......

This is all any of us want, but I would say carrying on tomorrow

[cityfanlee23]

I would say we are a lot stronger than last year, Physically and mentally, aswell as having that pace throughout, 

 

I would still stress that we need additions though, A young Left back to learn under Konch for next season when I think he will go,

 

another young winger to keep lloyd under pressure

 

and a goal scoring striker.

 

Bring a few faces in january and freshen it up with more competition on the places that are bare bones, and we could be in for a real shout this season.

[justfoxes]

The end of October 2012.

City are in the top 2 after a great run of results and some excellent football, then we face a run of games against the better/tougher teams in this division, just like now.

Last season, we stopped trying to impose ourselves and started to react to the opposition, changing our game to suit the opposition, setting up more defensively, trying to maintain our shape and as a result we forgot how to play our own game and that was the beginning of the end for our season.

Sure we still beat the less good sides but a string of loses against the likes of Palace, Watford, Leeds, Millwall and the rest left us lacking in confidence and ripe for a fall.

For a moment or two in January we looked to be back on track, but it was really just two exceptional games and our decline continued soon after.

This season I don't think we are playing quite as well as 2012, but we are more experienced, more resilient and maybe in a better position to keep it going. In any case, the next 8-9 weeks are going to be crucial, I have not really got 'involved' in the season so far but the next few weeks should be interesting.

Lets not spout all this negativity about the team lets just go with the flow and enjoy the ride??!!

With their tails up at the moment and beating Fulham we are in a good place at the moment so let's go with the flow stop the negativity and support the team thru thick and thin we love !!

I for one was quite negative about Pearson and the team but was like everyone unhappy with the result of last year But now this is a new season and a new challenge for us hoping the lads will continue their superb run SO LETS GET BEHIND THE TEAM AND CONTINUE GIVING THEM GREAT SUPPORT BOTH HOME AND AWAY !

[marbelladave]

Lets not spout all this negativity about the team lets just go with the flow and enjoy the ride??!!

With their tails up at the moment and beating Fulham we are in a good place at the moment so let's go with the flow stop the negativity and support the team thru thick and thin we love !!

I for one was quite negative about Pearson and the team but was like everyone unhappy with the result of last year But now this is a new season and a new challenge for us hoping the lads will continue their superb run SO LETS GET BEHIND THE TEAM AND CONTINUE GIVING THEM GREAT SUPPORT BOTH HOME AND AWAY !

 

It is not negativity, but apprehension built by many years of inconsistency, though it does not stop me going to games and 'getting behind the team'.

 

Watford is an easy one for me so I shall be there, but I will be somewhat on tenterhooks. Last years league game was a genuinely poor performance from us and one of those important performances and results that was instrumental in wrecking our confidence and subsequently our whole season. Hopefully a good performance will exorcise these memories once and for all.

[_Fatboyslow_]

I don't think Mdave is being negative, he is just expressing his concerns with the games to come and in particular against Watford. Last in the leauge I think we tried 352 and we imploded, the season before we lost 3-2 and I still don't know how that came about, the playoff is now a consider as a classic, and if you go back further it's game after game, so yes they are a bit of a bogey team for us, then again we are due a result.

But let's not forget even if we lose against Watford, QPR, Man City and Reading over the next two months but still pick up points else where we will still be a good position come the new year.

[Guest MattP]

It is not negativity, but apprehension built by many years of inconsistency, though it does not stop me going to games and 'getting behind the team'.

 

Don't let the previous years put you off, the circumstances are far different now, for the first time we seem to have stability throughout from the manager to the playing staff.

 

another young winger to keep lloyd under pressure

 

and a goal scoring striker.

 

Bring a few faces in january and freshen it up with more competition on the places that are bare bones, and we could be in for a real shout this season.

 

Couldn't disagree more with all of this, for the first time we have a settled squad that looks like it is happy, consistent and going places and judging by the league cup we have about 17-18 players all of a very decent standard now, I don't see any reason to bring in one more let alone 'a few new faces'.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Don't let the previous years put you off, the circumstances are far different now, for the first time we seem to have stability throughout from the manager to the playing staff.

 

 

Couldn't disagree more with all of this, for the first time we have a settled squad that looks like it is happy, consistent and going places and judging by the league cup we have about 17-18 players all of a very decent standard now, I don't see any reason to bring in one more let alone 'a few new faces'.

 

Perhaps one new striker wouldn't hurt purely in case we pick up an injury to one of the "big three." Much as I want Schlupp to do well I don't entirely trust his judgement in front of goal.

 

A fresh winger wouldn't go too far amiss, either - Lloyd and Knockaert are the only natural wide options we have and they'll be playing a lot of football between now and the end of the season. I'd rather see us draft a loan signing in (perhaps) just as a contingency plan rather than have Nuge or Vardy punted wide again.

 

Been years since we had so many quality options at the back and in the centre of the park though.

[_Fatboyslow_]

Couldn't disagree more with all of this, for the first time we have a settled squad that looks like it is happy, consistent and going places and judging by the league cup we have about 17-18 players all of a very decent standard now, I don't see any reason to bring in one more let alone 'a few new faces'.

I tend to agree with you here unless it was someone with real quality about them, even so I would want them to earn their place and the players respect.

[Sharpe's Fox]

Big difference from last season is that we have hard working players who can come into the squad if we do go on a bad run. Last season no Wood, James injured (I think), no Wasyl, no Hammond. Instead we had an inept Marshall, deadwood Danns and Beckford and although a useful player you couldn't call Waghorn someone who could pull you through games.

[Guest MattP]

Perhaps one new striker wouldn't hurt purely in case we pick up an injury to one of the "big three." Much as I want Schlupp to do well I don't entirely trust his judgement in front of goal.

 

A fresh winger wouldn't go too far amiss, either - Lloyd and Knockaert are the only natural wide options we have and they'll be playing a lot of football between now and the end of the season. I'd rather see us draft a loan signing in (perhaps) just as a contingency plan rather than have Nuge or Vardy punted wide again.

 

Agree on Schulpp, can see him being offloaded soon, doesn't seem to have the ability at this level and his finishing is appalling for a supposed striker. We'd be unlucky to have two of Vardy, Nugent and Wood out from now on but I can see where you are coming from.

 

I tend to agree with you here unless it was someone with real quality about them, even so I would want them to earn their place and the players respect.

 

Of course, if genuine quality became available at a reasonable price you go for it, some people seem to want players brought in for the sake of it.

[Corky]

It is not negativity, but apprehension built by many years of inconsistency, though it does not stop me going to games and 'getting behind the team'.

 

Watford is an easy one for me so I shall be there, but I will be somewhat on tenterhooks. Last years league game was a genuinely poor performance from us and one of those important performances and results that was instrumental in wrecking our confidence and subsequently our whole season. Hopefully a good performance will exorcise these memories once and for all.

 

Watford was the one genuinely bad performance against a high placed side last season, Pearson tinkered with the formation and it didn't work at all, he should stick to what he knows and the players know best, however rigid it might be (I don't think it is if we swap wingers or move a striker around).

[Col city fan]

As I said earlier, let's have this discussion tomorrow.

Big game tomorrow IMO. Not points-wise of course, but psychologically.

Can we get this monkey off our back of going to away teams who play passing football and not getting a result?

I've just been chatting with my son who's going tomorrow to the game, from Uni. He agrees, tomorrow's game may well be some sort of yardstick as to how we are progressing. We both concurred that the team is looking more solid... We are difficult to beat. But have we got the minerals to play away from home and consistently not get turned over? We'll see because the next run of games will be tough uns.