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Post by knowingeye on Jan 29, 2009 6:52:13 GMT
Where do you think the points will come from ?
Thanks Craig for spotting the deliberate mistake!!!
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Post by MrBigJobby on Jan 29, 2009 6:53:10 GMT
winning and drawing games  |
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Post by knowingeye on Jan 29, 2009 6:59:32 GMT
winning and drawing games Which ones ? Must be home games I guess given the away record, so which ones ? I'm not saying it's not possible but with only five points between the bottom clubs to mid-table and, unless something changes, remaining in the premier league could be based on goal difference. |
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jan 29, 2009 7:00:31 GMT
I think our run in especially at home is about as good as we could possibly hope for. So the bulk of the points should come from the home games and I think they will. Our two signings (so far) in this window have both been good ones and have strengthened the squad so we should be able to recapture or better the home form we showed earlier in the season.
I bet everyone of our rivals at the bottom would swap their run in with ours. When I looked at the January fixtures a couple of months back I expected us to be at or near the bottom at the end of the month - but I honestly thought we'd be further adrift than we are. We now have to make that run in count.
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Post by MrBigJobby on Jan 29, 2009 7:06:07 GMT
I think we have the best run in. I think WBA, Middleborough and Portsmouth are going to go down
Thats if TP does these 3 things
1. Gets some proper Full Backs in never mind wilko and Griff, Higgy is nowhere near good enough in that position in the Prem.
2. A proper creative midfielder
and
3. When all thats done play your best players in their correct positions.
In all my years (not as many as you Forny) but a few have I ever known a manager to play so many players in the wrong postion
IMO
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jan 29, 2009 7:09:24 GMT
Mr BJ, I agree with all of that. Two PROPER (ie specialist) full backs plus a good creative midfielder would massively improve the squad. It would also give us three really good centre backs to choose from in Ryan, AB and Higgy.
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Post by MrBigJobby on Jan 29, 2009 7:12:05 GMT
Two proper Full Backs will relieve the pressure on midfield and will allow us push forward, cos all Delap ann Etherington ar doing is covering for them and a number of times against Spurs Etherington looked completely pissed off
Its not hoofball its "Compenastion Football"
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Post by ted1965 on Jan 29, 2009 7:30:52 GMT
We have a good run in on paper, home games that we must win if we’re to survive but in all honesty we do have to start playing players in their best positions and not fitting players into the side simply to keep favourites in the side.
We have Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham, Middlesboro, Wigan and Newcastle at home they aren’t going to lay down for us but they are games where we need to get points. That’s 8 games where we can possibly gain enough points to survive.
It’s almost impossible to see us winning away games at the moment, hopefully a change of approach will give more hope but it needs to happen soon. We do have some winnable games on paper Hull, Albion, Fulham and Sunderland but none will be easy and if we continue to give up possession the way we have all season it’s hard to see us creating enough chances to win any game.
We have one of the easier run ins and if you were choosing the fixtures before the season began you would have been hard pushed to find a better run in especially at home but football is played on grass not paper and unless we change our approach and get the best out of what we have it will mean nothing.
I still believe we can survive but to be honest it’s getting tougher with every game that passes without a win.
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Post by CalgaryPotter on Jan 29, 2009 7:49:16 GMT
We just have to go into every game looking for the win whether we are at home or away. Our shite record away from home has stacked too much pressure on us at the Brit. A win at Chelsea would have been an enormous boost. I never expected owt at Spurs to be honest but those losses have heaped pressure on the City game at the weekend. When you look at what they have on the pitch they should destroy us being honest. A draw at the weekend will suffice if we can get that away win at Sunderland the next week. Not exactly a happy hunting ground up there though is it? When I've been there it rains, we've got a piss poor following, we get beat then its a shit ride home............its a pity Keane not still in charge  |
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Post by OldStokie on Jan 29, 2009 7:54:30 GMT
Very possible, ke. I reckon the fans will drag those 20 points out of the players. After the Pulis selection debacle at Spurs, it is in my very humble opinion, the best chance we have of survival. At home of course. The manager's away form is nothing less than an utter disgrace.
OS.
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Post by Somebody_Told_Me on Jan 29, 2009 7:56:08 GMT
Anything's possible I get this 18 + 21 = 39 I think that may just do it.
H Man City 1
A Sunderland 0
H Portsmouth 3
A Aston Villa 0
H Bolton 1
A Everton 0
H Middlesbrough 3
A West Brom 1
H Newcastle 3
H Blackburn 1
A Fulham 0
H West Ham 1
A Hull 1
H Wigan 3
A Arsenal 0
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Post by Davef on Jan 29, 2009 8:37:29 GMT
STM
That's just about the most reasonable prediction for the rest of our season I've seen, though I do think we must brace ourselves for at least one more defeat at home.
That means we need to find a couple of away wins from somewhere, and to do that we need to alter our philosophy away from home. Parking the bus has brought us 3 points out of 36 and I wouldn't argue that similar tactics will bring us just the two points you've predicted.
I really can't see us getting to 40 points.
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Post by cousindupree on Jan 29, 2009 8:55:22 GMT
Yep the STM prediction would closely match my own.....2 pts away from home is all I would expect. I just cant see a major change of style and tactics and the Spurs Debacle mirrored Bolton and Blackburn suggesting that the problems are deep rooted and are unlikely to be resolved in 6 games...the sunderland brazil and hull games are fundamental must not lose games and we should be organised enough to shut our Brazil and Hull..Sunderland will be tougher
Worryingly that leaves us needing 4/5 home wins.....a tall order but our home form matches that at the moment.
I just hope the manager doesnt go all ultra cautious and defensive in the likely 6 pointers against Pompey M'boro and maybe blackburn and end up with too many draws.
But i have said nearly all season our approach to away games will be our undoing...I really hope I am wrong
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Post by miffmister on Jan 29, 2009 9:10:04 GMT
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Post by dexter97 on Jan 29, 2009 9:14:10 GMT
I just hope the manager doesnt go all ultra cautious and defensive in the likely 6 pointers against Pompey M'boro and maybe blackburn and end up with too many draws. I don't think he will. We weren't over-defensive against the likes of Liverpoo and Manure at home, and TP will know that the only chance we have of survival is to really go for it at home. |
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Post by knowingeye on Jan 29, 2009 9:29:12 GMT
Thinking about Arsenal and Spurs performances at home gives me some confidence, it's the away games, even allowing for Liverpool type digging-in game, that makes me a little concerned. Is it time for PC to push the boat out to strengthen the central defence? If so, four days left to make the move and I'm sure they must have an idea of a player or two for this role. Defending from the back and all that stuff, but ultimately wins need goals.
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Post by craig67 on Jan 29, 2009 9:57:24 GMT
Isn't it 15 games?
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Post by tuum on Jan 29, 2009 10:09:57 GMT
I don't think he will. We weren't over-defensive against the likes of Liverpoo and Manure at home, and TP will know that the only chance we have of survival is to really go for it at home.
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I don't think that was the point that cousindups was making.
I think his fear is the same as mine. TP may be ultra cautious because he does not want to give relegation contenders 3pts. He would prefer to take 1pt rather than be a bit more attacking & run the risk of giving the relegation rivals 3pts.
His mindset against the top four (+2-3 other teams) is slightly different. If we were a bit more attacking against the big boys then they would rip us apart & we would have no chance of snatching even a point. I think TP can accept losing to the big boys by the odd goal or two but may not be able to accept losing AT ALL to relegation rivals.
In my opinion it is a legitimate concern (that TP will still adopt a cautious approach against relegation rivals) particularly away from home.
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Post by knowingeye on Jan 29, 2009 10:13:19 GMT
I never could count!!!! |
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Jan 29, 2009 10:18:53 GMT
IF,& if I could make the if bigger I would.
But if we do stay up this season,are we going to play the same way next season?
Or will Pulis throw caution to the wind next season and go for more away points?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2009 10:32:21 GMT
So if we have already got 21 points from 23 games then we need to improve our points return per game!! Here was me thinking we had done ok so far!
we always knew that january was going to be tough but we really REALLY need 3 points against citeh. This cold had better bugger off soon so that I can get behind the lads come satdee!
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Jan 29, 2009 10:48:24 GMT
Anything's possible I get this 18 + 21 = 39 I think that may just do it. H Man City 1 A Sunderland 0 H Portsmouth 3 A Aston Villa 0 H Bolton 1 A Everton 0 H Middlesbrough 3 A West Brom 1 H Newcastle 3 H Blackburn 1 A Fulham 0 H West Ham 1 A Hull 1 H Wigan 3 A Arsenal 0 With the run in that we've got, we can have no complaints.. Survival is in our hands With the addition of Beattie and Ethers we should get enough points to survive but remember there are no 'easy' games and 'easy' games that we should have won (apart from WBA) we have lost.. We haven't won at home since November and we need to 'rectify' that on Saturday against Man City..followed by a point at Sunderland...otherwise we will start to 'run out' of games and get anchored to the bottom and increase the psychological pressure on us to survive.. Every home game is now a battle of survival and we..the supporters need to treat it as such..no half measures..just full throttled ferocity...for 8 more games in The Prem... |
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Post by dexter97 on Jan 29, 2009 11:19:51 GMT
In my opinion it is a legitimate concern (that TP will still adopt a cautious approach against relegation rivals) particularly away from home. Of course it's a legitimate concern. In fact I'd go as far as to say there's absolutely no doubt that we'll continue to be over-cautious away from the Brit. I think two or three points on the road is the best that we can realistically hope for at the moment. However, Cousin's original point to which I responded was made about the "...likely 6 pointers against Pompey, M'boro and Blackburn", which are all home games, and I think we've seen enough to know that we won't just sit back. Odd points at home will not be enough. TP and the lads will know that. |
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Post by tuum on Jan 29, 2009 18:12:43 GMT
dexter
I clearly have not communicated my point well enough as you appear to have misunderstood again.
In short,
TP may well be cautious (not necessarily sit back) at home to relegation rivals because he is scared of the opposition gaining 3pts, & 1pt to TP may be considered to be more precious to him than 3pts to the oppo.
Contrast his approach to that of Phil Brown - chalk & cheese. Only time will tell who has the best approach but I have consistently argued that TP can be a bit more adventurous without being negligent!
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Post by A-teen_six_T3 on Jan 29, 2009 18:42:23 GMT
4 home wins Bora, Castle, Man city, Blackburn Draw against Wigan Away win at West Brom and a draw at Hull, draw at Fullham...Thats 18 points  Think we get soemthing from sunderland too |
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Post by knowingeye on Jan 30, 2009 20:44:57 GMT
Is it time for PC to push the boat out to strengthen the central defence? If so, four days left to make the move and I'm sure they must have an idea of a player or two for this role. Maybe so then. Let's hope so as this will make a massive difference, perhaps between staying up and not. |
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Post by stokesyboy01 on Jan 30, 2009 23:08:54 GMT
We are due a bit of luck, hopefully tomorrow will be the day we get some, would be a fantastic result to beat the moneybags team
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Post by Ddraigcoch on Jan 31, 2009 0:18:55 GMT
Next week is the frist double of the season. Blunderland away = 3 points.
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Post by knowingeye on Jan 31, 2009 14:46:29 GMT
3 more points only 17 to go!
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