What a turn around...

[jurek]

...since that 1-5 mauling against Everton.

At the time I was, (and probably not the only one, if memory serves me well)
beginning to seriously think we might go down.
We were in the bottom three, playing very poorly and 3 or more points behind the rest.

Well since then we all know we've turned it around and I think won 8, drawn 3 and lost 4.
I think we might be in the top 4/5 in terms of points since then.

What an achievement!
Praise and thanks has to go to Sean, the players and all involved at the club.

It's an amazing achievement really.

Well done lads.
You've made an old(ish) man very happy tonight.

[FactualFrank]

I read/heard - not sure how true this is, but in 2019 we're a top 6 side, in terms of form.

Was I imagining things?

[Bosscat]

I read/heard - not sure how true this is, but in 2019 we're a top 6 side, in terms of form.

Was I imagining things?

No on current form we are top 6

12 points after 19 games
15 matches later we have 39 points
27 points from 15 games .......

Chelski 26 from 15 games
Tottenham 22 from 15 games

[karatekid]

If we had won 3 more games we would be in 7th again and looking at another European adventure. 3 games.

[Rick_Muller]

If we had won 3 more games we would be in 7th again and looking at another European adventure. 3 games.

We’d have had 6 more points had it not been for dodgy officials in some games...

[SussexDon1inIreland]

Rick is right we have been robbed of six points

UTC

[Foulthrow]

At least six points!

[jrgbfc]

I think that thumping on Boxing Day has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We all know how reluctant Dyche is to make changes, but after that he didn't really have a choice.

[gtclaret]

I think that thumping on Boxing Day has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We all know how reluctant Dyche is to make changes, but after that he didn't really have a choice.

I have that feeling about Brighton on Tuesday

[Belgianclaret]

I recall that we went on as similar (if not better) run a few seasons ago in the Championship after getting thumped 3-0 at Hull.

It really has been a gritty fightback, but we need to learn a lesson from this season and make sure our recruitment is sorted out for next season.

[willsclarets]

We’d have had 6 more points had it not been for dodgy officials in some games...

Every fan in the country can point to injustices they've had during the season, you can't add points to your own tally without the tallies of other teams changing too. You can't be sure if we'd have beaten Brighton if Hendrick had been rightly penalised for a blatent handball in the box for example.

[Colburn_Claret]

It adds to the theory that it is all fine margins at this level.
The only other thing we should learn from Xmas until now, is how much better we play when we get the ball on the floor and run at people, and how much better our strikers are when the ball is delivered from the correct areas.

[Top Claret]

I think that thumping on Boxing Day has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We all know how reluctant Dyche is to make changes, but after that he didn't really have a choice.

Reminiscent to our Boxing day thumping at Hull in our promotion season, went onto to win the title and undeafeated

[Rick_Muller]

Every fan in the country can point to injustices they've had during the season, you can't add points to your own tally without the tallies of other teams changing too. You can't be sure if we'd have beaten Brighton if Hendrick had been rightly penalised for a blatent handball in the box for example.

I agree, just pointing it out.

I also love the way that Warnock was annoyed that “big clubs” get the decisions - does that mean we’re now a big club I also agree with him on that - I mean the top 6 invariably get the decisions in their favour, and I think it’s because of the media uproar the officials would face it they dared to go against a top 6 club

[Spijed]

I agree, just pointing it out.

I also love the way that Warnock was annoyed that “big clubs” get the decisions - does that mean we’re now a big club I also agree with him on that - I mean the top 6 invariably get the decisions in their favour, and I think it’s because of the media uproar the officials would face it they dared to go against a top 6 club

Is that necessarily true though?

Two seasons ago Man City, Arsenal & Man U. had players sent off against us.

[FactualFrank]

No on current form we are top 6

12 points after 19 games
15 matches later we have 39 points
27 points from 15 games .......

Chelski 26 from 15 games
Tottenham 22 from 15 games

Thanks for that buddy. We clearly tried something earlier on in the season, perhaps with too much confidence from finishing 7th last season but this year we've gone back to how we know how we can play - something many pundits have picked up on.

So we finished 7th last season and in 2019 we have the form to be in 6th place.

Perhaps it goes to show last season wasn't a fluke? And that we are actually good enough to finish in the top 10 for the foreseeable.

[EarbyClaret]

I think there's a difference between red cards and other big decisions though. We played for 90 plus minutes v Leicester with an extra man but couldn't turn that to our advantage.

As a result of those four incidents mentioned we only won one game - Chelsea away when Cahill was a bit unlucky and went early - we lost the rest. None of the cards were as a result of preventing a goal-scoring opportunity. 10 v 11 against a top 6 club is a leveller but it's still the case that marginal offsides and penalty calls do still tend to favour the big clubs and I remain to be convinced VAR will fully address that.

[Hipper]

I recall that we went on as similar (if not better) run a few seasons ago in the Championship after getting thumped 3-0 at Hull.

It really has been a gritty fightback, but we need to learn a lesson from this season and make sure our recruitment is sorted out for next season.

But the recovery with the same group of players shows it was nothing to do with recruitment. They were not performing as they obviously can for some reason.

Of course I'm not saying bringing the star midfield player in that we all wanted wouldn't have made things better.

[LoveCurryPies]

I still think we can pick up a few points, admittedly against 4 strong clubs, and finish mid table 12-14th.

Come summer, sell 3 or 4 players and hopefully bring in 2 or 3 midfield and upfront players to build on our existing squad.

[mdd2]

I think the entire 2018 year was bobbins for us
Aug to December 12 points from 19 Jan to May 20pts from 17 and 22 pts from last 19 games. In other words 2018 was a 34 points relegation performance.
The first half of last season and the second half of this has kept us in the Prem League-what a mad world football is-but hey hands up those in October 2012 thought SD was anything other than a cheap appointment and that 5 of his 7 full seasons with us (I hope he is here in May 2020) would be in the top flight?
As for Jurek's original post I for one felt relegation was a certainty after our abject performances in the first 19, but as the last 15 have shown we can perform but so easily (games 9-12) go off again.


And yes what a bloody marvellous turn around.

[Alanstevensonsgloves]

Mdd2, you're spot on. This is why I don't blame Europe for our stuttering start. The slide started in jan 2018. I also think it is no coincidence that our change in fortunes has come about in part with the inclusion of McNeil since the start of the year (ignoring the Everton game!). This was more forced on dyche, than a dyche tactical switch if memory serves me right.

[mikeS]

Really hope we can beat Arsenal to crown our season now.

[dsr]

Since Boxing Day:

Man City 39 points (14 games)
Liverpool 34 (15)
Man United 32 (14)
Burnley 27 (15)
Chelsea 26 (15)
Arsenal 25 (13)
Tottenham 22 (14)
Newcastle 21 (15)
Southampton 21 (14)
Wolves 21 (14)
Crystal Palace 20 (15)
Everton 19 (15)
Leicester 19 (15)
Watford 19 (13)
Bournemouth 15 (15)
West Ham 15 (15)
Cardiff 13 (14)
Brighton 11 (13)
Fulham 9 (15)
Huddersfield 4 (15)

[dsr]

But the recovery with the same group of players shows it was nothing to do with recruitment. They were not performing as they obviously can for some reason.

Of course I'm not saying bringing the star midfield player in that we all wanted wouldn't have made things better.

McNeil.

[Bosscat]

Since Boxing Day:

Man City 39 points (14 games)
Liverpool 34 (15)
Man United 32 (14)
Burnley 27 (15)
Chelsea 26 (15)
Arsenal 25 (13)
Tottenham 22 (14)
Newcastle 21 (15)
Southampton 21 (14)
Wolves 21 (14)
Crystal Palace 20 (15)
Everton 19 (15)
Leicester 19 (15)
Watford 19 (13)
Bournemouth 15 (15)
West Ham 15 (15)
Cardiff 13 (14)
Brighton 11 (13)
Fulham 9 (15)
Huddersfield 4 (15)

Champions League anyone

[SGr]

You see what we’ve done after Christmas and you realise that we really did finish in Europe last season. But really, it’s a case of the big players stepping up when the club needs them most.