So we're improving, but we really need at least a couple of wins out of Wolves, Leeds, Sheff Utd, Fulham, 3 home games in that lot, and games that we should be capable of winning at our best, the following after Fulham are tough looking, West Ham, Liverpool, Villa, Chelsea, and 3 of those are away from home, so ideally we'd get points on the board before the new year, and after those 8 games we'll be roughly halfway through the campaign, so if we can hit the 20 point mark by then, I'll be reasonably content considering our porous start to the season.

One game at a time.

FactualFrank wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:53 pm

One game at a time.

I knew you'd say that FF, and that's true, but a decent Xmas and we could create some leeway between ourselves and the bottom 3, and if we get a breathing space the players might start relaxing more and playing better football.

Is home advantage relevant at the moment without supporters?

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:57 pm

I knew you'd say that FF, and that's true, but a decent Xmas and we could create some leeway between ourselves and the bottom 3, and if we get a breathing space the players might start relaxing more and playing better football.

The league is so tight, I just don't look ahead farther than the next game.

My hope is that we can get to a point where we have one more point than games played. I would be confident we could then keep that and add one more, ending up on 40.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:59 pm

Is home advantage relevant at the moment without supporters?

Probably, certainly less travelling.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:59 pm

Is home advantage relevant at the moment without supporters?

I would say yes, familiar surroundings, home pitch, etc.
However, these factors will only go so far (depending on who we're playing.)

On average teams picking up more points away from home this season when when usually its around 60%-40% in favour of the home teams

Want to be having at least 8 points from them 4.

FactualFrank wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:04 pm

The league is so tight, I just don't look ahead farther than the next game.

The league is not tight at all. Win the next 4 games- which were perfectly capable of doing, and we’re as good as safe. Easy.

Winstonswhite wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:36 pm

The league is not tight at all. Win the next 4 games- which were perfectly capable of doing, and we’re as good as safe. Easy.

I like your faith Winston, but yes we are capable of 4 wins from those games, I doubt we'll get 12 points, but 7/8 would be good.

biggest thing is beating both Fulham and Sheff Utd, we are more than capable in all the 4 games of picking up points.

Quite fancy us in all those games tbh

Wolves look toothless without Jiminez
Leeds can't defend set pieces
Sheff Utd - their confidence looks shot
Fulham - Are wide open at the back.

Keep it tight, and we should hopefully nick a few wins, which will leave us averaging over a point a game after these 4. Just need Wood and Jay Rod to start bagging a few.

Ric_C wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:51 am

Quite fancy us in all those games tbh

Wolves look toothless without Jiminez
Leeds can't defend set pieces
Sheff Utd - their confidence looks shot
Fulham - Are wide open at the back.

Keep it tight, and we should hopefully nick a few wins, which will leave us averaging over a point a game after these 4. Just need Wood and Jay Rod to start bagging a few.

Wolves just beat Chelsea
Leeds score regardless of how bad they defend
Blades are sinking
Fulham have vastly improved defensively lately

Ric_C wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:51 am

Quite fancy us in all those games tbh

Wolves look toothless without Jiminez
Leeds can't defend set pieces
Sheff Utd - their confidence looks shot
Fulham - Are wide open at the back.

Keep it tight, and we should hopefully nick a few wins, which will leave us averaging over a point a game after these 4. Just need Wood and Jay Rod to start bagging a few.

Wolves beat Arsenal and Chelsea without Jiminez..........

The next four games aren't exactly pivotal in that if we do well in them or do disastrously in them nothing is decided either way.
Yes, there are reasons to be optimistic. I like the Stan Ternent approach, targetting the next three games. Five points from Wolves, Leeds and Sheff United.

Has long as our lads stay clear of the plum duff all 4 of these games are winnable.

Wolves and Fulham both have poor records at the turf
Leeds look nothing special
Sheffield United are dead in the water

I predict 8pts

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:32 am

Wolves beat Arsenal and Chelsea without Jiminez..........

Still fancy us, with him not playing

Top Claret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 10:25 am

Has long as our lads stay clear of the plum duff all 4 of these games are winnable.

Wolves and Fulham both have poor records at the turf
Leeds look nothing special
Sheffield United are dead in the water

I predict 8pts

Whenever I see or hear reference to “plum duff” I immediately think of Bkackadder...

We prove time and time again that we can beat anyone on our day...there is really no need to assess chunks of games.

We just beat Arsenal away so with a fair wind results are possible in every game....

The one thing I would say is that we have again been shafted by having to play (arguably) our easiest game of the season just over 48 hours after the previous game when our opponents have almost 72 hours recovery time. Absolute nonsense that is tbh. Obviously the schedules are tight and I think Wolves, Brighton and West Ham have similar issues, the difference being that their games are not generally 6 pointer type affairs (if you discount Arsenal as a relegation rival playing Brighton ). With 4 games kicking off at 6pm the game could and should be on Wed 30th.....

Its an absolute disaster that our next few potentially point winning fixtures come over the Christmas period as from past experience every Claret fan knows exactly what happens to Burnley over Christmas and I really wish we were going to Liverpool, Man City and Spurs between now and new year .

It all depends on whether our forwards can start scoring some goals for a change,instead of relying on the defence all the time.. Wood and JRod need some quality balls from the midfield for them to latch onto.

bobinho wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:36 am

Whenever I see or hear reference to “plum duff” I immediately think of Bkackadder...

Stan Ternent Loved his Plum Duff.

With Sheffield United and Fulham below us, they’re the key games we could do with winning. We can’t afford to lose against either. Picking up another random win from the other games you mention in the 8, and maybe a draw, would be a decent return.

M6 Claret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:55 am

Its an absolute disaster that our next few potentially point winning fixtures come over the Christmas period as from past experience every Claret fan knows exactly what happens to Burnley over Christmas and I really wish we were going to Liverpool, Man City and Spurs between now and new year .

You could look at it that way. But it could have been worse if we'd played most of our winnable games already with half a team out injured, then have to play Chelsea, Spurs, Leicester and City over xmas

M6 Claret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:55 am

Its an absolute disaster that our next few potentially point winning fixtures come over the Christmas period as from past experience every Claret fan knows exactly what happens to Burnley over Christmas and I really wish we were going to Liverpool, Man City and Spurs between now and new year .

It didn't do us any harm playing West Ham, Huddersfield & Fulham a couple of years ago over the festive period, and we're showing signs of regaining our normal standards once more, we'll definitely take points in these fixtures, the question is how many points.

And as someone else commented we're virtually back to full strength going into these vital games.

Would certainly be delighted with 7 points from the next 4 games, but its pivotal we beat Fulham, and I wouldn't be too disheartened if we only got 5 or 6, as long as 1 of the wins was against Fulham.

Its getting tight down there, and we need to now stay on, or if we can, slightly infront of the point a game curve.

We have gained 9pts from the last 6 games which is top half form, so I would be expecting a minimum return of 6pts from the next 4