Will be happy to be proved wrong in May, but we’ve only scored more than once in 4 games this season. It’s just not good enough. Sense we think we’re a lot better than we are.

Won’t lose many but don’t think we’ll win many either, and certainly not enough to go up.

We are - but it will need to be via the play-offs.

On PPG we’re looking around 75/76 atm which should give us playoffs. The picture will look a lot clearer at the end of the month before the early November games then the World Cup break.

We can not sit back on a 1-0 lead , which we now know .

jedi_master wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:11 pm

We are - but it will need to be via the play-offs.

Honestly think we’re too soft to do that. Certainly on the basis of what the first quarter of the season has shown us.

Football is daft at times and it can change very quickly, but I think we're play offs at best at this moment in time.

I was only listening to the game as I couldn't get a stream, but I feared the worst when we made a triple substitution whilst being 1-0 up.

Obvious thing to say, but Dyche would never have done that, so Kompany has to learn the game management side of the things if we're to turn draws into wins.

Bit reactionary from you New.

After the Bristol win I’m sure you were buzzing and thinking the opposite.

Sheffield drew at home to a poor Birmingham team today.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:13 pm

Honestly think we’re too soft to do that. Certainly on the basis of what the first quarter of the season has shown us.

Not many people expected us to go up automatically. And certainly not to be in such a position early in the season. I'd say we've overacheived to date considering the extent of change.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:10 pm

Will be happy to be proved wrong in May, but we’ve only scored more than once in 4 games this season. It’s just not good enough. Sense we think we’re a lot better than we are.

Won’t lose many but don’t think we’ll win many either, and certainly not enough to go up.

Poor today but we are

We don't look capable of digging results out at the moment. I still think we'll improve as the season goes on though.

I see. The initial gloss of this season has worn off and its Barnes fault we conceded today. Well I never.

We can only get better. Westwood will be an excellent bonus. We will need his motor and commitment.

Not at chance when your option up top is Barnes. Loved him to bits but he's a league one player now, injures have caught up with him.

Would disagree but its only going to happen if we play 4 proper defenders in defence. VK needs to stand up and make some tough decisions-for me the back four after 10 games picks itself Roberts THB Beyer Taylor
We have lost 4 points through late goals v WBA, Cardiff. We have also conceded too many goals from corners to the far post or crosses into the 6 yard box. Without these mistakes and very late goals we would be top of the division

4th in the league and very much still figuring things out. Bit early to rule us out just yet for me.

The fannies will be coming out the woodwork tonight.

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:21 pm

The fannies will be coming out the woodwork tonight.

People are allowed an opinion fatty.Get over it..

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:21 pm

The fannies will be coming out the woodwork tonight.

Along with the tits and Clarets?

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:21 pm

The fannies will be coming out the woodwork tonight.

They already are - they were there during the match thread when we were 1-0 up!

We are good enough to go up. whilst it is a sickner to concede so late on again, go and Win on Wednesday and 4 points from two games is a decent return.

As sure as eggs are eggs a thread like this appears at 5pm on a Saturday when we don’t win.

We’ve played 11 games, lost only once and of all the teams we have played so far the only one who possibly deserved to beat us were West Brom who currently sit just above relegation.

I’m not saying whether we are good enough or not at this stage - but surely the point is how can anyone form that opinion based on the first 11 games ?

Our biggest issue is we can’t keep a clean sheet.

Think that’s ten games in a row without a clean sheet now

Paddy1882 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:26 pm

We are good enough to go up. whilst it is a sickner to concede so late on again, go and Win on Wednesday and 4 points from two games is a decent return.

Well said.

Our failure to bring in another centre forward is costing us offensively and we look too soft defensively.

Still time to rectify it but i think top 2 will be a stretch

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:29 pm

Our biggest issue is we can’t keep a clean sheet.

Think that’s ten games in a row without a clean sheet now

5 - Millwall.

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:29 pm

As sure as eggs are eggs a thread like this appears at 5pm on a Saturday when we don’t win.

We’ve played 11 games, lost only once and of all the teams we have played so far the only one who possibly deserved to beat us were West Brom who currently sit just above relegation.

I’m not saying whether we are good enough or not at this stage - but surely the point is how can anyone form that opinion based on the first 11 games ?

I've just looked at the league table. Still 4th and only a win off 3rd.

The people complaining? The very same people who said we would finish mid-table. We're doing better than their negative minds predicted.

conyoviejo wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:23 pm

People are allowed an opinion fatty.Get over it..

Agreed.

And mine is that the board gets overrun by fannies after every game we don't win.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:15 pm

Bit reactionary from you New.

After the Bristol win I’m sure you were buzzing and thinking the opposite.

Sheffield drew at home to a poor Birmingham team today.

Hope you’re right RV.

But tbh I’ve been thinking it all season and have said it today. I think we’re a half decent team, and don’t expect us to lose many, but also don’t think we’ll win many either.

We’ve scored more than once only four times this season. And we rarely look like keeping a clean sheet. Where that’ll leave us I don’t know but I have zero confidence that it will take us up. Hopefully the play offs for some fun.

We are absolutely throwing away needless points, that's 4 already in the last minutes. I don't think we're quite good enough in both boxes, too slow and passive as a team. Coast far too often without urgency. I think the 3 draws at home to Blackpool, Hull and Luton sum us up quite well, soft goals given away and a lack of urgency/potency at the other end. Never really put Luton/Hull under serious pressure after we equalised, the game just coasted and petered out. 3 poor sides too we would've expected to beat at home.

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:34 pm

We are absolutely throwing away needless points, that's 4 already in the last minutes. I don't think we're quite good enough in both boxes, too slow and passive as a team. Coast far too often without urgency. I think the 3 draws at home to Blackpool, Hull and Luton sum us up quite well, soft goals given away and a lack of urgency/potency at the other end. Never really put Luton/Hull under serious pressure after we equalised, the game just coasted and petered out. 3 poor sides too we would've expected to beat at home.

But in a way, it's comforting.
It's comforting because we know that as the team and manager grow together this season, we will start to drown those mistakes out.

We could be a team who just isn't good enough and we're scraping draws off a lucky FK. And getting wins from 2 raggy shots and holding on to dear life. But we aren't.

We had a glut of goals in the Wigan and Blackpool game but have really struggled on the whole in the other games to put the ball in the net despite all the possession.

Is it 11 in 10 in the other games?

That’s the bit we need to sort out.

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:34 pm

We are absolutely throwing away needless points, that's 4 already in the last minutes. I don't think we're quite good enough in both boxes, too slow and passive as a team. Coast far too often without urgency. I think the 3 draws at home to Blackpool, Hull and Luton sum us up quite well, soft goals given away and a lack of urgency/potency at the other end. Never really put Luton/Hull under serious pressure after we equalised, the game just coasted and petered out. 3 poor sides too we would've expected to beat at home.

That’s 8 points we’ve conceded from winning positions.

That is absolutely not the form of a team that can bounce straight back. We’re soft. As hard as it is to take, it’s the truth.

We’re a quarter of the way in and unless something dramatically changes in our attacking play to mean we score more than 2 goals per game, or we tighten up at the back, I think we’ll languish playoffs to mid table.

We’ll rue these dropped points either way.

jen1066 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:37 pm

But in a way, it's comforting.
It's comforting because we know that as the team and manager grow together this season, we will start to drown those mistakes out.

We could be a team who just isn't good enough and we're scraping draws off a lucky FK. And getting wins from 2 raggy shots and holding on to dear life. But we aren't.

Agree with this Jen, but really our goal today was “raggy”. Bit of pinball in the box that fell kindly. We did nothing afterwards.

Or before, really. The only other decent chance I recall us making was Cullen and that might’ve gone in one another day.

And surely 2 more winnable games coming up………..a long way to go and given our situation post Norwich and Brentford matches last season, things aren’t too bad………..still a much better watch, and whilst yes, conceding at the death ain’t much fun there’s much more to come from this team.

UTC!

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:10 pm

Will be happy to be proved wrong in May, but we’ve only scored more than once in 4 games this season. It’s just not good enough. Sense we think we’re a lot better than we are.

Won’t lose many but don’t think we’ll win many either, and certainly not enough to go up.

Noted this before this season feels like 2008 with Coyle, and we will end up with the same result

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:45 pm

Agree with this Jen, but really our goal today was “raggy”. Bit of pinball in the box that fell kindly. We did nothing afterwards.

Or before, really. The only other decent chance I recall us making was Cullen and that might’ve gone in one another day.

Not sure it was pinball, it was a fine move on the right and Maatsen did well to control the volley towards Tella.

Had many good openings which didn’t end in a shot.

Barnes should play Benson through 1 on 1 with a simple pass
Barnes bizarrely falls over when 1 on 1
Brownhill pings a left footed pass straight to their right back when Zaroury was in a really promising position on the counter

Ok none were shots but were 1 ‘action’ away from being clear chances imo. Really poor and sloppy final balls.

We are capable of top 2, but we need to kill games off, because I have no faith we'll be able to see out many games 1-0.

That said we are well in touch with the leaders, and still have to play both yet, and as others have correctly pointed out if we hadn't thrown 6 pts away in the Blackpool, Cardiff and West Brom games we'd be level with Sheff Utd at the top of the league.

What is a nagging concern is we keep shipping the same soft goals, sort that issue out and we'll be right in the mix.

Worst case scenario is we'll at least make the play-off's anyway.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:29 pm

Our biggest issue is we can’t keep a clean sheet.

Think that’s ten games in a row without a clean sheet now

This. Also (as soneone else said) we have yet to play any of the current top 8?

I think we finish somewhere between 12 and 4 this season. That's a possible playoff but I can't see us being clinical enough to put away a decent side in this division yet.

jen1066 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:37 pm

But in a way, it's comforting.
It's comforting because we know that as the team and manager grow together this season, we will start to drown those mistakes out.

We could be a team who just isn't good enough and we're scraping draws off a lucky FK. And getting wins from 2 raggy shots and holding on to dear life. But we aren't.

I think we need a rethink of the line up personally and we need to get back to high pressing. The urgency, intensity and effort in this team is so up and down. At Huddersfield we were high pressing, strangling the life out of them and forcing them to kick it long. At home to Hull first half, our defensive line was almost at the halfway line (that's how Hull scored).

The potential is there for all to see, I still don't think Kompany has his best 11 set either.

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:31 pm

Agreed.

And mine is that the board gets overrun by fannies after every game we don't win.

I agree with you,but you have to let them get it out of their system. After all we are all Clarets and get depressed when we give away stupid goals late on.

Didn't play so great, let a lead slip, but a point away from home against a club with a new manager, not a disaster. Without wanting to put too much pressure on the lad, can't wait to get Twine in this side. Automatic is still viable. I'd say we're leaning towards being a little bit unlucky to be where we are, and not fortunate, and this is a good sign.

It was a game of two halves and two threads. The first half I missed as I couldn’t get a stream and the second half, where I found a stream the size of a postage stamp, was fairly unbearable to watch. The two threads didn’t help either.

Spiral wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:55 pm

Didn't play so great, let a lead slip, but a point away from home against a club with a new manager, not a disaster. Without wanting to put too much pressure on the lad, can't wait to get Twine in this side. Automatic is still viable. I'd say we're leaning towards being a little bit unlucky to be where we are, and not fortunate, and this is a good sign.

But any cross or corner into our box seems to cause problems and until that gets resolved I can't see how we can take the steps to automatic promotion.

The concern is that we aren't improving in defence.

Spiral wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:55 pm

Didn't play so great, let a lead slip, but a point away from home against a club with a new manager, not a disaster. Without wanting to put too much pressure on the lad, can't wait to get Twine in this side. Automatic is still viable. I'd say we're leaning towards being a little bit unlucky to be where we are, and not fortunate, and this is a good sign.

A nice positive post - good to see.
I looked at the table before today and felt we were 5 points shy of what our performances would put us at. I'd still go along with that.

I still think we are the best team in this division. We're shy of a bit more time for VK to know his best starting 11 and for the team to have more time to gel, but I'm chilled. I really am.

When we drew the game today there was no thinking of, "Ah well - that's promotion knackered". It was more a feeling of, "Well, we dropped points - we'll pick them up later on in the season"

I remain very positive.

Can I just say ... Thank **** we didn't lose or Fatboy's Fannies would be suicidal right now ...

Need to be going all in for a forward in January.

Vinny was poor with those subs, unless I missed something.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:49 pm

Not sure it was pinball, it was a fine move on the right and Maatsen did well to control the volley towards Tella.

Had many good openings which didn’t end in a shot.

Barnes should play Benson through 1 on 1 with a simple pass
Barnes bizarrely falls over when 1 on 1
Brownhill pings a left footed pass straight to their right back when Zaroury was in a really promising position on the counter

Ok none were shots but were 1 ‘action’ away from being clear chances imo. Really poor and sloppy final balls.

Tbh, thought that play on the right (overload with Brownhill) was the first time anything looked likely to happen from that side. But it was good play when it came.

Looked a miss kick to me from Maatsen and one of those lucky/scrappy goals that’d have made a beautiful away win had we hung on. Will have to watch it back.

Agree we were maybe just rusty on return but generally hard to keep making excuses for dropping points and not doing much in front of goal.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:01 pm

Tbh, thought that play on the right (overload with Brownhill) was the first time anything looked likely to happen from that side. But it was good play when it came.

Looked a miss kick to me from Maatsen and one of those lucky/scrappy goals that’d have made a beautiful away win had we hung on. Will have to watch it back.

Agree we were maybe just rusty on return but generally hard to keep making excuses for dropping points and not doing much in front of goal.

When you say "dropping points" can't we just accept that teams don't just roll over?

Here's the champ table in 15/16 after eleven games played

https://www.transfermarkt.com/champions ... pieltag/11

The table is on the right of the page. Long story short, we were fifth on GD, 2-5 all on 21pts, the leaders Brighton were on 25 pts. 4pts from top that season, six this after today. Not a million miles off, and we're still to play and hopefully take points off all the teams around us.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:59 pm

But any cross or corner into our box seems to cause problems and until that gets resolved I can't see how we can take the steps to automatic promotion.

The concern is that we aren't improving in defence.

You are right.

We've lost from last season's defence 2 internationals and the club skipper... could take a while to get back to their collective quality.