SP has made some good signings,set up like Forest did last season and hit teams on the break ,I’m more confident now than when last season ended ,if we can beat Forest and avoid a drubbing against City we’ll be on our way.

Holmechapel wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 4:43 pm

and avoid a drubbing against City we’ll be on our way.

Defend like we did today and we have every chance of only losing by a last minute penalty.

ollieclarets8 wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 4:53 pm

Defend like we did today and we have every chance of only losing by a last minute penalty.

Apart from against the top 6 teams I don’t think we’ll need to play quite so defensively.

Was so proud of them today. They absolutely gave their all! We don't look like the whipping boys that we were the last time we were there. UTC.

Holmechapel wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 4:59 pm

Apart from against the top 6 teams I don’t think we’ll need to play quite so defensively.

Yeah, I'm referring to the game vs Man City.

But it's good to know we can defend so well and if a teams like Liverpool and Man U can only beat us with a last second penalty, then it gives us a solid foundation.

I'm not diminishing our performance today at all, every one of them were beasts defensively and we had the perfect gameplan to attack on the counter when we could.

But, you can't throw points away like we have. Obviously the last two games don't mean we'll be relegated, but neither do the performances mean we'll be ok. You have to take points when the opportunity arises, and playing this well against Liverpool doesn't necessarily equal points against a lesser side in the future.

I do like our squad a lot, and I think we'll make a good go of it, but I'm about as confident as I was at the start of the season. Not very. This league is brutal.

willsclarets wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:07 pm

I'm not diminishing our performance today at all, every one of them were beasts defensively and we had the perfect gameplan to attack on the counter when we could.

But, you can't throw points away like we have. Obviously the last two games don't mean we'll be relegated, but neither do the performances mean we'll be ok. You have to take points when the opportunity arises, and playing this well against Liverpool doesn't necessarily equal points against a lesser side in the future.

I do like our squad a lot, and I think we'll make a good go of it, but I'm about as confident as I was at the start of the season. Not very. This league is brutal.

Throwing points away like today and Utd against the lesser sides will be the hard pill to swallow. But I don't think that will happen because lesser sides will not come at us like Liverpool and to a lesser degree Utd. Today was non stop pressure and it's not unusual for something to give. Yes I agree with the thread title, we'll be reight

We certainly will.

willsclarets wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:07 pm

I'm not diminishing our performance today at all, every one of them were beasts defensively and we had the perfect gameplan to attack on the counter when we could.

But, you can't throw points away like we have. Obviously the last two games don't mean we'll be relegated, but neither do the performances mean we'll be ok. You have to take points when the opportunity arises, and playing this well against Liverpool doesn't necessarily equal points against a lesser side in the future.

I do like our squad a lot, and I think we'll make a good go of it, but I'm about as confident as I was at the start of the season. Not very. This league is brutal.

Yep, spot on. If you think back to Dyche’s survival teams, there’s no way we give away two late penalties. Did we ever? There was no naivety about us and those potential points would be in the bag. You can’t just rely on beating ‘teams around you’ either. Once or twice you have to collect unexpected results and that’s two in two weeks I’m afraid. Harsh but reality.

If somebody had said we’d be out of the bottom 3 after our opening 4 fixtures I’d have snatched their hand off.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:49 pm

Yep, spot on. If you think back to Dyche’s survival teams, there’s no way we give away two late penalties. Did we ever? There was no naivety about us and those potential points would be in the bag. You can’t just rely on beating ‘teams around you’ either. Once or twice you have to collect unexpected results and that’s two in two weeks I’m afraid. Harsh but reality.

I think it's best to leave Dyche behind

I'm hoping we find a way to be more positive in the more "winnable" games. We have to find the balance between being solid but still having an attacking threat.

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 6:20 pm

I'm hoping we find a way to be more positive in the more "winnable" games. We have to find the balance between being solid but still having an attacking threat.

Liverpool were so strong we simply shouldn't expect us to be an attacking threat today. We'll find a way

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:49 pm

Yep, spot on. If you think back to Dyche’s survival teams, there’s no way we give away two late penalties. Did we ever? There was no naivety about us and those potential points would be in the bag. You can’t just rely on beating ‘teams around you’ either. Once or twice you have to collect unexpected results and that’s two in two weeks I’m afraid. Harsh but reality.

Think we gave away one, possibly two penalties, very late on to lose against Arsenal but fully agree that we were generally great at closing out games under Dyche.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:49 pm

Yep, spot on. If you think back to Dyche’s survival teams, there’s no way we give away two late penalties. Did we ever? There was no naivety about us and those potential points would be in the bag. You can’t just rely on beating ‘teams around you’ either. Once or twice you have to collect unexpected results and that’s two in two weeks I’m afraid. Harsh but reality.

The Premier League has moved on, and in a huge way, since that Dyche era. What worked then almost certainly wouldn't work now. After the amazing European qualification season we were looking at just staying up every season until we didn't. As has been seen from teams using innovative, or plain combative styles, in previous years it doesn't take long before the rest work you out and adapt.

The only way to survive in this league is to be good at what you do and to buy players who compliment the system you are using (which is what I think we done this summer). And then buy more players the following summer to help you evolve into the next system, and do so again and again. Teams who don't, and I'm thinking of Villa, West Ham, and Wolves as examples this season, will quickly struggle.

bfcmik wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 10:40 pm

The Premier League has moved on, and in a huge way, since that Dyche era. What worked then almost certainly wouldn't work now. After the amazing European qualification season we were looking at just staying up every season until we didn't. As has been seen from teams using innovative, or plain combative styles, in previous years it doesn't take long before the rest work you out and adapt.

The only way to survive in this league is to be good at what you do and to buy players who compliment the system you are using (which is what I think we done this summer). And then buy more players the following summer to help you evolve into the next system, and do so again and again. Teams who don't, and I'm thinking of Villa, West Ham, and Wolves as examples this season, will quickly struggle.

Spot on. The data in particular has become far more advanced, as has the size and physicality. Match this with worse cheating, VAR, and looser penalty rules that favour big teams and it is very, very hard to pick up points if young and inexperienced, compared to Dyche’s day. Maybe another factor is the big money spent by lower teams. Luckily, that includes us to a degree.

willsclarets wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:07 pm

I'm not diminishing our performance today at all, every one of them were beasts defensively and we had the perfect gameplan to attack on the counter when we could.

But, you can't throw points away like we have. Obviously the last two games don't mean we'll be relegated, but neither do the performances mean we'll be ok. You have to take points when the opportunity arises, and playing this well against Liverpool doesn't necessarily equal points against a lesser side in the future.

I do like our squad a lot, and I think we'll make a good go of it, but I'm about as confident as I was at the start of the season. Not very. This league is brutal.

The concern I have is that in 2 games we have played very well but found a way to lose through bad decision making. This is something which often goes under the radar but making the correct decision is crucial the higher up the footballing pyramid you go.

Relegation battles are all about psychology and in particular bringing other teams into it. There are several teams in the league who will bank on staying up through the newly promoted teams going back down. A point at Utd and a clean sheet at home vs Liverpool would have put the fear amongst the likes of West Ham because we don't look as obvious candidates for relegation as we might have been.

Hannibal's mistake (and it was a penalty, the idea that it wasn't baffles me) reassured those teams that we can find a way to lose and so not to worry too much. These were points dropped which was much more than just the points. I'm still fuming with him as this wasn't a misjudged 50/50 challenge he had to make. It was a pub football level mistake. Regardless of what he brings to the team it's concerning that he has this in his locker.

And for those who think this is an overreaction. Well possibly, but Hannibal's done silly things before. Treading on a player last season and a number of silly challenges when on a yellow which where mentioned on this messageboard. I want him to do well as with any of our players but at a point we need to consider whether this weakness in his game will lead to more issues. It doesn't help that he has a reputation which means he can get targeted (as per last season). I worry that we'll be having this discussion again.

scamander wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 9:09 am

The concern I have is that in 2 games we have played very well but found a way to lose through bad decision making. This is something which often goes under the radar but making the correct decision is crucial the higher up the footballing pyramid you go.

Relegation battles are all about psychology and in particular bringing other teams into it. There are several teams in the league who will bank on staying up through the newly promoted teams going back down. A point at Utd and a clean sheet at home vs Liverpool would have put the fear amongst the likes of West Ham because we don't look as obvious candidates for relegation as we might have been.

Hannibal's mistake (and it was a penalty, the idea that it wasn't baffles me) reassured those teams that we can find a way to lose and so not to worry too much. These were points dropped which was much more than just the points. I'm still fuming with him as this wasn't a misjudged 50/50 challenge he had to make. It was a pub football level mistake. Regardless of what he brings to the team it's concerning that he has this in his locker.

And for those who think this is an overreaction. Well possibly, but Hannibal's done silly things before. Treading on a player last season and a number of silly challenges when on a yellow which where mentioned on this messageboard. I want him to do well as with any of our players but at a point we need to consider whether this weakness in his game will lead to more issues. It doesn't help that he has a reputation which means he can get targeted (as per last season). I worry that we'll be having this discussion again.

Hannibal was a bit like a headless chicken when he came on yesterday. I love the lads enthusiasm but he really needs to start controlling it a bit better.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:49 pm

Yep, spot on. If you think back to Dyche’s survival teams, there’s no way we give away two late penalties. Did we ever? There was no naivety about us and those potential points would be in the bag. You can’t just rely on beating ‘teams around you’ either. Once or twice you have to collect unexpected results and that’s two in two weeks I’m afraid. Harsh but reality.

Maybe the rules and their enforcers have changed since the Dyche days.

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 9:19 am

Hannibal was a bit like a headless chicken when he came on yesterday. I love the lads enthusiasm but he really needs to start controlling it a bit better.

Unfortunately there is no sign that will happen. So we have to take the rough with the smooth with him. He'll do daft stuff but is also full of energy. If he wasn't such a loose cannon he wouldn't be playing for us but a better side.

welsbyswife wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 9:28 am

Unfortunately there is no sign that will happen. So we have to take the rough with the smooth with him. He'll do daft stuff but is also full of energy. If he wasn't such a loose cannon he wouldn't be playing for us but a better side.

The question will come up - at what cost? Daft stuff in the Championship might be salvageable but in the Prem it's rarely so.

I agree with the overall consensus of this thread. Being able to compete/sustain for large periods, going toe-to-toe and digging in against the top teams in reassuring to see. I'm sure Parker is seeing these moments as big learning steps for a relatively young and inexperienced PL side.

As frustrating as the Anthony and Hannibal mistakes are, I'd rather be making them, and thus learning from them, against top 6 sides than bottom 6. Apart from City, the next 5 games include 4 teams which are either directly above or below us in the league table and should be aiming to take points in all those games, with 12 points being exceptional but not out of the realms of possibility.

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 9:19 am

Hannibal was a bit like a headless chicken when he came on yesterday. I love the lads enthusiasm but he really needs to start controlling it a bit better.

Totally agree on this. I said as much in my match ratings. He was looking to rile up the Liverpool players at a moment where it wasn't needed. He needs to learn where and when to shthouse, and when to come on a do a job like Luis did.

The wider picture is positive though. We're getting slated on social media, which can only be a good thing. We all know the fans of top 6 clubs don't want to work for points against Burnley. We're meant to turn up, bend over, and say thank you. If we can keep the discipline, but add a bit more composure to our counter-attacks, I think we'll do well. Forest is a real test though. It's a good time to play them. if we can get something from that game it takes pressure off the City and Villa games.

We only lost put to last minute pens .
Trust me we will win points this season with last minute goals .
Positive ...... ..

I like the recruitment we’ve undertaken, Les looks like the powerful physical midfielder we’ve been crying out for, Florentino yesterday showed in 15 mins that he’ll be another physical presence, Hartmann kept arguably one of the Premier Leagues best players quiet for 90 mins, Walker is exactly the experienced head we need in there, we’ve a decent keeper in Dubravka….what we need to do is create and when we do create, have an end product….Anthony has to hit the target yesterday but saying that, we’ve played Spurs and United away and Liverpool at home and we’ve already got off the mark…as the opening poster says, “we’ll be reight” if we can cut out the mistakes…let’s get at Forest and bag another 3 points…UTC

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:49 pm

Yep, spot on. If you think back to Dyche’s survival teams, there’s no way we give away two late penalties. Did we ever? There was no naivety about us and those potential points would be in the bag. You can’t just rely on beating ‘teams around you’ either. Once or twice you have to collect unexpected results and that’s two in two weeks I’m afraid. Harsh but reality.

Straight away without going and looking I can think of more than 1 occasion against Arsenal where we gave away late penalties under Sean Dyche

IrkthePurists wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 5:53 pm

If somebody had said we’d be out of the bottom 3 after our opening 4 fixtures I’d have snatched their hand off.

Snatched their hand off? What would you do to shoplifters and rapists or those who park illegally?

Bullabill wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 2:01 pm

Snatched their hand off? What would you do to shoplifters and rapists or those who park illegally?

....especially in Barley.

clarets1978 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 1:44 pm

Straight away without going and looking I can think of more than 1 occasion against Arsenal where we gave away late penalties under Sean Dyche

Those weren't given away, they were atrocious decisions.

Going to wait until after Forest to form an opinion on whether we’ll be alright, and even then I’m not certain because I think Ugochukwu will be a big miss.

Spurs & United away, I’d never expect to win and we didn’t. Sunderland at Home is one we have to win to stay up and we did. Liverpool at home, best team in the league, I thought we’d take a heavy beating and we did very well.

Plenty of positives to take from the season so far but also way too early to decide whether we’ll do well enough to stay up. To play City and Arsenal away by November 1st is an incredibly tough run for us. Just have to hope confidence isn’t shot by the time the more winnable fixtures come around.

The challenge remains the same; somehow we have to win 10-12 games across the season to stand a chance of survival.

With that in mind, games like yesterday were a free hit so to speak with anything gained a massive bonus. The real challenge comes when we play those teams we are more likely to gain wins from for which we will have to be more adventurous in attack than yesterday.

That’s not an attack on yesterday’s performance, which was defensively magnificent, and it’s horses for courses. However, it will be interesting to see how we fair when we play a team that are more in our league to see if we can outperform them or not.

I do think that we are in a much better position than the last time we were in this league, especially in terms of teamwork, mentality and solidarity. Do we have enough attacking quality is the big question in my opinion……?

Ampth7 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 5:11 pm

That’s not an attack on yesterday’s performance, which was defensively magnificent, and it’s horses for courses. However, it will be interesting to see how we fair when we play a team that are more in our league to see if we can outperform them or not.

We've played one team that are more in our league

We did ok.

Row x wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 5:13 pm

We've played one team that are more in our league

We did ok.

Yes, that’s true, but we do need to do that another 10 times elsewhere to survive and that will be very hard ho do….

Our recruitment is looking really good. I still think we are a number 8 short, but in the main, we look really solid.

If you look at these signings:
Dubravka
Walker
Hartman
Florentino
Lesley
Broja
Tuanzebe
Tchaouna

There's some real pace and physicality there. Hopefully in the games where we need a plan B or C, then JBL, Edwards and Tresor can come into the mix.

Les looks a quality signing and Kyle and Martin have brought Premier league class to our team. Also Ekdal is proving to be a class defender
12 wins is do able with a win on Saturday to kick things off

I agree that Liverpool and Utd were free hits but I'd include the caveat that these were points dropped. It creates the dangerous situation that we have to win or get points versus the teams who are non-free hits.

There are quite a few free-hit teams, that's a lot of games so if we are close to getting something then it's very frustrating if we don't.

The stats over recent years don't go in any favour of promoted sides from the Championship staying in the Premier League the season after.

I hope that I'm proved wrong but I can't see us scoring enough goals to keep us in there.

And you get relegated again the season after ?

The chances are that we go down.

Left with potentially incredible debt issues with players that we can't offload who are on 4 year deals that get paid more than we could imagine in a lifetime.

I'm just putting out for comments.

One only knows about the Alexander penalty, those incredible goals at Reading and then 40,00 turning up at Wembley to see that curling shot into the top corner from Elliott put us in the world game.

I was crushed in the away end at Reading but almost died of heat exhaustion at Wembley.

summitclaret wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 2:12 pm

Those weren't given away, they were atrocious decisions.

Similar to at least the one at Old Trafford then present day. Unfortunately theres no footnote on any result saying that and they were given away... I dont disagree with you by the way

No team has been relegated from the PL with 11 wins, so for me that means 10 more wins and we'll be ok

We won’t need 12 wins. That would get us to 36 points and that will almost certainly be enough to stay up …… and we will draw some.

I think probably 9 wins and 9 draws sees us safe.