Hysteria

[Ampth7]

Actually agree with this. On the plane back, I spoke with an Everton fan and asked him why he thought Everton had won three straight games with the same team. He thought it was small tactical tweaks, but he thought it was a different mentality from the manager instilled in the players.
He had a theory about SP that Pace got badly burned with VK in the EPL and wanted a manager who played more in the Dyche style, who he thought could survive in the EPL for a couple of years while slowly improving his team.

An interesting point and it could well be by taking a more pragmatic approach we may stand a better chance of surviving in the premier league. However, the problem is, we need to get there first and the play off lottery isn’t the best way to go about it for several reasons.

Ultimately, whether we like it or not, the longer we stay in this division, the harder it becomes to get back out of it, so if not promotion this season then next is a must in my opinion. Either that or else risk becoming a regular Championship team much like a Watford or Norwich for example, which in all reality is probably our level as a club if we are being honest.

However, we can keep punching above our weight with the parachute/premier league money, but only if that gravy train keeps running. On that basis, we have got to be better over the final few months of the season than ten 0-0 bore draws! Surely step 1 of that process is by scoring some feckin goals…..

[JohnMac]

Yes, no panic yet. Once of a day, a draw away from home was a good result. Now, because we didn't score {admittedly again}, it's a bad result.
Early goal against Oxford and things will be rosey.

An early goal from Oxford might be a bit more productive.

[TsarBomba]

Been reflecting on this overnight and another thing that comes to mind is that we now have the boring tag.

The Guardian podcast and Totally Football both spent decent amounts of time this week talking about how dull we are. One of the Chmapionship podcasts (not the top 20?) has been going on about it all season. Portsmouth fans were chanting “boring, boring Burnley”. Stats dweebs like Duncan Alexander are highlighting it a lot now.

We’re becoming or have become a punchline. That is an issue for a club that has tried to market itself in a different way. Far, far cry from Pace’s vision of us being everybody’s second team.

That is an issue.

Post match interviews after Leeds were heavily dominated by our struggles up top, too.

You’re absolutely right that it’s now becoming the narrative, and the players aren’t immune to outside noise, despite Parker and the players pretending otherwise.

The run in will be pressure enough without adding to it with our own profligacy. It’s pointless having this cracking defence if there’s no balance. We may as well just brick up the goal with two men lying under the cross bar, held up by the rest on the goal line.

We need a good win on Tuesday to lift confidence for the players and fans.