A difficult start to the season?

[Flatulent_Bob]

Just thought I'd post about something I had been musing since the fixtures came out.

Now we are 4 games in and doing a lot better than I actually thought we would at this stage I feel brave enough to post it.
Looking at our first few games, we seem to have been given one hell of a difficult start to the season. Which providing we get through it still in touching distance of the newly promoted teams we would have an excellent base for progression.

I'll admit to being a touch nervous about our first 6 games when the fixtures came out because a poor start would of had the knockers on our backs and would of seriously effected our team confidence. Just shy of halfway through this period we seem to be holding up better than expected. Especially when in hindsight I'm disappointed with only getting a point against Leicester, I certainly would of taken 8 points from our first 4 games.

Our opening five games will have seen us play the favourites for the title and Reading away, an in form and up for it Leicester (currently level with us) plus the second favourites for the title at home.
Add to this a trip to Derby and our own derby match I think if we come out of it still in the top 6 that would be a great return and I can't find a team who's opening games have been as tough.
Compare this with Cardiff for example who seem to be getting quite a few plaudits thanks to their start. They've played Scunny, Blackpool, Plymouth and Bristol City of which only Bristol City are in the top half (10th).
While I'll agree you can only beat what is in front of you I think we need to keep the level of our opponent in mind when we make early assessments of our start to the season.
I for one think we are certainly doing as well as could of been expected and just hope we can keep it going into the next 4 fixtures.

If at the end of the derby we are sat on more than 16 points I think we all should be quite pleased with our start to the season.

With all that in mind would the majority of you who feel we have underachieved so far this season change your views or do you still feel that we should have a better return. If so how many points did you expect us to have after the first 10 games?

 

[frechyblade]

I think i heard on Radio Sheff yesterday that this was our best sart to a season since 2001! I agree about it being a good start, you can't get away from the feeling it would/should have been a lot better with a win against Leicester.

No doubt there will be a lot more if's, buts and maybes as the season moves on but it is these that make football at this level a lot more interesting.

UTB

 

[Amsterdam Blade]

I would agree with that Bob.

It is a particulary tough start to the season and we should be more than happy with how we have come through it thus far.
That point at Boro looks better and better after each game that passes.
Boro have still yet to concede a goal. I just hopetheir team is weakened before the end of August.
I heard Blackwell on Radio Sheff this morning and it seems we have picked up a few injuries over the weekend and he is looking at getting some more faces in before the end of the month.

Another attacking central midfielder and possibly another forward (plus Bunn signed up) and I don't think we will be far off.

 

[mall]

It's almost impossible to predict how many points will be won at any time of the season.
The only way to do it is by employing hindsight.
Middlesborough were there to be beaten given we had a strong defensive unit out, but we were weak in the attacking part of the field.
Watford were, in the end comfortably beaten even if it was uninspiring.
Leicester played well for the major part of the game but again the attacking part of our game could have been much better.
Reading are not the side at the moment that they were under Coppell and this was the best time to play them as they may get stronger. We played some common sense passing, not scintillating, but alright, and reaped the benefits. That said once again gilt edged chances were missed late on. A reasonable performance though.
So to summarise, could be better but a reasonable start to the campaign.

 

[Beighton_Blade]

Fully agree there - when the fixtures 1st came out I honestly feared we'd only be on 3 or 4 pts by now, and whats worse, I was adament that given they're relatively 'easy' opening fixtures, we'd see Wendy above us and there fans crawling out the woodwork declaring the 'tides are changing' (for the 6th time in the last 5 seasons!).

As it happens, we've had a productive, if unspectacular start, and to make it even more enjoyable, Wendy are only just straddling in mid-table thanks to a win against a poor Scunny at home - had it not been for that result they'd be down there with Baaaarnsley!

I still think we'll drop points now against WBA and Derby (I can see a return of just 1 or 2pts return unfortunately), but its still been a decent start, and if we're still in the top 6 after Derby then i'd be delighted!

UTB!

 

[our kes]

I was thinking the same thing Bob, chuckling at Cardiff's plaudits for their decent start against lowly opposition.

It's our best start to a season since 2005 when we got promoted, when we won 10 of our first 11 games! We're always slow starters so I'm very happy with 8 points from the first 4!

 

[lenners]

Been a steady start but already the big-hitters are out in the lead.
Play-offs are no good to us and the suggestion in the Star today that we are going for yet more bodies, this time experienced, to make up the numbers isn't the way to go.
Quality is what we need.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Been a steady start but already the big-hitters are out in the lead.
Play-offs are no good to us and the suggestion in the Star today that we are going for yet more bodies, this time experienced, to make up the numbers isn't the way to go.
Quality is what we need.

The big hitters Len are only two points infront (arguably the points we dropped against Leicester) but a win at home on Saturday will already put us above one of those teams. I think Cardiff position, though undoubtedly earned, is a false one given the opposition they have played.

The 3 relegated teams are the only ones I'm worried about and hopefully they will lose players as it is the only realistic way we can compete over 46 games with them.

On the transfer front I would expect the Premiership loan to start coming in soon and I have a feeling deals for the likes of Rose will be completed once Spurs are happy with what they have come the close of the transfer window. Rose would be the natural replacement should any of their first team squad be injured so they will be reluctant to let him go too early. This could be the case with others as the types of player we are looking at now aren't squad players who don't fit into their plans i.e. Keef/Bunn. But young talented players just on the outside of the first team squad who need to play football.
I also think we have the funds available for a large purchase after the Lita deal didn't happen which could be spent if the right player is available.
All that said I am quite happy with the current squad, while obviously I would like another quality central midfielder to come in I think we are well setup to go until January before strengthening if the right players aren't available.

 

[Linz]

The irritating thing is that the international break may come at the wrong time for us... halting any momentum that a good away win at Reading and (hopefully) three points against a recently relegated Premiership team could've built up.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

The irritating thing is that the international break may come at the wrong time for us... halting any momentum that a good away win at Reading and (hopefully) three points against a recently relegated Premiership team could've built up.

Alternatively it might also give us time to get everyone together and work on some of the areas of our game that hasn't quite gelled yet.

 

[beightonblade]

bloody hell i'm surrounded wi doom and gloom merchants !

The Blades will piss this league, we've dropped 4 points i thought were certs !

onwards an upwards. ....... PMA is what you lot need

 

[silverfox]

bloody hell i'm surrounded wi doom and gloom merchants !

The Blades will piss this league, we've dropped 4 points i thought were certs !

onwards an upwards. ....... PMA is what you lot need

I'm calm!

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

bloody hell i'm surrounded wi doom and gloom merchants !

The Blades will piss this league, we've dropped 4 points i thought were certs !

onwards an upwards. ....... PMA is what you lot need

No one is saying that Beighton, just saying considering the fixtures any "normal" fan would have to be happy with our start.

Incidentally my insincerity meter has just gone off the scale? Nothing to do with you is it?

 

[silverfox]

Looking good?

 

[dingledog]

Looking good?

I am thanks SF, its nice of you to recognise it publicly. How long have you been to boss man of Keenzy now?

 

[silverfox]

I am thanks SF, its nice of you to recognise it publicly. How long have you been to boss man of Keenzy now?

Keenzy thinks he's the boss!

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

Fantastic start to the season. Far better than I imagined. Boro away is never easy, Reading away never easy and West brom are hot favourites, we have had a great start. We must capitalise against the lesser teams like W£nDy and the D1n9les. No good obviously winning hard teams and losing to w4nk drivvel from up the road. Also don't underestimate Leicester because they looked more than a handfull for anybody. So the odd draw when we're expected to win aint bad. So far my mid-table mediocrity prediction looks well out! :thumbup:

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

For those of you saying it has been a steady start, think about what you would have been happy with from our first six games. I agree that we have had as tough a start as there has been and we've come out of it just off the pace averaging 2 points per game - that's promotion form if we keep it up.

I've said all along that the key to our dreams this year is our home form. We will get results away because we haven't changed too much from last season when we had the best away record in the division (and still people complain about our away tactics - a win is a win and in most away games, a draw can be considered reasonable) but we must improve at home from last season. The first test lies ahead on Friday - a game we should win that we didn't last season. If we have more Watford's than Leicester's in the games we should win, then we will go up IMO.

 

[Ollessendro]

hear hear Wombwell.

 

[Santos Little Helper]

This table of results against teams in the top half -

http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D1/vtophalf.html

strongly supports the fact that we have had a much trickier start than the piggies. 4 games against teams in the top half versus their 1 game.