Updated performances against the current top 10 teams
1. Tranmere - draw = 1
2. Brentford - lost = 0
3 - that's us so no point in playing with ourselves, is there?
4. Donny - draw = 1
5. MK Dons - lost = 0
6. Stevenage - won = 3
7. Swindon - draw = 1
8. Notts C - draw = 1
9. Bournemouth - won = 3
10. Crawley = play Satdi
That's a total of 10 points out of a possible 24 (1.25 points per game) which is 6 shy of the 2 points per game average required for contesting an automatic promotion place.
Of the 8 games played against the top sides 5 of them have been at Bramall Lane so I believe we should have expected a much better return than just 42% of the total available from those played to date.
No doubt some will point out that our overall average can be made up with results against teams lower down in the division BUT we are averaging 1.82 points per game at the half way stage (which it will be once we have played Crawley on Saturday) and even if we win that we will still be short of the 2 point average.
I believe that it is critical to get points over your rivals in a league within the league, to gain success. It was our achilles heel last year and appears to be heading the same way this. I have seen people post about Oldham and the following game at Walsall being the hinge pin of the season but they are actually abnormalities, blips if you like. The real harm is the lack of damage you do to your immediate peers in the results you get against them, it's the psychological advantage and the confidence that comes from prevailing against your nearest rivals that makes the difference. This confidence carries on into the games you play against the other teams. When you suffer a defeat, gain a draw from the jaws of victory, or consistently fall short of the opposition in and around you, the whole campaign suffers. We are not doing enough to hurt the teams we are supposed to be aiming to finish above - and that concerns me.
