The importance of Coventry

[Champagneblade]

Can’t really overstate how important the next one is.

It’s probably not a bad thing there are two weeks in between the matches.

Coventry have been on good form and we’ve almost started to have to grind a bit with players missing.

So, hopefully this is a little loss of momentum for them and a chance to regroup for us.

If we can pull out a Boro type performance then this leads into a better run of fixtures, though none are easy at this level.

A lot is made of Leeds having the best fixtures but once we have Coventry in 5th out of the way, they will have removed 16th place Swansea (who hopefully have a new manager and new manager syndrome) so the run in is almost identical. Burnley have a tricky tie against a very decent Bristol City

Our average placing after Coventry is 15.14. 1 remaining top 8, 3 middle 8, 4 bottom 8.

Leeds’ will be 16.2. 2 top 8, 1 middle 8, 4 bottom 8.

Burnley will be 11.14. 2 top 8, 4 middle 8, 1 bottom 8.

I’d be interested to see if he keeps faith in Ahmedhodzic or if he uses Holding to avoid getting embroiled in anything with Bassette.

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

Bassette probably won’t play

 

[McGrath]

Can’t really overstate how important the next one is.

It’s probably not a bad thing there are two weeks in between the matches.

Coventry have been on good form and we’ve almost started to have to grind a bit with players missing.

So, hopefully this is a little loss of momentum for them and a chance to regroup for us.

If we can pull out a Boro type performance then this leads into a better run of fixtures, though none are easy at this level.

A lot is made of Leeds having the best fixtures but once we have Coventry in 5th out of the way, they will have removed 16th place Swansea (who hopefully have a new manager and new manager syndrome) so the run in is almost identical. Burnley have a tricky tie against a very decent Bristol City

Our average placing after Coventry is 15.14. 1 remaining top 8, 3 middle 8, 4 bottom 8.

Leeds’ will be 16.2. 2 top 8, 1 middle 8, 4 bottom 8.

Burnley will be 11.14. 2 top 8, 4 middle 8, 1 bottom 8.

I’d be interested to see if he keeps faith in Ahmedhodzic or if he uses Holding to avoid getting embroiled in anything with Bassette.

It's just as important as all the other ones.

You are overstating it. He will play Ahmedhodzic as well.

 

[Champagneblade]

It's just as important as all the other ones.

You are overstating it. He will play Ahmedhodzic as well.

They’re all 3 points, no doubt.

This just seems a tough one.

We need to improve our recent home form.

It’s been a bit patchy. We need Bramall Lane to be a fortress for the next 4; it will give us a great platform especially with our away form being so good.

 

[Large Mendonca]

Won't Anel be suspended for 2 games ?

 

[YES Blade]

It would be great to win on the Friday and have the points on the board before Leeds and Burnley play.

I thought the same before the Hull match and we all know how that turned out! Hopefully it’ll be different against Coventry.

 

[Bladepicker]

Won't Anel be suspended for 2 games ?

No. You need 15 bookings to get a suspension now, the Bristol City game was the cut off for 10.

 

[Snake]

At this stage of the season it generally goes down to who has the bottle, rather than 'easier/harder' games. Who'd have thought Leeds would have taken 1 point from Pompey and QPR?

On Sunday we showed out bottle, we won a tight game - again! Surely after 38 games and 25 wins it's not all down to luck - as some would have us believe. Coventry will be a tough game, but Oxford away the week after will also be tough - they are fighting for their lives and have had a couple of decent results of late.

Folk can slag Wilder off all they want, but he knows his team, he knows his players, he knows who can do it for 60 mins or 30 mins or 90 mins or whatever. People underestimate the size of the rebuild last summer. We had to take a gamble on some quality players who have come with historical injury problems - see, without those injuries they would not have been in our pool of available players, they'd have been commanding bigger fees and attractive to bigger fish than we are atm.

Cooper - dodgy knees, turned out to be a blinder of a signing.
O'Hare - recent ACL, turned out to be a blinder of a signing.
Campbell - long term history of knee and other injuries, turned out to be a blinder of a signing.

I'll no go through the whole list of our players with a history of injuries - I've only got about 4 hours free today! But I'm sure you get the jist of what I'm saying.......... no we don't play free flowing, up and at em for 90 minutes football and win 3, 4, 5 - 0. We have to manage our games and our players availability, and the results show we aren't doing too badly at this, thank you very much!

So, on to the last 8 games ........ horrible really but I reckon somebody is going to miss out on automatic with something like 94/95 points - unheard of! But have no doubt, we are in a good place atm - Wilder will have them chewing on raw meat for the last 8 games. Can't wait!!!

 

[mattbianco1]

If we can win, it puts added pressure on Leeds and Burnley the following day.

If we can win and Bristol City can pull off a draw at Turf Moor, we've opened up the much needed 4pt gap.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

We will beat these no sweat think we will win 7 out of 8 left

 

[mattbianco1]

We will beat these no sweat think we will win 7 out of 8 left

Could do with a 2016/17 style finish

 

[loyalblade95]

Won't Anel be suspended for 2 games ?

Think the deadline was the Bristol City game, it's 15 yellows now.

 

[loyalblade95]

Its not just a big game for us, but Coventrys next opponent after us are Burnley at home which makes our game even more important.

If we beat Coventry, they won't want to drop points against Burnley so soon after, especially if Bristol City can get a result against Burnley.

 

[brownblade]

At this stage of the season it generally goes down to who has the bottle, rather than 'easier/harder' games. Who'd have thought Leeds would have taken 1 point from Pompey and QPR?

On Sunday we showed out bottle, we won a tight game - again! Surely after 38 games and 25 wins it's not all down to luck - as some would have us believe. Coventry will be a tough game, but Oxford away the week after will also be tough - they are fighting for their lives and have had a couple of decent results of late.

Folk can slag Wilder off all they want, but he knows his team, he knows his players, he knows who can do it for 60 mins or 30 mins or 90 mins or whatever. People underestimate the size of the rebuild last summer. We had to take a gamble on some quality players who have come with historical injury problems - see, without those injuries they would not have been in our pool of available players, they'd have been commanding bigger fees and attractive to bigger fish than we are atm.

Cooper - dodgy knees, turned out to be a blinder of a signing.
O'Hare - recent ACL, turned out to be a blinder of a signing.
Campbell - long term history of knee and other injuries, turned out to be a blinder of a signing.

I'll no go through the whole list of our players with a history of injuries - I've only got about 4 hours free today! But I'm sure you get the jist of what I'm saying.......... no we don't play free flowing, up and at em for 90 minutes football and win 3, 4, 5 - 0. We have to manage our games and our players availability, and the results show we aren't doing too badly at this, thank you very much!

So, on to the last 8 games ........ horrible really but I reckon somebody is going to miss out on automatic with something like 94/95 points - unheard of! But have no doubt, we are in a good place atm - Wilder will have them chewing on raw meat for the last 8 games. Can't wait!!!

Some people underestimate the rebuild/have VERY short memories!

Unbelievable we're in the title race to be honest. Maybe some other Championship fans expected it COZ OF PARACHUTE PAYMENTS etc... But our squad was beyond a mess and we must have had confidence shot to pieces last season.

 

[Selly]

Based on the PPg of ours, Burnley's and Leeds next opponents - we have the hardest fixture.

By that reckoning, if we come out of that in the same position we are now - that a net benefit to us.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Tough game but then so is Burnley v Bristol City next day. Its all about trying to widen the gap so the Burnley game isn't the big game it currently is

 

[metalblade]

Stop worrying the next eight games are equally important what will be will be, if we don't make top two we have another chance in the play off's. So far only a play off spot is confirmed for us, We've been as good as any team over the season no reason that can't continue over the next eight games.

 

[Harry's Game]

Toughest game of the run in apart from Burnley. A quick glance at their forums leave you in no doubt the Cov fans absolutely hate us so their entire club will be up for this one like it’s a derby game, we have to be up it like a derby too, make The Lane a cauldron on the Friday night

I still think we need to be almost perfect from here on to go up as Burnley now seem to be adding goal scoring to compliment their ridiculous defence..

Vitaly important we get to the Burnley fixture in front of them so a point there is a good result for us as Turf Moor

 

[FriethBlade]

We've dealt with a whole load of tricky games recently, in particular QPR and the Pigs away and although we dropped points v Bristol City they were 7th and a decent team.

A lot is about mentality and the Leeds team will have last season on their minds and its showing as they have faltered following their win ar the Lane. We still have a number of players who came up a couple of seasons back and know how to deal with the pressure and that could be crucial.

As for Coventry didn't they just lose away at Derby?

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Could do with a 2016/17 style finish

View attachment 206794

3-3 at Rochdale?
We drew 3-3 at f*****g ROCHDALE?!!!

 

[MayorOJC]

Bassette won't play. Unfortunately Haji Wright will - so Anel will be very very needed.

 

[richblade]

Coventry hate us for taking their best players ... and also in 2018 when Lampard appeared with
Derby County (3-1 Sharp, Mcgoldrick and Clarke) that was one of the most hostile atmospheres I have seen at the Lane.
So hopefully the same happens again

 

[Charlieblade]

It is no longer results v performances. It is about which club can advance the most consistency in-their favour.

Every one of our remaining fixtures is a potential banana skin. All we need is greater consistency than our close rivals. No more performances like Hull or Bristol please.

We will probably beat Coventry and Burnley now, and lose the rest…..

 

[N20 Blade]

Coventry hate us for taking their best players ... and also in 2018 when Lampard appeared with
Derby County (3-1 Sharp, Mcgoldrick and Clarke) that was one of the most hostile atmospheres I have seen at the Lane.
So hopefully the same happens again

Great atmosphere second half, what instigated it? Was it a disallowed goal? Lampard looked frightened to death of Wilder.

 

[Harry's Game]

Great atmosphere second half, what instigated it? Was it a disallowed goal? Lampard looked frightened to death of Wilder.

The ref turned down a stonewall penalty for Didsy when we were 1 -0 up then 30 seconds later gave Derby a free kick for hand ball on the edge of our box when it was a blatant push on our defender that caused it. Derby then scored the free kick… never heard, in the all seated era anyway, the stadium be so passionately angry at such a clear injustice.. the noise from the crowd from then on as we swept them away 3-1 is one of the best memories I have of watching United.

 

[SUFC Guy]

If we can win, it puts added pressure on Leeds and Burnley the following day.

If we can win and Bristol City can pull off a draw at Turf Moor, we've opened up the much needed 4pt gap.

A 4 point gap over Burnley going into our game with them would be a dream scenario. If we beat Burnley then we go 7 clear of them and surely it's game over!
If we lose or draw then that's not a complete disaster.

Just need that 4 point cushion now

 

[Ned the Donkey]

I’d be interested to see if he keeps faith in Ahmedhodzic or if he uses Holding to avoid getting embroiled in anything with Bassette.

From what I saw, Anel was noticeably wallking away from any potential flashpoints during the derby match.

 

[raul]

A 4 point gap over Burnley going into our game with them would be a dream scenario. If we beat Burnley then we go 7 clear of them and surely it's game over!
If we lose or draw then that's not a complete disaster.

Just need that 4 point cushion now

With both teams 5 clear of Leeds. If you're gonna dream, dream big.

 

[mattbianco1]

If we beat Burnley then we go 7 clear of them and surely it's game over!

It would be over as there's only 2 games left after burnley away

 

[programmechap]

They’re all 3 points, no doubt.

This just seems a tough one.

We need to improve our recent home form.

It’s been a bit patchy. We need Bramall Lane to be a fortress for the next 4; it will give us a great platform especially with our away form being so good.

Only just appreciated how much better our away form is.

Last 10 away W8 D1 L1 pts 25
Last 10 home W5 D2 L3 pts 17