PL place target for the rest of the season

[orly]

Why when you don't like something being said do you always accuse people of being a banned poster?

I realise you don't like Big Sam. I'm not particularly happy either but we couldn't get Silva and out of the rest of the name bandied about like Tuchel etc they are either managers we couldn't get or wouldn't be better than Big Sam. For what he does Big Sam is decent. He will get us organised and to safety. After that we move on from there but we needed to make the change.

It's not a matter of not liking someone Liam, it is about seeing patterns of behaviour.

We do not need to worry about safety. I would be amazed if we do not beat that 2014 / 15 19 game total of 21 points and we survived that with a massively better side than this lot

 

[DrEFC]

one win over the gashest West Ham side in living memory - and they've had some gash sides. And, we got massively lucky.

40 points. Get to that. Then see where we are in the season.

I'd like a good cup run, obviously.

Oh I'm acutely aware of how crud we are, I watch it through my fingers most weeks. Just fed up of being fed up? With a striker in Jan, and a more solid CB/fresh LB, we could be so much better in the league. Rather look up than over our shoulders.

 

[Kev The Rat]

I think Europe is realistic

 

[BlueToff]

You understand that winning games involves beating teams, yes? I'm not saying we win every week, simply that even when playing really badly, we've had enough quality to win 4 of our 7 home games. Again, only 8 teams have won more than games than us this season, our form has been that of a mid table side, not a relegation threatened one.

But your post kind of implied that we'd been doing it regularly. We haven't. That was my point.

We haven't won any of our Euro group games.

We've won four PL games.

Our form has not been of a mid-table side. Had we lost last night, we were in the bottom three.

Fortunately we won.

I'm sorry. There's some serious revisionism going on here.

We are five points above 18th. I purely want us to get a solid defensive structure to build from, because as you say we have got quality players in attack.

However, conceding 20 goals in our last eight games (since Koeman was sacked) is dreadful.

 

[flibbyflob]

I'd argue it's stupider to dig one's head in the sand and ignore the gravity of a very real problem, but I guess we'll have to disagree on that front

Gravity of the problem?

I look at West Ham, Swansea, Palace, West Brom and Stoke and think they are in far worse situations than we are.

Yes we have spunked a huge wedge and it hasn't worked but there are still good players in this squad and injured ones nearing a return. Some organisation and passion which BFS instils in his sides will see us finish top half comfortably. Then the big work begins in the summer sorting out the deadwood in the squad.

 

[BlueToff]

Oh I'm acutely aware of how crud we are, I watch it through my fingers most weeks. Just fed up of being fed up? With a striker in Jan, and a more solid CB/fresh LB, we could be so much better in the league. Rather look up than over our shoulders.

Honestly mate, I have got into plenty of debates on here because overly, I like to be positive. Can't be arsed with people losing their heads.

I really don't think I'm doing so, though.

We are really bad at the moment. We played half-decent last night and let's hope it's not a false start. But we're very much in the mire and won't be out of it until we start to string together a run of unbeaten games.

Had we conceded last night I doubt we win that game. That's how poor we are.

Pickford came up with the goods and we had a slice of luck and moment of magic from Rooney to knock the stuffing out of them.

 

[LiamG]

It's not a matter of not liking someone Liam, it is about seeing patterns of behaviour.

We do not need to worry about safety. I would be amazed if we do not beat that 2014 / 15 19 game total of 21 points and we survived that with a massively better side than this lot

Perhaps and maybe we did pull the plug too soon. I was advocating more time before Southampton too but that game scared me and now the decision is made I feel a sense of relief.

I also do think the decision to make the change helped the performance last night and that game was a must win. West Ham look to be the worst team in the league and we couldn't afford to drop points against them. Had we not made the decision and lost that we would have been in the bottom 3 with no manager and we really would be in a crisis so although no one is happy it is what it is.

 

[BlueToff]

Gravity of the problem?

I look at West Ham, Swansea, Palace, West Brom and Stoke and think they are in far worse situations than we are.

Yes we have spunked a huge wedge and it hasn't worked but there are still good players in this squad and injured ones nearing a return. Some organisation and passion which BFS instils in his sides will see us finish top half comfortably. Then the big work begins in the summer sorting out the deadwood in the squad.

Those sides are all within six points of us.

Let's say we beat Huddersfield, but then lose our two away games (which in no way goes against the form guide).

We could easily be in the bottom three should the other teams pick up points.

That's how close it all is.

You say Stoke are in a much worse position, yet they were above us until last night and if we don't beat Huddersfield and they manage a win at the weekend, they'll be above us again.

 

[Igrok]

Takes two derbies and makes da Special one lose it...

 

[flibbyflob]

Those sides are all within six points of us.

Let's say we beat Huddersfield, but then lose our two away games (which in no way goes against the form guide).

We could easily be in the bottom three should the other teams pick up points.

That's how close it all is.

You say Stoke are in a much worse position, yet they were above us until last night and if we don't beat Huddersfield and they manage a win at the weekend, they'll be above us again.

Those sides probably won't have anywhere near the same spending power come January though. One thing BFS can do is get a decent centre half in usually and organise a defence. He does that with us and we will be fine. Don't forget we are averaging 2 goals a game being conceded which is pathetic and can be rectified quite easily by someone like BFS as he has done it with far worse squads and budgets than he has at his disposal here.

 

[LiamG]

Gravity of the problem?

I look at West Ham, Swansea, Palace, West Brom and Stoke and think they are in far worse situations than we are.

Yes we have spunked a huge wedge and it hasn't worked but there are still good players in this squad and injured ones nearing a return. Some organisation and passion which BFS instils in his sides will see us finish top half comfortably. Then the big work begins in the summer sorting out the deadwood in the squad.

I don't think any of those teams are in a "far" worse position and I wouldn't want to risk premiership survival on that.

 

[Sir Alan]

Hopefully amas point quickly now until Jan, fend off worries of relegation.

Move onto the FA Cup.

 

[LiamG]

Those sides probably won't have anywhere near the same spending power come January though. One thing BFS can do is get a decent centre half in usually and organise a defence. He does that with us and we will be fine. Don't forget we are averaging 2 goals a game being conceded which is pathetic and can be rectified quite easily by someone like BFS as he has done it with far worse squads and budgets than he has at his disposal here.

We still have no idea how much Moshiri is willing to spend on the squad because so far it has all come from player sales (not looking to start argument) and now we have no players to sell.

So let's wait until January and we actually see this huge spending power.

 

[ijjysmith]

Getting the Europa out of the way won't do any harm I guess.

Right now i'd take and be a bit shocked by anywhere in the top half.

 

[peteblue]

We’ll finish 7th......