Getting off to a good start

[Chozz]

Opening league fixtures are as follows:
Leeds (a)
Brighton (h)
Wolves (a)
Villa (h)
Liverpool (a)
West Ham (h)

On paper not the worst, but then you look back at our recent campaigns and suddenly every match is tough.

Over the past three seasons, it has taken us 6 or 7 games to pick up our first league victory. Typically it's mid or late September. Completely and utterly unacceptable.

2024/25
Brighton (h) 0-3
Spurs (a) 0-4
Bournemouth (h) 2-3
Villa (a) 2-3
Leicester (a) 1-1
Palace (h) 2-1 *28 Sept*

2023/24
Fulham (h) 0-1
Villa (a) 0-4
Wolves (h) 0-1
Sheff Utd (a) 2-2
Arsenal (h) 0-1
Brentford (a) 3-1 *23 Sept*

2022/23
Chelsea (h) 0-1
Villa (a) 1-2
Forest (h) 1-1
Brentford (a) 1-1
Leeds (a) 1-1
Liverpool (h) 0-0
West Ham (h) 1-0 *18 Sept*

Sluggish starts to all of the above had us chasing mid table at best. Fingers crossed the imposing new stadium will give us a lift and hopefully we'll not be waiting so long this time...

 

[get-your-coat-on]

first

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

first

Top half at best

 

[Kaiser Soysauce]

2 votes, later or worse. Jesus wept....

 

[JLW]

Giving Roma a pasting on the last pre season game might set us up nicely with confidence for a good start.

 

[ArtetaMoney]

We always start slow due to not getting players in and embedded into the team in time.

The squad is pretty much the same except Barry, who’ll probably start on the bench first game. If we can get a couple of more players in before the end of this month then it could help us start strong. Leeds and Brighton are tough games but we could’ve had a worse starting 2. Getting a win and a draw from them could build confidence. If not, we’ll probably be waiting till September again for a first win.

 

[NeilMorepies]

3-4 games after the window shuts and all our last minute additions have had chance to get up to fitness and integrate

 

[Dario Terracotta]

Could go either way with us as we all know,added in the new Stadium factor and it's even more of a lottery,keep my fingers crossed and everything else though

 

[Daytripper]

We have had a horrible habit of leaving things late, was never a sign of a well run club. I much prefer to be as ready as possible when the season starts, so hopefully by the time we play Leeds we are in much better shape.

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

I'll be bullish today and vote for Leeds.

 

[Terrarian]

Dragging our feet when we need so many players doesn't fill me with confidence that we'll be ready. Yet again. Sick of wasting games at the start of the season due to poor preparation.

I'm not wetting the bed just yet but was expecting more incomings before friendlies started.

 

[Rita_Poon]

This new intimidating stadium that appears to be sold out to the gills, the opposition hasn't played there before, and neither have we in a competitive match. Bedding the side in is only a part of it, we need to bed the support in as well.

 

[DualityNSNO]

This new intimidating stadium that appears to be sold out to the gills, the opposition hasn't played there before, and neither have we in a competitive match. Bedding the side in is only a part of it, we need to bed the support in as well.

Everyone should bed everyone and it will all be better, I think.

 

[COYB75]

Draw away against Leeds and then a resounding hammering of the Seagulls.

 

[Benicetoourboys]

2 votes, later or worse. Jesus wept....

Probably Kopites.