tadpole
Player Valuation: £20m
Yes, we've notched up 9 points out of a possible 10. We're 4 points from 4th and looking eagerly up the table. And the Yak is back. So things are looking a lot brighter than they were a few backs back (hard to believe that as recently as 1st October we were propping up the table !).
I think our present league position is a true one - by which I mean that, at present, we're a top 10 side but not a top 4 side. I think I'm right in saying that the top 5 teams last season are also the current top 5. It would take a brave or a foolish man to bet against them also occupying the top 5 places next May. Which leaves us as one of several clubs who could find themselves jockeying for a single Europa league place.
What am I basing this on ?
Our main strength this last month has been the form of our central defenders, and the fact that we've only conceded one (silly) goal in five games. Other strengths include our passing, the way we tend to dominate possession, and some class performances from Baines and Cahill. And our squad has more strength in depth than in previous years.
But when it comes to opening teams up, creating chances and scoring goals, we've been less convincing. For me, the Stoke game was not dissimilar to the Blackburn and Wolves games. We looked the better team, but struggled to create any openings against a strong and well organised defence. This comes down to lack of pace in the team, and a shortage of genuine flank players who can provide us with width. This season I've lost count of the number of players Moyes has tried out on the right side of midfield, and there hasn't been one convincing performance between them. Our set pieces have been generally poor, apart from that wonderful David Beckham moment last week. And until now, our strikers have been misfiring, though hopefully that will start to change now following Yakubu's strike against Stoke.
We battled well to get draws against Man Utd and Spurs, but we're not looking like a team who are ready to win those kind of games. And without a general improvement in our performances, I don't see us winning as regularly as we need to against the likes of Blackburn, Wolves and Stoke either.
I expect Pienaar to leave in January. I doubt whether we'll do more than bring a couple of players in on loan - maybe Donovan and one other. If there is going to be a real improvement, I think that Moyes needs to find it from the players who he has now.
I think our present league position is a true one - by which I mean that, at present, we're a top 10 side but not a top 4 side. I think I'm right in saying that the top 5 teams last season are also the current top 5. It would take a brave or a foolish man to bet against them also occupying the top 5 places next May. Which leaves us as one of several clubs who could find themselves jockeying for a single Europa league place.
What am I basing this on ?
Our main strength this last month has been the form of our central defenders, and the fact that we've only conceded one (silly) goal in five games. Other strengths include our passing, the way we tend to dominate possession, and some class performances from Baines and Cahill. And our squad has more strength in depth than in previous years.
But when it comes to opening teams up, creating chances and scoring goals, we've been less convincing. For me, the Stoke game was not dissimilar to the Blackburn and Wolves games. We looked the better team, but struggled to create any openings against a strong and well organised defence. This comes down to lack of pace in the team, and a shortage of genuine flank players who can provide us with width. This season I've lost count of the number of players Moyes has tried out on the right side of midfield, and there hasn't been one convincing performance between them. Our set pieces have been generally poor, apart from that wonderful David Beckham moment last week. And until now, our strikers have been misfiring, though hopefully that will start to change now following Yakubu's strike against Stoke.
We battled well to get draws against Man Utd and Spurs, but we're not looking like a team who are ready to win those kind of games. And without a general improvement in our performances, I don't see us winning as regularly as we need to against the likes of Blackburn, Wolves and Stoke either.
I expect Pienaar to leave in January. I doubt whether we'll do more than bring a couple of players in on loan - maybe Donovan and one other. If there is going to be a real improvement, I think that Moyes needs to find it from the players who he has now.
