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, 10:56 Thu Nov 1
After ten league games

Lets’s not fool ourselves last season we had nine points by now and today we have just eight. We have conceded three fewer than this time last season. What is false is that we Smith thirteenth in the table now compared to sixteenth last season.

The difference from then and now was that after ten games the bottom five teams had accumulated 36 points collectively whilst to date the bottom five have garnered just 23.

Our only crumb of comfort is the deplorable form of the teams around and below us. All that money spent and we lose just as many games but not so heavily.

I know it’s a well worn cliche but our next game is definitely a six pointer.

Claret Badger 2:01 Sat Nov 3
Re: After ten league games

What is false is that we Smith thirteenth in the table

Full Claret Jacket 12:14 Sat Nov 3
Re: After ten league games

This month is a really important one for us. We've had some tough fixtures up to now but the worrying aspect is the number of injuries which have left us reliant on players who aren't performing and the team having to be chopped and changed every game.

moorethanjustananon 11:58 Fri Nov 2
Re: After ten league games

If we’re going to do this at least do like for like fixtures

This year / Last year
Leicester (A) 1-1 / 1-2 (-2 points)
Spurs (H) 0-1 / 2-3 (=)
Brighton (A) 1-0 / 3-1 (=)
Man Utd (H) 3-1 / 0-0 (+2 points)
Chelsea (H) 0-0 / 1-0 (-2 points)
Everton (A) 1-3 / 4-0 (+3 points)
Wolves (H) 0-1 / N/A (=)
Arsenal (A) 3-1 / 4-1 (=)
Bournemouth (H) 1-2 / 1-1 (-1 point)
Liverpool (A) 4-0 / 4-1 (=)

So ACTUALLY we’re just as cra... wait, what was my point here? Never mind!

Darby_ 5:50 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

There have been so many new faces that it’ll take months for the team to fully gel. We’ve seen some signs of it happening so far, so I’m not worried about this season. I think we’ll start to move up the table in the new year and we’ll probably finish in the top ten.

westham13 5:43 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

Last night really highlighted how poor our reserves are.

Adrian for me doesn't cut the mustard anymore. Just simply not good enough.

Fredricks unfortunately doesn't look good enough as a premier league player. Championship at best which is unfortunate.

First team last night we would have won hands down but there is also some blame on for me on the bloke who got on the pitch just before the 3rd goal. Not when we are 2-1 down. Without that I think we could have gone on and made a push for a result last night.

We need to ship off a lot of deadwood in January. The likes of Antonio, Hernandez and Masuaku in my honest opinion.

Will be interesting to see how Lanzini, Arni, Anderson and Yarmalenko play when they are all back

Long, tough season ahead. Really got to dig in and get some results if we are going to continue the same way we did last night

Trevor B 5:41 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

"We could run out with 11 paraplegics each week and STILL not get relegated"

we already have a couple, at least.

Northern Sold 5:40 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

We could run out with 11 paraplegics each week and STILL not get relegated....there is so much dross its almost impossible to go down...Is it better than last season so far? Well.....im hardly pulling my plonker out... too be fair after all the footballing excitement of the summer so far the WHOLE season has been shit and boring full stop...

Russ of the BML 4:36 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

And; bar some very bad luck and some stupid mistakes we could easily be another 6 points to the good.

Russ of the BML 4:35 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

Can't be bothered to go into detail on this. But basically, new manager, new players, new system and lately shit load of injuries.

We are not playing to the level we can but we are looking a lot more solid and hard to beat.

Thing that sets us apart from a lot around and below us is we have at least another two gears to up when we get the chance. They don't.

And there are good signs that we are trying to play the right way.

Time will see us right.

WHUDeano 2:38 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

Pee Wee 11:51 Thu Nov 1

Pretty much sums it up for me. The football we are playing and the managers general tactical decisions are light years ahead of our previous managers going back 10-20yrs.

The fact is that our squad isn't good enough to handle the number of players currently missing - we're actually very lucky that Rice in central midfield and Diagana have stepped up and thrived under the pressure. Take those two out - especially Rice, and we'd be in massive trouble.

Our squad is bloated with ageing former first teamers, now backup, who are simply not good enough or worse still, not motivated enough to compete. When this is combined with flair players who drift in and out of games (Anderson, Wilshere, Hernandez) it's a recipe for disaster.

The likes of Adrian, Creswell, Ogbonna, Antonio, Carroll, and maybe even Reid all need moving on and replacing with hungry young players. The Borussia Dortmund model is one we could and should be following.

At the end of the day considering the players who are missing, Pellegrini is working a bit of a miracle having us playing good football and going toe to toe with top 10 teams.

goose 11:59 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten games I've wet myself

i missed the game last night as one of the kids was chucking her guts up.

however, first 4 games aside we've looked ok.
brighton, everton and leicester are tough places to go - all 3 places we have controlled the game for long periods.

home win over man utd and draw with chelsea were good performances.

we are still short maybe 3 decent players. a left back who can actually defend, someone to cover lanzini and someone to replace Hernandez.

should have got Mario back on loan.
maybe Galaxy would like to swap Ibra for little p.

Pee Wee 11:51 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten games I've wet myself

A positive spin.


A manager usually comes in a tris to sort it he defence out first. With Balbuena and Diop I think we have the best pairing in years and the more they play together the better they look. Fabianski also looks solid. Zab is strong, but full back positions need improving, however, overall I think we look good defensively and still improving.

I think most right minded fans could live with a poor points tally if they see improvements, so looking at this year compared to last is silly really, certainly if that's all you look at.

With a solid defence I'd like to think he'll spend more time on our attack play. And recruit better for it in Jan and summer.

I'm not saying the manager is perfect, but he's head and shoulders better than the last two, no matter what our points say. We're improving (in the league).

I do think we're lucky this season because there is so much crap that we are in no danger of going down.

Saturday isn't a 6 pointer. It's no more important than the last game or the one after. As long as we continue to improve, I'll be ok with that

zico 11:49 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

I think central midfield is a problem as well as up top and it has been for years. Nolan on his last legs and the likes of Diame and Kouyate who would have one barnstorming game in ten, it's an issue that hasn't been fixed and Christ knows what it would be like without Rice in there. Obiang can be tidy at times and Noble is fine if you are dominating games but they aren't the answer.

JayeMPee 11:41 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

We should get 6 pts from the next two games, if we don't then time to start bleating.

I think our 'normal' defence is far superior to last season, our midfield will improve with Obiang back and Anderson demonstrating he is worthy of being a record buy. Upfront is where the problems lie, we should start to change that on Saturday (I hope!).

diehardhammer 11:39 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

can we please just fuck off with the constant doom and gloom

last night was lost due to player's being shit and not pulling their weight. It is evident pellegrini is trying to implement something but too many lazy bastards which im sure he will ship out in jan if he can.

there was a period just before the goal at 2-0 where west ham were constantly threatening their box, had we started our first team we would have won.

bottom line is our reserves arent good enough.

Justin P 11:31 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

With that shit last year, was someone just going to come in and wave a fucking magic wand?

We are now going into every league game knowing we ain't going to get tonked, only conceding one a game, vast improvement that.

Fab, Zab, General, Diop and Rice are drilled and as solid as any other team in the top 10 now, its up front we need to improve.

GreenStreetPlayer 11:24 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

Hart will be man of the match Saturday.
You feel the pressure is upon us again. I fear the negativity will transfer again down onto the pitch with so many nerves out there.
We need a good start to the game with some goals that's for certain.

, 11:17 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

Stepney you are sounding hugely complacent for me. The Burnley game is against one of the teams below us, all the teams we have played being above us now, and we need to keep Burnley there by beating them. Looks a tough game for me though I don’t expect a humiliating defeat like last season.

, 11:11 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

Fatty Davies, I think I recall some years ago you inadvertently posted something that was constructive and moved a discussion forwards.

Try it again.

Vexed 11:10 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

We could do with a few signings in January though. When will the dildos start making the usual FFP excuses. Reckon it must start soon.

, 11:09 Thu Nov 1
Re: After ten league games

TWe, so what about who we have played. Remember we have lost to Brighton, Wolves and unlikely top six side Bournemouth.

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