[Albion] Three into two don't go

[Normski1989]

What leaves me mildly confident is (even after a few playoffs) we are off the radar.

I genuinely believe that expectation to go up is a horrible negative in this league unless you are that much better.

Newcastle are that much better - but I think we can make second.

Spot on in my opinion. Expectation to go up puts a huge amount of pressure on the team and some teams just can't hack it. Boro scraped through last season, at our expense, even though they were expected to win the league with games to spare.

We seem to be the invisibles. No matter what we do, nobody notices us. We're a quarter of the way through the season and we're 3 points off of top spot. It's all up for grabs, including the title, because Newcastle and Norwich have both shown weaknesses so far. A few injuries or a bad run over Christmas could see either one of them drop off the pace.

We just need to keep grinding out wins and keeping clean sheets.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Have we ever played 5 in midfield at home ?.... I just dont see that happening

You mean apart from the last half an hour last night and on Saturday?

Probably not from the off but I think the squads Norwich and Newcastle have CH fears so might be tempted to go safety first then hit on the break

 

[Captain Sensible]

I know it's early in the season but my concern is that the PNE result this season will be like the Burnley game last season. That injury time goal by Burnley cost us promotion and the injury time goal by PNE may well be our undoing this season.

We drew 0-0 at home to Preston last year and also there were other matches where we should have won and ended up drawing. Everyone seems to forget about the 1-1 draw against Derby. I think that was the one where we let it slip away.
Hughton's see the game out with an extra midfielder doesn't work well enough for me, if he persists with that approach, more games might slip from victories to draws.

 

[perseus]

Villa will get much better under Bruce

When Sunderland got promoted a few seasons back with lots of points, they started off like Villa. To match them and be in with a chance, Villa have to win three out of the next four games and their fourth League game is difficult.

 

[Napper]

It is very annoying to again see numerous teams pretty much averaging 2 points a game. Not unexpected with Norwich and Newcastle though.

I cant make a case for Newcastle not romping to the title.

Norwich less clear cut but they are shipping a lot of goals at the moment. If they can sort that out then they are free scorers like Newcastle.

We just have to hang in there and keep the pressure on until January where we can then welcome Kayal back and hopefully sign another striker. Key injuries will hurt us more. 2 points a game has to be the target then worry about it all nearer the run in.

Bookies odds for the title


Newcastle 1/6
Norwich 1/2
Brighton 5/4
Sheffield Wednesday 7/2
Huddersfield 4/1
Aston Villa 6/1
Bristol City 9/1
Wolves 10/1
Derby 11/1
Birmingham 12/1

and for promotion

Newcastle 1/6
Norwich 4/9
BHA 5/4
HFC 4/1
Massive 4/1
Villa 11/2

Whatever happens at Wigan. Norwich is a huge game !

 

[Doc Lynam]

Way to early to tell, but one significant difference is the team are well aware how crutial the dropping of miscellaneous points can be.

I also think we are more street wise this year emphisised by the comments coming out of the club regarding draws.

 

[ofco8]

Am worried that winning situations end up as draws, as last year.

Still think we need another top striker to get that strength in depth. recent murmurings make me wonder if that will happen.

Early days, so must feel confident that a top two place can happen.

 

[cooliobhafc]

I understand where you are all coming from but i think this season is one of the tightest and toughest yet. It may look like a 3 horse race but don't rule out Huddersfield maintaining their run, then to not look at Birmingham (good form) Massive (big budget) and then Villa who could easily go on a long run and push their way in to the mix would be foolish this early in to the season. Yes we are in a great position and arguably we have as strong a side as Norwich but those around us are there for a reason and they also have some money in the bank should they need to invest, that we cannot compete with.

I would love us to go straight up but I can see us finishing 3rd/4th, this time with time to allow our team to recover to have that final 3 game push. IMHO.

 

[Marshy]

Id take play offs again... with a fully fit squad, not sure if thats negative or just realistic.

Im interested to see Norwich, It will give me a much clearer indication of how we match up and if we can even think about top 2

I know and hope the players will be aiming top 2 and so they should, I however cant bring myself to get that carried away or be that confident just yet anyway.

 

[SeeGoals]

Too early for this.

We just need to concentrate on ourselves and get 92 points+.

Agree we have to maintain a 2 points per game ratio (a win against Wigan will keep us on track), our biggest enemy is the DRAW - last season we were joint 2nd with 17 draws and remember we only lost 5 times in the league all season.

 

[Two Professors]

Far too early to say.Given a better Christmas/New Year,and keeping the injury list smaller,I fully expect Solly and Knocky to tear every team they meet a new one.Promo party at Sh**e Park as Champions

 

[biddles911]

We drew 0-0 at home to Preston last year and also there were other matches where we should have won and ended up drawing. Everyone seems to forget about the 1-1 draw against Derby. I think that was the one where we let it slip away.
Hughton's see the game out with an extra midfielder doesn't work well enough for me, if he persists with that approach, more games might slip from victories to draws.

There were also quite a lot of matches last season where we scraped a win by the odd goal that we probably should have drawn. Didn't it take us 20+ matches to win by more than one goal last season?

Difficult to argue with CH's successful tactics over last season though I must admit to finding the Wolves-type ending heart-stopping.

In previous seasons, Kaz used to be the standard late substitute but lost the ball so often it didn't work out very often.....


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[Ernest]

Sheffield Wednesday CREEPING up into contention and who can FORGET the MASSIVEST team in Europe too ?

 

[Taybha]

This is our year .

 

[Wozza]

This is our year .

2016?

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Newcastle and us automatic. Norwich third by goal difference.

Now.....what odds? ......

 

[warmleyseagull]

Anyone else feel like we could be going the same way as last season again?

Yes. Been thinking so for a couple of weeks. Difference is that Hull were ahead of Burnley until Xmas, and Derby were fancied until about halfway too. So least season we had 4/5 in it until late March whereas this season it looks like three from much earlier. Huddersfield unlikely to stay course IMO. Newcastle just look too strong to fail, so down to Norwich and us. Big game Saturday week, methinks. Norwich score for fun, but they concede a lot.

 

[The Oldman]

This is how a Wolves fan sees us after last night:


Brighton had 14 points from last 6 games and cant see they have any injuries of importance. Lost 5 out of 46 games last season and missed promotion to PL on goal difference. They are one of the best teams in the division. That they dropped points vs Preston in the 91st minute was nothing which describes their qualities. They won away at Sheffield W the game before with the same team as they had against us. "Brighton" doesnt sound as good as "Newcastle" or "Aston Villa" but they are.

 

[AZ Gull]

In previous seasons, Kaz used to be the standard late substitute but lost the ball so often it didn't work out very often.....

At the start of last season, the role belonged to Rohan Ince. He came on as a sub in the final 30 minutes for each of the first 7 games of the season. Against Derby in December his 83rd minute sub appearance was his 11th such appearance of the season (with just 1 league start).

Unfortunately in that game he proceeded to cock-up a back pass which ultimately led to their equalising penalty. I don't know if it was just coincidence, but he failed to make another league appearance all season.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I also think Newcastle and Norwich are better than Boro and Burnley. It would be no disgrace finishing third...but the pressure is very much on them this season and we could be well placed to take advantage of any slip-ups. Just got to keep it going.

Plus the law of f*****g averages says if we finish in the top six we might actually make it to Wembley this time.