drew
Drew
Agree. It's great that we are unbeaten but we have drawn 7 and won 8. Need to convert more of the draws into wins to maintain the push.
MASSIVE kudos must go to Chris Hughton for getting the absolute MAXIMUM out of this squad
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Agree. It's great that we are unbeaten but we have drawn 7 and won 8. Need to convert more of the draws into wins to maintain the push.
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
We are never going to win every game but to be honest if we can't beat MK and Charlton at home then we don't really deserve to be going anywhere this season. Preston got lucky with our injuries and we should of beaten Cardiff 3-1 interesting to see what happens.
Moshe Gariani
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2005
- 12,106
Yes. Against Cardiff we played really well and could have thrashed a middling team. Against Preston we were a bit short and had a rare off day - this is allowed.
Now, we really need to be beating both MK and Charlton. And in at least one of the games go on to win comfortably.
We CANNOT get automatic promotion on the good but not great form of our last few matches. Glass half full says with one or two changes we will improve again and get back closer to how we played against Cardiff and at Ipswich for instance...
Perfidious Albion
Well-known member
Last season we would have given our eyes teeth to be 3rd. Now , having had a taste of the top, it is a disappointment. . This is true :
"We CANNOT get automatic promotion on the good but not great form of our last few matches."
I always question the wisdom of bringing on a sub striker with 3 or 4 mins to go. If he wants to use him give him time to get into the game, especially a young player like Elvis
"We CANNOT get automatic promotion on the good but not great form of our last few matches."
I always question the wisdom of bringing on a sub striker with 3 or 4 mins to go. If he wants to use him give him time to get into the game, especially a young player like Elvis
Hughton is an excellent manager. He will be acutely aware of the squad's strengths and weaknesses. Pragmatically picking up points away at Reading and Sheff Weds 
is fine in the context of a 46 game season and a league where there is only a point between the top 5.
Someone said this squad would be bottom six under Hyppia and I agree but that's because he's as clueless as Hughton is classy. If you look at who we've brought in since CH arrived they are split between those who strengthened the squad significantly (for me Bong is better than Joe Bennett, BFG is better than Halford, Hemed is better than any of last season's strikers, Zamora is better than any of last season's strikers, Kayal is one of the best players at the club and Rosenior is a fantastic utility player to have) and those who are a gamble - Elvis and Murphy (neither our first choice of wing signing), Goldson probably there for future potential, Harper maybe, Maenpaa keeping out Walton.
We have been massively unlucky with injuries. Bong and Lua Lua were incredibly dangerous together so to lose both has meant caution out of necessity. This in turn has meant less CHANCES for Hemed and Baldock. Yes we need a striker because the conversion rate of both isn't quite there but they are not bad players overnight. They are confidence players who've seen their supply dry up.
We've also seen last season's players step up massively. Stephens and Bruno are probably players of the season. Stockdale actually looks fit. March has one good game in three but at his age isn't that what you'd expect?
Where we are weak is in the back up. Calde, bless him, is getting to the end of his career. Ince, who looked a monster in Oscar's formation looks lost in 4-4-2. Holla just isn't good enough. I would expect us to only bring in a loan left back when we have one of sufficient quality identified and to strengthen in midfield as well as up front in Jan. The rebuild in the summer - though massive - was only half a job.
is fine in the context of a 46 game season and a league where there is only a point between the top 5.Someone said this squad would be bottom six under Hyppia and I agree but that's because he's as clueless as Hughton is classy. If you look at who we've brought in since CH arrived they are split between those who strengthened the squad significantly (for me Bong is better than Joe Bennett, BFG is better than Halford, Hemed is better than any of last season's strikers, Zamora is better than any of last season's strikers, Kayal is one of the best players at the club and Rosenior is a fantastic utility player to have) and those who are a gamble - Elvis and Murphy (neither our first choice of wing signing), Goldson probably there for future potential, Harper maybe, Maenpaa keeping out Walton.
We have been massively unlucky with injuries. Bong and Lua Lua were incredibly dangerous together so to lose both has meant caution out of necessity. This in turn has meant less CHANCES for Hemed and Baldock. Yes we need a striker because the conversion rate of both isn't quite there but they are not bad players overnight. They are confidence players who've seen their supply dry up.
We've also seen last season's players step up massively. Stephens and Bruno are probably players of the season. Stockdale actually looks fit. March has one good game in three but at his age isn't that what you'd expect?
Where we are weak is in the back up. Calde, bless him, is getting to the end of his career. Ince, who looked a monster in Oscar's formation looks lost in 4-4-2. Holla just isn't good enough. I would expect us to only bring in a loan left back when we have one of sufficient quality identified and to strengthen in midfield as well as up front in Jan. The rebuild in the summer - though massive - was only half a job.
Hastings gull
Well-known member
- Nov 23, 2013
- 4,635
Hughton is an excellent manager. He will be acutely aware of the squad's strengths and weaknesses. Pragmatically picking up points away at Reading and Sheff Weds
Someone said this squad would be bottom six under Hyppia and I agree but that's because he's as clueless as Hughton is classy. If you look at who we've brought in since CH arrived they are split between those who strengthened the squad significantly (for me Bong is better than Joe Bennett, BFG is better than Halford, Hemed is better than any of last season's strikers, Zamora is better than any of last season's strikers, Kayal is one of the best players at the club and Rosenior is a fantastic utility player to have) and those who are a gamble - Elvis and Murphy (neither our first choice of wing signing), Goldson probably there for future potential, Harper maybe, Maenpaa keeping out Walton.
We have been massively unlucky with injuries. Bong and Lua Lua were incredibly dangerous together so to lose both has meant caution out of necessity. This in turn has meant less CHANCES for Hemed and Baldock. Yes we need a striker because the conversion rate of both isn't quite there but they are not bad players overnight. They are confidence players who've seen their supply dry up.
We've also seen last season's players step up massively. Stephens and Bruno are probably players of the season. Stockdale actually looks fit. March has one good game in three but at his age isn't that what you'd expect?
Where we are weak is in the back up. Calde, bless him, is getting to the end of his career. Ince, who looked a monster in Oscar's formation looks lost in 4-4-2. Holla just isn't good enough. I would expect us to only bring in a loan left back when we have one of sufficient quality identified and to strengthen in midfield as well as up front in Jan. The rebuild in the summer - though massive - was only half a job.
Excellent post -just possibly that Murphy might be better than a gamble, though against Reading, he was not that great. Elvis -looking more and more like a Toko situation.
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Bong, LuaLua, Greer, Zamora
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Hemed had a good chance in 2nd half against Reading: header at far post that narrowly missed, should have got better direction and more power on it. He also wasn't far off with a (much better) header in the 1st half of that game.
You know it doesn't work like that, any team can win on their day. Derby didn't beat Charlton at home for example.
Fair point, but we're still impacted by injuries, so no guarantee will win both (or either).
We've been hit by injuries, but I wouldn't go as far as 'massively unlucky' given that we started the season with no injuries at all. It's no surprise Kaz is injured, it's a consistent problem for him. Bong is the big one, and Greer has been out for a while, but that's not too bad in the scheme of things is it?
There's no maybe about it, he's excellent.
Oh I hope you're wrong. Toko couldn't get into a poor relegation threatened side, while Elvis is only 22 and can't get into a table topping side.
Hastings gull
Well-known member
- Nov 23, 2013
- 4,635
This was more in response to the wording of another post -in fact Murphy has impressed me greatly.
Regarding Elvis, I do see your distinction, and you may well be right, but by now, I would have expected more game time nonetheless. January may be interesting in his case, but I do also really want it to work out, obviously.
Well I'm not saying he is good enough, I'm just hoping.
We've lost our captain and organiser and both of a key partnership. Plus Stephens getting injured at the same time Kayal was suspended. It's who, how, how long for and when that have been massively unlucky.
Excellent before the red card (which I still think was a stinker by the ref) but not so great after. He's a good player, I like him a lot but he's not Ben Marshall. I've no doubt we would have signed Alirazor Whatsisname and Marshall in preference to Murphy and Elvis if we could have.
Agree with you here. Give the lad time.
I totally agree, the home form recently has been disappointing and i feel myself getting a bit upset by the recent slump but then i just need to keep reminding myself. We are joint top after 15 games which is well above my original expectations
Actually the home form has been ok - we didn't beat Cardiff, but we did play really well, and we missed Stephens and Kayal against Preston, as well as being down to 10 men at the end. I was just saying we don't simply need to keep winning our home games, as we're not winning them all as it is.
but we did play really well
Is this is the maximum, I don't fancy our chances in the second half of the season, or of the opposition turns out to be naff (doubtful) in the Premier.
I can't help reckoning that Hemed. Murphy, Baldock are rather middle of the road Championship players. That is unless CH can actually get more out of them?
Happy with 2 points from the last two games though.
Is this is the maximum, I don't fancy our chances in the second half of the season, or of the opposition turns out to be naff (doubtful) in the Premier.
I can't help reckoning that Hemed. Murphy, Baldock are rather middle of the road Championship players. That is unless CH can actually get more out of them?
Happy with 2 points from the last two games though.