What we can expect now until May

[Tooting Gull]

Hearing Gus's comments after Saturday, and given what he had already said, I don't think there's much doubt how it's going to be for the run-in.

He may try and maintain the usual passing game trying to get control of the match in the first half. If we're ahead by then, great.

But if we're not that will stop and it's going to be the sort of gung-ho, very open shootout (that he hates) just as it was against Hull after the break. He has been forced into it by a lacklustre first half of the season.

Shit or bust, risk-taking football, with the players to pull it off. It's going to be some three months to watch, we could just as easily concede as score, and if we fail to get in the top six we will go down all guns blazing. Can't wait.

 

[shaolinpunk]

The remainder of this season will, I believe, be a rollercoaster of emotions ultimately ending in heartbreak

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The remainder of this season will, I believe, be a rollercoaster of emotions ultimately ending in heartbreak

Boooooo...!!!

 

[B.W.]

We must go for it now, and I am very impressed that Gus has FINALLY loosened the reigns and allowed our top attacking players - some of the best in the division - to do their stuff. It is the only way we will have a chance of promotion. Well done Gus. The over-cautious approach was NOT working sufficiently well. The new approach might not work, but it just might. Here's hoping.

 

[Ward1971]

Would rather miss out on promotion going for it all out attack then by bore draws

 

[Triggaaar]

The thing is, if Vicente's free-kick hadn't gone in, that would have been a 0-0 bore-draw, despite the fact we had a very attacking team on. Fine margins.

 

[B.W.]

The thing is, if Vicente's free-kick hadn't gone in, that would have been a 0-0 bore-draw, despite the fact we had a very attacking team on. Fine margins.

True. But our INTENTION was to attack, to take a risk. This is a MASSIVE change for Gus, and one that should be applauded.

 

[Ward1971]

The thing is, if Vicente's free-kick hadn't gone in, that would have been a 0-0 bore-draw, despite the fact we had a very attacking team on. Fine margins.

Yes true it would have been a draw but not a bore draw ! the atmosphere was better and the Amex had a buzz because they realised Gus was going for it , Vicente , Buckley coming on and if they hadn't scored Lua Lua was going to come on,

 

[Blackadder]

Nothing wrong with having a Plan B. Most managers have them.

The run-in is going to be exciting.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Yes true it would have been a draw but not a bore draw ! the atmosphere was better and the Amex had a buzz because they realised Gus was going for it , Vicente , Buckley coming on and if they hadn't scored Lua Lua was going to come on,

I'm sorry but it was a very boring game by any measure and we continued our tedious snails pace build up game with multiple passes between our back 4, it only opened up in the second half and then Hull had the best of it. I hope Gus does go for it but I won't hold my breath.

 

[kevtherev]

People make light of the fact, that some people said Saturday's game was MASSIVE and MUST win. I believe it was a massive game and the biggest win of the season by a country mile. If we had lost, Hull would be 2nd and 11 points clear of us. Watford and Leicester would be 11pts points ahead of us instead of 8. Palace would be 10 ahead instead of 7 and we would still be more then one win away from 6th. Not to mention there would be two teams between us and a play off spot and two more teams on the same points. Saturday's win will have boosted the squad, boosted the management team and boosted the fans. So before people take the piss, out of those who say Saturday's game was maybe a season defining game, take those things into consideration. Saturday's win was the biggest and most important win of the season on so many levels.

 

[n1 gull]

People make light of the fact, that some people said Saturday's game was MASSIVE and MUST win. I believe it was a massive game and the biggest win of the season by a country mile. If we had lost, Hull would be 2nd and 11 points clear of us. Watford and Leicester would be 11pts points ahead of us instead of 8. Palace would be 10 ahead instead of 7 and we would still be more then one win away from 6th. Not to mention there would be two teams between us and a play off spot and two more teams on the same points. Saturday's win will have boosted the squad, boosted the management team and boosted the fans. So before people take the piss, out of those who say Saturday's game was maybe a season defining game, take those things into consideration. Saturday's win was the biggest and most important win of the season on so many levels.

but it will mean f*** all if we lose to Blackburn

 

[Birdie Boy]

The thing is, if Vicente's free-kick hadn't gone in, that would have been a 0-0 bore-draw, despite the fact we had a very attacking team on. Fine margins.

Yes but it was against a top 4 side that have the best away record, I believe, in the division.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

True. But our INTENTION was to attack, to take a risk. This is a MASSIVE change for Gus, and one that should be applauded.

No Buckley, Lua Lua (Noone)in the line up, same caution as Cardiff etc at home last year.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

 

[Triggaaar]

True. But our INTENTION was to attack, to take a risk. This is a MASSIVE change for Gus, and one that should be applauded.

Yes it should be applauded, but it's not the first time we've had an attacking side. Against Watford (admittedly chasing the game) we had Kaz, Barnes, Hoskins, Dobbie and CMS all on at the same time.

Yes true it would have been a draw but not a bore draw ! the atmosphere was better and the Amex had a buzz because they realised Gus was going for it , Vicente , Buckley coming on and if they hadn't scored Lua Lua was going to come on,

Hull had more shots than we did and if it had finished 0-0 (or worse), the posts on here would be complaining that we weren't attaching enough early enough, and that Gus doesn't know what he's doing etc.

I agree that it's good to see we were going for it more, but we could (should) have easily won games that haven't gone our way, and NSC members react so much to the result rather than the performance. We weren't that good against Hull, this one just went our way.

 

[kevtherev]

but it will mean f*** all if we lose to Blackburn

Oh I agree 100%, but if we had not beaten Hull, then then losing to Blackburn would have left a mountain to climb. The stats don't lie, we will need a min of 70 pts to get 6th, more than likely 75. If we had lost to Hull and don't beat Blackburn then we would have needed to produce title winning form from here on in, just to get sixth. Now we are in the box seat, of all those in the chasing pack. Every couple of games from here on in is going to knock more sides out of the equation. I still think anyone from Charlton and above(40pts) will still believe they can do it. That's 9 teams chasing what looks like maybe one spot and we are top of that mini league. In three games time you can be sure that 9 teams, will be down to about 5.

 

[dragonred]

i got the clear feeling that the crowd knew a defeat or bore draw would probably have meant the end of any realistic promotion chances Saturday - so a massive game and a massive win and 3 points tomorrow and I am sure the crowd will be buzzing here on in until May. As much as championship stability is great, there definitely was a much bigger 'buzz' at the Amex when people can see the team have been sent out to attack and go for the win rather than set up not to lose and hope to scrape a win...it was same buzz as in August when always feel anything is possible. Got the 3 points in a game that could have gone either way I thought but at times cannot disagree with some posters here that the multiple sideways passing does border on doing it for sake of it, rather than because there is any real attacking intent behind it, and if anything does hold the team back when it has all the tools to entertain, it is this caution GP seems to have to not risk losing.