| Differences between two years ago and now: 10:40 - Nov 23 with 718 views | NthQldITFC |
THEN: Middling Championship squad, feeling no pressure, really enjoying themselves.
NOW: Top Championship squad, feeling quite a lot of pressure, not enjoying themselves much.
I think the latter two points could be worse (McKenna manages the pressure for them as well as anybody could, they don't look very unhappy), but somehow we've got to (team and crowd) create an atmosphere where the enjoyment really takes off (thinking Burns/Donacien type celebrations) and the pressure evaporates.
The crowd, Blue Action etc. can really help. It will come. |  |
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| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:12 - Nov 23 with 573 views | RegencyBlue |
There is another significant difference in my view, two years ago we caught the Championship by surprise. This time they were ready for us.
Never did think this season was going to be as easy for us as some on here were saying. Unfortunately I was right! |  | | |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:20 - Nov 23 with 532 views | cressi |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:12 - Nov 23 by RegencyBlue |
There is another significant difference in my view, two years ago we caught the Championship by surprise. This time they were ready for us.
Never did think this season was going to be as easy for us as some on here were saying. Unfortunately I was right! |
Possibly every side and manager no how we play and no a low block or in my day sitting deep playing on the break we go on down and are on trouble. |  | | |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:39 - Nov 23 with 497 views | Bent_double |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:12 - Nov 23 by RegencyBlue |
There is another significant difference in my view, two years ago we caught the Championship by surprise. This time they were ready for us.
Never did think this season was going to be as easy for us as some on here were saying. Unfortunately I was right! |
Absolutely this.
I think many of us just thought - do the same as 2 years ago and we'll storm this league, especially with the better players we now have.
But, unfortunately the 22 other teams in the division have stepped up their game, none of them want to be on the wrong side of a pasting from a team with 5 or 6 premier league quality players, so will come looking for a draw first and foremost.
Also, the fitness issue that we really benefited from 2 years ago is not helping us as much - again, probably because other teams know about the multiple subs on 65/70 mins, and can react accordingly.
I think we'll be OK, but only if we start putting away some of the relatively simple chances in games. |  |
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| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:49 - Nov 23 with 464 views | homer_123 |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:20 - Nov 23 by cressi |
Possibly every side and manager no how we play and no a low block or in my day sitting deep playing on the break we go on down and are on trouble. |
Do you think, if Wrexham had come at us, in an open expansive game, they would have drawn or won?
There is a reason why a low block is used and there are reasons why it's successful. If it was easy to beat a low block, do you think it would be used by so many teams? |  |
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| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:51 - Nov 23 with 454 views | leftback |
THEN every opposition turned up to PR happy to give us a game thinking they could beat us
NOW every opposition turns up to PR with 10 men behind the ball absolutely ecstatic to leave with a point | | | |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 13:05 - Nov 23 with 411 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:51 - Nov 23 by leftback |
THEN every opposition turned up to PR happy to give us a game thinking they could beat us
NOW every opposition turns up to PR with 10 men behind the ball absolutely ecstatic to leave with a point |
It's perfectly OK for teams to do that. |  |
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| Differences between two years ago and now: on 13:08 - Nov 23 with 398 views | mellowblue |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:39 - Nov 23 by Bent_double |
Absolutely this.
I think many of us just thought - do the same as 2 years ago and we'll storm this league, especially with the better players we now have.
But, unfortunately the 22 other teams in the division have stepped up their game, none of them want to be on the wrong side of a pasting from a team with 5 or 6 premier league quality players, so will come looking for a draw first and foremost.
Also, the fitness issue that we really benefited from 2 years ago is not helping us as much - again, probably because other teams know about the multiple subs on 65/70 mins, and can react accordingly.
I think we'll be OK, but only if we start putting away some of the relatively simple chances in games. |
Not sure that 5 or 6 of our players are getting in any current premier squad, O'Shea, and Clarke maybe at a push. | | | |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 13:19 - Nov 23 with 356 views | gainsboroughblue |
I also think that the team of two years ago benefitted more from breaks in the season than this seasons. Our stickiest periods in 23/24 tended to be when there was a high turn over of games and we got the inevitable fitness issues that came with it.
The Christmas new year period being one example along with the time around March/April where the exhausting win over Southampton was followed by derby defeat and looking like we were carrying concrete uphill v Watford and Boro. Resets and breaks seemed to work to our advantage, the settled squad re-grouped and went again. I still think that gap we had before the Hull and Coventry games massively helped us get over the line.
This side seems to need games to get on a run, not just in terms of results but overall cohesion. A new (ish) squad getting used to one another isn't going to benefit from the stop-start nature of the modern league season between Aug and Nov. We went into international breaks immediately after Sheff U 5-0, Norwich 3-1, Swansea 4-1. These are the sort of results and performances where you are gagging for another game on the Tuesday. And then after the international break, where many of the squad are away with their nations, we are trying to build momentum again from scratch.
We now have 11 uninterrupted league fixtures until FAC round 3 weekend. I would expect/hope that this plays us into our best, and hopefully season defining form. Other clubs above us simply don't have our squad depth at this level to deal with the barrage of games and we can use this turnover to our advantage (I hope). |  |
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| Differences between two years ago and now: on 13:25 - Nov 23 with 339 views | ArnieM |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:12 - Nov 23 by RegencyBlue |
There is another significant difference in my view, two years ago we caught the Championship by surprise. This time they were ready for us.
Never did think this season was going to be as easy for us as some on here were saying. Unfortunately I was right! |
THIS is the difference.
Not sure this current crop of players feel any real pressure though. A lot have come to the club from outside of the UK so are just focusing on adapting to the English game.
The price tags attached yo the players we've brought in gives opposition managers the ideal carrot to whip up their own team into " taking a scalp" ....and a ready made excuse ( "their bench cost more than my whole squad") .....Bookies piled the pressure ( expectation?) On by altering our odds based purely on the price of our squad. You can't buy success as they say.... it takes time to gel ( this is true)....
I'd say Coventry are really quite an ordinary squad. Not unlike us when we got double promotions. But they have what we had back then, continuity . They only brought in
5 players in the summer and their squad is largely established and settled. That I think is the primary reason they're having a good season. |  |
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| Differences between two years ago and now: on 13:42 - Nov 23 with 277 views | Blue_In_Boston |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 12:39 - Nov 23 by Bent_double |
Absolutely this.
I think many of us just thought - do the same as 2 years ago and we'll storm this league, especially with the better players we now have.
But, unfortunately the 22 other teams in the division have stepped up their game, none of them want to be on the wrong side of a pasting from a team with 5 or 6 premier league quality players, so will come looking for a draw first and foremost.
Also, the fitness issue that we really benefited from 2 years ago is not helping us as much - again, probably because other teams know about the multiple subs on 65/70 mins, and can react accordingly.
I think we'll be OK, but only if we start putting away some of the relatively simple chances in games. |
Playing devil's advocate...who are the 5 or 6 Premier League quality players? | | | |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 14:33 - Nov 23 with 187 views | Bent_double |
| Differences between two years ago and now: on 13:42 - Nov 23 by Blue_In_Boston |
Playing devil's advocate...who are the 5 or 6 Premier League quality players? |
I was being generous.
Certainly O'Shea, Clarke, Matusiwa, Philogene - they will all play in the PL, with or without us.
Cajuste should be. HIrst has scored in the PL, so can be considered a PL striker.
But as I say, not really to be taken literally, 3 or 4 is more likely. | |
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