| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently 07:44 - Apr 22 with 1789 views | Axeldalai_lama |
I massively understand that this is the horrible, brilliant, squeaky bum time that sums up being a fan. But the way people are finding ways of making the next four opponents sound like giants of the game is slightly comical. In reverse if a team had to beat 3 of 4 teams 3 teams with very little to play for and 1 with it's mind elsewhere, we'd be saying they had a very decent run and chance.
Charlton are battling for their survival, West Brom are on sintilating form, Saints are resting their entire squad at Wembley to prepare for us and QPR will be very tricky and is not going to be an easy.
Of course we could lose them all, and it's going to be hell and or ecstasy but if we properly mess up, it's just that, us and not the teams we are playing. |  | | |  |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:01 - Apr 22 with 271 views | BouncebackIpswich |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 10:52 - Apr 22 by The_Flashing_Smile |
But there are so many other factors at this stage of the season (which is why you often get freak results). Teams struggling now might need to come out and attack rather than spoil. Teams down or with nothing to play for might suddenly play better without fear/with the shackles off. Or the players might be thinking of moves and want to impress. Or they might play worse because they're metaphorically on the beach. Or teams needing points at the top end (i.e. us) might suddenly find that extra motivation they didn't have across the other away games against "bottom 10" sides. Or they might freeze with the extra burden.
All these things are more relevant than "we'll struggle because 1 win v the bottom 10". Also, why is it bottom 10? Why not bottom 6 or bottom half?
You could look at it another way and say we've only lost 4 away to the bottom 10. Within that, Leicester was due to 2 freak goals (one from in their own half). Oxford away was a bit of a freak as well, given that we battered them for most of it. And these things happen in football all the time, it wasn't that there was anything particularly wrong with our approach.
As always, the nuance and context says more than an arbitrary stat. |
Fair enough, I can't really argue with any of this - all good points. There is an underlying pattern of fragility on the road I suspect, but the past doesn't define the present.
At the end of the day we know that if Town perform to their potential, we will win the games we need. And it doesn't even need to be a 10/10 performance, 7 or 8/10 will be good enough. |  |
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| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:06 - Apr 22 with 251 views | _CliveBaker_ |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 10:03 - Apr 22 by The_Flashing_Smile |
This is such a meaningless stat. Our next 3 opponents we haven't played away, so none of those other games are remotely relevant.
If the inference is that we don't raise our game against lesser teams - well, if they can't raise their game with what's at stake at this stage of the season, regardless of where the opponent is in the table, then they shouldn't be footballers.
What that stat also doesn't take into account is that it's based on the bottom 10 NOW, whereas our results against them are across the whole season. So we could've had other wins against teams who were bottom 10 at the time but have since moved up.
The poor away record and recent form are the only really meaningful stats, if you need to use some. But in truth we really don't know what we're going to get from these last 4 games! |
Its also not true.
Not to be a pedant but we've beaten Sheffield Wednesday and Watford away who are both in the bottom 10. And we're yet to play 2 of the other 8. Its 2 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats. Not great by any stretch, 9 points from 8, and we've certainly left points on the table, but its over 1ppg and owing to our strong home form and away to some of the better sides we've roughly averaged 2ppg since August.
We need to do better in the next 2, but factually that stat isn't correct. |  | | |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:11 - Apr 22 with 235 views | witchdoctor |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 07:54 - Apr 22 by FrimleyBlue |
it's not that they are world beaters, it's because we've won 1 game away against a bottom 10 side. |
I stated that the other day and got shot down..where did you get that stat from? |  | | |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:13 - Apr 22 with 227 views | witchdoctor |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 07:54 - Apr 22 by FrimleyBlue |
it's not that they are world beaters, it's because we've won 1 game away against a bottom 10 side. |
I stated that the other day and got shot down..where did you get that stat from? | | | |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:36 - Apr 22 with 200 views | Leaky |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 10:03 - Apr 22 by The_Flashing_Smile |
This is such a meaningless stat. Our next 3 opponents we haven't played away, so none of those other games are remotely relevant.
If the inference is that we don't raise our game against lesser teams - well, if they can't raise their game with what's at stake at this stage of the season, regardless of where the opponent is in the table, then they shouldn't be footballers.
What that stat also doesn't take into account is that it's based on the bottom 10 NOW, whereas our results against them are across the whole season. So we could've had other wins against teams who were bottom 10 at the time but have since moved up.
The poor away record and recent form are the only really meaningful stats, if you need to use some. But in truth we really don't know what we're going to get from these last 4 games! |
Good point Nodge were in the bottom 10 when we beat them at home |  | | |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:43 - Apr 22 with 181 views | jas0999 |
After last nights games, I see it as follows:
Charlton - unlikely to go down. If we’re assuming Millwall will beat Oxford, they are as good as same.
WBA - as good as on the beach. Job done. They are safe.
Southampton - likely preparing for the play offs now. Could also be on a hangover or celebration in FA Cup. Bristol City held them last night
QPR - will probably bring their packed cases ready to fly off on holiday.
In contrast, we have very expensive squad of players, a manager who is let’s face it on a PL wage. We should be able to win three of those games. If we can’t - serious questions need to be asked. |  | | |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:52 - Apr 22 with 164 views | jayessess |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 11:43 - Apr 22 by jas0999 |
After last nights games, I see it as follows:
Charlton - unlikely to go down. If we’re assuming Millwall will beat Oxford, they are as good as same.
WBA - as good as on the beach. Job done. They are safe.
Southampton - likely preparing for the play offs now. Could also be on a hangover or celebration in FA Cup. Bristol City held them last night
QPR - will probably bring their packed cases ready to fly off on holiday.
In contrast, we have very expensive squad of players, a manager who is let’s face it on a PL wage. We should be able to win three of those games. If we can’t - serious questions need to be asked. |
Think the big thing in away games like these is that *yes* Charlton and West Brom might well imagine that they've likely done enough, but whilst there is still any chance at all they might need the points and they're still in the game they'll fight hard. It's only if you take the game away from them that they might slack a bit. [Post edited 22 Apr 11:53]
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| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 12:17 - Apr 22 with 121 views | HighgateBlue |
| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 09:24 - Apr 22 by _CliveBaker_ |
I can see what you're saying. There's an element of human psychology to it probably, we look at Southampton and Millwall fixtures and work on the assumption they'll just win every game. Millwall have lost at home to Blackburn and Pompey in the last couple of months but the prospect of them dropping points at Leicester is suddenly inconceivable. They might not, but its very possible.
I think most of the concern comes from our own inconsistency, but that's also true of other sides. The fact of the matter is IF we win tonight the table will read Ipswich 79, Millwall 79, Southampton 76, Boro 76 (presumably). We would have a better and probably now insurmountable GD over the rest, and we would have 2 games to match what Millwall do at Leicester, to keep it in our hands for the final day. Its the others who would be running out of games, not us.
If we manage that tonight we'll have lost 1 in the last 12. It would be 7 wins, 4 draws, 1 defeat. 25 points and more than 2ppg. For all the talk of inconsistency its the Championship, it happens. It happens at every level and its certainly not a trend for us yet. Millwall have got 23 points over the same period and Boro 15. We clawed back a deficit and even had a bit of margin for error, we've probably used most of it in the last couple of games, but a win tonight would go a long way to putting us back in pole position.
If we win tonight there isn't a team in the division (aside from Cov) that wouldn't swap places with us. |
Well put. I hadn't realised that that would be our 12 game form. That's better than it has felt!
And of course some might say that if we don't get the points against Charlton we don't really deserve to go up. And that may be right. But it's not about deserving it, it's about crawling over that line by hook or by crook if needs be.
No team is infallible, as you say. Once upon a time, Boro's form was red hot and they were impossible to catch. Then they fell off a cliff. Even Cov had a substantial wobble. Ipswich are capable of really good results. Let's hope tonight is one of them and worry about everything else as and when it comes. |  | | |
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| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 12:55 - Apr 22 with 88 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Not worried about them, I’m worried about us! |  |
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| Next 4 games all against world beaters apparently on 13:17 - Apr 22 with 64 views | boysof1981 |
It’s more of a case we’ve barely put two decent halves of football together in one game, and our form against the bottom half clubs has been dreadful. | | | |
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