Maybe the teams we've beaten are in the bottom half partly as a result of losing to Charlton.
I think the important thing is that we've started the season reasonably well and are playing better week on week. 10 games in and just behind the two points per game that will almost certainly get us promotion. Goals are coming from the midfield as well as the strikers. There's plenty of cover in most positions. Pards has managed the squad well, seen the problems and acted to change things that weren't right.
Ireckoned we would be top 6 after 10 games so above my expectations - although I do still think we will be battling out 2nd spot with a couple of others come May.
My only annoyance, especially over the last few games, is that we are not scoring enough goals and therefore not finishing teams off. Last 3 games we have scored first and in 2 of them let in a late leveller to throw away 2 points and the other just hold on to all 3. This needn't have happened if we had scored a few more and been 2 or 3 up - yesterday being a case in point. I think the team thought "phew, done it" once ZZ had given us the lead and we sat back & didn't press on for another and we paid ffor it.
I'm not sure who is to blame - players or management but it needs sorting otherwise when we play the top teams we wont get away with it and will throw more points away which could be the difference between a top 2 place or a spot in the play-offs.
As I have said before - you don't lose too many games scoring 3 goals.
Yeah, Sodje's not the answer. A few good tackles but in the end, he's certainly not a calm and collected influence on the back four. He's in the Karkouri mold for sure. Someone brought in in January I think.
I thought Sodje did well when he came on, always wanted to be involved and can be a big threat at set pieces - I don't think i've seen a player leap so high. Ok so he's quite raw and a bit unorthodox but considering he's a loan signing i was impressed by his attitude to the game. For me Bougherra had his best game for us yesterday, won nearly every header against a bigger forward, made a great tackle in 1st half to deny a goal and didn't really put a foot wrong.
I thought he and Bougy have a reasonable understanding now.
Nothing against Sodje, who I remember from from his days at Margate, but it was inevitable there would be the odd misunderstanding as he hasn't played with the rest of the back four.
I predicted a slow start because the new team would need time to gel, partly right, still think the defence especially away from home need some work but im happy so far.
Watford are going to piss this league but I honestly think we are the second best team.
November is going to be a huge month. If we are still top 2 after that we'll be fine
Last time we were promoted (and as Champions!) we didn't uproot many trees before Xmas.
It was away at Huddersfield who were top of the League at Xmas and showing signs of running away with it, that we really stepped into gear. Eddie Youds got badly injured - but we won 2-1 and began a sequence of 12 successive wins.
No other team could live with us and we built up a 17 point lead at one stage. Of course, that was the first of the "job's done, lads - let's book our holidays" seasons, when we'd get to March and stop playing. You'll remember, we were Champions by just 2 points in the end.
As for Huddersfield, they didn't even make the playoffs.
And we'll all laugh at the season Millwall were top of the League in December, lost at home to Charlton (the legendary 'Morts in the Snow' match!) and managed to get themselves relegated. LOL
In this League, you can't get any serious indication of the promoted 2 until well into the New Year.
I'm happier to be in our position just now than Watford's. As Oggy says, it can be dangerous and backfire if you build up too much of an early lead in this div. Lot of football to go yet!
[cite]Posted By: Weegie Addick[/cite]I'm happier to be in our position just now than Watford's. As Oggy says, it can be dangerous and backfire if you build up too much of an early lead in this div. Lot of football to go yet!
Steve Ovett on the leader's shoulder before bursting away down the last 100 will do me fine!
[cite]Posted By: golfaddick[/cite]Ireckoned we would be top 6 after 10 games so above my expectations - although I do still think we will be battling out 2nd spot with a couple of others come May.
My only annoyance, especially over the last few games, is that we are not scoring enough goals and therefore not finishing teams off. Last 3 games we have scored first and in 2 of them let in a late leveller to throw away 2 points and the other just hold on to all 3. This needn't have happened if we had scored a few more and been 2 or 3 up - yesterday being a case in point. I think the team thought "phew, done it" once ZZ had given us the lead and we sat back & didn't press on for another and we paid ffor it.
I'm not sure who is to blame - players or management but it needs sorting otherwise when we play the top teams we wont get away with it and will throw more points away which could be the difference between a top 2 place or a spot in the play-offs.
As I have said before - you don't lose too many games scoring 3 goals.
Think we're doing well considering the rebuild job Pards has done, but I agree with Golfaddick, in the last few games, not taking our chances has cost us points.
The biggest challenge is converting midfield dominance into goals, we need more movement by strikers plus some pace in the team. Varney isn't slow, but he doesn't seem able to show a sudden burst of pace.
Perhaps Moo2kill could play in front of Mills at Wolves.
Comments
I think the important thing is that we've started the season reasonably well and are playing better week on week. 10 games in and just behind the two points per game that will almost certainly get us promotion. Goals are coming from the midfield as well as the strikers. There's plenty of cover in most positions. Pards has managed the squad well, seen the problems and acted to change things that weren't right.
Ask me at the beginning of the season if you'd have given me 2nd after 10 games, i'd have taken it.
Same...
My only annoyance, especially over the last few games, is that we are not scoring enough goals and therefore not finishing teams off. Last 3 games we have scored first and in 2 of them let in a late leveller to throw away 2 points and the other just hold on to all 3. This needn't have happened if we had scored a few more and been 2 or 3 up - yesterday being a case in point. I think the team thought "phew, done it" once ZZ had given us the lead and we sat back & didn't press on for another and we paid ffor it.
I'm not sure who is to blame - players or management but it needs sorting otherwise when we play the top teams we wont get away with it and will throw more points away which could be the difference between a top 2 place or a spot in the play-offs.
As I have said before - you don't lose too many games scoring 3 goals.
I thought he and Bougy have a reasonable understanding now.
Nothing against Sodje, who I remember from from his days at Margate, but it was inevitable there would be the odd misunderstanding as he hasn't played with the rest of the back four.
Must learn to concentrate for 90+ minutes
Looking very capable of realising potential if continue to gel and improve
I predicted a slow start because the new team would need time to gel, partly right, still think the defence especially away from home need some work but im happy so far.
Watford are going to piss this league but I honestly think we are the second best team.
November is going to be a huge month. If we are still top 2 after that we'll be fine
It was away at Huddersfield who were top of the League at Xmas and showing signs of running away with it, that we really stepped into gear. Eddie Youds got badly injured - but we won 2-1 and began a sequence of 12 successive wins.
No other team could live with us and we built up a 17 point lead at one stage. Of course, that was the first of the "job's done, lads - let's book our holidays" seasons, when we'd get to March and stop playing. You'll remember, we were Champions by just 2 points in the end.
As for Huddersfield, they didn't even make the playoffs.
And we'll all laugh at the season Millwall were top of the League in December, lost at home to Charlton (the legendary 'Morts in the Snow' match!) and managed to get themselves relegated. LOL
In this League, you can't get any serious indication of the promoted 2 until well into the New Year.
Steve Ovett on the leader's shoulder before bursting away down the last 100 will do me fine!
Think we're doing well considering the rebuild job Pards has done, but I agree with Golfaddick, in the last few games, not taking our chances has cost us points.
The biggest challenge is converting midfield dominance into goals, we need more movement by strikers plus some pace in the team. Varney isn't slow, but he doesn't seem able to show a sudden burst of pace.
Perhaps Moo2kill could play in front of Mills at Wolves.