10 games in

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, wayne allisons tongues said:

Not sure how to look at this run we are on. Unbeaten in 9 is fantastic, but could also say only 1 win in 5  which isn’t good.

7 points in 5 games....if that’s our worst 5 game points haul this season, we’ll be top 6!

In 14/15 our worst 5 game rum brought 6 points (2 wins 3 losses), whereas the other clubs all had much worse runs, e.g. 2/3 points in 5 games.

A win on Saturday would be a very nice start to the season.  Hope we get it.

[Davefevs]

Interesting stat....we haven’t played a promoted or relegated team yet.

The 10 fixtures against the same teams and venue last season yielded 18 points!

But I’m happy.

[wayne allisons tongues]

7 hours ago, Davefevs said:

7 points in 5 games....if that’s our worst 5 game points haul this season, we’ll be top 6!

In 14/15 our worst 5 game rum brought 6 points (2 wins 3 losses), whereas the other clubs all had much worse runs, e.g. 2/3 points in 5 games.

A win on Saturday would be a very nice start to the season.  Hope we get it.

Trouble is we are at the moment drawing to many games.  You could say we have 3 points from the last 3 games which is relegation form.

Convert 2 of the draws into wins we would be top. Personally I think we are set up wrong as a team and leave way to much space down our flanks. Doesn’t help constantly changing formation during games.

Defensively we are letting in far to many goals, 8th worse defence in the league at the moment. To be honest we don’t look like keeping a clean sheet., if we keep conceding goals in the amount we are the draws will turn into defeats and we will move down the table.

Just think LJ needs to sit down and think what he wants from the team or even get his tactics right from the beginning of games. He tries to change to much each game and puts us in trouble quite often with lack of shape and chasing games. 

 

 

 

[mozo]

I'd be interested to know how many double and triple subs LJ has made. More than the average manager I'd wager. I bet he's made more half time substitutions than average too.

[George Rs]

This start is pretty promising imo.

if we say 2 points a game is promotion form , we are currently averaging 1.7 points a game with 5+ injuries , 4 of which are too key players. Also we have played some tough teams too leeds,Swansea, Preston etc.

looking very decent in my opinion, if we can stick this placement or above by January and then recruit the right people and Dasilva , Korey will be off injury it will be a very good run in I think.

[MC RISK77]

Very happy with first 10 games- firstly we look difficult to beat, young players like Moore and semenyo getting important game time, players waiting to comeback after international break.

on paper our next 10 games look more favourable than the first 10

yeah well done Lee and team

[BobBobSuperBob]

16 minutes ago, wayne allisons tongues said:

Trouble is we are at the moment drawing to many games.  You could say we have 3 points from the last 3 games which is relegation form.

Convert 2 of the draws into wins we would be top. Personally I think we are set up wrong as a team and leave way to much space down our flanks. Doesn’t help constantly changing formation during games.

Defensively we are letting in far to many goals, 8th worse defence in the league at the moment. To be honest we don’t look like keeping a clean sheet., if we keep conceding goals in the amount we are the draws will turn into defeats and we will move down the table.

Just think LJ needs to sit down and think what he wants from the team or even get his tactics right from the beginning of games. He tries to change to much each game and puts us in trouble quite often with lack of shape and chasing games. 

 

5 minutes ago, mozo said:

I'd be interested to know how many double and triple subs LJ has made. More than the average manager I'd wager. I bet he's made more half time substitutions than average too.

Personally I think he sets up more than often to win games from the bench having been successful doing so a couple of times 

Its (Use Of bench) is an important part of the modern game but shouldn’t be in  every game 

[mozo]

8 hours ago, Davefevs said:

7 points in 5 games....if that’s our worst 5 game points haul this season, we’ll be top 6!

In 14/15 our worst 5 game rum brought 6 points (2 wins 3 losses), whereas the other clubs all had much worse runs, e.g. 2/3 points in 5 games.

A win on Saturday would be a very nice start to the season.  Hope we get it.

If lose to Reading we'll be down to 6 pts from 5 games with the last win about to drop off.

Let's get this right though, if we're going to be serious challengers this season, you would expect us to collect a healthy points haul from the next 5 games. Reading have been dire this season, and Luton can't defend at this level, so you'd be disappointed from anything less that 4 points from the next 2 fixtures. 

 

[Davefevs]

15 minutes ago, wayne allisons tongues said:

Trouble is we are at the moment drawing to many games.  You could say we have 3 points from the last 3 games which is relegation form.

Convert 2 of the draws into wins we would be top. Personally I think we are set up wrong as a team and leave way to much space down our flanks. Doesn’t help constantly changing formation during games.

Defensively we are letting in far to many goals, 8th worse defence in the league at the moment. To be honest we don’t look like keeping a clean sheet., if we keep conceding goals in the amount we are the draws will turn into defeats and we will move down the table.

Just think LJ needs to sit down and think what he wants from the team or even get his tactics right from the beginning of games. He tries to change to much each game and puts us in trouble quite often with lack of shape and chasing games. 

 

 

 

My point was that if 7 points in 5 games was our worst run of the season.

4 minutes ago, mozo said:

I'd be interested to know how many double and triple subs LJ has made. More than the average manager I'd wager. I bet he's made more half time substitutions than average too.

Leeds - 3 subs, double on 63m

Birmingham - 3 subs, one early in 2nd half, double on 72m

QPR - 3 subs, one at h-t (injury enforced)

Derby - 3 subs in second half

Hull - 3 subs, one in first half (injury enforced)

Middlesbrough - 3 subs, double on 66m

Stoke - 2 subs, one tactical first half

Swansea - 3 subs, one in first half (injury enforced)

Preston - 3 subs, double on 57m

Brentford - 3 subs, double at h-t

hence my “sledgehammer or tactical genius” thread over the weekend!

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, mozo said:

If lose to Reading we'll be down to 6 pts from 5 games with the last win about to drop off.

Let's get this right though, if we're going to be serious challengers this season, you would expect us to collect a healthy points haul from the next 5 games. Reading have been dire this season, and Luton can't defend at this level, so you'd be disappointed from anything less that 4 points from the next 2 fixtures. 

 

Completely.

And you’re right about picking up points in our next sequence of games.  There will be some who say it’s gotta be 6 points from next two, but last season’s results reflect the point that there are no easy games, albeit a trend of more points against the lower clubs.

[Up The City!]

1 hour ago, wayne allisons tongues said:

Trouble is we are at the moment drawing to many games.  You could say we have 3 points from the last 3 games which is relegation form.

Convert 2 of the draws into wins we would be top. Personally I think we are set up wrong as a team and leave way to much space down our flanks. Doesn’t help constantly changing formation during games.

Defensively we are letting in far to many goals, 8th worse defence in the league at the moment. To be honest we don’t look like keeping a clean sheet., if we keep conceding goals in the amount we are the draws will turn into defeats and we will move down the table.

Just think LJ needs to sit down and think what he wants from the team or even get his tactics right from the beginning of games. He tries to change to much each game and puts us in trouble quite often with lack of shape and chasing games. 

 

 

 

If we best Reading then it will be 7 from 4 which is almost promotion form.

If you win your home games and draw your away games then come the end of the season you will be there or there shouts. It's vital we beat Reading.

[mozo]

25 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Completely.

And you’re right about picking up points in our next sequence of games.  There will be some who say it’s gotta be 6 points from next two, but last season’s results reflect the point that there are no easy games, albeit a trend of more points against the lower clubs.

Win the next 2 games and we're sitting pretty on an average of 1.9 ppg. Across a season, that's serious contender form.

Win and a draw and we're at 17.5 ppg which is guaranteed play off form.

Either way we'd be looking good after a quarter of the season.

 

[mozo]

4 minutes ago, Up The City! said:

If we best Reading then it will be 7 from 4 which is almost promotion form.

If you win your home games and draw your away games then come the end of the season you will be there or there shouts. It's vital we beat Reading.

Or in our case, win some at home and some away, and draw some at home and some away!

[Rudolf Hucker]

10 hours ago, poland_exile said:

it's almost as if LJ knows more about this game than us.

As if

[Phileas Fogg]

I think, considering the injuries, we've done really well. I can't imagine many City teams in previous years losing their best left back, best centre half, best forward and a very promising centre midfielder (replacing him with an 18 year old) and manage to be in Playoff contention. You could argue with no injuries we'd be comfortably in the playoffs or top 2.

We've also managed to grind out some great results - especially away. A couple of disappointing performances (Leeds and Boro stick out) but that's inevitable and i'm a bit more forgiving of teams getting bad results on opening day (really want to see us beat Leeds eventually though).

Usually I'd be a bit worried that a young player like Massengo could burn out, but so far he's done really well on that front. Impressed with how Rowe has filled in at left back but we're in trouble if he gets injured.

So far, really impressed.

 

[mozo]

2 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I think, considering the injuries, we've done really well. I can't imagine many City teams in previous years losing their best left back, best centre half, best forward and a very promising centre midfielder (replacing him with an 18 year old) and manage to be in Playoff contention. You could argue with no injuries we'd be comfortably in the playoffs or top 2.

We've also managed to grind out some great results - especially away. A couple of disappointing performances (Leeds and Boro stick out) but that's inevitable and i'm a bit more forgiving of teams getting bad results on opening day (really want to see us beat Leeds eventually though).

Usually I'd be a bit worried that a young player like Massengo could burn out, but so far he's done really well on that front. Impressed with how Rowe has filled in at left back but we're in trouble if he gets injured.

So far, really impressed.

 

Totally agree. Would you also file Brentford away to the disappointing performances folder?

[Major Isewater]

I am absolutely delighted with our return from the first ten games.

When the fixture list came out I thought we had a very hard start to the season.

Despite all our set backs we are comfortably placed , the players have settled in very well and we have not been outplayed by anyone . ( Leeds was unfortunate as there was a bit of a distraction with certain transfers, in particularly Webster ) 

The club are in a good place and all credit must go to the coaching staff .

All the world and his brother know what we need but we must support the players already here and help them fulfill their huge potential.

 

[CyderInACan]

5 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

really want to see us beat Leeds eventually though

Stick Saturday 15th Feb 2020 in yer calendar then! 

[elhombrecito]

We're in an excellent position, considering our injuries and the fact that we've played the majority of our games away! Just need to pick up our home form, starting Saturday against a poor Reading team, and we'll be properly off and running this season. 

Such a difference between our home/away records though. Desperately need to start improving at home.

[Allwaysred]

10 hours ago, wayne allisons tongues said:

Not sure how to look at this run we are on. Unbeaten in 9 is fantastic, but could also say only 1 win in 5  which isn’t good.

You get shot down for it but I totally agree especially when the bottom line is getting promotion. There won't be a better season to do it either. Not buying another proven striker along with Afobe was very short sighted in my view and hopefully doesn't cost us.

[Phileas Fogg]

13 minutes ago, mozo said:

Totally agree. Would you also file Brentford away to the disappointing performances folder?

Personally no, they're an awkward side and stylistically seem a tricky matchup for us. We seem to find games against sides who either come out to play good football (Brentford, Swansea, Leeds) fairly tough.. and likewise on the other end of the spectrum sides that are physical and come to spoil very tough too (Middlesborough, Millwall, Birmingham). 

A point away against Brentford is good IMO. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Personally no, they're an awkward side and stylistically seem a tricky matchup for us. We seem to find games against sides who either come out to play good football (Brentford, Swansea, Leeds) fairly tough.. and likewise on the other end of the spectrum sides that are physical and come to spoil very tough too (Middlesborough, Millwall, Birmingham). 

A point away against Brentford is good IMO. 

Thought they were pretty good at AG tbh, not just physically, but yeah point very much taken- agreed, a good point and definitely stylistically we tend to have issues against them- agree on your general list too.

Still remember the two games in 2017/18- how we got a point there I'm still unsure and how we only lost 1-0 at home likewise!

[Major Isewater]

2 minutes ago, Allwaysred said:

You get shot down for it but I totally agree especially when the bottom line is getting promotion. There won't be a better season to do it either. Not buying another proven striker along with Afobe was very short sighted in my view and hopefully doesn't cost us.

I don’t totally agree with your criticism of the club ;

Strikers are the most sought after commodity and we had several set backs in our attempts to sign even one , how do you know we weren’t in for two ?

We already had Weimann, Diedhiou , Taylor with Semenyo , Janneh to be introduced to build up minutes add in Afobe and that’s six players battling for one or two places in the team, normally enough isn’t it ? 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing . 

 

[Davefevs]

22 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

I don’t totally agree with your criticism of the club ;

Strikers are the most sought after commodity and we had several set backs in our attempts to sign even one , how do you know we weren’t in for two ?

We already had Weimann, Diedhiou , Taylor with Semenyo , Janneh to be introduced to build up minutes add in Afobe and that’s six players battling for one or two places in the team, normally enough isn’t it ? 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing . 

 

I know it’s been said that Taylor won’t be back in January, but I wouldn’t be hastily agreeing the continuation (with Oxford) until we know what our forward line up is gonna be at the end of the window.

Again, hindsight, but would he have worked in the 5212 alongside Weimann and in front of Palmer?  Interesting???

[Allwaysred]

I don't know we we're in for 2 but that's what we needed in my eye's. None of the players mentioned are proven scores and yes they cost money but if we're serious on getting promotion that's what we need. Just think LJ likes to overload midfield hence why it was prioritised. Just spend the money and and invest we've flitted stupid money on players who will never make it or have already gone Eisa and MW to mention a few when we could have spent on a proven striker / strikers.... frustrating. 

[BobBobSuperBob]

34 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

I don’t totally agree with your criticism of the club ;

Strikers are the most sought after commodity and we had several set backs in our attempts to sign even one , how do you know we weren’t in for two ?

We already had Weimann, Diedhiou , Taylor with Semenyo , Janneh to be introduced to build up minutes add in Afobe and that’s six players battling for one or two places in the team, normally enough isn’t it ? 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing . 

 

This will go down well .......

 

We are now IMHO paying for ‘dithering’ with Diedhiou , Taylor,  for two years and using FD as our first choice pinnacle

We are now semi reliant on a striker who , was never what we were aspiring to (IMHO) , And who has been sent a clear message that he’s not the coaches first choice, even with Afobe injured 

As IMHO he’s not great even at his best , and fully motivated for  ‘maximum’ performance,

 not looking an ideal situation 

 

[pillred]

3 hours ago, RedsTilliDie said:

This start is pretty promising imo.

if we say 2 points a game is promotion form , we are currently averaging 1.7 points a game with 5+ injuries , 4 of which are too key players. Also we have played some tough teams too leeds,Swansea, Preston etc.

looking very decent in my opinion, if we can stick this placement or above by January and then recruit the right people and Dasilva , Korey will be off injury it will be a very good run in I think.

It seems obvious but we do have injuries to 5 of our best players, to even be slightly disappointed with our start seems odd to say the least, we will almost certainly improve when Lee has more options. I for one think this season we will not fall apart towards the end of the season as we did in the last two and will in fact have a very strong finish which IF we only make the play offs rather than automatic promotion will make us the team that nobody would want to play in the finals. 

[LondonBristolian]

I think we are in a great position, especially given our injuries, and - first day of the season aside - we're getting something from games we would have lost in the past.

My one major concern - which is an absolutely understandable and beyond the club's control - is that, with Afobe out, we still haven't got an attacking combination that works. Weimann shows a lot of movement and Semenyo has potential but, much as I've defended him in the past and think he is a much better player than he gets credit for, Famara just does not suit how we are trying to play. I'm almost wondering whether we try to convert Eliasson or Watkins into a forward and play them alongside Weimann. It's obviously no substitute for an out and out striker but we need more options. 

[Rudolf Hucker]

7 hours ago, pillred said:

IF we only make the play offs

Could we ask to play both legs away from home?

[CyderInACan]

4 hours ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

Could we ask to play both legs away from home?

Only 1 home win all season is just not good enough!