Mid table.

[Superjack]

That's where we will likely finish. And most would be happy with that this season.

We will have good patches. We will have bad patches.

We weren't promotion contenders when we were sat in third place, and we aren't going down just because we are sat in eighteenth.

Some people just need to calm the **** down.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Spot on. I was not getting carried away a few weeks back even if the League wide postponement didn't help us one bit. Likewise don't think the bad run and downward spiral will continue, it'll correct itself a bit.

There will be good streaks and bad streaks, entertaining games and poor games.

If we can get a Cup run and continue to develop some younger players as we have been then that will be a good positive to take.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[Dolman Original]

Would be ecstatic with a mid table finish. Looking at our forthcoming fixtures however I believe we might be in the bottom four at the end of the next 4/5 games. Like the O/P I didn’t get carried away with our early form. We still have the same defensive problems that Pearson inherited which, sadly, he hasn’t managed to address. This was always going to be highlighted when our goals dried up. 

[Bar BS3]

We absolutely were promotion contenders whilst in 3rd place - what else were we, or anyone else in that position. 

Then, a woeful return of just 1 point from the last 5 games have plemeted us down the table. 

5 games ago I'd have said we had no concerns about us being in any sort of relegation scrap, if form tailed off - however, the absolute train wreck of our form since then - losing everything that was good about our play, but being consistently bad at the back - throws that complacency straight back in my face & if we don't get back to some of our better play again, then we will very much be facing a struggle. 

To just assume we will finish mid table is being as complacent as I was. 

What looked to be a very good first 10 games in terms of style & effectiveness, has fallen right off a very sheer cliff now and if we don't sort it out, then we will soon be scrapping to get out of the bottom 3 & likely to be far weaker after then January transfer window, when some of our better players will likely look to jump ship. 

Such a disappointment, from all the early season promise & optimism.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Naismith returning will at least provide us with an extra outlet, threat going forward, from the back if that makes sense.

Fully fit Kalas would also be an asset but will we see a fully fit Kalas in a City shirt again? He's been out since March? Won't be fully fit and in top condition for some time IMO even if available to play.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just now, Bar BS3 said:

We absolutely were promotion contenders whilst in 3rd place - what else were we, or anyone else in that position. 

Then, a woeful return of just 1 point from the last 5 games have plemeted us down the table. 

5 games ago I'd have said we had no concerns about us being in any sort of relegation scrap, if form tailed off - however, the absolute train wreck of our form since then - losing everything that was good about our play, but being consistently bad at the back - throws that complacency straight back in my face & if we don't get back to some of our better play again, then we will very much be facing a struggle. 

To just assume we will finish mid table is being as complacent as I was. 

What looked to be a very good first 10 games in terms of style & effectiveness, has fallen right off a very sheer cliff now and if we don't sort it out, then we will soon be scrapping to get out of the bottom 3 & likely to be far weaker after then January transfer window, when some of our better players will likely look to jump ship. 

Such a disappointment, from all the early season promise & optimism.

We were outperforming our baseline figures, that usually catches up with a side it really does.

Plenty of sides can have a good 10-15 game start. Think we had 25 pts from 15 games in 2016-17 (performances were much patchier) yet were dragged slowly but surely into a relegation scrap which we only really started to turn around in March-April time!

Unsure we sell in January but time will tell.

[Superjack]

2 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

We absolutely were promotion contenders whilst in 3rd place - what else were we, or anyone else in that position. 

Then, a woeful return of just 1 point from the last 5 games have plemeted us down the table. 

5 games ago I'd have said we had no concerns about us being in any sort of relegation scrap, if form tailed off - however, the absolute train wreck of our form since then - losing everything that was good about our play, but being consistently bad at the back - throws that complacency straight back in my face & if we don't get back to some of our better play again, then we will very much be facing a struggle. 

To just assume we will finish mid table is being as complacent as I was. 

What looked to be a very good first 10 games in terms of style & effectiveness, has fallen right off a very sheer cliff now and if we don't sort it out, then we will soon be scrapping to get out of the bottom 3 & likely to be far weaker after then January transfer window, when some of our better players will likely look to jump ship. 

Such a disappointment, from all the early season promise & optimism.

I don't 'assume' that we will finish mid table, I just think it likely, which is why I used the word 'likely'.

If we continue our form over the last five games until the end of the season then we will be bottom of the table.

We won't. We have more about us than that. If we didn't, we would be bottom already.

[Lack of Action Man]

It’s the hope that kills you

I, like many, thought as we began to climb the table that we had turned a corner and this could be a really promising season. Particularly with the emergence of Conway to our forward firepower.

However, after many many years of supporting city I really should have seen this stop-start pattern of form coming!

 

[Better Red]

28 minutes ago, Superjack said:

That's where we will likely finish. And most would be happy with that this season.

We will have good patches. We will have bad patches.

We weren't promotion contenders when we were sat in third place, and we aren't going down just because we are sat in eighteenth.

Some people just need to calm the **** down.

Unless we do something in January we are a bottom 6/8 team.

Easier said than done with no money.

We never sorted the problems of last year so why will we improve.

Stand still and you go backwards.

We don’t have a regular RB

We have a 5ft LB 

Centre Half  is a mess - Atkinson and Vyner are at best squad players. Kalas and Klose always injured. Naismith has more mistakes in him every 15 mins.

Midfield at least 1 very good regular starter short.

Thats what I thought at the start of the season and still fill the same.

We were last year.

Other teams have strengthen we pretty much did nothing.

We just go to hope there are 3 worst than us.

we got to hope 3 of the list below have bad seasons.

Really we need a good points return from below and if we do we should be ok - 25 points ish.

Hull, Huddersfield, Wigan, Rotherham, Coventry and maybe Blackpool 

[Superjack]

Just now, OddBallJim said:

It’s the hope that kills you

I, like many, thought as we began to climb the table that we had turned a corner and this could be a really promising season. Particularly with the emergence of Conway to our forward firepower.

However, after many many years of supporting city I really should have seen this stop-start pattern of form coming!

 

Exactly.

We have stopped. We will start again.

(and stop and start again).

[Lack of Action Man]

Just now, Superjack said:

Exactly.

We have stopped. We will start again.

(and stop and start again).

It is our lot in life as city fans!

[Superjack]

1 minute ago, Better Red said:

Unless we do something in January we are a bottom 6/8 team.

Easier said than done with no money.

We never sorted the problems of last year so why will we improve.

Stand still and you go backwards.

We don’t have a regular RB

We have a 5ft LB 

Centre Half  is a mess - Atkinson and Vyner are at best squad players. Kalas and Klose always injured. Naismith has more mistakes in him every 15 mins.

Midfield at least 1 very good regular starter short.

Thats what I thought at the start of the season and still fill the same.

We were last year.

Other teams have strengthen we pretty much did nothing.

We just go to hope there are 3 worst than us.

we got to hope 3 of the list below have bad seasons.

Really we need a good points return from below and if we do we should be ok - 25 points ish.

Hull, Huddersfield, Wigan, Rotherham, Coventry and maybe Blackpool 

I am not necessarily saying that we will improve this season. I am saying that we will improve from the last five (or even two) games.

The same squad of players that got us up to third have now got us to eighteenth. 

They still got us to third.

[Jerseybean]

‘Uddersfield beating ‘Ull today saved us from dropping to 19th!  

[Davefevs]

26 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

We absolutely were promotion contenders whilst in 3rd place - what else were we, or anyone else in that position. 

Then, a woeful return of just 1 point from the last 5 games have plemeted us down the table. 

5 games ago I'd have said we had no concerns about us being in any sort of relegation scrap, if form tailed off - however, the absolute train wreck of our form since then - losing everything that was good about our play, but being consistently bad at the back - throws that complacency straight back in my face & if we don't get back to some of our better play again, then we will very much be facing a struggle. 

To just assume we will finish mid table is being as complacent as I was. 

What looked to be a very good first 10 games in terms of style & effectiveness, has fallen right off a very sheer cliff now and if we don't sort it out, then we will soon be scrapping to get out of the bottom 3 & likely to be far weaker after then January transfer window, when some of our better players will likely look to jump ship. 

Such a disappointment, from all the early season promise & optimism.

So 13 league games in (15 inc cup I guess is where you get your 10 and 5 from?) - at what point did our form tail off?

- After Blackburn (game eight / ten ) and before Norwich (game nine / eleven)

- some point after Blackburn and yesterday

Because I thought we were pretty good v Norwich, resolute v Burnley (the best side we’ve played).  Happy if you disagree, just trying to gauge whether it’s a 5 game tail off or something less than five games.  I could understand it more if you said last 3 games, even if I thought we were generally ok v Coventry, just poor around the penalty area.

The form yesterday versus what we saw in our opening set is definitely below, but our performances throughout all 13 games have been far from pure boom or bust.  But I see boom and bust type rhetoric on OTIB.

If we were to win on Wednesday versus PNE does that mean we are back in boom time again?  Not in my eyes it doesn’t.

I think we reach extreme opinions (both ways) too quickly.  After 7/8 seasons in the Chsmpionship we should know by now we are not a club to take anything for granted when we are winning, but also not get too down when we aren’t.

As you know I tend to break the league up into three chunks of eight.  I place us in the middle chunk, but the reality is there is less of a gap between middle and bottom eight, than there is between middle and top eight…mainly down to resources.  There will always be those teams who buck the trend (in both directions).

Of course it’s disappointing / frustrating, and that (yesterday) was way below any performance this season.  Even FBC are saying they thought performances like yesterday were way behind us…I take that as a back-handed compliment that every game this season hasn’t been.  Therefore if yesterday was a one-off, why the “excitement”?

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

12 minutes ago, Jerseybean said:

‘Uddersfield beating ‘Ull today saved us from dropping to 19th!  

Otoh, that result means we are now just 4 pts above 2nd bottom.. .mayne a draw would have been ideal.

[tin]

1 hour ago, Superjack said:

That's where we will likely finish. And most would be happy with that this season.

We will have good patches. We will have bad patches.

We weren't promotion contenders when we were sat in third place, and we aren't going down just because we are sat in eighteenth.

Some people just need to calm the **** down.

Well said. The bottom line is if we have a fully-fit squad and they’re on-song, we’re a match for anyone in this league. Beyond those 11-14 players there’s bugger all depth to compete, especially against physical, direct sides. 

[Davefevs]

Just now, tin said:

Well said. The bottom line is if we have a fully-fit squad and they’re on-song, we’re a match for anyone in this league. Beyond those 11-14 players there’s bugger all depth to compete, especially against physical, direct sides. 

[GrahamC]

51 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

 

Fully fit Kalas would also be an asset but will we see a fully fit Kalas in a City shirt again? He's been out since March? Won't be fully fit and in top condition for some time IMO even if available to play.

Pearson said last week he was 10 days away from training, which suggests he’ll start doing so again a week tomorrow.

With the World Cup break then to come I’d expect him to be fit & available when we face Rotherham in the first game back.

[Mr Popodopolous]

4 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Pearson said last week he was 10 days away from training, which suggests he’ll start doing so again a week tomorrow.

With the World Cup break then to come I’d expect him to be fit & available when we face Rotherham in the first game back.

Thanks. That'll be good news, still think will take some time to get fully fit, look at Williams, Semenyo doesn't seem quite himself still although young players have ups and down.

Could be like a new signing if he does slot back fairly seamlessly though.

[Redrascal2]

Mid table would be a great result for us. With the lack of options that Pearson has after an abject performance and the team careering down the table I fear a bit of a prolonged time down towards the bottom.

[BigAl&Toby]

1 hour ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Naismith returning will at least provide us with an extra outlet, threat going forward, from the back if that makes sense.

Fully fit Kalas would also be an asset but will we see a fully fit Kalas in a City shirt again? He's been out since March? Won't be fully fit and in top condition for some time IMO even if available to play.

An extra outlet that is - to my mind watching things right behind the goal - also a liability.

The old Kal I think I’m better than I am Naismith comes deep. Cap’n Dan rolls the ball to him. Kal strides purposely forward only to hoof it long or get dispossessed. 

Few touches and ball gets played back into or over him by whoever we’re up against and we’re back where we started.

KN needs a better defender alongside him or in behind him. 

I know. Team tactics. But I don’t buy the KN/DB method. It’s too exposed, predictable, and often. And it’s been sussed. 

[Top Robin]

1 hour ago, Superjack said:

That's where we will likely finish. And most would be happy with that this season.

We will have good patches. We will have bad patches.

We weren't promotion contenders when we were sat in third place, and we aren't going down just because we are sat in eighteenth.

Some people just need to calm the **** down.

If we play like we did yesterday and in the last few games, and most of last season  - we will do down.

We will also go down if we continue to be the team in the division which has conceded the most goals.

Some people need to get real.

 

[GrahamC]

9 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

If we play like we did yesterday and in the last few games, and most of last season  - we will do down.

We will also go down if we continue to be the team in the division which has conceded the most goals.

Some people need to get real.

 

Conversely if we play like we did at Blackburn & Norwich & in the home games against Luton (their only away defeat), Cardiff & Huddersfield, we’ll definitely be top eight.

However in both cases, we probably won’t, so whilst I appreciate based on your post history you like to put a relentlessly negative spin on everything, we are more likely to be 14th or thereabouts.

[Redandproud]

1 hour ago, Superjack said:

That's where we will likely finish. And most would be happy with that this season.

We will have good patches. We will have bad patches.

We weren't promotion contenders when we were sat in third place, and we aren't going down just because we are sat in eighteenth.

Some people just need to calm the **** down.

It happens every season, the players get the fans excited, into the top 6, then 4th,then drop away , the same all same all,  why do we put up with this every season, 

[Bar BS3]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

So 13 league games in (15 inc cup I guess is where you get your 10 and 5 from?) - at what point did our form tail off?

- After Blackburn (game eight / ten ) and before Norwich (game nine / eleven)

- some point after Blackburn and yesterday

Because I thought we were pretty good v Norwich, resolute v Burnley (the best side we’ve played).  Happy if you disagree, just trying to gauge whether it’s a 5 game tail off or something less than five games.  I could understand it more if you said last 3 games, even if I thought we were generally ok v Coventry, just poor around the penalty area.

The form yesterday versus what we saw in our opening set is definitely below, but our performances throughout all 13 games have been far from pure boom or bust.  But I see boom and bust type rhetoric on OTIB.

If we were to win on Wednesday versus PNE does that mean we are back in boom time again?  Not in my eyes it doesn’t.

I think we reach extreme opinions (both ways) too quickly.  After 7/8 seasons in the Chsmpionship we should know by now we are not a club to take anything for granted when we are winning, but also not get too down when we aren’t.

As you know I tend to break the league up into three chunks of eight.  I place us in the middle chunk, but the reality is there is less of a gap between middle and bottom eight, than there is between middle and top eight…mainly down to resources.  There will always be those teams who buck the trend (in both directions).

Of course it’s disappointing / frustrating, and that (yesterday) was way below any performance this season.  Even FBC are saying they thought performances like yesterday were way behind us…I take that as a back-handed compliment that every game this season hasn’t been.  Therefore if yesterday was a one-off, why the “excitement”?

 

I'd say that upto including Norwich. We looked good. 

Since then, we've got progressively worse, with nothing done to remedy the slide. 

[luke_bristol]

I really worry about next season. Imagine this side without Scott, Semenyo, etc

[Superjack]

25 minutes ago, luke_bristol said:

I really worry about next season. Imagine this side without Scott, Semenyo, etc

We wouldn't have this side without Scott, Semenyo etc.

[Alan Dicks]

Mid table finish?

I’ll have some of that stuff your smoking !

[Top Robin]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Conversely if we play like we did at Blackburn & Norwich & in the home games against Luton (their only away defeat), Cardiff & Huddersfield, we’ll definitely be top eight.

However in both cases, we probably won’t, so whilst I appreciate based on your post history you like to put a relentlessly negative spin on everything, we are more likely to be 14th or thereabouts.

Current form says lower than that.....great if we turn it around, but he hasn't yet.

[ralphindevon]

Another tight Championship looks to be forming.

I predicted 10th - 12th before the season and I’m still sticking with that. But in a tight league good or bad luck can change 4 or 5 positions either way.

Anyway, I’m still not worrying that the Arctic Monkeys gig will clash with the play off final.