The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

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Duffy

Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Duffy » 23 Jan 2019 10:03

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Duffy
Old Man Andrews They didn't, they were abysmal. Hi DD/Kes btw.

I saw Gary O'Neil come close and they had several other chances. What you also must remember is WBA are a better side than us. Not sure what the last part of your response means.

It means we didn't just get off the boat. :wink:


Well I can't fathom this out.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Ascotexgunner » 23 Jan 2019 10:08

Duffy
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Duffy I saw Gary O'Neil come close and they had several other chances. What you also must remember is WBA are a better side than us. Not sure what the last part of your response means.

It means we didn't just get off the boat. :wink:


Well I can't fathom this out.


Things have changed, we have shipped players out, we will have the wind in our sails now.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by John Smith » 23 Jan 2019 10:16

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Duffy
I saw Gary O'Neil come close and they had several other chances. What you also must remember is WBA are a better side than us. Not sure what the last part of your response means.

What you must remember is if their most potent option is Gary O'Neil then they are diabolical. And they are. Their defending of set pieces isn't good enough, but I think crucially they were undone by a through ball for the 2nd goal which seems to be one of our strengths. Baker and Ejaria will rip them to shreds.


The last but one sentence of your posting could equally apply to us (see Derby's first goal on Saturday when they walked through the middle of our defence).
What did surprise me most about Bolton last night was how they lacked physicality, something you don't expect of a Bolton or a Parky team.
If they are like that against us we have a chance although I suspect we need to score at least 2 as they are almost certain to score with a set-piece header.

This Bolton game is exactly the same as Burton (a) last season - we haven't won away for ages and come up against one of the few teams below us in a six-pointer at the end of Jan. We came through that fine and we will this one too. I might even go for the same 1-3 scoreline

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Victor Meldrew » 23 Jan 2019 10:58

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We are 6/5 to stay up, odds-on to go down.

And it wasn’t the bookies I wanted to take money off...



You must be able to get much better than 6/5 as Bet365 are quoting 4/9 for us to be relegated and allowing for their margin it means around 2/1 to stay up.
Surely money is just money .



You're joking, aren't you? I'd rather take you (or Ian Royal) :D for £50 than win £500 on line.


That confirms it-you are officially mad.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Snowball » 23 Jan 2019 13:30

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You must be able to get much better than 6/5 as Bet365 are quoting 4/9 for us to be relegated and allowing for their margin it means around 2/1 to stay up.
Surely money is just money .



You're joking, aren't you? I'd rather take you (or Ian Royal) :D for £50 than win £500 on line.


That confirms it-you are officially mad.


Or not influenced by money


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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Lower West » 23 Jan 2019 18:01

Two major loan signings with additional time to bed them in prior to the Bolton game. Winning could give the entire squad a boost. An away win is well overdue.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Jackson Corner » 23 Jan 2019 20:54

Old Man Andrews
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Old Man Andrews Bolton (a) - W
Villa (H) - W
Weds (a) - W
Blackburn (H) - W
Sheff Utd (a) - D
Rotherham (H) - W
Ipswich (a) - W
Wigan (H) - W

And no I am not joking.


If that happens I'm going to oxf*rd in my mother in laws goldfish bowl.


And I'll oxf*rd your mother in law. Deal?


Deal but your welcome if it doesn't happen.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by TiagoIlori » 25 Jan 2019 00:38

Stranded Looking at the fixture list and it seems pretty clear to me that the next 8 games will define if we are likely to stay up or go down. Starting with the Bolton game on the 29th our fixtures are as follows:

Bolton (a) 22nd place
Villa (H) 12th
Weds (a) 16th
Blackburn (H) 10th
Sheff Utd (a) 3rd
Rotherham (H) 21st
Ipswich (a) 24th
Wigan (H) 20th

So we play all 4 teams currently around us (2H, 2A) and have 2 winnable home games in Blackburn and Villa. Of the 2 trips to Sheffield, you would probably only write off the trip to United as a game where points are not likely. The last 3 games could be the most vital run we've had in a few seasons - 7-9 points there and we can breathe a lot easier.

It is this run that will tell us if Gomes' vision for the way the team should play is just pretty or effective too. The bedding in period is done, this is now or never time. Take each game as it comes but if can pick up say 14/24 points here that will go a long way to securing safety - anything less than 10 (Esp if we lose 2 of the last 3) and that may well be too much left to do.

I’m very optimistic at the moment, but I have a horrible feeling we are only playing well due to new manager hype, and that the much much worse is still to come. I don’t know that though, so I’ll make a prediction optimistically.

Bolton- massive off the field problems, should win- W
Villa- looking shaky, I think they’ll punish us for a few mistakes which cost us the points we need- D
Wednesday- new manager but hoof ball doesn’t really work anymore, reckon we could snatch a draw- D
Blackburn- in good form but we seem to always beat them at home- W
Sheffield United- far too good- L
Rotherham- terrible away- W
Ipswich- they will definitely be up for this but Oliveira will be fully fit by then so I reckon it’ll get us a point or three- W
Wigan- crap side again, W

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by URZZZZ » 25 Jan 2019 02:04

I think people are forgetting our record against the rest of the bottom five

Rotherham - 1 draw
Wigan - 1 draw
Ipswich - 1 draw
Millwall - 1 win, 1 loss
Bolton - 1 loss

6 points from 18 isn't exactly inspiring

If you look at our five wins this season (Preston, Hull, Millwall, Bristol, Forest), they've all been against teams who have been in poor form at the time

For the record I think
Bolton - draw
Villa - win
Wednesday - loss
Blackburn - draw
United - loss
Rotherham - win
Ipswich - loss
Wigan - draw


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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Snowball » 25 Jan 2019 08:05

URZZZZ I think people are forgetting our record against the rest of the bottom five

Rotherham - 1 draw
Wigan - 1 draw
Ipswich - 1 draw
Millwall - 1 win, 1 loss
Bolton - 1 loss

6 points from 18 isn't exactly inspiring


We have a far better team now.

Rotherham, AWAY, 90th minute Rotherham equaliser
Wigan AWAY draw
Millwall AWAY defeat, Gomes' first game, down to 10 men, then 9.
Bolton HOME. They were on a stupid run, one freak goal. They have averaged half a point a game since

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Ranty McRantface » 25 Jan 2019 09:47

I don't think it's realistic to assume we can beat Villa and Blackburn tbh. They're not bad teams and we're just as bad away as we are at home.

I personally would be happy with a couple of draws against those 2.

Mr predictions :

Bolton - Win
Villa - Draw
Wednesday - Draw
Blackburn - Draw
Sheff - Lose
Rotherham - win
Ipswich - Win
Wigan - draw

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Ranty McRantface » 25 Jan 2019 09:49

I'm also not sure why people are expecting us to start winning more than 2 games in a row all of a sudden. We won't win them all, we won't beat all the teams around us so let's be a little realistic.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Royal Bee » 25 Jan 2019 09:52

I think the next two games are crucial!

The manager is still bedding in and we have new players. It’s almost like the start of a new season. We have an away game against a team with all kinds of issues. It is winnable.

Win that and it gives the team a little boost, before a home game against a Villa side who are winless in 5 and have won just 1 of their last 9. If they get a boost from the Bolton game, the Villa game is winnable as well.

IF (And it is a big IF) we win them both, with new players in the side and the new boss, confidence will start to flow and confidence can make a huge difference to the football any team plays!

One or two more wins in that run of 8 and I think we would be heading for safety


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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Stranded » 25 Jan 2019 10:28

Ranty McRantface I'm also not sure why people are expecting us to start winning more than 2 games in a row all of a sudden. We won't win them all, we won't beat all the teams around us so let's be a little realistic.


I don't think people are expecting us too but we know that for us to be likely to stay up we probably need to at some point. Things can change rapidly in this division. Hull were probably the worst team we have faced this season - did anyone really see them suddenly winning 6 straight and going undefeated in 10?

Not saying we are going on a similar run but the available players are now better and more suited to the style of play then at any point in the past 2 year (possibly longer) and importantly, they seem to be enjoying their work again. A corner will be turned at some point, whether that is this season or next, corners are always turned in football. Nothing wrong with hoping it could be now.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Hound » 25 Jan 2019 11:22

fair points stranded. Fully agree on Hull, no one saw that coming - and yet we are probably a similar team to them.

At some stage if we are to survive we probably need to get a little run going and a bit of momentum. Preston, Hull, Millwall, Sheff Weds have all looked in the mire until all going on a little run of 3 or 4 wins, or 7 or 8 unbeaten. Now all look pretty much safe. We need to do the same at some point, and the next 8 games certainly give us the opportunity on paper

Duffy

Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Duffy » 25 Jan 2019 11:40

On the plus side, with FA Cup weekend. Gomes will have had time to work with the new January signings. Let's hope it pays dividends.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Millsy » 25 Jan 2019 12:40

People here post as though going down would be a bad thing. When you think about it, it, well, yeah actually it would be pretty shit.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Snowball » 25 Jan 2019 15:34

Royal Bee I think the next two games are crucial!

The manager is still bedding in and we have new players. It’s almost like the start of a new season. We have an away game against a team with all kinds of issues. It is winnable.

Win that and it gives the team a little boost, before a home game against a Villa side who are winless in 5 and have won just 1 of their last 9. If they get a boost from the Bolton game, the Villa game is winnable as well.

IF (And it is a big IF) we win them both, with new players in the side and the new boss, confidence will start to flow and confidence can make a huge difference to the football any team plays!

One or two more wins in that run of 8 and I think we would be heading for safety


This is/was almost exactly my thinking.

A clear win at Bolton, much better players bedding in, I can
see us on a very good run indeed. Draw "meh!" Defeat "Calamity!"

I'm surprised that people are talking about the NEW team as if it's the old team

The new CB looks like a step up
The keeper looks like a step up
Oliveira looks like a huge step up
Ejaria looks like a good step up, Baker probably.
Swift is finding form, Rhino is blossoming, Aluko is like a new signing!

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Hound » 25 Jan 2019 15:39

On paper, the team, and indeed the entire squad, looks a strong one. Lots of hungry young talented players.

Just a case of getting it all to knit. If we do stay up, it looks a good basis for the future as well.

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Re: The Next 8 games - Make or Break Time

by Snowball » 25 Jan 2019 16:06

Hound On paper, the team, and indeed the entire squad, looks a strong one. Lots of hungry young talented players.

Just a case of getting it all to knit. If we do stay up, it looks a good basis for the future as well.


Agreed, and IMO the talent has been there, but not the morale/motivation/management/style

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