BFTG/TV - M'bro H

[URZZZZ]

Been picked up elsewhere but fitness has really improved, gives us the chance to grind out results like Boro and like Cardiff in ways we struggled to last season. Only five games in of course, but we haven’t conceded a goal in the second half of a game yet. Compare that to last season, where we conceded in each of the first 8 games in the second half

Did ride our luck with a couple of blocks, the way the ball span etc etc but you earn your own luck through dogged determination and spirit

[URZZZZ]

Peterborough, Middlesbrough and Barnsley last season in September to October.

Just looking at the HNA match reports and there was such a dearth of quality at the bottom end of the league last year - we were 21st on 11th December 2021 and didn't move up or down the table a single place for the remainder of the season, despite losing 7 in a row straight after

Yeah bit nuts about that 21st position thing

We actually won 5/6 under Pauno didn’t we at one point? Cardiff and someone else away who I can’t remember. And not playing particularly well in any of them

Yeah the 4-0 drubbing at Huddersfield was followed by a run of 5 wins and a draw from the next seven games. That was ended by the Blackpool game, where we threw away a 2-0 lead that would have seen us climb into the play off places after 13 games. That Blackpool defeat was the first of a run of 13 defeats in 18 games where we picked up a grand total of 9 points.

A frankly staggering 34% of all points earned last season was in that 7 game run between 11th September and 16th October.

That run is the main reason I'm not getting carried away by being 3rd after 5 games, as nice as it is.

It’s about whether the wins look like they could be the basis of a sustainable foundation though

Pauno’s first 8 games had it to an extent with solidity across the pitch but we were still outplayed for most of those 8 games, the home games against Barnsley, Wycombe and Rotherham were arguably really poor performances. Same again last season with the 5 wins in 6, it was never going to last, those games relied on individual moments from Swift (Fulham being Ejaria), and lucky wins where we were dominated (Cardiff and to a lesser extent Barnsley)

The chances are that we may have a slight dip in form again this season given our situation but the most pleasing aspect is how well we’ve controlled the last two games in different ways, certainly something we can sustain over the longer term, unlike the flukey wins under Paunovic

[Franchise FC]

Been picked up elsewhere but fitness has really improved, gives us the chance to grind out results like Boro and like Cardiff in ways we struggled to last season. Only five games in of course, but we haven’t conceded a goal in the second half of a game yet. Compare that to last season, where we conceded in each of the first 8 games in the second half

Did ride our luck with a couple of blocks, the way the ball span etc etc but you earn your own luck through dogged determination and spirit

We do like conceding early though

[Silver Fox]

Well, we used to anyway

[Franchise FC]

Well, we used to anyway

We're away next week .........

[Snowflake Royal]

Peterborough, Middlesbrough and Barnsley last season in September to October.

Just looking at the HNA match reports and there was such a dearth of quality at the bottom end of the league last year - we were 21st on 11th December 2021 and didn't move up or down the table a single place for the remainder of the season, despite losing 7 in a row straight after

Yeah bit nuts about that 21st position thing

We actually won 5/6 under Pauno didn’t we at one point? Cardiff and someone else away who I can’t remember. And not playing particularly well in any of them

Yeah the 4-0 drubbing at Huddersfield was followed by a run of 5 wins and a draw from the next seven games. That was ended by the Blackpool game, where we threw away a 2-0 lead that would have seen us climb into the play off places after 13 games. That Blackpool defeat was the first of a run of 13 defeats in 18 games where we picked up a grand total of 9 points.

A frankly staggering 34% of all points earned last season was in that 7 game run between 11th September and 16th October.

That run is the main reason I'm not getting carried away by being 3rd after 5 games, as nice as it is.

Hey, sound choice. After that and the previous season’s start, I'm not getting excited about anything until March!