10 games in, happy so far?

Consistency is my major concern. We can go from rubbish to incredible football in minutes, or vice versa. Today was a perfect example but we managed to get a draw which is about right, however to make real progress we need more consistency. Anyone got any ideas?
 
OldSchoolManc said:
The next 6 premier league games are winnable.
I shit you not
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We're not winning away to Palace, and I wouldn't back us away to Villa either, especially considering that by then we'll be missing Mbeumo and Amad.

The Everton, West Ham, and Wolves matches are very winnable, though, I'll give you that.
 
Manager clearly inexperienced, half the squad simply not good enough for top 6. With a bit of luck and the lack of European competition we might still sneak into the Europa/CL and attract better players in the summer.
 
Raoul said:
We're definitely conceding far more than we should. Oddly enough we currently have one more goal scored than Arsenal, which says a lot about how good we could be if we reduce oppo goals by about 30-50%
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I think a lot of comments miss out on the fact that the difference between a team with 20 goals scored - 20 goals shipped and a team with 5 goals for and 5 against, is first and foremost not the quality in defence vs the quality in attack, but the focus in risk aversion vs risk seeking. And overall, both teams are equally successful at that, as well.

After a patchy start to the season, we now have 3 - 2 - 0 in consecutive games, and our last two games are two draws away to iffy teams (Last years no 7 on a manager bounce and this years no 4 on a manager bounce). If we continue like that, it is more than solid, it would be very impressive, so I don’expect that to continue. But as for right now, the general direction is very positive.

Disclaimer: If we now have to play Maguire as ST for the rest of the season, I withdraw everything and go ape on the panic button.
 
OldSchoolManc said:
The next 6 premier league games are winnable.
I shit you not
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redNATION said:
The next 10 games until City visit OT are all winnable
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Todd said:
We're not winning away to Palace, and I wouldn't back us away to Villa either, especially considering that by then we'll be missing Mbeumo and Amad.

The Everton, West Ham, and Wolves matches are very winnable, though, I'll give you that.
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Amazes me still how few of our fans realise just how bad our away form is. We've played 7 away games this season and won 1. The Anfield result is an anomaly.

Every game is winnable, but don't go into away games expecting to win, you'll be disappointed.
 
Reasonably happy. Top 6 was my aim for us this season. I think the positive is we're not getting hammered. Brentford away was a bad day, but you can take losing to Arsenal and City from where we were last season.

But we're still a very long way off. Still too many poor players, which is evident from recent games once we've made subs and we become worse. It happened yesterday, against Brighton, and Liverpool. The likes of Dorgu, Zirkzee, Ugarte are just pointless, especially Ugarte, who should be embarrassed that Casemiro, whose legs are gone, is a better option than him. We still need a couple of wing-backs, 2-3 centre-mids, 1-2 centre-backs, 1-2 strikers.

Lemmens and Mbuemo have been good signings so far. Cunha has been okay. If he can kick on and get some goals, then he'll be set. Sesko hasn't impressed so far. At least Hojlund had a bit of fight in him compared.
 
Pronewbie said:
Manager clearly inexperienced, half the squad simply not good enough for top 6. With a bit of luck and the lack of European competition we might still sneak into the Europa/CL and attract better players in the summer.
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That was the beat case scenario going into this season in my opinion. I didn't dare hope for anything above 7th.
 
I still don’t really have any confidence in us. There a big bunch of teams of a similar level between about 5th and 12th. We could finish anywhere in there and it wouldn’t surprise me.
 
I genuinely believe we have to spend our way out of trouble. So for me, being in the mix between 4th and 8th place, with a positive feeling around the team, a few players showing real quality, and stretches of good football — that’s enough to feel content with the progress we’re making.

The key is to build momentum before AFCON and then grind out results until the next transfer window opens.

I understand the frustration — results can be inconsistent and performances patchy — but changing managers every time things dip only resets the process. Each new coach wants different players, different systems, and we end up wasting another year “transitioning.” The core issue isn’t the manager; it’s that too many players still need improving.

That’s why I see no point in debating Amorim. The focus should be on steady, visible progress while the overall quality of the squad improves. Only then will a change in management actually make sense.
 
Slightly above expectations for me, but I've been worried we'll be like 10th. If we can keep this up, I think high likelihood of at least Europa League,which would be successful IMO. UCL qualification would be a great season with this squad.
 
We have a really favourable run of games now until City on the 17th January. Make or break part of the season. The league is very tight this year and with no European football I’d expect us to be doing better against the likes of Spurs and Forest. Our away form is worrying.

It’s strange to be on an unbeaten run, win at Anfield, yet you look at the table and we’re sat in 8th with plus 1 goal difference. Tells you our defence is still ropey. Can’t blame the goalkeeper now so the team is collectively not defending well. I still believe the central midfield is our biggest issue at both ends of the pitch.
 
justboy68 said:
I still don’t really have any confidence in us. There a big bunch of teams of a similar level between about 5th and 12th. We could finish anywhere in there and it wouldn’t surprise me.
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Definitely a load of teams closely matched, and based off last season it was exactly the same. Agree we could end up anywhere in those places too. I thought that should be our first aim this season, to attach ourselves to that sort of group of teams and see where it takes us.

12 points between 5th and 12th last season, and on expected points (Understat) their were just 7.61 between 5th and 11th. Nothing really seperating them, although a couple of the teams are different this season but when it's that close it's almost luck/variance where you do end up in that bunch. Forest weren't even that group on expected points and gatecrashed it in real terms, Bournemouth were a CL quality side on the xPoints metric and were a good number of places below it in the real world.

I think we're joining those teams and I'm alright with that as the goal for this season considering we were bad last. Then the goal for next would be to improve further and put some sort of gap between us and them, getting CL and also deservedly so on expected points with that seperation from the huge cluster of sides.

The league is very competitive and it's asking a lot to stamp our authority on all those teams right now for me. It's definitely looking like a repeat of last season with all these teams closely matched, but at least it looks like we might be one of them instead of being outside that group and that's ok for me personally.

Not happy that's where we are as a football club, and expectations are low compared to where we should ultimatley be given our resources and history but it's where we've ended up so I'd take performing as well as one of the teams in that cluster and then see what happens.
 
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I still feel like the players are in two minds in what they're actually asked to do.
Even in this run of form I can't say we've particularly 'clicked'.

We still lack that cohesion and composure.
 
TrueRed79 said:
The post was fairly negative of course. But i'm only pointing out what I see is wrong because you asked. Plenty of positives so far as well.
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Fair point. Big period coming up, lots of games we should be winning if we’re to know if we’re actually progressing.
 
Overall yes. We have had a brutal start and done pretty well. There are some concerns but we have been better than last year, we actually scored goals! We concede too many but overall I am happy. Very concerned about afcon though and would like to see cunha's form improve. Sesko also needs to step up a bit when he plays.

But if you had offered me the start we have had I'd have taken it.
 
I think that last season and earlier this season we lose the games against Forest and Spurs. So I do see progress here. Really strange to feel we should be second in the league!

We tend to try defend 1 goal leads, which I just don't get. If we were a bit more attacking after taking the lead in the last couple of games we really could've got those second goals or at least stretched the teams a bit more.
 
Not great, not terrible, all things considered. Far too inconsistent, even from half to half. Midfield, striker, and LWB are significant pain points. If Casemiro is out, we are screwed.

But I just don't like this system, and I doubt I ever will. I have no confidence against any opponent.

pacifictheme said:
Very concerned about afcon though
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Also, this. Once Diallo and Mbeumo go for that, I don't want even want to know what will happen.
 
If you would've told me in August that after 11 matches, we'd only be one point off fourth and we'd be the joint-fourth highest scoring team in the table I would've been shocked.

Arsenal and City really seem to be the only teams that are a cut above the pack.

This could really be one of those wild seasons in which, because of the parity of most of the league, we could finish anywhere between third and tenth.
 
I'm happy with where we are right now, I think we are on plan. A solid 7th, 1 point off top 4, and we know we can score goals, I just wish we could defend a lead. But we are improving and there are improvements to come. The players are settling into the system which is means more consistency, although we are going to lose games with this midfield. I don't see any point in getting hung up about it. I accepted that would be the case this season. But on track for a EL place overall which is the aim.
 
Pronewbie said:
Manager clearly inexperienced, half the squad simply not good enough for top 6. With a bit of luck and the lack of European competition we might still sneak into the Europa/CL and attract better players in the summer.
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I think that is the plan. If we quality for the EL, I would expect us to make some significant moves in the transfer market this summer, with another load of exits, with an eye to CL qualification the following season. This time next year, I expect us to be in the mix.
 
I think the club needs to bite the bullet and try and coax a decent midfielder in Jan even if it eats a bit into the summer budget. If we can push into top 4 I actually think we would be a year ahead in the project (think the club would be aiming for 6-8 this year)
 
Dominos said:
Amazes me still how few of our fans realise just how bad our away form is. We've played 7 away games this season and won 1. The Anfield result is an anomaly.

Every game is winnable, but don't go into away games expecting to win, you'll be disappointed.
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We've only lost two.
 
LordSpud said:
I think the club needs to bite the bullet and try and coax a decent midfielder in Jan even if it eats a bit into the summer budget. If we can push into top 4 I actually think we would be a year ahead in the project (think the club would be aiming for 6-8 this year)
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The best midfielder our academy has produced sits on the bench each week, while Bruno plays midfield. Ugarte somehow gets game time, despite being worse than useless.
 
Certainly its an improvement on last season so far albeit with some glaring weaknesses in midfield. Conceding goals is of course still an issue but we are not getting run through in double figure numbers per match like the last few years. I will be happy if we can make OT a fortress again and then build up our away form in order to be in a good place by the end of this season to make a real push next season.

Also, controversial view, thank goodness we dont have european football, this squad with a few injuries would have us really struggling with 2 games a week, considering as some of the lads are out of puff after 60 minutes at the moment.
 
Still sat shrugging on the fence between marginally happy and mildly pissed off.

Next game will change it. Home to Everton. Win that and I'll be pleased. Draw or lose and I'll be grumpy.
 
Todd said:
We're not winning away to Palace, and I wouldn't back us away to Villa either, especially considering that by then we'll be missing Mbeumo and Amad.

The Everton, West Ham, and Wolves matches are very winnable, though, I'll give you that.
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And Bournemouth at home, they're atrocious away form home and ship goals for fun. They're xG against is 13.5 Away from home compared to only 2.3 at home.

Along with Arsenal we're the only team unbeaten in the last 5 league games and should be winning 4 of the next 5 (I would be happy if we could avoid defeat at Palace). If he can do that it sets us up very nicely, if he can't I don't have much hope for us because if we can't capitalise on this kind run of fixtures while we're in the best bit of form we've been in since he arrived we never will.
 
Berbaclass said:
We've only lost two.
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1 win in 6 away, extrapolated across the entire season, is just 3 away wins.

Our current PPG away will result in us collecting 19 points away from home.


I really want a top 5 spot. I don't think we'll get that with this sort of away form. You need wins to accumulate enough points, even if it means losing more. Draws aren't putting enough points on the board.
 
Above Liverpool... on Goals Scored... I mean, come on, you have to get some comedy value out of that one.
 
Striker is still a concern but other than that I feel like this season could have been a lot worse. So, feck it, I'm happy right now.

The first person who replies with "sTAnDarDs DrOPpeD" is getting a shit through their eye socket.
 
Dominos said:
Amazes me still how few of our fans realise just how bad our away form is. We've played 7 away games this season and won 1. The Anfield result is an anomaly.

Every game is winnable, but don't go into away games expecting to win, you'll be disappointed.
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Its been poor for years, it's not a new thing.

However it's still the 8th best away record in the league so far.

No team won away this weekend. Away games are hard to win.
 
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