How do you assess our start to the season?

How do you assess our start to the season?

Absolutely Amazing
1
3%
Canny Good
33
87%
Pretty Average
2
5%
I Expected Better
1
3%
Completely Horrendous
1
3%
 
Total votes: 38

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TJR
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How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by TJR » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:02 pm

Following yesterdays 1-1 draw with Liverpool we are now a quarter of the way to survival having only played 7 games.

Some stats:
Wins: 3
Draws: 1
Defeats: 3
% of games played: 18.4%
% of survival target (40 points) achieved: 25%
Goal scored: 7
Goals conceded: 6
Goal difference: 1
Position: 9th
Points to top: 9
Points to bottom: 10
Points to top 4: 3
Points to relegation zone: 5
Most goals scored in a game: 3
Most goals conceded in a game: 2
Most goals conceded in a game when we have had 11 men: 1
Biggest win: 3-0 v West Ham
Biggest defeat 2-0 v Spurs

How would you rate our start to the season? Normally this forum is the most negative / pessimistic section of our fan base so it'll be interesting to see what the general consensus is.

I'd say our start has been good. We've got a team who work extremely hard and have a lot of desire and passion. Tactically we have been set up well for most of the season, we're difficult to breakdown, a threat on the counter and good from set pieces.

Top half of the table and a quarter of the way to our 40 point target isn't too bad. Hopefully we can continue as we've started after the international break.

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Micky Quim » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:08 pm

We've done better than I expected - the stats dont make good reading but we are playing well and getting some good results

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Double Agent Bruce a.k.a DAB » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:32 pm

I know how it sounds, but I expected better. The games against Huddersfield and Brighton was just abysmal.We should take at least one point from each.

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Blue & Maroon » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:46 pm

Decent start, played some decent stuff and look solid just hope we kind find a goal scoring rhythm. Big disappointment getting knocked out of the League cup so early though.

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by jpg » Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:13 pm

R&B wrote:I know how it sounds, but I expected better. The games against Huddersfield and Brighton was just abysmal.We should take at least one point from each.
I would have been disappointed too had we not taken 3 points off of each West Ham, Swansea and Stoke.

We've had a very good start. Rafa's got us well-drilled and organised. Right now I think we'll comfortably stay up.

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Deano » Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:28 pm

Been as good a start as we could have had little dissapointed not to take something from brighton but overall satisfied with how weve started

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Double Agent Bruce a.k.a DAB » Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:33 pm

Juliet Papa Golf wrote:
R&B wrote:I know how it sounds, but I expected better. The games against Huddersfield and Brighton was just abysmal.We should take at least one point from each.
I would have been disappointed too had we not taken 3 points off of each West Ham, Swansea and Stoke.

We've had a very good start. Rafa's got us well-drilled and organised. Right now I think we'll comfortably stay up.
I didn't say that we didn't had a good start. I just expected a bit more. And I'm sure If I check the comments right after the fixtures came out, it will have another opinions like this one.

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Bodacious Benny » Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:46 pm

Goals for and against wise it's what I expected: that we'd generally struggle for goals but also that we'd be a decent defensive unit as you'd expect of a Benitez team.

Points wise I'm happy. Before the season kicked off I'd have taken;

Spurs (h) 0 points
Huddersfield (a) 1 point
West Ham (h) 3 points
Swansea (a) 1 point
Stoke (h) 1 point
Brighton (a) 3 points
Liverpool (h) 0 points

9 points would've been a good start for me, we've got 10 but just in a different order to what I'd have thought. A draw away at Huddersfield would have been a good result seen as they were always going to be pumped for it with it being their first home game.

And we're not all pessimists on here <roll>
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Heisen » Mon Oct 02, 2017 8:06 pm

It's been a good start to the season and I find it crazy some people are unsatisfied (not necessarily on here but in general). Had we drawn with Brighton and beat Huddersfield, but say lost to Liverpool and Swansea, I think everyone would be more upbeat for some reason.

I've learnt nothing particularly new about us - we're a well drilled, disciplined defensive unit and we will be difficult to beat for most teams this season. I guess what I've came to realise is for all the big spending, there's still a lot of crap in this division and having Rafa pretty much gives us an automatic advantage over a lot of the poor/middling teams. My big concern is still where the goals are going to come from - at the moment we seem to be in a situation where everyone will chip in with a few which is fine for now but is a risky strategy and I would still feel a lot more comfortable if we had a 10-15 goal striker and a decent no. 10.

At the moment I think we'll stay up relatively comfortably, aslong as we don't have an injury crisis or Rafa leaves. Be interesting to see how the team copes with losing a couple off the bounce aswell.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by biggeordiedave » Mon Oct 02, 2017 8:12 pm

I think we've had a great start to the season. Not quite "absolutely amazing" as there have been a few crap results, but the results in games we didn't expect to win/draw have made up for that. I don't expect us to be in the top ten this season, but from what I've seen, we should be pretty safe.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by PFT » Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:46 pm

25% of points needed for the usual amount you'd need to survive from 18.4% of games played is quite good going I'd say.

We are just one real quality forward away from being very hard to beat. We're nowhere near clinical enough.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Sir Bobby » Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:59 pm

A good start so far. Annoying that Shelvey got himself sent off in the first game since I think we would have got a point in it, and perhaps a point against Huddersfield too, but other than that I think it’s hard to bring up any awful performances

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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Holystone... » Tue Oct 03, 2017 4:26 am

I think all of us would have taken where we are now in the league . The difference ongoing will be the lack of a regular goal scorer we can rely on . We've a good core to the team but it slightly fizzles out in attack .
The media wankfwst over Liverpool not beating us is simply arrogance as was the same expectation Swansea would do the same .
I love our commitment in defence , the unbelievable quality ( for us ) of our midfield and hope either Mitro/Joselu comes good and we peddle Perez in January . Job sorted
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Ramone » Tue Oct 03, 2017 8:37 am

Considering that we've dropped a couple of "easy" points, I would say our start has been excellent. There's definitely work to be done at the top of the pitch but if we can defend like we have done for the majority of the season, I think we'll be fine.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Fonda Trevanion » Tue Oct 03, 2017 8:53 am

With a pacey striker it could be a good season - so best wait for Santa to sort that out....
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by TBC » Tue Oct 03, 2017 8:57 am

I like that we're hard to beat with a defensive mindset, it's not something you associate with us but as we haven't exactly played thrilling football in the last decade it's just nice to go into games such as Sunday and not be overly worried of a pounding.

I am fairly certain we'll be alright this season which again, is something to enjoy given our recent history - good start and hope it continues.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Bodacious Benny » Tue Oct 03, 2017 9:32 am

TBC wrote:I like that we're hard to beat with a defensive mindset, it's not something you associate with us but as we haven't exactly played thrilling football in the last decade it's just nice to go into games such as Sunday and not be overly worried of a pounding.

I am fairly certain we'll be alright this season which again, is something to enjoy given our recent history - good start and hope it continues.
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Yes I don't think many fans would say "I want us to be a defensive team that goes out looking to win 1-0" but given the turbulence that we've had over the last decade or more it's actually quite nice to have a bit of consistency. And as you say, it's nice to know that whoever we're playing, that although we may lose, we're not going into games expecting to concede 4/5/6 goals as was the case under previous managers.

With a bit of money spent in the right areas we can sort the lack of goals issue going forward, but even with what we have we should stay up and can then push on. We are creating chances in most games, it's just the final piece that's missing.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Heisen » Tue Oct 03, 2017 10:17 am

For the first time probably since Sir Bobby, I feel the team has an identity, rather than the schizophrenic performances of the last decade where you have no idea what you're going to get from week to week.
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by Holystone... » Tue Oct 03, 2017 10:34 am

Call me old fashioned but we seem to have a team who care . Passion can't be bought andI love the fact Lascelles and Clark will stick their heads virtually anywhere to defend . Plus were really good at corners . A first in living memory :)
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Re: How do you assess our start to the season?

Post by ColbacksFlamingBarnet » Tue Oct 03, 2017 11:40 am

Holystone... wrote:Call me old fashioned but we seem to have a team who care . Passion can't be bought andI love the fact Lascelles and Clark will stick their heads virtually anywhere to defend . Plus were really good at corners . A first in living memory :)

Yeah, a lot of the team are wanting to prove themselves and it shows, we used to get people who were either putting themselves in the shop window or cashing in. Agree with the above comments, we're forming an identity and we have the youngest team in the league. Only real issue is up top but hopefully Mitro or Joselu (preferably both) will come good and we'll get a new number 10 in January.

Also, Merino is an absolute steal, get Atsu to be consistently like he was in the tottenham game and he will be to.

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