LordSepulchrave

I reckon two wins and two draws would be a good target to stave off relegation. Bit worried that a couple of teams go on a last season Sunderland-esque run - not likely at all, but it feels a bit like that kind of season, so not confident six points will be enough.

Clark's been in and out of favor with the fans more than Lambert was. Chuffed to see him playing so well - twenty-five is still young(ish) for a CB.

Hope that he and Okore remain first choice at the back, and show both improvement and, critically, consistency. 

He wasn't even on the bench against WBA, and Sherwood said that the back 4 were the only fit defenders in the club, so I assume he's gotten injured.

I still think Vlaar is one of the best player on our team, was a one-man wall last season, but between injuries, inconsistent form this season and his contract situation I'd rather he was close to the bottom of the pecking order. 

Pleasing performance in the main, dogged by bad luck and moments of dodgy defending and attacking play that occasionally lapsed into low tempo old habits.

Odd that he chose Grealish over Gil, but it worked out (just about!).

Having been great all game, Hutton let himself down with what really should have been a red card tackle though.

Jeez this finish.

Hutton, Delph and Gabs have all been outstanding.

Of course.

Big test next half, if we can keep up the same intensity we can win.

Big if.

N'zog making a really decent account of himself so far.

Foster got the man, not the ball. Penalty and red card no?

Nicely done Gabby!

Been a pretty good performance so far, high tempo and hard working. Feel Brom aren't comfortable with us so far.

 

Worried that Sherwood is going to do with Gil what he did with Eriksen at Spurs - shoehorn him into the wings in a flat 4-4-2. Certainly that looks like his preferred set-up.

 

It worked with Eriksen though because he was effectively given a free role. If he can play Gil in the same way then it is perfectly fine, even in a 4-4-2.

 

Fair point actually, for some reason I seemed to remember that it hindered him when the opposite was true. Eriksen got basically all of his goals and assists that season under Sherwood last season.

Still remain doubtful Gil will benefit in the same manner, or even be allowed that freedom in the same manner though.

Spirited, gritty performance that'll see us play better than we have lately yet still lose 2-0.

A win here, though, and we're still in with a decent shout of surviving the season. With us looking os likely to go down, however, in a sense there is more to win than there is to lose though.

Worried that Sherwood is going to do with Gil what he did with Eriksen at Spurs - shoehorn him into the wings in a flat 4-4-2. Certainly that looks like his preferred set-up.

Again, this just reveals how much of a mess has been made of the decisions at the top level this season. If we were gonna get a manager in who likes to play the game like this, he should have been brought in before the transfer the window so he could sign players that better suit the way we were going to play going forward. Feel sorry for Gil too, who is now likely going to see his playing time reduced and is in a team that no longer plays to his strengths.

Hopefully Sherwood has more strings to his bow than I'm giving him credit for, but I have a sneaking suspicion Gil isn't going to be a major player for the rest of the season.

If we keep playing as we have so far, we'll draw a hell of a lot more than we win or lose. Personally, I'm waiting 'till our two big strikers are back in the fold before I really judge where our attack is at.

I wonder will those who voted no still sing Flower of Scotland at sporting events?

Even if I was English I wouldn't sing God Save the Queen, it's a terrible, dirge-like song.

Haven't done every club but when you look at this it'll tell you the kind of restraints Lambert has had to work under.

 

Starts by youth graduates between 12-14 in Premier League:

 

269 - Aston Villa

176 - Liverpool

166 - Arsenal

161 - Southampton

145 - West Ham

140 - Man Utd

124 - Newcastle

65 - Everton

64 - Swansea

60 - Chelsea

55 - Tottenham

11 - Man City

But Spurs have Townsend, future of captainking of England!

Surely that alone makes them superior to smelly old Villa?

Good start or not, a 12th-10th would do me fine. Unless we start getting more shots on target every match, we could start to find things much more difficult. Great to have that really solid base of a defense to build upon and Kozak and Benteke both to return though.

It probably means everyone is bonding well and the atmosphere is good around the club as a result of our form and the new appointments/signings. Doubt it means there are changes currently in the works.

It's a shame he's not physical enough to play a true defensive role but perhaps that's a bit of a blessing for his international chances.

 

For England we've always had some sort of deeper sitting passer, Scholes and Carrick for example, and actually we don't have many younger players who do this but It does come naturally to Westwood.

 

Perhaps Huddlestone but Westwood is probably the better player and so maybe he'll get a shot when Carrick finishes and he's impressed some more....with Delph in and and an easy qualification group he might get a shot this year....I think he''s good enough and fits a position we need for tactical balance.

Honestly, with the system that Hodgson was playing it shoulda been Huddlestone starting in the position that Wilshere did in the match against the Swiss. Huddlestone is still the superior player I'd say, but hopefully by the end of the season Westwood will have totally changed my mind.

To be fair, he had a run of games last season where he looked solid too - then came the inevitable horrible game and suddenly nobody remembers the good games. Hopefully this year he can make the step up in consistency and start looking like a decent PL CB far more than he looks like a poor back-up.

Arsenal might struggle with our physicality and compactness, City do have a problem with complacency and Everton's defense is suddenly looking like Wigan's. There are points to be gotten against each of those teams with luck on our side.

We may be a bogey team for Mourinho, but against Chelsea I'd be satisfied with preserving our goal difference. Fabregas and Costa are just tearing teams apart. So long as we get out of this with our goal difference intact, can't be too unhappy about this one.

Surely he'd be right at home at Celtic, sitting beside Leigh Griffiths.

- Stoke

- Newcastle

- Hull

- 'pool

- Arsenal

- Chelsea

- City

- Everton

Honestly, 10 points from that run of games would not be a bad total per say - that we're at 10 points already will hopefully allow us to relax and play without much pressure. We could get something from Arsenal if we continue to play with the confidence and discipline we've shown so far.

The sight of wee Naisy beating tall Boateng in the air all day long is quite an absurd one.

Good performance, but we always turn up against the big teams. Poland, Rep. Ireland and Georgia will be the real tests.