The push for the Play offs ?

[alreadyexists]

I don't think AKON will be that hard to deal with, look at him, we can get him while he's got his arms in the air and is trying to rap.

 

[Tommo_b]

10 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

I'm afraid I disagree

I know, a lot of people will disagree. Just having seen Brighton the last few seasons, I just feel they are the stronger team and will have the better team spirit and the experience of the marathon that is this league, they were incredibly unlucky not to have won the league last season. Hughtons been there and done it at this level multiple times, there's less pressure on Brighton, they have the best defence, just for me the whole set up is better.

IMO. 

[ender4]

6 minutes ago, Tommo_b said:

I know, a lot of people will disagree. Just having seen Brighton the last few seasons, I just feel they are the stronger team and will have the better team spirit and the experience of the marathon that is this league, they were incredibly unlucky not to have won the league last season. Hughtons been there and done it at this level multiple times, there's less pressure on Brighton, they have the best defence, just for me the whole set up is better.

IMO. 

thats ok, lets catch Newcastle instead 

[ender4]

8 hours ago, Hornso said:

Very important month of games coming up. From Dec 3 - Jan 2 we have 7 games (at Leeds, v Wigan, at Norwich, at QPR, v Burton, v Leeds and at Cardiff). If we can get a decent haul of points out of that lot we should find ourselves in the playoff places before our first FA Cup game.

Then we have to deal with ACON...

must get a minimum of 21 points out of that lot.  

[markavfc40]

1 hour ago, Tommo_b said:

I know, a lot of people will disagree. Just having seen Brighton the last few seasons, I just feel they are the stronger team and will have the better team spirit and the experience of the marathon that is this league, they were incredibly unlucky not to have won the league last season. Hughtons been there and done it at this level multiple times, there's less pressure on Brighton, they have the best defence, just for me the whole set up is better.

IMO. 

Aside from the 13 point advantage, which in fairness is a biggie , I don’t think Brighton have more in their locker than us.

You talk of experience of the marathon that is this league but we have two thirds of a squad that have played in this division before this season, Elphick, Chester, Adomah, Jedinak experienced recent promotions from it and two of them actually captained the sides.

We have a manager with four promotions out of this league, coaches in Clemence and Walsh who got promoted last season. We have also just taken Calderwood off Brighton who has a promotion from this division as an assistant. You won’t find a more experienced manager and backroom team than we now have here in terms of knowing this league and how to get out of it.

As for them not being under as much pressure I am not so sure. They again find themselves in the top 2 early doors. The pressure is on them to maintain that now. Dropping into the play off positions will now be seen as failure for them. For us our ambitions are at present to get into the play offs. Anything on top of that is a huge bonus. If we can get into the play off places over the next 6-10 games then the momentum that will take us there could well carry us higher.

We have another advantage over Brighton. In fact over most clubs in this league and that is the size and expectation at the club. You embrace it, as Bruce is, then you can feed off it. That is where we could well have a big part to play. We get a real sniff of promotion then a packed Villa Park, including re opening the upper Trinity, on top of our huge away followings and that vociferous, passionate support could well help drag us over the line.

Edited November 29, 2016 by markavfc40

[Tommo_b]

28 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

Aside from the 13 point advantage, which in fairness is a biggie , I don’t think Brighton have more in their locker than us.

You talk of experience of the marathon that is this league but we have two thirds of a squad that have played in this division before this season, Elphick, Chester, Adomah, Jedinak experienced recent promotions from it and two of them actually captained the sides.

We have a manager with four promotions out of this league, coaches in Clemence and Walsh who got promoted last season. We have also just taken Calderwood off Brighton who has a promotion from this division as an assistant. You won’t find a more experienced manager and backroom team than we now have here in terms of knowing this league and how to get out of it.

As for them not being under as much pressure I am not so sure. They again find themselves in the top 2 early doors. The pressure is on them to maintain that now. Dropping into the play off positions will now be seen as failure for them. For us our ambitions are at present to get into the play offs. Anything on top of that is a huge bonus. If we can get into the play off places over the next 6-10 games then the momentum that will take us there could well carry us higher.

We have another advantage over Brighton. In fact over most clubs in this league and that is the size and expectation at the club. You embrace it, as Bruce is, then you can feed off it. That is where we could well have a big part to play. We get a real sniff of promotion then a packed Villa Park, including re opening the upper Trinity, on top of our huge away followings and that vociferous, passionate support could well help drag us over the line.

No I completely agree, however I was comparing Brighton against Newcastle. 

[markavfc40]

1 minute ago, Tommo_b said:

No I completely agree, however I was comparing Brighton against Newcastle. 

Sorry mate my mistake. In that case you are spot on 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 hour ago, ender4 said:

thats ok, lets catch Newcastle instead 

With this level of optimism, we will be top of the Premier League by end of THIS season. lol

Edited November 29, 2016 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I actually think and have thought all along that we have the best first XI in the division. Which is part of the reason why I turned on RDM as quickly as I did, not only was he failing he was failing so miserably with the players available to him that his position was untenable. Managers don't come back from that.

I will concede, however, that Newcastle have the better manager and the deeper squad. A better manager than most Premier League clubs in fact. Hate his smug fat waiter face as I do, he's absolutely top drawer. Tactically he is right up there and he has taken to The Championship like a duck to water, it suits his 'efficient' style and they have enough ability to make it count. I struggle to see them dropping the amount of points needed to make it viable for us to catch them. 

Brighton are an interesting one. I rate Hughton I really do and defensively they are fantastic. But they are a kick to Knockaert away from being an average side in an attacking sense. We also don't know how much influence Calderwood had, though listening to him speak Hughton was very much hands on so perhaps that will be negated. They are 13 games unbeaten, so it will be interesting to see how they handle that first defeat. 

Our main problem is that outside a few decent sides, of which we are one, The Championship is of a very poor standard. Look at Reading and Birmingham in 3rd and 4th, neither of whom remotely impressed me or looked like challengers when we played them. At times (under Bruce) we haven't always performed, but you can see the quality is there. Reading and Blues looked like well organised cloggers at best. 

We will finish 3rd I think. 

[Dodgyknees]

18 hours ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Haha yeah, indeed. I've just started watching Homeland so I have my back up plan in place. 90 minutes of Huddersfield vs Wigan would likely feel like 8 years in a hole Afghanistan. 

Great series. Gets a bit slow in the middle seasons, but I really enjoyed 4 (and am currently on 5)

[sexbelowsound]

23 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

I actually think and have thought all along that we have the best first XI in the division. Which is part of the reason why I turned on RDM as quickly as I did, not only was he failing he was failing so miserably with the players available to him that his position was untenable. Managers don't come back from that.

I will concede, however, that Newcastle have the better manager and the deeper squad. A better manager than most Premier League clubs in fact. Hate his smug fat waiter face as I do, he's absolutely top drawer. Tactically he is right up there and he has taken to The Championship like a duck to water, it suits his 'efficient' style and they have enough ability to make it count. I struggle to see them dropping the amount of points needed to make it viable for us to catch them. 

Brighton are an interesting one. I rate Hughton I really do and defensively they are fantastic. But they are a kick to Knockaert away from being an average side in an attacking sense. We also don't know how much influence Calderwood had, though listening to him speak Hughton was very much hands on so perhaps that will be negated. They are 13 games unbeaten, so it will be interesting to see how they handle that first defeat. 

Our main problem is that outside a few decent sides, of which we are one, The Championship is of a very poor standard. Look at Reading and Birmingham in 3rd and 4th, neither of whom remotely impressed me or looked like challengers when we played them. At times (under Bruce) we haven't always performed, but you can see the quality is there. Reading and Blues looked like well organised cloggers at best. 

We will finish 3rd I think. 

Agreed. Those draws under RDM really did damage our run in, We've lost less than Newcastle and if we could have held onto just a couple of those draws we'd be much better off.

Those extra points though may have prolonged RDM's stay and we could potentially have missed out on Bruce so I'll take it all day long.

We're currently looking at losing Ayew, Kodjia and Adomah but hopefully McCormack, Grealish, Gestede and dare I say it, Gabby, can keep us ticking over for the month.Still think that one more midfielder and an experienced back up to Gollini is needed also.

3rd with a late push for 2nd. Lets see if Brighton crack.

Edited November 29, 2016 by sexbelowsound

[markavfc40]

7 minutes ago, sexbelowsound said:

3rd with a late push for 2nd. Lets see if Brighton crack.

Sounds good. Whilst 13 points seems a lot to overhaul the way I see it is that we have 27 games to claw back 10 points on them and then beat them at Villa Park in the final game to complete the job. Imagine that 

[sexbelowsound]

Just now, markavfc40 said:

Sounds good. Whilst 13 points seems a lot to overhaul the way I see it is that we have 27 games to claw back 10 points on them and then beat them at Villa Park in the final game to complete the job. Imagine that 

The way we're playing now I think we'd wreck them.

[KSV]

Newcastle are losing four key players to acon as well aren't they? Mbemba Diame etc. Long season ahead.

[TrentVilla]

Catching Newcastle is unlikely.

Norwich falling away on a terrible run was unlikely.

Huddersfield's run and then subsequent collapse was unlikely.

Villa's run of form under Bruce was unlikely.

As I said, catching Newcastle is unlikely.....

Sure going to be fun trying.

[PieFacE]

It's quite nice that we can kinda go under the radar about this season now. There's no pressure. Just take every match game by game and go for a win. 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

5 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

It's quite nice that we can kinda go under the radar about this season now. There's no pressure. Just take every match game by game and go for a win. 

I don't think are under the radar anymore, but as long as we keep looking up the motivation will be sustained. We're unlikely to hit 6th place, which will happen, then try and consolidate. 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

52 minutes ago, sexbelowsound said:

We're currently looking at losing Ayew, Kodjia and Adomah but hopefully McCormack, Grealish, Gestede and dare I say it, Gabby, can keep us ticking over for the month.Still think that one more midfielder and an experienced back up to Gollini is needed also.

3rd with a late push for 2nd. Lets see if Brighton crack.

Ayew is not as big a loss as he might have been a few weeks past, though the reason for that is the form of Adomah and Kodjia. Hopefully, Avram Grant will be Avram Grant and continue to overlook Adomah.

Kodjia is the biggest loss, I feel like we can cope just fine without the other two and not skip a beat, as much as I rate them individually. I think Kodjia is a phenomenal talent at this level though, possibly the best all round forward in the league. Having Ross McCormack to step in ain't half bad, even if it might take a little adjustment. I fancy Bruce to get him firing and make the tactical adjustment for a few games.

Ivory Coast will go far but it might only be 2/3 if we progress in the cup so I'm seeing it as a minor injury/suspension which you have ample time to plan for. I very much doubt we will sign ANOTHER striker for such a short period.

[AntrimBlack]

8 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

I don't think are under the radar anymore, but as long as we keep looking up the motivation will be sustained. We're unlikely to hit 6th place, which will happen, then try and consolidate. 

I think we are under the radar. We were towards the end of the Channel 5 program. 

[markavfc40]

16 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

I don't think are under the radar anymore, but as long as we keep looking up the motivation will be sustained. We're unlikely to hit 6th place, which will happen, then try and consolidate. 

I heard Bruce being interviewed on the radio after Saturdays game and he said the teams above us will now be looking over their shoulders and saying eye eye they are moving up.

There is no doubt if you are in the top 6 at the moment the one team you are most aware of behind you and worried about is us.

Bruce doesn’t hide from it though. He doesn’t down play things and try and keep us under the radar. He is actively stating we are coming, promotion is the aim. I think he doesn’t want pressure to suddenly hit the players. He has put them under that pressure from the moment he walked through the door and left them in no doubt what the expectation is despite the poor start and I think he wants them to embrace and feed off that expectation.  By doing so I think he is playing a blinder.

Edited November 29, 2016 by markavfc40