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Keep on improving, and we may get somewhere


AndFos

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I'm a little bored being at work, so have calculated the Premier League table since New Years Eve excluding the newly promoted teams:

Team                          Matches      Points      Points/game

Arsenal                            25               55               2,2
Tottenham Hotspur          24               49         2,041666667

Chelsea                           25               48              1,92

 Manchester United          24               47         1,958333333

Manchester City               24               46         1,916666667

Liverpool                          24               46         1,916666667

Everton                            23               39         1,695652174

Southampton                   25               35                1,4

Aston Villa                        24              32          1,333333333

West Ham United             25               28                1,12

Newcastle United             23               28          1,217391304

Norwich City                     24               26          1,083333333

Fulham                            24               26          1,083333333

Swansea City                   24               25          1,041666667

West Bromwich Albion     24                24                  1

Stoke City                        24               20           0,833333333

Sunderland                      24               18                0,75

 

 

We sit comfortably mid table, in 9th. This is a massive improvement compared to where we were sat at New Years Eve last season, were we sat in 17th:

Team                                         Games   Points Points/game

Manchester United                         20        49           2,45

Manchester City                             20        42            2,1

Chelsea                                          19        38             2

Tottenham Hotspur                         20        36           1,8

Arsenal                                           19         33   1,736842105

Everton                                           20         33         1,65

West Bromwich Albion                    20         33          1,65

Stoke City                                       20         29          1,45

Liverpool                                         20         28          1,4

Swansea City                                  20         28          1,4

Norwich City                                    20         25          1,25

West Ham United                            19         23    1,210526316

Sunderland                                     20         22          1,1

Fulham                                           20         21          1,05

Newcastle United                            20         20            1

Wigan Athletic                                20         18           0,9

Aston Villa                                      20         18           0,9

Southampton                                 19         17     0,894736842

Reading                                         20         13          0,65

Queens Park Rangers                   20         10           0,5

 

If we compare the points/game we have improved from 0,9 points/game before New Year till 1,33 points/game after New Year.

 

 

If we can continue to improve our form and the points per/game continue to rise over the next couple of seasons we will be title contenders! ;)

Edited by AndFos
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Considering the cost of going to modern football these days, I don't mind saying that improvements to the club I love, and it's team can never come quick enough. That's the modern world.

 

That said, I remain positive about the 'Lambert way' and the journey we are currently travelling as a result of past bungles. I like to think this thread did not emerge as a consequence solely of the victory over City as to be fair, we were very lucky in that game. The tables provided by the OP are interesting indeed and do tell a story. The highlight for me right now in terms of the 'Lambert Journey' has been the very visual team bond and team spirit we have seen from the players and the energy shown by Lambert himself. I do not think I have seen such positivity running through the team since the 1995/96 (The Squaddies video - rememeber that?) team created by a certain Mr Brian Little.

 

IF - and that is a big capital if, we can actually keep hold of our better players (Benteke aside, who I genuinely believe will be gone next summer, and maybe January), and the improvement continues at a steady pace, there is no reason why this club cannot push to challenge for the Europa league places within two or three years. I'm not going to kid myself that we will get into the Top 4 until such time as we are in a position to invest in players that can get us there again. That's modern football. And this is the modern world...

 

Bring on The Jam...

Edited by Raver50032
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The stats in the OP show something I think we all know: that we have improved over the past 9 months or so from relegation battlers to a side showing mid table form, maybe even one of the better mid-tablers.

Given the squads we have had, it is shocking that we had 3 seasons of relegation struggle and I put this down to poor handling both by the board and the team managers. Paul Lambert is clearly a better manager than the two who went before him, and it's not surprising, but still pleasing, that he is getting better results. He is still learning as a manager but has certainly earned the right to see how far he can take his squad.

Note that the top 6 in both those tables is pretty stable and the question must be how ready we are to challenge that group of clubs. I'll be happy to be proved wrong, but my view is that we won't be able to mount a serious challenge without spending more (both on transfers and wages) to buy better quality players. We don't need lots, just 1 or 2 signings of players with proven quality and leadership in defence and midfield (although at a much higher level than we could afford, think of the galvanising effect buying Özil has had on Arsenal).

I think we can improve to a certain level under Lambert but we need investment to go the next step up.

Edited by briny_ear
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The stats in the OP show something I think we all know: that we have improved over the past 9 months or so from relegation battlers to a side showing mid table form, maybe even one of the better mid-tablers.

Given the squads we have had, it is shocking that we had 3 seasons of relegation struggle and I put this down to poor handling both by the board and the team managers. Paul Lambert is clearly a better manager than the two who went before him, and it's not surprising, but still pleasing, that he is getting better results. He is still learning as a manager but has certainly earned the right to see how far he can take his squad.

Note that the top 6 in both those tables is pretty stable and the question must be how ready we are to challenge that group of clubs. I'll be happy to be proved wrong, but my view is that we won't be able to mount a serious challenge without spending more (both on transfers and wages) to buy better quality players. We don't need lots, just 1 or 2 signings of players with proven quality and leadership in defence and midfield (although at a much higher level than we could afford, think of the galvanising effect buying Özil has had on Arsenal).

I think we can improve to a certain level under Lambert but we need investment to go the next step up.

 

too early for top 6 talk, lets get rid of given, ireland, bent, hutton etc. permanently first. that allied with the bigger budget from the tv, better gates from performing better etc. should mean we can then back Lambert with transfer fees to attract the quality of player that will improve us AND pay their wages. I don't think we'll see anyone beating Gabby's earnings though to be honest so don't expect anone getting a 100k a week or anything anytime soon.

For me if we can finish top half this year that will show a great improvement, shed the last of the big wages we're shelling out for no return and invest for a couple of years and THEN we can start looking at the top 6. I don't think top 6 is the next step up, it's at least a couple of steps away from where we are right now.

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