Fortress Amex?

[Bozza]

Our last 10 home fixtures, spanning the end of last season and the beginning of this, has seen us win only 2 games (Barnsley and Sheff Wed.).

Of the remainder, we drew 5 (Ipswich, Cardiff, Birmingham, Watford and Middlesbrough) and lost 3 (Middlesbrough, Birmingham and Reading).

It seems we really do have a fundamental issue with the way teams play when they visit us.

 

[Simster]

Albion need to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the 1st minute, not the 30th.

That's the issue. Too f***ing slow to start, and it is never easy to get a result if you are a goal down with only two thirds of the game still to play..

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Albion need to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the 1st minute, not the 30th.

That's the issue. Too f***ing slow to start, and it is never easy to get a result if you are a goal down with only two thirds of the game still to play..

We so nearly scored in the first minute against both Ipswich and Birmingham. If we had, both games would have turned out very different,

But then, rather than using these incidents as a spur to push on, we were over cautious and lost the initative, lost the momentum. As you say, we should seize the game early - play with a little less fear.

 

[Gritt23]

Our last 10 home fixtures, spanning the end of last season and the beginning of this, has seen us win only 2 games (Barnsley and Sheff Wed.).

Of the remainder, we drew 5 (Ipswich, Cardiff, Birmingham, Watford and Middlesbrough) and lost 3 (Middlesbrough, Birmingham and Reading).

It seems we really do have a fundamental issue with the way teams play when they visit us.

Or is it that, in the main they have been games against pretty good teams.

Reading are now in the Prem, while Cardiff have been knocking on teh door for a few years. Middlesbrough and Birmingham have both looked pretty good, well set-up teams, leaving just a couple of disappointing draws against Ipswich and Watford.

Games against teams that I would expect to be struggling (Barnsley and Sheff Weds) have indeed brought wins.

I just think we have - once again - started the season well, hit the top of the table, and that then translates to unrealistic expectations. We are a top 10, pushing for play-offs team IMHO, and that means you don't expect to automatically turn over the likes of Middlesbrough. It'll be a tough tight game, and that's what we got.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Fortress Amex?

Can't see any problem getting our fortress licence the health and safety executive must be well impressed with our regular fire drills

 

[Seagull58]

Or is it that, in the main they have been games against pretty good teams.

Reading are now in the Prem, while Cardiff have been knocking on teh door for a few years. Middlesbrough and Birmingham have both looked pretty good, well set-up teams, leaving just a couple of disappointing draws against Ipswich and Watford.

Games against teams that I would expect to be struggling (Barnsley and Sheff Weds) have indeed brought wins.

I just think we have - once again - started the season well, hit the top of the table, and that then translates to unrealistic expectations. We are a top 10, pushing for play-offs team IMHO, and that means you don't expect to automatically turn over the likes of Middlesbrough. It'll be a tough tight game, and that's what we got.

2 home wins out of the last 10 is relegation form, no matter how could the opposition was.

 

[NickBHAFC18]

Teams know how to stop us playing, we can't play any other way when it isn't working. Need something new in the team whether that is a "target man" or a different approach.

 

[Nathan]

Or is it that, in the main they have been games against pretty good teams.

Reading are now in the Prem, while Cardiff have been knocking on teh door for a few years. Middlesbrough and Birmingham have both looked pretty good, well set-up teams, leaving just a couple of disappointing draws against Ipswich and Watford.

Games against teams that I would expect to be struggling (Barnsley and Sheff Weds) have indeed brought wins.

I just think we have - once again - started the season well, hit the top of the table, and that then translates to unrealistic expectations. We are a top 10, pushing for play-offs team IMHO, and that means you don't expect to automatically turn over the likes of Middlesbrough. It'll be a tough tight game, and that's what we got.

There are no easy games in this division, thats for sure. I agree we are a top 10 team pushing for play-offs, but to get into the play-offs we have to beat some of the top teams. Hard to do i know, but if we want to go up we have to perform better than we are doing against tough opposition.

 

[Brovion]

I blame the League Cup. Every time we go a goal down the players think, "Shit, this is Swindon all over again, and this lot are better than Swindon so we've got no chance."

 

[Monkey Man]

We're playing pretty well, we were unlucky on Saturday with missed chances and the odd refereeing decision. I rarely if ever leave the Amex thinking "we were poor".

We'd all love to believe we'll win our home games but, as others have said, this is a tough league with a lot of well-matched teams.

I suspect Gus and the team will soon start working on tactics to counter the mentality we're likely to see from opposition sides at the Amex all season - ie try to nick an early goal, then frustrate us.

I'm not one of those who think we have a strong chance of promotion this year so I'll take results like Saturday's in my stride, provided we see signs that we're learning to cope with Middlesbrough-type tactics.

 

[Gritt23]

2 home wins out of the last 10 is relegation form, no matter how could the opposition was.

That's not a balanced sample that can be extrapolated into a season though, that's my point.

Yes, of course, this is poor home form, but we shouldn't get too carried away by it. The home run-in ALWAYS looked very tough last season. Ipswich and Watford, they were the disappointments, but not the bulk of the last 10 home games.

 

[Gritt23]

I blame the League Cup. Every time we go a goal down the players think, "Shit, this is Swindon all over again, and this lot are better than Swindon so we've got no chance."

I wouldn't mind betting they haven't thought that once.

 

[Albion Dan]

2 home wins out of the last 10 is relegation form, no matter how could the opposition was.

Behave. Two wins and two draws out of six at home, combined with three wins and a draw out of five away is play off form at worst.

 

[Beach Hut]

It has been stated before but bar the Donny game when we go a goal down at the Amex we cannot win at present, just hope to get a draw.

Still it should be remembered we were losing at home to Walsall, Cheltenham and Crewe not so long ago

 

[Brovion]

I wouldn't mind betting they haven't thought that once.

Agreed, it is indeed complete bollocks - but no more stupid than those who blamed our slump this time last year on our League Cup run. I don't see why those people should have the monopoly on idiotic and baseless viewpoints!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We so nearly scored in the first minute against both Ipswich and Birmingham. If we had, both games would have turned out very different,

But then, rather than using these incidents as a spur to push on, we were over cautious and lost the initative, lost the momentum. As you say, we should seize the game early - play with a little less fear.

We also had a corner within a couple of minutes on Saturday because we were attacking.

 

[Gritt23]

Agreed, it is indeed complete bollocks - but no more stupid than those who blamed our slump this time last year on our League Cup run. I don't see why those people should have the monopoly on idiotic and baseless viewpoints!

Good point, well made.

 

[Gazwag]

We should try an experimental kick towards the north in the first half, yes I know we did it once, but that is probably a repressed memory for most of us.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

We should try an experimental kick towards the north in the first half, yes I know we did it once, but that is probably a repressed memory for most of us.

I think that was more Dougie messing with our mellow man than us trying something different.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Behave. Two wins and two draws out of six at home, combined with three wins and a draw out of five away is play off form at worst.

Last season's points ratio at home was 59% ( Pretty good for a first season at a new ground )with only four defeats. Only four teams ( Soton, Reading, Birmingham and Blackpool ) had better.
So far this season it is 44% and only six teams finished last season worse than this.
You cannot disguise the fact that it is a poor start at home with ten points dropped already. It is also difficult to see the away average of two points a game being maintained.
Conclusion....to have any chance of top six this season we must at least match last seasons home record.