At what stage is it acceptable to get excited?

[jimhigham]

Somebody commented on the official match day thread yesterday that "we are contenders". That got me thinking how far into the season do you have to remain in the automatic promotion area before it is reasonable to a neutral to call yourselves contenders? We had a great start under Gus some seasons back and it proved to be short lived. Decorum also suggests it's not a good idea to get too cocky among mixed company, as there are still 41 games to go. When is a good time to officially consider ourselves "in the mix"?

Having said all of that, I am already massively excited about this season. If this thread seems weird then it's probably because I am off nights and could more sensibly be going to bed.

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

I think we have shown that we are definitely top 6 material. With another quality striker who knows?...

 

[KZNSeagull]

Now. If we are not allowed to get excited when we are top of the league, 9 points ahead of pre-season favourites Derby, then I do not know when we are. Yes, we may not carry this form on, but so what - just enjoy it whilst it lasts!

 

[Brighthelmstone]

I'm pessamistic by nature, so April

 

[Sheebo]

Give it til 10 games and if we're still top, you can then get excited that we'll finish no lower than mid-table - which after last season will be a great achievement

 

[Se20]

You've had a good start, but wait until you play some of the "big boys".
Hull next week will be a test, win that , and the momentum could carry you on.

 

[Beach Hut]

It takes 10 games for any league to start showing who has the form and who hasn't, that said even a dramatic loss of form now would make us mid-table after 10 games.

 

[Working class pride]

April 2016

 

[Working class pride]

It takes 10 games for any league to start showing who has the form and who hasn't, that said even a dramatic loss of form now would make us mid-table after 10 games.

Agree you look at a table after 10 games and at Christmas, but not properly until end of Feb. Who else remembers Millwall in the top flight? Top at Christmas was it before they got themselves relegated ?

 

[Raskolnikov]

If we can survive the dreaded month of November then I would have thought it is reasonable to call ourselves top 6 contenders.

 

[Bozza]

You've had a good start, but wait until you play some of the "big boys".
Hull next week will be a test, win that , and the momentum could carry you on.

I agree with the first point (good start) as it's kinda obvious.

I'd question the second point (big boys) as this division shows season after season that you don't know who the "big boys" are going to be, where I'm taking "big boys" to be promotion contenders. Big clubs and promotion favourites repeatedly fail in the Championship. Ipswich are clearly going to be there or thereabouts and we've beaten them, whilst Huddersfield are unlikely to get anywhere near the playoffs, yet they are the only side we've not beaten.

But I'm back to agreeing with you on the third point: Hull will be a very good measure of where we are, not least because all permanent transfer business will finally be all done and dusted.

 

[Capricorn]

Whatever stage you bloody well want to get excited. So for me, that's right about now. We are going up, said we are going up!*


*In the event of us not actually going up, and God forbid we lose all our remaining matches, I kindly ask no one blame me for the unfortunate turn of events.

 

[el punal]

At my age, whenever and wherever possible . . . oh, hang on, are we talking football here?

 

[Triggaaar]

You've had a good start, but wait until you play some of the "big boys".
Hull next week will be a test, win that , and the momentum could carry you on.

What are you doing in here?

Whoever the big boys are, beating them wouldn't mean we're contenders, unless you're suggesting the Palace are contenders for a CL spot, having beaten Chelski in their own place.

 

[CheeseRolls]

It's always acceptable to get excited, which is a bit different from getting carried away. At the moment we seem to have found form and formation and have added some genuine depth to the squad. The Championship is always tight though and it will be a long hard season.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

After yesterday, I must admit I'm a little excited. Thought we were superb. I'm not so much excited that we're going to win the league than it has been so much more enjoyable than last season already. At the Derby home game last year, I thought how far off them we are (I know we won but for an hour they hammered us). Yesterday, it felt like we did the same at Ipswich, attacking regularly and at pace. So many shots in the game. Whatever might happen for the rest of the season, we look like a good attacking team and it's been a while since we've said that.

 

[Berty23]

Who was the Newcastle manager when they got 102 points in 2010?

 

[Beach Hut]

Agree you look at a table after 10 games and at Christmas, but not properly until end of Feb. Who else remembers Millwall in the top flight? Top at Christmas was it before they got themselves relegated ?

Agreed but that is always the unknown as normally one team suffers a chronic loss of form.

 

[Beach Hut]

You've had a good start, but wait until you play some of the "big boys".
Hull next week will be a test, win that , and the momentum could carry you on.

Ok who are the "big boys" so to speak ?

 

[W.C.]

The combination of the transfer business that we've done, even the deal we have tried, and our form has sent my Albion mojo through the roof.