[Albion] Just how hard is it to get points off this top 6?

[Kalimantan Gull]

Given that we're now played 6 lost 6 against the big 6, I was wondering how that compared to everyone else's results.

Comparing just home games against City and Liverpool, and away games at Man U, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal, for all teams except that aforementioned Big 6 plus Burnley, the results are as follows:

P 42 W 0 D 4 L 38

So its tough. Exceptions were Swansea and West Brom getting draws at Spurs, and Newcastle and Watford drawing at home with Liverpool. Every other match-up ended in defeat. No-one else from 8th down has got even a point away at Old Trafford, the Emirates or Stamford Bridge, and we've all lost at home to Man City.

So we can't be too ashamed at all.

If we look at the reverse fixtures, however, there is some hope. For games away at Liverpool and City, and home to Man U, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea, the other 12 teams at the bottom of the premier league have managed P 38 W 6 D 9 L 23

Stoke and Watford beat Arsenal, Huddersfield beat Man U, Leicester beat Spurs and West Ham and Palace beat Chelsea, all six wins at home.

Only one other team has lost six games against the big six, Bournemouth (they've lost all seven). But both of us have played most of these games away from home

So I'm hopeful we get something before the seasons out...

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think increasingly teams in danger of the drop focus on the six pointers. The likes of City, Liverpool and Spurs have dished out some real hidings.

 

[OzMike]

Impossible with ultra defensive tactics and trying to play for a 0-0 draw.
Trying to become damage limitation specialists, poxy games to watch for a so called spectator sport.

 

[OzMike]

I think increasingly teams in danger of the drop focus on the six pointers. The likes of City, Liverpool and Spurs have dished out some real hidings.

Only because they have been allowed to, if teams attacked them then they wouldn't be so deep into their opponents half and will be having to defend themselves.
11 men behind the ball gives them 10 strikers effectively.

 

[Napier]

I cannot see us getting a point against one of the top six this season, not with the way we set up and play against them.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

We've missed 6 free hits.

Even a blindfolded batman can swing the bat, and maybe connect with the ball next time.

Looking forward to revenge v a caught out Chelsea at the Amex.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

No one beneath us has a better goal difference

 

[The Optimist]

Whether we take points off the top 6 or not isn’t too important to me, although it would be nice. What I would like is to see us have a go. I went to Chelsea on Boxing Day with very little enthusiasm as I knew exactly how the game would go, brave rear guard action finally broken and no attacking response. In actual fact in the final 5 minutes we did manage to attack them, which was nice although a little late.

My favourite game against the top 6 was Liverpool as we created some decent chances. Yes we got thrashed but at least it wasn’t boring.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think you have to go into the game after a perfect storm of other events.

A couple of 'easy' wins followed by a tough, distance European away match, early kick off, a couple of injuries, all that sort of thing.
Backed up by the team wanting to, or being allowed to, win.
We weren't going to beat Chelsea after they dropped points at Everton

I think we had 2 chances to take top 6 points, Manchester City and Arsenal, had the team played as they did v Utd or Liverpool I think they may well have done.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Only because they have been allowed to, if teams attacked them then they wouldn't be so deep into their opponents half and will be having to defend themselves.
11 men behind the ball gives them 10 strikers effectively.

Swansea/WBA/Burnley played as defensively against Spurs as Brighton did and got a point.

 

[Surrey Phil]

I actually think this is killing football now. Watching Newcastle last night, they did the same as all the lower league teams against the big 6, rest so called best players for next “more winnable” game, play narrow, sit deep and see if they can not lose by too many. The games are becoming boring and unwatchable.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It's a learning curve. How many of our players have Prem experience?

 

[Gazwag]

Swansea/WBA/Burnley played as defensively against Spurs as Brighton did and got a point.

If it wasn't for two flukes we would have got a point as well

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I actually think this is killing football now. Watching Newcastle last night, they did the same as all the lower league teams against the big 6, rest so called best players for next “more winnable” game, play narrow, sit deep and see if they can not lose by too many. The games are becoming boring and unwatchable.

I agre it is bad for football - but what really gets my goat is that its teams like us that are being blamed for this. People like Phil Neville come out and say we're all scared, the BBC live text is full of criticism for our tactics, NSC is riddled with people saying 'have a go'. But its not our fault that we're made to play in the same league as teams that should be a couple of divisions above us. A situation has been created where there are super teams, a Man City back 4 that cost more than our stadium, a Man City team that is worth twice as much as the new buyer of Newcastle United will pay. Its so uneven and teams like us are here to be fodder, and then when we don't open up and go gung ho we get criticised for it. Well sorry, we're trying to stay up and win games, and getting tonked whilst knackering our players and damaging our goal difference is not the way to do it. Sorry if it doesn't excite viewers in the far east but we're NOT just here to make up the numbers and we'll play it our way. We played well against Chelsea but they are just too good. Every player is better than ours 1-11. We are competing, trying to get the ball, keep the all, make chances, but its just too hard. But playing this way is the ONLY way to get points off them.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

I agre it is bad for football - but what really gets my goat is that its teams like us that are being blamed for this. People like Phil Neville come out and say we're all scared, the BBC live text is full of criticism for our tactics, NSC is riddled with people saying 'have a go'. But its not our fault that we're made to play in the same league as teams that should be a couple of divisions above us. A situation has been created where there are super teams, a Man City back 4 that cost more than our stadium, a Man City team that is worth twice as much as the new buyer of Newcastle United will pay. Its so uneven and teams like us are here to be fodder, and then when we don't open up and go gung ho we get criticised for it. Well sorry, we're trying to stay up and win games, and getting tonked whilst knackering our players and damaging our goal difference is not the way to do it. Sorry if it doesn't excite viewers in the far east but we're NOT just here to make up the numbers and we'll play it our way. We played well against Chelsea but they are just too good. Every player is better than ours 1-11. We are competing, trying to get the ball, keep the all, make chances, but its just too hard. But playing this way is the ONLY way to get points off them.

This

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[neilbard]

Just how hard is it to get points off this top 6?

Very!

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

If it wasn't for two flukes we would have got a point as well

Well there you go.

Defensive football does work against top 6 sides.

If Hemed wasn’t rubbish it would have been 1-1 as well

 

[el punal]

Given that we're now played 6 lost 6 against the big 6, I was wondering how that compared to everyone else's results.

Comparing just home games against City and Liverpool, and away games at Man U, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal, for all teams except that aforementioned Big 6 plus Burnley, the results are as follows:

P 42 W 0 D 4 L 38

So its tough. Exceptions were Swansea and West Brom getting draws at Spurs, and Newcastle and Watford drawing at home with Liverpool. Every other match-up ended in defeat. No-one else from 8th down has got even a point away at Old Trafford, the Emirates or Stamford Bridge, and we've all lost at home to Man City.

So we can't be too ashamed at all.

If we look at the reverse fixtures, however, there is some hope. For games away at Liverpool and City, and home to Man U, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea, the other 12 teams at the bottom of the premier league have managed P 38 W 6 D 9 L 23

Stoke and Watford beat Arsenal, Huddersfield beat Man U, Leicester beat Spurs and West Ham and Palace beat Chelsea, all six wins at home.

Only one other team has lost six games against the big six, Bournemouth (they've lost all seven). But both of us have played most of these games away from home

So I'm hopeful we get something before the seasons out...

Unfortunately the reality here is money talks and is reflected in the status of the Premier League as it stands. The division is split into three - the top six for the billionaires boys club, the middle bit for those that want to go higher but can't and those that don't want to go down but might (us!), and thirdly, the 'oh shit we need to change our manager' panic stations, too good to go down, relegation dog fighters.

Anyone that daydreams we're going to get anything from a top six club is living in cloud cuckoo land. We played superbly against Man.Utd and still lost. The pragmatic approach (the Hughton way?) is lose by the smallest margin and move on to smaller fish to fry. It seems to be working thus far.

 

[durrington gull]

I cannot see us getting a point against one of the top six this season, not with the way we set up and play against them.

Yep agree, will lose all comfortably

 

[Wilko]

Whether we take points off the top 6 or not isn’t too important to me, although it would be nice. What I would like is to see us have a go. I went to Chelsea on Boxing Day with very little enthusiasm as I knew exactly how the game would go, brave rear guard action finally broken and no attacking response. In actual fact in the final 5 minutes we did manage to attack them, which was nice although a little late.

My favourite game against the top 6 was Liverpool as we created some decent chances. Yes we got thrashed but at least it wasn’t boring.

Agreed. Liverpool was a good game despite the scoreline and I enjoyed it, the only other top 6 game we pushed was at Old Trafford.