So who's going to stop us now???

[Seasider78]

The league is very different this year as are we. We have added steel to an already tough defence that looks the best in the division and at the other end have goals coming from all over the place.

What is interesting is there are so many good sides between 3rd and 10th and only 3 points separating them we will see a lot of those teams taking points off each other in the second half of the season. As long as we stay consistent and hard to beat we will be ok.

We look so much stronger this term and have strength in depth it would take something extraordinary for us to chuck this away

 

[Prince Monolulu]

The league is very different this year as are we. We have added steel to an already tough defence that looks the best in the division and at the other end have goals coming from all over the place.

What is interesting is there are so many good sides between 3rd and 10th and only 3 points separating them we will see a lot of those teams taking points off each other in the second half of the season. As long as we stay consistent and hard to beat we will be ok.

We look so much stronger this term and have strength in depth it would take something extraordinary for us to chuck this away

Is pretty much it. A competitive play-off/top 10 with each duffing the other up in turn will be good PROVIDED we hold our form. Big IF though.

 

[HantsSeagull]

i can't bring myself to start believing yet.......i am too scarred!

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Reading have an 'easy' game at Blackburn before we kick a ball again so can move within 5 points of us before we next play

 

[Bozza]

i can't bring myself to start believing yet.......i am too scarred!

Only an absolute idiot would be believing. Plenty of very decent sides have fallen away from great positions in this division.

I'm sticking with simple hope, although I may back that up with a bit of finger crossing.

 

[fosters headband]

Only an absolute idiot would be believing. Plenty of very decent sides have fallen away from great positions in this division.

I'm sticking with simple hope, although I may back that up with a bit of finger crossing.

^^^^This

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Reading have an 'easy' game at Blackburn before we kick a ball again so can move within 5 points of us before we next play

Come May regardless of our plight and position, I feel confident that Reading will not be one of the sides we need to be keeping an eye on.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Glad to see Reading slip up again tonight against Dirty Leeds.

HOW can you have 77% of possession away from home, and lose 2-0

WHEN you are TINPOT.

 

[Napper]

Reading have an 'easy' game at Blackburn before we kick a ball again so can move within 5 points of us before we next play

I don't think they will win there, they lack the b**locks away from home.

Biggest threat is us blowing up.

Team wise , probably Derby.

Hudds have a few winnable games coming up over xmas so I expect them to emerge as the main threat for a bit.

They do go to Norwich on Friday though so a draw would be lovely.

 

[theroyal]

As an opposition fan, genuinely I wouldn't worry. You and Newcastle will be comfortably top 2

Hope we can join you via the play-offs, but if we don't invest in January I'd be surprised if we continued our excellent season so far

 

[Papa Lazarou]

As an opposition fan, genuinely I wouldn't worry. You and Newcastle will be comfortably top 2

Hope we can join you via the play-offs, but if we don't invest in January I'd be surprised if we continued our excellent season so far

How was the game last night? You seemed to have a lot of possession without much end product, or is that unfair?

 

[theroyal]

How was the game last night? You seemed to have a lot of possession without much end product, or is that unfair?

It highlighted our lack of options up front. Generally we played okay, but 77% possession, 14 shots, 6 corners and just 2 on target says it all. We are a couple of players away from really challenging - and Swift has been injured for about a month.

Couple of additions in January and I think we could be top 6 but I can't see anything more.

 

[Captain Sensible]

It highlighted our lack of options up front. Generally we played okay, but 77% possession, 14 shots, 6 corners and just 2 on target says it all. We are a couple of players away from really challenging - and Swift has been injured for about a month.

Couple of additions in January and I think we could be top 6 but I can't see anything more.

I think you are looking good for 3rd or 4th (that is as long as we don't implode and you nick 2nd). But I see Derby as the strongest side pushing in the playoffs. Having said that, never underestimate Schteve's ability to totally fudge things up!
Do you have money to spend in January?

 

[Simster]

I'm hoping for a kind of 'Hope they can keep up with us' comment. But alas Benitez has more class than Adkins.

I'm fairly confident that everybody at Newcastle and the Albion will be quite happy to see the pair of us quietly accumulating points whilst watching all the others all take points off each other. I fancy title-winning hostilities between fans and clubs alike to only ever commence if both teams are 15 points clear of the chasing pack in March.

 

[Exile]

The remarkable discussion is in transfer targets, the feeling seeming to be that they need to spend big on a striker. This is the club that has Gestede, McCormick, Agbonlahor, Kodjia, Ayew and Adomah - how many more do they need?

Thing is, the latter three will all be missing for 5-6 weeks for the ACN, Agbonlahor is pony, and Bruce doesn't trust McCormack to work hard enough. 'Normal' teams of course couldn't even contemplate another signing 'just' to cover players missing for a month or so. Villa are cash rich and desperate, so may well do exactly that.

 

[theroyal]

I think you are looking good for 3rd or 4th (that is as long as we don't implode and you nick 2nd). But I see Derby as the strongest side pushing in the playoffs. Having said that, never underestimate Schteve's ability to totally fudge things up!
Do you have money to spend in January?

It depends on these two Chinese benefactors completing their takeover. If they do, then we will have a fair bit to spend (allegedly) - especially considering the position we're in going into the second half of the season.

I still wouldn't worry about us though.

Hopefully our record will remain safe this season - although we had 50 points at this stage in 05/06 and would only lose once from now until the end of the season.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Just when I think that one of the chasing pack is looking like a class outfit, they seem to hit the wall. Now we just need Derby's luck to turn. They are on 6 straight wins, but actually, they are getting the running at the moment - several of these have been fortunate 1-0 away wins at lower end clubs. Dead cert for playoffs, but hopefully top 2 is out of reach unless we suffer a bad run.

 

[Seagull1989]

Mike Dean

 

[Captain Sensible]

It depends on these two Chinese benefactors completing their takeover. If they do, then we will have a fair bit to spend (allegedly) - especially considering the position we're in going into the second half of the season.

I still wouldn't worry about us though.

To be honest after last year and also the heavy weight on our shoulders of the way The Albion have been to hell and back in the last 30years, I'm not counting any chickens until we are over the line. You have come from a long way back the last time you went up. I don't think we can discount anyone in the top half of the table of mounting a challenge on the auto places. I think if The Albion get over Christmas and are still 8 or so points ahead at the end of January, then I might start to believe. The cash in the PL is so large that if the Chinese do take over your club, they would be daft not to heavily invest so you have a chance of going up this year or next year. We've all learnt from the FFP breaking clubs of QPR and Bournemouth, that you need to spend heavy to get to the PL, especially if you have no parachute payments.

 

[Exile]

Mike Dean

Decent call that. Once the FL wake up from their slumber and suddenly notice we're top two, they'll send Mr.Dean down on a fortnightly basis to restore the natural order.