On-going progress..

[KevinGage]

Our next win (providing we don't draw between now and then) would take us to 9 points. 20 points by the end of December is halfway to 40. 

Bleedin' nora, the club really have done a grand job in lowering your expectations!

It's the way it has to be for the time being. 

We are one of a number of clubs now whose first target is to get to 40 points. 

Depending on how quickly we achieve that, we can then look at other options. 

[hartman_1982]

I think to say we haven't made progress is very unfair based on what we have seen so far. I also think it is very unfair to suggest we are very inconsistent and we are still terrible at the back. So far we have played well in 4 of the 5 games and the defence only looked shakey in that game too. It's too early to say we have turned a corner but the signs are there. If we take 7 points from our next 5 that would be a good return and should see us around 10th, ready to kick on with a decent run of fixtures up until Chrismas.

[hartman_1982]

The home form is a major concern for me.

I'm struggling to see where a win is going to come from the Man City, Spurs and Everton matches.

It's a good job our away record is so good at the moment.

I actually fancy us more against the better sides at home. It's the games where the onus is on us to open up teams where I think we will struggle.

[spk]

Citeh,Spuds,toffees, we will win one draw lose one,and ill be ok with that.

[sirlordbaltimore]

I think to say we haven't made progress is very unfair based on what we have seen so far. I also think it is very unfair to suggest we are very inconsistent and we are still terrible at the back. So far we have played well in 4 of the 5 games and the defence only looked shakey in that game too. It's too early to say we have turned a corner but the signs are there. If we take 7 points from our next 5 that would be a good return and should see us around 10th, ready to kick on with a decent run of fixtures up until Chrismas.

I guess this depends on your definition of 'played well'. A lot was made of the Chelsea performance and us being plucky losers, but we didn't have a shot until Benteke scored just before half time. The first 45 against Liverpool was as BAD as anything we've seen over the previous two seasons and Newcastle was turgid. There's no way Saturday's performance was anything above average either. So what are these great performances and signs of improvement ?

Well to my eyes anyway. Mind you one of our regular gang sees nothing but good things either.

[oldham_villa]

What I couldn't understand was the additional midfielder at home against Newcastle and the just playing 2 in midfield v Norwich away. Surely we are best off going at it at home than away?!?!

[Monty]

We're clearly better than last year, but there will still be performances as bad as those of last year. This is mostly because we have the same problems, especially with Okore's injury: defensive lapses and unimaginative midfield displays. The style of the team hasn't changed (for reasons explored ad nauseam), but we are better at what we do. I don't think we'll be in much relegation difficulty.

[N'ZMAV]

3 clean sheets please.

[SoccerHQ]

Think we'll get 5 or 6 points from our next 5 games, a win at Hull and then a couple of draws from Everton, West Ham and Man. City, think Spurs will beat us as they're very good away from home.

Would keep us in mid table but then we have a very good opportunity to motor up the league and be in the top half for xmas.....

Our run of games from November to the new year is Cardiff, Sunderland, Man. United, Swansea, Palace at home and WBA, Southampton, Fulham, Stoke and Sunderland away.

That is a very kind run for us and you can move very quickly up the league over the xmas period. That 10 game spell is what I'll properly judge us on, I think it's unfair people writing us off after what has been one of the tougher starts a prem team has had when you look at other team's fixtures.

I agree with what django says, it's been an o.k start. The defence was poor v Newcastle and got a lot of stick but the pleasing thing for me is apart from that we don't look like we'll cave in and concede a mountain of goals particularly at set pieces.

I can't help thinking our steady progress would be accelerated if we could buy a decent AM from somewhere particularly while Benteke is still at the club.

[SoccerHQ]

The home form is a major concern for me.

I'm struggling to see where a win is going to come from the Man City, Spurs and Everton matches.

It's a good job our away record is so good at the moment.

I actually fancy us more against the better sides at home. It's the games where the onus is on us to open up teams where I think we will struggle.

Liverpool are a decent side this year and have a solid defence, we barely created a chance against them until the 86th minute. Now Kompany's back Man. City are looking strong there and Spurs have an excellent defence (and a keeper who's allowed to handle outside his box) so I'm struggling to see us scoring much past those two and other end remains a worry.

Our best chance of a win is Everton but again Martinez has a very good record at VP and knows how to play us here so think that will be a draw.

I think our first home win will be v Cardiff on November 9th but of course I'd be delighted to be wrong. Home form will remain our Achilles heel this season.

[Matt Collins]

One win, two draws and two defeats coming up I reckon. Probably Beat hull, draw with Everton and west ham. Might sneak two wins

It's definitely progress. We've lost one game by more than one goal since the loss to Wigan last January. We were regularly getting a good hiding in 2012. I just think its statistically undeniable that we've improved. Compare our results against the same sides last season.

The real litmus test will be November and December. Last year, we had lots of winnable games in January and lost most of them. There's scope to rack up a load of points in those games. But it's tough before it gets better and with our injuries we could find it tough in these upcoming games.

It's be a surprise if we didn't get a relatively heavy defeat in one of them I'd have thought. But then I thought the same about our first three games.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm happy.  Clark seems to have improved and as a result the defence looks a bit better.
The midfield is energetic with Gabby looking good/great on the wing.

The biggest thing for me is our weaknesses seems so obvious, which paradoxically, I see as a good thing.  If we had players as good (not necessarily the same) as Delph and Gabby in Weimann and KEA's positions then I think we'd really be pushing for Europe.  That's probably only a 20m investment which is not *that* much considering the journey we've been on. 

[johnboy]

3 clean sheets please.

My hope and dreams

[olaftab]

We will have 40 points after 30 games. Anyone wants to bet against that?

[tomd2103]

I think the performance level of the first three games was a higher than anything we saw last season (even though we lost two of those games).  Newcastle was awful and then we reacted well to get a good win at the weekend. 

I feel that although we will be a threat away from home, a total re-think on the way we approach home games is needed.  If Benteke is injured for a while, it may mean that we will have to change our style.  I'm still not sure we have sorted the problems we had last season at full-back, though part of that could be the fact that they are left exposed at times.