New Found Resilience

[Tony Boucher]

I love these stats - it actually feels like we can see a game out this season, which is a world away from last season's nightmares:

2013/14 season, to date (12 games played):
Points Gained from Losing Positions:  7 (league ranking = 1st)
Points Lost from Winning Positions: 0 (league ranking = equal 1st)

2012/13 Season (38 games played):
Points Gained from Losing Positions:  9 (league ranking = equal 14th)
Points Lost from Winning Positions: 28 (league ranking = 19th)

Source:  Football365.com

[Dr Butler]

wow that is impressive statting...and I agree with you that we look like we can hold on to a lead or force our way back into games.

[spk]

It is most heartening,when we go a goal down ,I dont really care,it seems to get us going.

[Ads]

28 bloody points lost last term. Crikey!

[KevinGage]

For all the criticism of Lambert and the way we've played recently (plenty of it justified, mind) that stat and our improvement defending set pieces is heartening. 

I don't fully buy into the notion that we just need Gabby, Benteke and Bill to get going again and we'll be flying.  Football isn't as straightforward as that.  If teams have worked out how to counter them, we need a different way of bringing them into play. We've seen a number of managers in our fairly recent past struggle when their main method of attack has been worked out.

Ultimately that comes down to the midfield for me.  That's where you win the battle, where you dictate the tempo of the game and we -as of yet- don't have enough quality to do that. Even against fairly modest opposition.

But there is more resolve about this side, no question.  And there aren't many players in that starting XI happy just to coast.  Even if things aren't coming off from them, the workrate is there.  No passengers. 

[ez]

I saw a stat on facebook this morning stating that Lambert has now been in charge for fifty league games and has won fifty six points from them. An average of 1.12 points per game.

[Chipsticks]

Fantastic stats, I take great pride in the fact that we're currently the league leaders in coming back and stealing points.

[olaftab]

And when we lead we stay in lead.

[LeeB]

This resilience has been passed on to me watching them.

A strange sensation came over me on Monday, when as my anger at their goals subsided, I actually started to believe we'd get back into it.

Not hope, belief. I've not felt it for a while.

[pauliewalnuts]

My favourite football bets last season were Villa to be winning at half time but to lose at full time, and for the time of the last goal in our matches to be 80 minutes plus.

Not the same this year.

[tomd2103]

For all the criticism of Lambert and the way we've played recently (plenty of it justified, mind) that stat and our improvement defending set pieces is heartening. 

I don't fully buy into the notion that we just need Gabby, Benteke and Bill to get going again and we'll be flying.  Football isn't as straightforward as that.  If teams have worked out how to counter them, we need a different way of bringing them into play. We've seen a number of managers in our fairly recent past struggle when their main method of attack has been worked out.

Ultimately that comes down to the midfield for me.  That's where you win the battle, where you dictate the tempo of the game and we -as of yet- don't have enough quality to do that. Even against fairly modest opposition.

But there is more resolve about this side, no question.  And there aren't many players in that starting XI happy just to coast.  Even if things aren't coming off from them, the workrate is there.  No passengers.

I'd agree with that and think the need for a different style of play is certainly more apparent at home.  Gabby and Weimann are more suited to having the ball in front of them in space and neither are really great when they receive the ball to feet in tight areas, which tends to happen more at home.   

Fair play to PL, he obviosly saw that the defence needed working on and brought in a member of staff over the summer for that purpose.  I think if Okore had remained fit, we would be even more resolute at the back.

[andrew08]

'and Bill...'

Tremendous nicknaming ! I hadn't heard/thought of that before. Made me chuckle.

[Clampy]

A strange sensation came over me on Monday, when as my anger at their goals subsided, I actually started to believe we'd get back into it.

I thought we would as well. The lads with me were furious but I saw another 80 minutes on the clock and i knew one goal could change it. We were fortunate that Sessegnon missed that chance in the first half mind you.

[PeterWithesShin]

It is hopefully a sign that slowly but surely we are heading in the right direction. If we could just stop going 1-0 down early on we'd win the league.

[Tony Boucher]

UPDATE (post-WBA) - Still looking good!

2013/14 season, to date (23 games played):
Points Gained from Losing Positions:  10 (league ranking = equal 2nd)
Points Lost from Winning Positions: 4 (league ranking = equal 1st)