Is this what transition looks like?

[adrenachrome]

Delph in front of Sylla and Westwood, with more licence to hit the box, is our best midfield combination

At this point I'd have to agree with you.

Seconded. We can't carry both Westy and KEA. It's too immobile. As said, if you've got Sylla and Delphs energy in midfield it also gives our fullbacks a bit more license to get forward and create more width for us.
I also think we could do with Lowton really hitting form again (also allowing Bacuna further up the pitch). Lowton was a very clever user of the ball last season. He read the game well, he was actually very tidy on the ball and useful in attack. I honestly think he's got more quality on the ball than most of our mids actually do, so if we get him back on form it could be beneficial.

Thirded.

On Lowton, I agree with the caveat that I would think twice if the opposition has a competent wide left speed merchant. 

[silhillvilla]

The concern is though during last season's run in we played some terrific football (the Sunderland game especially) and we all hoped that progression would continue but rather than even stagnating, our style of football has regressed to something that a previous manager would be proud of.
 
However, it's a good point to make concerning the timing of our improvement last season but it really doesn't explain or excuse why we haven't maintained that throughout the start of this season.
 
One of the reasons put forward for that lack of continuity is the quality of teams we've played so far having to play less expansive football to tighten our defence but we are already set up to be a counter attacking team so that argument holds little weight for me.
 
I also read many posters last season (before becoming a member) explaining our flirtation with relegation as a young team taking time to gel and that we would be much better this season when those young players had a Premiership season under their belts. That may still happen and its still a little premature to judge but that excitement we all felt in last season's run in that we might actually have the makings of a good team being built which plays entertaining football has certainly been dampened this season and thats why some of us are more vocal in our disappointment than others.

Some good points there Tyler. Tomorrow we will learn a lot more about where we are as a team. All the injuries don't help and will be a ready made excuse for many if we don't get the three points.

[JUAN PABLO]

gabby will be on Fifa14 ,practicing his shooting. He bloody needs too .

[supertom]

Delph in front of Sylla and Westwood, with more licence to hit the box, is our best midfield combination

At this point I'd have to agree with you.

Seconded. We can't carry both Westy and KEA. It's too immobile. As said, if you've got Sylla and Delphs energy in midfield it also gives our fullbacks a bit more license to get forward and create more width for us.
I also think we could do with Lowton really hitting form again (also allowing Bacuna further up the pitch). Lowton was a very clever user of the ball last season. He read the game well, he was actually very tidy on the ball and useful in attack. I honestly think he's got more quality on the ball than most of our mids actually do, so if we get him back on form it could be beneficial.

Thirded.

On Lowton, I agree with the caveat that I would think twice if the opposition has a competent wide left speed merchant. 

Yeah, that's my worry on Lowton. And again, we're susceptible in fullback areas to direct, pacy opponents on either side. I think that's why we have to play two athletic midfielders in the center instead of just the one. It gives you a bit of cover there.

I'd also like a right side of Lowton and Bacuna because there's a good mix of craft, industry, energy, composure and pace between the two.

[Mister E]

Delph in front of Sylla and Westwood, with more licence to hit the box, is our best midfield combination

At this point I'd have to agree with you.

Seconded. We can't carry both Westy and KEA. It's too immobile. As said, if you've got Sylla and Delphs energy in midfield it also gives our fullbacks a bit more license to get forward and create more width for us.
I also think we could do with Lowton really hitting form again (also allowing Bacuna further up the pitch). Lowton was a very clever user of the ball last season. He read the game well, he was actually very tidy on the ball and useful in attack. I honestly think he's got more quality on the ball than most of our mids actually do, so if we get him back on form it could be beneficial.

Thirded.

On Lowton, I agree with the caveat that I would think twice if the opposition has a competent wide left speed merchant. 

Yeah, that's my worry on Lowton. And again, we're susceptible in fullback areas to direct, pacy opponents on either side. I think that's why we have to play two athletic midfielders in the center instead of just the one. It gives you a bit of cover there.

I'd also like a right side of Lowton and Bacuna because there's a good mix of craft, industry, energy, composure and pace between the two.

I too would favour Bacuna and Lowton operating the right side.

[paul_e]

The concern is though during last season's run in we played some terrific football (the Sunderland game especially) and we all hoped that progression would continue but rather than even stagnating, our style of football has regressed to something that a previous manager would be proud of.
 
However, it's a good point to make concerning the timing of our improvement last season but it really doesn't explain or excuse why we haven't maintained that throughout the start of this season.
 
One of the reasons put forward for that lack of continuity is the quality of teams we've played so far having to play less expansive football to tighten our defence but we are already set up to be a counter attacking team so that argument holds little weight for me.
 
I also read many posters last season (before becoming a member) explaining our flirtation with relegation as a young team taking time to gel and that we would be much better this season when those young players had a Premiership season under their belts. That may still happen and its still a little premature to judge but that excitement we all felt in last season's run in that we might actually have the makings of a good team being built which plays entertaining football has certainly been dampened this season and thats why some of us are more vocal in our disappointment than others.

Some good points there Tyler. Tomorrow we will learn a lot more about where we are as a team. All the injuries don't help and will be a ready made excuse for many if we don't get the three points.

And for others even if we win there will be something to moan about.  It's the nature of things, lets just wait and see what happens before getting digs in early shall we.  Oh and lots of injuries is an explanation for things not happening as expected rather than an excuse.

[pauliewalnuts]

I see Barry Glendenning mentioned our pre-match thread in the Guardian today.

I wonder if he reads this thread. There's some excellent debate on here, and you'd get a good overview of where we think we are by just casting an eye over it.

[SoccerHQ]

Glendenning is such a bore on Talksport on a Sunday morning.

Evening anyway Baz!

[Toronto Villa]

More evidence of transition is finding ways to win even when not playing well and never really looking like losing. It was a grind and not as free flowing as we wanted but we worked out a way to get a result.

[eastie]

More evidence of transition is finding ways to win even when not playing well and never really looking like losing. It was a grind and not as free flowing as we wanted but we worked out a way to get a result.

Yes and 4 clean sheets in quick succession bodes well.

[SoccerHQ]

The reality is we're joint 9th in the league despite winning 1 game in 5 and not scoring in 4 of them. And obviously having creative and defensive issues in the team.

The league below the top 7 is not very good is it? That's why I'd be very disappointed if say we finished 13th or 14th as their are teams below us with much bigger problems than we have.

I'm hopeful of a top 10 finish which I'd be happy with for this season. Now if the standard of football could improve to the level of last season's run in then then so much the better.

[eastie]

The reality is we're joint 9th in the league despite winning 1 game in 5 and not scoring in 4 of them. And obviously having creative and defensive issues in the team.

The league below the top 7 is not very good is it? That's why I'd be very disappointed if say we finished 13th or 14th as their are teams below us with much bigger problems than we have.

I'm hopeful of a top 10 finish which I'd be happy with for this season. Now if the standard of football could improve to the level of last season's run in then then so much the better.

This .

[ciggiesnbeer]

Glendenning is such a bore on Talksport on a Sunday morning.

Evening anyway Baz!

Hi baz! Thanks for tipping us to win the league!

[Matt Collins]

I really like Barry on football extra

Results wise, I'm pretty pleased so far, given the fixture list and injuries. And our ability to keep clean sheets (at least sometimes) mean we can win games like yday's.

There's plenty we need to get better at, and I'm not being complacent. I was expecting to see us pass the ball quite a lot better than this and I still think we're desperate for a creative midfielder who could either occupy a wider or central position. If you look at teams around us or that we might think are realistic rivals, they've all got a lallana, amalfitano, cabaye or shelvey etc.

We need a player like that. Or two! The only players in the squad are grealish and carruthers, but I think we'd need to see them doing more on loan to think they are the immediate answer.

[Matt Collins]

https://twitter.com/theciancarroll/status/398090222207893504

Someone on twitter has done a table, showing teams by the value of their fixtures' difficulty. I don't think it's weighted actual points gained, or whether they've weighted home and away differently

Anyway, either way, we're top and Southampton are bottom.

I keep on saying this, but let's start judging the team by around the end of December. We've got loads of winnable games coming up. And i think we've lost one game against a team outside the current top eight since January.