It all looks different now.

[sinkov]

I knew, we all knew, we weren't going to compete with the top 6 in the PL, but that didn't matter, there were plenty of 'easier' games where we could pick up the required points. But that was then, this is now, and those easy games seem to have evaporated like early morning mist. We're on a par with Sheffield United and Luton, but Bournemouth and Everton have hit their straps and are picking up points at a rate we can only dream about, Fulham have hit 10 in their last two home games, Brighton, Brentford, Wolves and West Ham are no easy touch and it's looking like we need either Forest or Palace to implode to give us any chance of survival and they're 6 and 8 points in front of us anyway. There are no 'easy' games now, perhaps there never were, and quite honestly, despite our gradual improvement, I don't see how we get out of this.

[kritichris]

Well considered comment sinky and I can't disagree.

[Turf_Forever]

Only once in EPL history have all three promoted teams gone straight back down. 97/98 according to google. There is usually an established team or two that struggles.

But you have to wonder where that's coming from this year. Everton will pull away, so it's 5 points to Forest already.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I was scanning the remaining fixtures and on present form we will/might end up on 27 points and that's me being optimistic.

If we keep VK on to run with the project I'll put a grand on us going straight back up though.

Attachment 25387

[Swissclaret]

It is hard to be optimistic, I agree. However, there was the season when we got hammered on Boxing Day, dropped Duffo and went on an unbeaten run.

I am not saying we can do that, but we are giving teams a game now. Some of the players are improving - Trafford was great against Brighton, Vitinho is a better player, Berge has improved and so on.

VK’s faith in JayRod, JGB and O’Shea is baffling to say the least. There is no point in having pace on the wings if no-one can keep up. Amdouni has pace but he seems forced back/ out by the presence of JayRod.

In the end, there are no easy games at this level and mistakes will be punished. That is how inexperienced, young players like ours learn.

[sinkov]

The biggest disappointment for me is that we're chugging along in the bottom three alongside Sheffield United and Luton, we were so much better than them last season that I assumed we would be well in front of them again this season, and would only need to finish above one other team to survive. I still can't quite work out how, or why, we've allowed them to catch up with us, it was a huge gap last year.

[kritichris]

We're a different team this season sinky, it's been like starting from scratch and you can't do that in the prem.

[sinkov]

We're a different team this season sinky, it's been like starting from scratch and you can't do that in the prem.

I can remember Vinni saying that it was an advantage having won promotion so early, we could start planning for the PL before anyone else. We seem to have squandered that advantage and actually gone backwards. It's a strange one.

[Turf_Forever]

We're a different team this season sinky, it's been like starting from scratch and you can't do that in the prem.

I too think we would have been a totally different proposition had we just held onto Maatsen, THB and Tella. For whatever reason that didn't happen and without doubt it's set us back.

It's hard to be optimistic about this season, but i still feel good about the direction of the club in general.

[malwayne]

THB was the one we should have started off with. I really don’t know why VK didn’t fancy him. He was the first piece of the jigsaw. You need to be strong right down the middle and he would have done the job at the back. All decent teams are built firstly on a strong defence. No need to tell VK that though, is there ?!!