Since VI took control (he only watched the seventh game of the season at millwall). A sniff under 2 points per game. We’ve gone from 4 points and no wins after seven games, looking quite likely to be relegated, to 31 points from 21 games, 9 wins, and comfortably top half of the table. He has a win percentage of 64%. When we were promoted from this division in 96/97, the win percentage was 48%, when we finished fourth in 2000 it was 52%. I know 80 points (96/97) is unlikely to finish second these days. 82 (99/2000) would likely get you to be at home second in the playoffs though. If he gets results at the same rate as he has, we’d finish on 79 points, which is unlikely to finish outside the top six. We will probably have a run of bad results, the luck will go to the other sides, we will likely not get as many as 79 points. But I fail to see how you can do anything but praise him. We haven’t got a brilliant squad, we don’t always play that well, but we win games of football. How good might we be when he signs a couple of players of his choosing?
This looks a season when you don’t need to be good to do well. Look at some of the teams above us; Reading, Watford, Stoke, Middlesbrough. None of these are good sides - they’ve just got better at not being terrible. I think it’s the same with us.
January's fixtures look really tough. If we're still top half after them, then there's every reason to be very optimistic!
I do think we’ve been extremely lucky with injuries and suspensions which has helped. The drop off in quality as soon as any of the first XI are out is alarming - Miller for example looks as poor as anyone I can remember since Fola Onibuje. I still think we’re a Woodrow hamstring strain away from a crisis - which is all the more to his credit I guess that he has managed to keep going with such a small squad of players from which he can realistically choose.
We're still extremely rough around the edges, and carrying a few players who are nowhere near Championship standard. Chaplin did well last season, but he'll need to be moved on if we're to really progress. Ditto Luke Thomas, and George Miller. I actually agree with a lot of Huddersfield fans on their forum that we are pretty limited. But, we do have an extremely solid defence, and a midfield packed with ability. While ever we have this, but a forward line with only one and a half decent players, we'll play like we do. We'll be extremely difficult to beat and have too much for anyone in the bottom half more often than not, while generally playing quite basic football. If we play one of top teams and they're on song, we'll huff and puff, but most of the time we'll look a class below them. Because at the moment we are. However, if we manage to add two top drawer strikers to the squad - one in the Kieffer Moore mould, another with Chaplin's build and pace but with more ability, then I think we'll start playing more attractive football, and look a lot more like Bournemouth, Norwich, Brentford etc. The trouble is, those two strikers alone would be likely to set us back a minimum of £7-£8 million in transfer fees, plus £15k per week wages each, something I'm not sure we're in a position to do.
Given our tactics at two kick offs yesterday, I wonder if by any chance Owen Farrell could be a transfer target.
Hard to fathom how he managed to miss from inside the six yard box in the first half. Maybe our multi angle cameras on the Matchday Recap will reveal something later but it looked as easy a chance as he could ask for.
I may be wrong but I think the defender got a toe on it (after inadvertently back heeling it to Cauley). I was still expecting him to put it in the net though.
But he was tackled, that's the point. The ball was in between his feet and the defender toe poked it goalwards.
I would have to agree with this, looked like their defender got a foot in and the goalkeeper made a good save from his mistake
