Why we WILL go up this season

[TezzaWazzaBazza]

i don't think we will make it this season, think we will be found out defensively,2nd half of season,unless we make a couple of signings to push on
ie flint of middlesbro would be great .
but enjoying the ride at the moment.long may it continue.

There's nothing to find out, Bielsa told everyone his strategy weeks ago. Other teams have to be better.

[isrodger]

A word of caution tells me, we are only 2 points better off to what we were at this stage last season (after 5 games).

However, as others have said, it just feels different this year. Bielsa is a country mile better than the likes of TC and Hecky (and that’s not being disrespectful to them), the players are fully onboard with what he is trying to do, the atmosphere at the games is incredible and we are hardly using the players brought in over the summer as yet.

All positive at the minute, but it’s a long, long season.

In fairness we were a bit lucky in the first 7 last year forest apart, and we played nobody bar Fulham. The next 2 league games will be a huge measure of our progress and how the total football will fair against anti football in some respects

[Costy]

A word of caution tells me, we are only 2 points better off to what we were at this stage last season (after 5 games).

However, as others have said, it just feels different this year. Bielsa is a country mile better than the likes of TC and Hecky (and that’s not being disrespectful to them), the players are fully onboard with what he is trying to do, the atmosphere at the games is incredible and we are hardly using the players brought in over the summer as yet.

All positive at the minute, but it’s a long, long season.

In fairness we were a bit lucky in the first 7 last year forest apart, and we played nobody bar Fulham. The next 2 league games will be a huge measure of our progress and how the total football will fair against anti football in some respects

Its true about our first handful of games last season. Quite a few of those teams ended up even lower than us in the league. We had an easy start and when it got difficult we were revealed for what we were; mid table standard. I remember thinking after the Birmingham game when we went top that something wasn't right, because they were the better team on the night and yet they were bottom! This season DOES feel different though. Derby, Stoke and Swansea will likely all be play off contenders so to have taken the points we have is great. Friday's game is massive - win that and I'll really start to believe we have a genuine chance of promotion this year.

[dlw10]

Lots of obstacles still to come! First one is Boro on Friday, that should be our biggest test to date against a side full of confidence, with a vastly experienced manager who has had his team through a promotion chase and a summer window and which has plenty of streetwise characters in it like Ayala! If we come through that then the next thing is to keep it all boiling through an international break - we know how we have traditionally come back looking a shadow of the team that finished the previous section of the season! The other thing I am still not convinced about is how we will respond to losing players through injury and suspension (although league suspensions are more difficult to get this season with the cup yellow seperate and in any case we are not picking up many yellows!) I do think we are only as good as our best 12 or 13 players. Thus far we've lost Forshaw, Dallas and Coops and we have got by (with the possible exception of that first half hour at Swansea when we were a bit, ahem, at sea.
I believe we will be getting one more player in before Friday and it should be a player who improves that first 12 or 13.
This is not "last seasons" team BTW, there are tooo many changes to really say that; BPF only did the last few games and before that we had a keeper that oozed fragility; Klich only played until Cardiff early doors; Berardi wasn't at centre back, Phillips didn't have a defined role and we lost Ayling for the second half of the season as well as Saiz for a crucial 6 weeks in the middle. We didnt play Roofe in his preferered striking role and we didn't have Douglas either of course and, we didn't have the obvious and clear thinking and organisation that Bielsa has brought us! Finally, all the players that were with us have got one more year's experience of playing in the Championship and in some cases of playing in England - that is invaluable as well. Those to me are all major changes and changes that have given us a real chance this season if we can keep the whole thing stable. It's pure speculation to try to say if we will or will not go up but we have given ourselves a chance other things being equal.

[Deleted User 5081]

Lots of obstacles still to come! First one is Boro on Friday, that should be our biggest test to date against a side full of confidence, with a vastly experienced manager who has had his team through a promotion chase and a summer window and which has plenty of streetwise characters in it like Ayala! If we come through that then the next thing is to keep it all boiling through an international break - we know how we have traditionally come back looking a shadow of the team that finished the previous section of the season! The other thing I am still not convinced about is how we will respond to losing players through injury and suspension (although league suspensions are more difficult to get this season with the cup yellow seperate and in any case we are not picking up many yellows!) I do think we are only as good as our best 12 or 13 players. Thus far we've lost Forshaw, Dallas and Coops and we have got by (with the possible exception of that first half hour at Swansea when we were a bit, ahem, at sea.
I believe we will be getting one more player in before Friday and it should be a player who improves that first 12 or 13.
This is not "last seasons" team BTW, there are tooo many changes to really say that; BPF only did the last few games and before that we had a keeper that oozed fragility; Klich only played until Cardiff early doors; Berardi wasn't at centre back, Phillips didn't have a defined role and we lost Ayling for the second half of the season as well as Saiz for a crucial 6 weeks in the middle. We didnt play Roofe in his preferered striking role and we didn't have Douglas either of course and, we didn't have the obvious and clear thinking and organisation that Bielsa has brought us! Finally, all the players that were with us have got one more year's experience of playing in the Championship and in some cases of playing in England - that is invaluable as well. Those to me are all major changes and changes that have given us a real chance this season if we can keep the whole thing stable. It's pure speculation to try to say if we will or will not go up but we have given ourselves a chance other things being equal.

Excellent Post dlw, agree wholeheartedly, some excellent points.

[saintjimmy]

Yeah good post dlw, I’m not getting giddy just yet I need a few more games for that , and I do share isrodger’s fear that we are still a little thin on the ground but if we are still up there come Christmas I’m sure we will spend To help push us on .

I used to be terrible thinking positively could jinx us and I’ve only just started dipping my toes into the predictor league again for the same reason , yes you do need a little luck on the way but it’s mostly down to hard graft and the teams belief that gets them promoted not what colour kecks I wear
I thinks it’s been that long that I’ve ( we ) had a genuine sniff of a good run without the wheels falling off Like last season that you can’t help a little apprehension creep in , we’ve started well but that’s all it is at the moment, a good start , but long may it continue.

Hope your right ANS

MOT