by URZZZZ »
09 Apr 2019 14:24
Victor Meldrew URZZZZ Hound I really wouldn't describe it as a horror run at all.
Its challenging, but other than playing QPR, what isn't? Brentford (won 2 away all season), Brum (lost last 3 away) at home - 2 mid table sides. WBA (lost 2 of last 3 away) will not have much to play for.
Away, Boro are abysmal (lost last 4 at home) and Brizzle very inconsistent (Last four home games: 1-2 vs Brum, 1-1 vs Ipswich, 0-1 vs Leeds, 2-2 vs Wigan). Couldn't ask to play two teams with worse current home form
It could be a hell of a lot worse. Only Norwich is a write off really
+1
Brentford's defence is garbage if you high press them and have a go at them. They're quite good going forward but as long as you hassle them and hit them hard, we should be fine. Do we have the ability/physicality to do that is another question though
Bristol struggle against lowly teams. Drew at home to Ipswich, drew at home to Wigan, drew at home to Millwall, only just scraped through 9 men Rotherham. Is that a case of complacency we could capitalise on or do they struggle to break teams down? Think the trouble is we don't seem to sit back which could hinder us
West Brom are the Reading 16-17 equivalent. They're really not very good, they play Robson Kanu, Gareth Barry and Chris Brunt. Nullify Gayle and his cheating and we'll be fine
Boro is hard to predict, their infamous five defenders and four centre midfielders formation may be difficult for us to break them down, and I think they'll be too strong at the other end from set pieces. Hard to say though, will depend on if they're in or out the playoffs or even still have a chance
Birmingham are a good team on the counter, think we'll struggle with that against the likes of Adams and Maghoma. Likely that they'll have nothing to play for so hopefully that works in our favour
Assuming we lose at Norwich, can see us getting 7 points from 15, which should be enough. But a defeat vs Brentford will really crank the pressure up
An interesting take on all the teams and matches involved.
Firstly on Brentford their goal difference is +7 to our -17 so if their defence is "garbage", what does it say about us and your summary that we just have to put them under pressure and we will be fine does require a very big leap of faith.
Aren't Hull similar and how did we do on Saturday?
As for the rest of the sides you conveniently forget that Birmingham beat Leeds on Saturday and that Bristol City went to Sheff Utd (possibly the hardest away fixture of all) and won the week before.
West brom don't start with the useless Robson-Kanu et al every week and don't forget they put 5 past us in the reverse fixture.
Middlesboro appear to have gone to pieces but are still in with a chance of top 6 and the play-offs.
So, we can talk about so-called experts writing us off-didn't they also say that Fulham would end up about mid-table and that Man Utd would challenge for the title?
I agree, even if some of you seem to have got het up about it, that we should take no notice of experts but there is no doubt we are one of the teams that could get relegated and not to do so requires much more commitment all over the pitch than we normally see.
The loan players have certainly improved us but the ultimate question is have they improved us enough and will they escape injury over the next month?
Obviously there's more to it than simply putting them under pressure but Brentford do really tend to struggle when you force them high up the pitch. Watch Derby's first goal against them at the weekend, they have 5 players high up, they dispossess them and go on and score. Hull are slightly different, they overload with wing play, whereas Brentford play more with inside forwards and play a lot more narrow. Also Hull haven't lost a home game in over 4 months, Brentford have only won 2 away the whole season
Again, your second point backs up what I mean. Birmingham play well on the counter, they beat Leeds twice, drew with United away, beat Bristol away etc. Yet when teams come to them and sit back, they'll struggle, like losing at home to Millwall, losing at home to Bolton, drawing at home to Ipswich. Same with Bristol
Point still stands with HRK. The fact he's even close to starting to a top 6 team is baffling. In the reverse fixture, Harvey Barnes ran us ragged, superb little player. He now plays for Leicester fortunately, and while Murphy is OK, he's no-where near the same level as Barnes
Still think Boro may make top 6 actually, they have a really favourable run in. Think their physicality will be too much for us, whilst our team isn't small, it isn't exactly tall either and Boro do get a lot of set pieces
I think we could deal without most of the loan players, if it's only 1 at a time. Jaakkola is good enough to stand in for Martinez, we'd just have to adjust the kicking, Ejaria can easily be swapped with a number of players, Bod and Baldock are back soon if Nelson gets another problem maybe if Baker or Miazga got injured we'd be in trouble
As long as we play Gunter each week, we'll be OK