If we don't finish 2nd this year.....

[Red_Polo]

We start on 0 points next season same as the rest.

[James]

I have this horrible feeling that the scum will pass our 18 titles before we win it again.

[einar]

what evidence suggests we're coming out of our dip in form? it doesn't look that way to me.

plus, given that we're currently on target for a higher points total than usual, its just as likely that this is our purple patch.

we don't look like we're coming out of a dip in form to me.

We are IMHO just playing better now then a few weeks ago.

And lets not forget. Rafa has a habit of making his team go on 8-12 game winning runs, so this is hardly our purple patch.

If we keep within 9 points until Jan IMO we have a chance of taking nr. 19

[Joe King]

We are IMHO just playing better now then a few weeks ago.

And lets not forget. Rafa has a habit of making his team go on 8-12 game winning runs, so this is hardly our purple patch.

If we keep within 9 points until Jan IMO we have a chance of taking nr. 19

That only happened once under him two seasons ago.

[Graybach]

I'm under the impression that under Raffa, or at least the last two seasons, we've been the top point scorers since Deceember in each season.

Can someone find the stats to prove me wrong/right please.

I still firmly believe we'll win the league this year!!!

As soon as our injured players like Agger, Alonso and Torres are fit I'm convinced that this will be the end to our dip and hopefully will coincide with other teams dips just as we peak.

Every team have dips, possibly with the exception of Utd last year and Arsenal when they went unbeaton all year.

I'm convinced this is our dip! And if I'm right in thinking that we're normally better than the rest from December onwards (rotation??) and our injured players having had a rest then the future's bright.

Add to this, although I wouldn't want it, the possibility of not being in the Champions league for much longer, again is to our benefit.

If we do get knocked out and qualify for UEFA I eally hope we only put out teams to gain experience.

[willa1975]

I'm under the impression that under Raffa, or at least the last two seasons, we've been the top point scorers since Deceember in each season.

Yes, and the last two seasons, our awful form up to December has meant that our point totals since December have been too little, too late. I know that injuries have taken their toll on us, but our side is still good enough to beat the likes of Birmingham and Portsmouth, and we should have gotten three points today.

What frustrates me is that this season is shaping up to be a repeat of the last two, and the manager has to take some responsibility for this.

[Red_Polo]

I have this horrible feeling that the scum will pass our 18 titles before we win it again.

Something horrible happened to my insides when you said that

This can never ever happen

NEVER

[The Glove]

Something horrible happened to my insides when you said that

This can never ever happen

NEVER

Dont worry about what they get up to. Thats everyones problem. They are to quick to look to other teams. Concentrate on our own team and we will be fine. We are getting to obsessed with everyone else. This is why Everton are ****e. They used to be decent until they started looking at us. Same with City and United. They concentrated on themselves in the last few years and they are better for it. Celtic were to long focusing on Rangers so much so they nearly went bust, now look at them. We need to grow out of other teams shadws and worry about us, not them. Do that and we'll ****in thrash them and whatever ****ty records they have.

[Dhav]

Something horrible happened to my insides when you said that

This can never ever happen

NEVER

Will be absolutely gutted if that happens, but at this point in time it seems more than possible. Sadly, they're miles ahead of us at the mo, we seem to be at least a couple of years away from being a title winning side.

Didn't Scum only finish 1 pt ahead of us in 2006?

[einar]

That only happened once under him two seasons ago.

Still, we have been the best in the prem from Jan in every one of Rafas seasons.
Now we are 6 points of and it is November.
This is clearly Rafas best team so far and if we look at who he brought in in the summer we are not gonna be getting any Kuyts or Voronins in Jan.

I think we can all agree that we are not playing well and that is not the norm for Rafa. We have always started badly and improved.

If I look at the game today we played well enough to win it. And as so often has been the case it is very clear that if we had a Drogba, Rooney, Tevez...... in our team we would have won today. The good news is now we can ad Torres to that list, and the even better news is he is actually our player.

As I see it Rafa is changing the way the team plays and it is coming along slowly. It is not easy to do this with players like Momo, Kuyt, Crouch, Voronin, Pennant and a still adjusting Babel in the team, but I really like that Rafa is sticking to it and not playing the kick and run with Crouch in from the start. I think we should be looking at beating Fulham easily playing nice football. And if we do the team should improve further from there.

And if we keep in touch with the top until January, who knows?
IMO people are underestimating Rafa and must remember that building an empire takes time.

[Red_Polo]

Dont worry about what they get up to. Thats everyones problem. They are to quick to look to other teams. Concentrate on our own team and we will be fine. We are getting to obsessed with everyone else. This is why Everton are ****e. They used to be decent until they started looking at us. Same with City and United. They concentrated on themselves in the last few years and they are better for it. Celtic were to long focusing on Rangers so much so they nearly went bust, now look at them. We need to grow out of other teams shadws and worry about us, not them. Do that and we'll ****in thrash them and whatever ****ty records they have.

Totally agree with you. But you must admit, it's an absolutely sickening thought.

Will be absolutely gutted if that happens, but at this point in time it seems more than possible. Sadly, they're miles ahead of us at the mo, we seem to be at least a couple of years away from being a title winning side.

Didn't Scum only finish 1 pt ahead of us in 2006?

Indeed they did

I don't think we're necessarily that far off where we want to be. It depends how successfully we establish a good pattern of play, if we develop a good system and team ethic to take into next season then we will be in with a great chance. Not that I think we're out of it this season by any means.

[The Glove]

Still, we have been the best in the prem from Jan in every one of Rafas seasons.
Now we are 6 points of and it is November.
This is clearly Rafas best team so far and if we look at who he brought in in the summer we are not gonna be getting any Kuyts or Voronins in Jan.

I think we can all agree that we are not playing well and that is not the norm for Rafa. We have always started badly and improved.

If I look at the game today we played well enough to win it. And as so often has been the case it is very clear that if we had a Drogba, Rooney, Tevez...... in our team we would have won today. The good news is now we can ad Torres to that list, and the even better news is he is actually our player.

As I see it Rafa is changing the way the team plays and it is coming along slowly. It is not easy to do this with players like Momo, Kuyt, Crouch, Voronin, Pennant and a still adjusting Babel in the team, but I really like that Rafa is sticking to it and not playing the kick and run with Crouch in from the start. I think we should be looking at beating Fulham easily playing nice football. And if we do the team should improve further from there.

And if we keep in touch with the top until January, who knows?
IMO people are underestimating Rafa and must remember that building an empire takes time.

I can dig this.


We'll be ok in the end brother, keep the faith.

[Graybach]

Yes, and the last two seasons, our awful form up to December has meant that our point totals since December have been too little, too late. I know that injuries have taken their toll on us, but our side is still good enough to beat the likes of Birmingham and Portsmouth, and we should have gotten three points today.

What frustrates me is that this season is shaping up to be a repeat of the last two, and the manager has to take some responsibility for this.

I agree thet we should have mch more points by now and that we've dropped silly ones but, IF this is our dip, and IF we're still there abouts after christmas then I'm convinced that we'll win the league ( or be 2nd and Alun will be happy as we can win it next season )

Come on lads. We're gonna win the league, We're gonna win the league! (where's Coops for back-up when you need him )

[Marky]

2nd best is 2nd best.

[HotSwine]

I'm under the impression that under Raffa, or at least the last two seasons, we've been the top point scorers since Deceember in each season.

Can someone find the stats to prove me wrong/right please.