Comparison to last season

[Pilgrim Dan]

I think we all know we're on the exact same number of points for 12 games (12) as we were this time last season, but I thought it would be a more interesting comparison to compare the points taken against the teams we have played this vs last.

Where we have played Luton (3rd bottom Prem) I have compared vs Leicester (1st in Champ), and Burnley (2nd Bottom Prem) vs Ipswich (2nd in Champ)

We have taken 12 points this season compared to 18 least season against the same, or equivalent sides. Basically 6 points we need to find from "other" games if we are going to hit or exceed the 51 points we got last season.

Loosing to Stoke is obviously the biggest swing, and failing to beat Hull this season is also a disappointment. We simply must win half our home games (36ish points), plus 3 away wins (45 points) and pick up 6 or 7 draws to reach that 51 - let alone the 58 at that has been set

 

[Green Flash]

I think we all know we're on the exact same number of points for 12 games (12) as we were this time last season, but I thought it would be a more interesting comparison to compare the points taken against the teams we have played this vs last.

Where we have played Luton (3rd bottom Prem) I have compared vs Leicester (1st in Champ), and Burnley (2nd Bottom Prem) vs Ipswich (2nd in Champ)

We have taken 12 points this season compared to 18 least season against the same, or equivalent sides. Basically 6 points we need to find from "other" games if we are going to hit or exceed the 51 points we got last season.

Loosing to Stoke is obviously the biggest swing, and failing to beat Hull this season is also a disappointment. We simply must win half our home games (36ish points), plus 3 away wins (45 points) and pick up 6 or 7 draws to reach that 51 - let alone the 58 at that has been set

There are a million and one ways of comparing last season. My view is that we are broadly on the same path as we were under Schumacher, with exciting high scoring home games where we ride our big Home Park advantage to win more often than not on a "we will let you play but we will score more than you" basis and toothless away performances.

 

[Rosie]

I think we all know we're on the exact same number of points for 12 games (12) as we were this time last season, but I thought it would be a more interesting comparison to compare the points taken against the teams we have played this vs last.

Where we have played Luton (3rd bottom Prem) I have compared vs Leicester (1st in Champ), and Burnley (2nd Bottom Prem) vs Ipswich (2nd in Champ)

We have taken 12 points this season compared to 18 least season against the same, or equivalent sides. Basically 6 points we need to find from "other" games if we are going to hit or exceed the 51 points we got last season.

Loosing to Stoke is obviously the biggest swing, and failing to beat Hull this season is also a disappointment. We simply must win half our home games (36ish points), plus 3 away wins (45 points) and pick up 6 or 7 draws to reach that 51 - let alone the 58 at that has been set

 

[Cobi Budge]

I’d say that things are quite similar, we’re mostly strong and exciting at home, but tepid and toothless away. It’s vital that we beat Pompey because I doubt we’ll pick up more than a point from Leeds and Derby.

 

[greenpilled]

I expect us to beat the lower half of the table teams at home and draw away, while targeting draws with the top half teams at home and anything we get away is a bonus.

That works out at 55 points a season, which would keep us up comfortably. It's a decent enough yardstick for each individual result, and you can also keep track of the 'outperformances' and 'underperformances' to see if they're more or less balancing out.

On the basis of the current table, we've outperformed v Sunderland and Blackburn, par scores v QPR, West Brom, Luton, Burnley and Millwall and underperformed v Sheff Weds, Hull, Stoke, Cardiff and Preston.

So I'd say we're already about 5 points adrift of even a lower mid table points tally. My feeling is that once again it's going to be on a knife edge whether we stay up or not, as would be expected on our budget.

 

[Green Flash]

I expect us to beat the lower half of the table teams at home and draw away, while targeting draws with the top half teams at home and anything we get away is a bonus.

That works out at 55 points a season, which would keep us up comfortably. It's a decent enough yardstick for each individual result, and you can also keep track of the 'outperformances' and 'underperformances' to see if they're more or less balancing out.

On the basis of the current table, we've outperformed v Sunderland and Blackburn, par scores v QPR, West Brom, Luton, Burnley and Millwall and underperformed v Sheff Weds, Hull, Stoke, Cardiff and Preston.

So I'd say we're already about 5 points adrift of even a lower mid table points tally. My feeling is that once again it's going to be on a knife edge whether we stay up or not, as would be expected on our budget.

I thought we were told the budget had increased so we should be competitive this season?

 

[elburtontrev]

We're playing better football than last season but still missing a strong CDM but we have better strikers imho, still missing an Azaz as currently Al Haj hasn't hit the heights. Galloway needs to be fit to give us better defensive options.
Going to be interesting but a little concerning about Rooney 'in game' tactics

 

[Monster Green]

We're playing better football than last season but still missing a strong CDM but we have better strikers imho, still missing an Azaz as currently Al Haj hasn't hit the heights. Galloway needs to be fit to give us better defensive options.
Going to be interesting but a little concerning about Rooney 'in game' tactics

Need to give Hajj longer. Only played a few games, he's still getting used to the pace and physicality

 

[greengodwin]

I thought we were told the budget had increased so we should be competitive this season?

But has our budget increased relative to the rest of the Championship clubs. No doubt the additional Sky money has upped our budget but if other Owners are adding to this then I suspect we're no better, if not worse off. I thought Andrew was clever saying we had a competitive budget ....make of this what you will..... Personally, I think the Board are doing their best trying to balance immediate squad needs with long term investment (e.g. Brickfields) particularly as it is clear that no one is about to ride into town with a bag of gold....!!

 

[Green Flash]

But has our budget increased relative to the rest of the Championship clubs. No doubt the additional Sky money has upped our budget but if other Owners are adding to this then I suspect we're no better, if not worse off. I thought Andrew was clever saying we had a competitive budget ....make of this what you will..... Personally, I think the Board are doing their best trying to balance immediate squad needs with long term investment (e.g. Brickfields) particularly as it is clear that no one is about to ride into town with a bag of gold....!!

I certainly got the impression that our budget was still on the low side relative to the division as a whole but that we were no longer in the lowest budget category, I could have got the wrong impression though.

 

[Balham Green]

I’d say that things are quite similar, we’re mostly strong and exciting at home, but tepid and toothless away. It’s vital that we beat Pompey because I doubt we’ll pick up more than a point from Leeds and Derby.

Beating Preston was vital too! It was 2 points dropped in the cold light of day

 

[Boscombe Green]

I thought we were told the budget had increased so we should be competitive this season?

I was watching Norwich and Middlesbrough slogging it out last night (two mid table sides) and wondering if the overall league quality has gone up another notch this season.

 

[Mark Pedlar]

No empirical evidence but it feels to me that we have a slightly better squad (barring injuries) but are not doing quite so well, so far.

It is virtually impossible to compare 2 seasons directly when you're only part way through one. Every team has changed something and have differing strengths and weaknesses. 6 teams have left the division 6 teams have come in. The order we play teams in has changed as has the vsrious team's rankings. We know there are indicators, one of which is, traditionally, where you are at the end of November is a good indicator of where you will finish (with the inevitable caveat that one team will drop like a stone and one will climb out of the mess) as is goal difference.

 

[ManilaGreen]

I think we all know we're on the exact same number of points for 12 games (12) as we were this time last season, but I thought it would be a more interesting comparison to compare the points taken against the teams we have played this vs last.

Where we have played Luton (3rd bottom Prem) I have compared vs Leicester (1st in Champ), and Burnley (2nd Bottom Prem) vs Ipswich (2nd in Champ)

We have taken 12 points this season compared to 18 least season against the same, or equivalent sides. Basically 6 points we need to find from "other" games if we are going to hit or exceed the 51 points we got last season.

Loosing to Stoke is obviously the biggest swing, and failing to beat Hull this season is also a disappointment. We simply must win half our home games (36ish points), plus 3 away wins (45 points) and pick up 6 or 7 draws to reach that 51 - let alone the 58 at that has been set

I’ve always tracked how we are doing this way. And whilst we are currently 6 points behind last season against the same teams, we also have a long run of games coming up to make up that difference.
Between now and mid Feb we only have 2 games where we won the corresponding fixtures last season (Oxford home and away who replaced Rotherham).
The other 19 games between now and the 22nd Feb at home to Cardiff we picked up 6 draws and 13 defeats in the same fixtures last season.

 

[Balham Green]

I’ve always tracked how we are doing this way. And whilst we are currently 6 points behind last season against the same teams, we also have a long run of games coming up to make up that difference.
Between now and mid Feb we only have 2 games where we won the corresponding fixtures last season (Oxford home and away who replaced Rotherham).
The other 19 games between now and the 22nd Feb at home to Cardiff we picked up 6 draws and 13 defeats in the same fixtures last season.

Eh? We didn't play Oxford last season.