Corner turned?

[morty]

?

 

[KeiranShikari]

A win next Friday and I'll say yes.

Looking much more like a team than they were even during August and September.

 

[crabbycanary]

I said it in another thread, but I thought some of the football we played today (playing out from the back, good one touch stuff) was excellent, and is that the Phelan factor/new formation etc?

I don't know just yet, but if Derby are meant to be looking to go top today, and we made them look like that, on their own patch, then we have real promise, but haven't we said that already this season?

 

[Din]

Not sure if it's completely turned just yet, I think a lot depends on our next 2 games against Millwall and Reading, which as I've said before, both certainly fall into the category of 'winnable'. We are certainly heading in the right direction at the moment.

 

[Yellow Fever]

IMO, this unbeaten run is now the key. Watford scraped a win over Reading after having a player sent off. We need to keep the run going and use the quality we have to build through the second half of the season. Watched Ipswich-Boro this afternoon and Boro were awful. Ipswich work very hard for each other and make the most of what they have, but can't see them in the top two places. Both Bournemouth and Brentford have small squads which will be tested as the season goes on. Confident of the play-offs at least and still in with a chance of top 2.

 

[ZLF]

Dec continues to be encouraging - a deserved point against one of the teams that will be top three come may is always great news.

Our main challenge will be to ensure we dont revert to dropping points to the mid/lower table sides as we did in Oct/Nov -  and start converting draws to wins etc. As such Millwall is probably a larger challenge for us than Derby.    

Just as a win in 3 is too soon to sack so is a undefeated 3 game run to celebrate.     Some great progress, yet still some worryingly average elements to our game - lets keep the progress up and see where we are at the end of Jan. 

 

[TA Canary]

The signs are looking good, but like others here said it's still too soon to say.

4 points from the next 2 games, hopefully 6, and I would say definitely yes.

 

[SussexYellow]

IMO, this unbeaten run is now the key. Watford scraped a win over Reading after having a player sent off. We need to keep the run going and use the quality we have to build through the second half of the season. Watched Ipswich-Boro this afternoon and Boro were awful. Ipswich work very hard for each other and make the most of what they have, but can't see them in the top two places. Both Bournemouth and Brentford have small squads which will be tested as the season goes on. Confident of the play-offs at least and still in with a chance of top 2.

I agree keeping the run going is vital. We have placed ourselves in a position where any set backs now will be a big blow. Perhaps once we are back inside the top six we can afford a slip up, but while we are trying to bridge the gap we have to keep it going.

Yesterday was a big test and we can through it well. Most of us probably would have taken a draw before kick off but by the end of the game a point did not feel like a fair return. That is the measure of progress over the last three games. But we have more big games coming up against the top teams in the not too distant future and we need to keep the run going to keep confidence as high as possible for those games.

 

[Yellow Fever]

Well said Sussex, and Millwall and Reading will be the indicator before the crucial game against Bournemouth after that. By then, we'll know the true strength of the revival. Long may it continue!

 

[Canaryboy]

I hope so. 

I'd feel a lot better about our current situation if Ipswich weren't doing so well, the bastards look like they are going to be mounting a serious challenge. 

And somebody needs to stop Bournemouth, because they look like they could be nailing down that number 1 spot, we play them away soon so I hope it can be us. 

 

[Canaryboy]

What did Andrew Surman and Callum Wilson see in Bournemouth that nobody else could? 

 

[KeiranShikari]

I think they mostly saw playing time tbh.

 

[Yellow Fever]

It's funny how much psychology is involved in football. Whittaker's 89th minute goal completely changed the take on the match from the teams and their fans. For us, it became an upbeat result, while for Derby it was deflation. 

http://metro.co.uk/2014/12/21/derby-county-must-splash-the-cash-in-january-to-keep-premier-league-dream-alive-4994879/?

Like QPR last year, we have now realised that just having a big squad of quality players isn't enough in this league. It takes hard graft in the midfield battle, pressing the opposition hard and using the ball well when we get it. That's happened in the last 3 games and the results have followed. To make that happen through the whole season is a challenge though, if your squad is small and fatigue and injuries start to set in. Derby seem to be feeling that already and it will start to take a toll on others. We're fortunate to have key players like Hooper, Hoolahan, Ryan Bennett and Odjidja-Ofoe coming back into the team at the right time. 

 

[eatonparkboy]

I hope so. 

I'd feel a lot better about our current situation if Ipswich weren't doing so well, the bastards look like they are going to be mounting a serious challenge. 

And somebody needs to stop Bournemouth, because they look like they could be nailing down that number 1 spot, we play them away soon so I hope it can be us. 

This feeling is only to pertinent to supporters.

Our coaching staff and players know it is still in their hands. We aren't quite half way and it is still anybodies league. The teams at the top, at the moment are are runs. When, not if, they come to an end, the strong clubs, and it is up to City to prove they are, will seize the opportunity to close the gap.

Then its down to bottle. as much as anything and I'm thinking most of our boys have been there before.

 

[Yellow Fever]

Exactly EPB. The trouble with good runs is that when results start going wrong the psychology goes wrong as well and things can fall away quickly. It's already happened with Wolves and Forest after good starts and others will follow. The test lies, as you say in the strength of each clubover the whole of the season.

 

[Canaryboy]

Isn't there a thing about the team who are top of the league at Christmas almost always winning the league, or is that just the Premier League? 

 

[morty]

Isn't there a thing about the team who are top of the league at Christmas almost always winning the league, or is that just the Premier League? 

Or is that more the team who is bottom at Christmas always gets relegated?

 

[Yellow Fever]

It's possible that Bournemouth could keep their run going, but I doubt it myself. I think they, Ipswich and Brentford will fade in the second half of the season. Play-offs, perhaps, but not top two, IMO.

 

[TA Canary]

Well, I said 4 points from the games against Millwall and Reading would convince me. That didn't seem like asking too much.

When Adams was appointed I thought he deserved the first 10 games at least and if we were in a playoff spot then he gets until Christmas when again we should be in a playoff spot at least.

I try not to judge based on a couple of good or bad performances, but it's now half a season gone and we are where we are not because of a blip. There's close to two weeks before the next league game, it's a good time to bring in someone like Uwe Rosler and shake things up.

 

[Dubai Mark]

The thing is, that regardless of what we think regarding Neil Adams, it looks very likely that the Board have made the change in bringing in Mike Phelan, a move that I hoped would be enough and looked like it was working. I even went and started a post confidently going for a top two finish........oh how one game can change things, as yesterday appears to be back to how we were performing before Phelan had a chance to make a difference. Maybe,  just maybe yesterday was a blip?