What do we really expect?

Last season after 12 games we had 17 points, a quarter of the 68 points we finished on.

The season before we had 22 points at the same stage, again roughly a quarter of the 82 we ended up with.

This season we are on 24 points after 12 games, if we stay true to form and this turns out to be a quarter of our final tally, personally I will be a very happy man.

I'm sorry but I really can't understand the point all the doom & gloom merchants are trying to make. I don't think anyone is gonna argue that every year we get better as the season goes on, and we've had our best start in the league under Rafa. To me this indicates that unless something goes terribly wrong we are going to also have our best finish in the league, maybe not quite good enough to win it but certainly a lot closer than we have been.

The point raised to 'prove' what a bad position we're in tends to be the fact that we've put in poor performances, and I'm not gonna deny that, but again I don't see that as a reason for us not being successful this season. We're not gonna play poorly for the whole season, if we can average two points a game whilst we are playing badly imagine what we'll do when we're on form?

As I've said in numerous threads, if we keep within six points of the top come Christmas, something which isn't looking unrealistic, I believe we can go on & win the league this season.

good post Eddie C...the stats speak for themselves. We are going in the right direction

I feel that the other 3 (ManU, Chelsea and Arsenal) will at some point have 'wobbles', either hit by injuries or loss of form etc and will drop points. If we can stay with them for now and then have a great run near the end it will be very close

'This season we are on 24 points after 12 games, if we stay true to form and this turns out to be a quarter of our final tally, personally I will be a very happy man'



96 points at the end of the season anyone? 

We are optimistic because we have reason to be...the sceptics/cynics are expecting us to brush aside "lowly" opponents effortlessly, conquering all and sundry. A bit of an exaggeration maybe, but given our position at this stage we still have every chance of being champions. But it would be fair to say that it is the performances on our way to our 24 points/near champions league exit that has left a bitter after taste.

If we win the league, these last 12 games will simply be a means to an end, something we look back on and say "...its because we started better than we have in ages..." so we should look at it for what it is.

Its quiet optimism that keeps me sane. Don't get me wrong, I was as annoyed as the next fan at dropping points in the prem and losing against the Turks and French, but I always knew that sooner or later we would find our stride and start producing the kind of displays that makes us title contenders. Once the emotion subsides and I look at our league position it is encouraging. We want to dominate European Football again and we want to start at home, but in order to mount a sustainable challenge, the right structures must be in place...and these take time to build. It could start this season...and I hope it does. If we look around though, we'll see that we are headed in the right direction.

Walk on...

but in order to mount a sustainable challenge, the right structures must be in place...and these take time to build.

couldn't agree more

We are optimistic because we have reason to be...the sceptics/cynics are expecting us to brush aside "lowly" opponents effortlessly, conquering all and sundry. A bit of an exaggeration maybe, but given our position at this stage we still have every chance of being champions. But it would be fair to say that it is the performances on our way to our 24 points/near champions league exit that has left a bitter after taste.

If we win the league, these last 12 games will simply be a means to an end, something we look back on and say "...its because we started better than we have in ages..." so we should look at it for what it is.

Its quiet optimism that keeps me sane. Don't get me wrong, I was as annoyed as the next fan at dropping points in the prem and losing against the Turks and French, but I always knew that sooner or later we would find our stride and start producing the kind of displays that makes us title contenders. Once the emotion subsides and I look at our league position it is encouraging. We want to dominate European Football again and we want to start at home, but in order to mount a sustainable challenge, the right structures must be in place...and these take time to build. It could start this season...and I hope it does. If we look around though, we'll see that we are headed in the right direction.

Walk on...

This gets my vote for post of the year. Great stuff......

We are optimistic because we have reason to be...the sceptics/cynics are expecting us to brush aside "lowly" opponents effortlessly, conquering all and sundry. A bit of an exaggeration maybe, but given our position at this stage we still have every chance of being champions. But it would be fair to say that it is the performances on our way to our 24 points/near champions league exit that has left a bitter after taste.

If we win the league, these last 12 games will simply be a means to an end, something we look back on and say "...its because we started better than we have in ages..." so we should look at it for what it is.

Its quiet optimism that keeps me sane. Don't get me wrong, I was as annoyed as the next fan at dropping points in the prem and losing against the Turks and French, but I always knew that sooner or later we would find our stride and start producing the kind of displays that makes us title contenders. Once the emotion subsides and I look at our league position it is encouraging. We want to dominate European Football again and we want to start at home, but in order to mount a sustainable challenge, the right structures must be in place...and these take time to build. It could start this season...and I hope it does. If we look around though, we'll see that we are headed in the right direction.

Walk on...

Well said Saffi 7. Couldn't agree more with that. Especially with what I've highlighted. It explains exactly how I feel about things.

We are headed in the right direction and we are making progress. So no one can expect more than that, surely? It takes a lot of hard graft to win the league and I firmly believe at this moment we are in a very good position in general to keep working hard and to keep improving. Maybe one of the best for many years. We can only get better as the season progresses. I hope...