Like others have said experience of playing together, factor in they were playing at a higher standard last year and although they struggled it would have helped raise their levels as a squad. The main difference for me though is Pukki, any player with his record will make a huge difference in this league.
Absolutely not. That would be incredibly embarrassing like when Wales had one the other year. Open top buses should be only for when you've won a trophy or promotion.
This is an interesting article about English and German pressing styles overcoming the Spanish tiki taca style. https://www.eurosport.co.uk/footbal...cope-with-the-new-game_sto7839182/story.shtml Of course, Real Madrid embarrassed Liverpool last night but they weren’t exactly tiki taca and Liverpool are well off the boil.
I do find it interesting how people still talk about us 'going on a great run'. For me it's the total opposite. It isn't a 'good run' at all, we actually just got off to a bad start. Table over the last 33 games, since Struber left. Phenomenal.
probably because we tend to go into them as underdogs. the team that 'no one will want to play'. not so sure we would go into them as underdogs this time, but certainly the team 'no one wants to play'. we must be a 'kin nightmare to play against.
On the talent thing, it’s just unfamiliarity I think. Anyone knows you can’t stick any old rubbish together and get a away with it purely down to a system. Look at the old Wimbledon team and where some of those players ended up playing when they moved on. I must admit to watching some games and only the stand out players catch the eye for the opposition because I’m watching my team and I’m familiar with them and what they do, based on watching them every week. I couldn’t name Cardiff’s team, apart from the odd player. To say we have no quality is short sighted and will probably be disproved if we don’t get promoted and other clubs come knocking.
What we do is obvious and has been since Val took over. It’s not a secret and I’d say 1 defeat from 15 says we’re definitely in with a chance of going all the way.
Was reading the Boro forum. They have a rivals thread as they fancied themselves this season. We didn’t get a mention for months, even though we were winning games. Only when we got near the top 6 did they notice us coming up. We had a little spell when we were playing teams just outside the top 6 and then boom! - but of course we’re still the team some of them expect to fall away for some reason.
Spot on mate - I put a post up the other night saying that us Watford and Norwich are the top 3 teams in the last 10,15,20,25 and 30 games, just swapping 1st, 2nd and 3rd position. All three sides are very consistent.