5pm Saturday

[Katie Borkins 1]

On Tuesday night I had a very strange dream.  I walked down Prince of Wales Road but had to climb a technicolour mountain range (in the rain and mud) at the back of the train station to get to the ground.  Others were travelling with me.  We got to the ground, which had one open stand we all walked through, and I was standing on the touchline wearing a camping-size rucksack while watching the game.  The score was 1-1, but I had to leave early to climb back over the mountains to get home, and when I switched on the radio in my car I heard we had lost 2-1.

This is all legit, by the way.

Anyway, I have heard that you should always reverse the score you dream of, so that would mean we win tomorrow 2-1.  Though frankly, who knows.  The following night, I dreamt that a new TK Maxx had opened in Anglia Square and I was in there with a colleague from work buying running shoes.

Suffice it to say I have £10 on us winning 2-1 tomorrow.

But yes, if we don''t win then it will be rich pickings for the doom-mongers.  No odds on that score.

Of course, if we do win then it was only Bournemouth etc.

[Gainer the Gopher 0]

Early in the thread it was pointed out saying this game could define our season is a ridiculous thought. Au contraire. If we bounce back strongly after that disaster at Southampton, that could be a great defining moment. We''ll have a few stinkers along the way, but if we typically respond to them with a flourish, then this game, assuming it goes well, will define our season, and in a great way.

Palace was a crushing defeat, but not due to our play. We responded by taking Sunderland to school. Southampton was a train wreck in every imaginable way, and if we follow that up with strong performances, then next time we do lay an egg, rather than doom and gloom, we can feel good it was "just one of those days" and look forward to the next game with optimism.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Make up your mind GG, you completely contradicted yourself in your first paragraph alone.

If we cannot beat the Cherries on our own soil then the rest of the season will truly be defined as even more of an uphill struggle than expectations.

Bournemouth seem likely to be very much amongst the relegation threatened themselves so anything other than a win will be a disaster, IMO.

My balanced opinion is that we have enough going for us to survive with some comfort, but home defeats against the likes of Bournemouth will quickly dissipate this confidence.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Sorry GG. Misread.

Agreed that this game defines our season.

[Herman 9,713]

If we lose today but then go on to beat Liverpool will our defined season then be redined?

[Gainer the Gopher 0]

Cheers, Broadstairs :)

If it becomes a pattern and this is the start of it, then yes Herman. Such a pattern as you describe would be incredibly frustrating, tho. Massive highs and soul crushing lows.

[Crabbycanary3 994]

And that GtG is Sport!

[Gainer the Gopher 0]

Beating teams around us at home and losing to the top 6 on the road doesn''t create quite the same extremes as Herman''s scenario.

[sonyc 5,491]

I cannot see us winning today but will not be on here moaning at 5pm. I rarely do. I think it could be a bad loss like 0-3 or 1-3. And if that happens it does not define our season.

I have rarely felt so downbeat and I do not know why, maybe it''s the lack of defensive reinforcement in the window. I''m normally half glass full. We should be beating Bournemouth but Wilson is the real deal for me and I see him having a field day.

[Gainer the Gopher 0]

sonyc, ya gotta have a little faith.

This game absolutely could define our season. We''ll have other poor performances, but it''s how you respond to them that shows what you''re made of. We''re made of balls!

[ReadingCanary 0]

It''s 5pmIt''s SunnyI have a drinkWe have 3 Premier League pointsEnd of Thread

[Canary Wundaboy 1,358]

I''ll hold my hands up, I''m down one £10 free bet (right scoreline, wrong way around) but we played really well and we''re top half again. More importantly we took 3 points of a potential relegation rival, the lack of which was our downfall last season in the Prem. Really impressed, having a beer to toast AN.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Bread and butter victory which defines our PL status, but also defines Bournemouth as a team who are likely to struggle.

We have moved up a notch and I. personally, think were better equipped for the Premier League than at any time under Lambert or Hughton.

Alex Neill is lucky in a way for however much we criticise all his predessors we have accumulated a very good squad.

[A Load of Squit 5,128]

[quote user="Canary Wundaboy"]I''ll hold my hands up, I''m down one £10 free bet (right scoreline, wrong way around) but we played really well and we''re top half again. More importantly we took 3 points of a potential relegation rival, the lack of which was our downfall last season in the Prem. Really impressed, having a beer to toast AN.[/quote]

You bet £10 on us to lose 1-3!I hope you get the pox, your knob falls off and your balls swell up to the size of water melons.You are disgusting.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

[quote user="ReadingCanary"]It''s 5pmIt''s SunnyI have a drinkWe have 3 Premier League pointsEnd of Thread[/quote]

Lol, silly pant wetters! We are a quality side and Alex Neil is an unbelievable manager! We can chill for a few weeks now, points on the board!

[Herman 9,713]

[url]https://youtu.be/te6F1rX3wzo[/url]

[Stylish Canary 0]

A good day and hopefully not last on match of the day

[morty 0]

Anyone seen Highland?

[Budapest Canary 152]

You gotta like it when you''re wedged in between Liverpool and ManU on the table, and 8 places above Chelsea... even if it''s early season.

[Herman 9,713]

[quote user="morty"]Anyone seen Highland?[/quote]Two disastrous results in less than 24 hours?! Won''t be around until next week''s result prediction thread.

[A Load of Squit 5,128]

[quote user="Dave from Lowestoft "]It''s going to get messy. Can''t wait[/quote]

Go and boil your head.

[Lessingham Canary 99]

Great to have our football back and get rid of that international break, maybe now the haters will have a quiet week and allow us to rejoice the brightest young manager in the game, who has shown us (after the Southampton blip) he is assembling a good solid squad that is comfortable on the ball.

Sorry for those who are still smarting after Readings glorious win last night, you know who you are !!

[Essjayess 307]

Today was one of those days when the positivity of our midfield and forward line far outweighed the lackings our defence display. Bournemouth are a bit naive defensively. but a day like today when Wes shines like he does, quite a few defences  can suffer. When the little maestro eventually hangs his boots up. surely he will be regarded as one of Citys all time greats. Good seeing Cam putting the ball away, Jarvis having as good a debut as anyone could have, a first taster of Mbokani, he looks good.Was just awaiting Citys defence to do their inevitable "lets all stand here and watch the opposition score" moment and sure enough it came. But overall, defence were ok today, Wisdom got a bit better as the match progressed, Russell had a solid game, thought Seb was turned by Wilson 1 or 2 times, but Wilson looks class. Most importantly, City were back to positive attacking. When theyre going forward like that and everything clicks, its an absolute joy to watch.

[Highland Canary 76]

A most satisfactory afternoon, a couple of points from the next two matches and we''ll have recovered our disappointing start and will be back on track for 39 points:-) Wes, the star of the day with special mention to the left hand side!

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,017]

Damn Norwich City with faint praise why don you Highland, you really are a miserable sounding sod, I am going to rename you Marvin (Has it got oceans, i cannot bear oceans).......

[ron obvious 1,499]

...and I''ve I''ve got these terrible pains in all the diodes down my left hand side ...

.. parking cars. What do you think I''ve been doing. Here I am, brain the size of a planet ... (wheeze, clank, wheeze, clank, mutters off into the distance ...)

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,017]

Life, don`t talk to me about life.........

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="Herman "][quote user="Strawman"][quote user="Herman "]We''re not relegation candidates Ricardo.[/quote]So if we beat Bournemouth we''re safe for the season -- very reassuring info, thanks, Herman.[/quote]We''re safe for the season anyway. Stop pappin'' yr kecks.[/quote]Just concerned about defense, not presently, but later on in the season, Herman - Tettey''s massive in that area and a yellow away from suspension with Mulumbu out for six weeks - plus it''s a heavy-ish fixture list until January, especially so if we beat Albion in the League Cup, when we''re able to strengthen.That said, after the Grabban/Johnson induced Southampton debacle, today''s performance has gone a long way in preventing me from having an a*se-quake in my City away strip pantaloons [:)]

[ron obvious 1,499]

I think we''re going to have to resign ourselves to a suspension for Alex. Fortunately it''s only one match, so perhaps O''Neil can cover (though I doubt he''ll be as effective).

[nutty nigel 7,509]

So has our season been defined?

If so, what''s the verdict?

If not, would it have been defined if we''d not won?