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sonyc

Coming up to 12 games in...

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Some folk on here suggested we wait 10 to 12 games into the season to review Farke''s performance and tomorrow we will have played our 11th, marking virtually 25% of the season. Too early to call perhaps for an end of campaign prediction?.... possibly the end of November is a good sign of how the season might pan out.

I have kept my belief, albeit tested earlier on, but overall, I feel very encouraged at this point having seen a steel and desire in the team, recently being matched with results. Just wondering if people feel likewise - or not won over yet by the manager. I''m assuming that the tide has turned in his favour.

We won''t win every game but we should now feel our team is at the very least competitive. It''s looking like a close league this year from as far low as 16th upwards. Many people went for us ending 8th to 16th in their pre season expectations. Yet wouldn''t even 8th now be a disappointment? That is how far we have come IMO.

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Perhaps I should get m'' coat!

Happy to be in 5th and a chance to consolidate in the top 6 at the weekend ready for an attack on the automatics around Xmas.

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Don’t believe the mythical 10 game mark that people say buddy. The goalposts get moved when it suits. Shame not to win tonight, but another good result away from home. It’s clear we have absolutely nothing to fear in this division - promotion is there if we want it enough. OTBC

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Well I was a ten gamer with the view that if there were no signs of improvement upon last seasons hit and miss affair (and coming below the binners as well) after getting on for one quarter of the season then perhaps there would never be.

Most of us convinced ourselves that last season was one of transition and that we would kick on this time around.

There were signs that DF had a lot to offer, but there were also indications that his style was somewhat stuck in mud and that he could only achieve mid-table mediocrity with NCFC at the best.

Year upon year of this, with debts mounting, was my dread and therefore I would have wanted immediate change if this became clearly on the cards.

My exact words were "there or thereabouts" after this 10 game period.

This relatively limited expectation which I would hope is not based upon a false sense of entitlement, has been achieved, and with style.

As far as I am concerned, and unless it goes tits up, Farke is here for the season and, like others, I am beginning to dwell on thoughts of the long term and contractual issues.

However, a month is a long time in football as we have just witnessed. From also rans to top six in no time. It could go the other way, but I would still have seen enough to encourage my

optimism. This team now has something about it.

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I admit that I was very sceptical come september and fearing a mediocre season like last one... I am still fairly cautious with predictions and I rubbish talk of a play-off place , by claiming it''s much too early (which it is)...but I''m feeling confident again!

Farke''s team is showing a togetherness and fight which is imperative to achieve anything in this league and there are some players out there making a name for themselves !!!

Top six in May...would be some achievement!

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Many will say I am wrong but I believe DF has changed his tactics if not his style.

I don''t know whether Webber has had an influence, whether it was part of the plan or whether personnel changes have enforced it, but the play last night, particularly in the second half was attacking with increased pace and no less style.

Against a team who were playing a similar style but with arguably, assuming cost means better, a better line up, we shaded it as we were the away team and the onus wasn''t on us to entertain.

And I am assuming this attitude will remain or even flourish. If it does then I will be one of the first to say maybe I was wrong about DF and congratulate him for his achievements.

If the magic does work and we did somehow go up, it would be interesting to see them working with money available.

However, I can''t contemplate the revolution happening that quickly but currently there are no complaints only plaudits from me.

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[quote user="keelansgrandad"]Many will say I am wrong but I believe DF has changed his tactics if not his style.

I don''t know whether Webber has had an influence, whether it was part of the plan or whether personnel changes have enforced it[/quote]
I would say that the personnel changes have enabled Farke, not enforced.  In my understanding, it was always the intention to attack well, as well as be strong in posession - and the changes have just made that easier to implement.

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We were quite streaky last season with long winless runs punctuated by runs of good form.

It will be interested to see how we do when this run ends- is there a sharp drop off again or can we find some sort of consistency.

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Still early days. Remember what happened around this time last year.

I’m happy to see Norwich at least competitive with the better sides in the league, but I can’t see us finishing higher than 9th/10th come the end of the season. The amount of quality sides in the championship this season is crazy. To be fair to Farke we seem to have developed an identity and style of play which is unique compared to most sides in this league which is hard to do.

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Irrespective where we finish at the end of the season, if we continue with the type of football we''re currently playing it will be more entertaining than last season with a higher league position.

The youngsters currently in the team have added greater energy along with at times quicker interlinking passing which was sorely missing last season.

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Does anyone think we would be in any position to embark on another season in the Prem?

There have been many debates about ground enlargement, finance, playing strength and resources for a few years now and for reasons the board chose, nothing has improved on any of those fronts.

Nobody''s fault. Just the way life is for a club that is not really a Prem club but sometimes too good for the Championship.

Stick or Twist.

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but if we did go up and played it smart the money would secure the future of the club for a while

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As long as a sensible, Burnley esque approach was taken it would be a good thing. Improve the infrastructure and not waste millions on players that aren''t worth the cash. Season would be a write off football wise though.

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But if it’s “Burnley-esque” then it would be pretty good. Wouldn’t it?

I’d take what Burnley have achieved at the moment.

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[quote user="Nuff Said"]But if it’s “Burnley-esque” then it would be pretty good. Wouldn’t it?

I’d take what Burnley have achieved at the moment.[/quote]
So would I, but I can guarantee that IF we did get promoted then many fans, whatever they might say now, would demand that we took the gamble of spending big because this would be our chance to stay up and become a settled Premier League club...

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Or instead, consolidate and grow our academy investment, demonstrate we are an attractive place for promising young, under-recognised or under-developed players to come and prove themselves and cement our long term future. It might be less exciting (but could be more) but it’s the right thing to do. IMHO.

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Last time in the PL our squad was aging and the club''s judgement was to buy a couple of expensive (but apparently not expensive enough) players.

If / when we are back again, could we do better with a younger squad? Play on the front foot rather than sit back and be dissected? We''d still need to find a ruthless goalscorer - you can''t survive there without at least one of those.

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At the moment I''m cautiously optimistic that the squad is coming together and learning how Farke wants to play while still being pretty solid at the back. We''ve sold players for a lot last season but at the moment the squad overall looks better if anything than last year and we have moments of real flair in attack, when we could take apart any defence in the division.

In the past few games, away at QPR and Reading we were comfortably in charge for most of the games, while away at Derby we could easily have won, and a draw was no more than we deserved, although they''re also on 18 points now. And Stoke should feel very fortunate to come away the win.

It''s incredibly tight with only 5 points between 5th and 18th, but I think it''s realistic that we are able to achieve a playoff place.

As for getting into the Prem and getting established there, the problem for me is that there are only 6 teams that are truly established (plus Everton on the fringes) by which I mean that their squads are so strong, it''s almost impossible to see them getting relegated at the start of any given season. For one of the big 6 to go down, it would take several seasons of mismanagement IMO.

But below them, at the start of last season, if you''d asked me to list the lower teams that were well on the way to getting "established" in the Prem, the ones I''d have picked immediately would have been Southampton, Swansea, Stoke, West Brom and West Ham (Leicester being in a strange position). Yet three of those teams were relegated with Southampton ending in 17th. So IMO the only way to get really established as a Prem team is to be like Man City and have truly immense amounts of money ploughed in. A merely rich owner isn''t enough, nor is a mega-rich owner who keeps a tight rein on the purse.

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"]
[quote user="Nuff Said"]But if it’s “Burnley-esque” then it would be pretty good. Wouldn’t it?

I’d take what Burnley have achieved at the moment.[/quote]
So would I, but I can guarantee that IF we did get promoted then many fans, whatever they might say now, would demand that we took the gamble of spending big because this would be our chance to stay up and become a settled Premier League club...
[/quote]

Makes me laugh Purple when fans come out with the concept of "settled or established premier league team". There is no such thing bar the top 6 big clubs, everyone else is one bad season away from relegation just like Stoke and Villa.

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