If we do not win in our first 10 games!!

[L4cole 0]

Just wanted to know peoples opinion. Most of our team have been pulled from lower leagues and this is could well be a real reality. Would everyone love Lambert so much then? Squad togetherness and good management can only get you so far I feel.How do we all think we will fair? The next Derby, or the next Blackpool?

[CDMullins 436]

Whats the next the blackpool?

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

Too early to say - we don''t know which new players will be joining us yet!

[William Darby 0]

*thread locked

[ryan1992 0]

The next Blackpool? You mean get relegated? I hope not, but if we do, then PL will still be a top, top manager in my eyes, To be honest, I don''t know what I''m expecting next season!

[Hannibal 0]

If we don''t win our first 10 whats to say we wouldnt win the next 10. If we stay up or go down it will be due to how we fare over 38 games not over the first or last 10

[CanaryOne 0]

How many did we go last time before we gained our first win ? it seemed at one time as though it was never going to happen , and yet even with the slow start we still managed to take it to the last game.

[Alex Moss 2,165]

[quote user="Ncfc"]How many did we go last time before we gained our first win ? it seemed at one time as though it was never going to happen , and yet even with the slow start we still managed to take it to the last game. [/quote]

Was it around Christmas before we got our first win? Hard to remember now, though I know we dramatically picked up after Christmas. Will never forget Safri''s screamer against Newcastle, or Ashton''s class goal against Man City. Ashton and Leon weren''t bad against Man U either ;).

[Lambo 0]

It was 13 games I beleive.

[Jacko 0]

Its depends on the league really. In 2004/5 the bottom 4 teams were all pretty shocking if true be told. West Ham this season were relegated with 33 points and have genuinely been seen a bit of a joke. We also got relegated with 33 and it was in our hands on the last day. So even though we didnt get that first win for ages we were still in touch by virtue of picking up draws. If its not going our way at the start of the season there is no need to panic. There is a long term strategy at the club to establish ourselves in the Premiership within 6/7 years. I dont see why that should change if we have a bad start.

[Europe_93 11]

I envisage a reasonalby slow start, that may see us in the bottom 5 or 6 by the end of October, and then followed by steady improvement that will see us around midtable.  We didn''t really get going until the Ipswich game (late November) this season in my opinion (we showed form in patches before that, i.e. Reading 3-3) and I think that was due to getting use to the step up in standard (belief).  I can see a similar blue print in signings (i.e players with a chance to prove themselves at a higher level) this season, and hence the same sort of start.   When the players get the belief at Premier standard supported by a couple of additions where weaknesses have been exposed early (I mean Lambert brings in a couple of plyers to give the lads a hand), I can see us progressing steadily again.

This season''s Premier League there were only 7pts between Fulham (8th) and Wigan (16th).  From Fulham down we could compete against any of the teams, however I think supporters of Newcastle and Villa could reasonably expect improvements from their teams.  So I reckon relegation =  dissapointing season, 14th - 17th = consolidation (and I''d take it), 13th above good, 10th above excellent but achieveable, hopefully with a good cup run. 

Even with a slow a start, I''d predict a minimum of 2 wins in the first 10.

[Syteanric 1]

depends who we get in the first 10.say we got Blackburn, Wigan, QPR, P O winners, Sunderland, WBA, Fulham as our first 7... i''d fancy our chances against all of them!

[Chip20 69]

Most of our current team may have been pulled from lower leagues, but who is to say what our opening Premiership team will look like?

Also, I''m sure the January transfer window will have a bearing on the outcome of our season. It will therefore be hard to draw conclusions based on the first ten games alone.

My opinion of Lambert will be based on the season as a whole and not just the first ten games. He has shown himself to be a talented and shrewd manager and motivator so far, but there will be big differences managing in the Premiership (the extra money brings different pressure). I am hopeful he can continue to demonstrate the skill and capability he has shown so far in the same way Martin O''Neill managed the step up, but only time will tell.

[First Wazzock 903]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]depends who we get in the first 10.

say we got Blackburn, Wigan, QPR, P O winners, Sunderland, WBA, Fulham as our first 7... i''d fancy our chances against all of them!
[/quote]

Very true Jas.

We must remember, there are 3 leagues in that division. As long as we are at least ''top of the bottom league'' we''ll be fine.

[Jarroldstander 0]

As a rough rule we need to win one game per calender month next season to stay up and draw another. If we were to lose 19 games and win/draw the other half we could pick up 39 points which would only send us down in a season like the one just gone.

Ten games should take us to mid October so I''d say if haven''t got 12 points in the bag by then we''re likely to be in for a real relegation fight. We need to be on about 22 points at the turn of the year.

[Harry 0]

[quote user="Lambo"]It was 13 games I beleive.[/quote]Our first League win was at home to Southampton which was our 14th League game of the Season, before that game we had Drawn 8 and Lost 5.

[a1canary 0]

If we''ve only lost 5 out of our first 14 i''ll be pretty happy with that - provided there are some wins among the other 8 and they aren''t all draws!

[Aggy 758]

To be perfectly honest, I''m not worried. I didn''t think we''d finish much above mid-table this season, and look what we''ve done. Now with even more momentum, more confidence, more of a feel good factor around, and hopefully a few quality signings, I can see no reason why we can''t stay up fairly comfortably. There''s quite a few teams that will be in the prem next season that I don''t think are a massive amount better than any of the top 6 or 7 Championship sides this season - and we''ve finished above all but 1 of them!

IF we do go 10 games without a win though, I couldn''t care less. Who could we afford that would be able to do a better job than Lambert? Absolutely no-one, so he''ll get my full backing for what he''s already achieved, regardless of whether we''re rock bottom at Christmas, or 5th!

[Bill 1,788]

"Most of our team have been pulled from lower leagues and this is could well be a real reality"

Just a shame that Lambert will have to go with what he has got

.. if only he could sign a few more players, or we had a few million to spend

Perhaps we should have waited until we had all Premier League experienced players, then got ourselves promoted

If only someone could have said something earler, we''d still be safely in the Championship without all these concerns