107 Points?

[working class hero]

Remember the Pardew ethos of always going for a win. We lost more games but drew very few.

If we don't draw another game we could break the record whilst losing 9 games over the season.
w- 35 d-2 l-9.
And continuing to score as we are will bring 114 goals......



By gum these RTGs are powerful!

[John 3:16]

Hunt, Hunt, Doyle and Bikey leave in Jan, We don't win again.

I've said it before... Why do you think NHunt and BK will be leaving in Jan? Neither of them has (to anyone's knowledge) a clause in their contract, NHunt has only just joined us so we have no obligation to 'allow him to better himself'... he can do that with us. BK has had no interest shown in him from anyone before and he hasn't been with us long. He is under contract, as is Doyle, with no clause, and so ... ugh. Just stop with these "so and so's going to leave in Jan and we're doooooomed" comments. Please.

[rg6royal]

Hunt, Hunt, Doyle and Bikey leave in Jan, We don't win again.

I've said it before... Why do you think NHunt and BK will be leaving in Jan? Neither of them has (to anyone's knowledge) a clause in their contract, NHunt has only just joined us so we have no obligation to 'allow him to better himself'... he can do that with us. BK has had no interest shown in him from anyone before and he hasn't been with us long. He is under contract, as is Doyle, with no clause, and so ... ugh. Just stop with these "so and so's going to leave in Jan and we're doooooomed" comments. Please.

'greed

If we are in the top 2 come January I don't think anyone will want to leave the club.

[Arch]

We wont top 90 points in my view.

Agreed, Gordon. I'd predict somewhere in the range of 78-88. Four excellent results is not enough to hang so much unguarded optimism on. Having been one who took the sensible and realistic view that we couldn't be relegated last season, I'm now doubtful enough to see that it wouldn't be a total surprise if we reverted to the form of our first five games and limped into the playoffs.

[brendywendy]

'greed, cautious underoptimism is the way forward

[rg6royal]

Lets all just be negative and say we're going to get relegated

[weybridgewanderer]

while our 1st 11 may be quite strong I am not so sure we have the depth of squad this season that we had in 05/06. Will be interesting to see what happens when we pick up a few injuries and suspensions.

I think the big difference between now and the 1st couple of games (even dagnham) is the balance in the middle of the park is better than it was when cisse and harper partnered each other.

[brendywendy]

while our 1st 11 may be quite strong I am not so sure we have the depth of squad this season that we had in 05/06. Will be interesting to see what happens when we pick up a few injuries and suspensions.

I think the big difference between now and the 1st couple of games (even dagnham) is the balance in the middle of the park is better than it was when cisse and harper partnered each other.

agree totally, but i remember plenty saying the same pre 05/06 too!

apart from the cisse bit obviously

[Sarah Star]

I thought we had got depth in the squad now that a few of the youngsters have proved they can step up to the first team...or did we just have more depth in 05/06

[brendywendy]

we had a load of rubbish players who werent what we needed to progress this club
like, brynnjar, stephen hunt etc

[SCIAG]

we had a load of rubbish players who werent what we needed to progress this club
like, brynnjar, stephen hunt etc

Harper, Ingimarsson, Sonko, some bloke from Cork...

[Mr Angry]

Don't forget that after the Burnley game in late August 2005, we lost both Kitson and Shorey to injuries (both came back in Nov IIRC) and after the game v. Southampton we lost Murty (which led to Stephen Hunt playing as a full back). We were fortunate in having Chris Makin as a utility defender - Mr Reliable who never let us down; I know for a fact that his leaving us at the start of the following season was a great regret to the management.

This season we have been a bit luckier (so far) with injuries; fewer of them, and with those players who have come in as replacements for Murty and Harper acquitting themselves superbly, to the point where there is now genuine competition for places (something we lacked last season IMHO).

I doubt that we will get 100+ points or 100+ goals (surely it is only a matter of time before teams come to the Mad and simply "park the bus" in an attempt to bore out a 0-0 draw?) but what is encouraging is that, because we have achieved 100+ points before, within the team we have the belief that we can do it again.

And it will be fun watching us try.

[John 3:16]

05/06 we had very few injuries. And when we did have injuries to any key players it was just when another player in that position was coming back and so slotted in. If we have a run of injuries like Wolves have just hit (that we didn't get in 05/06) then we'll struggle. But here's to optimism. BRING IT ON. Sorry.

EDIT: ^And what he said above.

[SCIAG]

Don't forget that after the Burnley game in late August 2005, we lost both Kitson and Shorey to injuries (both came back in Nov IIRC) and after the game v. Southampton we lost Murty (which led to Stephen Hunt playing as a full back). We were fortunate in having Chris Makin as a utility defender - Mr Reliable who never let us down; I know for a fact that his leaving us at the start of the following season was a great regret to the management.

(surely it is only a matter of time before teams come to the Mad and simply "park the bus" in an attempt to bore out a 0-0 draw?)

We also lost Sidwell in the Burnley came, which was worrying
We said the same thing in 05/06, and they didn't get what they wanted, did they?

[brendywendy]

05/06 we had very few injuries. And when we did have injuries to any key players it was just when another player in that position was coming back and so slotted in. If we have a run of injuries like Wolves have just hit (that we didn't get in 05/06) then we'll struggle. But here's to optimism. BRING IT ON. Sorry.

EDIT: ^And what he said above.

i thought we had quite a few injuries to very key players all through the season, we just dealt with them effortlessly

[readingbedding]

90+ points is achievable.

[papereyes]

At the start of 05/06, teams came to try and compete at the Mad Stad.

Towards the middle, they tried to cram the midfield and stifle us.

Towards the end, I got the distinct impression that some teams just saw it as "We're gonna get battered - let's not hurt ourselves trying to stop them ... "

[georgerob]

Birmingham will beat our record HTH

[brendywendy]

Birmingham will beat our record HTH

rollocks

[londinium]

Birmingham will beat our record HTH

Brum are poo. That is it.