' Our Season So Far '

' Our Season So Far '


After the completion of the game today we currently stand 8th in the Championship table with 33pts out of the 69 available, with the club having stated that our aim this season is to finish in the top 6 after 46 games then it must be said the points won at the midway point of the season is simply not good enough to achieve this target. I said after 12 games that we needed more than 37 points at the halfway stage of the season to have a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs, we are 4 points adrift and in my opinion unless something changes, and quickly, we have no chance of reaching the playoffs.

In my opinion our biggest failing since we passed the 12th game has been our away form, in the 6 away games since we have collected just 4 points from the 18 available. To put that into perspective last season we took 5 points from the 18 available at the same stage, last season Russell Slade had the opportunity to blame his predecessor OGS, but not this season as the blame, in my opinion, falls squarely at his doorstep.

The last time we had around 33 points was in season 2005/06 when we had 34 points and were in 5th place, that season we ultimately dropped off to finish in 11th place with 60 pts, in my opinion, unless things change quickly we will finish in about the same position.

At the start of this season expectation levels were not exactly high amongst our fans, despite that ALL talk at the club has been about reaching the top 6 after 46 games, so surely our current position has to be at best disappointing to the owner of the club. The question is “What will VT do about it?” I know what I want him to do but I won’t be holding mu breath.

So after the completion of 50% of our games and to fully appreciate our current position it is worth looking at the official league statistics covering the areas which not only identify performance, but how effective the team is against key performance criteria. The following is a comparison of our season against the average performance of the team since the club returned to the Championship. The comparison is I think very interesting;

Wins %: 35% - 41%
Draw %: 39% - 29%
Loss %: 26% - 29%

Average Goals Scored: 1.21 – 1.48
Goal For Conversion Rate: 9.54 – 8.20
Failed To Score%: 25% - 13%

Average Goals Conceded: 1.08 – 1.18
Goals Against Conversion Rate: 12.84 – 9.41
Clean Sheets %: 30% - 29%

Possession 48% - 51%

Points Won: 33 - 35

Currently we have the 11th ranked attack in the Championship with only 28 goals scored (2 fewer than this stage last season), with an average of 1.21 goals per game, averaging 11.61 attempts at goal per game and scoring on average every 9.54 attempts, (0.23 fewer than this stage last season). Indeed 28 goals in the first 23 games is the 2nd lowest total in the last 12 seasons.

However our defensive performance so far this season has been the biggest area of improvement over previous seasons, but in 6 of the last 7 games we have conceded 2 goals per game and that is a massive concern. Currently we have the 9th ranked defensive record in the championship with 25 goals conceded, which has been beaten only once in the last 12 seasons (24 in 2008-09). Although our opponents are having on average 14 attempts at our goal each game they, again on average, are taking 13 attempts to score which is the highest average required to score against us in any of the last 12 seasons.

So few surprises for anyone there because I think we all know we are not a free scoring team but we were very organised, difficult to score against and as a result grinding out results where for instance last season we probably would have lost. However at the moment most teams score at least 2 goals against us so what was looking a good performance is slipping away quickly.

One interesting stat is the number of bookings we have had this season, 47, which is the highest total over any of the last 12 seasons, and 15 more than our average of 32. This raises the question about player suspensions and will this be a concern as the season moves on?

All of this, in my opinion, are clear indications of what was a good start after 12 games slipping away and unless something happens quickly to change both results and performances, in my opinion, our season will fall away with little or no chance of reaching the playoffs.

So we are now off the pace and playing catch up and to get back on course to achieve the target of a top 6 finish we need to have more than 54 points after 34 games. That means taking 21 points from the 33 available in the next 11 games. In my opinion a very tall order and unless there is dramatic change it won’t happen.

With Home attendances still a concern if we fail to get ourselves back on track after 34 games what will be the likely affect on Season Ticket sales for 2016/17 when they go on sale in February.

Yet again another great post from you you should be a mod Sir.

Gary, I always look forward to your updates on City and once again enjoyed it

Slades inability and No plan B is a big big concern.

Our crowds will just get worse.

Tan and Slade out.

Gary, I always look forward to your updates on City and once again enjoyed it

Slades inability and No plan B is a big big concern.

Our crowds will just get worse.

Annis our away form this season is worse than at the same stage last season, and that is a FACT. Last season Slade could blame the mess OGS had left but, in my opinion, he absolutely cannot do that now.

We have slipped away tamely from where we needed to be and Slade MUST be held to account for that. For me he must go and the sooner the better.

Gary, I always look forward to your updates on City and once again enjoyed it

Slades inability and No plan B is a big big concern.

Our crowds will just get worse.

Annis our away form this season is worse than at the same stage last season, and that is a FACT. Last season Slade could blame the mess OGS had left but, in my opinion, he absolutely cannot do that now.

We have slipped away tamely from where we needed to be and Slade MUST be held to account for that. For me he must go and the sooner the better.

Correct Gary, Slade can't blame anyone else anymore and should be honest this time around

ST renewals are going to be very very slow and I believe a change in management will be inevitable.

We are 3 league games away from the anniversary of our return to blue. A decision was made well before then to return us to our rightful colours. The driving factor behind that decision was the fear of a collapse in ST sales. It is my belief that fear is back and the answer this time is going to be the departure of Russel Slade. The only way the club is going to prevent a collapse of STs will be the appointment of a popular manager and that will be Graig Bellamy. The question some of us will ask is will that be the right decision.

ST renewals are going to be very very slow and I believe a change in management will be inevitable.

We are 3 league games away from the anniversary of our return to blue. A decision was made well before then to return us to our rightful colours. The driving factor behind that decision was the fear of a collapse in ST sales. It is my belief that fear is back and the answer this time is going to be the departure of Russel Slade. The only way the club is going to prevent a collapse of STs will be the appointment of a popular manager and that will be Graig Bellamy. The question some of us will ask is will that be the right decision.

I think you are on to something here.

Great post for TAN and his circus !

Good OP but I think I can sum up the season in a few less words.

Uninspiring.

We lose too many away games. That's the problem.

Great OP by Gary as per usual - let alone being a mod, Wales-OnLine should have him writing a Cardiff column if they had any sense. Baked is also spot on with what I also think is going to be a trigger at this precise point and that's a further drop in ST renewals. One of the things that hasn't been done is bringing in crowd-pleasers, both in terms of a player and also a manager. Bellamy, as he's hinted at, would be the latter for sure but we also need to do the former in my opinion.

RS has had his time to prove himself and to be fair, I think given his lack of experience at this level and what he agreed to undertake, he's done a good job in difficult circumstances. Some say we have unrealistic high expectations but I think that given the strength of the squad and the quality if this seasons Championship, we should be much higher and now into a consistent pattern of play. I think his time is now (or should be ) up. We have to do better.

The play-off place is worth north of £170m this year and taking into account immediate relegation parachute payments. We are struggling to get 12K fans into an impressive stadium that holds 33K. I believe VT appears to building his football-business portfolio similar to Peter Lim. I would be amazed if he and the board would now be happy to let things remain as they are given what I think VT's football ambitions are & what is potentially there for the taking given what could be achieved by two key appointments.

There's a final key driver for me and that's being the parachute payments stop next year and combined with record-low ST renewals could be a game changer. If it were you or I, key changes would be being made as a priority if we were serious on making a push for this season.

4 points off play offs and 8th, could swear we are in a relegation battle with the supporters.

ST renewals are going to be very very slow and I believe a change in management will be inevitable.

We are 3 league games away from the anniversary of our return to blue. A decision was made well before then to return us to our rightful colours. The driving factor behind that decision was the fear of a collapse in ST sales. It is my belief that fear is back and the answer this time is going to be the departure of Russel Slade. The only way the club is going to prevent a collapse of STs will be the appointment of a popular manager and that will be Graig Bellamy. The question some of us will ask is will that be the right decision.

I think you are on to something here.

Yes, I agree

A Bellamy appointment will (if nothing else) put any "Can he? Can't he?" arguments to bed once and for all

Personally, I'd like to see him (Bellamy) given the opportunity; possibly with an experienced man alongside him

ST renewals are going to be very very slow and I believe a change in management will be inevitable.

We are 3 league games away from the anniversary of our return to blue. A decision was made well before then to return us to our rightful colours. The driving factor behind that decision was the fear of a collapse in ST sales. It is my belief that fear is back and the answer this time is going to be the departure of Russel Slade. The only way the club is going to prevent a collapse of STs will be the appointment of a popular manager and that will be Graig Bellamy. The question some of us will ask is will that be the right decision.

I think you are on to something here.

Yes, I agree

A Bellamy appointment will (if nothing else) put any "Can he? Can't he?" arguments to bed once and for all

Personally, I'd like to see him (Bellamy) given the opportunity; possibly with an experienced man alongside him

Bellamy with Dutch Ray or Trollope alongside him.