The final straight
So here we are then, the final block of matches. 7 left, 4 at home, 3 away. The finish line in sight.
Hopeful too, that we see the return of Matty Godden and Harvey Knibbs, although the official channels are being usually schtum about the injury situation.
The games ahead are a mix of mid-tablers, promotion hopefuls and Sheffield Wednesday. For us, we just need to reach the finish line, or the line that Nathan Jones has set.
The season to date has seen peaks after the West Brom home game, troughs after a really tough injury hit end of year and then mostly we have shown resilence by bouncing back from defeats. We haven’t lost more than two on a spin since the middle of December.
We have thrown away precious points, more than gained lucky ones and our style of play has not been easy on the eye, yet there is an identity, long missing before Jones came in, and importantly the players have shown that they give a shit.
Some of the squad has thrived, some have survived, a few have played beyond themselves, more than a few have struggled. That’s a Blog post for another day.
The connection between players and fans is excellent, Valley attendances are growing and our away support has been nothing short of magnificent.
There’s been the usual criticism from some quarters, our fast start did re-write summer expectations, but the goal has remained the same.
Jones divides opinion. I personally like him, I’m a sucker for someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and you get what you get. He talks articulately, cares, has an affinity with the club holistically and has dragged this football club off it’s knees.
I want to witness the evolution, we have to be better in every aspect, but I am here for the journey.
For those of us that take an interest in the stats, there is such a divergence. There is no surprise that we are the 2nd worst in possession, xG and accurate passes. Yet we are top six in clean sheets (4th), goals conceded (6th) and clearances per match (3rd).
What is less clear is how we have not scored in the first half at home since Southampton, this only after conceding 5. Before that it was Sheffield Wednesday over five months ago!
Maybe turning us around at kick off which Birmingham did to us recently ain’t a bad idea. The last time we scored a first half goal anywhere was at Leicester.
We have started some games slow, sluggish even and heavily under the cosh, but that isn’t always the case but we have missed a lot of really good chances in the opening 45 minutes of matches. We are 13th in big chances missed (48). That’s a lot when you consider our attacking statistics.
I was also staggered that we were 9th best at accurate crosses and have had 807 touches in the opposition’s box (14th).
We really don’t create enough chances but clearly we should’ve scored more goals.
It is at the back though where we have excelled, despite injuries to players. 13th in saves per match is first-class testament to the organization, abilities and bravery to throw bodies on the line from the defensive unit including the midfielders.
We can’t change what has gone before, it is in the past and we now have 7 games to wrap up our first season back in The Championship and lay a really huge foundation brick for the future and the next part of our evolution. This club has to move forward, we cannot go back.
Great post CA and opinions shared by many.
Undoubtedly we have, and continue to, move forward. Many are irritated by the repeated references to where we were headed two years ago but it’s a fact and evolution takes time and so much hard graft. NJ is a grafter and he gets people on board for the ride, staff, players, fans, saw it at Luton and seeing it again now.
Personally just one major milestone left for the season as well as crossing the line and that’s Easter Monday given my youngest lad has a season ticket at Vicarage Road.
Yes, but wished he toned down his comments where we were 2 years ago and no one has ever disputed this, and my thoughts and thought this is Jones;s team, but he seems to have falling out with players like Kelman and got 2 goals the other week and plays him for 5 minutes against Norwich!!
He also has his favourites, as all Managers do and Campbell divides us supporters.
I also wonder if the very poor recruitment team with many injury-prone players and there is a nagging doubt, whether the Board told Jones who to sign, and yes the cream of the previous season.
He needs to sort a lot out and yes if we manage to stay up and never forget this is CAFC we are talking about the playing style for sure,
Kelman’s interview didn’t look like he’d fallen out with Jones.
Chicago is right in a lot of things he statesm however there has to see a signiicant performnce improvements, and it seems everyone is confident about staying up, but still not so sure.
Just do it CAFC and you will if you have the right mindset.
Last sentence says it all really and if they have the right mind set we can do it, but no one is going to lay down for CAFC are they and just maybe there are 4 or 5 teams involved, and many playing each other!!
I have been amazed at how much better the Championship is than League One and yet, initially it seemed that we were set to make a fairly smooth transition to this higher level. We have ,on the whole, been a pretty mean outfit defensively, although far too dependent on LJ. Imagine how much better we would have been if Josh Edwards hadn’t been injured as long ago as last September and what a predicament we would have been in if LJ wasn’t such a tough and reliable individual! Get
I don’t think that I need to add anything to the debate on our failures in attack other than that things may have been very different if Godden had been fully fit at the start of the season.
I appreciate that all that matters this season now is that we stay up and, though I cannot bring myself to actually admire NJ and his abrasive style, I am pretty sure that he is canny enough to achieve that. He has the fighting spirit that should get us across the line. 6 points should do it. However, we badly need to win at home against Bristol City on 3rd April. If we don’t, every game will become a Cup Final and I am not sure how we would be under that kind of pressure!
Yes we still need 54 or 55 points to be sure, and even then I suspect it will be again on other teams results, but just maybe CAFC can get over the line themselves just once.
I was aware of some of the stats and yes the not even one goal a game aggregate.
Also aware of the 12 or 13 clean sheets and Manning is our no 1 by a country mile.
And good old Roy has never played us so yet another defeat at home then and there have been too manym but we crawl over the line with a last minute equaliser to get the point which keeps us up at Swansea.
Sorry to remind everyone we still need 54 or 55 points to stay up and it does look likely we are still going to relay on other teams slipping up. but just maybe for once we can get out of this mess, ourselves
Ah the super🤡 is back peddling his nonsense.
You do realise the thing about being near the bottom of the league is that all teams are scrapping around for points, don’t you?
No one gives us anything, it’s the outcome of a string of results over a period of time. And we’re currently doing just about OK.
The main missing ingredient is a good quality passing midfielder, perhaps two and a real forward with pace. Too many carthorse at the moment!
Agree Stu. Goals are a problem, but our number 1 summer target should be a ball-playing creative midfielder.
A fair assessment, I love the balance. I’m not sure I actually like Jones, but I’m glad he’s our manager.
You have to give a lot of credit to NJ for the teams (nearly) achievement this year. When you have the lowest wage bill in the division you have to be pragmatic. Whilst I’d like to see us playing it around like prime Barca, this just isn’t realistic. The gap between League 1 and the Championship is big and so survival, by any means necessary is the only important metric for this season.