by ivor_the_injun » Mon Apr 25, 2005 2:55 am
It really is frightening to think that we've lost over a third of the games we'll play in the Prem this season.
Newcastle, who have had an appalling season, have lost the same number and are in 13th position. That's seventh from bottom, and only 8 points above relegation.
Southampton - rooted at the foot of the table - have lost only four more games than us.
West Brom - second from bottom - have lost only TWO more than us.
Indeed, the teams in 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th have all lost fewer games than we have this term.
I know that it's a fine line between success and defeat and yada-yada-yada, but I have to say I'm stunned with those numbers. We've been turned over by some absolutely pony teams this year, and until we drop that habit, we can forget about the league title for a good long while. Palace, Birmingham, Southampton, Man City...all and more have taken 3 points from us this term, and that's just not good enough. Yes, it's a transitional season, but even with new blood in we're still clearly as vulnerable in the league as we were at the lowest points of Houllier and Souness's reigns.
Obviously Arsenal went unbeaten last year, and this year Chelsea have so far lost only once. We are a long, long way from that kind of consistency, and I think it's going to be many a summer faffing around in the transfer market and tinkering with the squad before we get anywhere close to it.
I know that stats only tell half the story, but we have to get our heads round the fact that 4 or 5 genuinely excellent performances are not enough to get you anywhere in this game. I'm worried that I'm becoming surprised by our good performances more than I'm being surprised by us being totally underwhelming.
Now I like Benitez, and I've been encouraged by the flashes we've shown at times, but unless we can pull the Champion's League title out of the fire we're only a month away from the post mortems on this season being utterly, utterly savage. Let's be absolutely honest - the occasional promising performance, 5th in the league and nothing in the cabinet is not progress, and Rafa was not brought in to deliver us UEFA Cup football.
Big month, people. Big, big month...