And so to December...

[Bacon Sandwich]

Burnley (H)

Liverpool (H)

City (A)

Brighton (A)

Chelsea (H)

Watford (H)

Arsenal (A)

First of all it is madness that nearly 20% of a nine month season is played in one month. Secondly this is going to test our small squad to the absolute limit. Neves suspended for Burnley, Podence testing positive for Covid and Trincao testing positive for being ****.

If we got 9 points in December – wins against Burnley and Watford and maybe Brighton – and ended the month P20 Pts 29 I’d be absolutely delighted.

And then it’s over to you, Jeff…

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

win all the home matches

Lose all the away matches

 

[Starsky]

Big game on Wednesday!

 

[SuperGran]

win all the home matches

Lose all the away matches

Be very happy with that tbh

 

[Chris H]

I reckon we’ll lose to at least one of the lower teams (Burnley, Brighton, Watford or Arsenal) but beat at least one of the good sides (Liverpool, Man City or Chelsea).

9 points from those 7 would be a more than decent return. Double figures would be great.

 

[Chris H]

win all the home matches

Lose all the away matches

I’d take that!

 

[Fifty Niner]

Based on our last two away outings, and that we are playing better at home than away it seems, I'd give us potentially 6 points v Burnley and Watford and maybe a draw away at Brighton. I reckon 7 out of 21 points.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Might have been a bit soured by today, but I'd take 7 points from that lot.

 

[Wonder Boyo]

Dreading Burnley home as they seem to have some sort of voodoo over us. They nearly always outplay us even if they don't beat us. I hope there is some awareness, and I'm sure there will be, by Bruno, of the utter pasting they gave us last season and there are plans to not allow them to completely bully us again. I'd love to turn them over. Feel we're really going to miss Neves though. If, as likely, the Pod is still out with COVID, i hope we start Traore instead of Trincao or Hwang.

 

[John de Wolf's hairdryer]

I get the impression Bruno wants to prioritise performances in our home fixtures over performances in our away games. I guess something like Don Revie's approach with Leeds: win the home games and pick up additional points away by avoiding defeats if at all possible in those games (draws being just 'fine'). Maybe this is how league football is traditionally viewed at Benfica, I don't know?

 

[Matt]

Very tough month ahead, let’s hope we avoid any more injuries. A win on Wednesday would be a good start.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I'm not seeing any of them as being unwinnable now. It will be tough schedule wise. I was surprised we didn't take Raul off to make sure he was ready for the Burnley game.

 

[Peszkywolf]

Thing with Bruno, I can see us winning any one of those games, and losing any of them. Liverpool, City and Chelsea are very hard at the moment..... 3 of the best teams in Europe, but I think Brunoball could give them a good game.
Tbh would be chuffed with double figures points from those, and yes like people say we do need a few more options in CM and up front.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I get the impression Bruno wants to prioritise performances in our home fixtures over performances in our away games. I guess something like Don Revie's approach with Leeds: win the home games and pick up additional points away by avoiding defeats if at all possible in those games (draws being just 'fine'). Maybe this is how league football is traditionally viewed at Benfica, I don't know?

I well remember Revie's Leeds; I don't believe he would ever say to the likes of Bremner or Giles or Jack Charlton to try to avoid defeat? Whatever you think of that Leeds side they were one of the greatest in English League history imo. They went out to win every match. The jury is still out on Lage I believe but his problem is having an X1 made up of too many average players and too small a squad to do much about it. December will be tough but the hope is that in the new year we may see new arrivals and the early return of Neto and Jonny. It'll be a bit of a ride till then!

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

That Brighton game is huge for me

Will Bruno show some *******s and ditch this back 3 nonsense to stop us getting completely over fun and invite pressure.

Or will it be just more of the same for away performances so far this season

 

[Lycaon]

I’d like to think we can get 9 pts from these games which will be pretty good going providing we don’t pick up any injuries, I’m sure Bruno has a plan!

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

That Brighton game is huge for me

Will Bruno show some *******s and ditch this back 3 nonsense to stop us getting completely over fun and invite pressure.

Or will it be just more of the same for away performances so far this season

That back 3 nonsense? That’s taken us to being in a position whereby only 5 teams in the division have won more games than us this season!

 

[Fenrir_]

I'd snap your hand off for ten points from that lot. Anything against the three powerhouses will be a bonus, the other four games are all very winnable but we have to stop being such wimps away from home to get results at the likes of Brighton and Arsenal. Six or seven points return from the month will be satisfactory in my book

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Based on our last two away outings, and that we are playing better at home than away it seems, I'd give us potentially 6 points v Burnley and Watford and maybe a draw away at Brighton. I reckon 7 out of 21 points.

7 points given what's already on the board, would In no way be a disaster.

 

[Ernie the Wolf]

That Brighton game is huge for me

Will Bruno show some *******s and ditch this back 3 nonsense to stop us getting completely over fun and invite pressure.

Or will it be just more of the same for away performances so far this season

Why this obsession to change the back 3? Our defence and shape at the back is the strongest part of our performances all season so far. For me the question is whether we go 3-5-2 to stop the midfield getting overrun.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

6-10 points is realistic

Liverpool Citeh Chelsea & Arsenal I’m being honest il be very surprised if we get 1 point from these we will have to score to have a chance of doing so because the opposition is so good..

 

[Minimalist]

Very tough run of games.
With our defence doing so well though I do fancy us to at least pick up a few draws against the top teams.

 

[FJRWolf]

I'm hoping to end up with an average of a point per game for this run of fixtures and would be acceptable imo....10 points would be great though

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Such a difficult period to predict as we’re such a Jekyll and Hyde team right now.

Wouldn’t surprise me at all to lose to Burnley then beat Liverpool.

 

[John de Wolf's hairdryer]

Such a difficult period to predict as we’re such a Jekyll and Hyde team right now.

Wouldn’t surprise me at all to lose to Burnley then beat Liverpool.

Chances of us losing to Burnley have just been increased by the fact that their game today has been postponed, meaning they'll have gone ten days without a game by the time we play them on Wednesday and be fresh as well as fired up knowing how they took us for six points last season. And we're Nevesless as well.

I cannot in a month of Sundays see us beating Liverpool, sorry.

 

[John de Wolf's hairdryer]

I well remember Revie's Leeds; I don't believe he would ever say to the likes of Bremner or Giles or Jack Charlton to try to avoid defeat? Whatever you think of that Leeds side they were one of the greatest in English League history imo. They went out to win every match. The jury is still out on Lage I believe but his problem is having an X1 made up of too many average players and too small a squad to do much about it. December will be tough but the hope is that in the new year we may see new arrivals and the early return of Neto and Jonny. It'll be a bit of a ride till then!

In Leeds's title-winning season in 1968-69 their home record was played 21 won 18 drawn 3 lost 0, whilst their away record was played 21 won 9 drawn 10 lost 2. Revie was quite content to draw away from home as long as the team was doing the business at home, which was the point I made.

EDIT: Six of those 10 away draws were 0-0s, including against us at Molineux. The other four were 1-1s. The recipe away from home for Revie was keep it tight at the back and if Leeds scored that was a bonus. At Elland Road, Leeds went for the throat.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Why this obsession to change the back 3? Our defence and shape at the back is the strongest part of our performances all season so far. For me the question is whether we go 3-5-2 to stop the midfield getting overrun.

Because all we do away from home is sit back and defend .

Our attackers are the best players in our squad yet we choose to only play 3 at one time and don’t get half the benefit from them that we should as seen with how prolific jota is now

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

That back 3 nonsense? That’s taken us to being in a position whereby only 5 teams in the division have won more games than us this season!

Home games - great

Away games - we’ve only deserved to win against watford .

Fantastic we beat villa soton and drew at Norwich but you have to be honest - we deserved to lose all 3 . A result shouldn’t dictate a review of the performance

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Home games - great

Away games - we’ve only deserved to win against watford .

Fantastic we beat villa soton and drew at Norwich but you have to be honest - we deserved to lose all 3 . A result shouldn’t dictate a review of the performance

So you want us to be defensive at home and attacking away? Have any team in the history of football done that successfully?

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

So you want us to be defensive at home and attacking away? Have any team in the history of football done that successfully?

Where on earth have I said I want us to be defensive at home

 

[chignalwolf]

Burnley (H)

Liverpool (H)

City (A)

Brighton (A)

Chelsea (H)

Watford (H)

Arsenal (A)

First of all it is madness that nearly 20% of a nine month season is played in one month. Secondly this is going to test our small squad to the absolute limit. Neves suspended for Burnley, Podence testing positive for Covid and Trincao testing positive for being ****.

If we got 9 points in December – wins against Burnley and Watford and maybe Brighton – and ended the month P20 Pts 29 I’d be absolutely delighted.

And then it’s over to you, Jeff…

My predictions, not very often wrong
12 Points minimum. who needs to rely on Jeff

Burnley (H)....W

Liverpool (H)...W

City (A)...L

Brighton (A)....D

Chelsea.... (H)....D

Watford (H)....W

Arsenal (A)....D

 

[S G Wolves]

My predictions, not very often wrong
12 Points minimum. who needs to rely on Jeff

Burnley (H)....W

Liverpool (H)...W

City (A)...L

Brighton (A)....D

Chelsea.... (H)....D

Watford (H)....W

Arsenal (A)....D

That would be amazing...

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

If we can somehow get to 30 points by the new year that would be great.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

One game at a time…

Burnley. Well, the snow helped us by suspending two of their players who would otherwise have been suspended today.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Where on earth have I said I want us to be defensive at home

Did you not suggest you wanted a move from 3 CB to 2 CB away from home?

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Did you not suggest you wanted a move from 3 CB to 2 CB away from home?

Yes - to smaller teams where we need to pack the midfield and have a go At teams.

How does that relate to defending at home?

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Yes - to smaller teams where we need to pack the midfield and have a go At teams.

How does that relate to defending at home?

You said home games great. So you’re ok with a back three at home?

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

You said home games great. So you’re ok with a back three at home?

Yes - it’s working well at home, evidently

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Yes - it’s working well at home, evidently

So that’s why I’m confused why you want an extra defender at home but not away, that makes no sense to me. As I said what team is more attacking away from home than at home?

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

So that’s why I’m confused why you want an extra defender at home but not away, that makes no sense to me. As I said what team is more attacking away from home than at home?

A back 4 doesn’t mean more attacking than a back 3 at home.

But in the context of away games where we lose the midfield it would make us much better and give us hope of attacking as much as we do at home.