I'm calling it now

[topperharley]

This is the start of a new era.

Well the start has been building for a year now. I don't think this run of form is just 'turning a corner'. We're building an identity in playing style and recruitment. There are young players coming through with real talent. The manager is good and has stuck to his guns against quite a bit of criticism and is now reaping the benefits, seems Nourry too.

We are going to lose more games, we are going to have some dud signings and poor peformances, but there is a clear belief we can see on the pitch, this must be coming from the dressing room, training ground and the club as a whole, we're moving in the right direction.

We'll likely finish top 10 at best this year, mid table maybe, who knows maybe even knock on the door of 6th. But if this trend continues and i think it will, i don't see why we are not fighting in the top 6 next season.

Just wanted to get that off my chest and put on record

[LoftusRoadLad]

Love being positive

[DJ Hooper W12]

This is the start of a new era.

Well the start has been building for a year now. I don't think this run of form is just 'turning a corner'. We're building an identity in playing style and recruitment. There are young players coming through with real talent. The manager is good and has stuck to his guns against quite a bit of criticism and is now reaping the benefits, seems Nourry too.

We are going to lose more games, we are going to have some dud signings and poor peformances, but there is a clear belief we can see on the pitch, this must be coming from the dressing room, training ground and the club as a whole, we're moving in the right direction.

We'll likely finish top 10 at best this year, mid table maybe, who knows maybe even knock on the door of 6th. But if this trend continues and i think it will, i don't see why we are not fighting in the top 6 next season.

Just wanted to get that off my chest and put on record

Agree with you. No matter how it happened we now look like a notable west London side .Everything looks better, confidence is back and the fans are loving it. There will be a blip and a setback but now we look like we can deal with it. This is our best spell for a long time. Loving it

[shaggy24]

Can’t deny club seems to be doing a lot more right and now reaping rewards. I will admit I called it wrong v Cardiff when marti started celar again after his penalty miss but bangs in 2 decent finishes and equally I think we got some signings wrong in Madsen and santos. Madsen can’t get a start over Morgan who had a great game yesterday Will we finish top 10 not so sure still think we need another cf personally if rumours true celar wants out and get cash back let him go and give kolli a new deal Marti doing a lot right I still think weee to sloppy at times and look leggy but the fa sending us over 600 miles over Xmas a joke yep these guys are pro sportsman but still deserve a bit of family time not on coaches 24/7 Being totally realistic we’d all like a top 6 play off season but we’re a miles off being ready for that we’d need a couple of absolute finds for that to happen but we’re a different side to August which is great to see

[LordLoftus]

i'd be happy with a yo-yo premiership season, just as long as we don't do as bad as SU

[SheepRanger]

i'd be happy with a yo-yo premiership season, just as long as we don't do as bad as SU

I'm happy to keep our promotion squad and give then a prem bonus. Keep the majority of the prem money as a slush fund to make us competitive in the championship on a consistent basis. We tried to fund staying there before and it ended in disaster. If we can't stay there organically then so be it.

[SoCal]

4 wins in a row at home since 2017 - something has changed

[LordLoftus]

I'm happy to keep our promotion squad and give then a prem bonus. Keep the majority of the prem money as a slush fund to make us competitive in the championship on a consistent basis. We tried to fund staying there before and it ended in disaster. If we can't stay there organically then so be it.

agreed, thats why i said a yo-yo.
I don't want to go up and overspend, go up, spend a little (maybe on quality players who will be good if we go back down) and then have real funds to build from there.
As hard as it is to watch us get beat every week, especially against some of the boring games that happen in the premiership, I would sacrifice it for the money.

[FurtiveFox]

We aren't out of the woods yet. Will be tight down the bottom.

However I agree we do seem to be leveling out and building a base to continue to build from and to be creating an identity for the first time in some years. Our blip may have even helped in keeping clubs away from Marti for a bit longer.

We do need to tie down some players to contracts now though if they will sign. No point waiting until end of season. If we keep playing the way we are then some will end up leaving for nothing at the end of the season. Even if they enjoy playing for us money talks. Also we have no real salable assets yet. Chair been out injured most of season and his value will be lower in summer and sadly JCS's time out this season will make clubs wary of committing any serious money.

On plus side most of our new signings have now settled in and are performing to a decent level. Morgan has been a great find. Can't wait to see Dembele back now we are playing better. Personally think he will revel in our improved play. Would love to tie Saito down to a permanent deal. Along with Chair and the rejuvenated Smyth makes us look pretty good going forwards.

Would also like to thank Shrek as for the second season in a row he has done us a favour by relegating a team so one less spot for us to worry about.

Perhaps most exciting short term thing is we should get better still. Some of the summer signings will get better the longer they play, we have some players still to come back and whoever we get in during January. Not to mention players like Morgan and Kolli getting game time. Be nice to move on from the mainly doom and gloom of most of the last 30 or so years!

[SheepRanger]

Maybe I'm putting my rose tinted glasses on, but relegation is no longer in my head. The team playing like we have recently don't get relegated. There's a real swagger about us now. We still have a few weak links so it will be a very tough ask to get 6th this season, but with a fair wind and luck with injuries.....who knows.

Get these key players signed up and there wont be as much turnover of players next season. Adding more than three signings ever summer seems like an overhaul that takes time to bed in again. We need squad stability next summer.

[topperharley]

All I'd be happy with is not fighting relegation, playing good football and being a team fans, players and managers want to come to.

I feel we've washed the last of the Fernandes years off.

It's wayyyy to early to talk about promotion but it'll just be nice to be looking up and not down which has been the case since Warnock left really, despite 2 little spells we've had. The difference from those little spells to now is it feels the whole club is pulling in the same, right direction and we can keep this up. We're getting results off poor performances, we're getting better and better it seems as we settle on a good best starting 11 or at least match day squad.

Perhaps what happens with Kolli will be a really good gauge as to where things are at behind the scenes.

[Darkranger]

Sorry to be the one who puts a damper on things, but I came into this season so full of optimism. Especially after the way we finished last season. Telling everyone who would listen how we would finish in the top half of the table.
Yet our performances around Oct/Nov, were let's be honest dire. Obviously new players settling in and a crippling injury crisis contributed to this, but it was a worrying time that looked at one stage as if we might be destined for relegation.

I've enjoyed our performances of late and the Swansea game aside we seem a million miles away from where we were. I feel this squad has a "togetherness" that has been lacking in recent seasons.
The manager and team deserve huge credit for the turnaround in form, but I still have reservations. I feel at this moment that if we were to go on a poor run we could easily find ourselves in trouble if we are not very careful.
I am very optimistic about our future, but I know that I've been optimistic before and that has turned out to be misplaced. I hope this time that we can continue to make progress and end up with a top half finish.

[72bus]

Definitely the football and results have got better.
Long may it continue.
Individually there has been a massive improvement in some of the players .
Even noticed we were doubling up on some of our tackles against Watford.....long may it continue.

[Sleeping Giants]

Definitely the football and results have got better.
Long may it continue.
Individually there has been a massive improvement in some of the players .
Even noticed we were doubling up on some of our tackles against Watford.....long may it continue.

And people literally queuing up in the box to get on the end of crosses

[LoftusRoadLad]

And people literally queuing up in the box to get on the end of crosses

“The early goal was a bad goal, a disappointing one to concede,” Cleverley reflected.

“We’d done a lot of work in the build-up because they play this ball down the sides, between Incey and Baah – but we didn’t close that gap.

“And then when the second ball comes in we need to move our feet quicker to clear the danger.

“It was a really soft goal to concede.”

As for the second goal, there were three blue and white hooped shirts forming an orderly queue to head the ball into the net.

“Yeah, there were, at the back post,” admitted Cleverley.

“Second phase at set pieces is somewhere that you need leaders and strong voices.

“When a set piece is cleared and recycled teams generally try and load the back post, and you have to try and organise using your voice.

“That is something we need to improve upon.”

Away performances and conceding early goals have dogged Watford all season long, and Cleverley said he will be changing approach for future road trips.

“Both those things are both really concerning because there isn’t a special, go-to fix,” he explained.

“When we get time to work with the players we will certainly be working on defensive unit work.