Here's my take about the season so far. Please tell me if I'm wrong.
During the first half of the season we looked good on paper, and went into the holiday break clearly in the mix for a CL spot. At the same time, however, I think we all agreed that the performances we were watching on the field were much weaker than the results on paper. More recently, though, I'm seeing a team that is really coming together and playing with a confidence and freedom that we weren't seeing earlier, and now the results reflect the quality of performances on the field. If we can keep putting up points over the next six weeks, I think we might be ready to seriously challenge the "big 3" in our season-ending trifecta of matches.
During the first part of the season, lots of folks were calling for Skinner's head -- for not making enough subs, or for inflexible tactics or personnel decisions, or whatever -- but it seems to me that the season is unfolding exactly the way he might have been planning/hoping all along. I don't want to get out too far in front of my skis, but I think he might look like a genius by the end of the season.
During the first half of the season we looked good on paper, and went into the holiday break clearly in the mix for a CL spot. At the same time, however, I think we all agreed that the performances we were watching on the field were much weaker than the results on paper. More recently, though, I'm seeing a team that is really coming together and playing with a confidence and freedom that we weren't seeing earlier, and now the results reflect the quality of performances on the field. If we can keep putting up points over the next six weeks, I think we might be ready to seriously challenge the "big 3" in our season-ending trifecta of matches.
During the first part of the season, lots of folks were calling for Skinner's head -- for not making enough subs, or for inflexible tactics or personnel decisions, or whatever -- but it seems to me that the season is unfolding exactly the way he might have been planning/hoping all along. I don't want to get out too far in front of my skis, but I think he might look like a genius by the end of the season.