AdebolaCornflakes
Vital Football Legend
As we head into another international break (sigh) I thought it may be interesting to look at how we compare to some previous seasons. Obviously no two seasons are the same, but I've had a look at previous seasons after 12 games taking into account our current Manager and obvious ambitions to challenge for promotion this season.
Our current position after 12 games is as follows:
Position: 5th
Won: 4
Drawn: 7
Lost: 1
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 13
Points: 19
For me this has been a very reasonable start. We've had some poor performances, some good and some which have been somewhere in between, but to have only lost 1 game after 12 games is pretty impressive.
Perhaps it shouldn't these days, but the overreaction by some on here when we have a setback - or rather that we simply don't win - still surprises me. Some of the reactions after the Millwall game were case in point.
Maybe a comparison against other previous seasons will set some minds at ease. The obvious place to start is a comparison of last season...
2017-18 Season - After 12 games
Position: 14th
Won: 5
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
Goals Scored: 15
Goals Conceded: 19
Points: 15
Although we were lower down the table at this point last year, I seem to recall that Warburton still had the backing of most fans. It's interesting to note that we had scored fewer goals. The interpretation of many - myself included - was that we were really good going forward but it was the defence which was our main issue. Our attack has often been criticised as slow and laboured this season, yet we've scored more goals than last season. Maybe this was expected given our investment in Grabban and Carvalho.
On the whole we have undoubtedly improved since last season.
2009-10 Season - After 12 games
Position: 7th
Won: 5
Drawn: 4
Lost: 3
Goals Scored: 14
Goals Conceded: 12
Points: 19
I've chosen this season as it was our best season in the last 15-odd years and I see a lot of similarities between it and this season: It was BD's first full season in charge and this is AK's; BD had signed a number of players including players he had on loan, as has AK; the team started slowly and particularly in the first 8-or-so games there was little to get excited about (Joe Garner on right wing, anyone?); performances this season have been stop-start but there have been glimpses of quality.
There are still a few on here (and only a few, thankfully) who compare every manager to BD and would love to see him return. Yet here we are with AK on the same number of points after the same number of games.
2014-15 Season - After 12 Games (Middlesbrough)
Position: 3rd
Won: 7
Lost: 3
Drawn: 2
Goals: 18
Conceded: 9
Points: 23
This is AK's first full season in charge of Boro. Obviously I can't remember anything about that Boro side but we can see that AK had them sitting in 3rd and with an extremely tight defence.
They lost 3 of their first 5 games that season but recovered strongly to eventually finish 4th, losing in the play-off final to Norwich and winning automatic promotion the following season.
I can't comment on what sort of football that Boro side played as I didn't watch much of them, but maybe the above stats are just a glimpse of what AK can do with us.
The above comparisons may not mean anything and some of you may think they're a load of shit. I've said since the Reading game that I see a lot of similarities between this team/Manager and the team/Manager of 2009-10; slow starters who will eventually 'click' and challenge towards the top of the table.
For now I shall sit back, log into my Factchecker account and call out the above stats as bullshit.
Our current position after 12 games is as follows:
Position: 5th
Won: 4
Drawn: 7
Lost: 1
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 13
Points: 19
For me this has been a very reasonable start. We've had some poor performances, some good and some which have been somewhere in between, but to have only lost 1 game after 12 games is pretty impressive.
Perhaps it shouldn't these days, but the overreaction by some on here when we have a setback - or rather that we simply don't win - still surprises me. Some of the reactions after the Millwall game were case in point.
Maybe a comparison against other previous seasons will set some minds at ease. The obvious place to start is a comparison of last season...
2017-18 Season - After 12 games
Position: 14th
Won: 5
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
Goals Scored: 15
Goals Conceded: 19
Points: 15
Although we were lower down the table at this point last year, I seem to recall that Warburton still had the backing of most fans. It's interesting to note that we had scored fewer goals. The interpretation of many - myself included - was that we were really good going forward but it was the defence which was our main issue. Our attack has often been criticised as slow and laboured this season, yet we've scored more goals than last season. Maybe this was expected given our investment in Grabban and Carvalho.
On the whole we have undoubtedly improved since last season.
2009-10 Season - After 12 games
Position: 7th
Won: 5
Drawn: 4
Lost: 3
Goals Scored: 14
Goals Conceded: 12
Points: 19
I've chosen this season as it was our best season in the last 15-odd years and I see a lot of similarities between it and this season: It was BD's first full season in charge and this is AK's; BD had signed a number of players including players he had on loan, as has AK; the team started slowly and particularly in the first 8-or-so games there was little to get excited about (Joe Garner on right wing, anyone?); performances this season have been stop-start but there have been glimpses of quality.
There are still a few on here (and only a few, thankfully) who compare every manager to BD and would love to see him return. Yet here we are with AK on the same number of points after the same number of games.
2014-15 Season - After 12 Games (Middlesbrough)
Position: 3rd
Won: 7
Lost: 3
Drawn: 2
Goals: 18
Conceded: 9
Points: 23
This is AK's first full season in charge of Boro. Obviously I can't remember anything about that Boro side but we can see that AK had them sitting in 3rd and with an extremely tight defence.
They lost 3 of their first 5 games that season but recovered strongly to eventually finish 4th, losing in the play-off final to Norwich and winning automatic promotion the following season.
I can't comment on what sort of football that Boro side played as I didn't watch much of them, but maybe the above stats are just a glimpse of what AK can do with us.
The above comparisons may not mean anything and some of you may think they're a load of shit. I've said since the Reading game that I see a lot of similarities between this team/Manager and the team/Manager of 2009-10; slow starters who will eventually 'click' and challenge towards the top of the table.
For now I shall sit back, log into my Factchecker account and call out the above stats as bullshit.
