We had the West Ham performance and we've heard from the manager. We've heard a lot of opinion on what is wrong and what needs to happen, as well as how we are doing this season against last season. And then we have Cardiff coming up; a team we didn't play last season.
So this one should be easy. I mean, Cardiff have only won once away from home this season and according to everyone quoting last season, we're doing better. Am I right?
I think it's a tough call. The bookmakers have us down as favourites but our home record isn't great and after Sunday, Cardiff will have a renewed belief. They are also a point and two places above us. They'll think they've got a chance.
Add to that that they're not going to come at us and the onus will be on us, it's going to be a tough match to call, because we're not exactly the most creative side in the league and usually rely on teams attacking us so we can hit long and counter.
It is what it is
And that might be telling it at a very basic level, but that's it. We're missing the piece of the puzzle that everyone seemed to know we were missing before the season started.
We're missing the experience and quality in the middle of the park and it's fairly evident, because we don't seem that interested in playing it through the middle. We're more interested in the middle of the park as a place to battle.
And that is why the likes of Weimann, Benteke and Gabby are having a hard time. And why it's going to be tough for any striker playing for us. How many shots on goal did we have against West Ham. I don't know the exact number, but I do know that it's not enough for us to win games when you factor in not all of them are on target and they also have a keeper to beat. It's not as easy as just shooting.
The simple truth is we don't create as many chances as we need to because we don't have the ball as much as we need to. And we all know why that is. And this is where the circle is confirmed.
But Cardiff is an opportunity
Anything but a win on Saturday will be disappointing, but a win will be a great opportunity for the club and supporters to just relax and feel happy about something. Right now, we are believing in something that we all hope for and it will come, it comes every season, but we just all expected it to come earlier this season.
And if we win, we can start to believe that it is coming now regardless of possession and passing. All we want is a win and at the end of the day, that is all that matters. But a by product of keeping the ball is more wins. It would be nice to do it the right way or the sustainable way.
So a scrappy win on Saturday will be good enough. And whatever way we look at it, we should have the majority of the ball because we know Cardiff are not going to come at us. It's what we do with it that counts, but for Saturday that will be overlooked, as long as we get the three points.
And that is the circle we're in and the one we want to get out of. Anything for three points. My kingdon for three points.