Does today's result really mean anything?

[Elizabeth]

Is it just going to be one of those games a team heading for relegation pulls out now and then?

Or did it mean more?

[gandhisflipflop]

The performances in the 442 have been much much better so this had been coming. We will go on a run now. If we can get to 15 points going into Jan we will have a real chance

[HahaYeah]

The lads will be buzzing after that with some winnable games coming up.

[ElectroClaret]

It basically means 3 points mathematically.
But maybe a world of confidence for the lads......

Let's hope we keep it going.
UTC

[bfcjg]

I think it will be the catalyst we need. Goalscorer brilliant, but for me the clean sheet was just as important.

[ClaretinJapan]

It means we've got 7 points instead of 4.

It means there's more hope, coming after improved performances.

It means Kolesho can forget about his open goal miss.

Need to win against a team who will be in this league next year.

Hopefully can perform on Tuesday, stay in the game, and get a win. Things would feel very different then.

[Safron]

So one poster says DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY and he is lambasted! And then this post and it's ok ! Give me strength.

[LowtonClaret]

The performance against West Ham showed the potential. Fortunately SU had nothing up front to threaten us. Our weakest link has been defence. Sort that and we'll be fine.

[bobinho]

Bizarre post…

[Neil]

Scoreline was a bit of a freak but the team has been steadily improving over the last 4-5 games.
We haven't been creating loads of chances until today but we've still been 'in' matches late on, Arsenal included.

If we can minimise the errors that lead to cheap goals for the opposition we've got half a chance.

And it's no coincidence that the improvement has coincided with a more settled starting line up.
The first few weeks was a complete guessing game as to who would start. ( I never came close!)

A little bit sad to say it but Cullen weakens us considerably and we look much better with Berge and Brownhill in central midfield. Koleosho makes things happen, simple as that, and he's earned that starting place. On the other side JBL should be given at least a 3 game run. He's composed, makes good decisions and knows how to cross a ball and finish.
Amdouni has a great box of tricks, though he can frustrate. Would be great if he could have a good run alongside a fresh Foster.
At the back, hopefully we can get a run of Beyer and Ekdal together, though I suspect VK rates O'Shea more than most fans.
Vitinho has done better than expected though we can all see his limitations and Taylor doesn't stick out (in a bad way) that many thought he would.
GK has been done to death so I won't bother on that one.

I really hope the tinkering stops and VK continues to learn.

[Dark Cloud]

If it means anything it means that if Sheffield U finish second in the Championship next season we'll finish first, by roughly 25 points imo.

[Sheedyclaret]

I didn’t go today gave my ticket to my lads mate still think we will go down but even if we do without another point I’d stick with VK we are heading in the right direction

[Westleigh]

The performances in the 442 have been much much better so this had been coming. We will go on a run now. If we can get to 15 points going into Jan we will have a real chance

Thought we played more of a 3-4-3 today with Taylor and Vitinho pushed further forward.

[Spiral]

Felt like the players set out to put right the last 10 mins of West Ham. Rubbish opponent, 10 men (even though we were 2-0 up when McBurnie was sent off), we finished ahead of SheffU last season blah blah blah, but when all is said and done 5-0 is impressive under any set of circumstances, and if the result means anything, it's a culmination of this slow creep towards a complete performance that has been happening for a while now, because we HAVE been improving bit by bit over the weeks.

I think the benefit of sticking to a higher form of football even when the teething of it is painful at the beginning is that in the long run, domination over 90 minutes is a more consistent thing. Keep on playing, let the players learn, and before you know it a 5-0 against a dreadful team becomes a 1-0 against a decent one, which becomes a draw against a brilliant one, which becomes a well earned, no asterisk, we were better than them type win against an amazing one, and the consistency of performance means we go into every game with a chance. There's a higher potential for consistency with this way of playing and this team and this manager than we've ever had in the modern era, so if smashing Sheff UTD to bits means anything, it means we have something to point to in this team's trajectory which suggests we're on the right path and should stick to it.

Basically, the Kompany out boys can do one.

[bobinho]

Thought we played more of a 3-4-3 today with Taylor and Vitinho pushed further forward.

Yep, got away with that today… Beyer covering more than once for when Taylor caught further up. Great v Sheff Utd, but it’ll see us well and truly walloped by better opposition.

[Boss Hogg]

We were desperately unlucky v West Ham so it is good to get that out of the system. It should give confidence but we need to follow it up with a positive performance and result not the powder puff error ridden stuff.

[Rowls]

3 points.

[boyyanno]

They were awful today but I think it's fair to say that was a very good/promising performance from us. The first time I've seen us really mix it up this season and more importantly we looked to have changed a little, we showed a more aggressive side to our game going forward and used the width much better.

I've been critical recently and it still only matters if we can build on this performance but I was really pleased with what we got to see today.

[expoultryboy]

A smile on my face and actually looking forward to match of the day .

[Sheedyclaret]

They were awful today but I think it's fair to say that was a very good/promising performance from us. The first time I've seen us really mix it up this season and more importantly we looked to have changed a little, we showed a more aggressive side to our game going forward and used the width much better.

I've been critical recently and it still only matters if we can build on this performance but I was really pleased with what we got to see today.

We were playing a poor side we will be relegated this season hopefully VK stays and we go again

[NottsClaret]

Today definitely confirmed one thing, we’re still the best team in the Championship.

[Woodleyclaret]

My birthday and a great present

[Spiral]

Happy Birthday!!!

[boatshed bill]

Yep, got away with that today… Beyer covering more than once for when Taylor caught further up. Great v Sheff Utd, but it’ll see us well and truly walloped by better opposition.

Only if we don't get better at it.

[fatboy47]

A few less fannys on here possibly.

[Elizabeth]

So one poster says DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY and he is lambasted! And then this post and it's ok ! Give me strength.

I think the difference is in the inference that today may mean something more than just a win against an admittedly poor team.
We are all looking for indications that the squad is learning and developing. The manner of victory today helps.
That's different than saying hold on don't read too much into today

[CoolClaret]

It gives us a fighting chance.

Bettering our goal difference by 5 is MASSIVE - because it’s the sort of season where it might really matter.

Also - not many teams that are nailed on score five goals in a relegation six pointer - just saying.

[Newcastleclaret93]

They were awful today but I think it's fair to say that was a very good/promising performance from us. The first time I've seen us really mix it up this season and more importantly we looked to have changed a little, we showed a more aggressive side to our game going forward and used the width much better.

I've been critical recently and it still only matters if we can build on this performance but I was really pleased with what we got to see today.

Not sure they were that poor. I think we just made them look poor.

We got the simple things right, effort and aggression from us was the best we have seen all season. I suspect confidence played a big part

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Just seen the extended highlights and i must say that is a definite template of the way forward. I hope there isnt much tinkering from that and we stop the aimless passing around the back from earlier in the season. Excellent performance but we must build on it and not just be happy with that on its own.

The more teams that shoot themselves in the foot the better, that McBurnie is an absolutely crap striker and a bit of a numpty by the looks of it.

[spt_claret]

It means 3 points a big help to the goal difference and a much needed injection of confidence and momentum ahead of a busy run of games we need to start getting points from. Can only ever beat what you're up against, it's not saved our season yet or vindicated every selection choice or baffling decision this season but it has the potential to be the catalyst for us to turn things round. Fantastic win and on Kompany and the team to ride that momentum and capitalise.

There's a higher potential for consistency with this way of playing and this team and this manager than we've ever had in the modern era

Strongly disagree on this, there's a higher upper end but also a much lower bottom end as we've been seeing. Dyche for years was about as consistent as you could get, a team built on not losing and trying to win on tight margins by maximising the analytical, tactical and physical side to get a lot out of very little. It petered out due to investment disappearing due to the takeover but we were exceptionally consistent. I don't think this method is likely to be more consistent, I think we hope for big peaks to to offset the troughs, a very variable, streak-y team.

[gandhisflipflop]

Thought we played more of a 3-4-3 today with Taylor and Vitinho pushed further forward.

I think our dominance made it appear a 343 but the starting formation was definitely 442 imo. Either way, as others have said it’s the blueprint

[Clive 1960]

My birthday and a great present

Same here and worth stopping up to celebrate late in the night. UTC..

[Spiral]

Strongly disagree on this, there's a higher upper end but also a much lower bottom end as we've been seeing. Dyche for years was about as consistent as you could get, a team built on not losing and trying to win on tight margins by maximising the analytical, tactical and physical side to get a lot out of very little. It petered out due to investment disappearing due to the takeover but we were exceptionally consistent. I don't think this method is likely to be more consistent, I think we hope for big peaks to to offset the troughs, a very variable, streak-y team.

I think I'll try to rephrase this. Under Dyche we were consistent in the sense that we were always going to win our mini-league, and with the exception of the one or two big scalps a year, there was a decent chance we were going to get beat by, or even buttered by, anyone outside of that mini league. In this sense, to use some more sentimental examples, we knew we'd beat Wolves at home, we knew we'd beat Bournemouth at home, we knew we were good value for a point at Palace and Everton, and we knew we'd get stuffed at City and Arsenal. Predictable, but that's not the same thing as consistent. I think that if this clicks like it eventually did last season, a front-foot approach gives us as good a chance against the top teams as it does the bottom, and by that I mean I believe our performances will get to a point where we play with such consistency that winning against, say, a good Villa side is no more unexpected than beating the bottom team in the league.

[Ptangyangkipperbang]

It's a shot in the arm in what is going to be a long season we are certainly improving as each game goes by and there will be at least one other team to join our gang of 4 UTC

[Taffy on the wing]

YES!

After watching the highlights again & seeing the togetherness of this team (bench included).......i'm convinced we have a chance to stay up!
2 weeks ago i thought we were....... DOOMED!

[Taffy on the wing]

Yep, got away with that today… Beyer covering more than once for when Taylor caught further up. Great v Sheff Utd, but it’ll see us well and truly walloped by better opposition.

Were you upside-down when you wrote this?

[Taffy on the wing]

I think I'll try to rephrase this. Under Dyche we were consistent in the sense that we were always going to win our mini-league, and with the exception of the one or two big scalps a year, there was a decent chance we were going to get beat by, or even buttered by, anyone outside of that mini league. In this sense, to use some more sentimental examples, we knew we'd beat Wolves at home, we knew we'd beat Bournemouth at home, we knew we were good value for a point at Palace and Everton, and we knew we'd get stuffed at City and Arsenal. Predictable, but that's not the same thing as consistent. I think that if this clicks like it eventually did last season, a front-foot approach gives us as good a chance against the top teams as it does the bottom, and by that I mean I believe our performances will get to a point where we play with such consistency that winning against, say, a good Villa side is no more unexpected than beating the bottom team in the league.

When you say "buttered"....do you mean in the "Last tango in Paris".... "buttered" sense?

[jojomk1]

Four away games in the next six up to the end of the year
Ask again then

[taio]

Four away games in the next six up to the end of the year
Ask again then

You already have us relegated so no point asking you again.

[ClaretPete001]

The simple answer is who knows.

We have got better recently and I thought we were excellent yesterday. I thought Crystal Palace played a clever game and beat us fair and square but we were much better than West Ham and should have easily won.

Now Ekdal is back I feel a bit more confident than I have for a while but it would be nice to see us pick some points in the next few games.

Whatever way you look at it we look a better side than we did at the start of the season.

[scouseclaret]

It means we’re not the worst team in this division.

That’s something, but I don’t think we can draw any more conclusions than that. We need to back it up by taking something from Wolves on Tuesday.

[Rowls]

My birthday and a great present

Happy birthday (yesterday) Woodley!