The heat is on!

[Garawa]

So Walsall and Burton both win and we drop to 4th. Burton go top and we have them next.....can't remember the last time we had so many games against teams at the very top! Perhaps previous seasons a side ran away with it a lot more. Despite a great defence and plenty of wins, Burton's league figures don't look fantastic. Have 2 weeks to prepare for the game now!

[lidbid46]

How have Burton done so well? They weren't even a league team until recently, now they are looking at the championship. How do these tiny clubs manage to leapfrog more established sides, including us?There must be a lesson there, or is it another tale of a wealthy backer, so they will rise quickly then fall just as quickly?

[Garawa]

I just believe it is 90% momentum. You get a taste of fine wine etc and its hard to go back to Ribena and in football that wining feeling just enthuses everyone who all want a piece of it. If you have players in the right places it can turn average sides into great ones. How many sides suffered back to back promotions and even relegations? Yeovil might fall out of the league after being in the Championship the season before last.

You have to take the chance the first time otherwise it can start the freefall part. Look at Orient and Tranmere who in recent seasons were where we are now before collapsing. Having a good manager can stop that I believe but NOT just good players as Orient went down with some very good players in the side. I think football is shifting from sides being successful because they had the most expensive players to ones with the most cohesive side.

As for Burton they have to be riding the crest of a wave. Their attendances aren't great at all and that surely wouldn't be sustainable in the Championship. I can't see them maintaining that and should JFH leave it might suggest that perhaps he feels the same. To outperform much stronger sides in this division is fantastic but that so often happens. Many said it doesn't but how often have a Fleetwood, Yeovil etc done well before crashing? Although they have the most wins in the division, they have failed to score 6 times (only one more than Coventry, Walsall and Gills combined) but they have kept 9 clean sheets, the most in the division. Needless to say fewer goals have been scored in their games than anyone else so its all about defending for them. Score and they might struggle. They are top with the best defence but a goal difference of just +8. At some point they will start leaking and then the rot will set in.

[lidbid46]

Hopefully next Saturday! I feel quite confident at the moment although that will probably change next Saturday morning!