Although we did not improve our position this year, we did improve how we got there. Our start to the season was poor and sluggish, and our mid season ignorant as the injuries told. But it all came good as the players came back and the performances and more importantly the results picked up, which in the end resulted in us staying safe in the Premier League for a seventh season.
Point Count
Last season we managed to pick up 36 points, which saw us go safe a game before the end of the season. This year it went down to the line for getting enough points to us to be safe. The odd thing is, that we gained an extra six points, this time round.
It shows how more competitive the league has been this year, but also that we have managed to start to pick up more points under Martinez, could we gain another six points next year? I wouldn't put it past us, and it shows the clear improvement that Martinez has been talking about. Performances now becoming points, and not showing how well the team has done.
Results
Last season we managed to lose a total of 20 matches and draw and win a total of nine games respectively. This season however we managed to sort out letting in those goals that were losing us games and instead get six extra draws, resulting in us only losing 14 games.
Now that is a great improvement on the previous year, although it may have felt like we have lost more this season. Building on a firm base like that for next term will hopefully give us something to push off from, and mean that we win more games and pick up key points in what will be another tight season.
Goals Scored and Conceded
The one department we had to sort out this year was our goal difference and especially the goals we conceded. Which last year totaled 79 against, and only 37 goals scored in response. Thats less than half a goal for everyone one we conceded.
However Martinez and co seemed to have worked well with the players in the summer to sort it all out. Only conceding 61 goals this year, which if you took our first two games out would be 51, a very good improvement by the lads. Goals for though is still lacking a bit, we managed to improve that by eight goals, still not enough. But it made a big difference to us staying up this year.
Overal
Improvement on the year before and defiantly starting to play more how Martinez wants us to. We could do with scoring more goals and thus winning a few more games, which has been the story of our season. Performances are becoming points, but whether it will be enough to keep us up next season will have to be seen.
But if we carry on to improve and perform how we have done towards the end of this season, then we should have no such problems, in pushing on and fighting for a top place finish coming next campaign.