Opinion: It's not as bad as you might think

Last updated : 02 January 2007 By Paul Farrington
Henri Camara: Missed
A quick look at the fixture list and if you ignore the Portsmouth game in the FA Cup, and the trip to Stamford Bridge, it's almost three weeks before we face Everton at home.

Hopefully, by which time, our much needed striker will have been signed, the new lads will have settled and the injuries will be well on the way to clearing up.

After the Everton match we have Reading away and Portsmouth at home. With a fully fit squad we are more than capable of picking up 6 or 7 points from those three games.

Then when you consider that there are other teams struggling in this division, the picture does become considerably brighter.

Watford seem doomed at the foot of the table and would need some heavy investment in January. Charlton have just lost their star striker Darren Bent for six weeks and don't look like winning a game.

And then there's our dear old friends in East London. West Ham are struggling too. Although they are likely to receive a big transfer kitty for this month, a 6-0 defeat to Reading will take some repair.

Middlesbrough aren't too far away and Sheffield United are likely to have a rocky patch.

In conclusion, it is very easy to criticise quickly and think later. Give it until after the Portsmouth match before we really start to worry.

Things are not as bad as you might think.