So, how much stock are you taking from the statistic 'Ipswich Town have lost two out of three games'?
At the risk of stating the obvious, it's not a great start! And if you include the fact that Town have already been dumped out of the Mickey Mouse Cup, it looks even worse.
But there's still 43 games to go. So, how much should this slow start really be worrying us?
To put it into perspective I wanted to know how our start compares to the teams who were promoted last year:
QPR - Won all three of their first games.
Narwich - Lost the first game of the season, but went on to win the next two.
But, Swansea - Like us, won one, and lost two.
(Thanks to @godeangogogo and @ohwhenthehull for confirming those for me!)
I don't think any of the Town fans are expecting the boys to reach the dizzy heights of Automic Promotion this season. But, there is a glimmer of hope that PJ's new look side may make it to the Play Offs instead. And, if you want to base your hopes and predictions on statistics, then the early form of Play Off Champions Swansea should give you something to smile about.
But, in reality, can a league like the Championship really be explained by statistics. Can you really ever hope to predict the outcome of any game in a competition where any side could win any game on any given day?
The only thing that's predictable about the Championship is that it's so unpredicatble.
I paraphrase the tagline used for my 'other' favourite sport British Superbikes here, because I believe it to be the best way to explain why we love being Town fans so much.
My two favourite sports in the world, the two most fascinating and exciting competitions in the world - Championship football and British Superbikes. The fact that you just never know what lies at the final whistle or finish line is what keeps me going back, again and again.
Let me explain further: for twenty minutes on Tuesday night I was ecstatic. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, I was bouncing on the sofa, and I could not take my eyes away from Sky Sports News. I know you know which twenty minutes I'm talking about!
That feeling of almost coming back from being 3:0 down is what I will treasure most from this second week of the 2011/2012 season. I want to hold on to it so tightly because it is the reason I am a Town fan. Yes, it's a shame it didn't last longer. Yes, it's a shame it didn't devleop into the delirium of a third goal and equaliser. But it all contributed to making my Tuesday night experience even more intense.
So, although I am obviously not impressed with the start Town have made to this season, I'm not panicking just yet. There's still so long to go and so many ups and downs to experience yet.
I want to also take the chance to applaud the fans who've been showing that level of support and optimism. PJ has commented that he too was impressed with the support:
"3-0 down at half time and at home, at some places you probably wouldn't even get to the tunnel . But the supporters were terrific... I said to the players 'You see the response when we're up at them and on the front foot'."
Meanwhile, several of the #itfc regulars have pledged to only Tweet their most positive feelings about the Boys in Blue. The optimism is definetly catching.
At this stage of the season I'd like to think that this is the feeling of the majority of the Town fans and from what I can tell the mood is generally positive (with the exception of certain Supporter's Clubs statements, obviously).
If you're feeling down about the Town I urge you to jump on the #twitfc bandwagon: this season's going to be so much more fun if we enjoy backing the boys through thick and thin... together.
Starting with Peterborough where I will be experiencing watching a game from the terraces for the first time as a Town fan (though I have had the 'privilege' of doing so as a neutral at many Cambridge United games). Should be fun!
Come On You Blues!
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