Are we contenders now?

[Normski1989]

After months of being invisible, we've fought our way back up to 2nd (yes, I know we'll be 3rd after Friday). Are we finally recognised as genuine promotion contenders now?

The media have basically ignored us whenever they spoke about the title race. Five consecutive clean sheets, picking up 11 points in the process. Surely they must accept that we're contenders now.

 

[darkwolf666]

Doubt it...

We are still fourth favourites with the bookies, though the odds are closing!

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

ssssshhhhh!! I still don't think anybody has noticed yet!

 

[KZNSeagull]

Does it matter? We have been contenders all season. If the media choose to ignore us, so be it. Allows us to concentrate on the job in hand.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Does it matter? We have been contenders all season. If the media choose to ignore us, so be it. Allows us to concentrate on the job in hand.

There are only two teams who've been in the top 6 all season. Us and Hull.

 

[Taybha]

We are and i qoute (ish) Tony Gayle "of all the teams up there Brighton are punching far above their weight and if Chris manages to get Brighton up he will or should be manager of the season " , i think its slowly dawning on people that we are indeed contenders , even by some Brighton supporters

 

[Audax]

A Boro / Hull draw later this week, and yes we're very much in it. That would put us ahead of Hull on equal games, and level on points with a Boro team that's lacking form.

I think the more likely result is a Hull win, though, which leaves us a point outside the automatics. Burnley look out of reach now, unless they have a spectacular meltdown, so it's realistically a 3 way fight for second. Hull have the easiest run to the end (on paper), while Boro look out of sorts. Suspect it'll be between us and Hull and that final game vs Boro could be the clincher.

 

[Smiley Miley]

Don't consider Burnley out of reach, if we beat them the gap could be one win, four teams are fighting for two places.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

No one in the press or punditry world wants to be proved wrong and those that have given us no credit thus far, ain't gonna change now.
The trouble with a lot of people that write about and follow football is that they don't study clubs and players and trends and momentums and changes enough. Its a superficial world of reacting to the present and overlooking a lot of the past.
Since we rejoined the Championship,we have finished 10th, 4th, 6th and 20th and now we are back in the top 6 again. What does that tell you. It tells you we had a blip ( and we all know why ) Its been remedied and normal service has been resumed. We are an ambitious, well run club, striving for higher things. We set a new Championship record of 21 games unbeaten, an amazing run, still not getting the credit it deserved. We were set up well, difficult to break down and successful. We then, over a period of some weeks lost 7 of our more influential players, not just for short periods but weeks leading to months. The character instilled enabled us to overcome some of these setbacks but eventually it caught up with us and we suffered, dropping 14 points out of 15. Even in some of those matches, we were unlucky.
Many took great satisfaction in telling us that we had blown up. Stand aside and let the bigger guns take over. But deep down a lot of us knew that if we could get the majority of our players back for the run-in, we would pick up where we left off. And we have. One defeat in 11. Five straight clean sheets. Some of the other bigger guns creaking at the seams.
Perhaps we are the ' Leicester ' of the Championship, cocking a snook at the supposed bigger guns around them. The knowing ones nodded sagely and said..." it won't last, wait til they play someone decent, like Man City away ".....and now, still slightly unwilling to admit they were wrong...." ah but these Leicester players have got the pressure of the run-in...which they haven't experienced before "
We can all express our frustration on here about being overlooked by the media but deep down, I think we would all admit to be happy to be just under the radar. Let the spotlight fall on Boro, Hull, Derby and Sheff Wed ( all apparently better than us ) and lets us keep winning football matches.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

We need Boro to keep imploding and Hull failing to score.

I see that Hull might be signing Ricky Lambert on loan, will we stick or twist in that regard?

 

[Megazone]

The media ignore us?

And who said we were precious?

 

[Mo Gosfield]

We are and i qoute (ish) Tony Gayle "of all the teams up there Brighton are punching far above their weight and if Chris manages to get Brighton up he will or should be manager of the season " , i think its slowly dawning on people that we are indeed contenders , even by some Brighton supporters

See my previous post re pundits living superficially in the present and not bothering to analyse more. Our recent history is strong bar one blip ( even Chelsea get them ) Our infrastructure is strong and this is absolute bollocks to suggest that we are punching above our weight. We are there by right.

 

[Mancgull]

It now seems as if it's a four horse race for the top two spots with a clear favourite in Burnley and a five horse race for 5th and 6th spot. Those five teams have really bunched up now and both Derby and Sheffield Wednesday will be looking over their shoulders. There's still a good way to go yet with nine games to play. I think six wins are what we would need to achieve to get into the top two.

 

[LlcoolJ]

See my previous post re pundits living superficially in the present and not bothering to analyse more. Our recent history is strong bar one blip ( even Chelsea get them ) Our infrastructure is strong and this is absolute bollocks to suggest that we are punching above our weight. We are there by right.

To be fair on him he did say that he meant punching above our weight because we haven't spent anywhere near as much money as the others. Which is true.

 

[Steve in Japan]

To be fair on him he did say that he meant punching above our weight because we haven't spent anywhere near as much money as the others. Which is true.

And nor have Leicester which is why their story is almost universally welcomed. What a fantastic season for football if underspending Brighton also achieved promotion

 

[sparkie]

We'll be noticed if we beat Burnley.

 

[Rugrat]

A Boro / Hull draw later this week, and yes we're very much in it. That would put us ahead of Hull on equal games, and level on points with a Boro team that's lacking form.

I think the more likely result is a Hull win, though, which leaves us a point outside the automatics. Burnley look out of reach now, unless they have a spectacular meltdown, so it's realistically a 3 way fight for second. Hull have the easiest run to the end (on paper), while Boro look out of sorts. Suspect it'll be between us and Hull and that final game vs Boro could be the clincher.

I'd go along with that. We really could use a draw or even Boro win. If Hull go there and get a win then we may well have to beat both Burnley and Boro and not slip up elsewhere

 

[Triggaaar]

See my previous post re pundits living superficially in the present and not bothering to analyse more. Our recent history is strong bar one blip ( even Chelsea get them ) Our infrastructure is strong and this is absolute bollocks to suggest that we are punching above our weight. We are there by right.

I agree about our recent history, and of course we're there by right, but given that Hull and Burnley have just come down with Premier League players and money to burn (Andre Gray) and 'boro have spent about as much as Man City, then I think we are punching above our weight.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Does it matter? We have been contenders all season. If the media choose to ignore us, so be it. Allows us to concentrate on the job in hand.

All of this. I couldn't give a crap what anyone else thinks, least of all these 'expert' pundits. The team needs to just keep doing what it's doing and see where it takes us.

 

[Triggaaar]

We'll be noticed if we beat Burnley.

Impossible. Our invisibility cloak is too strong, they just can't see us.