We've had an amazing run and all credit to the team.....

[JCL666]

Glass half full for me:

- Compared to this last time last season, we have more points that the three teams that were promoted
- Our goal difference is a lot healthier too
- Kayal, Bong and Rosenior to come back will add more depth to the squad
- Murphy, Skalak and Knockeart are decent players and will start to find their form again
- Murray has had a couple of games to rest
- Akpom guy looks decent

All teams have a dip in form, we'll get over this one.

 

[sparkie]

Oh shut the **** up and **** the **** off. ****.

This.

 

[crasher]

But... We are not top 2 material sadly. We had a great run in the first half of the season with a fair sprinkling of luck. But in the last 3 months we've been very average. The good news is we should make the play offs.

The sooner we manage this expectation the better. Our squad is excellent, and we have done brilliantly to get top 2 but we simply dont have enough to sustain this.

You're either fishing or very stupid. Don't care which, but please don't start threads - you're not good at it.

 

[Sheebo]

LOL what is this shit??! Just watched the highlights and we blatantly had THREE gilt-edged chances to win that game that on another day (and there are plenty of other days left) would have gone in.

1. We managed to fashion a chance for Baldock on the 66th minute that had him 1 on 1 and just the keeper to beat. It could have easily been a goal had he been more clinical with his finishing. More match fitness will seem him putting those away again.
2. Murray's turn and shot on 91 came off the INSIDE of the post. Literally a couple of inches further to the left and this train wouldn't be stopping at Bedwetter's Central.
3. By all accounts a solid shout for a penalty on March (which wasn't in the highlights).

On another day any of these could have gone our way. Just not our day today.

It's not like we weren't creating chances and never looked liked we could win is it?

Terrible defending for their goal though. I'll concede that that's a worry.

Agree with you. I didn't think we were poor tonight at all. A bit sloppy but dominated the game overall. Others seem to be saying we were poor. I think most would be saying different had Murray's shot gone in. Seen us better but certainly had the better of the play & chances.

 

[London Irish]

I think Huddersfield are in better form than us and we won't finish ahead of Newcastle - so we have a right to be worried and sod the bedwetter tag

 

[ManOfSussex]

Right now it's anyone for the top 2 - Even us and Huddersfield ahead of the geordies. Bad night at the office tonight. Akpom doesn't look a saviour. See what Oakwell brings.................

 

[Nixonator]

I was left frustrated tonight in our game just like everyone else, but the real frustration should be directed at the chasing pack who are being absolutely relentless. I don't think we played that badly, the most frustrating thing about the actual game was how in the first 80 mins we were slow to release the final pass and come the end we rushed opportunities in a frantic mess.

Tonight's result only feels this way due to how the other results transpired. I'm sure somebody can dig out some stats of how this season really is a freak in terms of the points accumulated by the top 6, it certainly feels that way, like fate is conspiring to trump last season's harrowing finale.

If I could be bothered i'd track down the poster who told me Huddersfield would start dropping off soon and have a downturn in form, this was a week before the demolition job at the mcalpine. Their form is not abating, and as per usual we will have to do it the hard way with pressure now fully applied in our upcoming home games. Ideally we need a win at Oakwell too, something I can't remember experiencing in my lifetime.

 

[BrianWade4]

But... We are not top 2 material sadly. We had a great run in the first half of the season with a fair sprinkling of luck. But in the last 3 months we've been very average. The good news is we should make the play offs.

The sooner we manage this expectation the better. Our squad is excellent, and we have done brilliantly to get top 2 but we simply dont have enough to sustain this.

Agreed

 

[dwayne]

I was left frustrated tonight in our game just like everyone else, but the real frustration should be directed at the chasing pack who are being absolutely relentless. I don't think we played that badly, the most frustrating thing about the actual game was how in the first 80 mins we were slow to release the final pass and come the end we rushed opportunities in a frantic mess.

Tonight's result only feels this way due to how the other results transpired. I'm sure somebody can dig out some stats of how this season really is a freak in terms of the points accumulated by the top 6, it certainly feels that way, like fate is conspiring to trump last season's harrowing finale.

If I could be bothered i'd track down the poster who told me Huddersfield would start dropping off soon and have a downturn in form, this was a week before the demolition job at the mcalpine. Their form is not abating, and as per usual we will have to do it the hard way with pressure now fully applied in our upcoming home games. Ideally we need a win at Oakwell too, something I can't remember experiencing in my lifetime.

I get what you're saying but Leeds lost their last 2 before tonight and reading have been poor recently. It's not the chasing pack that scares me it's our own form.

We started playing badly and picking up lucky wins a good few months ago. We have been playing pretty averagely since Preston and have not had the luck or results that we had at the beginning of the season.

We've been playing poorly for too long now and our luck has run out. We are a decent team but unless our results turn round pretty quickly we are sadly destined for the play offs

 

[warmleyseagull]

Driven home to Bristol, thought I'd take a peep under NSC sheets to see if there are incipient signs of wetting, but didn't expect a bucketful....

Can we just all realise that no team ever in the history of sport maintains truly consistent form. Results do ebb and flow, for many reasons, including luck. Too late to look back at the Brentford H thread but I have no doubt that we were 'heading for mid table mediocrity in the eyes of many having had an 'awful' start of W2 D2 L2.

Then we had an amazing run: W14 D4 L0 starting with Huddersfield at home and ending Fulham away. In a normal season that should be enough, meaning 44 required points from the other 28 games. So far we have achieved 18 points from the 13 games outside the amazing run, not quite enough but close. We are still better than 2ppg.

So I don't really get the concern. Most teams (granted there will be the odd Derby in Premier League situation) in all divisions of all sports have periods when results are less good than others, and periods when results are really good. Look at Cardiff, their last two away results mean the 1-0 here was a good result for us. There was always going to be a period when results went against us - last season we had a run of 5 League games from which we took 1 point and failed to score in any yet still finished with 89 points.

And the flip side of this is that the chasing pack will also have dips; Leeds lost back to back games, for example. And frankly, if they don't, they will deserve to go up as will have over 90 points. Que sera, sera in that case.

So DON'T PANIC, certainly don't start thinking the wheels have fallen off never to get back on again. It MIGHT happen, but my guess is that we will discover some form again, regain the composure and march on. We can't legislate for the others, but my instinct is that Huddersfield will not maintain this run of form (they had a run of 8 games with just one win in Oct/Nov) but they might in which case we have to hope Newcastle fall over. And if they don't, heyho it is another bad luck story of undeserved 3rd so let's win a PO game, then another, and another....

 

[Sussex Nomad]

More thread police. I have to say, personally, and for quite a while, I have been watching a very under par team from that I was watching for the first 12 weeks or so. Whether the pressure is getting to them I have no idea. But please remind me of the last time we actually had a good game. Not one where we got away with it or scraped a lucky win. I mean the last time we actually played well. Obviously this will be subjective depending on who you are. But in MY opinion, remember that word, opinion, we have gone a long time since we last played well and won. I am ever the optimist and our next good win is always around the corner. I just hope this isn't one of them extremely long corners.

Lots of love,
Mr Pretty Damned Worried Now

 

[Stato]

But... We are not top 2 material sadly. We had a great run in the first half of the season with a fair sprinkling of luck. But in the last 3 months we've been very average. The good news is we should make the play offs.

The sooner we manage this expectation the better. Our squad is excellent, and we have done brilliantly to get top 2 but we simply dont have enough to sustain this.

Being very average has gained us over 2 points per game over the season so far. Maintain that and it will finish in the top two.
It feels dodgy tonight because we drew and others won, but had Murray's chance snuck in, we would have gone top.
It doesn't feel like Huddersfield will drop points at the moment, but they're not Real Madrid. They have just beaten QPR and Rotherham by the odd goal and have one of the poorer goal differences of all the challengers. The Championship will get them at some point, the same way it gets all of us eventually. If they react well when it happens, we will see what we'll need to do, IF they react well.
Only one of the squads competing for automatic promotion this season has had a taste of what it takes in the run in. This squad went on an incredible run at the end of last season having suffered a blip far worse than this one.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Think we might have enough to stumble over the line. Up to the players now. Keep the faith. Result is done, we cant turn back the clock. Think we might surprise our self on Saturday.

 

[Iovan The Sweeper]

Only one of the squads competing for automatic promotion this season has had a taste of what it takes in the run in. This squad went on an incredible run at the end of last season having suffered a blip far worse than this one.

I think this will come in to play the nearer we get to the end of the season. We have an incredible team spirit that can ride the set-backs, and have spent the best part of 2 seasons winning. If, say, Newcastle have a major wobble, will they have the same mental resilience? The media pressure on them could make it even harder. There's no pressure on Huddersfield - until they get into the top 2. But they are currently playing like a team without fear.

 

[sparkie]

Said before the game that Huddersfield were playing a "very, very easy 3 point banker" and they toiled to only get their winner in injury time.

No need for the white flags just yet.

 

[trueblue]

If Murray's shot had been half an inch to the left. This place would be full of we're gonna win the league bollocks.
Long way to go. We are definitely good enough to finish top two.

Nailed it. We've got a strong squad in a good position. Should have won but Ipswich defended well. On to the next game.

 

[bigcabboy]

Being very average has gained us over 2 points per game over the season so far. Maintain that and it will finish in the top two.
It feels dodgy tonight because we drew and others won, but had Murray's chance snuck in, we would have gone top.
It doesn't feel like Huddersfield will drop points at the moment, but they're not Real Madrid. They have just beaten QPR and Rotherham by the odd goal and have one of the poorer goal differences of all the challengers. The Championship will get them at some point, the same way it gets all of us eventually. If they react well when it happens, we will see what we'll need to do, IF they react well.
Only one of the squads competing for automatic promotion this season has had a taste of what it takes in the run in. This squad went on an incredible run at the end of last season having suffered a blip far worse than this one.

i agree with all above I think hudders will have a little blip before the end of season this was never gonna be plain sailing its a brutal league but the experience of previous years will shine through and I'm confident will get over the line this time, keep the faith everyone

 

[GreersElbow]

 

[Mackenzie]

But... We are not top 2 material sadly. We had a great run in the first half of the season with a fair sprinkling of luck. But in the last 3 months we've been very average. The good news is we should make the play offs.

The sooner we manage this expectation the better. Our squad is excellent, and we have done brilliantly to get top 2 but we simply dont have enough to sustain this.

Quitter.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

I'm not giving up.

Realism has just hit me. I was at preston we were tosh. I was at Fulham we were tosh (lucky). I watched Huddersfield we were rubbish. I was at Brentford we were mostly poor...... Fulham home rubbish but lucky , Cardiff away poor. Wednesday looked second best for much of the match , flukily won.

All recent matches , all pretty poor.

I'm not giving up. But I'm starting to realistically give up on top 2.

So, you're not giving up then.

NURSE!!!!