ambitions for this season

[RamNut]

No targets.

just go for it.

[Lord_Ram]

6 hours ago, Tombo said:

Hasn't changed since Pearson left for me. Don't raise your expectations just because form is good. Those of you asking for top 6 or top 2 will be the same ones calling for McClaren's head if we finish 10th.

Short memories. This is still a damaged team.

You mean this is still the same team that has challenged for promotion for the last 3 seasons

[brady1993]

44 minutes ago, Parsnip said:

I can do maths look - If Cardiff beat Brighton tomorrow and Derby beat Wigan - then the 12 point gap becomes 9 points. A couple of weekends like that and those at the top are going to start looking over their shoulders.

Let's be clear - I'm not head in the clouds expecting miracles - I know Brighton are doing exceptionally well and Newcastle are way above everyone else - but if we keep winning games then we'll be well placed to nick second if them seagulls slip up.

I just don't think many Brighton fans would agree with some on here who think Brighton are 100% guaranteed that second spot.

Ehh not really, it would take quite a significant downturn in form from Brighton and a downturn in form from Reading as well.

Currently Brighton are on 38 points from 18 games, if they keep that rate up (i.e. 2.11 points per game) they will finish on 97 points. Which would require Derby to gather points at rate of 2.58 ppg to beat it, which is extremely unlikely over the course of the next 28 games (to put it in perspective over a full season that form would gather 119 points). 

So the question becomes how bad a dip in form do Brighton and Reading have to have? If we make the assumption that from here till the end of the season Derby can manage 2 ppg, which would leave us with a total of 82 points. Then Brighton would have to fall to a rate of 1.54 ppg and Reading would have to fall to a rate of 1.68 ppg (from 1.89) for Derby to get promoted automatically. This would be a fairly drastic loss of form for Brighton. Also this assumes that the likes of Birmingham don't improve their form to beat us to the punch.

Ultimately the gap is highly likely to big to overcome, short of an absolutely miraculous run by us.

[Alph]

Just enjoying each game. Not stressed about league table at all. 

Like @Tombo said though, don't just forget that this exact same team has been labelled bottlers, failures, lazy, petulant, disgraceful... etc etc

This is the exact same squad that was getting the "I wouldn't care if we sold the lot of them" treatment. 

Exact same squad that needed a complete rebuild

Yet suddenly the expectations are going up and up. 

They can't be top 6 material and useless

[Parsnip]

24 minutes ago, brady1993 said:

Ehh not really, it would take quite a significant downturn in form from Brighton and a downturn in form from Reading as well.

Currently Brighton are on 38 points from 18 games, if they keep that rate up (i.e. 2.11 points per game) they will finish on 97 points. Which would require Derby to gather points at rate of 2.58 ppg to beat it, which is extremely unlikely over the course of the next 28 games (to put it in perspective over a full season that form would gather 119 points). 

So the question becomes how bad a dip in form do Brighton and Reading have to have? If we make the assumption that from here till the end of the season Derby can manage 2 ppg, which would leave us with a total of 82 points. Then Brighton would have to fall to a rate of 1.54 ppg and Reading would have to fall to a rate of 1.68 ppg (from 1.89) for Derby to get promoted automatically. This would be a fairly drastic loss of form for Brighton. Also this assumes that the likes of Birmingham don't improve their form to beat us to the punch.

Ultimately the gap is highly likely to big to overcome, short of an absolutely miraculous run by us.

It's happening.

[brady1993]

Just now, Parsnip said:

It's happening.

As much as I want to believe you, it's more than likely that our recent form isn't representative of how our form will be for the rest of the season. Unless McClaren is actually a miracle worker.........

[Ash]

With our squad and salaries, top six is minimum. I'm not expecting promotion but expect some changes over the next two windows which will put us in the top two braket.

[EssendonRam]

4 hours ago, Phoenix said:

Interesting point, that. Also interesting is that after 9 games, we were

14 points behind (then leaders) Norwich, currently 1 point and 8th

13 points behind (2nd) Huddersfield, currently 3 points and 6th

11 points behind Brighton and Reading (3rd and 4th), currently 12 and 8, 2nd and 3rd

10 points behind (5th) Newcastle, currently 14 points and 1st

 9 points behind Barnsley and Wolves (7th and 8th) currently -4 and -5, and 18th and 19th.

So, we've only fallen behind Brighton (1) and Newcastle (4) in the points tally. Sadly, those are the 2 teams we need to overtake. Not sure what this proves other than I've a little time on my hands.

 

 

Actually, that was a worthwhile exercise.

As you say, the unfortunate (and surprising, at least for me) part is that we've continued to drop points at least to Brighton over that timeframe. It does show how strong and consistent they and Newcastle have been. Unusually so for this league.

How critical does that goal at Huddersfield look now???

I think it's time we start thinking of ways of sabotaging Brighton especially. Any rumours circulating that Hughton might be sounded out for a Premiership job?

At least, Newcastle are down to 9 men as I type....

[EssendonRam]

21 minutes ago, Ash said:

With our squad and salaries, top six is minimum. I'm not expecting promotion but expect some changes over the next two windows which will put us in the top two braket.

Would you consider McClaren a failure if we missed top 6 from here?

I wouldn't but I suspect many would.

[brady1993]

6 minutes ago, EssendonRam said:

Would you consider McClaren a failure if we missed top 6 from here?

I wouldn't but I suspect many would.

This is my worry as well, that if we fail to make top 6 certain sections of the fan base will forget the position we were when he took over.

[EssendonRam]

6 minutes ago, EssendonRam said:

 

At least, Newcastle are down to 9 men as I type....

I suspected I had sailed close to breaking the first rule of the forum when I typed that. Literally, only moments after I finished typing, they score. 

Lesson learned.

[Sparkle]

Top six for me, Newcastle squad and manager are too good and Brighton are looking very strong, top six is the obvious lottery but it would feel like winning it if we made it due to the Pearson madness 

[Ash]

59 minutes ago, EssendonRam said:

Would you consider McClaren a failure if we missed top 6 from here?

I wouldn't but I suspect many would.

Not at all, imo this season is a free shot for McClaren. I never wanted him gone in the first place and trust he will build for the long term. This is a squad which should be top 10 minimum but needs moulding over the next couple of windows. 

[toddy]

I think the goal of most clubs is promotion in the championship.

Is it possible? Of course it is.

Top 2? possibly so especially if toons and Brighton keep dropping points and we continue winning each game that comes along.

Playoffs is a bit of a lottery and something I wish they would stop - I would rather have the 3rd team play the 3rd bottom team in the prem, a bit fairer. But it wouldn't generate enough money for the greedy bastaards that run football. 

[Ram a lamb a ding dong]

Carry on as we have since Macca returned and we could be top 4 by Christmas. All matches up until yr end are winnable. Thankfully Chrissy M wont play against us.

[1967Ram]

Our aim should be top two IMO BUT, as Mac says, the focus is one game at a time. Aiming for top 2 doesn't mean it's a failure if we don't make it.

If we can keep playing well, remain solid at the back and recover from the inevitable set-backs (defeats/injuries) quickly then we should be in a good final league position come 'the day of reckoning' in April. COYR!

[Parsnip]

14 hours ago, brady1993 said:

As much as I want to believe you, it's more than likely that our recent form isn't representative of how our form will be for the rest of the season. Unless McClaren is actually a miracle worker.........

The world's a bit glitchy at the moment. Anything can happen. 

[plymouthram]

we are only one defeat more than odds on favourites Newcastle, If we continue on our current clean sheets with Mcclaren and keep the current squad fit and also add to it in January, plus get back Thorne, Christie, Forsyth and company coming back into the squad. Well add a slice of luck in games when we do play poor, you never know we could finish top of the tree.

[DEL]

3 hours ago, plymouthram said:

we are only one defeat more than odds on favourites Newcastle, If we continue on our current clean sheets with Mcclaren and keep the current squad fit and also add to it in January, plus get back Thorne, Christie, Forsyth and company coming back into the squad. Well add a slice of luck in games when we do play poor, you never know we could finish top of the tree.

In which tree??

[Daz_The_Ram]

On 02/12/2016 at 16:06, eddie said:

Because there are 46 games in the season, and after 9 of them, we were 13 points behind an automatic promotion spot - points that we would have to make up in the remaining 37 games of the season.

It's not difficult (the maths, that is). The automatics? Perhaps a somewhat more difficult test.

Its a very convoluted way of looking at it. Just keep winning games. Newcastle are faltering, Brighton are not as good as most would believe. 

We're right in this for my money.