Jourdan

Bit late but…

I think automatic promotion is a bridge too far, personally. 

Plymouth are trending for over 100 points. Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich are on course for 90-95 points too, maybe more.

I don’t think we’re worse than any of those three. I think we are on a par, but we’ve left ourselves with too much work to do. To their credit, those teams have been so consistent from the very beginning.

The gulf in quality between the top three and teams outside the top 10 is so vast that they will be able to maintain good enough form to keep themselves out of reach, especially given they all had a head start on us by the time Warne arrived and especially while Warne and the team got to grips with each other.

I think all three teams above us are capable of a wobble, but it would have to be a massive capitulation for any one of them to let us in. We would probably also have to be by far and away the best and most consistent side in the division for the rest of the season to give ourselves a chance.

We would need at least 50 points from our remaining 22 games to simply make it interesting and put ourselves in the conversation. That’s averaging 2.27 points per game and probably 15 wins required at a minimum!

By all means, internally, we should push ourselves and set ourselves the target of finishing as strongly as possible and as high  up the table as possible.

But realistically, we have to be happy with finishing in a play off spot as comfortably and as painlessly as possible and setting ourselves up for another big day out.

I’d take a McGoldrick special and 42,000 of us dancing on Wembley Way some 12 months after being on the brink of extinction, wouldn’t you?

Anyone booked their Wembley hotel yet?

Derby 2-0 Accrington

McGoldrick FRGS

2 hours ago, rammieib said:

Another poor game of football.

I will say again, we are lucky to have some good players who can occasionally produce a bit of magic but generally the football is so poor.

We played in the Championship for 14 straight years and with the exception of 1-2 years, the football was poor.

We’re now in League 1 under significant financial restrictions, with a hurriedly assembled squad of high profile free transfers and hopeful but inconsistent young players.

You might need to adjust your expectations.

10 league games without defeat.

Given how awkward this league is to navigate, it’s very encouraging that our last loss in the league was all the way back in October.

We are taking some small but significant steps in the right direction. We are becoming very hard to beat.

We just need to turn more draws into wins and let our quality show more often.

Wins v Accrington and Cheltenham and we’ll be shaping up for a very positive 2023.

Derby 3-0 Cambridge

Collins FRGS

It is a work in progress with Warne. We were never going to be the finished article and playing champagne football after 20 games.

When you consider the level of injuries and suspensions we have had and how stretched the squad has been and continues to be, Warne is getting a lot right. 

Of course, it isn’t perfect. We are drawing a large proportion of our games and the style of play can be frustrating to watch when it doesn’t work.

But there are some good signs and there is plenty to build on as we move into 2023. If we can make a few tweaks in January, we’re in a really good place to kick on.

On 26/12/2022 at 12:25, Jourdan said:

Bolton 1-1 Derby

Collins FRGS

Edited

Bolton 1-1 Derby

McGoldrick FRGS

What a final and what a tournament!

Congratulations to @Premier ram and @Elgin_Ram.

You are joint winners of the prediction league!

Very well played, and thank you to everyone for taking part. See you in 2024 for the Euros.

Final standings:

1. Elgin Ram & Premier Ram = 200

3. Jourdan = 130

4. Mucker = 100

5. Old Spalding Ram = 100

6. BramcoteRam = 90

7. Kernow = 90

8. Parsnip = 50

9. David = 50

10. TMFG = 40

11. TomTom = 20

Bit late, but...

France to win
Morocco to lose
France v Argentina - no to extra time
Amrabat to be carded
Giroud to score
 

Derby 1-0 Forest Green

Collins FRGS

The final round is here! Entries by 3pm, Saturday.

Fixtures:

Croatia v Morocco (3rd place play off)

Argentina v France (World Cup final)

Format:

One team to win
One team to lose
Extra time or penalties - yes or no?
One player to score
One player to be carded

**Double points for this round**
20 points for every correct prediction, 100 points for 5 correct predictions.

Final standings to be posted on Monday.

France to go through 

Croatia to go out

Griezmann to score

Argentina v Croatia - yes to extra time

Paredes to be carded

Round 6 fixtures:

Argentina v Croatia

France v Morocco

Entries by Tuesday, 7pm. Thanks!

Helpful stats:

Most wins: France (4)
Most games unbeaten: Croatia, Morocco (5)
Most draws: Croatia (4)
Top scorer: Mbappe (5); Messi and Giroud (4)
Most cards: Argentina (10)
Extra time stat: Argentina have gone to extra time in their last two World Cup semi finals.
Extra time stat 2: Croatia went to extra time in their previous World Cup semi final. They have also gone to extra time six times in recent major tournaments.
Team to watch: Argentina have played five World Cup semi finals and never been eliminated.

Round 5 table:

1. Elgin Ram = 110

2. Premier Ram = 110

3. Mucker = 90

4. Jourdan = 90

5. Old Spalding Ram = 90

6. BramcoteRam = 70

7. Kernow = 60

8. Parsnip = 50

9. David = 50

10. TMFG = 40

11. TomTom = 20

14 minutes ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

Absolutely spot on. Would you stick with Gareth? 

You have to ask yourself: what will be different in 2024 or 2026?

My gut feeling is another coach deserves a chance now.

I think someone else could come in and build upon the good work Southgate has done and maybe find a way to give us an edge.

The worst thing Southgate could do is overstay his welcome.

I think that is the best we’ve played against a top national side for as long as I can remember.

We can be really proud of that performance.

We caused France all kinds of problems and pushed them.

That game could have easily gone all the way to a penalty shoot out as there was so little between the teams.

Such fine margins.

Burton 1-2 Derby

Collins FRGS