admira Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 There's a fact from me to share at your next dinner party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Ram Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 very happy we've sneaked into the top 10. Doesn't make it seem AS ****. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexxxxx Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 dunno if it was a true improvement over last season but its evidence we aren't going backwards. onwards and upwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeedsCityRam Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Well, I'd have taken top 10 at the beginning of the season - feels slightly false though as theres a log jam of 9 teams behind us separated by 3 points - two of whom could have got relegated today! The relatively low number of points needed by Leics to get a playoff spot (68) illustrates what a missed opportunity this season has been - a mere 7 points away. Those dropped points v Sheff Weds & Birmingham are even more annoying in hindsight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randombc Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Fair to say that this season in the championship has been a lot more evenly contested, with only Cardiff showing how dominant they are. Leicester and Palace may well have not played play-offs in the past couple of seasons. Who knows, with a bit of investment in January, and a few better tactical decisions at key times, it's not unthinkable to imagine us being there. Investment needed in the summer if we are to get top 6 next year. We need 3 or 4 positions improving mainly in the striking department. Go and get them Clough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCFCfranco Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Would've taken it at the start of the season. But we know we could've done better. The team needs strengthening and Nigel needs to be a bit less stubborn and a bit more attacking and I think we can make the top 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Every opportunity next season and given the length of time Nigel has been given, Derby expects top six next season, no excuses. TTFN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anag Ram Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I said at the beginning of the season we would finish 10th and here we are. Given our resources that's not too bad. We won't get any better unless we buy three new strikers and get rid of those we have, including Martin who has proved he just isn't up to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notts_ram Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Whooopeeee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 It was a very unusual season, but at the end of the day, we finished higher than last season, we scored more, scored in more games and had positive goal difference. Hopefully we can strengthen for next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenportram Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Is this a missed opportunity with teams in the division getting worse than before? Or is it a case of most teams improving and being more competitive in general and us doing well by improving on last years position in a division of improved teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Is this a missed opportunity with teams in the division getting worse than before?Or is it a case of most teams improving and being more competitive in general and us doing well by improving on last years position in a division of improved teams.That's always the debate. What is a bit of a shock to the system though is how damn tight this table is this year. Picture the season as a set of 6 games. By points per game equivalent:Relegated: 2 wins and a draw (7 points)Playoffs: 2 wins, 3 draws or 3 wins (just under 9 points)Madness!Compare this to last season:Relegated: A win and 2 draws (just over 5 points)Playoffs: 3 wins and a draw (just under 10 points)It was a strange ol' season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 I'm not sure what to make of this season......not very memorable but some improvement. The squad looked stronger..... 2 good strikers might transform us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 I'm not sure what to make of this season......not very memorable but some improvement.The squad looked stronger.....2 good strikers might transform us.We don't need to spend out time waxing the damn forward line. We need to sort our defence and get the side to be more solid away from home. Maybe a good goalscorer might help this, but it's not as though we struggled to score, we were one of the better teams in fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Except things frequently fizzled out in the final third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 .....and only 3 teams scored fewer goals away from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Only 3 teams had a better defensive record at home..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BondJovi Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 A few saying Nigel's tactics need improving. Can't argue about home form, but why the gulf from away form? I wonder if this is due to personnel or purely due to tactics. I can't recall a point where Clough has gone all out to win a game, the old triple substitution? Did he not once take off a striker to put Buxton up top..but bring on a defender? I actually think had Clough shown a bit more attacking desire or willingness to change his plans we would done far better away from home. I am not sure how much any new signings will change that. We may have been the better team in a few of these...but Clough sticks and waits. Needs to gamble. How the league has finished is proof that no one in this league should have been feared and it is massively frustrating when we do so well at home to shoot ourselves in the foot by being crap away. 10th might sound good but to me it is a disappointing finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 One problem might be the inability to hold the ball up front......so we can push up. When we sink deep we seem to invite trouble. The lack of pace up front means opposition defenders can push up too. We scored countless goals with through balls for Gee and Davison once upon a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Only 3 teams had a better defensive record at home.....We also had one of the worst defences in the League away.You know what, bugger fluffing about on this point:Away:- In terms of goals conceded we were equal 4th worst- We were also 4th worst for goals scored- We were also equal 4th worst for clean sheets- We were bizarrely top half for games scored in (equal 7th-10th)- Finally, we were third bottom in pointsSo, it wasn't breaking the deadlock which was the problem as such (we only failed to score in 6 games away from home), but rather conceding bagfuls at the other end (we conceded a staggering 1.74 goals per game). How about that home record though:Home:- In terms of goals conceded we were equal 4th best in the division- Despite this we were bottom half for clean sheets (equal 17th)- For goals scored we were outright 3rd in the division, scoring at 1.87 goals per game- Although we were equal 9th for games in which we scored in (we failed to score in 4)- Overall we were 5th at homeThis is a pretty damn clear result. The attack is not the problem as such, it's more the defence not being up to standard, and conceding in all but 8 games just isn't acceptable. We don't seem to be shipping large volumes at once, but the away record's defence is a mess. It is clear from the numbers though that we are scoring the goals we need, the issue is not shipping so many, and in so many games. An experienced centrehalf and a good leftback (as well as not losing Brayford, Hendrick and such) could really make us into a force, the numbers at least seem to suggest we just need that polish. At the end of the day though, if we waste that polish on the wrong spot, it's not going to help up in the slightest, just because the forwards are the easiest for people to see doesn't mean they need to have it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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