Automatic Promotion

[Cisse]

I must admit that before the season started I wasn't betting heavily for us to achieve an automatic promotion.

[Alph]

Not over if Burnley carry on with their record v Rovers.

Be the same.

Just need a favour off Blackburn. Even then the real winners this weekend are QPR

[TroyDyer]

We ain't going up automatically.

But I ain't going to whinge. It's nice not to have to have Bristol City lose.

[mcsilks]

Maybe the title of this thread should be 'play offs?'

 

A few weeks ago I tipped that Wigan would win the play offs and that Derby would finish seventh based on the assumption that there's always one side that falls away and there's always one side that goes on a great run.

 

My tip was laughed off on here. No surprise there then.

 

I was right with Wigan putting a run together and I fear I'll be right with Derby.

 

They just don't look play off material. When we win, we often win either ugly by scrapping our way to victory. McClaren has most definitely had his fair share of luck in games as well.

 

Well, that luck appears to have ran out. Now we will see what McClaren can really bring to the table. One assumes he will be working to the same sorry budget that our previous management had to.

 

Does Rush expect this squad to challenge towards the top of the division again next season? I have a feeling our rather smug Mr Rush will have a headache or two in the coming months when the realisation hits him that we are not really that great a side and our squad really isn't top six material. Yes, we are there at the minute but I don't for one moment think there are only 3~4 sides better than we are.

 

Investment will have to be forthcoming.

[Abu Derby]

We've lost too many home games for automatic imo.

[YorkshireRam]

Maybe the title of this thread should be 'play offs?'

 

A few weeks ago I tipped that Wigan would win the play offs and that Derby would finish seventh based on the assumption that there's always one side that falls away and there's always one side that goes on a great run.

 

My tip was laughed off on here. No surprise there then.

 

I was right with Wigan putting a run together and I fear I'll be right with Derby.

 

They just don't look play off material. When we win, we often win either ugly by scrapping our way to victory. McClaren has most definitely had his fair share of luck in games as well.

 

Well, that luck appears to have ran out. Now we will see what McClaren can really bring to the table. One assumes he will be working to the same sorry budget that our previous management had to.

 

Does Rush expect this squad to challenge towards the top of the division again next season? I have a feeling our rather smug Mr Rush will have a headache or two in the coming months when the realisation hits him that we are not really that great a side and our squad really isn't top six material. Yes, we are there at the minute but I don't for one moment think there are only 3~4 sides better than we are.

 

Investment will have to be forthcoming.

We haven't scrapped, we've had tight games where it has needed a moment of brilliance to decide it, i.e. Martin's Free Kick or Bamford's Screamer but we never scrapped per say, we've always tried to play football and win the game fairly, we've just struggled to break teams down at times.

 

It's these sort of wins that separate mid-table teams from the teams challenging for promotion.

 

The loss yesterday was due to a poor performance from us, but I'm confident we can get back on track on Tuesday with (hopefully) 3 points.

[nfb]

We haven't scrapped, we've had tight games where it has needed a moment of brilliance to decide it, i.e. Martin's Free Kick or Bamford's Screamer but we never scrapped per say, we've always tried to play football and win the game fairly, we've just struggled to break teams down at times.

 

It's these sort of wins that separate mid-table teams from the teams challenging for promotion.

 

The loss yesterday was due to a poor performance from us, but I'm confident we can get back on track on Tuesday with (hopefully) 3 points.

Not that confident then

I agree with the point that we have had a fair few days recently where we havent played well and got 3 points, today i think that we have had too many players not function, we know who they were, but i dont get what Mac was doing today, and while we are pointing fingers at players i think Mac was as much to blame as anyone on the pitch, why play Bamford wide, to get him in the side cos he cant play target man,? why not play Thorne if Eustace is 'rested' , if we arent going to play him why is he here ? Hendrick isnt the player he was,simples, Hughes, why was he so deep most of the game ? as for Sammon, sadly he just showed why he's best on the bench today.

So for me today too many players playing as square pegs in round holes for me,and maybe thats why we didnt work like a well oiled machine.....

Its needs sorting, as the play offs beckon, and sadly i cant see us beating anyone if we play like we have of late in some games.

[Tombo]

We have been involved in tight games because the rest of the league take us very very seriously indeed. Teams like Sheffield Wednesday and Bournemouth spent 90 minutes defending and trying to hold us back and they found it an impossible task.

 

Surely people can see just how important it is that we can do that. Our scrappy wins represent the fact that we are one of the tougher teams in the league and despite all the hard work of teams like Yeovil and even bigger teams like Brighton, they couldn't hold us back.

[TroyDyer]

We won't fall out of the playoffs.

If there is one team that is falling out, it's forest.

That will amuse me greatly.

[ronnieronalde]

I think the scrappy wins sometimes are the most enjoyable ones.

 

McClarens win % since he got here is fairly untouchable really, he's done brilliantly to be in a position where two or three losses on the bounce, has no impact on our play off chances whatsoever.

 

McClaren, his staff and the team have earned a couple of dodgy results by winning games regularly.

 

I was worried about a couple of things when McClaren came in, the first was that he would try to change things too quickly, he didn't.

 

The second was that he would dump the players he inherited quickly. He didn't.

 

The third was how he would react under pressure, when things don't go well. I'm still a bit unsure on that bit. He's got to pick them up sharpish and HE'S got to stay positive. He can't be having doubts now. His radio interview was bizarre to say the least.

 

We need a point at least against Bolton. With games coming up against Reading, Forest and Ipswich, we can't afford to go on a slump now.

 

Just a point will do, keep ticking over.

 

We're too good a team not to finish top 6. We've just got to get back to playing football.

[Grantona]

The problem with loan players like Bamford and Thorne is that if Steve Mac picks them too often ahead of the permanent players, it can have a negative effect on team spirit.

 

If Thorne is picked ahead of Hendrick, how is it going to effect the balance of the dressing room?

 

Also if Bamford does not get dropped after a poor display, how do Russell and Sammon feel?

[May Contain Nuts]

Looking for problems that aren't there.

[Leicester Ram]

Maybe the title of this thread should be 'play offs?'

 

A few weeks ago I tipped that Wigan would win the play offs and that Derby would finish seventh based on the assumption that there's always one side that falls away and there's always one side that goes on a great run.

 

My tip was laughed off on here. No surprise there then.

 

I was right with Wigan putting a run together and I fear I'll be right with Derby.

 

So you're 100% ignoring the fact that Forest are having a dip too and look, if anything, more likely to miss out on the play-offs than we do.

 

We've had two bad results back to back but there's been a heavy tide of luck going against us. The lack of Martin really cost us yesterday, you could tell we were missing his outball where the ball sticks to him and he can lay it off to an onrushing midfielder. We played really well against Burnley in the second-half last week, if anything we tried to over-play against Millwall yesterday so no, we haven't been scrapping for it.

 

You're taking this way out of proportion here, if Wigan are going to knock anyone out of the play-offs it's going to be Reading or Forest. We've still got both of them to play, I can see us taking points off Forest, not sure with Reading but as it stands they're nine point off us. How you can suggest that there's more of a chance of us losing a 9 point lead than making up a (possibly) 8 point deficit is quite narrow minded of you. Also, we have a basically full squad compared to Forest who're missing Reid til next month and Lansbury til May, not to mention that our April is very similar to our December where we put together our run.

 

No one laughed off your tip based on Wigan putting a run together, they laughed it off because saying we'll finish 7th is clear wumming and you suggested the team that would finish 6th would require 80 points.

[mcsilks]

So you're 100% ignoring the fact that Forest are having a dip too and look, if anything, more likely to miss out on the play-offs than we do.

 

We've had two bad results back to back but there's been a heavy tide of luck going against us. The lack of Martin really cost us yesterday, you could tell we were missing his outball where the ball sticks to him and he can lay it off to an onrushing midfielder. We played really well against Burnley in the second-half last week, if anything we tried to over-play against Millwall yesterday so no, we haven't been scrapping for it.

 

You're taking this way out of proportion here, if Wigan are going to knock anyone out of the play-offs it's going to be Reading or Forest. We've still got both of them to play, I can see us taking points off Forest, not sure with Reading but as it stands they're nine point off us. How you can suggest that there's more of a chance of us losing a 9 point lead than making up a (possibly) 8 point deficit is quite narrow minded of you. Also, we have a basically full squad compared to Forest who're missing Reid til next month and Lansbury til May, not to mention that our April is very similar to our December where we put together our run.

 

No one laughed off your tip based on Wigan putting a run together, they laughed it off because saying we'll finish 7th is clear wumming and you suggested the team that would finish 6th would require 80 points.

 

 

No, I'm not. Forest have a bigger and better squad thatn what we do. They are going through a sticky patch but there's is in the main due to injuries. Ours is a loss of form.

 

People didn't laught it off because of the point thing. I said that I made a mistake in the points. They laughed it off because they couldn't beleive or accept that we could possibe finish 7th.

 

We may have had a couple of bad results but surely every Derby fan saw this coming. Our performances have been getting gradually worse and our luck was going to run out sooner or later.

 

I don't do wumming (as people call it). I would prefer it if they used proper English. I just deal in reality. That is something that is in short supply with so many on here.

[SSD]

How many dreadful games have we had under Mac? Just this one? 

[Leicester Ram]

No, I'm not. Forest have a bigger and better squad thatn what we do. They are going through a sticky patch but there's is in the main due to injuries. Ours is a loss of form.

 

People didn't laught it off because of the point thing. I said that I made a mistake in the points. They laughed it off because they couldn't beleive or accept that we could possibe finish 7th.

 

We may have had a couple of bad results but surely every Derby fan saw this coming. Our performances have been getting gradually worse and our luck was going to run out sooner or later.

 

I don't do wumming (as people call it). I would prefer it if they used proper English. I just deal in reality. That is something that is in short supply with so many on here.

 

Really, criticising the current manager and Sam Rush, while praising the ex-manager on multiple threads seems like you've got an very public agenda which us finishing 7th would suit.

 

'Saw this coming' What do you mean this, we're still buried deep in the play-off places and have one of the easier run ins out of the top few teams. You're acting like we've missed out on them already and losing to Millwall means that we're obviously going to drop like a stone but Forest losing three in a row translates to them having a better squad that will beat us? When we play Forest in less than two weeks they still won't have their players back and if we win we'll be putting an even greater distance between us and them.

 

 I just deal in reality. That is something that is in short supply with so many on here.

 

The reality is we're 3rd and 9 points off 7th and 6th, you're ignoring that.

[mcsilks]

Really, criticising the current manager and Sam Rush, while praising the ex-manager on multiple threads seems like you've got an very public agenda which us finishing 7th would suit.

 

'Saw this coming' What do you mean this, we're still buried deep in the play-off places and have one of the easier run ins out of the top few teams. You're acting like we've missed out on them already and losing to Millwall means that we're obviously going to drop like a stone but Forest losing three in a row translates to them having a better squad that will beat us? When we play Forest in less than two weeks they still won't have their players back and if we win we'll be putting an even greater distance between us and them.

 

 I just deal in reality. That is something that is in short supply with so many on here.

 

The reality is we're 3rd and 9 points off 7th and 6th, you're ignoring that.

 

 

When have I critised the current manager?

 

I saw this coming. Yes. I shall explain that being as it appears you need me too. We haven't played well for a few games now and our results have been a little fortuitous. I saw a change in our winning fortunes.

 

I am not ignoring any reality. What I am not ignoring is the fact that in previous years, there's usually a team that drops out of the picture having been in the frame for most of the season. Derby IMO look the most likely despite being 3rd and 9 points off 7th.

 

It's just an opinion. I don't have any agenda. I don't like Sam Rush but that is more to do with his smug personality and his poor decision making. You don't agree with me fine. That's your perogative.

[-JW-]

If Burnley win today then automatics are out of the equation for us. If they lose today and we win on Tues the gap is back to 2 points. Come on Blackburn.

[Albert]

If Burnley win today then automatics are out of the equation for us. If they lose today and we win on Tues the gap is back to 2 points. Come on Blackburn.

2 points and a game in hand to them.

[Day]

Think we can still win the league