ambitions for this season

[RamsPolls]

1 hour ago, Daz_The_Ram said:

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.

Brighton are the biggest frauds of the football league. 

They always tend to do well against the smaller teams which keeps them up there with the big boys but when it comes down to playing the bigger teams and the play offs. They bottle it and capitulate.

[Daz_The_Ram]

4 minutes ago, RamsPolls said:

Brighton are the biggest frauds of the football league. 

They always tend to do well against the smaller teams which keeps them up there with the big boys but when it comes down to playing the bigger teams and the play offs. They bottle it and capitulate.

Spot on. I don't actually rate Houghton as a manager one iota. I think he has been very fortunate over the years to land the jobs he has done.

[Sparkle]

1 hour ago, RamsPolls said:

Brighton are the biggest frauds of the football league. 

They always tend to do well against the smaller teams which keeps them up there with the big boys but when it comes down to playing the bigger teams and the play offs. They bottle it and capitulate.

That's what has been labelled on us sadly in recent times

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I think we will have done incredibly well if we finish in the top six given the start we had. If we finish in the top two then I will be genuinely shocked, I just can't see us maintaining the required level of consistency to do it.

As it stands we have won five on the bounce and are going very nicely and the general consensus is that we can still play a bit better, lets just hope that we continue to improve and see where that leaves us come May. Personally I think we will finish in the top six at which point anything can happen in the playoffs.

[rynny]

2 hours ago, RamsPolls said:

Brighton are the biggest frauds of the football league. 

They always tend to do well against the smaller teams which keeps them up there with the big boys but when it comes down to playing the bigger teams and the play offs. They bottle it and capitulate.

This calendar year Brighton have only lost 5 league games, Wolves, Rotherham and Cardiff last season and Newcastle and Brentford this season. Last season they drew away to Boro and Hull and drew at home to Burnley. They also drew at home to Sheff Wed and us. And other than a draw to Preston they won all the other league games. Not exactly bottling it.

[RamsPolls]

57 minutes ago, rynny said:

This calendar year Brighton have only lost 5 league games, Wolves, Rotherham and Cardiff last season and Newcastle and Brentford this season. Last season they drew away to Boro and Hull and drew at home to Burnley. They also drew at home to Sheff Wed and us. And other than a draw to Preston they won all the other league games. Not exactly bottling it.

In the play offs they bottle it massively, think they have reached the play offs at least 3 times in recent years but never got to wembley.

[PodgeyRam]

32 minutes ago, RamsPolls said:

In the play offs they bottle it massively, think they have reached the play offs at least 3 times in recent years but never got to wembley.

One of those years they did come up against us when we were absolutely on fire and they finished 13 points behind us. 

Didn't they play Palace in the other? Rivalry like that, form gets thrown out the window.

[rynny]

33 minutes ago, RamsPolls said:

In the play offs they bottle it massively, think they have reached the play offs at least 3 times in recent years but never got to wembley.

 

2 minutes ago, PodgeyRam said:

One of those years they did come up against us when we were absolutely on fire and they finished 13 points behind us. 

Didn't they play Palace in the other? Rivalry like that, form gets thrown out the window.

Then last years when they had 4 injuries in the first leg (2 in the first half and the third 5 mins after half tine) top scorer Hamed, Goldson, Sidwell and Knockaert and ended up playing with 10 men, as well as having Dale Stephens out suspended for both legs.

[SimonBHA]

On 05/12/2016 at 10:13, RamsPolls said:

Brighton are the biggest frauds of the football league. 

They always tend to do well against the smaller teams which keeps them up there with the big boys but when it comes down to playing the bigger teams and the play offs. They bottle it and capitulate.

Biggest frauds is a tad harsh but I understand the doubts about us last season to begin with. Coming off the back of nearly getting relegated, beating the bottom sides, never by more than 1 goal until later in the season and never looking truly convincing against the top sides. When Boro emphatically ended our unbeaten start to last season with their 3-0 win at the Amex they deserved it, they were the better side and it was a demonstration that despite our excellent start to the season, we had some catching up to do if we really wanted to challenge.

We built on those foundations though and did improve in January when we brought in Knockaert and Skalak. It wasn't quite enough to get us over the line but we've added to the squad again in the summer and our performances suggest we've made another step. We've put in performances this season that are of the same class we've seen from the other 'top' sides in recent years. It would be foolish to take anything for granted but I'm certainly encouraged so far. 

I thought Aston Villa were fantastic at our place recently so I'm concerned about them, certainly wouldn't want to play them in the play-offs. We're at Villa Park on the last day of the season too, which all feels a bit to 'Boro away' from last season for my liking. Keeping an eye on Derby too, as I fully expect you to be in the top 4, nevermind top 6 soon. Despite the PPG averages people talk about it can all change so quickly. Even if we both maintain the same PPG till March, we could lose at Rotherham (we did last year), lose at home to you, lose at Leeds, and in flash you could be right in the mix with us. 

It does look to me like that group that'll be 7th-10th this season will be better than the equivalent sides last season, so its shaping up to be another cracking season.

[cannable]

On 05/12/2016 at 14:19, PodgeyRam said:

One of those years they did come up against us when we were absolutely on fire and they finished 13 points behind us. 

Didn't they play Palace in the other? Rivalry like that, form gets thrown out the window.

They had about five players out against us as well and they still battered us in the first leg. Hendrick injured Rohan Ince with a challenge in the second leg at 0-0 and could have had a red for it. 

They've been horrendously unlucky in their last two play-off campaigns. 

I don't buy the 'bottlers' and 'mental strength' arguments full stop. It's a load of *****. The Hull first leg wasn't us bottling it, it was us setting out to play hoofball. 

[The_Sheriff]

11 hours ago, SimonBHA said:

Biggest frauds is a tad harsh but I understand the doubts about us last season to begin with. Coming off the back of nearly getting relegated, beating the bottom sides, never by more than 1 goal until later in the season and never looking truly convincing against the top sides. When Boro emphatically ended our unbeaten start to last season with their 3-0 win at the Amex they deserved it, they were the better side and it was a demonstration that despite our excellent start to the season, we had some catching up to do if we really wanted to challenge.

We built on those foundations though and did improve in January when we brought in Knockaert and Skalak. It wasn't quite enough to get us over the line but we've added to the squad again in the summer and our performances suggest we've made another step. We've put in performances this season that are of the same class we've seen from the other 'top' sides in recent years. It would be foolish to take anything for granted but I'm certainly encouraged so far.

I thought Aston Villa were fantastic at our place recently so I'm concerned about them, certainly wouldn't want to play them in the play-offs. We're at Villa Park on the last day of the season too, which all feels a bit to 'Boro away' from last season for my liking. Keeping an eye on Derby too, as I fully expect you to be in the top 4, nevermind top 6 soon. Despite the PPG averages people talk about it can all change so quickly. Even if we both maintain the same PPG till March, we could lose at Rotherham (we did last year), lose at home to you, lose at Leeds, and in flash you could be right in the mix with us.

It does look to me like that group that'll be 7th-10th this season will be better than the equivalent sides last season, so its shaping up to be another cracking season.

Good post. For what its worth I cant see why you wont get top 2 this year. Look stronger then last season. I've had a bet with a mate pre season you would finish above Wednesday so I'm rooting for you (after the rams of course)

[PodgeyRam]

12 hours ago, SimonBHA said:

Biggest frauds is a tad harsh but I understand the doubts about us last season to begin with. Coming off the back of nearly getting relegated, beating the bottom sides, never by more than 1 goal until later in the season and never looking truly convincing against the top sides. When Boro emphatically ended our unbeaten start to last season with their 3-0 win at the Amex they deserved it, they were the better side and it was a demonstration that despite our excellent start to the season, we had some catching up to do if we really wanted to challenge.

We built on those foundations though and did improve in January when we brought in Knockaert and Skalak. It wasn't quite enough to get us over the line but we've added to the squad again in the summer and our performances suggest we've made another step. We've put in performances this season that are of the same class we've seen from the other 'top' sides in recent years. It would be foolish to take anything for granted but I'm certainly encouraged so far. 

I thought Aston Villa were fantastic at our place recently so I'm concerned about them, certainly wouldn't want to play them in the play-offs. We're at Villa Park on the last day of the season too, which all feels a bit to 'Boro away' from last season for my liking. Keeping an eye on Derby too, as I fully expect you to be in the top 4, nevermind top 6 soon. Despite the PPG averages people talk about it can all change so quickly. Even if we both maintain the same PPG till March, we could lose at Rotherham (we did last year), lose at home to you, lose at Leeds, and in flash you could be right in the mix with us. 

It does look to me like that group that'll be 7th-10th this season will be better than the equivalent sides last season, so its shaping up to be another cracking season.

It seems a long time ago that I appeared on the podcast with you Simon. I think I mentioned it at the time (or if I didn't I should have) that I thought you guys would challenge Newcastle for the title and I'm quite happy that you're proving me right.

I all honesty, like Derby three years ago, you should have gone up last season. Hopefully you won't have such a terrible time with injuries like we did the season after.

[toddy]

Not sure any championship season has ever been over in December, if it had been we would have been promoted the last 3 seasons.

Still time for more ups and downs this season............

[Rampage]

If Leeds beat Brighton on friday and we beat Foribunda then we are seven points adrift of second place. If Sheff Wed beat Reading it is suddenly fairly wide open.

[Tombo]

I'm not being doom and gloom or anything but I really do think we should manage expectations. The playoffs alone is still a big big ask. It looks highly attainable now but remember that this is on a run of 5 straight wins, but bad form will come. I hope that doesn't sound negative, because it's not. That's just the game. You win some, you lose some.

When bad form hits, gaps will open up again and we'll still have a huge fight to get there and stay there. I'm not saying we've peaked and we'll plateau at our best somewhere around 8th, but we've reached where we are on some incredible form. It will dip sadly, so we need to be prepared for some minor setbacks. I hope we're all going to stay positive throughout that time. We all would do well to remember where we were a few months back and remember that it might seem like an exciting whirlwind now but you don't win anything with 5 straight wins. You make it easier, but you win things over the course of a season.

It can be done, but it's a tough ask. And therefore we shouldn't be asking it. Just hoping for it. 

[jagerbob]

Tombo is right. I trust that most rams fans have seen countless seasons and seen the way the league pans out over a season. Saying we are only 7 points behind yadayadayada is elementary. Its often the amount of teams in the way as much as the points that make catching up achievable or not.

Im pretty sure this Derby team had lost 5 times in their first 11 matches before McClaren arrived which is the same amount of matches Burnley and Brighton lost in 46 games last season. So in essence when you write off the first 11 games of a season, even top 2 form in the next 35 games would only merit a playoff postion come may. And thats best case scenario.

I personally wrote off our season after Pearson took us 4th from bottom. So to me this season is a free season. No real expectations, whether we finish mid table, above mid table or playoffs. I dont really care.

Im sure Mel doesnt see himself as the same mould as Cellino, but to many thats what he looks like. Mel will be crying out for some stability in the manager position as we all should, how many managers have we had inthe last 3 years? way too many? So in that regard, I dont see any circumstance were you would call the reappointment of McClaren a failure and be calling for his head should we not make top 6, top 2, whatever. This year is a freebie, a recovery season, time for some stability and then we can begin to judge Macca in May 2018 when he had had a full season and 3 transfer windows.