Best start in seven years

[Derbados]

Deserves its own thread, well done Frank and the boys! keep the momentum going now and see where it takes us.

[Woodley Ram]

Really, shocked by that, i think winning 3 out of 5 is good considering we haven’t really clicked yet. I think as we go on we will and expect a top 6ish finish 

[QuitYourJibbaJivin]

12 minutes ago, Woodley Ram said:

Really, shocked by that, i think winning 3 out of 5 is good considering we haven’t really clicked yet. I think as we go on we will and expect a top 6ish finish 

Top 6 finish is the minimum IMO. This isn’t a team that’s been struggling for years, we’ve been around the top end of the table most seasons recently. Only lost 1 real first teamer from a team that finished 6th last season and added more quality in other areas. Anything but play offs will be considered a failure. 

[davenportram]

its Not the start that counts though. This is our best start since 2011-12 season, yet since then we have always finished higher than we did that season.

 

its a long season and starts can give momentum but as I mentioned in another thread winning the first 5 or 3 from 5 games can mean that we got lucky with how the fixtures fell and played the mid table - bottom of the table, teams early on. The first five fixtures mean nothing until the table shakes up around late October and you can look back and say -

“wow we took a lot of points from the top 4 it really was a good start” (on for promotion or strong play offs)

or

“ we won a lot at the start but all those teams are in the bottom half of the table” (mid table possible play off spot) 

or

”it was a decent start - we took points of teams in the top 10 ” (strong play off contenders)

Its longevity of winning form that counts - keep the good start going into late October and you’ve probably played most of the top 10 teams in the division and taken pints.

[Gisby]

19 minutes ago, QuitYourJibbaJivin said:

Top 6 finish is the minimum IMO. This isn’t a team that’s been struggling for years, we’ve been around the top end of the table most seasons recently. Only lost 1 real first teamer from a team that finished 6th last season and added more quality in other areas. Anything but play offs will be considered a failure. 

No pressure then ?

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I think it says a lot about the way we habe started the last few seasons!

[Topram]

Considering we are trying to change how we play 9 points is a great return. Altough we haven’t played that well we are certainly getting closer and we 100% have the right man for the job with the coaches behind him

[Inglorius]

It's not the start though is it counts for nothing in the final reckoning if we then fall away towards the end of the season.

Happy where we are looking at the league table buts let's be honest how we won against Reading away am still trying to figure out and were well beaten by Leeds.

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

1 minute ago, Inglorius said:

It's not the start though is it counts for nothing in the final reckoning if we then fall away towards the end of the season.

Happy where we are looking at the league table buts let's be honest how we won against Reading away am still trying to figure out and were well beaten by Leeds.

You need to have a dose of,

HAPPY FRANK HOLIDAY MONDAY

[alexxxxx]

it does seem remarkable that this is the best start in 7 years, however i guess that shows how much expectation and pressure are on this team and management to succeed. lets have another 2 wins next week and regroup and improve with the break.

[Sith Happens]

Its a start, i suppose.

[RamLad1884]

1 hour ago, davenportram said:

its Not the start that counts though. This is our best start since 2011-12 season, yet since then we have always finished higher than we did that season.

 

its a long season and starts can give momentum but as I mentioned in another thread winning the first 5 or 3 from 5 games can mean that we got lucky with how the fixtures fell and played the mid table - bottom of the table, teams early on. The first five fixtures mean nothing until the table shakes up around late October and you can look back and say -

 

It's only us who tend to start slow and break into the top 6 though, the teams that started very strong last year stayed pretty strong (Wolves / Cardiff). The only other two that really fell apart was Bristol (Tiny squad competing far in both cups and the league) and Sheffield United (small squad with injuries). 

It might be that we've finished higher every season since then, but each time we've had a run good enough for automatics then fell away again, being consistently decent over 46 games instead of excellent for 15~20 games and poor for the rest will probably put us into the play offs firmly with an actual organised push for 2nd/1st.

[irobinson]

Even back in the 70s we were notoriously bad starters

Keep the philosophy on how to play football - it’s getting there and will shine through

 

just the Milllwall game bugged me - should have  got a point

 

but I think it’s been a great start 

[Inglorius]

Just now, irobinson said:

Even back in the 70s we were notoriously bad starters

Keep the philosophy on how to play football - it’s getting there and will shine through

 

just the Milllwall game bugged me - should have  got a point

 

but I think it’s been a great start 

The Milwall result trades off the Reading away result where we were hellishly lucky to come away with a victory.  Balances out over the course of the season.

[davenportram]

30 minutes ago, RamLad1884 said:

It's only us who tend to start slow and break into the top 6 though, the teams that started very strong last year stayed pretty strong (Wolves / Cardiff). The only other two that really fell apart was Bristol (Tiny squad competing far in both cups and the league) and Sheffield United (small squad with injuries). 

It might be that we've finished higher every season since then, but each time we've had a run good enough for automatics then fell away again, being consistently decent over 46 games instead of excellent for 15~20 games and poor for the rest will probably put us into the play offs firmly with an actual organised push for 2nd/1st.

But in those good runs have coincided with playing the teams in the lower parts of the table. Had they come at the start well what starts to seasons we would have had.

 

[Carl Sagan]

54 minutes ago, Inglorius said:

The Milwall result trades off the Reading away result where we were hellishly lucky to come away with a victory.  Balances out over the course of the season.

Just don't get the view we were somehow really lucky to win at Reading. We had 2/3 of possession, 11 shots to their 8 and twice as many corners. Not bad for an away team. That it took till the last touch of the game to claim all 3 points just showed our perseverance and attitude. 

Clement was feeling the pressure and tried to create an "unlucky" narrative and Frankie was gracious in victory. 

[cannable]

2 hours ago, QuitYourJibbaJivin said:

Top 6 finish is the minimum IMO. This isn’t a team that’s been struggling for years, we’ve been around the top end of the table most seasons recently. Only lost 1 real first teamer from a team that finished 6th last season and added more quality in other areas. Anything but play offs will be considered a failure. 

Why? We’re changing style and introducing nine new players (plus Bennett, Lowe and Bogle) into the side. Last season’s league finish is irrelevant.

[Marriot Ram99]

33 minutes ago, davenportram said:

But in those good runs have coincided with playing the teams in the lower parts of the table. Had they come at the start well what starts to seasons we would have had.

 

We beat Boro 3 0 away and villa at pride park who finished  5th and 4th place and we managed a draw with Cardiff away at the start of our good run so that is incorrect.

[eddie]

I'm just enjoying the ride. No expectation, no targets from me. The football on Saturday was sometimes shaky, sometimes good, sometimes excellent and occasionally thrilling - a far, far cry from the Rowettball that bored me to tears. I'm optimistic that we will try to play the right way, and hopeful that the results will justify that optimism.

I would hope that Frank Lampard is still here at Derby in a couple of years - that would be an indication of real progress.

[Millenniumram]

Think this shows more about how appalling starts we’ve had before have been, rather than this start being spectacular imo. We’ve had a solid ish start, but the fixture list has been kind leeds aside so it’s not time to gets carried away, think it’s clear we’re still a work in progress. We’ll face much tougher tests yet, however all that said it would be nice to continue this good start so we’re not playing catch up all November and December like we’ve had to in recent years.