Is it back on then?

[Alty_Ram]

Of course, it's entirely possible (and arguably probable) that we will come up short but as for the whole season we have had a mountain to climb and nothing has really changed in that regard but we still have a shot at this and for a team so decimated by the situation off the field it has been a stirring, heroic effort whichever way it ends. We're likely need playoff form in the run in to do it and other teams have games in hand plus fixtures like Peterborough vs Barnsley which will give somebody points but we have kept ourselves in an unlikely chase with a team that nobody would have given a prayer to at the start of the season so I really can't think what else Rooney would need to do to impress some people.

Whether you think we will come up short or not I don't understand how you can fail to be impressed by the spirit and pride shown by this team and their manager. It's been a while since I was so proud of our team, not as some all conquering force at the top of the table but as a team that has simply refused to lie down despite the utterly impossible situation behind the scenes. No small credit to the fans either whose support has been unstinting and outstanding. You can tell the players walk taller with the backing.

[DavesaRam]

23 hours ago, Addingham Ram said:

Not for us, but Reading have to go to Barnsley, immediately after their next 3 very tough games.

Now that could be tasty.

That depends on whether Reading can make Barnsley look positively ordinary, like we did!

[Rammy03]

 

[RealisticRam]

5 minutes ago, Rammy03 said:

 

Agree with this, my gut says it will go to the last day like last season under the Sky cameras. 

[Rammy03]

7 minutes ago, RealisticRam said:

Agree with this, my gut says it will go to the last day like last season under the Sky cameras. 

I think everyone would take that and certainly would've taken that when the points were taken off.

[DavesaRam]

6 hours ago, Crewton said:

Welcome, but the reaction you received to your first post can hardly have come as a surprise, as it's very much a minority view. The only worse things you could have said were "I'm having a party when DCFC die" or "I really don't like sausages".

When you've answered the question as to why you really don't rate Rooney, you might find the responses a bit more considered.

Yeah, but what if he had said "I really don't like bacon"?

Edited March 6, 2022 by DavesaRam

[Steve How Hard?]

39 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Yeah, but what if he had said "I really don't like bacon"?

Richard or Kevin? 

[Mucker1884]

18 minutes ago, Steve How Hard? said:

Richard or Kevin? 

[kevinhectoring]

21 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

Seriously dude. You’re talking tosh!

I’m familiar with your MO, so I’ll debate no further. It’s for your own good, as you’ll only make yourself look silly!  ?

I’m indebted to you 

[europia]

12 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

I absolutely agree it’s a tough ask still and I think we’ll fall short but, a positive way to look at it is if we could claw back 3 points over the next 9 games (10 for Reading) we’d be going into the last game of the season 2 points behind Reading with us at home to Cardiff and Reading away at Luton so there would be a glimmer of hope. Of course we need to keep Barnsley and Peterborough at bay with their 2 games in hand but, as someone said (on the Reading forum I think) when you’re at the bottom games in hand are actually defeats in hand.

I agree with Radio Derby. We probably need to win our remaining home games (with the possible exception of Fulham), pull off at shock at either Bournemouth or Blackburn and get something from Blackpool or Swansea.

In my dreams we win at Blackpool to go above Reading and then at least match their result on the last day. In my nightmares we win at Blackpool to go above Reading but either they then overtake us on the last day as we lose at home or Barnsley leapfrog us both.

Yes a bit of a dilemma: if we are destined to fail,  is it better to be respectfully relegated with few games to go, or suffer the absolute torture of it going to the wire but falling short in the final game? 

[TigerTedd]

5 hours ago, RealisticRam said:

Your vitriol isn't needed. I've not said we've lost them games. I'm pointing out statistically it is very unlikely given our record under Rooney. 

I’ll defend your right to have an opinion, but now you really are talking twaddle. Just remember, you brought up statistics.

4 remaining games against current top 6 sides:

- Bournemouth

- Blackburn

- Fulham

- QPR

Previous results against these teams:

- Bournemouth: W 3-2

- Blackburn: L 1-2

- Fulham: D 0-0

- QPR: L 1-2

We haven’t won them all, but we’ve not lost them all either. So no reason to assume we’re getting 0 points out of those games. 

Against the other current top 6 teams we’ve got:

Boro: D 0-0, L 4-1

Huddersfield: D 1-1, L 2-0

i don’t think (correct me if I’m wrong) any club has taken 6 points off us in the league yet.

if we can just draw a couple of those 4 games, that’s 2 points closer to our target. And it’s well within our capabilities to do that. 

[RadioactiveWaste]

52 minutes ago, europia said:

Yes a bit of a dilemma: if we are destined to fail,  is it better to be respectfully relegated with few games to go, or suffer the absolute torture of it going to the wire but falling short in the final game? 

Fight to the end

[RodleyRam]

I'd like us to win all our remaining games please. That ought to just about do it.

[TigerTedd]

1 minute ago, RodleyRam said:

I'd like us to win all our remaining games please. That ought to just about do it.

Imagine the feel good factor we’d take into next season. All these kids with a season of hard football under their belts. Rooney with an extra year of experience, no longer a rookie manager. I reckon we could do big things next season if we can stay up.

even if we don’t stay up, if we give it a bloody good go and come pretty close, we can be fairly confident that we should be head and shoulders over most of league 1. We’re a mid-table championship team. And we’ll only be better next season, so I reckon we’ll storm league 1, setting us up for back to back promotions. 

the future is bright either way. 

[May Contain Nuts]

12 hours ago, TigerTedd said:

 4 remaining games against current top 6 sides:
- Bournemouth
- Blackburn
- Fulham
- QPR

Previous results against these teams:
- Bournemouth: W 3-2
- Blackburn: L 1-2
- Fulham: D 0-0
- QPR: L 1-2

We haven’t won them all, but we’ve not lost them all either. So no reason to assume we’re getting 0 points out of those games.

The biggest difficulty is that 3 of them are away matches, and the only home game is against Fulham.

We've lost our last 6 away matches (cup included) with an aggregate score of 11-2, (5 league games in a row since Jagielka left, agg 10-2).  We haven't kept a clean sheet away from home in the past 9 matches.

We've only won 2 away games all season, drawn 6, and have the 3rd worst away record. By contrast we have the 6th best home record so it stands to reason that our previous results from this set of fixtures have yielded decent results... then again a draw away against Fulham exceeded all expectations, but they did rest Mitrovic which isn't something we can bank on them doing again.

Sorry to be a downer but I'd say there's plenty of reason to believe we'll get 0 points from these games tbh, it's going to be very tough but who knows, we may spring a surprise (especially as Blackburn have apparently gone to pot?) and as you say even a couple of points helps us, so one 'freak' win would be amazing.

1 hour ago, TigerTedd said:

Imagine the feel good factor we’d take into next season. All these kids with a season of hard football under their belts. Rooney with an extra year of experience, no longer a rookie manager. I reckon we could do big things next season if we can stay up.

even if we don’t stay up, if we give it a bloody good go and come pretty close, we can be fairly confident that we should be head and shoulders over most of league 1. We’re a mid-table championship team. And we’ll only be better next season, so I reckon we’ll storm league 1, setting us up for back to back promotions. 

the future is bright either way. 

We've got to take the players into next season to take the feel good factor and to benefit from their experience this. At the rate the takeover is going those players will be getting picked off before we can offer them a new contract, and even if we do, with EFL interference they may opt to go somewhere who'll pay them more.

Fingers crossed the opposite of what I expect to happen, happens - it has so far!

Edited March 7, 2022 by Coconut's Beard

[TigerTedd]

17 minutes ago, Coconut's Beard said:

We've got to take the players into next season to take the feel good factor and to benefit from their experience this. At the rate the takeover is going those players will be getting picked off before we can offer them a new contract, and even if we do, with EFL interference they may opt to go somewhere who'll pay them more.

Fingers crossed the opposite of what I expect to happen, happens - it has so far!

Edited 3 minutes ago by Coconut's Beard

You’re not wrong, my fantasy only works if we can keep the squad and coaching staff together. Then we could be the Fulham of league one, with a championship squad tearing it up. Otherwise we have to start from scratch, and we’d be in danger of doing an Ipswich or a Sunderland. 

[RodleyRam]

40 minutes ago, TigerTedd said:

You’re not wrong, my fantasy only works if we can keep the squad and coaching staff together. Then we could be the Fulham of league one, with a championship squad tearing it up. Otherwise we have to start from scratch, and we’d be in danger of doing an Ipswich or a Sunderland. 

Yes it's all continent on what happens off the field, if Rooney stays and if we can keep the exciting squad together, adding more firepower and strength in depth. The future is in the balance but there's no doubting this squad are unified and fighting! We have to try to retain that spirit regardless of what happens, it counts for so much.

[DavesaRam]

I notice that in their run in, Middlesbrough have to play both Peterborough and Cardiff. What are the chances of them doing what they did with Barnsley, and throwing the match in order to stuff it up the Rams?

[DarkFruitsRam7]

15 hours ago, europia said:

Yes a bit of a dilemma: if we are destined to fail,  is it better to be respectfully relegated with few games to go, or suffer the absolute torture of it going to the wire but falling short in the final game? 

I feel sick just thinking about it going down to the final day.

Those are the games you live for though.

[May Contain Nuts]

12 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

I notice that in their run in, Middlesbrough have to play both Peterborough and Cardiff. What are the chances of them doing what they did with Barnsley, and throwing the match in order to stuff it up the Rams?

Wouldn't have thought so, they'll still be hoping for an outside chance of automatic promotion if things go well, but even their position in the play-offs isn't all that secure if they go poorly.

They may be Bamfords, but they have a lot at stake themselves so all points will be fought hard for.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Coconut's Beard