I am feeling fed up

[OssieEnd]

We are Top six ...  We will finish at least Top six. Anything else is a bonus.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Rammy03 said:

You've changed your mind based on one game? Really?

You can't pick and choose when you go up. There is an opportunity this season, we are a good side and are in the race. The business plan would obviously makes things tougher for us but you can't possibly say that it would be better to stay in League one for another year. This is football, you can't predict what's going to happen in the future.

No, not really. You are being too presumptuous. My viewpoint is not based on just one game but on a dawning yesterday that we might not be as ready for the Championship as I thought we perhaps were last month when we were rolling along on the crest of the unbeaten run and the optimism that we might still reach the top two by the season's end. But the past fortnight, with games against stronger opposition has brought about a bit of a reality check following the four points gained in the last four games. We were outplayed yesterday and at Wycombe by a more energetic and high-pressing team, just like we were earlier in the season by Plymouth and Lincoln in Leroy Rosenior's final three games.

So far this season, in 14 games against top-half opposition we have taken just 18 points, as opposed to 39 points from 18 games against lower-half teams. Ipswich, Bolton and Barnsley in particular were able to make significant additions to their squads in the January window.  So too were Plymouth, despite the loss of Morgan Whittaker. We were not as productive with the welcome loans of just White, Springett and McGee. While we see ourselves as a bigger club than those four, they were able to out-muscle us in the transfer window due to the restrictions of our two years business plan.

The subsequent turnaround in form has seen us slip from recent contenders for the top three to the bottom placed play-off spot at the moment, whilst those other three clubs will be more optimistic of their prospects in the final cut than they were at the turn of the year. As form stands now, if these four clubs, give or take Plymouth are to be the play-off contenders, I would give us at very best a 25% chance of promotion. Whereas at the turn of the year I saw our prospects in the play-offs as much stronger than now. It has taken much more than yesterday to revise my thoughts on where we are now. Yesterday was just the day it perhaps dawned on me and maybe some others, but obviously not you Rammy.

Statistics indicate that last season, Wigan and Rotherham were stronger League One sides than we are now. Wigan are under a business plan and seem doomed to a quick downwards return, while Rotherham are also embroiled in a relegation fight. Sheffield Wednesday in contrast however seem to have benefitted from the extra year in League One and will be well positioned for a return to the Championship without any business restrictions upon them and a fanbase comparable to our own.

Derby now are in a similar place to where they were in 1984-85 under Arthur Cox's rebuild. In his first season he took us to a respectable, but somewhat disappointing for some, seventh place in the third tier. In the next season he took us up in third place as there were no play-offs then. But in that second season he further built the team that, with the addition of just Mel Sage, Steve Cross and Nigel Callaghan, comfortably won Division Two the following season, to take us straight back to the top tier. As the old adage says 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' Patience is sometimes a virtue it can be worth short-term pain for long-term gain.

Contrast Arthur's success with the outcome of the Billy Davies promotion team. There is poetic licence here for the reverse analogy that Billy did in fact build Rome in a day. But it was jerrybuilding, with no eye on the long-term and just as in Jericho, the walls soon came tumbling down. The result was that maybe forever we will always be mocked as the Worst Team In History.

When David Clowes took over, he was careful not to promise or demand immediate promotion but a careful gradual rebuild of our club on and off the field. Where we stand now is most welcome in comparison to where we stood 12 months ago. If we are to be promoted this season, I will take it in my stride and hope, as I always optimistically do, that we can stabilise next season in the Championship. But if we are not promoted this season, I will look upon it as being because we are not quite ready. I will not fret but I will look forward to Paul Warne continuing the rebuild with the opportunity of his own desired recruitment in the summer. Then I will look forward to us mounting a promotion push with more time to prepare than we had last summer, which will mean that if it comes to fruition we will arrive back in the Championship without the shackles imposed by any EFL business plan.

So as you say Rammy, we can't predict what will happen in the future but we can give ourselves a bit of time in planning for a future that might subsequently be much rosier than that brought about by a mad dash. History should have taught us that. We're in a marathon here, not a sprint.

COYR

[Ellafella]

17 hours ago, B4ev6is said:

I just feel that we never got fighting spirt and next couple day I going to be in pain and barley able to move.

 

16 hours ago, B4ev6is said:

Sorry

 ? 

I am guessing I am a bit touchy at the moment.

plus barley got any sleep last night eathier a bit grumpy now.

If you corn just keep the faith @B4ev6is heavy defeats as well as victories are all part of a season. Remember Rudyard, if you can treat those twin imposters just the same…

[Curtains]

How can we get fed up when we have every chance going forward this season.  
 

Just a blip that’s all. 

[littleover ram]

How many more games would you give Warne to get things right on the pitch?

[Biley66]

We are in good hands on and off the pitch be thankful ❤️?

[Guest]

15 hours ago, sheffieldram said:

How many of you remember coming away from Tranmere after the 5-1 trashing in the nineties. It was a long drive back over the snake to Sheffield. We had no idea that we would start a 20 game unbeaten run the following game ending up with promotion that season.

Please tell me more. Is Igor really coming home? ?

[Tyler Durden]

2 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

I will look upon it as being because we are not quite ready. I will not fret but I will look forward to Paul Warne continuing the rebuild with the opportunity of his own desired recruitment in the summer. Then I will look forward to us mounting a promotion push with more time to prepare than we had last summer, which will mean that if it comes to fruition we will arrive back in the Championship without the shackles imposed by any EFL business plan.

So as you say Rammy, we can't predict what will happen in the future but we can give ourselves a bit of time in planning for a future that might subsequently be much rosier than that brought about by a mad dash. History should have taught us that. We're in a marathon here, not a sprint.

COYR

I can't argue with the majority of your post, you do mention a couple of times the phrase not being ready for promotion.

Who decides whether a team is ready or not? Sometimes you have to embrace the opportunities that come your way and not turn round and say well we didn't make a proper fist of things as we weren't ready. That's just defeatism and an excuse.

We failed abysmally in our 11 point season not because we weren't ready it was because our recruitment in the summer couldn't have been any worse if we tried. 

Compare and contrast Forest this season whom lost half their promotion team whom were on loan the previous season.

Take the piss out of their transfer dealings or not they've now by a scattergun approach got themselves into a position where they have a very good chance of staying up this season never mind plumbing a record low points seasons.

That's not down to them not being ready that's because theyve exploited the opportunity they were given. We didn't. We pissed the whole thing up the wall. But don't say we weren't ready. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said:

But don't say we weren't ready.

I'll say what I want Vicar. I'm not part of your congregation ?

[Boycie]

20 hours ago, B4ev6is said:

I am feeling down and fed up now god that hurt today were has that fight gone sigh I left feel really really dead low I am in pain and makes feel even worse. I felt for old man on the way out some said broken his foot. I offered get him some help even through he had his family with him.

Maybe it’s time to rest your foot properly and give yourself time to heal mate.  The football will take care of itself and you can watch online.

When you’re all sorted you can start to enjoy the matches again pain free.

Watching in agony is what we all do tbh, but not with a broken toe too. Rest up.

[Boycie]

3 hours ago, Ellafella said:

 

If you corn just keep the faith @B4ev6is heavy defeats as well as victories are all part of a season. Remember Rudyard, if you can treat those twin imposters just the same…

[Ram-Alf]

16 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

I would have agreed with you this morning but after watching that I've changed my mind.

If we went up with no revision of the business plan, next season could be a real struggle. It might be better to stay where we are, get promoted next year and then go into the Championship without the burden of the EFL business plan.Duck the EFL.

This.

Officials are no better in the Championship, More of our older players having 1 season left of their contracts or players out of contracts, We've done exceptionally well this season with what we have, Another semi rebuild and I'm confident of us being stronger for next season, Backroom staff are in place, Players will have been identified for either Championship/League1, There'll be more loot from the TV/Prem deal...but still the embargo goes on

Kiss goodbye to Saturday 3pm K Offs as per this season, Friday nights under the lights, Sat 12.30pm for a brunch, Sunday Lunchtime or after even song, Monday night when there's no Premier game, If Sky win the deal there'll be more Championship games next season.

 

 

Edited February 26, 2023 by The Last Post

[Crewton]

2 hours ago, littleover ram said:

How many more seasons would you give Warne to get things right on the pitch?

FIFY

[Premier ram]

21 hours ago, B4ev6is said:

I wish we had a player like Adam bolder.

 

                              

[Premier ram]

16 hours ago, B4ev6is said:

Just matter of performance that upset me today.

If we played well and still loss fair enough but today lads just not looked brothered and that what upset me today.

i was at the game B4 and i think you are being very harsh accusing the lads of not looking bothered

[Boycie]

31 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

i was at the game B4 and i think you are being very harsh accusing the lads of not looking bothered

Going to every away game unfortunately doesn’t make you support your team anymore.  They can’t win every game.

[jimtastic56]

Wembley is a sea of Black n White. Could be a good omen B4. And all the Geordies are standing.

[B4ev6is]

2 hours ago, Boycie said:

Maybe it’s time to rest your foot properly and give yourself time to heal mate.  The football will take care of itself and you can watch online.

When you’re all sorted you can start to enjoy the matches again pain free.

Watching in agony is what we all do tbh, but not with a broken toe too. Rest up.

I will always be in pain mate due to my neve dammage but pain nearly double at the moment but I take a little less through.

[B4ev6is]

57 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

i was at the game B4 and i think you are being very harsh accusing the lads of not looking bothered

I was not the only one but to me they looked like they had all but given what I class going down fight keeping in there faces and keep pressure on and to me look growled over and given up.

[DavesaRam]

38 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

I was not the only one but to me they looked like they had all but given what I class going down fight keeping in there faces and keep pressure on and to me look growled over and given up.

All that happened was that we let Barnsley's approach and the match officials doing their usual get to our heads. We were incensed that for the second time in three games there was a contentious offside decision gone against us, and Barnsley were given the freedom of the city to kick great lumps out of flesh out of us. This and Barnsley executing the press really well all match long meant that we simply couldn't get into our stride. Even so, we had some terrific chances and hit the woodwork twice. But in reality all the above meant that at 2 - 0 the match seemed gone. Getting a goal back put us back in contention, but even at 3 - 1 we were still in with a chance of at least a point, but it seemed our heads seemed to get lower and lower as the match went on. And it was only after Dobbin and Springett came on that we stopped lumping the ball into the channels, or out wide for NML and Barks to cross it. As with Wycombe we were trying to play the opposition' style of football, but, thank God, we aren't Barnsley or Wycombe! When we faced Barnsley in the cup match a few weeks ago we played as Derby County and ran them off the park. We can still do that, should  we face them in the play-offs. And as I've said already, my main problem with the play-offs as ti=hat it will all hinge on the match officials - whose side will they (and the EFL?) be on?