Winning season

[Bris Vegas]

But if we won every game after Brighton, we would have been in the top 6.

It's points which put you in the top 6, not number of losses. The final number of losses are an effect, not a cause.

If we had won all 8 games we would have finished on 76 points yes... But we both know that you don't lose 15 out of the first 38 and then win 8 on the trot.. You're not good enough to win 8 on the trot if you lose on average once every 2.5 games..

Our record is perfectly poised over 5 games as win 2 draw 1 lose 2.. 7 points every 5 games..

We both know that this is not pushing playoff form.. There was no chance of us suddenly upturning a record like this to winning 8 on the bounce.. No chance.

[Duracell]

If we had won all 8 games we would have finished on 76 points yes... But we both know that you don't lose 15 out of the first 38 and then win 8 on the trot.. You're not good enough to win 8 on the trot if you lose on average once every 2.5 games..

Our record is perfectly poised over 5 games as win 2 draw 1 lose 2.. 7 points every 5 games..

We both know that this is not pushing playoff form.. There was no chance of us suddenly upturning a record like this to winning 8 on the bounce.. No chance.

Of course, I was playing devil's advocate. But it wasn't a case of needing a dramatic upturn in form...if we'd continued our post-Forest form for just a few more games, we could have snuck in.

"could have" is not good enough though, and neither are we in a position to say "ought to". We agree there. But you're putting too much emphasis on the number of losses.

Our season and outside playoff challenge fell flat from a lack of predatory instinct in front of goal. Against Cardiff and Boro we created enough chances to win the game and win it well. We should have murdered Ipswich and turned over Chrystal Palace.

The losses wouldn't have mattered if we'd just stuck the ball in the back of the net in those games.

[Leicester Ram]

I hate this thread.

Its negative energy is ruining my aura.

[smiffy]

We have won as many games as Cardiff.

[RotherhamRam]

If we had won all 8 games we would have finished on 76 points yes... But we both know that you don't lose 15 out of the first 38 and then win 8 on the trot.. You're not good enough to win 8 on the trot if you lose on average once every 2.5 games..

Our record is perfectly poised over 5 games as win 2 draw 1 lose 2.. 7 points every 5 games..

We both know that this is not pushing playoff form.. There was no chance of us suddenly upturning a record like this to winning 8 on the bounce.. No chance.

Every team has a chance of putting together a good run. Look at Reading 5 wins in 17 games and was struggling to get three points. They had 6 draws amd 6 losses in this time. It looked like the hangover of playoff loss was still there. They were not looking a playoff promotion side at that time (although they had the squad to turn it around) as other teams were kicking on really well. However as their team which is more experienced with better players turned things around and recorded only 4 defeats in the league since then. Squad experience helps a lot and the board took gamnle of players like Roberts and it paid off.

Reading squad and our squad are miles apart in experience, age, etc. However our squad has shown they will not tend to give up and work for each other. It is a basis and a starting point. However if the board will not invest just wonder how far cheap purchases will take us. Clough can manage his budget, manager like Sam Alladyce has already said if WHU don't go up he would struggle with their budget next season was does that say in respect of a more experienced manager than Clough at this level and Prem level.

[Bris Vegas]

Every team has a chance of putting together a good run. Look at Reading 5 wins in 17 games and was struggling to get three points. They had 6 draws amd 6 losses in this time. It looked like the hangover of playoff loss was still there. They were not looking a playoff promotion side at that time (although they had the squad to turn it around) as other teams were kicking on really well. However as their team which is more experienced with better players turned things around and recorded only 4 defeats in the league since then. Squad experience helps a lot and the board took gamnle of players like Roberts and it paid off.

Reading squad and our squad are miles apart in experience, age, etc. However our squad has shown they will not tend to give up and work for each other. It is a basis and a starting point. However if the board will not invest just wonder how far cheap purchases will take us. Clough can manage his budget, manager like Sam Alladyce has already said if WHU don't go up he would struggle with their budget next season was does that say in respect of a more experienced manager than Clough at this level and Prem level.

You just used the best team in the league as proof that any other team can win 8 games on the bounce? Who exactly has won 8 games on the bounce other than Reading? I don't really know where you were going with that..

Also how is our sqaud and Readings miles apart with age and experience? The likes of Pearce, Karacan, ALF, Robson-Kanu, Cummings, Mills and Church are all young players.. Yes the likes of Hunt, Gorkks, Kebe, Leigeterwood, McAnuff and Harte are experienced but then so is Ward, Shackell, Barker, Roberts, Fielding, S.Davies and Green..

The only difference between the two is that one squad is better than the other, and by quite abit aswell..

As for Allardyce, the guy is an average manager but WHU will go up through the playoffs anyway IMO

[sage]

If we had beaten Boro and Cardiff which we could and should have respectively, we'd be 7th and level points with 6th placed Cardiff.

[Bris Vegas]

If we hadn't won our first 3 games of the season by being pretty lucky we'd be 17th and over 15 points away from the playoffs..

Fine lines are easy in this league, and it kind of takes the point away when people focus on 1 or 2 unlucky defeats and completely disregard the 6 or 7 lucky wins we've had..

Of our 18 losses this season, in at least 5 of them we've come away thinking we were abit unlucky and could have got something out of it.. Ipswich (A) Watford (H) Cardiff (A) Boro (H) Brighton (H) etc..

But then of our 18 wins I'm sure other clubs would have thought the same.. Me being a Derby fan without the blinkers on can admit that we were fortunate to beat the likes of Watford (A) WHU (H) Hull City (A) Coventry (H) Blackpool (A) Brum (H)...

So many games were decided on a single moment during the game.. We've rarely dominated a game and only on the few occasions have we been completely dominated ourselves.. On the balance of it I think things have evened themselves out.. There is no way I look at us and see us in a false position and believe we should be higher..

What we've simply lacked from this season is goals.. Only 6 teams have scored less than us.. Hence us having a -8 GD.. That is rare for a top half team.

[RotherhamRam]

If we hadn't won our first 3 games of the season by being pretty lucky we'd be 17th and over 15 points away from the playoffs..

Fine lines are easy in this league, and it kind of takes the point away when people focus on 1 or 2 unlucky defeats and completely disregard the 6 or 7 lucky wins we've had..

Of our 18 losses this season, in at least 5 of them we've come away thinking we were abit unlucky and could have got something out of it.. Ipswich (A) Watford (H) Cardiff (A) Boro (H) Brighton (H) etc..

But then of our 18 wins I'm sure other clubs would have thought the same.. Me being a Derby fan without the blinkers on can admit that we were fortunate to beat the likes of Watford (A) WHU (H) Hull City (A) Coventry (H) Blackpool (A) Brum (H)...

So many games were decided on a single moment during the game.. We've rarely dominated a game and only on the few occasions have we been completely dominated ourselves.. On the balance of it I think things have evened themselves out.. There is no way I look at us and see us in a false position and believe we should be higher..

What we've simply lacked from this season is goals.. Only 6 teams have scored less than us.. Hence us having a -8 GD.. That is rare for a top half team.

We weren't lucky to beat WHU at home it was a very good game. We deserved the lead and defended really well at the end. Holloway at Blackpool admitted we deserved the points and called us a good side who defended well. I will give you Watford and Hull City. The Birmingham game could have gone either way and a draw would have been a fair result.