End of season thoughts

[mozza]

You may mock but you can now also share in the history of the 2011/12 season the first time ever that we beat Forest and Derby Leeds twice in the league in the same season. Never been done before.

corrected that for ya 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

[blackNwhites]

Great season? Fantastic season?

Did we just win the league?

It was an average/good season with many scrappy results and one where we got found out against better sides and comfortably lost..

We finished with a GD of -8 and our record against the 11 other teams in the top half was terrible overall.. We improved as the season went on and we finished on a high according to some (3 wins in the last 10 = a high?)..

We have obvious weaknesses and I fear for next season as IMO people are now going to be expecting top 10 or playoffs and if we have a season similar to Millwall (who finished 8th last season) then people are going to want NCs head.

The obvious highlights is beating Leeds and Forest.. But that's 4 games out of 46.. We had some terrible lows aswell, being comfortably beaten by Leicester and Brighton aswell. The emergence of the young players are obviously another high, but then the disappointing form of certain players another low.

It was a 6.8/10 season for me.. An average/good season.

'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wub' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' />

[Guest]

You may mock but you can now also share in the history of the 2011/12 season the first time ever that we beat Forest and Derby twice in the league in the same season. Never been done before.

No point in playing the other 42 games then.

We did well and they were enjoyable games, but we finished 12th in the second tier of football they were highlights in an average season.

We won 18 and lost 18, we finished 9 places away from automatic promotion and 9 away from relegation, and scored 8 goals less than we conceded, and winning one cup match all year.

[networker1884]

Low standards or realistic? After all its been said were a bottom half budget club so the fact we've finished 12 is great until we get someone in to get the goals on a regular basis and stay fit for a full season well ALLWAYS be mid table hopefull for play offs but until we get that quality in the final third the P word should be forgot about just my opinion

I'll ALLWAYS be behind the lads whoever pulls on the black n white I'm a season ticket holder and ALLWAYS will be

I can just imagine you on your death bed in years time, with your family surrounding you, and your telling the grandchildren how great the 2011/2012 season in the championship was.

"Oh kids, you should have been at pride park back in the day...2011/2012. What a great season. You know we finished 12th!"

"12th? In the Championship? What's so great about that? I mean, isn't that pretty rubbish?"

.....

I'll let you finish off the conversation 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> I just can't justify it.

[Catch 23]

This season has seen some really bright, positive spells and some truly barren runs. A pretty good season, in my opinion. Average, yes, but encouraging. I'm looking forward to next season far more than I was looking forward to this one.

[Duracell]

Wow people are mardy, aren't they?

Some fans enjoy beating Leeds and Forest, let them have their fun. If you went to all four games then I'd imagine it would have been great fun which can only really be bettered for those fans if you got in to the playoffs.

For me it's been an ok season with plenty to take heart from. This is where I thought we'd be a year ago but at least it's progress. I have no issue with people who have really enjoyed this season though.

[uttoxram75]

Clean slate for Clough next season in my opinion. He's had Ratty, Leacock, Croft hanging round the place for parts of the campaign, to muddy the waters while trying to build a squad.

As the season progressed it became obvious we couldn't maintain a promotion push, to be fair most fans were probably quietly pleased that we didn't fluke a play off spot.

I do believe the midfield pairing of Bryson and Hendrick improved as the season went on. Others have mentioned how we got over run a few times but the last 8 or so games seemed a lot better.

We started to dominate other teams and looked capable both home and away of competing with any one. We definitely lacked a cutting edge but we finished the season taking the fight to teams rather than looking to soak it up.

Clough's dug the foundations, layed a solid base and built a sound, if basic house..No leaks, no termites eating away at the fabric from within, dampproofed, booproofed and very nearly wankproofed. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' /> .

Just need a 60 minute million makeover !!!!

[Bris Vegas]

I never get excited by the result, more the performance and the way that we beat them..

For me, doing the double over Forest this season hasn't got a patch on when we beat them 3-0 under GB and 1-0 under JS.. Those games I remember because we played them off the park and had memorable players playing..

I think 60%+ of our games this season have been a bore-fest, fortunately I've actually forgotten half of them.. In 10 years time this season will either be looked at as 'the foundations of NCs reign ie. the beginning' or it will be completely written off as absoloutely non-eventful.. The stand out games (lows) have been losing 4-0 to Leicester and Southampton and 0-3 to Cardiff and the double over Forest and Leeds as the highs.. There's your highs and lows.. A few other eventful games such as Barnsley (3-2) P'Boro (3-2) and Palace (3-2).. As for the other 36 games, I don't remember the majority of them just goes to show how uneventful they were..

[Anag Ram]

Whilst we did have the 4-0 against Saints and Leicester I never really felt we were as vulnerable away from home as in previous seasons. We seemed to be in with a chance in most of the games we played and created chances. I am happy to say I was wrong about the defence over the course of the season. I thought Barker would struggle to come back after his first injury, but he was great. Shackell was a bit of a show pony to start with but has blossomed, and Buxton has grown in confidence and whilst he's no footballer, he defends stoutly.

We never got the CM 'general' supposedly intended to protect the back four, yet it was creativity from midfield we eventually lacked.Upfront, there's not one forward we couldn't sell and get a comparable replacement for.

This season will largely be remembered for the promise of our youngsters. If we as fans are patient enough, the development of a young squad will reap rewards when we get to the Premiership.

Teams like Blackpool and Wigan have proved that a close-knit group can be just as effective as the big name stars.

[Cisse]

This season was ok for me. At no time did I have to worry about relegation battle and while we couldn't keep the play offs pace I didn't expect it with out squad. We had some good spells and I'm really pleased with the lads academy has produced. I believe every one of them will go forward as a players next season.

I am worried though what kind of team we will have next season. I see no reason why we would be less injury prone next season than we have been last few years. With this wage slashing we won't have enough backup even if we get a good starting eleven. Not so sure about the quality of the new signings either until I see them play.

[Jayram]

Far too many Rams fans are far too easily pleased. Apart from doing the double over Forest and Leeds, two very poor sides, what was there to crow about really? Yeah we finished higher than last season but 12th place is nothing to be excited about in a division as open as this one. In the last two seasons two clubs have come up from League One and bypassed us straight into the Premier League. Clubs as mighty as Hull,Brighton & Watford finished above us this season. We have an average squad with an average manager and a **** board who will ensure that we will remain average next season and every season after that. Whoopee!

[WilkoRam]

I think in general then we consider it an alright season if it's the start of something. As Bris said, it's either the start of something or just another 'nothing' season. The youth development (O'Brien, Hendrick, Ball and also Bennett and Hughes - although further down the line) is promising. I'm still not convinced that Nigel and his scouts can pick out the attacking threat we need but I'm hopeful that this close season he can add that and we can start playing some good stuff on top of the solid base we have.

All in all I think there's more reason to be positive than negative - but next season will put this one into context.

[Boycie]

The thing that winds me up is last year we had to trim the squad and lose the high earning non playing players.

They've now gone, and for a while.

Now, we still have to move players on before we can buy. Despite losing a load of players due to contracts expiring etc.

I am looking forward to the likes of Will Hughes etc coming through next season, but I fear the club will not get the old headed player we really are crying out for and the striker we need.

So, more of the same I feel.

[PBW Ram]

I reckon we may see a few surprising "trialists" this summer and we'll sign someone on a free who could be the old head we need.

Looking at some of the championship players who havent yet got deals I can see some very useful players and their agents getting a bit nervous when it comes to July time.

Having said that I think the management team have changed their mind about needing a midfield general. I think they have genuine belief and a bit of excitement that Bryson and Hendrick are good enough to get us top 6. The "emergence" of Hughes will also give them a massive lift.

To cement top 6, we only need Billy Sharp and I cant see him getting into Southamptons 25 man squad. . If I was Nige I'd be on the phone to Sharp now "Come on William, you know you've got a soft spot for us and you know we've got a soft spot for you." "You know you're coming eventually"

We could just about pay his wages (600k?) with the extra parachute cash we would get as a result of one of the promoted clubs going straight back up.

Could it happen? Let Maguire go for 500k raise another million and offer Saints their money back.

[mcsilks]

What exactly is a good season? For a club that has to budget buy and rid itself of all of its high earners then mid table is about as good as it will ever get.

We cannot compete over a sustained period with the divisions top clubs. It will be the same story next season and the next.

Just what some of you expect is beyond me. We are a very average middle run of the mill Championship side with no real quality in the side just graft and a great manager who gets the team playing to a level above themselves.

This really is as good as it gets. Forget Premiership football. It is a very distant dream and will never happen in the current financial climate with a sensible board focused on sustainability. . FFP will not make a difference. Clubs will find a way around it.

So yes, IMO it has been a fair season as we have finished in the top half with a team that has been put together from very little.

[RotherhamRam]

corrected that for ya 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

cheers brain fart there I think lol

[RotherhamRam]

I know people would like us in the premiership and I can see the reason behind this.

However surely people can not think at this moment in time we are ready. This season has seen the rest of the dead wood go, trimming the squad, development of the youngsters surely there are more positives than negatives. I honestly can not see why people are so depressed over a season that there has been positives steps made instead of backward steps of the last few seasons.

[McRamFan]

I thought it was a good season - not great certainly, but good

• we were never in danger of relegation and ended up mid-table but looking up not down
  
• the new players settled in and most did well - Maguire is the exception so far
  
• one won PotY, another two came second and third
  
• we had two strikers hit the double figures mark, and both were out for chunks of the season
  
• we had three excellent spells and played some good football at times - not great but good
  
• the players showed every sign of playing for the manager and the club
  
• we beat both leeds and forest twice
  
• we also beat some good teams
  
• we have a good team spirit - new players coming in will join a club with players together
  
• we have some good (maybe even very good in time) young players coming through our system
  
• we got rid of the last players from the worst season i've ever had to endure
  
• manager and board didn't fall out too obviously (in public anyway)
  
• there wasn't quite as much booing as previous seasons
  

that'll do me as a season of development. It will be good to see us move on a stage next season even if not into the play offs or promotion places.

Couldn't have said it better.

Just to add this season was all about getting the foundations right, and to carry on with the building analogy, clear the debris and start digging the foundations, make them strong and start to build.

I feel that from Academy to first team we have a set of players that want to be here, and will work hard, because they know if they don't they will be shown the door, no free rides here anymore.

[BondJovi]

To my mind. The true value of this season will depend on what we do in the summer. It was an average season on the pitch, but off the pitch it was good in terms of players in and out.... A lot of the good work could easily be undone. This could possibly be said about every season but we really have to press on to avoid stagnating.

[RotherhamRam]

To my mind. The true value of this season will depend on what we do in the summer. It was an average season on the pitch, but off the pitch it was good in terms of players in and out.... A lot of the good work could easily be undone. This could possibly be said about every season but we really have to press on to avoid stagnating.

I have to say I agree with this sentiment. FInishing 12th shows that it was an average season but we have had a couple of lows but withs some very good highs. The work off the pitch this year has proven to be more beneficial (although not really financially with players going for free except for freeing up their wages). The club now needs to push really hard on the academy front as well as allowing Clough the money for a top striker and allow him to build the squad and if this needs 3-5 million let him have it. This average season may have been more if the board had allowed for the experienced midfielder and the top striker they promised. However still pleased with the outcome and the foundations set for next season.