3, maybe 6 points better this season

A lot of people on here have been using this arguement as a way to praise our performance in the Championship this season. Yes, at the moment we have lost 2 matches less than the previous season, and have drawn the same amount as last season. So yes, by 6 points potentially, we are better off. However, as we all know, statistics can be interpreted in different ways.

However, the league this season is undoubtedley weaker given the fact that so many teams of average quality have taken points off each other. You add to this the fact that the 3 promoted teams have done exceedingly well, even Millwall. Infact, even with QPR's apparant 'steamrollering' of the league, their points tally would still struggle to get them 2nd in last years table.

It is clear that this league was there for the taking, given the big name, quality players we have had this season. This newly found quality, in addition to last years solid foundation, should've been able to finish teams off. They should have been able to pull themselves out of slumps quicker than in previous seasons. And most importantly, they should have been hurting from last years heartbreak and been chomping at the bit all season, not just in periods. Too many times we have drawn matches that unfortunately we are now regretting. What a difference a home win against Preston and Palace would've made, but alas.

Barring any points deductions for our West London chums, the only way to save this burnt crust of a season is to win the play offs. I fear that we will all regret this season, and what could've been, unless we realise that we still must improve. Too many times this season, our team has gone into matches thinking they can just turn up. 'Believing their own hype'. This will need to stop now if we are to save face this season. It is time for the team to play the way they should've this season, each and every one of them. And for the manager to manage the way he should've.

I part with this question - we've spent much on wages this season, amounts other teams in this league could only dream of. When you heard about these signings, in addition to the faboulous acquisition of Craig Bellamy, did you have a mere 3 or 6 point improvement in mind? And would you have been happy with this?

Thanks for the replies

Won't bother anymore

We should have won this league at a canter, & up untill the Swansea home game [Nov 7th] we were on course too do just that, then we just imploded, same old same old imho. Simply not good enough.

We should have won this league at a canter, & up untill the Swansea home game [Nov 7th] we were on course too do just that, then we just imploded, same old same old imho. Simply not good enough.

You're right boss. We shouldve.

People will say we're being cocky or taking the league for granted, but that is rubbish. The facts speak for themselves in terms of squad strength alone.

adam, it's clear that we should have done a lot better this season, of course we have had some good results this season, but with our 'bad patch' and a few upsets such as the boro game, we simply haven't done enough for a auto space. at the start of the season i thought that signings like oli, koumas and keogh etc were very good, but they haven't turned out to be as good as we all thought, so i think money could have been spent a little wiser. look at the players neil warnock has brought in and the job he's done there this season.
for the record...i still think oli was a good singing and has done a good job but been a bit off form as of late, koumas hasn't really had a chance but signings like naylor, keogh and even parkin, haven't turned out to be as good as we thought.

Thanks for the replies

Won't bother anymore

so close, yet so far..................same as ever

Same league position, 3 points more than last season

Make me eat my words, lads

A lot of people on here have been using this arguement as a way to praise our performance in the Championship this season. Yes, at the moment we have lost 2 matches less than the previous season, and have drawn the same amount as last season. So yes, by 6 points potentially, we are better off. However, as we all know, statistics can be interpreted in different ways.

However, the league this season is undoubtedley weaker given the fact that so many teams of average quality have taken points off each other. You add to this the fact that the 3 promoted teams have done exceedingly well, even Millwall. Infact, even with QPR's apparant 'steamrollering' of the league, their points tally would still struggle to get them 2nd in last years table.

It is clear that this league was there for the taking, given the big name, quality players we have had this season. This newly found quality, in addition to last years solid foundation, should've been able to finish teams off. They should have been able to pull themselves out of slumps quicker than in previous seasons. And most importantly, they should have been hurting from last years heartbreak and been chomping at the bit all season, not just in periods. Too many times we have drawn matches that unfortunately we are now regretting. What a difference a home win against Preston and Palace would've made, but alas.

Barring any points deductions for our West London chums, the only way to save this burnt crust of a season is to win the play offs. I fear that we will all regret this season, and what could've been, unless we realise that we still must improve. Too many times this season, our team has gone into matches thinking they can just turn up. 'Believing their own hype'. This will need to stop now if we are to save face this season. It is time for the team to play the way they should've this season, each and every one of them. And for the manager to manage the way he should've.

I part with this question - we've spent much on wages this season, amounts other teams in this league could only dream of. When you heard about these signings, in addition to the faboulous acquisition of Craig Bellamy, did you have a mere 3 or 6 point improvement in mind? And would you have been happy with this?

So let me just get this straight, you are criticising our team for going into matches thinking they can just turn up and win? For being over-confident, right?

I'm not being funny but that is one of the most hypocritical things i have ever heard!! We have the most over-expectant, unrealistic set of fans in this division, who at times, seem to think that just because we have a higher wage bill than other teams that we should just cruise to automatic promotion.

I mean this is in the nicest way i can possibly say it, but some of the things you come up with on this message board sometimes, absolutely astonish me, to be honest.

How can anyone sit there assuming that because we havent been promoted automatically, we have a team of failures, yet when our players apparently go into matches assuming that we're going to win because we have a better team than them, which is essentially what our fans are doing by saying that nothing other than a top 2 finish is good enough, criticse them for "believing their own hype".

I really do believe that if we went up to the Premier League next season, just surviving wouldnt be good enough for a lot of our fans, who would probably be deluded enough to think that we have some divine right to finish top half of the table or something!!

To answer your question at the end, no ofcourse nobody is happy that we didn't get enough points to get automatic promotion, but am i satisfied that we were right in the mix all year, still with a chance of getting promoted all be it by the playoffs, what more can you ask for?

QPR and Norwich were promoted because they were the best teams! Simple.
Having the highest paid players doesnt necessarily guarantee promotion, i wish things were that easy!!

I am genuinely not trying to argue with you or anyone on this site when i keep saying things like but i just CANNOT understand why some fans are so ridiculously expectant, why cant we all just be happy that we have a team thats fighting for promotion every year? Why cant we just be happy that we even have a team at all after the last 6 years or so?

If we dont make it this year, instead of moaning about our players and manager on here, making things worse on the whole by creating this stupidly negative atmosphere around the club.... get behing the team, will you!!! 'Cause we'll probably have it all to deal with again next year.

Everything you say on this forum astonishes me, and to be honest you just seem to be a troll or wind up merchant with some of the MOST blinkered posts and beliefs about all aspects of our club.

The facts don't lie, if our and the manager had all put their most into each and every match, then we would have easily got the extra points to get us promoted. No one is saying we could have just gone into games and won them - the point being made is that, if all at the club had given their most, then we certainly would have got more points.

It IS NOT arrogance to have expected automatic promotion in a fairly weak standard of league, given the high standard last season.

Many others share this opinion, so maybe you should bite the bullet and admit you're wrong for trying to be a smart fucker in every post that doesn't agree with yours.

And stop trying to make out that I am damaging the club, others think like me too. All irrelevant though, as it is people like you NOT HOLDING THE CLUB to account that cause much more damage.

To finish, I probably give more than you in terms of support at matches, so f*cking get over yourself.

we had the right to expect a lot from our players at the start of the season because of the amount of money the club gave DJ. the expectations were high this season and we all expected a top 2 finish. now i am not a fan that expects the best all the time and slags off the team when we play one bad game but the fact is that we should have got more points this season.
the only positive is that we have secured a play off spot.
taking into consideration that west brom and newcastle were almost guaranteed to finish in the top 2...it seemed like a very difficult task to get promoted, we nearly achieved promotion though!
this season we could have only expected a top two finish especially when the top 2 spots were up for grabs by 6 teams realistically?

Exactly right Lewis.

I, or anyone else, am not being unreasonable in my viewpoint on this. We had the the players to be the best team - however they were not managed correctly by either their manager, themselves, or both.

Many others think this, so why am I wrong Scott for stating my truthful opinion, backed up with rational points

If only we had squad now during friendly matches and starting first games , the sheffield united match would have been extra 2 points - we have done well , all to play for now

Exactly right Lewis.

I, or anyone else, am not being unreasonable in my viewpoint on this. We had the the players to be the best team - however they were not managed correctly by either their manager, themselves, or both.

Many others think this, so why am I wrong Scott for stating my truthful opinion, backed up with rational points

my truthful opinion is backed up with rational points too

and i know there's plenty of sensible fans out there who understand that in the long term, DJ has done an outstanding job and just because in the first season we were understandably favourites to go up, we actually didnt, doesnt mean we should automatically sack him, thats like saying if Fergie spent more than any other team next season and Man Utd didnt win the title, he should be sacked because he spent the most

but no, because of the brilliant job he's done in the long term for the club, in my opinion, he shouldnt go
long term stability is an underestimated thing in football, and with DJ we have that, and a manager who has brought this club to a level we havent been for years, when we could have easily dropped down the leagues when he didnt have this big budget

ive never once said i dont believe that we had the best squad of individual players this season that could quite easily have got promoted, all im saying is that, in football nothing is guaranteed, especially just because you spend a fair bit of money, and in my opinion, playoffs is still a good enough achievement to keep DJ in a job, only when you consider the long term job hes done for us