Although ultimately we have lost again today,there are posit

Brilliant post by Gary aka Castleblue



Postby castleblue » Sat Apr 23, 2022



Although ultimately we have lost again today there are positives and if we had a strike force worthy of the Championship I believe we could have got a draw today. For me the damage to this season happened last summer when MM went along with further VT imposed austerity and left us with a squad which has hung on to our Championship status by the skin of it's teeth. In fact without the changes made by SM to the squad few would think we would ever have got to a position of safety.

I feel, rightly or wrongly, that we have come full circle and are back where we were as the team trudged off the field at Wembley in the play off defeat to Blackpool. We face another massive rebuild on the field and massive debts off it so it's difficult to think anything other than the VT era has been a rollercoaster and ultimately a failure. You cannot sugar coat we lost ALL 4 derby games for the first time or that we have lost a record 12 home games or that we equalled the most league defeats in a season today with 22 and still 3 games to play.

Unfortunately I don't even think we have reached rock bottom and SM faces a massive task to keep us out of the relegation places next season and I wish him the very best of luck as none of this is down to him. For me success next season will be finishing 21st or above.

But today there were positives, as last week, as the teams currently 5th & 6th beat us by a single goal and I am looking forward to next season and I hope for SM and this group of players they can win a couple of our remaining games to "Finish" on something of a high. SM and these players deserve that for getting us to safety when it seemed impossible.

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"For me success next season will be finishing 21st or above."

I thought no playoffs was a failure?!

At least some people like castle blue see it in reality.

Success (unfortunately) is mid table obscurity.

"For me success next season will be finishing 21st or above."

I thought no playoffs was a failure?!

At least some people like castle blue see it in reality.

Success (unfortunately) is mid table obscurity.

Unfortunately mid table obscurity is the norm for the majority of Championship teams.
We’ve been fortunate with how many of our seasons have seen us fighting for the play offs and promotion right up until the final weeks. Just comparing with Derby and Forest, two of the longest staying teams in the championship, since our promotion to the Championship we’ve had more top 6 finishes than both of them combined.

Unless a team is spending £100m each summer saying “Anything but top 6 is failure” is silly talk.

"For me success next season will be finishing 21st or above."

I thought no playoffs was a failure?!

At least some people like castle blue see it in reality.

Success (unfortunately) is mid table obscurity.

Unfortunately mid table obscurity is the norm for the majority of Championship teams.
We’ve been fortunate with how many of our seasons have seen us fighting for the play offs and promotion right up until the final weeks. Just comparing with Derby and Forest, two of the longest staying teams in the championship, since our promotion to the Championship we’ve had more top 6 finishes than both of them combined.

Unless a team is spending £100m each summer saying “Anything but top 6 is failure” is silly talk.

Totally agree.

Top 6 or bottom 6 aside, is it too much to ask though for a team to play attractive up tempo football whilst demonstrating the basic skills such as passing, control and movement plus the ability to put away a healthy proportion of chances coupled with competent defending resulting in clean sheets?

That’s all I want. To be entertained and not to be despondent. No fan can expect to win every game but surely we can’t again expect to suffer (so far) 12 home defeats mostly to nil.

To achieve this not too outlandish wish will require some skill (and luck) in the summer transfer market alongside a ruthless clear out of those in the current contracted squad who simply aren’t up to the requisite standard. And it will take a season or two at least.

Top 6 or bottom 6 aside, is it too much to ask though for a team to play attractive up tempo football whilst demonstrating the basic skills such as passing, control and movement plus the ability to put away a healthy proportion of chances coupled with competent defending resulting in clean sheets?

That’s all I want. To be entertained and not to be despondent. No fan can expect to win every game but surely we can’t again expect to suffer (so far) 12 home defeats mostly to nil.

To achieve this not too outlandish wish will require some skill (and luck) in the summer transfer market alongside a ruthless clear out of those in the current contracted squad who simply aren’t up to the requisite standard. And it will take a season or two at least.

In essence your first paragraph is describing a club that is a) a certainty for a top 6 finish and b) more than likely one that gains automatic promotion.

That's unrealistic at present but just a couple of your requirements would probably be enough to make most fans happy. It would be a start at least and something to build on.

The only positive I can take from Saturday is that I didnt go, saved myself some valuable money.
Depending on what happenings between now and July will depend on whether I part with my hard earned on a ST or not.

Success for next season will be not getting relegated and trying to get the players to play in a style that they can cope with and that brings success on the pitch. For the first time in a long time and with the current economic situation - it's going to very hard to justify what I usually spend on match days.

Everyone is tightening their belts - and that also has to be the players.

Always a well thought contribution from Gary 'castle blue' and this is no exception

I’m struggling to be positive this season myself we’ve lost 22 games in the league both Bristol and the jacks done the double over us if it wasn’t for the derby points deduction we would be right in the mess,got an owner and board who couldn’t give a shit it’s hard to be positive

I’m struggling to be positive this season myself we’ve lost 22 games in the league both Bristol and the jacks done the double over us ,got an owner and board who couldn’t give a shit it’s hard to be positive

Your right without the Derby points deduction we would be right in the relegation fight but with 3 games to go there would still be a buffer of 2 teams between us and the 3rd relegation spot. Also this Saturday would be a proper relegation 6 pointer with Birmingham at home and in my experience it would lead to a bigger crowd, better atmosphere.

For me the biggest positive from a largely negative season is the effect SM has had on a misfiring squad and getting that squad to safety. SM has achieved this largely with a squad not suited to the way he wants to set the team up to play so if he gets recruitment right next season could and maybe should be better.

Other than relegation it's difficult to imagine it being worse.