I can't believe the referee didn't at least book the Rotherham player for putting Grabban in a headlock!!! My worry has proved right - our fate has been decided by poor decisions from match officials (Howson's red as well and OK, we had the Hoolahan 'penalty', but we still scored another 2 goals!!) as opposed to being between by more skilful teams.
our fate was decided a long time ago under Neil Adams , you cant have a bad run like that and expect auto promotion lets not blame a few ***p decisions by refs over the past few weeks to be fair I expect nothing less, am dissapointed in Grabban he is supposed to be proffesional and if the other guy has him in a headlock surely you play the wounded party and get him in trouble not react like a silly teenager. Since AN came in our form has been top two so I am just looking forward to that for next year and us mounting a consistently good challange throughout the year should we fail to get up this term via the play off lottery onwards and upwards OTBC
OK so the last two weeks have not been to par by a combination of a woeful start against boro and a moment of stupidity yesterday. Since Neil took over we have been stellar. He has the best start of any city manager ever. It is amazing that we have come so close to the auto's and who among us in December thought we'd have a play off place secured with a couple of matches to go. There is no reason we can't go up via the play offs. Personally I'd rest a couple next week. Certainly wes and tettey. I'd keep ryben in and I would definitely keep hooper in to try to keep him sharp. On the upside we could now have the opportunity to double the binners again and then give derby or boro the stuffing they so richly deserve at Wembley.
Good to see that you're still as arrogant as ever! A bit like the 100 Points and a 100 Goals comments that were bandied around so freely on here back in August. But hey if you want to take these things for granted then it's fine by me!
what do you expect? people saying we have no chance of beating Ipswich and then will definitley lose in the final. It's not taking anything for granted, merely being optimisitic and postive. All the games will be lotteries, but I'm sure if and when you pop along to watch ipswich in the semis, you aren't expecting them to lose.
with AN's form over the whole season, we would have got around 105 points, so we had the right idea, just the wrong manager!
Personally I'm taking nothing for granted Warky and should we play you either in the semis or final I fully expect you to beat us. We seem to have run out of steam and I also fully expect us to be playing Championshit football next term. We've had our chances and have blown em, I'm gutted, truly gutted.
Tettey is injured and didn't play yesterday so he won't need resting. I also fear that Hooper needs a lot more than 90 mins against Fulham to get him sharp. Plenty of reasons why we can't go up via the playoffs. We will be against our local rivals and anything can happen in a derby game, a team who beat us twice and completely out thought us both times and another team who we couldn't beat in two attempts. It really is no formality.
It's all very disappointing - not just for us, but for the Championship in general. If Bournemouth win tomorrow, it's all decided. And it could have been the most exciting last day ever. Btw, I hope Bournemouth do win. I can't stand the idea of that cynical Boro side going up at the expense of a team who have tried to play good football for the whole season.
I take nothing for granted. It looks most like play-offs, but in a way, now there is less pressure on Bournemouth it could be even harder for them to get over the line. Then - if it happens - the play offs. Our away form is a massive advantage, but it could mean playing Ipswich, or Middlesborough who are THE team best set up to frustrate us. I wouldn't see either Derby or Brentford as any kind of given either - each game would be a lottery. I confess to also being really excited. I have such confidence in AN we all know that we go into any game with an outstanding chance of victory, the record speaks for itself. Hooper is popping up with some fantastic goals. It's set for a compelling end of the season. I am learning to love The Championship for competitive, unpredictable football. It would be a great way to get promoted. All to play for... OTBC
I hate to sound pessimistic, but if we play Ipswich in the play-offs (which unless we better Boro's result, then we will!) I fully expect them to beat us. I can't really say exactly why but I just do.
We've lost impetus - I suspect that is why. Whereas they looked like they wouldn't even make the play offs not so long ago.
The play-offs will be about who has most self belief and who wants it most. I fully expect Bournemouth to make it tomorrow night which will leave us in the company of Boro (played 2 lost 2), Binners (played 2 won 2) and Derby (played 2 drawn 2) so it's anyone's guess if you can take past form into the next 2 (hopefully 3) games. It's all about desire ...... and wanting it...... I'm sure Alex Neil has both qualities in droves - let's hope the players have too.
Let's hope that we Win, Derby Draw and you boys Better Boro's result and then who knows it could be a Blue And Yella Day at Wembley! How awesome would that be? It would be THE Biggest EA Derby of them all without a doubt! If we are gonna go up we may as well do it in style!
