Our form has been very consistent this season, more than most teams, it hasn't fluctuated much at all most teams in this division have gone on very good runs followed by appauling ones, we just seemed to have gone along without much fluctuation and without big losses I'd say that's pretty consistent
So basically what you're saying is that we have no chance now of making the playoffs, why didn't you just say that. So with 4 games left of the season we were in poll position to get into the playoffs yet we 'statistically' were nowhere near, I completely get you now So for example if Sunderland win their remaining 3 games they'll keep their PL status, it's in their own hands but because they'd likely be at least 7 points clear of the relegation zone they were nowhere near getting relegated despite being down there all season??? Please do and hurt my brain, I might understand some of your opinions sometimes
I actually agree with something you've said on this thread, amazeballs. I think you're right it really annoys me when you hear Mick say don't get beat, any point is a good point away from home...if you'd told me I could get a point there I wouldn't even turn up etc etc, I think it's self fulfilling sometimes, it was really refreshing to see Giggs talk about players going out there and expressing themselves with desire and tempo on the ball, you won't get that from a Mick team, it's all about not getting beat playing a bit of percentage attacking football then anything else ontop of that is a bonus
I think Paul Taylor has been the more ludicrous one particularly as the other option is Nouble, christ I would've even liked to have seen Alan Lee upfront instead of him. Have to say i looks like Lee may have worked a bit with Murphy this season though, he's been much better at using his strength and body and attacks the ball so much better now
1. Why was Hewitt dropped so soon, IMO Chambers hasn't been great at RB and although Hewitt made a few mistakes in the first few games, they weren't that bad and he was up against some pretty tough opponents, should've been given more of a chance IMO, the boy has talent but perhaps he's too attack minded 3. Why has Taylor not been given a chance, I can understand if we had better players but if when Mick took over you were told Nouble and Murphy were playing regularly and Taylor wasn't even in the squads you'd have thought he was off his rocker
We weren't in poll position by virtue of the fact we'd been on a streak that was unlikely to continue. Not sure why I have to keep repeating myself.
I actually think Van Wolfswinkel could be a decent player he's just been in a team that aren't the most creative and his confidence is shot, similar situation to when Parkin was here IMO
Consistency is relative. In terms of moving in and out by 5 or 6 points it's been inconsistent, not wildly enough to catapult us up or down the table though.
The difference in the Sunderland case is we've not spent any noteworthy time in the play off zone and it's only been about two or three weeks of the whole season that we've even been within four points of it. Sunderland by contrast have spent ages in the drop zone AND they've changed their manager which I've explained enough times is a catalyst for moving up the table and improving form dramatically.
I've always said it was unlikely we'd make the playoffs, I just can't get around how you had given up all hope and how you can't see how we came pretty close to getting in, I mean at points you even said it looked likely 'due to unforseen results', you were squirming. I mean it was fairly plausable that we would beat Bournemouth and Burnley, one because I thought Bournemouth had been on a superb run of form and it had to end at some point and secondly Burnley had just secured promotion, there are some funny results at the end of the season and at one point it seemed like noone wanted 6th spot
I actually give up, I've finally realised all reason has been lost. You'd have thought I'd have learned by now, I disagree with JWM and Spanish on alot of things but most of the time I can understand their viewpoints even if I disagree then everyonce in a while you come out with the odd gem that is so left field it's ridiculous
Relative positions to remaining top 6 contenders with 1 game to go at different points during the season 1 Oct: Reading : - 5 Positions, - 5 Pts Wigan: + 5, + 3 (Wigan with 2 games in hand) Brighton: + 2, + 1 Blackburn: - 2, -1 2 Nov: (We had played 1 game extra on 1st) Reading: - 8, - 6 Wigan: - 5, - 2 (Wigan 1 Game in hand) Brighton: - 1, -1 Blackburn: - 3, - 2 1 Dec Reading: - 5, - 5, Wigan: + 3, +1 (1 Game in hand) Brighton: - 2, - 3 Blackburn: + 2, 0 1 Jan Reading: +3, + 1 Wigan: + 5, + 3 (1 Game in hand) Brighton: + 1, 0 Blackburn: + 4, + 2 1 Feb: Reading: - 1, -4 Wigan: + 3, + 3 (2 games in hand) Brighton: + 1, + 3 (2 games in hand) Blackburn: + 2, + 1 1 March Reading: - 2, - 3 Wigan: - 3, - 4 (1 Game in hand) Brighton: -1, -1 (1 Game in hand) Blackburn: +1, +2 (1 Game in hand) 1 Apr Reading: - 2, -2 Wigan: - 3, - 6 Brighton: + 1, +1 Blackburn: + 3, + 5 Now: Reading: - 5, - 5 Wigan: - 4, -5 Brighton: - 3, - 4 Blackburn- -2, - 2 Average: Reading: -2.9, -2.6 Wigan: +0.4, -0.9 Brighton: -0.3, -0.5 Blackburn: +0.6, +0.6 Read into that what you will but while compiling it was surprised to see just how far away we never were.
FFS Hampy...before you make idiotic statements like this do some research. It is 25 weeks that we have been 4 points or less off 6th spot...last time I was told 6th spot was a play off berth.! WE spent 2 weeks in 6th spot, 5 weeks in 7th & a similar amount in 8th or 9th.... If you could just take your head out of your arse for a while then you would surely have to admit that spending 25 weeks of a 40 week season in and around the play offs is progress....
hoppers - let me clarify that I was talking about three points or less - we've spent most of the time you're talking about 4 or 5 points away and no I didn't need to do the research cheers. Whether it's four or five weeks or ten (certainly no more than that) the point is valid. It's not progress on last season, it is progress on Keane and Jewell but that's no big achievement. There's a big difference between sitting outside the zone and looking in danger of breaking into it - it has been literally a few weeks where that has seemed possible and as it turned out the results then evened out and we drifted out again.
No idea what point you're trying to make here? And if it's about other sixth place contenders where are Bournemouth and forest?
Those are the teams that are, with 1 game (2 in Wigans case) to go, mathematically fighting for sixth. There was no real point, I was just looking at how close we've been over the season to the teams gunning for that sixth spot, as it happens we were very rarely not in front of at least one of the contenders. Forest, like us, can no longer mathematically make the play-offs. Bournemouth's form is averaging out again and they were never play-off contenders
