| A gentle reminder 17:04 - Feb 10 with 919 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
Obviously we were all really excited with our start, especially as it built on an amazing second half to the previous season to give us an incredible 2023.
I guess many of us had started to believe that it would continue. I always believed that we could come back when behind. I kind of laugh to myself when we inevitably concede an early goal, because, you know, we keep making it hard for ourselves, but we keep on overcoming.
But the injury to George Hirst, and, to an extent to Leif Davis and Morsy's two game suspension, showed how we might have a good team, but there are three or four players who we simply couldn't afford to lose.
We didn't have the squad for an automatic promotion challenge.
Maybe we do now. If Morsy and Davis stay injury free, and with Moore being a very good replacement for Hirst, and Al Hamadi showing signs of being a real handful in conjunction with him, we might be able to push for automatic promotion right to the end of the season.
But if we do lose one of our irreplaceable players then that isn't likely. Lose two and it is almost impossible.
So here's the gentle reminder:
George Burley's wonderful team didn't achieve automatic promotion.
Joe Royle, with Bent and Kuqi and Counago at his disposal, only made Play Off Semi Finals.
Mick McCarthy made the Play Offs once.
It's a bloody hard League to get out of. For a newly promoted team to make the Play Offs is an incredible achievement.
We are looking very good to do that. If that is what we end up doing this season, we will have had a great season, even though it may not feel like that.
As good as McCarthy's best, with Didsy and Murphy.
As good as Royle's best, with Bent and Counago and Kuqi.
As good over the regular season as Burley's best, with Stewart and Johnson and Holland.
Do better than that and it will be an absolutely incredible season. |  | | |  |
| A gentle reminder on 17:08 - Feb 10 with 859 views | pointofblue |
It's the hope that gets you. It's why we feel flat now. If we'd gone one win in nine at the start of the season then put the run of form together we'd be really excited now (see Southampton). As it is, very unfairly, it all feels a bit flat. | |
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| A gentle reminder on 17:13 - Feb 10 with 844 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| A gentle reminder on 17:08 - Feb 10 by pointofblue |
It's the hope that gets you. It's why we feel flat now. If we'd gone one win in nine at the start of the season then put the run of form together we'd be really excited now (see Southampton). As it is, very unfairly, it all feels a bit flat. |
In the context of what I have written, a draw at home to the fifth placed team, defending a handy points lead over them, is a very good tactical result for a Play Off contender. It's only because we are looking at Southampton and Leeds, and needing 2 points a game, that it looks bad. | | | |
| A gentle reminder on 17:22 - Feb 10 with 796 views | pointofblue |
| A gentle reminder on 17:13 - Feb 10 by ArnoldMoorhen |
In the context of what I have written, a draw at home to the fifth placed team, defending a handy points lead over them, is a very good tactical result for a Play Off contender. It's only because we are looking at Southampton and Leeds, and needing 2 points a game, that it looks bad. |
Agree to an extent, even though we really gifted them the point.
But what you say really bears fruit when you compare this season to last (you'll just need to scroll down, on the right side)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64520687
This was the Championship table after 30 games last year. With 60 points we would have been third, one point off Sheffield United and a relatively healthy twelve from Luton.
However, it does show how much the downturn in form has cost us. This is the table (again, scroll down to the right) for both:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63531134
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67621466
Ten points clear of Burnley after 21 games and 15 from third. Even last season, this poor run would have been costly. | |
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| A gentle reminder on 17:23 - Feb 10 with 795 views | Ftnfwest |
Have just been enjoying the season since day one at Sunderland. We’ve had 20 years of adversity and anything let alone the run we had is better than that. Granted whereas before Xmas it was enjoying each game for what it was, it has become a bit more of a grind after that but the football we play is more than good enough for me. We do have a tun of games to the end of March now that still give us a chance so let’s keep at it. |  | | |
| A gentle reminder on 17:23 - Feb 10 with 790 views | Stewart27 |
| A gentle reminder on 17:08 - Feb 10 by pointofblue |
It's the hope that gets you. It's why we feel flat now. If we'd gone one win in nine at the start of the season then put the run of form together we'd be really excited now (see Southampton). As it is, very unfairly, it all feels a bit flat. |
I don’t feel flat.
But I guess I’m not entitled.
This season is absolutely incredible. I witnessed another pulsating encounter today between 2 very good, albeit contrasting style teams. | | | |
| A gentle reminder on 17:27 - Feb 10 with 763 views | pointofblue |
| A gentle reminder on 17:23 - Feb 10 by Stewart27 |
I don’t feel flat.
But I guess I’m not entitled.
This season is absolutely incredible. I witnessed another pulsating encounter today between 2 very good, albeit contrasting style teams. |
It's not being entitled hoping - maybe unreasonably - that the team could keep their form up, rather than winning one in nine, and feeling a bit flat because of that.
Maybe we'll go on another positive run. Hopefully we will do. | |
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| A gentle reminder on 17:30 - Feb 10 with 740 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| A gentle reminder on 17:13 - Feb 10 by ArnoldMoorhen |
In the context of what I have written, a draw at home to the fifth placed team, defending a handy points lead over them, is a very good tactical result for a Play Off contender. It's only because we are looking at Southampton and Leeds, and needing 2 points a game, that it looks bad. |
They’re poor away from home and we are going for automatic promotion. A game we should have won, you don’t have to class it as a good result just because of how far we’ve come, especially as we dominated most of it. I guess it’s an ok result if you’re beating the teams you should lower in the league. I think needed three points today. Hopefully with the games ahead we can get a good haul to build momentum. |  | | |
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| A gentle reminder on 17:34 - Feb 10 with 720 views | Dubtractor |
| A gentle reminder on 17:23 - Feb 10 by Ftnfwest |
Have just been enjoying the season since day one at Sunderland. We’ve had 20 years of adversity and anything let alone the run we had is better than that. Granted whereas before Xmas it was enjoying each game for what it was, it has become a bit more of a grind after that but the football we play is more than good enough for me. We do have a tun of games to the end of March now that still give us a chance so let’s keep at it. |
This is exactly where I'm at. Of course we're having a frustrating run of results, but the bigger picture is amazing compared to most of the last 20 years, and even in not winning as many games we're still playing decent football and scoring plenty of goals.
I've been watching football at Portman Road since 1986, and seen enough bad runs/teams in that time that I'm not going to get too disheartened by a team in 4th drawing a few too many games.
Wirth noting that we've still not lost consecutive league games under McKenna. |  |
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| A gentle reminder on 17:44 - Feb 10 with 677 views | TheBoyBlue |
I've just been enjoying it all. Heck, even now, getting a last minute equaliser and almost scoring a winner against a team like WBA and stay 11 points ahead of them... It beats struggling to a draw against Fleetwood or Morecombe.
Even at 10 points clear I never expected us to maintain that, mainly because I thought that Leeds and Southampton would just start bulldozing the division. Their squads, resources and the way they have been run is just too good for this division and has made this season crazy. I looked the other day and if we'd got this points total at this stage in last season's Championship we'd be 10 or 11 points clear of 3rd. We haven't done much wrong.
Whatever happens this season, we're clearly going in the right direction. | |
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| A gentle reminder on 17:50 - Feb 10 with 630 views | pointofblue |
| A gentle reminder on 17:44 - Feb 10 by TheBoyBlue |
I've just been enjoying it all. Heck, even now, getting a last minute equaliser and almost scoring a winner against a team like WBA and stay 11 points ahead of them... It beats struggling to a draw against Fleetwood or Morecombe.
Even at 10 points clear I never expected us to maintain that, mainly because I thought that Leeds and Southampton would just start bulldozing the division. Their squads, resources and the way they have been run is just too good for this division and has made this season crazy. I looked the other day and if we'd got this points total at this stage in last season's Championship we'd be 10 or 11 points clear of 3rd. We haven't done much wrong.
Whatever happens this season, we're clearly going in the right direction. |
"I looked the other day and if we'd got this points total at this stage in last season's Championship we'd be 10 or 11 points clear of 3rd."
After 30 games last season, Burnley were top on 68, Sheffield United second on 61 and Middlesbrough third on 51. So we'd be third, one point off Sheffiled United, right now.
After 21 games, if looking at last season, we would have been ten points ahead of Burnley (the leaders then), thirteen clear of second place Sheffield United, with third place Blackburn 15 points off us.
Which speaks volumes about the last nine games. | |
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| A gentle reminder on 18:17 - Feb 10 with 549 views | TheBoyBlue |
| A gentle reminder on 17:50 - Feb 10 by pointofblue |
"I looked the other day and if we'd got this points total at this stage in last season's Championship we'd be 10 or 11 points clear of 3rd."
After 30 games last season, Burnley were top on 68, Sheffield United second on 61 and Middlesbrough third on 51. So we'd be third, one point off Sheffiled United, right now.
After 21 games, if looking at last season, we would have been ten points ahead of Burnley (the leaders then), thirteen clear of second place Sheffield United, with third place Blackburn 15 points off us.
Which speaks volumes about the last nine games. |
Apologies, I was simply looking at what 3rd place had!
Nonetheless, we're extremely unfortunate to have this points total and be in a 3-way fight for 2nd, especially following last season.
And I'll take this over being midtable and season over by this point like so many in the last couple of decades. | |
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