Can we all just try to enjoy this please?

[mumbo-jumbo]

So on the back of a great week for us results wise, as Ian Drury taught us well, there are reasons to be cheerful. Lets try to have fun for this last bit of the season? Too much to ask that this thread remains one of positivity?

1. It's going to ebb and flow - we wont win every game, and Derby and Hull certainly won't lose every game, but it will be really exciting and a lot more fun than mid table mediocrity, surely. One lost game does not mean ''that's it we're down'' One win doesn't mean we're staying up
2. Meite and Joao and both back to score some goals for us
3. Swifty has remembered how to play football and is back on form
4. Tom Mc is back to fight for us in defence
5. Spring is on the way so supporting the team will be much warmer
6. Covid appears to be departing
7. We don't live in Ukraine (my heart goes out to them)
8. We have a temporary new manager/coach/whatever he is and so far so good

Smile boys and girls. I think we'll do it and if we don't - well then a League One rebuild could be fun X

[NathStPaul]

Fcuk you.

[tidus_mi2]

So on the back of a great week for us results wise, as Ian Drury taught us well, there are reasons to be cheerful. Lets try to have fun for this last bit of the season? Too much to ask that this thread remains one of positivity?

1. It's going to ebb and flow - we wont win every game, and Derby and Hull certainly won't lose every game, but it will be really exciting and a lot more fun than mid table mediocrity, surely. One lost game does not mean ''that's it we're down'' One win doesn't mean we're staying up
2. Meite and Joao and both back to score some goals for us
3. Swifty has remembered how to play football and is back on form
4. Tom Mc is back to fight for us in defence
5. Spring is on the way so supporting the team will be much warmer
6. Covid appears to be departing
7. We don't live in Ukraine (my heart goes out to them)
8. We have a temporary new manager/coach/whatever he is and so far so good

Smile boys and girls. I think we'll do it and if we don't - well then a League One rebuild could be fun X

I think Swift now just enjoys the freedom of not being completely marked out of the game, opposition teams have to worry about a bang on form Joao again, rather than putting all the attention of Swift.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

I'd be over the moon with 'Mid table mediocrity'.

[Hound]

Have to remember what a good player Joao is when on form . He was arguably the best striker in the division - on par/above Toney - last year up until Feb time. No defence can handle him when he is playing well

If Swift/Meite/Joao can stay fit, we really should be plenty capable of winning a number of games and hopefully enjoy a stress free run in

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Not to mention we've also got good and/or experienced players in the likes of Hoilett, Halilovic, Ejaria, Ince etc in attacking areas that can chip in with goals as well as TDB who has got himself a handful this season as well.

If we can tighten up defensively, we will have no problems staying in the division. We have the capability to score 2/3+ goals in most games, but we can't be conceding 2+ a game at the same time either.

[URZZZZ]

Have to remember what a good player Joao is when on form . He was arguably the best striker in the division - on par/above Toney - last year up until Feb time. No defence can handle him when he is playing well

If Swift/Meite/Joao can stay fit, we really should be plenty capable of winning a number of games and hopefully enjoy a stress free run in

When you think about the team we had, last year’s collapse at the end was a tough one to swallow. The attack just seemed to stop clicking and when you think of the calibre of players we had in Joao, Meite, Swift, Olise and Ejaria, that’s very disappointing

Whether they’d run out of steam or were shot mentally after a couple of poor results is another question but you’d have been hard pressed to find many more talented attacks in the Championship

Regardless, as you said, we should have more than enough to win games now. If Joao had been fit earlier, no doubt we’d be mid table now, damning for Puscas that he didn’t score any until January with Joao scoring 5 in 6. Expect him to have plenty of suitors in the summer

[Hound]

Too true Urrrzzz

Didn’t think too much about it at the time - guess with Covid and everything else going on I wasn’t really that bothered but it was a huge opportunity

Think that front line, Richards at LB as well

To win 1 in 11 is shameful with that side. Happy to admit probably accepted 7th place far more than I should have done

[YorkshireRoyal99]

A lot of people who support other clubs around me were saying it was our last chance saloon to reach the PL before FFP really kicked in and it proved true. It was something I knew myself, but I didn't think too much about it because we were always in the play offs and, even when we dropped out, I always believed we would pick up with results again but it never happened.

I don't doubt a lack of squad depth alongside a lack of reinforcements both in the summer and January didn't help our cause, especially when you consider the players Barnsley managed to bring in in January as well for example.

[Millsy]

Hence the negativity toward Pauno from some of us last season. Why they put together such a phenomenal team but then got a failed clown from abroad with no experience of UK football to manage it is beyond me.

[URZZZZ]

A lot of people who support other clubs around me were saying it was our last chance saloon to reach the PL before FFP really kicked in and it proved true. It was something I knew myself, but I didn't think too much about it because we were always in the play offs and, even when we dropped out, I always believed we would pick up with results again but it never happened.

I don't doubt a lack of squad depth alongside a lack of reinforcements both in the summer and January didn't help our cause, especially when you consider the players Barnsley managed to bring in in January as well for example.

Don’t particularly agree with the squad depth point. A lot of teams had the same problem last season and coped better than us. Swansea, in particular had very little in depth and didn’t implode to the same degree that we did

Regardless, Esteves, Semedo, Puscas, Aluko and co were plenty enough given the situation and more capable than some of Barnsley’s first team. Do think it boiled down to mismanagement and the players’ confidence being stuck at rock bottom

[Zip]

Have to remember what a good player Joao is when on form . He was arguably the best striker in the division - on par/above Toney - last year up until Feb time. No defence can handle him when he is playing well

If Swift/Meite/Joao can stay fit, we really should be plenty capable of winning a number of games and hopefully enjoy a stress free run in

It’s a big if they stay fit. If they do then we should be ok as they will score goals. On form Joao really is superb at playing the lone striker role.

[Zip]

A lot of people who support other clubs around me were saying it was our last chance saloon to reach the PL before FFP really kicked in and it proved true. It was something I knew myself, but I didn't think too much about it because we were always in the play offs and, even when we dropped out, I always believed we would pick up with results again but it never happened.

I don't doubt a lack of squad depth alongside a lack of reinforcements both in the summer and January didn't help our cause, especially when you consider the players Barnsley managed to bring in in January as well for example.

Don’t particularly agree with the squad depth point. A lot of teams had the same problem last season and coped better than us. Swansea, in particular had very little in depth and didn’t implode to the same degree that we did

Regardless, Esteves, Semedo, Puscas, Aluko and co were plenty enough given the situation and more capable than some of Barnsley’s first team. Do think it boiled down to mismanagement and the players’ confidence being stuck at rock bottom

Barnsley’s run was very odd. They were very limited. High press and not a lot else but so few teams seemed to deal with it.

[Hound]

A lot of people who support other clubs around me were saying it was our last chance saloon to reach the PL before FFP really kicked in and it proved true. It was something I knew myself, but I didn't think too much about it because we were always in the play offs and, even when we dropped out, I always believed we would pick up with results again but it never happened.

I don't doubt a lack of squad depth alongside a lack of reinforcements both in the summer and January didn't help our cause, especially when you consider the players Barnsley managed to bring in in January as well for example.

Don’t particularly agree with the squad depth point. A lot of teams had the same problem last season and coped better than us. Swansea, in particular had very little in depth and didn’t implode to the same degree that we did

Regardless, Esteves, Semedo, Puscas, Aluko and co were plenty enough given the situation and more capable than some of Barnsley’s first team. Do think it boiled down to mismanagement and the players’ confidence being stuck at rock bottom

there was that spell around the new year where we were struggling - had a number of injuries and we did have youth teamers in and about. We could have done with the ability to bring in a couple of players then to help see us through

By the run in though, we even had Swift back and really should have done a hell of a lot better. Just grabbing a team from this time last year - when we lost 2-0 to Boro at home with a pretty dire performance we had

Rafael
Yiadom Morrison McIntyre Richards
Rino Laurent
Ejaria Semedo Olise
Joao

Southwood, Esteves, Moore, baldock, Gibson, Aluko, Holmes, Tetek, Puscas

Youth players wouldn't have got near the bench for most games except we had up to 9 subs

[Hound]

Actually it makes me angrier looking back now than it did at the time. Reading back through the 2-1 Birmingham defeat, when they were at absolute rock bottom, and we had a ridiculously strong looking side out, and barely troubled them all game

[Zip]

Actually it makes me angrier looking back now than it did at the time. Reading back through the 2-1 Birmingham defeat, when they were at absolute rock bottom, and we had a ridiculously strong looking side out, and barely troubled them all game

I blame Houndy for going to that game
I watched at home and was fuming. Brum were in complete control but we should have won....Joao missed pen and we were up against ten men. To make it worse I think both Yaks and Joao picked up injuries that night.

You have a lot to answer for Mr Hound.

[Millsy]

oh but we finished 7th bla bla bla

[YorkshireRoyal99]

A lot of people who support other clubs around me were saying it was our last chance saloon to reach the PL before FFP really kicked in and it proved true. It was something I knew myself, but I didn't think too much about it because we were always in the play offs and, even when we dropped out, I always believed we would pick up with results again but it never happened.

I don't doubt a lack of squad depth alongside a lack of reinforcements both in the summer and January didn't help our cause, especially when you consider the players Barnsley managed to bring in in January as well for example.

Don’t particularly agree with the squad depth point. A lot of teams had the same problem last season and coped better than us. Swansea, in particular had very little in depth and didn’t implode to the same degree that we did

Regardless, Esteves, Semedo, Puscas, Aluko and co were plenty enough given the situation and more capable than some of Barnsley’s first team. Do think it boiled down to mismanagement and the players’ confidence being stuck at rock bottom

It depends if you can keep your squad fit, a small squad succeeds providing you keep them out of the treatment room and that wasn't always the case with us, although I can't speak for other teams.

It's not an excuse making exercise as such, it's just the reality of the situation. Aluko is a poor option, Baldock was also a poor squad option, Puscas wasn't fancied by Pauno etc. I don't doubt we should have done better with the individuals we had, I just think Pauno would have been better placed if we could have had some sort of flexibility within the market. He probably would have got rid of those he may not have wanted and brought in others, but a transfer embargo alongside a Covid pandemic probably made that far more difficult, maybe even impossible, than what it would have been otherwise.

Just to place on record though, I do agree that mismanagement and players confidence played a major factor in our collapse, but I think it does run a little bit deeper than that. Factors, such as flexibility in the transfer market, could have affected our second half of the season performance and may have arrested the slide, we just couldn't build any momentum.

[Hound]

Actually it makes me angrier looking back now than it did at the time. Reading back through the 2-1 Birmingham defeat, when they were at absolute rock bottom, and we had a ridiculously strong looking side out, and barely troubled them all game

I blame Houndy for going to that game
I watched at home and was fuming. Brum were in complete control but we should have won....Joao missed pen and we were up against ten men. To make it worse I think both Yaks and Joao picked up injuries that night.

You have a lot to answer for Mr Hound.

ah was thinking of the away game, but yes equally terrible in the home one. And yeah that home one was proper miserable. prob turning point of the season

[Zip]

Actually it makes me angrier looking back now than it did at the time. Reading back through the 2-1 Birmingham defeat, when they were at absolute rock bottom, and we had a ridiculously strong looking side out, and barely troubled them all game

I blame Houndy for going to that game
I watched at home and was fuming. Brum were in complete control but we should have won....Joao missed pen and we were up against ten men. To make it worse I think both Yaks and Joao picked up injuries that night.

You have a lot to answer for Mr Hound.

ah was thinking of the away game, but yes equally terrible in the home one

The home game was an abomination.