Lets look on the bright side (11 Viewers)

[SkyblueTexan]

The frustrating thing is that we’ve been in the top 6 for about a month now and Collins is doing his level best to scupper it. If we’d made a last minute dash and missed out it would be much easier to digest.

I really hope next season we have 2 competent players for every position and then a couple more squad players to round it out. But we’re currently carrying a lot of deadwood that needs to be jettisoned as soon as the season’s over.

 

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[Nick]

I keep seeing this. No one is ready to be good enough for the premier league. You have to recruit and build the moment you get there.

I think Leeds and Burnley are much closer to being ready than us.

 

[fatso]

I think Leeds and Burnley are much closer to being ready than us.

Agreed, and you have to ask why MR didn't address the GK weakness in the squad, bringing Dovin in was good, but having no competent cover is unacceptable. The same goes for RB (zero cover) and even LB where we are poor in terms of quality.

Looking at the entire squad there's only around 7 players I'd want to keep if we don't go up, and if we do go up that drops to 4.
So in reality we are miles away from bing ready for anything.

The quality of the championship has been poor this year, and we've probably over achieved under Lampard to get where we are.

 

[skyblue_55]

As an oldie , our season was usually over by the 3rd round f a cup tie in January, so to have something as big a game as next Saturday coming up, is fantastic.
Championship or Premiership next season, we won’t recognise the team from this season, as Frank will address the poor performers , so whatever happens, exciting times are ahead .
CTID

 

[Otis]

As an oldie , our season was usually over by the 3rd round f a cup tie in January, so to have something as big a game as next Saturday coming up, is fantastic.
Championship or Premiership next season, we won’t recognise the team from this season, as Frank will address the poor performers , so whatever happens, exciting times are ahead .
CTID

Well, you would hope so wouldn't you

I suppose the big worry is in being able to keep the players we DO want to keep.

Ones that could be good enough for the Premier (Rudoni, Wright, MVE), could be snapped up by bigger clubs

 

[GIMOC]

some of you lot on here are delusional

we’ve played really well in 2 maybe 3 games in the last 9

derby - awful
sunderland - outstanding
sheff u - awful
burnley - average
pompey - below average
hull - good
west brom - really good
plymouth - awful
luton - defence great but no threat

even before that we got lucky with late goals against stoke and sheff when not playing great

the inept of other teams in and around the playoffs have given us this opportunity and paper over the cracks of how average this squad really is

 

[Tommo1993]

Quite fed up of reading ‘next season will be tougher’. Much like ‘the league is shit this year’, it’s total nonsense.

 

[bigfatronssba]

some of you lot on here are delusional

we’ve played really well in 2 maybe 3 games in the last 9

derby - awful
sunderland - outstanding
sheff u - awful
burnley - average
pompey - below average
hull - good
west brom - really good
plymouth - awful
luton - defence great but no threat

even before that we got lucky with late goals against stoke and sheff when not playing great

the inept of other teams in and around the playoffs have given us this opportunity and paper over the cracks of how average this squad really is

That’s how a league table works. You just have to be better than your opponents.

Also, rather insulting that you claim our position is down to luck.

A league position after 45 games is nothing to do with luck. The table doesn’t lie

 

[bigfatronssba]

If we miss out we lose the backbone of the squad.

MvE
Rudoni
Sheaf
Wright

Will probably all move on. That's a lot of quality we will need to replace, and replacing talent AND getting it right is quite a challenge.

It won't be the end of the world as we've done similar before, but to miss out now would be so disapointing having done the hard work and gone from 17th in the championship to 5th

Rudoni won’t be go be going anywhere, he’s only been here a year.

The rest are fairly easily replaceable if we get a good enough fee

 

[GIMOC]

That’s how a league table works. You just have to be better than your opponents.

Also, rather insulting that you claim our position is down to luck.

A league position after 45 games is nothing to do with luck. The table doesn’t lie

we have been very lucky this season

pompey last min wonder goal
sheff w away last min howler from keeper

thats 4 points from poor performance but freak finishes

hand on heart from the position we were in after Sunderland to be where we are now is criminal. we shouldn’t have to be going into boro game needing to win

we’ve won 3 from 9 and lost 5 of them

 

[TomRad85]

some of you lot on here are delusional

we’ve played really well in 2 maybe 3 games in the last 9

derby - awful
sunderland - outstanding
sheff u - awful
burnley - average
pompey - below average
hull - good
west brom - really good
plymouth - awful
luton - defence great but no threat

even before that we got lucky with late goals against stoke and sheff when not playing great

the inept of other teams in and around the playoffs have given us this opportunity and paper over the cracks of how average this squad really is

What's your point here? The squad is what it is, the 6th best in the league after 45 games. God forbid people actually looking forward to a home game to get in the play offs.

 

[bigfatronssba]

we have been very lucky this season

pompey last min wonder goal
sheff w away last min howler from keeper

thats 4 points from poor performance but freak finishes

hand on heart from the position we were in after Sunderland to be where we are now is criminal. we shouldn’t have to be going into boro game needing to win

we’ve won 3 from 9 and lost 5 of them

We have been very unlucky this season

Luton last minute goal conceded
Sheff w at home last minute goal conceded
Norwich away 2 last minute goals conceded

See how it works?

 

[GIMOC]

We have been very unlucky this season

Luton last minute goal conceded
Sheff w at home last minute goal conceded
Norwich away 2 last minute goals conceded

See how it works?

unlucky in those games

yesterday we didnt make the keeper do anything so hardly unlucky

sheff w at home again didnt play anything special

norwich i agree we were unlucky that day

i look at performances and on the whole the performances this season we havent look at top 6 team

we are very lucky to still be in the playoffs and in our hands

 

[GIMOC]

What's your point here? The squad is what it is, the 6th best in the league after 45 games. God forbid people actually looking forward to a home game to get in the play offs.

my point is exactly what I said

we are fortunate to still have the playoff spot in our hands. you are delusional to think otherwise

the championship this season is poor apart from top 3

to think Blackburn still have a chance of playoffs show how bad the standards are

 

[bigfatronssba]

unlucky in those games

yesterday we didnt make the keeper do anything so hardly unlucky

sheff w at home again didnt play anything special

norwich i agree we were unlucky that day

i look at performances and on the whole the performances this season we havent look at top 6 team

we are very lucky to still be in the playoffs and in our hands

The point I’m making is for every lucky win, there is an unlucky defeat, and that balances out over a season.

We deserve to be in the playoffs after 45 games because we are in the playoffs after 45 games.

You say we don’t look like a top 6 team, which 6 teams do you think are better than us?

 

[GIMOC]

The point I’m making is for every lucky win, there is an unlucky defeat, and that balances out over a season.

We deserve to be in the playoffs after 45 games because we are in the playoffs after 45 games.

You say we don’t look like a top 6 team, which 6 teams do you think are better than us?

again you are missing one key factor here how shit the league is in general

this team flatters to deceive at times

wright has 1 good game every 5

rudoni has been immense and is a top 6 player

grimes at the minute feels like a passenger especially away from home

simms I don’t know what he gives at the min

tats again he’s offering very little

sheaf is coming back to some sort of form but still nowhere near his best levels

our attacking threat has disappeared over recent weeks which is a massive concern going into next week

 

[Balli001]

we have been very lucky this season

pompey last min wonder goal
sheff w away last min howler from keeper

thats 4 points from poor performance but freak finishes

hand on heart from the position we were in after Sunderland to be where we are now is criminal. we shouldn’t have to be going into boro game needing to win

we’ve won 3 from 9 and lost 5 of them

So we are lucky because of a keeper howler but not unlucky by our own howler?

 

[TomRad85]

my point is exactly what I said

we are fortunate to still have the playoff spot in our hands. you are delusional to think otherwise

the championship this season is poor apart from top 3

to think Blackburn still have a chance of playoffs show how bad the standards are

Yeh our goalkeeper getting an ACL is so fortunate, as is getting absolutely beyond appalling refs every week.
Being 6th in the league because everyone else is shit is completely irrelevant, we're the 6th best team in the league relative to our competition. Whether our competition are all shit or all fantastic it doesn't matter, that's what we are comparing ourselves to.

 

[bigfatronssba]

again you are missing one key factor here how shit the league is in general

this team flatters to deceive at times

wright has 1 game every 5
rudoni has been immense and is a top 6 player
grimes at the minute feels like a passenger especially away from home

simms I don’t know what he gives at the min
tats again he’s offering very little

sheaf is coming back to some sort of form but still nowhere near his best levels

our attacking threat has disappeared over recent weeks which is a massive concern going into next week

But that’s the whole point of a league.

It doesn’t matter how bad we are so long as we’re better than 18 other teams.

I could claim Leeds are shite, and are only there because everyone else is worse

 

[Lamps]

some of you lot on here are delusional

we’ve played really well in 2 maybe 3 games in the last 9

derby - awful
sunderland - outstanding
sheff u - awful
burnley - average
pompey - below average
hull - good
west brom - really good
plymouth - awful
luton - defence great but no threat

even before that we got lucky with late goals against stoke and sheff when not playing great

the inept of other teams in and around the playoffs have given us this opportunity and paper over the cracks of how average this squad really is

Delusional?

Good job you're not doing this for Sheffield United. It would look worse. Or how about all the teams we have overtaken and stayed above? This is what happens when you play in one of the most competitive divisions in the whole of football worldwide.

The 3 sides that got relegated from the Prem do not take up the top 3 spots. Only 1 out of the 3 has got up in the top 2 spots. 1 nearly got relegated and needed a sudden upturn in results to survive. The teams fighting for survival have won lots more than the teams going for the playoffs.

We are a plan in motion. A work in action. We have some very good players that are all under contract. We lost our 1st choice GK through bad luck. We all know what has happened since. Yes we all know we need to strengthen certain positions.

I count those that are deluded as those who aren't happy with how the second half of the season has gone. Those who are not happy with having the playoffs in our own hands with 1 home game left against a side struggling more than us.

Yesterday's last minute defeat hasn't changed anything. We still need the same results as if we got a point. Win and we're in the playoffs. Get a point against Middlesbrough then only Millwall or Blackburn can go past us. But Millwall are away to Burnley and Blackburn are away to Sheffield United.

Well done to Lampard, the players and the Sky Blue Army. Together we're going places. Really looking forward to next season whatever happens next. If we do sell players it would give Lampard a pot of money to strengthen. Can't see Rudoni going anywhere yet. Still only 23 and learning his trade from a past master.

 

[GIMOC]

So we are lucky because of a keeper howler but not unlucky by our own howler?

did you watch the game?

we didn’t look a threat at all

if we peppered their goal then conceded late on that’s unlucky but only one team looked like wanting a win and that was luton

 

[GIMOC]

Yeh our goalkeeper getting an ACL is so fortunate, as is getting absolutely beyond appalling refs every week.
Being 6th in the league because everyone else is shit is completely irrelevant, we're the 6th best team in the league relative to our competition. Whether our competition are all shit or all fantastic it doesn't matter, that's what we are comparing ourselves to.

an injury to a keeper doesn’t change how we perform

on average our performances in the past 10 games have been poor and that’s not just down to collins

the fact Blackburn still have chance to make the playoffs shows how poor the standard of the league is

we shouldn’t be in this position. we should have 6th and ultimately 5th sewn up based on the position we got ourselves in

 

[Tommo1993]

Standard is poor in this league.

I read it every time, and I laugh at it every time.

 

[bigfatronssba]

an injury to a keeper doesn’t change how we perform

on average our performances in the past 10 games have been poor and that’s not just down to collins

the fact Blackburn still have chance to make the playoffs shows how poor the standard of the league is

we shouldn’t be in this position. we should have 6th and ultimately 5th sewn up based on the position we got ourselves in

Should Bristol City have it sewn up by now?

 

[GIMOC]

Delusional?

Good job you're not doing this for Sheffield United. It would look worse. Or how about all the teams we have overtaken and stayed above? This is what happens when you play in one of the most competitive divisions in the whole of football worldwide.

The 3 sides that got relegated from the Prem do not take up the top 3 spots. Only 1 out of the 3 has got up in the top 2 spots. 1 nearly got relegated and needed a sudden upturn in results to survive. The teams fighting for survival have won lots more than the teams going for the playoffs.

We are a plan in motion. A work in action. We have some very good players that are all under contract. We lost our 1st choice GK through bad luck. We all know what has happened since. Yes we all know we need to strengthen certain positions.

I count those that are deluded as those who aren't happy with how the second half of the season has gone. Those who are not happy with having the playoffs in our own hands with 1 home game left against a side struggling more than us.

Yesterday's last minute defeat hasn't changed anything. We still need the same results as if we got a point. Win and we're in the playoffs. Get a point against Middlesbrough then only Millwall or Blackburn can go past us. But Millwall are away to Burnley and Blackburn are away to Sheffield United.

Well done to Lampard, the players and the Sky Blue Army. Together we're going places. Really looking forward to next season whatever happens next. If we do sell players it would give Lampard a pot of money to strengthen. Can't see Rudoni going anywhere yet. Still only 23 and learning his trade from a past master.

what a load of nonsense

the reason we still have it in our hands is because the league really is that shit

boro missed a penalty to go 2 up against Wednesday. somehow we still have 6th but that’s not down to our great play it’s down to how shit other teams are

to win 3 from 9 and lose 5 yet still be in the playoffs shows me everything

we have played really well in 2 or 3 games when it’s mattered from last 9 games

 

[bigfatronssba]

Standard is poor in this league.

I read it every time, and I laugh at it every time.

I mean it’s true if you ignore all the stats showing it as the best second tier in the world

 

[Lamps]

did you watch the game?

we didn’t look a threat at all

if we peppered their goal then conceded late on that’s unlucky but only one team looked like wanting a win and that was luton

May I remind you we had a player sent off early in the game? When they also had a player sent off we were suddenly on top.

Delusional is ignoring the important details to get a biased version over as the truth. But the truth is we're favourites to be in the playoffs. I'd have settled for that last August. Most thought it impossible in January.

 

[GIMOC]

Should Bristol City have it sewn up by now?

yes based on the position they were in 2 weeks ago as should we have

getting into the position we were in after baggies game and then losing both games but still in playoffs shows how fortunate we are

 

[bigfatronssba]

what a load of nonsense

the reason we still have it in our hands is because the league really is that shit

boro missed a penalty to go 2 up against Wednesday. somehow we still have 6th but that’s not down to our great play it’s down to how shit other teams are

to win 3 from 9 and lose 5 yet still be in the playoffs shows me everything

we have played really well in 2 or 3 games when it’s mattered from last 9 games

Your idea of a league table in a “good league” seems to be one where the top teams win every game and so there would be a massive points difference between 8th & 9th

 

[GIMOC]

May I remind you we had a player sent off early in the game? When they also had a player sent off we were suddenly on top.

Delusional is ignoring the important details to get a biased version over as the truth. But the truth is we're favourites to be in the playoffs. I'd have settled for that last August. Most thought it impossible in January.

How many shots did we have on target yesterday?

never once yesterday did we look a threat. we were never on top

we had the ball more but never on top so that proves my delusional point if you thought we looked on top yesterday at any point

 

[bigfatronssba]

yes based on the position they were in 2 weeks ago as should we have

getting into the position we were in after baggies game and then losing both games but still in playoffs shows how fortunate we are

So that’s another poor team in the playoffs.

Presumably you also think Sunderland are poor/lucky with the run they’ve been on?

Sheff Utd must be as well after throwing away autos?

 

[GIMOC]

Your idea of a league table in a “good league” seems to be one where the top teams win every game and so there would be a massive points difference between 8th & 9th

far from it

hand on heart how many exceptional performances have we seen this season?

I would say 4 or 5 max

to think we played better last season in general but never made the playoffs

 

[TomRad85]

an injury to a keeper doesn’t change how we perform

on average our performances in the past 10 games have been poor and that’s not just down to collins

the fact Blackburn still have chance to make the playoffs shows how poor the standard of the league is

we shouldn’t be in this position. we should have 6th and ultimately 5th sewn up based on the position we got ourselves in

Yeh but I'm saying what you think of the standard of the league is irrelevant as that's our competition. Assuming we don't go up we've got a squad that is around 5th-7th based on its competition as a starting point for Lampard. That's a good starting point and people should be looking forward to next season regardless of what happens from here.

 

[GIMOC]

So that’s another poor team in the playoffs.

Presumably you also think Sunderland are poor/lucky with the run they’ve been on?

Sheff Utd must be as well after throwing away autos?

Sunderland are average from what I’ve seen

Sheff Utd bottled it after beating us. ask any of there fans and they would agree

 

[bigfatronssba]

far from it

hand on heart how many exceptional performances have we seen this season?

I would say 4 or 5 max

to think we played better last season in general but never made the playoffs

Perhaps the other teams are actually quite good and so countered our performances?