| Could we go up. 20:45 - Dec 20 with 6025 views | Bobbi66 |
The most open Championship I can remember with no outstanding team,we could have a chance |  | | |  |
| Could we go up. on 11:41 - Dec 21 with 1424 views | EuroRanger |
| Could we go up. on 10:57 - Dec 21 by ed_83 |
Anyone thinking it’s an evenly matched league this year should rewatch the “highlights” from Cov and Boro. We’re miles off the standard being set for the automatic promotion places.
Playoffs is a much more reasonable shout - Preston in third and parachute payment clubs hovering around the relegation zone does suggests that it’s a mixed bag this year, and that anyone putting a run of results together will have a decent chance.
At the same time: those parachute clubs are surely going to spend in January, well beyond what we can match, and we’ve got question marks across the squad. No team with a half-fit RND as their only senior left-back has any place talking about promotion I fear.
My hopes for this season are a top-half finish, consistently good football being played, and players developing to a point where we can start thinking about a big money sale or two in the summer, which so far we seem to be broadly on track with. Anything more would be lovely, but I think focusing on it too much would be a bad idea. |
Absolutely agree with this. Anywhere between 6th and 12th with a big couple of player sales would show we're making progress. I would love a run at the playoffs but I'm not going to get my hopes up.
Streaky team with a streaky manager! | | | |
| Could we go up. on 11:45 - Dec 21 with 1403 views | EuroRanger |
| Could we go up. on 10:57 - Dec 21 by ed_83 |
Anyone thinking it’s an evenly matched league this year should rewatch the “highlights” from Cov and Boro. We’re miles off the standard being set for the automatic promotion places.
Playoffs is a much more reasonable shout - Preston in third and parachute payment clubs hovering around the relegation zone does suggests that it’s a mixed bag this year, and that anyone putting a run of results together will have a decent chance.
At the same time: those parachute clubs are surely going to spend in January, well beyond what we can match, and we’ve got question marks across the squad. No team with a half-fit RND as their only senior left-back has any place talking about promotion I fear.
My hopes for this season are a top-half finish, consistently good football being played, and players developing to a point where we can start thinking about a big money sale or two in the summer, which so far we seem to be broadly on track with. Anything more would be lovely, but I think focusing on it too much would be a bad idea. |
Hearing that RND seemed sad at the end of the game with some hypothesising that he might be saying goodbye ahead of a recall in Jan.
I hope the club are lining up a bid or a replacement! | | | |
| Could we go up. on 11:51 - Dec 21 with 1371 views | Ned_Kennedys |
If we avoid long term injuries to our core players and keep RND then we clearly have a chance of the playoffs and surely we’d all want that. |  | | |
| Could we go up. on 12:09 - Dec 21 with 1326 views | Rsole |
| Could we go up. on 10:42 - Dec 21 by Dorse |
Good for us if so but you never know. |
There are known, knowns - unknown knowns, known unknowns and now we have unknown Kone.
Donald Rumsfeld would be happy. |  |
| Those possessed by devils, try and keep them under control a bit, can't you ?
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| Could we go up. on 12:35 - Dec 21 with 1276 views | kensalriser |
Well, we lost 7-1 to the top team, 3-1 to the team in second, 1-4 to the team in third and 1-2 to the team in sixth. It would require an unlikely degree of improvement. |  |
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| Could we go up. on 12:43 - Dec 21 with 1249 views | kensalriser |
| Could we go up. on 12:09 - Dec 21 by Rsole |
There are known, knowns - unknown knowns, known unknowns and now we have unknown Kone.
Donald Rumsfeld would be happy. |
Kone isn't in the Ivory Coast squad and not on the reserve list. They just called up a reserve forward and the tournament kicks off tonight.
So if it is going to happen we're into implausible scenarios like Infantino demanding he be called up with the threat of a ban from international football and Trump backing him militarily. | |
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| Could we go up. on 13:55 - Dec 21 with 1148 views | terryb |
| Could we go up. on 08:23 - Dec 21 by Dorse |
I think.it is unlikely, at the moment. The signs of improvement are there for all to see, however, we are only an injury away from having to rely on Frey as a starter (and we can expect to lose Kone for AFCON already).
Sure, we may end up challenging for the top 6 and this would represent our best season for a decade. We're making progress and I'm enjoying it for what it is.
Could we go up? Not as it stands but wouldn't it be good if we were challengers from now on? Every season having something to shoot for in the last 6 matches rather than desperately aiming for survival? Sign me up! |
Kone was not selected for AFCON. If he had been he couldn't have played yesterday. | | | |
| Could we go up. on 14:12 - Dec 21 with 1116 views | Maggsinho |
| Could we go up. on 12:35 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
Well, we lost 7-1 to the top team, 3-1 to the team in second, 1-4 to the team in third and 1-2 to the team in sixth. It would require an unlikely degree of improvement. |
And despite all that we’re three points off third and a point outside the playoffs. |  | | |
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| Could we go up. on 14:18 - Dec 21 with 1096 views | BristolR |
| Could we go up. on 12:43 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
Kone isn't in the Ivory Coast squad and not on the reserve list. They just called up a reserve forward and the tournament kicks off tonight.
So if it is going to happen we're into implausible scenarios like Infantino demanding he be called up with the threat of a ban from international football and Trump backing him militarily. |
That would be quite the Unknown Unknown for Kone that I could not condone
I’ll wait by the phone |  | | |
| Could we go up. on 14:49 - Dec 21 with 1021 views | stainrods_elbow |
| Could we go up. on 09:54 - Dec 21 by aston_hoop |
It won't happen but there is something kind of sad that if we did go up, we would have to replace our entire squad. No exceptions, the lot of them would need to be replaced for us to have any chance up there. Not something unique to us, tbe gap is too wide and whoever goes up will have to replace the lot. But that is sad. I miss plucky championship sides getting up and having a go. |
Over-generalised/pessimistic, even in this day and age. Sunderland, last time I checked, are 6th in the Prem. Of their playoff-winning 11, all bar Bellingham are still part of their first team squad.
A salutary lesson in the converse direction is us (x 2): When we went up (both times) and brought in the likes of supposed Prem quality of Bosingwa, Fabio, Ji-Sung and Jenas over the heads of the likes of Derry, Hill et al, it damn nearly relegated us the first time before our owners cleverly accomplished it the second. We'd have been better off retaining the nucleus of the first side and could hardly have done worse! Sure, you need quality at the top, but you also need togetherness, spirit, and knowhow. Oh, and respect. |  |
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| Could we go up. on 17:39 - Dec 21 with 935 views | derbyhoop |
| Could we go up. on 22:44 - Dec 20 by numptydumpty |
If we got in the play offs, which probably ten to twelve teams all have the possibilities to do that, then think its anyones.
If the miracle happened, i stand to get £1250 from QPR.
Bought a 5 grand bond and throughout there has been a 25% promotion bonus on offer but it has to be achieved within the five years of the bond. This season is the last chance.
Guessing a few on here and obviously all that purchased some level in the bond will all benefit from the 25% bonus.....
Saying that beyond that - we need to start performing away more.consistently... |
I'm with you on 25% from the bond.
However, I'm not convinced we will be good enough to go up.
I'm not ruling it out, though. When you see the current top 6, how many can you see sustaining their.position through to May? |  |
| "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky |
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| Could we go up. on 18:44 - Dec 21 with 848 views | stainrods_elbow |
| Could we go up. on 12:35 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
Well, we lost 7-1 to the top team, 3-1 to the team in second, 1-4 to the team in third and 1-2 to the team in sixth. It would require an unlikely degree of improvement. |
Yet we sit 3 points (and a few goals) off 3rd, so we perhaps don't need to improve that much.
*Edit - apologies - I see another poster has made the same point above.* [Post edited 21 Dec 18:46]
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| Could we go up. on 19:08 - Dec 21 with 828 views | FDC |
| Could we go up. on 12:35 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
Well, we lost 7-1 to the top team, 3-1 to the team in second, 1-4 to the team in third and 1-2 to the team in sixth. It would require an unlikely degree of improvement. |
Fortunately this isn't how league tables work 😉. The improvement needed to make the playoffs is roughly one point more in the second half of the season than we got in the first half. |  | | |
| Could we go up. on 19:21 - Dec 21 with 800 views | kensalriser |
| Could we go up. on 19:08 - Dec 21 by FDC |
Fortunately this isn't how league tables work 😉. The improvement needed to make the playoffs is roughly one point more in the second half of the season than we got in the first half. |
But the discussion isn't about making the playoffs, it's about going up. Sure we can make the playoffs from here, but winning the playoffs requires beating two of the top six, one of which will be Coventry, Boro or Ipswich who've scored 14 against us for a reply of 3. We've gained 4 points in 6 games v the current top six.
If you're all so bullish I'm sure you're backing us at current odds.
Me, I think the debate is farcical. We're miles off being good enough. | |
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| Could we go up. on 20:11 - Dec 21 with 743 views | JamesB1979 |
| Could we go up. on 19:21 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
But the discussion isn't about making the playoffs, it's about going up. Sure we can make the playoffs from here, but winning the playoffs requires beating two of the top six, one of which will be Coventry, Boro or Ipswich who've scored 14 against us for a reply of 3. We've gained 4 points in 6 games v the current top six.
If you're all so bullish I'm sure you're backing us at current odds.
Me, I think the debate is farcical. We're miles off being good enough. |
Well it’s not farcical is it. Oxford going up would be farcical. It’s unlikely maybe for us but we’ve got a punchers chance if we get into the playoffs. | | | |
| Could we go up. on 20:25 - Dec 21 with 712 views | PunteR |
We're miles off prem standard. Could we go up? debatable . Should we go up at this stage probably not, unless you want to spend next season watching us get turned over every week.
I like our progress on the pitch so far. We're looking much better and with some depth in the squad. But watching us play Boro the other week, was a good reminder of the levels. |  |
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| Could we go up. on 21:11 - Dec 21 with 644 views | ManinBlack |
In a tight league it could come down to GD if teams around 5th to 8th finish on the same points. Our problem is we seem to be perpetually on a minus GD so that could drop us out of the top 6 if it remains negative. We had the chance at half time on Saturday to win 5-0 and move to zero or win 6-0 to get to plus 1. Sadly we lost the second half 1-0 so still have a negative GD therefore an opportunity missed.
Anyway I suspect at least five clubs to spend in January so the likes of Preston, Millwall, Bristol City and us could be squeezed out of contention in the run in. |  | | |
| Could we go up. on 21:40 - Dec 21 with 574 views | Bluce_Ree |
We are still perfectly capable of playing like absolute c**ts, so no I don't think we will go up. But we are have won lots of games and aren't in a relegation battle. Guys, I think this is as good as it gets. I'm fine with it. Not knowing if we will win or lose is much more fun than knowing we will lose.
This is good. Enjoy this. |  |
| Stefan Moore, Stefan Moore running down the wing. Stefan Moore, Stefan Moore running down the wing. He runs like a cheetah, his crosses couldn't be sweeter. Stefan Moore. Stefan Moore. Stefan Moore. |
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| Could we go up. on 22:07 - Dec 21 with 539 views | Loyalitat |
Absolutely no chance of going up. I'm just enjoying the ride and the fact that we are well clear of the lower reaches of the league. That's where I feared we would be this year, so well done my team in proving me wrong.
I suspect that positions 4 to 6 will be occupied by the likes of Southampton, Sheffield United and A N Other by the season's end. [Post edited 21 Dec 22:11]
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| Could we go up. on 22:10 - Dec 21 with 529 views | SydneyRs |
| Could we go up. on 12:35 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
Well, we lost 7-1 to the top team, 3-1 to the team in second, 1-4 to the team in third and 1-2 to the team in sixth. It would require an unlikely degree of improvement. |
Recently beat the team in 4th too and at one point not long ago had beaten 3 or 4 of the top 6 which outside the top two has been changing quite a bit. Are we worse than Hull or Preston who are currently in there? I'm not so sure. | | | |
| Could we go up. on 23:12 - Dec 21 with 462 views | PeterHucker |
The current top 3 Coventry Boro & Ipswich are way waaaaaaaaybetter than everyone else in the Championship.
Despite their awful start I still think Sheffield Utd are a very good team and will end up in the top 6.
Apart from that I don’t think there’s anyone else in the division who is significantly better than us and a whole load of teams who are roughly the same standard as us.
So then it just comes down to us finding an edge to pick up more points than all those other similar teams. Be more organised than them, work harder than them, fight harder than them. We can nteiyl get a playoff spot if we can do those things consistently in the 2nd half of the season (and I happen to think we probably can’t even though we’ve done very well at that in the last half dozen or so games) |  | | |
| Could we go up. on 08:46 - Dec 22 with 323 views | NorthantsHoop |
We are an improving team but not near the standard of let's say a lower reach premier team. Progress this season would be a solid top 10 finish maybe a push to secure a play off place. If we can continue on this positive trajectory then maybe next season we could be in a much stronger place for contention. Look at Coventry they have been building up to where they are for a few seasons, and they should go up this year, also Millwall are now a top 10 solid team with a chance of the play offs, it can be done without the parachute money. I am enjoying going to Loftus Road this season, the team and atmosphere are so much better than what we have endured for a few seasons. |  | | |
| Could we go up. on 09:10 - Dec 22 with 281 views | NewYorkRanger |
been done to death on here before as to what our ambitions should be. Would be great to get some success, but if we did somehow manage to go up via the playoffs, next season in the Prem would be grim.
I'd take a top 10 finish (should be achievable) and a run to the quarters of the FA Cup (yeah, In know.....) |  |
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| Could we go up. on 09:12 - Dec 22 with 275 views | francisbowles |
| Could we go up. on 23:12 - Dec 21 by PeterHucker |
The current top 3 Coventry Boro & Ipswich are way waaaaaaaaybetter than everyone else in the Championship.
Despite their awful start I still think Sheffield Utd are a very good team and will end up in the top 6.
Apart from that I don’t think there’s anyone else in the division who is significantly better than us and a whole load of teams who are roughly the same standard as us.
So then it just comes down to us finding an edge to pick up more points than all those other similar teams. Be more organised than them, work harder than them, fight harder than them. We can nteiyl get a playoff spot if we can do those things consistently in the 2nd half of the season (and I happen to think we probably can’t even though we’ve done very well at that in the last half dozen or so games) |
Ipswich who lost 3-1 at Leicester, last Saturday. They have had their struggles too.
Obviously a talented side but they have lost five games. PNE have lost four. Wrexham have only lost six and they are fifteenth.
None of the above means very much but I doubt they are miles better, at the moment. | | | |
| Could we go up. on 11:09 - Dec 22 with 179 views | Spaghetti_Hoops |
| Could we go up. on 19:21 - Dec 21 by kensalriser |
But the discussion isn't about making the playoffs, it's about going up. Sure we can make the playoffs from here, but winning the playoffs requires beating two of the top six, one of which will be Coventry, Boro or Ipswich who've scored 14 against us for a reply of 3. We've gained 4 points in 6 games v the current top six.
If you're all so bullish I'm sure you're backing us at current odds.
Me, I think the debate is farcical. We're miles off being good enough. |
We are improving. Nobody knows where that's going to lead.
Plenty of years a team of ordinary Championship players that somehow click/get lucky/gain confidence and keep winning end up in the Prem.
For me who we've beaten and who's beaten us to date has little importance. I doubt Coventry, Boro or Ipswich will expect to have it easy next time. The Championship is far more random than that.
The current best odds of 17/1 are OK if you don't mind a bookmaker having your money for 6 months. | | | |
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