Mid-Table Mediocrity

[mattbianco1]

This isn't something we are used to. It's really boring isn't it.

Going back to 2002/03, we've always been in a promotion battle, or PL, apart from a couple of seasons.

• 2002/03 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final
• 2003/04 - 8th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2004/05 - 8th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2005/06 - 2nd CH - Promotion to PL
• 2006/07 - PL - Relegated
• 2007/08 - 9th CH - 4pts off PO
• 2008/09 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final
• 2009/10 - 9th CH - 5pts off PO
• 2010/11 - 23rd CH - Relegated to League 1
• 2011/12 - 3rd L1 - Play Off Final
• 2012/13 - 5th L1 - Play Off SF
• 2013/14 - 7th L1 - 7pts off PO
• 2014/15 - 5th L1 - Play Off SF
• 2015/16 - 11th L1 - ADKINS !!! - 8pts of PO
• 2016/17 - League 1 Champions - Promoted to Championship
• 2017/18 - 10th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2018/19 - 2nd CH - Promoted to PL
• 2019/20 - 9th Premier League
• 2020/21 - 20th PL - Relegated to Championship
• 2021/22 - 5th CH - Play Off SF
• 2022/23 - 2nd CH - Promoted to PL
• 2023/24 - 20th PL - Relegated to Championship
• 2024/25 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final

We're just not used to not being involved in Promotion/Relegation fights

 

[Vass Borbokis]

I mean I wouldn't class us as being safe from relegation surely?
Yes we went on a decent run, but we're 4 points above 3rd bottom, with a good chance of losing our next two.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I mean I wouldn't class us as being safe from relegation surely?
Yes we went on a decent run, but we're 4 points above 3rd bottom, with a good chance of losing our next two.

Realistically though, we are going to be too good for that.

We might get sucked into it a little bit this month, but we'll be back well away from it by March.

That is, unless we have a major injury crisis and sell the few decent players we have in the next week or so.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Now that our vain hopes of gate-crashing the playoffs are all but over, we can now concentrate on the cup……Doh!

 

[Revolution]

This isn't something we are used to. It's really boring isn't it.

Going back to 2002/03, we've always been in a promotion battle, or PL, apart from a couple of seasons.

• 2002/03 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final
• 2003/04 - 8th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2004/05 - 8th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2005/06 - 2nd CH - Promotion to PL
• 2006/07 - PL - Relegated
• 2007/08 - 9th CH - 4pts off PO
• 2008/09 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final
• 2009/10 - 9th CH - 5pts off PO
• 2010/11 - 23rd CH - Relegated to League 1
• 2011/12 - 3rd L1 - Play Off Final
• 2012/13 - 5th L1 - Play Off SF
• 2013/14 - 7th L1 - 7pts off PO
• 2014/15 - 5th L1 - Play Off SF
• 2015/16 - 11th L1 - ADKINS !!! - 8pts of PO
• 2016/17 - League 1 Champions - Promoted to Championship
• 2017/18 - 10th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2018/19 - 2nd CH - Promoted to PL
• 2019/20 - 9th Premier League
• 2020/21 - 20th PL - Relegated to Championship
• 2021/22 - 5th CH - Play Off SF
• 2022/23 - 2nd CH - Promoted to PL
• 2023/24 - 20th PL - Relegated to Championship
• 2024/25 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final

We're just not used to not being involved in Promotion/Relegation fights

This is our record in the 2nd tier since the playoffs began in 1986-7:

Automatic promotion: four times
Playoff place: 7 times (no promotions of course)
Top 10 but not in playoffs: 9 times
Bottom half, not relegated: twice
Relegated: twice

Nothing seasons are very, very rare for us.

 

[Nedski]

Yeah I'm beginning to think the playoffs might not happen this season.

Our strongest 11 will easily go toe to toe with any team in the division but either injuries or Wilder consistently prevent that from happening. Our last 4 losses are all games we should and could have won. We bottled the Preston game and simply didn't turn up against Derby.

18 points thrown away! We should have got at least 12 from them but the fact we've managed 0 is the story of the season. I feel like we'll do well to get 4 from the next 4 games

 

[TJ blade]

Realistically though, we are going to be too good for that.

We might get sucked into it a little bit this month, but we'll be back well away from it by March.

That is, unless we have a major injury crisis and sell the few decent players we have in the next week or so.

The few decent players we have are not good enough for the prem, unless some club comes in and use them as squad fillers, or loan them out again to a championship club.

 

[nopigfansintown]

This isn't something we are used to. It's really boring isn't it.

Going back to 2002/03, we've always been in a promotion battle, or PL, apart from a couple of seasons.

• 2002/03 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final
• 2003/04 - 8th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2004/05 - 8th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2005/06 - 2nd CH - Promotion to PL
• 2006/07 - PL - Relegated
• 2007/08 - 9th CH - 4pts off PO
• 2008/09 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final
• 2009/10 - 9th CH - 5pts off PO
• 2010/11 - 23rd CH - Relegated to League 1
• 2011/12 - 3rd L1 - Play Off Final
• 2012/13 - 5th L1 - Play Off SF
• 2013/14 - 7th L1 - 7pts off PO
• 2014/15 - 5th L1 - Play Off SF
• 2015/16 - 11th L1 - ADKINS !!! - 8pts of PO
• 2016/17 - League 1 Champions - Promoted to Championship
• 2017/18 - 10th CH - 6pts off PO
• 2018/19 - 2nd CH - Promoted to PL
• 2019/20 - 9th Premier League
• 2020/21 - 20th PL - Relegated to Championship
• 2021/22 - 5th CH - Play Off SF
• 2022/23 - 2nd CH - Promoted to PL
• 2023/24 - 20th PL - Relegated to Championship
• 2024/25 - 3rd CH - Play Off Final

We're just not used to not being involved in Promotion/Relegation fights

Yep, I always say to pigs that they're boring. There's always summat going off at the Lane. Either in the league or cup or off field drama. Never a dull moment

 

[metalblade]

At this rate the home dressing room will be full of opposition shirts

 

[SUFC Guy]

Now that our vain hopes of gate-crashing the playoffs are all but over, we can now concentrate on the cup……Doh!

11 points off 6th with a game in hand and 57 points to play for. Not over yet.

UTB

 

[mattbianco1]

11 points off 6th with a game in hand and 57 points to play for. Not over yet.

UTB

Beat Ipswich and belief comes back.

Not sure we can beat them with McGuinness and Mee starting and no Jairo

 

[Roygbiv]

Fans are definitely struggling to adapt with this being a nothing season. The more positive fans are trying to tell themselves we can get top 6, the more negative ones are saying we might go down. I think it's just a way of trying to make it interesting. I actually think we'll lose the next 2 and we can have a bit of a panic so we should enjoy that

 

[CarlMcBlade]

11 points off 6th with a game in hand and 57 points to play for. Not over yet.

UTB

Yes, I’m also in favour of keeping the delusion alive…It helps with so many games to come.
But our inconsistent performances aren’t helping matters.

 

[metalblade]

I'm saying by the time the pigs game comes around we will be very close to the bottom three if not in it.

 

[SUFC Guy]

I don't get all the negativity after a couple of games where we've been severely weakened by suspensions and injuries. We most likely would have won the last 2 games if Soumare and Tanganga were'nt sent off. All if's and but's I know. Our first 11 are far better than our current position and we will climb the table when the squad is back to a full complement. Talk of relegation is rediculous.

Cooper
Seriki
Tanganga
Bindon
Mee
McCallum
Burrows
Brooks
Riedewald
Peck
O'Hare
Hamer
Bamford
T Davies

All the above with some additions are not relegation material.

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

I don't get all the negativity after a couple of games where we've been severely weakened by suspensions and injuries. We most likely would have won the last 2 games if Soumare and Tanganga were'nt sent off. All if's and but's I know. Our first 11 are far better than our current position and we will climb the table when the squad is back to a full complement. Talk of relegation is rediculous.

Cooper
Seriki
Tanganga
Bindon
Mee
McCallum
Burrows
Brooks
Riedewald
Peck
O'Hare
Hamer
Bamford
T Davies

All the above with some additions are not relegation material.

Well they are because we’re in a relegation battle.

 

[Champagneblade]

Only just reconciled the fact that we’ve lost 5 from the last 8!

When you see that form written down it’s atrocious.

Easy to still look at the form guide from that November/December period and be distracted that we’re upwardly mobile.

Players like Chong and McGuinness are going to sleepwalk themselves and us to a second relegation.

 

[SUFC Guy]

McGuiness and Chong won't get a game when we are at full strengh.

 

[SUFC Guy]

Well they are because we’re in a relegation battle.

Time will tell.

 

[FredZeppelin]

Talk of relegation is rediculous.

Sorry mate, but imo you are wrong.

We are one serious injury to Cooper away from almost certain relegation if the management carry on with their negligence of not bringing in a new goalkeeper.

Are we even trying to sign one or is Wilder's faith in Adam fucking Davies so misplaced that he somehow thinks we will be safe with him in goal?

If Davies plays, we lose. If he continues to play, we get relegated because he is beyond appalling. Simple.

In my opinion, it's all we need to do in this transfer window now. The play-offs are gone. The rest of the squad is good enough to keep us in mid-table. Expensive loans now are just a waste of money that we will need for next season with PP's gone.

utb

 

[CaptainMorgans]

The few decent players we have are not good enough for the prem, unless some club comes in and use them as squad fillers, or loan them out again to a championship club.

Peck might get picked up, but otherwise it's tier 2 foreign clubs (Holland, Portugal, Turkey, Germany) that might show interest in one or two.

We're running out of saleable assets through poor performance though.

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

MTM beats relegation this season.

 

[SUFC Guy]

Sorry mate, but imo you are wrong.

We are one serious injury to Cooper away from almost certain relegation if the management carry on with their negligence of not bringing in a new goalkeeper.

Are we even trying to sign one or is Wilder's faith in Adam fucking Davies so misplaced that he somehow thinks we will be safe with him in goal?

If Davies plays, we lose. If he continues to play, we get relegated because he is beyond appalling. Simple.

In my opinion, it's all we need to do in this transfer window now. The play-offs are gone. The rest of the squad is good enough to keep us in mid-table. Expensive loans now are just a waste of money that we will need for next season with PP's gone.

utb

I just think there's still so much to play for. I can't give up yet!

UTB

 

[Revolution]

Yep, I always say to pigs that they're boring. There's always summat going off at the Lane. Either in the league or cup or off field drama. Never a dull moment

I have always maintained that of all of the 80+ also ran EFL clubs that never win anything, we are the most interesting to follow. There's always something happening.

Other candidates for this title:

Bradford
Watford
Wycombe
Burton
Burnley

 

[metalblade]

Looking at the table us and anyone below are in danger ................ two spots still up for grabs from seven teams

 

[Champagneblade]

Sorry mate, but imo you are wrong.

We are one serious injury to Cooper away from almost certain relegation if the management carry on with their negligence of not bringing in a new goalkeeper.

Are we even trying to sign one or is Wilder's faith in Adam fucking Davies so misplaced that he somehow thinks we will be safe with him in goal?

If Davies plays, we lose. If he continues to play, we get relegated because he is beyond appalling. Simple.

In my opinion, it's all we need to do in this transfer window now. The play-offs are gone. The rest of the squad is good enough to keep us in mid-table. Expensive loans now are just a waste of money that we will need for next season with PP's gone.

utb

I would also have been looking to Patterson on loan on January 1st and getting Cooper the treatment he needs.

I’d be saying to Chris to accept reality. If these players can recapture the form of November then great but we’re not pissing good money up the wall to chase a long shot. If he wanted that guaranteeing then the lads needed to do better than lose 4 from the past 7 league games and piss away the chance of extra money in the cup.

Sorry, but in December it was on. If it is still on then it has to be through better usage of the current squad.

He’s totally mucked up the prioritisation this week. Charlton was unfortunate. With 11 men I think we would have won. Last night was a team that was rocking and he put out a weakened side. Brooks, Seriki and Bamford and we might have got a result. On Saturday against Ipswich we are at home. More chance you take the initiative a bit more with whichever team and can being on stronger subs. We could still lose with our best XI on Saturday.

 

[Revolution]

I would also have been looking to Patterson on loan on January 1st and getting Cooper the treatment he needs.

I’d be saying to Chris to accept reality. If these players can recapture the form of November then great but we’re not pissing good money up the wall to chase a long shot. If he wanted that guaranteeing then the lads needed to do better than lose 4 from the past 7 league games and piss away the chance of extra money in the cup.

Sorry, but in December it was on. If it is still on then it has to be theough better usage of the current squad.

There is nobody higher up the chain than Wilder who actually has enough football knowledge to say that to him.

Which is one of the club's biggest problems.

 

[S17 Blade 1889]

The main issue with the play offs now is the number of teams who need to fail above us to make up the points.

 

[metalblade]

The play off's are NOT happening, relegation on the other hand is unlikely, but an injury to a key player or a run of bad luck and we could be right back in the mix.
I think it is now a case of make sure we beat the pigs and build for next season on a very reduced budget.

 

[KMC-1889]

Looking at the table us and anyone below are in danger ................ two spots still up for grabs from seven teams


View attachment 229490

I’m fairly confident Oxford are down, for me it’s straight shoot out between Blackburn, Pompey, WBA and us.

Blackburn and WBA are awful, Norwich & Portsmouth are starting to put runs together.

We’re horrendously inconsistent. No one else rolls a team 4-0 and then loses 3-5 the next game.