Our Lack of Goals is Killing Us Big Time

[Rowls]

Yeah, but if we'd had Edwards all season we'd be on over 100 points already according to Rowls' interesting stat attack.

Not quite.

By my calculations, if we hadn't bought Edwards I'd have won the lottery and everybody would understand stats better (myself included).

As those clever people put it during the COVID pandemic, "These aren't predictions; they're scenarios."

As Paul Gascoigne never nearly said, "I don't make scenarios and I never will."

[Colburn_Claret]

So now we are 5 points clear of 3rd place, level on points with Leeds unbeaten in 29 and the joint 5th top scorers in the league, we don’t seem to get this level of negativity towards our manager. Do some people still think the manager is a problem now?

UTC

I stand by what I said at the time, because at the time I said it it was right.
So many of the record numbers of nil nil draws, were games we dominated possession, but failed to work the keeper. We didn't work the keeper because when we got in good positions on the edge of the area, we passed back to the halfway line instead of putting the ball in the box.
So many of our goals this last 2 months have come because we put the ball in where it's dangerous, at last.

I'm delighted where we are, I think SP has done an amazing job given the post window circumstances, it doesn't alter my opinion of all those wasted chances in all those nil nil draws. I understand the need to build from the back, the need for patience, but I also understand given where we are today, that if we had played like this earlier we'd already be promoted imo.

[dandeclaret]

I did some digging and you are correct. Mad that of the 2 of the current top 3 teams, goals scored this season would have been met by 11 teams in 22/23. Really has been low scoring, can't see Norwich or Boro hitting 70+ at this stage now. We had nearly 5 teams on 70 2 years ago.

This Season (so far)
1. 82, Leeds
2. 63, Norwich
3. 61, Boro
4. 58, Cov
5. 57, Sunderland, Blades, Burnley

22/23 Season
1. 87, Burnley
2. 84, Boro
3. 73, Blades
4. 70, Sunderland
5. 68, Swansea
6. 61, Luton
7. 60, Cov
8. 59, WBA
9. 57, Norwich, Watford, Millwall

It's probably the evolution of the game. Gary Neville and crew spoke about this in the prem on the Overlap pod last week. Managers used to say you can take risks in the final 3rd - wingers take on players, get crosses in, players take shots etc, however, with the way the game has gone woth Pep's coaching, and the counter attack focus that has been developed as an antidote to it, players are asked more and more to find the risk free option. Consequently the game has become much more tactical and much more structured, with plenty of freedom for attacking players removed.

That was their theory anyway and it was backed up by the players who had most passes. 5-10 years ago it was players like Mata, Fabregas, Scholes etc who had most passes in the premier league, whereas now its Lewis Dunk, Virgil Van Dijk, Pedro Porro etc.... they asked are we really expected to want to watch football where a Brighton centre half is on the ball miles more than the best players on the pitch - the attacking players.

it sort of fits with the growing "Boring Football" noise, about the premier league, and successful teams in this division, including Burnley.

[Taffy on the wing]

Maybe our set-piece coach should read this.......some things to try in the Prem.
Nothing to lose.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 87wxl33j5o

[Conroy92]

I stand by what I said at the time, because at the time I said it it was right.
So many of the record numbers of nil nil draws, were games we dominated possession, but failed to work the keeper. We didn't work the keeper because when we got in good positions on the edge of the area, we passed back to the halfway line instead of putting the ball in the box.
So many of our goals this last 2 months have come because we put the ball in where it's dangerous, at last.

I'm delighted where we are, I think SP has done an amazing job given the post window circumstances, it doesn't alter my opinion of all those wasted chances in all those nil nil draws. I understand the need to build from the back, the need for patience, but I also understand given where we are today, that if we had played like this earlier we'd already be promoted imo.

You weren't right.
None of you let's just "score some more goals people" have been right all season. And the more you all try and frantically peddle your parkers changed it up routine the more you look silly. The people peddling the patience in Parker and telling you the season dosnt finish till may are the right ones.

Personally I can't wait to go up with the record number of draws. It'll show a lot of you up for saying that we wouldnt go up because of it. There will be a lot of bumps coming.

[boyyanno]

I stand by what I said at the time, because at the time I said it it was right.
So many of the record numbers of nil nil draws, were games we dominated possession, but failed to work the keeper. We didn't work the keeper because when we got in good positions on the edge of the area, we passed back to the halfway line instead of putting the ball in the box.
So many of our goals this last 2 months have come because we put the ball in where it's dangerous, at last.

I'm delighted where we are, I think SP has done an amazing job given the post window circumstances, it doesn't alter my opinion of all those wasted chances in all those nil nil draws. I understand the need to build from the back, the need for patience, but I also understand given where we are today, that if we had played like this earlier we'd already be promoted imo.

At what point will you recognise you are wrong about the draws though?

It's been pointed out many times and it seems people are being purposely dense by ignoring it, but right now we're still on for a possible 100 points and very likely to be 92+.

At what point do you have to admit that the draws are just part of a teams normal return across a seasons worth of fixtures? Why is the level of expectation that Parker plunders a record points tally? (Which we would be on for had we turned 3 or 4 draws in to wins). How do you answer that?

[Conroy92]

At what point will you recognise you are wrong about the draws though?

It's been pointed out many times and it seems people are being purposely dense by ignoring it, but right now we're still on for a possible 100 points and very likely to be 92+.

At what point do you have to admit that the draws are just part of a teams normal return across a seasons worth of fixtures? Why is the level of expectation that Parker plunders a record points tally? (Which we would be on for had we turned 3 or 4 draws in to wins). How do you answer that?

The argument will be, it's a higher amount of draws than you would expect over a seasons worth of fixtures. And conveniently ignore it's also an extremely lower amount of losses than you would expect.
They can't seem to get there heads around the fact that while other teams lost games, we drew them.

To put it into context Leeds have 3 less draws than us, have won once more but have same points as us. Guess why. They've lost more than us. Sheff united have drawn 6 less games than us. They must be above us right. 5 behind and they've recorded 2 more wins than us. Wonder why that is. They've lost more than us.

I bet if Sheffield united fans could go back and play it safe in 6 of there prior fixtures that they had defeats in, they would happily take 6 0-0 draws.

Yet we have people on here saying. If we just got more wins. Like that's the easiest thing to come by in football management

[Colburn_Claret]

At what point will you recognise you are wrong about the draws though?

It's been pointed out many times and it seems people are being purposely dense by ignoring it, but right now we're still on for a possible 100 points and very likely to be 92+.

At what point do you have to admit that the draws are just part of a teams normal return across a seasons worth of fixtures? Why is the level of expectation that Parker plunders a record points tally? (Which we would be on for had we turned 3 or 4 draws in to wins). How do you answer that?

I haven't ignored anything. The 0-0 at Derby was a good result, the 0-0 at Preston we created the chances just didn't take them. It's acceptable.
The 0-0 with Leeds we never tried to attack, not acceptable. The home game with Preston I nearly fell asleep, not acceptable. So many of the early nil nils were similar to the Preston match, a total lack of effort or guile to win the game.

It's worked out in the end, or looks like it will, so you crow about being right, I'm as delighted as you are. It doesn't change the fact that we didn't do enough to try and win those early games. The fact that we look like going up is irrelevant, we still didn't try to win those games. The very fact that we are 30 unbeaten, only lost 2 games all season , yet still aren't certain to go up sort of confirms that view.
Nobody could have predicted the season we have had, even 3 months ago so crowing about it is pointless.

[claret wizard]

It’s not worth the discussion, the level of entitlement that some people shown around us winning every game is the same demonstrated in online discussions. SP has had an incredible season, after the exodus in the summer saw us lose goalscorers and not attract any. Your first step to winning every game is to make sure you don’t lose them.

Great saying we needed Edwards, but we couldn’t attract anyone (including him) in the summer, so you have to cut your cloth.

[criminalclaret]

At what point do you have to admit that the draws are just part of a teams normal return across a seasons worth of fixtures?

They weren't 1-1 or 2-2 draws, some of them were very poor 0-0 draws against very poor sides earlier in the season where we had massive amounts of possession and no clinical edge. Especially after those 0-0 ers around Christmas and people were right to be frustrated as at times, some of football spectacle was awful at times. Against some of the good sides even as well. The Leeds game the missus has to check I was still breathing as I was drifting off to sleep.

That has changed with firepower and more attacking intent, strategic changes and confidence as we have gone into the season. But we were bereft of that at until Feb. It was shrewd move.

I don't think there is any point going over old ground, just agree to disagree

[RVclaret]

I haven't ignored anything. The 0-0 at Derby was a good result, the 0-0 at Preston we created the chances just didn't take them. It's acceptable.
The 0-0 with Leeds we never tried to attack, not acceptable. The home game with Preston I nearly fell asleep, not acceptable. So many of the early nil nils were similar to the Preston match, a total lack of effort or guile to win the game.

It's worked out in the end, or looks like it will, so you crow about being right, I'm as delighted as you are. It doesn't change the fact that we didn't do enough to try and win those early games. The fact that we look like going up is irrelevant, we still didn't try to win those games. The very fact that we are 30 unbeaten, only lost 2 games all season , yet still aren't certain to go up sort of confirms that view.
Nobody could have predicted the season we have had, even 3 months ago so crowing about it is pointless.

A lack of effort / no will to win the games, or just a new, developing team still learning how to play together and break down stubborn defences, without having real creative players available?

[taio]

Patience is a virtue.

[boyyanno]

I haven't ignored anything. The 0-0 at Derby was a good result, the 0-0 at Preston we created the chances just didn't take them. It's acceptable.
The 0-0 with Leeds we never tried to attack, not acceptable. The home game with Preston I nearly fell asleep, not acceptable. So many of the early nil nils were similar to the Preston match, a total lack of effort or guile to win the game.

It's worked out in the end, or looks like it will, so you crow about being right, I'm as delighted as you are. It doesn't change the fact that we didn't do enough to try and win those early games. The fact that we look like going up is irrelevant, we still didn't try to win those games. The very fact that we are 30 unbeaten, only lost 2 games all season , yet still aren't certain to go up sort of confirms that view.
Nobody could have predicted the season we have had, even 3 months ago so crowing about it is pointless.

But we did try and win them- imagine trying to peddle this nonsense that we didn't try and "attack" or try and "win" games.

Realistically you and many others were shovelling this same crap months ago and your at pains to admit you were and are wrong. Lots of us said the team was slowly improving and Parker needed time from a less than ideal start.

See you at the bus top parade when you sing "Scott Parkers Claret and Blue Army" (but only when he tries to win games).

[Spijed]

The very fact that we are 30 unbeaten, only lost 2 games all season , yet still aren't certain to go up sort of confirms that view.

That's because teams are getting more points than before at the same stage of the season.

Absolutely nothing to do with the number of draws we've had.

Perhaps we are about to see a group of teams too good for the Championship, but not good enough to survive and it might now be the case that an average of two points per game is no longer good enough to guarantee promotion.

[Colburn_Claret]

A lack of effort / no will to win the games, or just a new, developing team still learning how to play together and break down stubborn defences, without having real creative players available?

I understand the need for the team to develop, learning how to break teams down.........
You play a system to get the ball into the back of the net, and you start by playing a system to get the ball into the box, by getting into the right areas of delivery.
Well we were doing the first bit regularly, even without any real creative players (which I'd argue anyway). We got the ball to the edge of the box, the right area. A 6 year old could have put a ball into the box. That wasn't lack of creativity or ability, it was lack of common sense. There was no need to keep knocking the ball back to the halfway line, no need at all, and although it's looking like it won't cost us the season, it certainly cost us points.

[Conroy92]

I understand the need for the team to develop, learning how to break teams down.........
You play a system to get the ball into the back of the net, and you start by playing a system to get the ball into the box, by getting into the right areas of delivery.
Well we were doing the first bit regularly, even without any real creative players (which I'd argue anyway). We got the ball to the edge of the box, the right area. A 6 year old could have put a ball into the box. That wasn't lack of creativity or ability, it was lack of common sense. There was no need to keep knocking the ball back to the halfway line, no need at all, and although it's looking like it won't cost us the season, it certainly cost us points.

Imagine watching your team achieve the remarkable feats we've hit this season and bemoan us for a lack of common sense. You wouldn't think we were joint points with top and 5 clear of second.
We've drawn 6 more than sheff. Bet if they could turn the clock back for 6 boring 0-0' instead of losses they would snap your hand off. They should have just used some common sense eh.

[dsr]

Some of us fans (me for example) were frustrated when we were drawing 0-0 in a boring match against a team that we should be beating, and were especially frustrated that we were settling for the draw and not trying anything different to win it.

Some of us (not me) were equally happy that we were making sure of the 0-0. We're all different. Yes, you can look back and gloat about how clever you are and how you knew we didn't need to attack those games early on because we would win some more later. Bully for you. I still think we could and should have made more of an effort to win.

(Yes, I accept that part of that is because I want to be entertained at a football match, not just to watch the team rack up another point.)

[Conroy92]

Some of us fans (me for example) were frustrated when we were drawing 0-0 in a boring match against a team that we should be beating

Do you know who the most frustrated fans by it are. Sheffield united fans. They would have hoped for us to get some losses. As they did.
Good old parker eh.

[CoolClaret]

Some of us fans (me for example) were frustrated when we were drawing 0-0 in a boring match against a team that we should be beating, and were especially frustrated that we were settling for the draw and not trying anything different to win it.

Some of us (not me) were equally happy that we were making sure of the 0-0. We're all different. Yes, you can look back and gloat about how clever you are and how you knew we didn't need to attack those games early on because we would win some more later. Bully for you. I still think we could and should have made more of an effort to win.

(Yes, I accept that part of that is because I want to be entertained at a football match, not just to watch the team rack up another point.)

But who had it right?

Chasing early season wins by abandoning our shape/philosophy, and rolling the dice every other week would not have set us up in the position that we are in now - especially with an incredibly young and inexperienced backline.

SP has been spot-on from minute dot till now, and some of the comments/reactions early in the season were a joke.

It was clear as day to see what he was doing and what he was trying to build - perhaps next time, gain a sense of joy and excitement looking at how clinical, organised and uber professional we are, with the players battling for one another, the manager and the claret shirt.

There's enjoyment to be had there!

[Conroy92]

But who had it right?

Chasing early season wins by abandoning our shape/philosophy, and rolling the dice every other week would not have set us up in the position that we are in now - especially with an incredibly young and inexperienced backline.

SP has been spot-on from minute dot till now, and some of the comments/reactions early in the season were a joke.

It was clear as day to see what he was doing and what he was trying to build - perhaps next time, gain a sense of joy and excitement looking at how clinical, organised and uber professional we are, with the players battling for one another, the manager and the claret shirt.

There's enjoyment to be had there!

Exactly this.
We used to celebrate a slightly more pragmatic approach in which we gave blood sweat and tears for the jersey. We even used to celebrate down right **** housery. Yet people don't want to celebrate us right now. I don't get it.

[boyyanno]

Some of us fans (me for example) were frustrated when we were drawing 0-0 in a boring match against a team that we should be beating, and were especially frustrated that we were settling for the draw and not trying anything different to win it.

Some of us (not me) were equally happy that we were making sure of the 0-0. We're all different. Yes, you can look back and gloat about how clever you are and how you knew we didn't need to attack those games early on because we would win some more later. Bully for you. I still think we could and should have made more of an effort to win.

(Yes, I accept that part of that is because I want to be entertained at a football match, not just to watch the team rack up another point.)

I can't believe I'm arguing with folk who believe we just didn't put in the effort to win games earlier in the season. I assume Parker randomly decided he wanted to start winning them then?

It's nothing to do with valuing excitement it was and is about giving a manager and team time to find their own. That has happened and it's been successful.

People trying to justify some bad comments they made about Parker a few months ago by pretending he woke up one morning and went, aye maybe we'll win a few now. Unbelievable.

[houseboy]

You weren't right.
None of you let's just "score some more goals people" have been right all season. And the more you all try and frantically peddle your parkers changed it up routine the more you look silly. The people peddling the patience in Parker and telling you the season dosnt finish till may are the right ones.

Personally I can't wait to go up with the record number of draws. It'll show a lot of you up for saying that we wouldnt go up because of it. There will be a lot of bumps coming.

Absolutely. The ones who are saying ‘I was right at the time’ are just desperately trying to cover up the fact that they were wrong. All those wasted draws they talk about make up for all the defeats we haven’t had. The ones who complain about all the draws are blithely ignoring the fact that we have only lost two games all season and one of those was away to a potential promotion candidate when half the team had just gone walkies and we couldn’t even fill the bench. And we only lost that one 1-0. Given that that was the 3rd game of the season and we have now played 42 means we have had 1 defeat in 39 games. That is nothing short of remarkable.

[TPClaret]

People going on about 0-0 draws! It’s better than 7 more defeats that Sheff Utd have had.

[Ampth7]

Personally, I try to judge each performance on their individual merits. On that basis it is fair to say that recent performances have been tipping results in our favour and we have looked more threatening in attack. The defence has been nothing short of incredible all season and is borderline ridiculous when you consider how few we have conceded!
Parker and his coaching team deserve enormous credit for all of the above and I’m sure that we all hope we can finish the job over the final few games.
However, thinking back to earlier in the season, I stand by my initial thoughts regarding some of our performances which literally bored me to sleep! I don’t believe that makes me ‘entitled’ or ‘negative’, it’s just how I personally felt when trying to watch these games. I don’t believe we have a right to win every game at this level just because we have been in the Prem, but I do now expect us to be able to muster more than we did in these games.

[chipbutty]

Patience is a virtue.

Patience is a virtue but I don't have the time.
David Byrne

[Colburn_Claret]

Imagine watching your team achieve the remarkable feats we've hit this season and bemoan us for a lack of common sense. You wouldn't think we were joint points with top and 5 clear of second.
We've drawn 6 more than sheff. Bet if they could turn the clock back for 6 boring 0-0' instead of losses they would snap your hand off. They should have just used some common sense eh.

These posts are getting pathetic.
My original post was written in January, and as I've already said, at the time I posted it I was right. Everyone arguing it was always going to be OK are being disingenuous to say the least. Nobody knew what the outcome of this season would be, we still don't. The idea that all those nil nil draws were always going to get us over the line is just people trying to be smug with hindsight. You're all also forgetting that if we do go up it will be as much to do with Sheff Utd falling off a cliff this last week, as us grinding out nil nil draws.

[Colburn_Claret]

Exactly this.
We used to celebrate a slightly more pragmatic approach in which we gave blood sweat and tears for the jersey. We even used to celebrate down right **** housery. Yet people don't want to celebrate us right now. I don't get it.

What on earth makes you think that people who believed we were too negative in matches, or wasted opportunities to attack the box, aren't celebrating right now
You're coming across as a muppet.

[GetIntoEm]

What happened to those who were refusing to go and watch us anymore, did they not renew their season tickets?

Or have they just unplugged their fire sticks?

Parker out!

[BabylonClaret]

These posts are getting pathetic.
My original post was written in January, and as I've already said, at the time I posted it I was right. Everyone arguing it was always going to be OK are being disingenuous to say the least. Nobody knew what the outcome of this season would be, we still don't. The idea that all those nil nil draws were always going to get us over the line is just people trying to be smug with hindsight. You're all also forgetting that if we do go up it will be as much to do with Sheff Utd falling off a cliff this last week, as us grinding out nil nil draws.

But weren't we 2nd when you made those comments ? In the automatic promotion spots? So at the time you weren't right at all really.

[Colburn_Claret]

But weren't we 2nd when you made those comments ? In the automatic promotion spots? So at the time you weren't right at all really.

I've never claimed to be clairvoyant, it was an opinion at the time, and it was a fair assumption. Am I supposed to look back and be grateful that we didn't attack Leeds, be grateful that we didn't work Prestons keeper, because I'm not. I stand by what I wrote at the time, the fact it looks like it ultimately won't have an adverse affect on our season is incidental.

[BabylonClaret]

I've never claimed to be clairvoyant, it was an opinion at the time, and it was a fair assumption. Am I supposed to look back and be grateful that we didn't attack Leeds, be grateful that we didn't work Prestons keeper, because I'm not. I stand by what I wrote at the time, the fact it looks like it ultimately won't have an adverse affect on our season is incidental.

No it isn't. You are contradicting yourself. You say you never claimed to be a clairvoyant and yet you were saying that the approach was going to fail. That's exactly the opposite of what you claim not to be.

You were unhappy at the time because you weren't enjoying the games. Full stop.

That's it. That's all this is.

And your final point there is co.pletely laughable. It's anything but incidentally. The counter argument to your pointbim January was - have patience because the steady consistent approach will come good and prove effective. That fact ut looks like that is true is again the total opposite of what you said.

[Georgiaclaret]

Surely has to do something with having a fairly consistent starting line up for the last 4-6 weeks. Really think it has to do with Parker trying to figure out who is best 11 were/are. I think back to New Years Day against Stoke and we could have played all day and never scored. Still not convinced by Edwards, but he has definitely opened up the field for others which is probably why we’ve scored more. Hard not to see us going up now, but we’re still 4 or 5 players short of competing next year.

[agreenwood]

Odd thread to bump.

1) We’ve improved in the goal scoring department since it was posted.

2) If everyone waited until they had the benefit of a full season to form an opinion, this board would have very few posts on it.

3) The season isn’t over yet. I hope the bumper hasn’t jinxed us and given the original poster the opportunity to bump the thread come the 3 May.

[boyyanno]

These posts are getting pathetic.
My original post was written in January, and as I've already said, at the time I posted it I was right. Everyone arguing it was always going to be OK are being disingenuous to say the least. Nobody knew what the outcome of this season would be, we still don't. The idea that all those nil nil draws were always going to get us over the line is just people trying to be smug with hindsight. You're all also forgetting that if we do go up it will be as much to do with Sheff Utd falling off a cliff this last week, as us grinding out nil nil draws.

Talk about pathetic posts.

On this same page you've claimed we didn't want to win or try to win, that a 6 year old boy could do it and that if we go up it will be because of Sheffields failure to pick up points. Whilst you ironically bemoan our ability to pick up points. Aye you're right Colburn, if we go up we'll have the other 22 league clubs to thank for rolling over and deciding not to match out points tally.

[claretonthecoast1882]

There is a huge sense of entitlement when the only reason we didn't win a game is because we didn't try.

[agreenwood]

I’ve just read some of the other posts on the thread. Some of those were definitely OTT at the time.

However, at the point it was posted we were on an extended run of struggling for goals and it wasn’t inconceivable that it could prove costly in the end.

[Clive 1960]

One thing for certain we have to find a goal scorer from somewhere who can bag at least ten goals when we go up ...

[martin_p]

These posts are getting pathetic.
You're all also forgetting that if we do go up it will be as much to do with Sheff Utd falling off a cliff this last week, as us grinding out nil nil draws.

Well that and the fact that a team getting over 90 points in a season has always gone up. I suspect Sheffield United would have been happier with three 0-0 draws in the last week.

[fatboy47]

Time to get off Colburn's back.
Clearly and understandably was getting frustrated more than most by Parker's caution...we all see it different ways...we're all clarets...give the guy a break.

[ChorltonCharlie]

Odd thread to bump.

1) We’ve improved in the goal scoring department since it was posted.

2) If everyone waited until they had the benefit of a full season to form an opinion, this board would have very few posts on it.

3) The season isn’t over yet. I hope the bumper hasn’t jinxed us and given the original poster the opportunity to bump the thread come the 3 May.

Agree with this.

Apart from being too early to count chickens, the last few months have shown what more sensible critics were saying. We had to improve if we wanted to be successful. We have, and for those who have championed Parker since the start, that surely continues to show he’s doing a great job? The one upmanship is a bit pathetic. There’s a minority of people who genuinely wanted Parker out who it’s fair to say look like complete berks, but surely the majority fall into two camps of ‘right’ looking back with hindsight... Fully back Parker, he’s doing and great job AND support Parker, but we need to do more to win games.

[CoolClaret]

Agree with this.

Apart from being too early to count chickens, the last few months have shown what more sensible critics were saying. We had to improve if we wanted to be successful. We have, and for those who have championed Parker since the start, that surely continues to show he’s doing a great job? The one upmanship is a bit pathetic. There’s a minority of people who genuinely wanted Parker out who it’s fair to say look like complete berks, but surely the majority fall into two camps of ‘right’ looking back with hindsight... Fully back Parker, he’s doing and great job AND support Parker, but we need to do more to win games.

Why have you ignored the main point addressing this, being that the team had to learn the system thoroughly, and we had to build from the back? Just as we did under Dyche.

We did not have the firepower to blow teams away and expose our backline, we'd have been nowhere near compared to where we are now.

It's a marathon, not a sprint!

[Conroy92]

What on earth makes you think that people who believed we were too negative in matches, or wasted opportunities to attack the box, aren't celebrating right now
You're coming across as a muppet.

That's the problem and exactly my main point Colburn, its why a lot of other posters have jumped all over you.

You will be celebrating us going up after crying about why we wouldn't go up 3 months ago. Your a pathetic bunch really.

Instead of holding your hands up and saying, I was wrong. You took the brave route of, I have been proved wrong but will claim I was right. And rightly so, you are being held to account for it.

[ChorltonCharlie]

Why have you ignored the main point addressing this, being that the team had to learn the system thoroughly, and we had to build from the back? Just as we did under Dyche.

We did not have the firepower to blow teams away and expose our backline, we'd have been nowhere near compared to where we are now.

It's a marathon, not a sprint!

It is a marathon, not a sprint, and it isn't over yet.

I haven't ignored anything. Parker himself said from back end of September/early October that the team needed to do better in attack, and hard work had been put in on making us solid. So it's fair to assume that a lot of work on the training ground happened on the attacking side from that point onwards and took a long time to bear fruit. To make out Parker and his coaches haven't continued to adapt as the season has gone on would be insulting to them. Having faith that they would and everything would be ok is no more right than saying if we don't improve, we will be unsuccessful. We did improve, and are on course to be successful.

[criminalclaret]

I'm genuinely baffled at the point of resurrecting a thread which had mainly fair and representation descriptions (and of course some completely loony ones) in January on the back of a lot of inconsistent and hard to watch games. All to basically poke fun and say "I told you so"? at some individuals. Really?

Having faith that they would and everything would be ok is no more right than saying if we don't improve, we will be unsuccessful. We did improve, and are on course to be successful

I think this is a great sum up. Nothing wrong is being disappointed with some of those performances back then and being grateful for what we are seeing with performances now (especially those crumbling around us)

[CoolClaret]

It is a marathon, not a sprint, and it isn't over yet.

I haven't ignored anything. Parker himself said from back end of September/early October that the team needed to do better in attack, and hard work had been put in on making us solid. So it's fair to assume that a lot of work on the training ground happened on the attacking side from that point onwards and took a long time to bear fruit. To make out Parker and his coaches haven't continued to adapt as the season has gone on would be insulting to them. Having faith that they would and everything would be ok is no more right than saying if we don't improve, we will be unsuccessful. We did improve, and are on course to be successful.

Of course, but that's not the point people made and are now revising.

[clarets1978]

Well I'm willing to admit I was wrong. I argued the toss with someone on another thread in January that there was no way we'd make 93 points like the 2 Dyche sides. We still might not but I certainly wouldnt argue against it Our 2nd half of the season has been a major improvement results wise. Who would have thought after that awful defeat at Millwall in November that we'd be here in mid April still not having lost a game since. Some acheivement that

[martin_p]

To make out Parker and his coaches haven't continued to adapt as the season has gone on would be insulting to them. Having faith that they would and everything would be ok is no more right than saying if we don't improve, we will be unsuccessful. We did improve, and are on course to be successful.

While it’s clear to everyone that we’ve improved from an attacking point of view I don’t think that your statement about being unsuccessful if we didn’t improve stands up to much scrutiny. At the half way point of the season we had 47 points. Not improving over the second half of the season gets us to 94 points. As we stand today, as long as we don’t lose to Sheffield United (whose current max points total is 95) then 94 points is good enough for success.

[ChorltonCharlie]

It depends at what time those points were made. We have spent a lot more time out of the top 2 than our 2 rivals. I think there were also a lot more fortunate results earlier in the season than in the latter parts of the season, and I think that's backed up by stats like xg, thought haven't the time or inclination to check. It certainly seems that since February we've created more chances and have deservedly won a lot of games. I'm also not taking this thread in isolation, there will have been many other similar threads with range of views covered as they will be on here.

One interesting thing is a lot of Sheffield United fans have also been critical of their performances. There's an argument that their form has fallen off a cliff because their luck ran out, whilst our improved performances have stopped that happening to us.

[martin_p]

It depends at what time those points were made. We have spent a lot more time out of the top 2 than our 2 rivals. I think there were also a lot more fortunate results earlier in the season than in the latter parts of the season, and I think that's backed up by stats like xg, thought haven't the time or inclination to check. It certainly seems that since February we've created more chances and have deservedly won a lot of games. I'm also not taking this thread in isolation, there will have been many other similar threads with range of views covered as they will be on here.

One interesting thing is a lot of Sheffield United fans have also been critical of their performances. There's an argument that their form has fallen off a cliff because their luck ran out, whilst our improved performances have stopped that happening to us.

Those points have been gained at a fairly consistent rate through the season, we’ve rarely strayed too far from the two point a game average. And yes, we’ve spent a long time out of the top two but as Parker has often said, the points required for promotion rarely changes. The top two at various times have had fantastic winning runs that have seen them running at significantly more that 2 points per game, but history shows that while one may carry on at that rate and get 100+ points it’s never two. I think that’s why I’ve never been too worried about performances this season as we’ve consistently ticked along at around 2 points per game.

[bfcmik]

history shows that while one may carry on at that rate and get 100+ points it’s never two.

With just 4 games left both us and Leeds may well reach 100 points this season!