Final run in

[MattM4 0]

Every year around this stage of the season I can't help but glance at our fixture list and look back, and see all the games in which we ridiculously dropped points.

 

NUFC 1-1 Fulham - chance after chance

Wigan 0-1 NUFC - ball over the line, not given

Everton 1-0 NUFC - a point, or maybe three just waiting for us to take them.

NUFC 2-2 Boro - two brain lapses in our defence, two goals for boro.

NUFC 0-1 Bburn - dodgy goal.

NUFC 0-0 Charlton

Charlton 3-1 NUFC - should have pounded them.

 

Obviously it does even itself out somewhat whith games like Pompey away where we deserved to be thrashed but came back with a point thanks to super Shay. And our football was quite dire until a certain Feb. 2nd 2006.

 

But that's what makes great teams, being able to grind out results and performances consistently over a long period of time.

 

Finishing in 6th would be tremendous considering many, and I personaly started to worry about relegation after we surrendered 3-0 at ManCity. It would put the whole Souness era to bed once and for all, and would be a great spring board for our new, Shearer-less, era.

 

We need 3 points against the Brom, and 3 against the Birmingham to stand any chance of making it a glorious finish to it all.

[Ugly Mackems 134]

Every year around this stage of the season I can't help but glance at our fixture list and look back, and see all the games in which we ridiculously dropped points.

 

NUFC 1-1 Fulham - chance after chance

Wigan 0-1 NUFC - ball over the line, not given

Everton 1-0 NUFC - a point, or maybe three just waiting for us to take them.

NUFC 2-2 Boro - two brain lapses in our defence, two goals for boro.

NUFC 0-1 Bburn - dodgy goal.

NUFC 0-0 Charlton

Charlton 3-1 NUFC - should have pounded them.

 

Obviously it does even itself out somewhat whith games like Pompey away where we deserved to be thrashed but came back with a point thanks to super Shay. And our football was quite dire until a certain Feb. 2nd 2006.

 

But that's what makes great teams, being able to grind out results and performances consistently over a long period of time.

 

Finishing in 6th would be tremendous considering many, and I personaly started to worry about relegation after we surrendered 3-0 at ManCity. It would put the whole Souness era to bed once and for all, and would be a great spring board for our new, Shearer-less, era.

 

We need 3 points against the Brom, and 3 against the Birmingham to stand any chance of making it a glorious finish to it all.

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Freddie Shepherd & Graeme Souness.

[ewerk 31221]

Aye but most teams can pick out a few games where they should have picked up points. Tbh most seasons we could've pointed out more games but our football was so bad that the league position was a true reflection of what we deserved, if I hear "Lady Luck" mentioned again I'll fucking scream.

 

I think 6th may not happen for us but we need results to go our way plus we have three very tough games coming up. West Brom and Birmingham are both fighting for survival and will be hard to beat. I'm just hoping that the Chelsea players will be looking to keep their boots clean for the World Cup on the last day so we can cause an upset.

[geordieshandy 0]

I think most teams would be saying similar things. The midtable is really so close this season that a couple of different results would change a lot of positions, as we've seen now we're up to 7th. All the teams from 6th to 13/14th are much of a muchness and could have finished just about anywhere.

[Barney 0]

You can add the West Ham home game into that one.

 

As some of the above posts say though, it does even itself out over the season.

 

Against West Ham away we would have probably taken a point if not for Micky O.

[Renton 22007]

Over the course of a season, luck doesn't come into it. For every match we have been unlucky, we have been lucky in another. We are where we are (currently outside Europe positon) because of Shepherd and Souness, simple as that. What makes this doubly frustrating is that looking at Arsenal and Tottenham, we could easily have been in the CL this year. But at least the nightmare of Souness is over for now.

[Guest alex]

Luck certainly does even itself out. Off the top of my head, we were probably fortunate (given the performances) to beat West Brom, West Ham and Blackburn away and to get draws off Boro and Villa at home.

[Gemmill 46086]

I don't subscribe to the luck evening itself out theory. It might do or it might not, but there's nothing to say that a 38 game season is the perfect time period over which to get smooth luck distribution.

[Asprilla 96]

I don't subscribe to the luck evening itself out theory.  It might do or it might not, but there's nothing to say that a 38 game season is the perfect time period over which to get smooth luck distribution.

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Trut' so pure

[geordieshandy 0]

Over the course of a season, luck doesn't come into it. For every match we have been unlucky, we have been lucky in another. We are where we are (currently outside Europe positon) because of Shepherd and Souness, simple as that. What makes this doubly frustrating is that looking at Arsenal and Tottenham, we could easily have been in the CL this year. But at least the nightmare of Souness is over for now.

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Sorry, "for now", what is that supposed to mean? Do you know something we don't?

[Renton 22007]

I don't subscribe to the luck evening itself out theory.  It might do or it might not, but there's nothing to say that a 38 game season is the perfect time period over which to get smooth luck distribution.

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Then you know little about probability theory. For instance, most of us knew that Souness was in all probability an idiot long before you did, but I'll not start that again.

 

Btw, the Souness returning thing was a typo by me I hope, unless Gemmill gets a consortium going.

[MattM4 0]

Against West Ham away we would have probably taken a point if not for Micky O.

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and of course the twat Shola did his best to try and prevent us from getting 3 points away from home.

[Optimistic Nut 190]

Agreed MattM4. We were robbed a clear penalty at Everton which robbed us of a point, robbed of a clear penalty AND a goal at Wigan which denied us 1-3 points, the home defeat to Blackburn was a handball, there's another point dropped because of a referee. So there's 3-5 points gone because of referees. I know we'll get people saying "well we were sh*t those games so didn't deserve anything", but the fact is, referees cost us. But because it was when Souness was in charge he got criticised for making excuses.

Edited April 20, 2006 by Optimistic Nut

[Renton 22007]

Agreed MattM4. We were robbed a clear penalty at Everton which robbed us of a point, robbed of a clear penalty AND a goal at Wigan which denied us 1-3 points, the home defeat to Blackburn was a handball, there's another point dropped because of a referee. So there's 3-5 points gone because of referees. I know we'll get people saying "well we were sh*t those games so didn't deserve anything", but the fact is, referees cost us. But because it was when Souness was in charge he got criticised for making excuses.

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Souness wasn't criticised because we dropped points due to reffing, he was criticised because we played absolutley gash under him, ars. I suppose by your reckoning we've just been lucky under Roeder then?

[Optimistic Nut 190]

No, I'm saying when Souness blamed these decisions he got criticism for "making excuses".

[Renton 22007]

No, I'm saying when Souness blamed these decisions he got criticism for "making excuses".

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Most of his excuses were about us having injuries iirc, not refereeing decisions. Except he called them reasons. Well, these reasons don't seem to be preventing Roeder doing his job.

 

Continue perpetuating the myth Souness was an unlucky manager if you like, but in reality nothing could be further from the truth.

[Optimistic Nut 190]

Where have I even suggested he was unlucky??? Just saying he got stick for blaming the ref during these games when he was right to in those incidences. I'm pleased we're shot of him, but we could do with those extra 3-5 points now.

[Shearergol 0]

Over the course of a season, luck doesn't come into it. For every match we have been unlucky, we have been lucky in another. We are where we are (currently outside Europe positon) because of Shepherd and Souness, simple as that. What makes this doubly frustrating is that looking at Arsenal and Tottenham, we could easily have been in the CL this year. But at least the nightmare of Souness is over for now.

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but..but..we're the 5th most successful Premiership team of all time....

[Renton 22007]

Where have I even suggested he was unlucky??? Just saying he got stick for blaming the ref during these games when he was right to in those incidences. I'm pleased we're shot of him, but we could do with those extra 3-5 points now.

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Personally, I don't worry about refereeing decisions too much because 90% of the time if you play well enough you get your reward. But what I have noticed is that fans of any team tend to be completely unobjective and selective in their memory about refereeing decisions. How many wrong decisions have actually favoured us? Probably quite a few in fact, but you won't account for them, because either you dismiss them wrongly or forget about them. That's not a criticism btw, it's just human nature.