Blackpool

[Sally Neville]

Either you're a bullshitter or you're clueless. I'm guessing clueless on the evidence of your previous contributions.

Neither, just someone who had faith in the manager and players. Even with just average away form since January, 7th place would have been comfortable.

[Worthy4England]

Either you're a bullshitter or you're clueless. I'm guessing clueless on the evidence of your previous contributions.

Neither, just someone who had faith in the manager and players. Even with just average away form since January, 7th place would have been comfortable.

From January, maybe.

From the start of the season, I would have put

Man U
Chelsea
Arsenal
City
Spurs
Liverpool
Everton
Villa

All with a better chance of finishing higher than us rather than below us.

Probably a few others too.

You need a reality check.

[TKIZ!]

I guess it comes down to expectations.

So what were your expectations at the start of the season then? Champions League place?

I expected a top 7 finish.

Again, Really? Coyle has us playing decent football now but he's got a lot of work to do in terms of the squad. As this season has shown a couple of injuries in key areas have made it really difficult for us. Anything higher than last season would be a bonus

[Turkish Trotter]

Lets all get realistic.
Talk of Europe at the beginning of this season would have been unrealistic imo.
A top 10 finish would have been a great achievment imo.
Only 11 points away from home would not be acceptable imo
Reaching a cup semi would have been a great achievement, but the way we surrendered would have been ludicrous imo.
I'm happy with the end result but not particularly happy with the way the season went.
The last couple of months fade away is hard to take, but as we will still probably finish top 10, let Coyle make a few changes and lets get realistic again for next season

[TKIZ!]

Lets all get realistic.
Talk of Europe at the beginning of this season would have been unrealistic imo.
A top 10 finish would have been a great achievment imo.
Only 11 points away from home would not be acceptable imo
Reaching a cup semi would have been a great achievement, but the way we surrendered would have been ludicrous imo.
I'm happy with the end result but not particularly happy with the way the season went.
The last couple of months fade away is hard to take, but as we will still probably finish top 10, let Coyle make a few changes and lets get realistic again for next season

Sensible post

[LiOC]

I think the summary of the day (for me) was great offensively but terrible defensively.
Davies had a great game! Best game he's played for a while. And had his shot that hit the cross bar gone in it would have been magical.
Gardner looked the best i've seen him in the middle. I know people are pointing out his few mistakes, but he made quite a few good tackles, and spent half the game covering for our defence who were all over the place.
I said the other day I wasn't too scared of Knight next season, I am now...terrible game from him.
Doesn't feel great but should easily have had a point, and could have had all three at 3 all so not too disappointed.
Glad to see the boys showing some fight too.

[2399]

Zat Knight Should of been sent off (in my opinion)

[LiOC]

Zat Knight Should of been sent off (in my opinion)

Hmmm, not sure. He reacted to Taylor-Fletcher fouling him, hence a free kick to us. Overreacted, sure, I think a yellow was fair enough. He was arguing with EVERYONE for all of the game though. And Robbo did alot of shouting and gesturing at him, Cahill had a few words, Jussi too, thought our defence was gonna start scrapping with each other at some point...

[Turkish Trotter]

Zat Knight Should of been sent off (in my opinion)

Hmmm, not sure. He reacted to Taylor-Fletcher fouling him, hence a free kick to us. Overreacted, sure, I think a yellow was fair enough. He was arguing with EVERYONE for all of the game though. And Robbo did alot of shouting and gesturing at him, Cahill had a few words, Jussi too, thought our defence was gonna start scrapping with each other at some point...

He had Taylor Fletcher by the throat. Very lucky to stay on Pitch.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Seemed to me like the fat McCann lookalike tart-nutted Knight, then went down like a sack of fat spuds

[Lord Kangana]

If he was going to get sent off he might aswell have knocked the f*cker out and had done with it.

[LiOC]

Zat Knight Should of been sent off (in my opinion)

Hmmm, not sure. He reacted to Taylor-Fletcher fouling him, hence a free kick to us. Overreacted, sure, I think a yellow was fair enough. He was arguing with EVERYONE for all of the game though. And Robbo did alot of shouting and gesturing at him, Cahill had a few words, Jussi too, thought our defence was gonna start scrapping with each other at some point...

He had Taylor Fletcher by the throat. Very lucky to stay on Pitch.

He was provoked into it by Taylor-Fletcher. And tbf, didn't whack him or anything. There was a reason Taylor-Fletcher stayed on the ground so long, and he wasn't injured.

[BWFC_Insane]

Expecting top 7 finishes is just plain daft.

I think part of the issue is that its somewhat difficult to define what makes a good season.

This season is fine from the point of view of staying in the league etc. However it will not be one to be remembered fondly thanks to the semi final and the subsequent league ending. I'm not sure the football has been all that great or all that enthralling across the board. In odd moments and odd flashes it has been. Which makes it all the more frustrating that in glimpses we've shown a new world. But then we've also had some of the worst performances I've seen since we returned to the premiership!

Overall when the dust has settled for me this season will be defined by what happens next. It was either the prelude to difficult times or the start of something really good. Thats where we are for me. People may well say thats always the case but the overall nature of this season is that if we can take the better aspects build on them and embrace the Owen Coyle style with the RIGHT players next year then this season will be a huge building block. Should we fail to do that and end up carrying on as we are next season then we'll be in the shit IMHO!

[Turkish Trotter]

Expecting top 7 finishes is just plain daft.

I think part of the issue is that its somewhat difficult to define what makes a good season.

This season is fine from the point of view of staying in the league etc. However it will not be one to be remembered fondly thanks to the semi final and the subsequent league ending. I'm not sure the football has been all that great or all that enthralling across the board. In odd moments and odd flashes it has been. Which makes it all the more frustrating that in glimpses we've shown a new world. But then we've also had some of the worst performances I've seen since we returned to the premiership!

Overall when the dust has settled for me this season will be defined by what happens next. It was either the prelude to difficult times or the start of something really good. Thats where we are for me. People may well say thats always the case but the overall nature of this season is that if we can take the better aspects build on them and embrace the Owen Coyle style with the RIGHT players next year then this season will be a huge building block. Should we fail to do that and end up carrying on as we are next season then we'll be in the shit IMHO!

Agreed.

[LiOC]

Expecting top 7 finishes is just plain daft.

I think part of the issue is that its somewhat difficult to define what makes a good season.

This season is fine from the point of view of staying in the league etc. However it will not be one to be remembered fondly thanks to the semi final and the subsequent league ending. I'm not sure the football has been all that great or all that enthralling across the board. In odd moments and odd flashes it has been. Which makes it all the more frustrating that in glimpses we've shown a new world. But then we've also had some of the worst performances I've seen since we returned to the premiership!

Overall when the dust has settled for me this season will be defined by what happens next. It was either the prelude to difficult times or the start of something really good. Thats where we are for me. People may well say thats always the case but the overall nature of this season is that if we can take the better aspects build on them and embrace the Owen Coyle style with the RIGHT players next year then this season will be a huge building block. Should we fail to do that and end up carrying on as we are next season then we'll be in the shit IMHO!

I think that sentence really sums it up best

[Lord Kangana]

The fact a top 7 finish was still on until Evans nobbled Holden will define the season for me. If Holden had got back up, we wouldn't have conceded that goal (I'm convinced of it, he was tracking runners all day).Chalk up another point, maybe compete more confidently at Wembley. What ifs. We showed in good chunks we're good enough to compete towards the top rather than the bottom.

And its not been relentlessly, mind-numbingly boring. For that I'm eternally grateful.

[Whookam]

Expecting top 7 finishes is just plain daft.

I think part of the issue is that its somewhat difficult to define what makes a good season.

This season is fine from the point of view of staying in the league etc. However it will not be one to be remembered fondly thanks to the semi final and the subsequent league ending. I'm not sure the football has been all that great or all that enthralling across the board. In odd moments and odd flashes it has been. Which makes it all the more frustrating that in glimpses we've shown a new world. But then we've also had some of the worst performances I've seen since we returned to the premiership!

Overall when the dust has settled for me this season will be defined by what happens next. It was either the prelude to difficult times or the start of something really good. Thats where we are for me. People may well say thats always the case but the overall nature of this season is that if we can take the better aspects build on them and embrace the Owen Coyle style with the RIGHT players next year then this season will be a huge building block. Should we fail to do that and end up carrying on as we are next season then we'll be in the shit IMHO!

Most of the positives this season come from last year. I think we've got a real problem now tbh. Coyle's got his work cut out this summer and I don't envy him.

[Whookam]

And its not been relentlessly, mind-numbingly boring. For that I'm eternally grateful.

That's true, and if we're going to lose I'd prefer it to be with an attacking lineup rather than 5-4-1 with the badger on the wing.

[BWFC_Insane]

The fact a top 7 finish was still on until Evans nobbled Holden will define the season for me. If Holden had got back up, we wouldn't have conceded that goal (I'm convinced of it, he was tracking runners all day).Chalk up another point, maybe compete more confidently at Wembley. What ifs. We showed in good chunks we're good enough to compete towards the top rather than the bottom.

And its not been relentlessly, mind-numbingly boring. For that I'm eternally grateful.

You are right in that Holden getting injured was the turning point. I suspected so at the time. I didn't expect it to make quite as much a difference as it has.

Does show that the club made a mistake not getting that extra midfielder in either in the summer or more likely in January when we'd had a glimpse in December of life without Holden and it looked pretty grim!

I suppose we were doubly unfortunate with Mark Davies getting injured at the same time and never been fully fit again.

Season before was the same in midfield as what 3 games in and Sean Davis is out, and he'd have made a huge difference being a proper experienced premiership midfield player. If he can get back and fit next season as apparently the coaching staff are all hoping then that will be a big plus! Big ask though after so long out.

[Lord Kangana]

Sean Davis isn't as good as Holden, nor was his impact as big on our team. There were myriad problems other than him at the time. This time around its fairly straightforward. But thats by the by.

Nor is he the kind of player that would flourish in our current midfield. I doubt, after all the time he's had out, that he'll ever get back to any sort of top level football. Would be better if we could loan him or something next season to try to alleviate his wage pressure.