But the team at the start of the season was not better than Hull.
As for throwing away late points, that's down to players, Ankergren at Forest, PIG at Birmingham and Wolves. If you look at the stats, we had the second best goal difference, fewest defeats, with a moderate squad.
Blackburn...
There's little evidence to support your claim of a top two squad though, certainly not in terms of Premier League experience, transfer fees paid, or the wage level.