A lesson in how to get sixth in The Championship

Mo Gosfield said:

Very good.
The bare facts are that there a lot of teams hovering just outside the play-off positions who are very ordinary. None of them are good enough to string together a run of results and throw down the gauntlet to the others.
BHA are still in sixth place ( just ) not through their own efforts ( two wins out of the last nine games ) but because all those around us aren't very good.
OG knows we aren't ready and even admitted last night that he was surprised at our league position ( fills you full of hope doesn't it! ) Those of us at the Amex yesterday witnessed a very poor display. Countless misplaced, over-hit, under-hit passes. A complete inability to deliver any set-piece or cross into the danger area with any accuracy. It was the sort of inaccuracy that one might expect at amateur level but that is probably doing a disservice to a lot of amateur footballers. Over-hit balls by 20-30 yards was commonplace. Throw in a lot of diving/play-acting, awful shooting from 20-25 yards and a list of basic mistakes as long as your arm and you have a horrible spectacle.
Blackpool worked hard, got men behind the ball and did what they had to do to stop us playing. They niggled and pushed and tripped at every opportunity but can you blame them. Desperate situations call for desperate measures.
We should be good enough to counter all of this but we are not. The balance/mix wasn't right again and it created another hugely frustrating afternoon for all concerned.
We were handed a wonderful opportunity to make 6th position ours by the ineptitude of teams around us but all we have done is just to confirm to those with any doubts that we are not good enough to challenge for a place in the PL.
We have given Forest ( who were dead and buried ) the opportunity to rescue their season and gain 4 points on us in the last few days and set themselves up to put BHA to bed on the last day of the season and clinch 6th spot for themselves.

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Mo Gosfield said:

Very good.
The bare facts are that there a lot of teams hovering just outside the play-off positions who are very ordinary. None of them are good enough to string together a run of results and throw down the gauntlet to the others.
BHA are still in sixth place ( just ) not through their own efforts ( two wins out of the last nine games ) but because all those around us aren't very good.
OG knows we aren't ready and even admitted last night that he was surprised at our league position ( fills you full of hope doesn't it! ) Those of us at the Amex yesterday witnessed a very poor display. Countless misplaced, over-hit, under-hit passes. A complete inability to deliver any set-piece or cross into the danger area with any accuracy. It was the sort of inaccuracy that one might expect at amateur level but that is probably doing a disservice to a lot of amateur footballers. Over-hit balls by 20-30 yards was commonplace. Throw in a lot of diving/play-acting, awful shooting from 20-25 yards and a list of basic mistakes as long as your arm and you have a horrible spectacle.
Blackpool worked hard, got men behind the ball and did what they had to do to stop us playing. They niggled and pushed and tripped at every opportunity but can you blame them. Desperate situations call for desperate measures.
We should be good enough to counter all of this but we are not. The balance/mix wasn't right again and it created another hugely frustrating afternoon for all concerned.
We were handed a wonderful opportunity to make 6th position ours by the ineptitude of teams around us but all we have done is just to confirm to those with any doubts that we are not good enough to challenge for a place in the PL.
We have given Forest ( who were dead and buried ) the opportunity to rescue their season and gain 4 points on us in the last few days and set themselves up to put BHA to bed on the last day of the season and clinch 6th spot for themselves.

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One Teddy Maybank said:

Agree with all of the above, but it's no good Oscar being surprised. Our delivery was poor under Poyet at times, but never this bad. What is going on on training?


In terms of not being ready, you need to take your chance when it comes...... Look at Palarse, sixth best team last year but they have survived.

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Guinness Boy said:

I called us being in 6th the poison Ron Challis. The Reading bloggers call it the race for seventh. Anyway, I couldn't be arsed to do a poper match report after yet another self imposed disappointment so here's a teacher lecturing a class full of Championship teams on how to get 6th place.

http://brightononlyathome.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/blackpool-at-home-teacher-asks-a-simple-question/

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loz said:

h


Cough cough, palace ended up 5th 5 points above 7th place. That's why Brighton & palace played each other

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