@foxywfc gets it. Dyche. So therefore today was the first time under the Pozzos that we’ve won our final match of the season. And it ends a run of four straight final day losses too. Under the Pozzos our final league day disasters have included missing out on promotion against Leeds, blowing the Championship title, relegation and various thumping to the likes of Man City and Huddersfield. Plus of course our actual last matches of the season have included a cup final tonking and a play-off final defeat. Nice to buck that trend today for once.
I've had a sneaky feeling for some time that Swansea might be promoted; I still have it. They are next door to crap, no question in my mind, but they somehow keep hanging in there. Note that they are playing Barnsley in the first round - I think they might be pleased with that. Anyway - we shall soon see.
I really really wanted us to win and not end the season on a damp squib. Instead we got the clean sheet, a classic Gray finish and a Success thunderbolt. What a second half of the season. Well done lads. And great job Xisco.
We got promoted cos Deeney got injured. It's that simple. If he hadn't got injured we wouldn't have been promoted. Following Deeney's injury the players deserve huge credit for updating the leadership structure in the dressing room to something more 21st century and demanding a change of formation that even the blind could see was the only viable option for this squad. Once the leadership structure and formation were changed we did what we should've been doing all season. We dont really know if Xisco instigated any of the improvements or just went along with them. The biggest mistake Scott and Gino could make this summer is thinking they have ended their disastrous run of miscalculations and atrocious decisions dating back to the Wolves semi. They havent. We were sliding out of the play offs before Troy's injury and got very very lucky this season to overcome Gino and Scott's mistakes. I dont know how Gino and Scott are gonna make us competitive next season and avoid the catalogue of errors of 2019/20. I havent seen anything since the Wolves semi to suggest they have any clue how to keep us in the premier league next season.
Success' crashing shot for a goal shouldn't deflect from the observation that the rest of his game was very poor. Several times, for instance, he wasted a final ball through to Gray, who, to be fair, was making a good run.
Good performance against Swansea's strongets 11. Joint best defensive re order in any Championship season as well.
We seemed to limit them pretty well particularly 2nd half. Almost felt they played into our hands trying to almost walk the ball in at times. With a bit more control up front we would have scored or created more chances but credit to Gray and Success for taking their chance even if clearly they are hopeless at controlling the ball which mean quite a few promising situations were lost.
Perica did not get a look in again? All I can say is he must be **** on the training pitch, because whenever he manages to get on the pitch he has mostly looked OK to me?
I should also give a shout out to Isaac Success for finally doing something to make that L***n banner look even more ridiculous. Rubbing our promotion in on the final day? Priceless.
On a serious note, i can't remember a second string side putting in a half decent performance for years. Even in cup games against vastly inferior opponents on paper. Often I've seen us line up with a changed side and it looks for all yhe world like there's enough talent to see off Woking/Newport/Tranmere, but the fringe players never take their shot. It's somewhat ironic that several have done so here, when there's hopefully no decision to be made as a result. No first team contention and you'd hope that despite a job well done, few (or ideally none) of that starting 11 will be here next season.
There was a line in Rough Crossing by Tom Stoppard that sprang to mind. My character was writing dialogue- 'like a moth shying from a flame - no, too obvious. Like a moth shying at a lepidopterist.' Not his most famous play but I was in a production in Sixth Form and it was great fun.
Sounds good! We did Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle. I was Azdak. I'm still waiting for the NT to call!
A couple of seasons ago a second string side put in a great performance winning away to Reading, with Quina getting a worldie (and Success also scoring). That's the only other recent-ish one that springs to mind.
I think also Spurs in the league cup? I think we went out on pens? Or maybe not, but I seem to remember it was a very good display
Could have sworn the 3-2 win vs A Villa was a last game of the season but memory must be playing tricks....
The only time I trod the boards was during a sixth form revue doing a skit on the "no fillings today" toothpaste ad. The stage lights meant you could only see the first 3 rows. It was terrifying. Not quite complete tumbleweed as it garnered about 2 laughs probably out of sympathy.
At times it felt like a friendly. First 20 mins good but fizzled out though comfortable throughout. Lucky with the first goal but excellent strike by Success for the second. Swansea must have played a full strength team to try and build some momentum for the play offs but looked off the pace - considering they were playing our reserves. Ayew didn't look fit. They'll probably win the play offs now. Am I right in thinking we gained at least a point over every team with that win?
Yes, we were one of 7 teams in the league pyramid before this round who remained 'undoubled', and now we remain that in perpetuity. Not sure how many of the others have/will, as it stands.
The game when Abdi scored from a free-kick and Deeney scored 2 late goals with a cameo from Steven Berghuis. Our first season in tge Prem during the Pozzos reign. Wasn't the last game. Think that was a 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland.
Ok, so - Forest Green Rovers won 3-0 today in League Two, Hull are playing Charlton tomorrow in League One, Brentford and ourselves both won whilst Boro lost to a heroic Wycombe on their way back down. Of the prem, two play each other tonight in Chelsea and City, so could easily make a nice arrangement to both keep their records, whilst Liverpool face Southampton and United are up against Villa. So as it stands, there are three guaranteed/confirmed undoubled records left (us, Brentford and FGR), one more to possibly be confirmed tomorrow (Hull), and the four Prem teams, who all have several chances yet to either cement or throw theirs away. We could well see movement on one or two of those today, but there is no guarantee of it. *And yes, sorry, it was nine teams, not seven.
