Getting over the line

[lake district canary 4,830]

If you take a tennis analogy, it feels that with five games remaining, it is like we are in a grand final of a tournament, two sets up, leading 5-1 in the final set and need to win our serve to win the prize.  If you have played or watched tennis you will know that winning that final game can be tough - it's like there is a bit of extra mental toughness needed to get over the line, because you know you are in the winning position but the opponent is still dangerous and can come back at you.  With five games to go, we are at that match point.

Last night proved it isn't a formality and the team are going to need to show every bit of mental strength that they have to win that match point. The euphoria of finding ourselves in a winning position so near the end of a match was our problem. I get the absolute euphoria there must have been in the ground at the turnaround in fortune, but if anything shows that it isn't over until the final whistle that was it.  We switched off and against ANY team in this division, that is asking for trouble.

The mini-setback that draw gave us last night will imo have galvanised a few players into realising that they will have to do better if they want to get that prize. No coincidence that it was Godfrey and Zimmermann who came up with the goods last night, two lionhearts at the heart of the team, but they will all have to be like that in the remaining matches - and for the whole 90 or 96 or however many minutes the match lasts. 

We could have won by several goals, but at 2-1 there was work to be done and although it may be understandable that tiredness and the release of tension of the two goals maybe led to a slight drop in intensity, the match was there to be won and it didn't happen, largely (imo) to the circumstances of the occasion and perhaps the players (and fans?) relaxing too much. 

We have a young side and have been caught out several times this season after the euphoria of a goal scored - same last night (imo). So last night was a kick up the back side imo - hopefully will force a reaction and if we get ahead on Sunday, even if it is by two or three goals, there is no drop in intensity. 

Onwards and upwards.

 

 

[Grando 336]

I don’t think there was a drop in intensity. Just seven minutes of injury time and events conspiring for Reading. 

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

I agree Grando. Just let this thread die, it’s nonsense

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Would hope they are well aware that it is not done. I trust these lads to find the mental strength to dig out those last points needed though. Last night was ridiculously unlucky yet we still managed a point. If Rhodes had scored that header or if vrancics boot forward had gone further or if Lewis had just taken their right winger out... so many frustrating what ifs but hopefully it means very little. Play like that vs Wigan and we will best them. not like we even played all that well either.

[CanaryChris 147]

History tell us we will be promoted as champions.

Looking back at the last 30 years of this division (any further back and we had less than 24 teams, so points are not as easily comparable), there has only been one occasion where a team that was leading after 38 games (let alone 41) was not promoted (3.33%). In other instances, it was the title for 90% of teams (27/30), auto promotion for one (3.33%) and play-off promotion for one (3.33%)

Taking into account the number of points we lead by, no team with a lead of more than 4 points failed to win the title from this point.

Basically, we would be setting ridiculous records if we don't go up from here. I am not worried. I think if the team wins 2 games out of 5 we will be up as champions. 

[Red Rufus 56]

Of course I could turn LDC's long winded tennis analogy into a positive football analogy, firstly, we are not playing tennis which is a solitary sport so one persons mindset in getting over the line is irrelevant in a team sport as all of the players will have differing mental attitudes to the situation we are in. Secondly, if he has ever played football, particularly in a top of the table team he would realise that confidence builds over a season, they would expect to not lose many games, they are on a roll, they won't panic, they know that if they perform then 9 times out of 10 they will collect the points. Lastly, they will be enjoying this season, that is why they play the game, to be successful. Far less pressure at the top than at the bottom, it is primarily some of us supporters who feel the nerves jangling..........enjoy it!

[Fuzzar 1,861]

19 hours ago, lake district canary said:

If you take a tennis analogy, it feels that with five games remaining, it is like we are in a grand final of a tournament, two sets up, leading 5-1 in the final set and need to win our serve to win the prize.  If you have played or watched tennis you will know that winning that final game can be tough - it's like there is a bit of extra mental toughness needed to get over the line, because you know you are in the winning position but the opponent is still dangerous and can come back at you.  With five games to go, we are at that match point.

 

 

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

19 hours ago, lake district canary said:

We could have won by several goals, but at 2-1 there was work to be done and although it may be understandable that tiredness and the release of tension of the two goals maybe led to a slight drop in intensity, the match was there to be won and it didn't happen, largely (imo) to the circumstances of the occasion and perhaps the players (and fans?) relaxing too much. 

 

 

Our fault again. How dare we celebrate 🙄🙄🙄

[Surfer 1,547]

8 hours ago, Grando said:

I don’t think there was a drop in intensity. Just seven minutes of injury time and events conspiring for Reading. 

Look at Readings second goal. One of our players dropped off the eventual scorer and drifted out to their wide player who simply passed back inside to a now unmarked attacker who could side foot scoop it into the net. Way too simple, nobody should have got that much space. No events were conspiring for Reading in that phase of the game. (Yes penalties not given earlier, great saves, narrow misses etc etc, but not in injury time) 

 

Edited April 12, 2019 by Surfer

[Decemberists 48]

If we play like we did against Reading for the rest of the season we’d get the points we need.

[Alex Moss 2,167]

It’s very simple...

If either Sheff Utd or Leeds lose tomorrow, and we beat Wigan on Sunday, then we will have either a 9 or 10 point gap with just 4 games to go. Our rivals would only be able to get 12 points maximum from the remaining games. The unstoppable Buendía will be available for the last 3 games too. Just think about that for a minute. I am not in the slightest bit concerned, we will be promoted, it’s our season!

[Grando 336]

42 minutes ago, Surfer said:

Look at Readings second goal. One of our players dropped off the eventual scorer and drifted out to their wide player who simply passed back inside to a now unmarked attacker who could side foot scoop it into the net. Way too simple, nobody should have got that much space. No events were conspiring for Reading in that phase of the game. (Yes penalties not given earlier, great saves, narrow misses etc etc, but not in injury time) 

 

Fair point. Till that virtual last kick though there hadn’t been.

[lake district canary 4,830]

It was very clear that Reading should not have been allowed the space they had to score their second goal - the reason is because once we scored and got ahead, some of our players did not chase the ball and harrass the opposition players as much as they had done previously, otherwise how is a player allowed to be unmarked in our penalty area and able to pick his spot in the goal?   I'm not into blaming any one player, or making a huge thing of it - but the stakes are high and letting them in at the end was careless.

The players were hugely disappointed afterwards and I don't think they will let that happen again. Maybe it was a good thing to get a minor setback in that way after such a long winning streak - a kick up the backside to make sure they don't lose concentration/focus/intensity or whatever you want to call it, again, even for a second.

[Hairy Canary 754]

 Sheffield and Leeds have ten games left to play between them. If just one of those ten games ends as a draw rather than a win for them then we would need 7/8 points from our five games. Even in that highly unlikely scenario we would need to play like a mid table team to get those points.

Much more likely is that we need six points, taking us to 91, a figure that has been enough for automatic promotion in every season for as far back as I could be bothered to look. Six points from five games is not much more than relegation form.

of course it's not done until it's done but if we can't be confident now then we never will be. Compare that to the pressure Leeds and Sheffield are playing under. One loss and that's virtually it.

[Ian 1,212]

LDC, we've won 8 and drawn 1 of the last 9 games.We conceded one late equaliser in a match, that on any other given day, probably would have seen us net 3/4 goals. Where's the complacency?

It's football - sometimes results don't go the way you expect, and sometimes mistakes are made after a long and mentally draining run of games. I am convinced that the result on Wednesday will focus the players even more intently for the remainder of the season; a reminder that it's not yet done and dusted.

[lake district canary 4,830]

4 minutes ago, Ian said:

LDC, we've won 8 and drawn 1 of the last 9 games.We conceded one late equaliser in a match, that on any other given day, probably would have seen us net 3/4 goals. Where's the complacency?

It's football - sometimes results don't go the way you expect, and sometimes mistakes are made after a long and mentally draining run of games. I am convinced that the result on Wednesday will focus the players even more intently for the remainder of the season; a reminder that it's not yet done and dusted.

I did't say anything about complacency - and I was only talking about the last three or four minutes where we didn't see out the match well enough. I agree totally with your last senternce though.

[ron obvious 1,711]

Just one of those games, like when we lost to Stoke. A few players off it/knackered & a determined opposition - according to their fans they've improved massively under Gomes but had a stinker defensively against Hull, which brought about a reaction on Wednesday. And, really, events couldn't have gone better for them on the day.

That's football. You can't win 'em all. If you could, they'd be no point playing!

 

Edited April 12, 2019 by ron obvious