If we had 3 more points on the board, which probably would have been the case, had the penalty been awarded and defender sent off, we'd be 3 points behind Wednesday, with a game in hand, 2 points behind Plymouth, with a +6 better goal difference, and 1 point behind Ipswich, with them still having to visit Oakwell. In that position, I would have estimated our chances of automatic promotion at around 50-50. As it is, automatic promotion, though by no means impossible, does seem rather unlikely. The referee could have cost the club millions.
You can't say that though, Monday's round of results could have been entirely different as a result. We might have lost to Shrewsbury and Ipswich and Plymouth might have won.
Let it go. The lads had 79 minutes to put it right when it was still 0-0. They didn't. Last year we felt sorry for ourselves all season, this year Duff has instilled a winning, responsible mentality. Let's give it everything in the last 6 games.
I dont think the players felt sorry for themselves last year, not a lot of them anyway. I think a lot of them didn't give a toss under the circumstances and it proved so on pitch! Can't underestimate what Duff has done for us. Brilliant manager
And even from their first goal, we had 40 minutes to turn it around. If we're going to go up, either autos (unlikely) or play offs (lottery), it's highly likely that we're going to have to come from behind to win a game, which has been beyond us so far.
I think a lot of them did. You could see it in the bowed heads as soon as we conceded, the lack of leadership on the pitch etc. It translated to sections of the stand - 'they've been hung out to dry' etc. This year no-one is hiding, everyone is playing as a unit, and we have players stepping up and leading - Mads, Nors, Kitching, Connell, Phillips. And yes, Duff deserves a lot of credit.
Yep, some fans may say at the end of the season if we don't go up, when asked why we didn't.. well, in the 11th minute at Burton, when it was still 0-0, the ref made an appalling decision to wave away appeals for a penalty. We didn't go up for this reason, and because we would've been playing the rest of the game against 10 men and would have definitely won. We lost 2-1 because of it. This isn't a good mentality. If you ask the players, I'm sure they won't point to that as the reason if we don’t get automatic. Have we still not won a game since going behind? That's an incredible stat if so.
The OP makes a valid point, we might’ve missed the penalty and still gone on to lose however had they been reduced to 10 which was 100% the correct outcome then you would’ve been highly confident of taking 3 points…….the referee needs be benched for a few games just like a player does when they are apprehended after a game if something has happened!! 3 extras points and were bang in the mix……now we’re hoping for slips up whilst hoping we can keep the foor to the floor
Is it just us who have bad decisions against them?.I think not.we’ve not been good enough for a top two finish but still had a great season.
Is that the case. Would like to know the last time either happened. ?. I find the 1st one the most astonishing tbh. Edit. November 2021 v Derby. Came from behind. 71 friggin league games. March 2022 v Fulham penalty. 51 bleeding league games. Unless I've looked em up wrong.
Every club can say what if. Ipswich for example will be saying if they could have just held on a few more minutes on Monday.
Not sure they see us as valuable full stop! But Derby fans are convinced EFL out to get them, Sunderland did the old they want us to stay in league 1 because we're the hig draw there etc etc.
397 days since we last had a league penalty (Fulham home March 2022) 526 days since we last won from behind (Derby home November 2021) 738 days since we last had a league penalty away from home (Luton April 2021)