I think frustration comes from 1 point from three home games against Everton, Brentford and Leicester. The equivalent would be if the last jumps for our outsider horse were smaller than for the rest of the field or our 1500 runner could run his last lap downhill.
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The last three jumps are somewhat smaller. It seems that finding an analogy to satisfy Jim will be a fruitless endeavour.
But again, for every Liverpool away/City at home will be a Brentford or Everton. Realistically, we are similar to the 8th-14th clubs in terms of first team and squad strength. We’re kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.
So Everton and Brentford were probably the two worst home games of the season in terms of performance and mistakes. Against sides who are at our sort or level (over the course of a season). Leicester had one game of note that they gave a shit about once it became apparent they were going down. Be thankful they didn’t win and that Steptoe didn’t get his 200th goal.
Swings and roundabouts.
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Yes, but that again handily ignores the context referred to above. Brentford was always going to be tough, mentally if nothing else, a couple of days after losing an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
It's been plain to anyone with a functioning set of eyeballs over the past couple of months that this group of players is limping towards the finish line. Wood's clearly not fully fit after his injury, Hudson-Odoi wasn't right either and likely being asked to play when he shouldn't have been, Elanga seems to be having his minutes managed, there are rumours that Milenkovic has been playing through the pain barrier and needs an operation. Then players like Anderson and Gibbs-White look totally gassed.
These are all our game-changing players. I'm not really sure why folk seem surprised that we've tailed off. To still be in with a mathematical chance of qualifying for the Champions League with two games to go in those circumstances is bonkers.
The feeling as fans ought to be pride, not frustration.
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Again, both are possible.
I'm not properly replying to the analogy chat because it would require quite a bit of writing and I'm on the train down for West Ham chatting with a mate. But in an attempt to vaguely engage, the analogy would be that halfway through the race all the other horses stopped for a refuel but we didn't bother (transfer window). Also that there was another race going on in parallel and their twins ran that race while we decided to try and do both (cup run). Also about the jumps as Simon says. Or something. You can see why I didn't bother trying to engage with this particularly analogy. It doesn't work.
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For me I think this is key. Don't we all deep down know that there is no "yet", we will never be good enough as there's no way a club like us can build the depth required to be a a big club. The rules are engineered to prevent that.
So this was perhaps our one chance to see some really big European clubs play Forest and that chance won't come again soon.
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Exactly. This was another freak season (like the promotion one). Look at Brentford, Brighton, Fulham, Palace, Everton, West Ham etc. All pretty solid PL clubs. Yet none have had a sniff of the CL. You need a freak season to make it happen. This was, quite likely, the best chance for us to play in the CL in my lifetime.
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Bloody hell DonnyJim, how old are you?
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This is a bit silly. The suggestion that we had a think about recruiting at this point and thought 'nah' is disingenuous. January is well documented as being a very expensive time to sign players because the selling clubs obviously hold all the cards.
Personally, as much as it would have been great to see Wissa in a different type of red-and-white shirt in the second half of the season, the club was absolutely correct to walk away when Brentford started quoting daft money (as they are perfectly entitled to do). We could have blown the lot on him - or someone else - and still fallen short, remember.
I can understand the disappointment at missing out on CL to a point, but I strongly oppose this 'fucked it up/bottled it' narrative which is weird in my view.
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If we have come to need analogies about horse racing, to understand football, then I've wasted the 25 odd years spent on this place.
If we had finished tenth, we would have been witness to an outstanding season that we couldn't have expected. How can it possibly be fucked/bottled it to finish above that.
They will tell you that there's no luck in where you finish in the league, but that's largely because so many people can't hold a complex thought in their head, and talk bollocks. The timing of when you play other teams, the in and outs of form, the vagaries of injury and officiating. Lots of thing that can swing a season. Plus you are dealing with multi million pound analysis operations looking how to unpick what you are doing successfully, with elite sportsmen deployed to counteract them.
Even in this, the great squad unbuilding season, it's unbelievable that we have competed so well for so long. And beat wet hams and we take it to the last game. Half the teams have had nothing to play for over the last couple of months games.
People aren't inherently stupid, febrile, and self absorbed, but the destabilising propaganda sure doesn't help retaining balance and reason.
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“The Hill Dickinson stadium”?
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Everton are determined to have a silly stadium name and it's the Hill Dickinson they're willing to die on.
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Arsenal are a deeply unconvincing second placed team. Every time I watch them they're just uninspiring. Saka, Odegard and Rice are all capable of moments of magic, but most of the time it's a team that looks devoid of ideas or interest.
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They could have been a couple of goals down at this point. Newcastle have looked far more threatening.
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Hopefully Leicester’s revival after getting relegated will convince their board to stick with van Nistlerooy.
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Arsenal lead. If it was to stay like this, one point would separate third place (Newcastle).and seventh (Forest) going into the final round of games.
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Unless Man City win their game in hand, which they probably will.
