Punching above our weight or established

[donnyjay]

As we head towards our second consecutive mid-table finish it got me thinking. When do we go from a team 'punching above our weight' to 'established championship side'.

I think  if we finish outside the bottom eight again next season we can justify calling ourselves established.

Or can we be both?!

Any thoughts?

[Thinwhiteduke]

Personally I think we need to start thinking of ourselves as an established Championship Club, and get over our inferiority complex.

We are here on merit, we have very rarely been totally outclassed by any side over the last two seasons, and despite have prolonged injury spells to key players, we have dealt with the cards we have admirably.

[DonnyBazza]

Stick to the Punching above our weight mentality we have the tag, no team comes to the KM thinking there going to get easy points

[Jim Dobbin]

I wouldn't call 2 seasons out of the last 50 odd in this division \"established\". I wouldn't say Rovers were punching above their weight either, so what word do you use??

[irishcontingent]

Becalmed

[VikingJames]

Punching above our weight IMO because the initial aim at the start of every season will be to stay up. We may continue to lose some of our best players to bigger clubs, which will make every season that bit more challenging than the last.

[Uredz]

We are neither punching above our weight or established......


We are just having a laugh  

[wilts rover]

Rigoglioso wrote:

We're still punching above our weight IMO. However, we have bridged the gap from where we were 18 months ago on teams such as Watford who drift about in the bottom half of the Championship every season.

The challenge is tougher next season, but IMO it's a challenge we should be really looking forward to as opposed to a challenge to be fearful of. Bring it on!!

Is this the same Watford who were runners up in the old First Division in 1982-83, in the Premier League in 1999-2000 and 2006-07, League Cup semi-finalists in 2004-05 and FA Cup semi-finalists in 2003-03 and 2006-07 or is there another one who have always drifted about?

The challenge wont be any different next season to what it has been this (unless we loose two major players in pre-season), but I reckon Sean & JR's goals might be different, yep, bring 'em all on!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I take great pride in positive comments from other teams fans. It's how we are perecived by other clubs that give us clue to whether we are 'punching above or weight' or otherwise.

On the other hand, the lack of coverage from BBC/Sky keeps us firmly in out place as little Donny Rovers however, i'm more than happy to be the underdog and be left to go about our business in our own way.

If nothing else the last 10 years of the JR regime has put DRFC firmly back on the footballing map as a well respected club.

Thank you JR.

Now, about these ST prices !!

[Barmby Rover]

F*****g hell, if we're going back to the 1980's and basing some comparisons on then, you may as well stick Rovers back in the bottom couple of divisions in the Football League and call every season we have from now on a resounding success!

Interesting comment that one, people have to get a different mind set who have been Rovers followers for many years (like myself) the club is now looking comfortable in this league and in that sense is established. Whether we can sustain it is another matter, but with the way the JR plan is coming together over the years I don't see why not.

[RobTheRover]

To be honest, I've felt very comfortable about our position in the heirarchy for the past 2 seasons.  Never expected us to go down in either.

Not sure if we are punching above our weight or established, but I know we will still be one of the bookies favourites for the drop next season! Mugs!  ;-)

[donnyjay]

I agree. Don't think we'll be the bookies favourites to go down this time but I'm sure we won't be far off.

I wonder when they'll learn?

[not on facebook]

the only time rovers will not be punching above their weight will be if
they should ever take a backwards step into league one

[RobTheRover]

Thats a good point, Oslo.  We've grown into a half-decent Championship side almost without noticing.

If anyone thinks we are now punching above our weight, thern surely they wouldn't be too disappointed if we were to return to league 1?  I cant see that to be honest, so by definition \"punching above our weight\" we are not.

So, does that make us \"established\", or is there an option we've missed?  Improving?  Dangerous?  Maybe rather than \"established\" we are looking to rock \"the establishment\"?  Force out some of the old guard who think they are established and that they belong at this level (at least), like Wednesday.  Maybr that makes us Bob's \"anarchists\".  Yeah, I like that.

[BobG]

Anarchists! Splendid Rob!

'Rovers - the Anarchists of the Championship'.

We could be the Boers too if you like

Cheers

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

Bob/Rob. I like it. Much as I'm enamoured of the \"Rovers\" epithet, I'd be chuffed to bits if we re-styled ourselves Doncaster Anarchodemicals/Anarchsandra/ /Anarltellthisummatelseanall or some such.

[BobG]

Doncaster Anarchsandra.

Just belting. Chuffing belting!

Where's JR when you need him? Get that bloody name changed right now

First time I've smiled for a week.

Knock out.

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

And any fans who clubbed together for the Club Draw would be the Donny Anarcho-Syndicate-alists.

I've read Homage to Catalonia 10 chuffing times and I'm still no wiser as to what they were...

[BobG]

I've never got my head round them either. Didn't really matter tbh. The name was good enough. Always thought they were splendid fellows personally.

Cheers

Bob

[BillyStubbsTears]

No. I hated them. I cried 50-year-too-late bitter tears over them. The Republican Left had Barcelona in their hands but they let Franco win after they were eaten away from within by the inter-necine fighting (does anyone have \"inter-necine figthing\" but the Left) between the POUM, the CGT, the UGT, the PCE, the GCSE, the STD,  the Anarchists, the Syndicalists, the Anarcho-Syndicalists, the Syndico-Anarchists, the Liberals, the Liberal-Anarchists, the Syndico-Liberals, the Trotskyists, the Libero-Trotskyists,  Libero-Sweepers, the Communists, the Anarcho-Communists, the Communo-Anarchists, the Syndico-Communists, the Communards and The Pet Shop Boys.

Now I know Catalonia is a big place, but there were so many splinter groups, I reckon some of them must have only had 2 people in them. It's a wonder they could ever get a quorum for a meeting. Not that that would have bothered the Anarchists, like.

[BobG]

Me? I go for the name Billy

POUM were a nasty lot though. Shopped an awful lot of the others to the nasty right wing types they did. And those they didn't they locked up for themsslves.

Actually, having written that, I've just had a horrid feeling it was some other swines who did just that to POUM. Oh dear. Now I'm all confused. And I refuse to go to Wiki. I shall do some proper, manly, research!

Cheers

BobG

Still a belting name though!

[BillyStubbsTears]

BobG wrote:

I shall do some proper, manly, research!

I'm feeling a bit uneasy about this conversation now. Let me go and check the Profanisaurus and make sure there's not some hidden meaning in there...

[BobG]

Oh bugger. Duplicate post. My fault.

Cheers

BobG

Still a belting name though!