Would you have taken third at the start of the season

[phil old leake]

Forget the doom and gloom of the past 6 games. I'm as pissed off as everyone else.  Take yourselves back to the start of the season and ask yourselves if you'd been offered our current position as a given what would you have said

I think most would have been more than happy

[dknward2]

Think most would have been happy but being top for so long then to throw it away as it is now looking it what has pissed people off myself included.

If we had been 2nd or 3rd all this time and finished there then we would have been happy now it feels so close yet so far

[Superspy]

As per DK's comments...I absolutely would have taken 3rd at the start of the season, and I've been one of the people on this board who has said, on more than one occasion, that promotion is the primary target, etc etc. The disappointment comes from being in the driving seat for so long and then completely collapsing after securing promotion.

[podrover73]

Yes would have taken any of the auto promotion places at the start of the season.

Would rather be sure of going up than being in the play offs , no matter how well you have played throughout the season , your form in the last few games could mean another season in League 2.

Still a chance of winning the title , only a draw from Plymouth and we are in with a chance

 

[RedJ]

This is like asking if you'd take being tossed off if you've pulled a worldie because turns out she wasn't in the mood for it when you got back to hers.

[Bentley Bullet]

I suppose on reflection we should be grateful for third place because let's face it, we're not good enough to win the play-offs.

[dickos1]

😂😂😂
Couldn't make some of this negative stuff up

[Bentley Bullet]

😂😂😂
Couldn't make some of this negative stuff up

It's easy if you think honestly about it.

[raggytash]

I think the last few games have been very beneficial in showing we've got no strength in depth and needs strengthening with at least 5 quality players if we're to do anything next year,

[drfchound]

I had a bet at 8/1 before the season tried that we would be champions so, no I would not have been happy with just to promotion.

[grayx]

Thats a good point actually... think of those donny fans who will lose money on what seemed a certain return a few weeks ago.

[Superspy]

I had a tenner each way. £132.50 if we win the title, circa 30 quid if we don't.

[Donnywolf]

Forget the doom and gloom of the past 6 games. I'm as pissed off as everyone else.  Take yourselves back to the start of the season and ask yourselves if you'd been offered our current position as a given what would you have said

I think most would have been more than happy

I usually like to look back to Threads pre Season asking a) what we would be happy with before a Ball was kicked - and b) where we would actually finished - and there are some diverse views on the latter one but generally a "quick return" was a favoured view

In my Competition that did not get off the ground Rovers were predicted as Champions by 6 Runners up by 4 and Third by 1 and 5 thought we would be in the Playoffs. Williams was almost universally going to be top scorer with only 2 offering McSheffery. Highest Points predicted 94 with highest Goals Tally 89

Money will have been lost when people like me fell for the 100 Points and 100 Goals bet but at least with that I am not still harbouring any hopes !

[balbyrover]

This is like asking if you'd take being tossed off if you've pulled a worldie because turns out she wasn't in the mood for it when you got back to hers.

Best post of the thread. Exactly what its like.  From the position we were in we should be going into the Hartlepool game as champions already.

Im just relieved that we had enough of a cushion to stay in the automatics because at the moment,I really wouldnt fancy us in the playoffs.

Overall,promotion means its been a good season with plenty of positives,but it is worrying in the manner we have let the title slip and the warning signs are there for next season.

[Donnywolf]

Best post of the thread title did not last long - as you took it the very next Post !

Short and to the point AND accurate all round

[Susan Abbott]

After the abject failure of last season promotion was the only way DRFC was going keep the fans happy .  There are signs of why we got relegated in the first place on view the last few games namely that DF has not completely got to grips with his casual honesty to the media about how he thinks the players handle defeat and the reality. Our run in was as hard as our promotion has been earned . These games came all at once and the importance of NOT loosing wasn't evident on the pitch . We did not dig in and compete but just tried to wait for opportunity to arrive . You have to make things happen and when it doesn't don't loose ,not just try and out tack tic your opponents . When you know your own weaknesses you can bet your opponents do also . Plymouth Blackpool Exeter all understood how to win away . If we had drawn these games it was job done .we will need to have a plan B next season or we will be out played at home every week .

[Michael Shaw]

Quite right Susan. If we did not have the ability to win the title, I can live with that, but when we don't care enough to bother making the effort is what is hard to swallow. They show the same distinct lack of pride and commitment we saw last season and thought we had flushed it away, clearly not. And even Ferguson can't motivate them to have just won a few games and wrapped it up.
Yes, I would have been delighted to have been in the top 3 at the start of the season, but professional pride by the players should have wanted the title and the last batch of games have shown they have none. It's not lack of talent or ability. it's solely attitude to have gone over the line.

[glosterred]

Everyone would have taken 3rd at the start of the season, what is gauling is going from 7 points in front to being 1 point behind the leaders with one game to play.

COYR

[Sammy Chung was King]

Yes because promotion was the main aim i don't think the sides getting massive criticism we are just disappointed after leading the table for so long-how do you think the manager and players feel?-much worse because they can influence things.

[Branton Rover]

Absolutely would have ripped your arm off in August for guaranteed promotion. It the circumstances of our capitulation, the fact we've been top since basically Christmas. I can only imagine how angry Copps will be at the complacency if his team mates by potentially chucking away another championship winners medal.

[ballysbackin]

I think it showed quite a bit last Saturday when he was subbed.

[steve@dcfd]

When the season started I wanted us to go up automatically and achieve 92 pts. We should have done that. I am happy we are promoted but the title was there for us to grasp.

I don't think it's complacency by the players, maybe expectation by us the supporters. I was one of the supporters who walked out at the third goal, I was wrong, we are promoted, we all should applaud that achievement.

What has shown that we have 11/12 players who have shown they can be a team good enough to beat anybody in this league.
We lost one of them early he was a pivotal player. We have other players in that 11/12 who have been or are carrying injuries and niggles. The players who have come in are good players but not up to their level.

Next Saturday we should return to the our most successful formation of four diamond two. 9 of the 11 who played in our best month January are available so we have to replace Baudry and Houghton. Wright and McCullough should do that.

It might be to late to win the title but a good performance and result is what's required let's hope the players chosen can match Hartlepools fight and come out on top.

[LincsRover]

In answer to the OP - yes, I would have grabbed 3rd with both hands even with my £50 on at 10/1, promotion was everything. However, 6 points clear and better GD with 4 games left? I should have already collected. Don't get me wrong, I'm not speaking from my pocket as I'm not stupid and I hedged my bets with Plymouth at 20/1 and Pompey at 40/1 so whatever happens I'm £500 up. But, I can't help thinking that momentum and confidence for next year will be lost if we don't go up as champions - I'll be at Hartlepool as I was at Brentford, Wembley & stoke. And I'm hoping for the same nail biting, edge of seat result!!

Come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!

 

[stuey]

At the beginning of the season, yes I'd have taken 3rd place. But a dozen or so games in it was obvious that this is a piss poor league that we should win comfortably. So, to finish 3rd or even 2nd would leave me a bit disappointed.

[IDM]

Hell yes, of course we would be happy with promotion at the start of the season.  We habe deserved it, and we have earned it.

Yes it is disappointing to finish like this, maybe missing out on the title, but we are UP..

As for the point someone made about the last few games showing we need to strengthen for next season - we need to strengthen anyway, and would need the same had we won the last couple of games..

[darren61]

NO WAY, i believe, and have for the past 40 yrs that we will win every game, against any foe. Ok, ive been let down a few times, but i will never stop. COYR 

[Donnywolf]

Forget the doom and gloom of the past 6 games. I'm as pissed off as everyone else.  Take yourselves back to the start of the season and ask yourselves if you'd been offered our current position as a given what would you have said

I think most would have been more than happy

YES

[Donnywolf]

Forget the doom and gloom of the past 6 games. I'm as pissed off as everyone else.  Take yourselves back to the start of the season and ask yourselves if you'd been offered our current position as a given what would you have said

I think most would have been more than happy

YES

Just imagine the S-T-R-A-I-N and stress all those Play Off teams  are going through right now. Battling to get in Play offs then the nerve jangling of 2 legs home and away (make sure you dont lose) just to make it to the Play Off Final

Then Winner takes all - one bad decision / one cock up / one duffed Penalty and a whole Seasons work gone - slide down the Snake and hope you can climb the Ladder next Season

NO b****r that . I will take 3rd like a flash

P.S. Come on Millwall at least for one more game !