History repeating?

[BillyStubbsTears]

A few months ago, I made one of my not very well thought out comments about whether this season was going to be a repeat of O'Driscoll's season at Bournemouth in 2000-01.

Just looked at things agin, and the similarities are 'kin well uncanny.

Think about it.

That season Bournemouth got off to a poor start. Check.

By mid-October, they were looking at a relegation dogfight. Check.

They then had a loan signing striker (Jermain Defoe) suddenly spring into superb goalscoring form. Check.

They went of a run of 8 wins from 10 league matches around Xmas. We had a run of 6 wins from 8.

They followed this with a loss of form and a run of 10 points from 10 matches. We had a run of 8 points from 9 matches.

After 36 matches, they were in 11th place. Check.

That was the one and only season in O'Driscoll's career that his side's form didn't dip over the last couple of months of the season. After that bad run of form, they pulled it back together and won 8 of the last 10 matches. They needed to win away at Reading on the last day of the season to clinch a play-off place.

The match has gone down in Bournemouth folklore. In front of 20-odd thousand, they were 2-0 up after 25 minutes, 3-1 at half-time, but conceded a last minute equaliser to miss out on the play-offs by two points.

In the close season, Defoe went back to Spurs, wasn't replaced and Bournemouth went down the following season.

Wonder if we'll get the happy ending this year?

EDIT: It gets even more uncanny:

After 7 matches, they had 7 points. Exactly the same as us this season.

After 14 matches, they had 13 points. We had 14.

After 21 matches, they had 25 points. We had 27

After 28 matches, they had 40 points. We had 38.

After 36 matches, they had 48 points. Just like us now.

PS: Defoe ended up with 18 league goals that season. Sharp had better bang more than 3 in in these last 10 matches - I've got the thick end of half a grand riding on him.

[NigelJ]

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

In the close season, Defoe went back to Spurs, wasn't replaced and Bournemouth went down the following season.

Wonder if we'll get the happy ending this year?

I'll settle for the happy ending NEXT year.  

[Snods Shinpad 2]

Having had a look, Bournemouth were 13 points off the play offs at the same time of the season, where as we are only 4 points off.

Their last 10 games were W8 D1 L1. Quite a record.

Looking at our run in:

A   Peterborough                   
H   Sheffield Utd                   
H     Newcastle                   
A   Barnsley                   
H   Plymouth                   
A   Blackpool                   
H   WBA   
A   Ipswich Town                   
H   Scunthorpe                   
A   Swansea City   

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic here, but to me that's a pretty decent run in.

Some cracking games coming up and it could easily go down to the last game of the season and if it does, it's looking like Swansea could be taking it easy after getting a play off place already.

Rovers v Forest for a place in the Premiership anyone?