On point 2 Gav you are missing the point. If as you say it's not a fair comparison between us and the parachute clubs, what on earth makes Man City a fair comparison to us given there is an even bigger disparity between them and us? No strikers is the modern way? I'd probably class Salah, Mane, Jota and Firmino (or at least some of these) as strikers. Chelsea have Lukaku and Werner. Kane at Spurs. Manure have Ronaldo and Cavani. I'm not sure this really stacks up and is a good defence for us not playing strikers on occasions. Also whilst Gally may have been played there, how many games has he been shunted out wide? Far more than as a striker. It's a bit of an odd one to defend TM on really.

Sadly not as flimsy as our recent scoring record. Also given you often talk about how we can't compete with parachute money (which I also disagree with btw but that's for another day) it seems a bit odd to then compare us to City.

Good point but there's a fair few other differences as well. Back then no one thought playing a DM whose legs had gone as a false 9 was a good idea. Back then we didn't have 4+ years of totally falling away in utter freefall post Christmas. Back then the owners knew something about football. Chalk and cheese really.

You also have to factor in Coyle got shafted funds wise in comparison to what TM will get to spend (even based on this season's current more limited funds for him.) That makes it a hell of an achievement.

Given the amount he has time he has had with us, the youth set up he has inherited, the money spent and lack of pressure on results this is in itself a stunningly impressive feat.

Clutching at the thinnest of straws I think Millwall and Coventry are slipping out of the hunt for playoffs. They both seem to have stalled form wise. Indifferent form and a lack of games left let makes me think they will struggle to get ahead of us. The negative. Boro and Forrest can easily dump us out of playoffs. Worst still we lost a game to Paul Ince, an utterly incompetent manager in charge of one of the weakest teams in the division. Paul sodding Ince. He's zero managerial acumen and somehow he's managed to beat us. Terrible, terrible stuff and a new low for Rovers.

Spoke with a Bournemouth fan yesterday and he thought Parker was a good manager! Mind you given he compared Parker to Tindall and Woodgate I can see.wherre the favourable comparison comes from. That said I was still a tad surprised he thought so highly of Parker, who despite a big budget and a good squad in a poor league seems to be making it as hard as possible to get promoted.

I struggle to convey how bad the Johnson gaff was and how that makes TM a liability even though he has his plus points. Using a building analogy. He knows how to build a wall. He can build a decent if not great one. But you have every chance he will use pritt stick glue instead of mortar. It undermines everything he does Contrast with the likes of Coyle who would struggle to create said wall, but would never confuse mortar and glue. His mistakes are that bad.

And surely responsibility must be taken for Johnson as a false 9? I mean that's beyond stupid. A kid wouldn't do it. No other manager would either. This is why I find it so hard to like him and give him credit because he does things no other professional manager, no matter how substandard, would do. It's hard to praise a recovery - impressive as it was - when his unprofessional errors cause the need for said recovery.

Vital, vital 3 points. Without them we were certain to slip out of the playoffs. Now although it still depends on what other teams do to an extent we have given ourselves a bit more breathing space. We, or rather TM, doesn't half make it hard for ourselves. Dack may not be ready to start but you cannot line up with Johnson as a false 9. That's beyond stupidity and almost cost us. Three goals will do the world of good to the teams confidence and to the individuals who scored them too. It breaks the pressure of where is the next goal coming from which is going to be crucial to the run in. We need to build on this now and keep grinding some more points out.

A random thought on the Johnson debacle. If TM did want a tall physical presence in the middle, if only there was an alleged striker with attributes to fill that role. Madness...

I mean, was Johnson a bit too comfortable at centre back? No one, absolutely no one, would start Johnson as a traditional no 9 much less a false one. No matter what he's merits, these moves which a child simply would not do, are gross incompetence. No, gross negligence, and undo any claim to good work he can make.

We may win because: - We don't concede many. That may keep us in the game, and a goal can come from anywhere - like the QPR keeper error - even if undeserved. If we keep it tight a Derby error/stroke of luck/bit of brilliance could be enough to win it for us. - Derby need the points. They will have to come forward and attack which plays into our hands and allows us to counter attack. - They have a small squad that must be tired and combined with the off field problems and their herculean efforts and still being in trouble, you'd suspect they may be a bit jaded. We might lose because: - You still need to score to win games. And relying on errors from opponents or brilliance isn't the greatest strategy. If we can't score, we can't win. - Derby will be much more up for the fight. The front half of the team don't like scrapping. - TM is guaranteed to do something monumentally stupid to make it harder for us. Playing Giles at right wing, Lenihen at right back, playing Gallagher. Our manager can turn the margins against us with his idiocy. So with all this in mind I reckon it will be a draw. We should win this type of game, we often lose them but I think we will keep it tight enough to get a point.

That's one of our favourite strategies...

Goodness me TMs front knows no bounds! Maybe it's me but the most crucial factor in winning games is y'know scoring goals. Maybe if he focussed on that we night win a few more games...

Millwall Hudds and Forest QOR are the two that affect us most. Draws might be most useful for us in those games. On paper looks like some promotion chasing teams should be getting 3 points so let's hope for some of the championship's unpredictability.

Indeed it really does skew opinion - mine included - and perhaps does detract from things. This is a really helpful post not least as it helps me think why the runs are problematic in themselves. As you say the end result is more relevant. I think my legitimate issue with the poor runs areas follows: 1) it shows a lack of accountability. Anywhere else such runs would not be tolerated..there's a frustration there is no accountability from on high or even contrition from the man himself. 2) It shows an inability to react. That the poor form.has come three times in the latter half of the season shows a lack of any plan B - once we are found out it can't be arrested - and insufficient work in. January to capitalise on good form. It seems as a club we are a bit of a one trick pony that gets found out. That's on the manager. In short circumstances do matter. For example whilst Coyle was and is a useless manager the record has to show and mitigate for the fact he was utterly shafted with funding. I think the circumstances do have some baring albeit less so than perhaps the focus warrants.

Enough games in hand to limp to safety. Hardly a great achievement by Lampard given there's been no up turn in form, but as you say it'll be hailed as a great success. Ironically it's Benitez's early form that will keep them up.

I'm no TM fan and I don't think he is very good. But Ince is a whole other level of useless. Reading are a weak team and with Ince at the helm I'm certain we win that one. Too much is in our favour not to. Derby on the other hand. Fighting for their lives. A decent number of points barring the deductions. Think that one we will struggle with.

Quick question: TMs good and bad spells have all come in runs. Do people think fans would look more or less positively on TM if our results were more interspersed rather than a run of wins or losses? If it was more WLWLD would fans look on him more or less favourably? I appreciate the runs show other things as well but I do wonder if it skews opinions on his ability.

He spiked Gargano on his head from a power slam last year which was very.nasty too. Like the character but he's a liability in the ring imo.

Am on ignore but could someone please highlight how the manager is to be credited with having us in the playoffs (for now) but excused from being blamed for our poor run of form. Genuine question - how can he be credited with the league position and absolved of recent performances. Surely the same person(s) are responsible for both?

I am astounded that anyone couldn't see the double standards in this. (actually I think he can and on the wind up.) If you are responsible for extending contracts then as you say by definition you have to be responsible when players don't sign. It's either your responsibility or it isn't. Mind you, if the club is as brilliant and as flawless as Chaddy says, I'm at a loss to know how we haven't got promoted as yet. I mean if we are that error free how come we haven't been promoted?

What's really annoying is it should be quite easy to limp into playoffs. Goodness we are still in them despite a dearth of goals. Sure teams have games in hand and I expect us to drop out sooner or later but given how poor we have been it's been remarkable we are still in them. Just winning one more game in the latest horror run would have made a huge difference. We could have afforded pretty mediocre form to still make it and yet we are making heavy weather of it all.

It gets me as well. Fwiw if you have to justify it in the local paper it probably isn't the smartest move you could make...