Play-off games that are of secondary importance

[Audrey]

Momentum is huge. Power shit out after losing to Preston. Build, slowly and steadily and overtake the bigger clubs who have overstretched themselves financially.

[dalumpimunki]

Under PdC we were in a great position to win promotion to the Championship in his 2nd season right to the point that Jed came in to spoil things.

I know this is the great myth that's built up around that season because some fans hero worshiped the man but it doesn't match the facts.

1. PDC's stated reason for leaving in his press statements on resigning were the failure of the FA to approve the takeover of the club and 3 loan deals.
2. But we all know he set the deadline for the takeover as a means to escape when the existing board cut off his transfer money supply and sold Matt Ritchie in the January window to fund the club whilst the takeover as transacted.
3. Anyone with any degree of cynicism suspects that there might have already been quiet discussions with his agent about the Sunderland job. Because there's no way you sack MO'N on 30th March and negotiate with that shark in less than 24 hrs to appoint PDC the next day.
4. At no point under PDC were we in an automatic promotion spot. Our results all season were mixed. Our average league position under him was 6th. Final finishing position 6th

I know that the run of brilliant results over Xmas and NY made it feel like we had the momentum, but that hadn't been sustained. We'd gone from a run of games scoring 16 goals in 4 without reply to losing Ritchie and a run of 4 scoring only 2 from open play and 1 pen.

I can remember people moaning about some of the results in the run in but a lot of the sides we did badly against  under MacDonald we'd not got results against under PDC earlier in the season.

I look at the way those seasons went and can't help but feel that the way PDC 'managed' the team, the scatter gun approach to transfers, the
Approach to man management, all of which cost a bloody fortune, and the way Fitton allowed him to squander resources probably helped push Black to call it quits.

Tried the same thing at Sunderland in his first closed season; signed 13 players, immediately fell out with half of them, wanted shot of a couple by the time the season started, and they got rid 5 games into the season and he's never worked again.

[DV]

Never in an automatic spot granted but we were third with 55 points when he left a massive 1 point behind the top two.

Then after the Tranmere game which he’d prepared for, picked the team etc we were top.


Sure, his management & spending did us no favours in the long term - but you can’t tell me that side wasn’t challenging for promotion, we were going up as Champions !!!

[Audrey]

I’m with Mansfield today - our Wembley opponents

[cdakev]

I’m with Mansfield today - our Wembley opponents

I agree with you Aud

[skiptotheLouMacari]

I agree with you Aud

I'd sooner have Northampton if given the choice.
Just a small matter of getting pissed Vale first 🙏🙏

[Nomoreheroes]

I will probably watch the Northants vs Mansfield game, because I don't want to watch Eurovision. But, wrt the result, I am ambivalent.

I think too many people are thinking about the final. I am worried that Port Vale are the toughest opponents in the semis. I have a bad feeling about the tie.

[Batch]

Port Vale are going to be mighty though. I have no doubt. it's a real 50/50.

That we are in the playoffs, in good form and afaik relatively injury free is all we can ask for.

[dalumpimunki]

Never in an automatic spot granted but we were third with 55 points when he left a massive 1 point behind the top two.

Then after the Tranmere game which he’d prepared for, picked the team etc we were top.


Sure, his management & spending did us no favours in the long term - but you can’t tell me that side wasn’t challenging for promotion, we were going up as Champions !!!

I'm not saying we weren't. Challenging, we clearly were. I'm just casting doubt on your final statement. If fans of any other club claimed they were nailed on for winning the league in a season when they had been top for a massive  four days, and were only in the auto spots for a couple of weeks in total, we'd laugh at how delusional they were.

I'm also suggesting we probably missed Ritchie more than PDC, as the goals cried up from his departure and as I said we suddenly went from winning games 4 and 5 nil to a run of low scoring draws and wins by the odd goal.

And stop blaming Jed and the new owners for PDC leaving. He left because Black pulled the plug on the blank check supply for signings and sold his best player at a key stage of the season. Blame Black, or PDC himself for stropping off when he didn't get his own way. If Macari or Hoddle or Ardiles had done the same when a key player was flogged on deadline day we'd never have got to the PL.

[Batch]

anyway, happy playoff eve

[Batch]

I blame black for stitching us up with the first chancer he could get to take over

I get he was desperate to get out. But it stated the sequence of events that undid all the good guys money had provided, with interest

[dalumpimunki]

anyway, happy playoff eve

Yeah. Screw it. History.

[adje]

Well under Macari we had back to back promotions and then got into the play offs in our 2nd season in the Championship (Div 2 at the time).

Under PdC we were in a great position to win promotion to the Championship in his 2nd season right to the point that Jed came in to spoil things.

Its definately possible on the crest of a wave back to back promotions.

The atmosphere pre match on the terrace at Selhurst was electric. Lasted about 10 minutes post k.o.when we went 2-0 down!

[Peter Venkman]

The atmosphere pre match on the terrace at Selhurst was electric. Lasted about 10 minutes post k.o.when we went 2-0 down!

I missed the first 10 mins as the special train was late with about 800 of us on it so we missed the 1st goal and there was no scoreboard there in those days so we didn't know we were a goal down on entry to the ground.

[Nomoreheroes]

The atmosphere pre match on the terrace at Selhurst was electric. Lasted about 10 minutes post k.o.when we went 2-0 down!

I prefer to remember the electric atmosphere at Selhurst Park against Gillingham and the unbelieveable scenes during the trip home!