ARNU wrote:This optical illusion people go on about really isn't one.When all was said and done we finished 9th.As someone who regularly puts up stats and diagrams Mike you know the end figures don't lie.Wayne did what was necessary to finish 9th,not enough to finish 8th.Did Stilly get 60 points many times and was that an illusion when he did ?
I really don't understand why you keep throwing John Still up in this discussion. We are talking here about Wayne Burnett. I agree that Still was pretty close to unsackable, and that was not a good place for the club to be, but he had kind of earned some space over his time in charge. Even then, there were a lot on here that had had enough by the point he called time and headed off to Luton. The season after relegation was a long way off being a good one, but he had earned the right to see it through.
As for 9th in 2013/14 being an optical illusion, i'll repeat my view again on that for you.
After the Wycombe win at home on the 30th November 2013 we were in 9th, 30 points from 19 games (1.58 points a game), 2 points off a play off spot, cruising with 6 wins out of 9 played at home. Burnett had us playing well, confident and it looked very positive for the rest of the season. That was the day of the "Pathetic" rant which left me staring at the radio in disbelief.
After that date we won just two more games at home, hanging on to 1-0 against Wimbledon on New Years Day (when D'Ath got himself red carded) and were battered for the whole second half, and 1-0 with the Howell double deflection against Oxford.
After the Wycombe game we proceeded to win 30 more points to finish on 60 at 1.11 points a game. Over a full season that would mean 51 points and a relegation battle.
60 points that season was closer to relegation (Bristol Rovers went down on 50) than a play off spot (York in 7th had 71). Generally 60 points would get you mid table at best, but that season was actually very close, just 10 points between 9th and 23rd. The pinball goal aaginst Oxford doesn't go in and we are 13th. We don't come back in the rain against Scunthorpe as well and its 15th.
I know its ifs and buts, but we were flattered with 9th, you know it, I know it. Shouting about how great it was does not make it great.
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