the old 'points in the bag' rule proved so wrong

[bixieupnorth]

everyone always harps on about how its better to have the points than the games in hand, well this season we have proved that to be completely wrong as we allowed both shrewsbury and crawley to surge past us on the home straight

obviously this was due more to our inability to win games, as much as their winning those games, especially in crawleys case, who seemed as hell bent as us to not go up automatically

is this rule another of footballs unproven statistics?? the one that annoys me the most is the ridiculous one about the manager of the month being a curse, time and time again this has been proven to be unproveable, but someone always drags it up!

[friendlygas]

Whether "points in the bag" is better depends on 1) How many points you have in the "bag" and 2 your own "Current form" which IMO is the most important factor.
If you have four points in the bag and for example four teams with 2 games in hand on you then the chances are that one or maybe two of those teams will overtake you but it is also true that if you have four points in the bag AND maintain your own form that you will stay ahead of those teams. The truth is that when you have the points in the bag you are in fact setting a target for your opponents who know that they have to actually WIN two games to get above you. What you have done is not really based on the two games in hand that these teams had but over a much longer period they have been better than you and you were overtaken by a team like Shrewsbury who have played consistently well in the last 10 games. Crawley have been average even recently but have only just pipped you.
To summarise would I prefer 4 points in the bag or two games in hand I would take the four points everytime!!! Would I take three points or two games in hand I think I would go for the two games in hand!!!

[Southampton Gull]

In answer to the thread title, I disagree. It was the fact we barely added to those points in the bag that did for us.

[ferrarilover]

Unusually for Bix, this is a poorly judged topic. We didn't go up automatically because, over 46 games, we didn't get enough points. It has nothing to do with points in the bag or games in hand at any stage. Games in hand means a disjointed season, it means players either strung out, doing nothing and losing match fitness (in the case of bad weather), or it means the distraction of a cup run or two, playing lots of extra games and the inevitable fixture pile up towards the end of the season.
There is a team deep in the non-league who are playing 7 games in 6 days (yup, two in one day at some stage), because of fixture congestion. Ask them if they'd rather have games in hand or points in the bag.

Matt.

[royalgull]

In answer to the thread title, I disagree. It was the fact we barely added to those points in the bag that did for us.

Correct.

We needed 86 points and if we'd won 2 of our last 6 games we'd have got there and beaten Crawley to 3rd place. The problem was we didn't win a single one of them.

[Gullscorer]

Obviously for points in the bag to have any effect we needed to maintain our position and/or other teams to drop points. But the general principle holds good.

[bixieupnorth]

I think you'll see my second paragraph alluded to our inability to capitalise our position with any further points, well hardly any, from the time when they both had games in hand on us

admittedly the thread title was poorly chosen!

[Glostergull]

I think we have all Missed the point a little gentlemen. (well excepting Ferrari , gentleman I mean lol)

Whether we had points in an onion bag in a shopping trolley or whatever. you are all going on and on as if we had a bad season and we should have gained promotion by right.
Come on guys. We had a brilliant season. did we not.
At the biggining of this season we were all a little down. We had been badly let down and didn't see the new appointment as one to recharge interest. We thought at best we could aim for consoidation. we didn't think we could get any higher than tenth. and that some of our best players would be leaving.

Fact
We got more points than last seaon.
We did better than PB did
We achieved a club record of clean sheets in a season not bettered since 1965/6 season.
We are in the playoffs with the highest total of points since 2009
we have the highest position in the league since 2004 when ironicaly we finished with the same points.
We have one of the best squads in years with a little quality in depth (yes we could do with a couple more but have we got the money). compared to previous season recently
We have Bristows Bench well on the way to completion
We have now got a smart stadium with a good board and more to be optomistic about than for many many years.

Yes maybe we are all a little disapointed that we got pipped to the post. May be we were wishing for more than we had a right to. after all the teams that went up had far more resources than we did by a country mile.
And if you look at the playoffs we are still the smallest club involved bar Cheltenham and arguably they have a small advantage over us in what resources are available.
But we should be looking on a more positive note.

We didn't expect to be up here in this rarified atmosphere.
We didn't expect promotion
We didn't expect a Wembley final (Mind you we might not get there yet)
AND IN CONCLUSION. if I am honest with myself I didn't realisticaly expect us to be challenging for promotion for a good couple of years yet if ever which in my estimation tends to be more to do with trying to keep players for more than a couple of years as if they are any good they get snapped up rather too easily be bigger clubs who I am sure tend to view us a bargain basement united.
We have been very very Lucky with keeping players like Nico and Mansel who are sensible and honest enough to realise that maybe the grass ain't always greener on the other side of the fence. and love the atmosphere in the club and area.
Let's just enjoy what we have and may it go on for a long time yet.
I ain't to worried if we get promoted. I would rather have a succesful team in league two than a crap team in league one.
Come to think of it a crap team in league two wasn't much fun either.
Yes we did have the odd game (oh boy did we have some odd games) where we excelled but in general it was pretty boring fare.
A good season with a good League of FA cup run will do nicely and slowly build up to where we can get decent attendances which will sustain us for a lengthy period should we then be in a solid position to go up to league one.
As for now. If we go up, can we stay up and will we lose our good players too soon.
I will look back on this season with much pride and enjoyment. whatever the outcome!

And I have just had a big win on the lottery










Only Joking!!!

[Trojan 67]

Correct.

We needed 86 points and if we'd won 2 of our last 6 games we'd have got there and beaten Crawley to 3rd place. The problem was we didn't win a single one of them.

[the_shredder]

Just to clarify, we are arguing about whether it is better to win a game and have 3 points, or still have the game to play, giving us the potential to.... have the same, 3, points.......... 8/