Good Luck, Bad Luck & the Percentages Game

[pravda_plc]

As the controversy over the refereeing in the play off semi-final rumbles on, i'm amazed that nobody has considered how luck has a habit of evening itself out over a season.

Yes there were some poor calls by the referees in these 2 games but if we are honest we know full well that NCFC had more than their fair share of ridiculous refereeing decisions that went in our favour and gave us points towards the total needed to reach the play offs, that we would not have had if the referees in question had not made mistakes in our favour.

There are many decisions that have gone our way this season, but the three that stand out the most are the sendings off of opposition players in the first half of the home games against Chesterfield, Lincoln and Newport. All 3 sendings of were at best 'soft' and at worst an absolute travesty. They came when the games were clearly in the balance and in effect they gave Notts the 3 points.

It's time that Nolan stopped bleating about poor refereeing and admit that we have had a lot of game changing decisions given in our favour.

For me the reason we failed in the playoffs was that over the 2 games Coventry were significantly better than us. Our Stone Age hoofball has clearly been rumbled by a lot of opposition clubs in this league.

We were not good enough to get promoted - it's as simple as that.

[Elite_Pie]

I think we certainly had the rub of the green in the first half of the season, but not a lot went in our favour after Christmas. We never really looked like a playoff team, but we were a playoff team on merit. You must admit that it's a bit hard to take when the officials hand you a three goal handicap in a two-leg game!

[pravda_plc]

The joke refereeing decisions given in our favour, (particularly before Christmas), gave us the points we needed to make the play offs . So for me we got what we deserved - nowt.

I really don't think Nolan is doing himself, or our club, any favours by this constant bleating about poor refereeing. I would have more respect for him if he said: wow we got lucky with the refereeing today. Instead he trots out the usual managerial tosh, about not seeing the decision. Of course when it comes to a bad decision given against us, he's got his slide rule and camera out for the offside or any other infringement.

I hope he learns from this year's experience and gives his Stone Age football thinking a makeover.

Sorry but we came up short because we were just not good enough.

[jackal2]

I really don't think Nolan is doing himself, or our club, any favours by this constant bleating about poor refereeing. I would have more respect for him if he said: wow we got lucky with the refereeing today. Instead he trots out the usual managerial tosh, about not seeing the decision. Of course when it comes to a bad decision given against us, he's got his slide rule and camera out for the offside or any other infringement.

I hope he learns from this year's experience and gives his Stone Age football thinking a makeover.

The same general approach employed by Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, two of the most successful football managers ever.

I know when you're a kid you're taught that politeness and respect will impress people and put you first in the queue, but that's tosh, sadly. The people who get the most, generally speaking, are the ones who fight and scrap and complain. Nice guys finish last, by and large.

[sidders]

Nice guys finish last, by and large

You mean like Pele, Cruyff, the Bobbys Robson, Moore and Charlton.
Oh yeah, I get your drift...

[legs77]

Yeovil and Stevenage away we were denied absolute stone wall penalties ok we have to score them but that's 4 extra points there.

I know you have some good luck in games and some bad luck but I hate the phrase it all evens itself out I can bet you that it doesn't and with the money / technology in the game it shouldn't be that way.

Nolan is correct to say that premier league refs should be in all the play off matches if available which they were the stakes are too high for a rookie to be taking charge in my opinion, if anything some good might come of it as I think VAR will be in for next years play offs which is a huge step forward.

[jackal2]

Nice guys finish last, by and large

You mean like Pele, Cruyff, the Bobbys Robson, Moore and Charlton.
Oh yeah, I get your drift...

Perhaps it says something that all of your examples come from a bygone era of football.

Let me make it clear, I'm not saying I like the modern reality, but it is what it is. I would describe somebody like Jurgen Klopp as a modern day nice guy, but I suspect if the officials make a balls up this Saturday night, he won't be reluctant to let them know!

[i961pie]

Nice guys finish last, by and large

You mean like Pele, Cruyff, the Bobbys Robson, Moore and Charlton.
Oh yeah, I get your drift...

Only 40% of those were successful in management. How many nice guys become top managers? Just look at England's World Cup winning team there is only Jack Charlton that did anything and he wouldn't be described as a nice guy, popular but not particularly nice.

[DelroyFacey22]

Sorry but we came up short because we were just not good enough.

The red card's you've said went in our favour are a matter of opinion, I think one of them was rescinded on appeal or was that in a more recent game than the examples you listed? Either way, taking into account the 2 games in the playoffs, because that's what they are in effect, 2 games, on their own, to get to Wembley. You can't possibly look at them and not think a 3 goal advantage given to the team that won by 3 goals is down to us not being good enough.

I mean you could say that maybe if we'd scored 4 goals before they were awarded the penalty at the ricoh but my point is you shouldn't have to be better than bad officials or have to outscore there bad decisions, when you do, it's not a level playing field.

[pravda_plc]

The red card's you've said went in our favour are a matter of opinion, I think one of them was rescinded on appeal or was that in a more recent game than the examples you listed? Either way, taking into account the 2 games in the playoffs, because that's what they are in effect, 2 games, on their own, to get to Wembley. You can't possibly look at them and not think a 3 goal advantage given to the team that won by 3 goals is down to us not being good enough.

I mean you could say that maybe if we'd scored 4 goals before they were awarded the penalty at the ricoh but my point is you shouldn't have to be better than bad officials or have to outscore there bad decisions, when you do, it's not a level playing field.

Hi Delroy - what i'm trying to say is that if people think we were cheated out of the game by bad refereeing, they should consider whether we would have even got into the playoffs without dreadful refereeing decisions going in our favour.

I cited the first half sendings off against Chesterfield, Lincoln and Newport as examples but there were plenty of other dodgy decisions that went in our favour over the season as a whole.

For me you can not separate the play offs from the rest of the season. Sure we're all sick about how we lost but would we have even been in the playoffs, without the incorrect decisions that went in our favour throughout the 46 game season.

For me the answer is no. We were not good enough. Coventry have got the right balance in their squad: youth, experience, fitness, pace, skill and the ability to get stuck in when it is needed. I suggest that we are short on at least three of the qualities I have listed.

P.S. watch Exeter beat Coventry in the final...