Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
People talk about the Reading and Derby points deductions (in fact any club's points deductions) as if they were random 'acts of god' that hit the unlucky club and benefitted their rivals.

Rubbish.

These clubs have been doing wrong. They have been breaking the rules to benefit themselves, their squads, and their league position.

The points deductions are to correct and punish their wrong-doing.

It is a similar mindset to our fans who constantly claim the team were lucky because the opposition hit a post or our goalkeeper saved a shot. If it wasn't for X, Y or Z then something else would have happened! Usually it involves ignoring any and all of our close shaves or missed attempts and concentrating on where we might have shipped a goal if the other side were more accurate or lucky!

It is a weird form of masochism.

If we stay up this season because Derby and/or Reading finish below us because of a points deduction we will have deserved it. They are not unlucky. They got caught and punished.
I'm not sure the claim is so much that these teams are unlucky. But more just that based on results alone this season we would be lower still. Yes, it's ifs and buts territory but perhaps a warning that some teams behind us have actually been performing better than us so far overall and if things continue as they are we should probably expect them to catch and possibly overtake us.