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Last year, WBA lost to Palace and then Barnsley (matches 8 & 9) but were still promoted.
Newcastle lost to Forest and Scunny (matches 12 & 13) in 09/10 but were Champions come May.
Wolves in 08/09 lost twice in a row twice but still won the league. Firstly they lost to Reading and Swansea (matches 9 & 10) and then again to Coventry and Burnley (matches 32 & 33).
Birmingham also in 08/09 lost twice in a row twice. We beat them in the snow and then they lost at home to Coventry (matches 14 & 15) and then they lost to PNE and Reading (matches 23 & 24) but still finished 2nd.
In 07/08, Champions WBA lost to the mighty Saints and Colchester in matches 10 and 11.
Stoke, runners up in 07/08, lost twice in a row twice firstly in games 13 & 14 to Bristol City and Coventry and then again in matches 35 and 36 against PNE and then when we thumped them 3-0.
Sunderland did it a number of times in 06/07 including losing their opening 4 matches (versus Coventry, Birmingham, Plymouth and Southend) and then in matches 11 and 12 they lost to PNE and Stoke and then in matches 15 and 16 they lost to Cardiff and Norwich but were still crowned Champions.
2nd place in 06/07 was Birmingham and they lost to Luton in match 11 and then lost match 12 to Norwich. They also lost matches 27 and 28 that year against Ipswich and then Southend. They also lost matches 40 and 41 to Burnley and Barnsley.
Reading in 2005/06 were the last team to not lose two games in a row and gain promotion come the end of the season. Sheffield United however that season finished 2nd but they did lose two in a row against Coventry and Norwich (matches 38 & 39).
I've no idea how badly any of them performed in those losses. I've no idea if any of those teams felt that they had lost the momentum and had been worked out by the opposition but what I do know is that the last 10 teams (or 11 out of 12) lost two games in a row in a season that they were automatically promoted. Their fans might have felt similar to how some of our fans are feeling now but they hadn't been worked out, they didn't lose momentum they just got a wake up call and responded. Time will tell if we do that but if the above doesn't give you some confidence then you'll just have to wait until Boxing Day (or What a Sporting Day as it should be called) to see if those losses have had a positive reaction to the team.
Newcastle lost to Forest and Scunny (matches 12 & 13) in 09/10 but were Champions come May.
Wolves in 08/09 lost twice in a row twice but still won the league. Firstly they lost to Reading and Swansea (matches 9 & 10) and then again to Coventry and Burnley (matches 32 & 33).
Birmingham also in 08/09 lost twice in a row twice. We beat them in the snow and then they lost at home to Coventry (matches 14 & 15) and then they lost to PNE and Reading (matches 23 & 24) but still finished 2nd.
In 07/08, Champions WBA lost to the mighty Saints and Colchester in matches 10 and 11.
Stoke, runners up in 07/08, lost twice in a row twice firstly in games 13 & 14 to Bristol City and Coventry and then again in matches 35 and 36 against PNE and then when we thumped them 3-0.
Sunderland did it a number of times in 06/07 including losing their opening 4 matches (versus Coventry, Birmingham, Plymouth and Southend) and then in matches 11 and 12 they lost to PNE and Stoke and then in matches 15 and 16 they lost to Cardiff and Norwich but were still crowned Champions.
2nd place in 06/07 was Birmingham and they lost to Luton in match 11 and then lost match 12 to Norwich. They also lost matches 27 and 28 that year against Ipswich and then Southend. They also lost matches 40 and 41 to Burnley and Barnsley.
Reading in 2005/06 were the last team to not lose two games in a row and gain promotion come the end of the season. Sheffield United however that season finished 2nd but they did lose two in a row against Coventry and Norwich (matches 38 & 39).
I've no idea how badly any of them performed in those losses. I've no idea if any of those teams felt that they had lost the momentum and had been worked out by the opposition but what I do know is that the last 10 teams (or 11 out of 12) lost two games in a row in a season that they were automatically promoted. Their fans might have felt similar to how some of our fans are feeling now but they hadn't been worked out, they didn't lose momentum they just got a wake up call and responded. Time will tell if we do that but if the above doesn't give you some confidence then you'll just have to wait until Boxing Day (or What a Sporting Day as it should be called) to see if those losses have had a positive reaction to the team.
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