Does the fact that Town have missed out on the play-offs, where they finished last term, mean this season must be regarded as a failure?

Midfielder Cole Skuse offered the view recently that he saw it that way but captain Luke Chambers isn’t so sure, explaining: “I don’t like the word failure because it’s not as if we have completely blown it.

“We have maybe just lacked a bit of squad depth and a bit of quality when we have needed it. Whether you change that by spending money is a question for other people to decide. I think we’ve had a good season but I understand the fans’ frustration of late.

“They want to be entertained and we haven’t been scoring enough goals at home, which has maybe been our downfall.

“Last season our home form was the bedrock of the success we had and this season we haven’t been able to match it, which is something we need to look at and maybe approach games in a different way next season.”

Chambers & Co have come under fire in recent weeks, particularly at Portman Road, and he was delighted with last week’s 3-2 home win over already-relegated MK Dons, even if he was forced to surrender his ever-present league record as teenager Josh Emmanuel replaced him at right-back.

He said: “It was important that we got the home win last week against MK Dons because our fans haven’t had much to shout about at Portman Road in the last few weeks. I was delighted that we got the three points and we would love to get another three at Derby on Saturday.

“It would be great to go up there and upset them, like we did at Middlesbrough in our last away game. We’ll be going up there fully prepared and ready to try to finish the season on a high note.

“We want to go up there and do ourselves justice, give everything we can and possibly derail Derby.

“With my Forest links I’ll be doing all I can to beat them. When I was at Forest it was massive rivalry with Derby — we had some good games and some incidents along the way.

“There was no love lost between us and things have changed since I was at Forest. We made the play-offs two years running and they were struggling but the power has shifted a little bit.”

Chambers turned to his dressing room colleagues and added: “I think they all know my feelings towards them.

“The gaffer makes no secret of the fact that he can never fault the lads for lack of trying, whereas in the past when I first joined there were a lot of fingers that could have been pointed.

“I think this club has come a long way since the manager took over — don’t forget we were at the bottom of the table after finishing 15th the previous season. Back then we were just flirting with the bottom half of the table.

“With hindsight it’s easy to say we have finished seventh or eighth and the teams above us are the teams who have spent all the money. That might be the reason they are above us in the top six and fighting their way towards promotion.

“But we can still hold our heads high and think we have had a good season, although we have not reached the heights we expected to reach. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and admit we weren’t quite good enough in the end.”

Photo: Action Images

essexboy added 13:54 - May 6 Well said Captain.!!
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battyblue added 13:57 - May 6 We have had a good season,,well that's a matter of opinion Cambo maybe yours but not mine when the same mistakes are made game after game and still the manager picks the same team unless he is forced to make a change through injury then regardless of performance Ie Josh E back in comes his favourites soon as available MM out........
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Kirbmeister added 14:11 - May 6 battyblue - you're right, Chambers should have said "We were crap and MM doesn't know what he's doing. I wish Marcus would sack him, and fast!"
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iaintaylorx added 14:13 - May 6 One thing I love, is our captain. Says it perfectly! Played out of position all season, but still is 100% commited to the cause. Would love to have seen him and Smith in the centre with Emanuel and Kenlock wide! Berra has been too inconsistent this season. Well said Chambo, hope to see the fist pump more next season!
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Sir_Bob added 14:25 - May 6 Nice guy, genuine guy, good team mate, but what an absolutely average footballer. I can't even see why people want him back playing CH again. He's made more mistakes than any other player. Whether he's playing out of position or not, he's bang average!!!!!! Another player, if we have any aspirations of getting promoted, who we need to move on.
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hoppy added 14:32 - May 6 “I don't like the word failure because it's not as if we have completely blown it." Have we made the playoffs, or still have a chance of being in the playoffs if we win tomorrow? No? then yes, we have completely blown it. That said, if we can finish on a positive note, make the right moves in the summer, and come back stronger and ready for action next season. If Chambo is still the best man to be in his best position, then I'm happy to have a captain as committed as he definitely is, and connects with the fans as much as he does. As iaintaylorx says... bring on those fist pumps!

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Currie10 added 16:05 - May 6 " We have maybe just lacked a bit of squad depth and a bit of quality " Chambo you may be talking about midfield and uptop regarding this and may have a point. However, the inability to drop the immovable objects in defence at times the past 3/4 years has been a major ball ache of me with McCarthy whom I do like. He'll keep faith with certain players till the cows come home but others, in out in out. That said, I'm sure I read somewhere that on 33 or so games the defence has either kept a clean sheet or just coneded the once, that's quite incredible.

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Len_Brennan added 16:32 - May 6 @Sir Bob: I think you are right that Chambers is a "Nice guy, genuine guy, good team mate" however I think it's harsh to say that he is "an absolutely average footballer". As a right back yes, but I don't remember many of us thinking that he was an average centre half in this league prior to his relocation. I thought he'd had a very decent run at centre half before Berra came in & the defence was reorganised and I am convinced that he would be a fans favourite today had he remained playing on the right side of a patrnership, with either Bearra or Smith alongside. Obviously we would have had to bring in a right back to have facilitated that. Whetehr he could return to that level having been re-programmed over the last 2+ years is another matter however.

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cats_whiskers added 17:47 - May 6 It is McCarthy showing his shortcomings by playing him in an unsuitable position Andthe manager having two left footed defenders play in central defence who aren't the most agile either. One central defender needs to move on!!! And move chambers back as a centre half, then perhaps his better abilities might be more noticeable. On another issue Neither Smith or Berra been that effective in scoring from set plays this season, especially Berra Smith last scored in September 2015 and has a total of two Berra has just got one and that was against Bolton in March. No announcement about Smith's contract, so maybe he's going to become a free agent, unlike Hyam's announcement

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prebbs007 added 18:29 - May 6 Teams know all they need to do is attack us at RB and RCB. Chambers and Smith both horribly out of position and both weak links in the team in the role the dinosaur has selected them for. The number of goals against through that channel is embarrassing so to say we've had a good season is trash Luke. The team and you have been shocking in 2016 and exactly when we needed to push on the owner the manager and the players failed the club and then when season tickets need to be sold all of the above lied to us again about ambition, targets and the future. Heard enough and so have many many fans which is why sales are down 20% and the early bird deadline extended. You and the other dross are not good enough and we will be fighting at the other end of the table next season with the current regime and squad !!! So wish to be proved wrong but I doubt it.

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essexboy added 18:35 - May 6 Yes,Chambers was not at his best playing at FB,but what you have to remember is MM played him there,possibly not his choice so why blame him.
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HackneyBlue added 21:23 - May 6 You can not blame Chambers,its like asking a plumber to re-wire your house,you can blame MM as most of Chambers performances were shocking,no quality at all consistantly playing long balls into touch without a care in the world.This can not happen next season,for the good of the club and for Chambers.
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