When the server packed up (or something) at ten to two just as I was finishing my comment about magical substitutions I feared the worst. I thought a situation had arisen in which none (or very few) of us would ever be able to communicate with each other again.
Horrible. Such a relief that it’s up and running again.
We’re going to be that team that slumps into the playoffs and tamely go out in the semis.
With every week that passes we seem further away from the total football team we saw in the first third of the season, scoring for fun. We are much less than the sum of our parts.
The frustrating thing is we never really have the Birmingham game or this one a real go. Far to defensive minded and inexplicably direct.
I admire your optimism. We have to play all of the six teams immediately below us in the table in our final ten games. I don't think we'll finish in the play-off places.
A win on Tuesday would definitely be very welcome.
We've been mediocre for some time now - in fact all season really apart from the exceptional period in October / November was it?. So while it would be wrong to blame MD for the way we had deteriorated, he certainly hasn't got us playing on the front foot with a swagger.
I remain very unconvinced of him as a head coach. To miss out on even the play-offs will be a real missed opportunity this season. January business still looks very odd.
At least we annihilated the Welsh in the rugby - small comfort.
To miss the play-offs would be in football terms, (need to state that after real life stuff today) a real disaster.
Doddsy must wonder what on earth is going on finding such a bloated squad. He's got a near impossible job keeping everyone happy.
We might get to mid season in 2025/26 and say what incredible genius it was bringing some of these players in, but right now it seems to be a weird scattergun collection.
Actually I don't think MD has to keep them all happy. What he has to do is create a winning team - if a few players are left out and feel unhappy that's sad but so be it @Malone.
Unfortunately he hasn't yet created a winning team, we are mediocre at best.
I think we will have a big churn of players in the summer anyway. Whether that's to meet the challenges of the Championship or a renewed go at League 1 remains to be seen.
I think the fact that we've played 9 games so far this season against the other teams currently in the top 8 places and we've only won one of them (at Stockport) is a bit of a worry. Especially as we have to play top-eight teams another 5 times in the run-in.
The league table since New Years Day has us in 14th place. Dramatic improvements are needed if we are to sustain any push for the top 2. I genuinely think we will now finish 6th at best.
IF we can make the playoffs then we should all have a good look at Oxford last season. Top 2 for ages, fell away badly under a new, rookie managwr, stumbled into the playoffs and then produced a Knockout football masterclass to beat an in-form Peterborough over two legs and a highly-fancied Bolton in the final.
The biggest concern for me - as @Vital says above - is our awful record against the other top sides this season.
Comments
Such a shame if the Gasroom is allowed to come to an end. 🤦🤦
If this place closes before I discover what 'promote' means I shall weep bitter tears.
When the server packed up (or something) at ten to two just as I was finishing my comment about magical substitutions I feared the worst. I thought a situation had arisen in which none (or very few) of us would ever be able to communicate with each other again.
Horrible. Such a relief that it’s up and running again.
No
No.
I was optimistic until today, but now no. Charlton will finish ahead of us (and probably Wrexham, who are extremely limited). 4th or 5th
No
We’re going to be that team that slumps into the playoffs and tamely go out in the semis.
With every week that passes we seem further away from the total football team we saw in the first third of the season, scoring for fun. We are much less than the sum of our parts.
The frustrating thing is we never really have the Birmingham game or this one a real go. Far to defensive minded and inexplicably direct.
I admire your optimism. We have to play all of the six teams immediately below us in the table in our final ten games. I don't think we'll finish in the play-off places.
We could quite easily miss the play-offs altogether looking at the games left.
However, we could also win on Tuesday and be 2nd again.
But we don't look a threat at all right now. Maybe too much obsession with "control" and not enough on taking the risks to play attacking football.
4th. 3-1 losers over two legs.
Mid table form for 3 months now.
Will probably scrape into the play offs but won't beat whoever we get in the semis.
It shows how incredible we must have been for so long in the season for us to sustain 2nd until today!
A win on Tuesday would definitely be very welcome.
We've been mediocre for some time now - in fact all season really apart from the exceptional period in October / November was it?. So while it would be wrong to blame MD for the way we had deteriorated, he certainly hasn't got us playing on the front foot with a swagger.
I remain very unconvinced of him as a head coach. To miss out on even the play-offs will be a real missed opportunity this season. January business still looks very odd.
At least we annihilated the Welsh in the rugby - small comfort.
To miss the play-offs would be in football terms, (need to state that after real life stuff today) a real disaster.
Doddsy must wonder what on earth is going on finding such a bloated squad. He's got a near impossible job keeping everyone happy.
We might get to mid season in 2025/26 and say what incredible genius it was bringing some of these players in, but right now it seems to be a weird scattergun collection.
We are going to lose to Charlton over two legs in the playoffs.
Oh god, just the thought of “the Reverend” losing his shit after beating us doesn’t bear thinking about.
There's no guarantee we will even get in the playoffs now!
That’s a very fair point also.
I could yet gain the none-more-pyrrhic victory of my pre-season prediction of an 8th-10th finish coming true.
I think Charlton might get 2nd with their run in.
Actually I don't think MD has to keep them all happy. What he has to do is create a winning team - if a few players are left out and feel unhappy that's sad but so be it @Malone.
Unfortunately he hasn't yet created a winning team, we are mediocre at best.
I think we will have a big churn of players in the summer anyway. Whether that's to meet the challenges of the Championship or a renewed go at League 1 remains to be seen.
Agreed. We don’t seem brave enough to take a risk, all very pedestrian. Real shame but we don’t seem to have any inventiveness in our game right now.
Staying down would as a minimum see Low, Taylor, Humphreys and Kone go.
At least if Kone went, the money would cover any spends we make, now that the rules are tighter.
But we go again Tuesday and hope springs eternal! And so it should when we're only 1 win from reclaiming 2nd.
Really hope Simons is the Morley-esque key that he'd hinted at being before the Birmingham red.
Him sitting deep allowing Humphreys and Scowen to rampage and find space, which then unlocks the wingers.
Throw in a fit again Kone on top of our still resolute defence, and it all looks a lot rosier again.
I think the fact that we've played 9 games so far this season against the other teams currently in the top 8 places and we've only won one of them (at Stockport) is a bit of a worry. Especially as we have to play top-eight teams another 5 times in the run-in.
The league table since New Years Day has us in 14th place. Dramatic improvements are needed if we are to sustain any push for the top 2. I genuinely think we will now finish 6th at best.
IF we can make the playoffs then we should all have a good look at Oxford last season. Top 2 for ages, fell away badly under a new, rookie managwr, stumbled into the playoffs and then produced a Knockout football masterclass to beat an in-form Peterborough over two legs and a highly-fancied Bolton in the final.
The biggest concern for me - as @Vital says above - is our awful record against the other top sides this season.
If Kone is fit for the playoffs we’ve got as good as chance as anyone.
Now that Is a great parallel!