If Bowyer had gone 2 months before he did, I’d wager we’d be in the play offs.
Maybe. But we were also unbeaten in four when Bowyer left and looked to have turned a corner.
Could also say the failure to do better against Ipswich, Crewe, Peterborough or Accrington near the end, only winning 1 in 5 when it mattered equally cost us.
In hindsight I think you are probably right. But the Jan window business was really poor. Failure to bring in at least one centre half during the Jan window cost us really badly while Schwartz and Smith were real wasted signings.
I would agree that January was really the cross roads of our season. If we had got our signings right then we would at the very least been in the playoffs, the lack of signing a CB was a particularly bad decision.
We didn’t get January right, our poor form (which had begun a month or two prior) continued and it made it very difficult for Adkins once he came in.
We came close, and that we were even in with a shot of the playoffs despite underperforming from December - March shows how poor this league is. I’m confident that, if we get our summer rebuild right, then Adkins can get us up next season.
So, we all agree.......we needed to bring in a commanding CH in January and not Matt Smith.
Btw......do you think Adkins actually ever met Matt Smith or knew he was on the playing staff ??
We could have gone for it in the January transfer window, not brought Ronnie in, got a decent Centre half instead and maybe, maybe sneaked into the playoffs.
But this was a bit of a shambles of a season, players not working out and coming and going , embargo’s , salary caps et al, but I’m not convinced TS wanted or trusted LB longer term, whether the 2 personalities were poles apart to work with each other I don’t know.
Lee had a left along free hand under little scrutiny from the owners, and I don’t think we would have liked a structured approach, or the fact Ronnie was brought in over his head, and he didn’t rate him, perhaps.
If Stockley had been here from the start of the season instead of Bogle, I think we would have made the playoffs, all if, buts and maybes.
TS knew he’d set the fans against him from the off by sacking Lee early doors, so being made to leave on his own terms suited both sides.
Im glad this seasons over, it’s been draining and whilst it’s given us something else to focus on rather than covid, bit like my post it’s gone on a bit.
Im just pleased we’ve still got a club to follow, and will join in the perennial summer football hobby of reading The Who we might sign / get shot of thread regardless of how how obscure or bizarre the suggestions.
Im sure when the fixtures come out next month, I’ll be chomping at the bit, we dust ourselves down, get outside and make the most of the summer (with me brolly).
Disappointing season. Close to play offs but I still think we should have achieved more. A number of the players were playing championship last season. Not sure why we deteriorated under LB but we did and some of those performances were pretty poor. Feeling optimistic about next season but with elevation as I think it will be a stronger division.
As many, many others have said, we now have the ability to look forward to the future, rather than be incredibly worried by it. When LB took us up to the Championship, I said to myself that I'd have accepted relegation it meant that we got stability in both ownership and the management of the team. It's ended up costing us both relegation from the Championship and a fairly duff season in League 1 to get to that point, but when we step back and look at the bigger picture, it is very reassuring that we are now much more collectively concerned about what is happening on the pitch, rather than off of it.
In regard to this season, there are plenty of identifiable moments you can point to as reasons why we didn't hit the consensus target of a playoff place. Our form fell off a cliff in February, plus the multiple points dropped in games that we should have really seen out (I'm most notably thinking of Gillingham, Oxford and Crewe in the last few months). The home form notably cost us, and if it was anywhere near as good as the away form, we'd have been up automatically.
I was a supporter of LB and didn't want to see him sacked, but on reflection now, I think we're in better shape under NA. I think that LB became (quite reasonably) somewhat weary of the job and the disappointing performances of a number of players. I think that after that run in February, he knew promotion chances were massively drifting and he didn't have the appetite for yet another rebuild in the summer. He stewarded the club through a massively turbulent period and, for that, I'll always be grateful.
The players, collectively, have been disappointing. When I looked at who we brought in in January, I honestly thought that this was going to be followed up with a push for automatic promotion. I think we're going to get another big squad refresh that needs to clear out some dead wood. I think that reducing our reliance on the loan system would be a good start and building on the good things we had this season (there were a few!) should be the aim.
As I've said in the other thread, I'd be looking to build a team around Stockley if we can get him permanently and get some pace on the flanks. As cliché as it is, we looked so much better playing 4-4-2 and NA realised this against both Lincoln and Hull. Keep in simple and stop trying to play weird diamonds (and/or other variants) that doesn't play to our strengths. Honest, hard-working football played at pace will get us out of this league. I'm optimistic about next season, but the job to do over the summer is a big one.
On a general basis .. impressed that the top 5 divisions will complete their seasons (except it seems for Dover Ath) despite the privations of the pandemic. Our situation ? .. lack of a consistent striker cost us dear .. and Bowyer should have been sacked much earlier before he walked .. I feel a wee bit sorry for Lee, he managed a good promotion run and narrowly avoided relegation from the Champ. BUT that's football management for you
On a general basis .. impressed that the top 5 divisions will complete their seasons (except it seems for Dover Ath) despite the privations of the pandemic. Our situation ? .. lack of a consistent striker cost us dear .. and Bowyer should have been sacked much earlier before he walked .. I feel a wee bit sorry for Lee, he managed a good promotion run and narrowly avoided relegation from the Champ. BUT that's football management for you
He also pissed a few points away at the end of last season by bringing on defenders when 1-0 up that would have kept us up
I don't feel like we're a basket case of a club any more. Whereas last summer we had hope of recovery, this summer we have expectation. We can get back into the Valley. The Valley Pass coverage, however, has been great in reinforcing the club values, and common sense. I look to the youth team and women's team and care again. I don't feel our POTY will leave this summer (OK, I know... but I don't think he would've left anyway). For me 2020-21 sucked as a season, we lost games we should've strolled, and the Blackpool game was as low as it's ever got. But I guess I don't hate it, as we're so much better equipped now.
Comments
Btw......do you think Adkins actually ever met Matt Smith or knew he was on the playing staff ??
But this was a bit of a shambles of a season, players not working out and coming and going , embargo’s , salary caps et al, but I’m not convinced TS wanted or trusted LB longer term, whether the 2 personalities were poles apart to work with each other I don’t know.
Lee had a left along free hand under little scrutiny from the owners, and I don’t think we would have liked a structured approach, or the fact Ronnie was brought in over his head, and he didn’t rate him, perhaps.
If Stockley had been here from the start of the season instead of Bogle, I think we would have made the playoffs, all if, buts and maybes.
TS knew he’d set the fans against him from the off by sacking Lee early doors, so being made to leave on his own terms suited both sides.
Im glad this seasons over, it’s been draining and whilst it’s given us something else to focus on rather than covid, bit like my post it’s gone on a bit.
Im just pleased we’ve still got a club to follow, and will join in the perennial summer football hobby of reading The Who we might sign / get shot of thread regardless of how how obscure or bizarre the suggestions.
Im sure when the fixtures come out next month, I’ll be chomping at the bit, we dust ourselves down, get outside and make the most of the summer (with me brolly).
In regard to this season, there are plenty of identifiable moments you can point to as reasons why we didn't hit the consensus target of a playoff place. Our form fell off a cliff in February, plus the multiple points dropped in games that we should have really seen out (I'm most notably thinking of Gillingham, Oxford and Crewe in the last few months). The home form notably cost us, and if it was anywhere near as good as the away form, we'd have been up automatically.
I was a supporter of LB and didn't want to see him sacked, but on reflection now, I think we're in better shape under NA. I think that LB became (quite reasonably) somewhat weary of the job and the disappointing performances of a number of players. I think that after that run in February, he knew promotion chances were massively drifting and he didn't have the appetite for yet another rebuild in the summer. He stewarded the club through a massively turbulent period and, for that, I'll always be grateful.
The players, collectively, have been disappointing. When I looked at who we brought in in January, I honestly thought that this was going to be followed up with a push for automatic promotion. I think we're going to get another big squad refresh that needs to clear out some dead wood. I think that reducing our reliance on the loan system would be a good start and building on the good things we had this season (there were a few!) should be the aim.
As I've said in the other thread, I'd be looking to build a team around Stockley if we can get him permanently and get some pace on the flanks. As cliché as it is, we looked so much better playing 4-4-2 and NA realised this against both Lincoln and Hull. Keep in simple and stop trying to play weird diamonds (and/or other variants) that doesn't play to our strengths. Honest, hard-working football played at pace will get us out of this league. I'm optimistic about next season, but the job to do over the summer is a big one.
For me 2020-21 sucked as a season, we lost games we should've strolled, and the Blackpool game was as low as it's ever got. But I guess I don't hate it, as we're so much better equipped now.