However, we go on a run and make a good go of it second half of the season. We fall short by 4 points and finish 8th.
There are, unfortunately, too many teams nearer the top of the league who are averaging far too many points per game. Even if 2 or 3 fall away slightly, you’ve still got to hope that we get 10 more points than they do between now and the end AND get a similar amount of points more than clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Milton Keynes and Ipswich.
We will look back at the end of the season thinking if only Adkins had gone a month or so sooner and if only we didn’t drop points against the likes of Morecambe and whoever when we were 2-0 up.
We don’t have enough about us to win enough games away from home, to go and get results that really make the difference between promotion and falling short.
We have conceded too many goals this season and unfortunately, without a couple of key players, don’t score enough either. Only once this season we have scored more than 2. You don’t get promoted that way.
The transformation under Jackson has been incredible and he deserves huge credit. But you just don’t get into the top 6 when you gave everyone else a 13 game head start.
I believe a run that ended Adkins time in the job, rather than the one got Jackson the role is coming. Today was so fucking awful, stay up, not go up from that performance. Maybe Thomas,s delay was more astute than we thought…
I believe a run that ended Adkins time in the job, rather than the one got Jackson the role is coming. Today was so fucking awful, stay up, not go up from that performance. Maybe Thomas,s delay was more astute than we thought…
What, you were banging on about promotion a couple of weeks ago. Lump on lump on.
The Shrewsbury and Morecambe games were a big blow as you're then depending on picking up points away to Portsmouth etc. There's very little room to drop any points and I'm not sure the current squad is capable of going on the kind of run required. It's a very big ask
Im thinking its a bridge too far now, we would need to be on championship winning form from this point on and I don't see that happening. I think we will see 4 or 5 more "shrewsbury away" type performances before the end of the season Im afraid. But you know what, that's fine, we have the right manager in charge in now.
Unfortunately the Adkins run at the start of the season has basically written off the rest of it, but we can just use this point on as a dress rehearsal for next season, and lessons will have been learned to make sure it doesn't happen again next time.
Hopefully we will do our usual 3rd season in L1 promotion routine.
But still....8 seasons in league one since 2010, bloody hell. I really hate this league.
Posted 10 days ago & today had just firmed up my opinion. Might push it out to be finishing 10th to 12th.
We are actually in a bit of a false position due to most teams having played less games than us. Lose to Wimbledon on Boxing Day & with their games in hand they could be above us soon, along with 2 or 3 other teams.
I can’t see it now but not giving up entirely but it’s going to take amazing form from here on in to achieve it. If Atkins had left a few weeks earlier then maybe but JJ was left with too much to do. Next season the aim has to be top two.
We've got four threads now, all discussing the same issue.
For me, it distils down to this:
We have a collection of average League 1 players, most of whom are underperforming. Add to that some kids who aren't good enough and we find our natural level ... bottom half of the table. Why would anyone expect anything different? It's merely wishful thinking to imagine anything else.
Sandgaard needs to start again. His first year has been shambolic.
He needs to clear out all of his misplaced appointments, take the hit to his pocket and do it properly next time. That means recruiting proper football people, not David Brent types who operate with spreadsheets and laser pointers. Simply replacing Adkins doesn't fix the problem. No new manager is going to transform this squad of mediocre League 1 players. Roddy, Gallen etc are all part of the problem, and their time is done.
And, if Sandgaard doesn't have the money to do that ... remembering that getting promotion out of League 1 was probably the easy bit of his foolishly-stated five-year plan ... then he needs to find some investor partners, or sell up to someone who knows what they are doing and who has the dosh to do it.
Don't forget that we still have the legacy of ground and training ground ownership to deal with.
Of course, I'm eternally grateful that Sandgaard saved us ... but that doesn't gloss over the fact that he has underestimated the cost of his dream and that he has failed to appoint people who he can rely on to deliver in a sphere which he knows nothing about.
You need help, Thomas. You need to speak to the right people and you need to fix this shambles ... or sell up and go back to the World you know which is ... remind me ... pain relief?
I had a feeling we would lose at Plymouth. I can’t see us getting anywhere near the playoffs given the already-sizeable points difference. I even cashed out my significant bets on us to finish in the top half - that’s how concerned I am about our ability to push on from here. Hope I am wrong.
I had a feeling we would lose at Plymouth. I can’t see us getting anywhere near the playoffs given the already-sizeable points difference. I even cashed out my significant bets on us to finish in the top half - that’s how concerned I am about our ability to push on from here. Hope I am wrong.
I'm hanging in there on the top half bets, basically think a couple of decent January signings should help.
Can't see it to be fair. Rubbish start and although playing well in certain games we show no signs of going on any kind of run. Another season in third division I'm afraid, and yet another rebuild on the summer.
PPG over season so far at exactly the half way point = 1.2 PPG over the last 5 = 1.4.
So, no.
PPG over the last 10 (since Jacko took over) = 2.0
Repeat that over the next 23 and we are comfortably top six. Not saying it will happen like that, form will come and go.
We will have five game spells with seven points (1.4 ppg) and we will have five game spells with 12-13 points (2.4-2.6 ppg). It will be very close but it’s not impossible.
Repeating what I said on the post-match thread here. The league season is over now for me, but lets use the January window to put together a strong team ahead of next season. Hopefully come August we can hit the ground running this time and avoid the shambles that was last summer.
In the meantime it would be nice to try and win the pizza trophy, its probably the only thing we can realistically go for now and another Wembley day out would be great.
I think in all honesty it was probably a no before today anyway. I’ve heard a lot about us having a big squad, but after the “best XI” there isn’t much quality at all. Its all about getting together a promotion challenging squad for next season - pretty depressing really as we are only half way through the season.
Comments
However, we go on a run and make a good go of it second half of the season. We fall short by 4 points and finish 8th.
There are, unfortunately, too many teams nearer the top of the league who are averaging far too many points per game. Even if 2 or 3 fall away slightly, you’ve still got to hope that we get 10 more points than they do between now and the end AND get a similar amount of points more than clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Milton Keynes and Ipswich.
We will look back at the end of the season thinking if only Adkins had gone a month or so sooner and if only we didn’t drop points against the likes of Morecambe and whoever when we were 2-0 up.
We don’t have enough about us to win enough games away from home, to go and get results that really make the difference between promotion and falling short.
We have conceded too many goals this season and unfortunately, without a couple of key players, don’t score enough either. Only once this season we have scored more than 2. You don’t get promoted that way.
The transformation under Jackson has been incredible and he deserves huge credit. But you just don’t get into the top 6 when you gave everyone else a 13 game head start.
Unfortunately the Adkins run at the start of the season has basically written off the rest of it, but we can just use this point on as a dress rehearsal for next season, and lessons will have been learned to make sure it doesn't happen again next time.
Hopefully we will do our usual 3rd season in L1 promotion routine.
But still....8 seasons in league one since 2010, bloody hell. I really hate this league.
We are actually in a bit of a false position due to most teams having played less games than us. Lose to Wimbledon on Boxing Day & with their games in hand they could be above us soon, along with 2 or 3 other teams.
Our points tally will be around 68-70 points.
We've got four threads now, all discussing the same issue.
For me, it distils down to this:
We have a collection of average League 1 players, most of whom are underperforming. Add to that some kids who aren't good enough and we find our natural level ... bottom half of the table. Why would anyone expect anything different? It's merely wishful thinking to imagine anything else.
Sandgaard needs to start again. His first year has been shambolic.
He needs to clear out all of his misplaced appointments, take the hit to his pocket and do it properly next time. That means recruiting proper football people, not David Brent types who operate with spreadsheets and laser pointers. Simply replacing Adkins doesn't fix the problem. No new manager is going to transform this squad of mediocre League 1 players. Roddy, Gallen etc are all part of the problem, and their time is done.
And, if Sandgaard doesn't have the money to do that ... remembering that getting promotion out of League 1 was probably the easy bit of his foolishly-stated five-year plan ... then he needs to find some investor partners, or sell up to someone who knows what they are doing and who has the dosh to do it.
Don't forget that we still have the legacy of ground and training ground ownership to deal with.
Of course, I'm eternally grateful that Sandgaard saved us ... but that doesn't gloss over the fact that he has underestimated the cost of his dream and that he has failed to appoint people who he can rely on to deliver in a sphere which he knows nothing about.
You need help, Thomas. You need to speak to the right people and you need to fix this shambles ... or sell up and go back to the World you know which is ... remind me ... pain relief?
Quite ironic really.
PPG over the last 5 = 1.4.
So, no.
Repeat that over the next 23 and we are comfortably top six. Not saying it will happen like that, form will come and go.
however, there’s plenty of twists and turns yet to come - but it’s heavily reliant on other teams , never mind us sorting results to benefit us!
In the meantime it would be nice to try and win the pizza trophy, its probably the only thing we can realistically go for now and another Wembley day out would be great.