Will we make the playoffs?

Callumcafc said:

Way too depressing in here after two 1-0 losses to top six opposition. There are still sixty-six points up for grabs.

We have left ourselves a lot to do but our next three are against Crewe, Cheltenham and Fleetwood. Less than six points from those three and I will be firmly on the “not this season” train.

But until then, it’s still a 2 points per game target.

Cafc43v3r said:

charlton_hero said:

eaststandmike said:

DOUCHER said:

famewo is easily championship standard - he bullies most league 1 strikers , Leko has proved himself as very capable in the championship and Lee has been promoted out of league 1  

I give you Famewo but Leko and Lee would struggle in the championship. Luton are mid table and Lee was not seen as fitting into their plans.

Good point re Lee & Leko. In Powell's League One squad overhaul he targeted players that had the potential to step-up to The Championship and The Premier League.

But he didn't have 25, 18 or even 10 of them did he?

What he did have was a squad of useful players, lots of which didn't step up to the championship.  A lot of revisionist history goes on about Powell signing 15+ league 1 superstars in one window.  He didn't, he signed enough and a lot of good fill ins.  The right sort of chaps. 

oohaahmortimer said:

Yep I can just some of this bunch of average shit going up and finish 9th in the championship 
ffffs 
delusional 

Cafc43v3r said:

oohaahmortimer said:

Yep I can just some of this bunch of average shit going up and finish 9th in the championship 
ffffs 
delusional 

Correct but, we didn't finish 9th because of Sullivan, Taylor, Evina, Alonso, Green, Hollands, Hayes, Clarke or some of the others we signed the previous season. 

msomerton said:

We should be concerned that we are getting drawn back into relegation zone. 14pts of playoff place and only 7pts above relegation.
There are dome decent league 1 players in the squad just not enough of them.

ElfsborgAddick said:

Do the same with Jackson as with Powell, write off this one but be preparing for next season.

Scoham said:

cabbles said:

And if we’re serious about making the play offs or any higher next year, now is the time to be ruthless about clearing the decks in the summer 

Pearce - offer him a coaching role only
Gunter - release 
Watson - release 
Morgan - release 
Kirk - send out on loan or put on transfer list unless big turnaround 
Matthews/Purrington - look for better 
JFC - unsure what to do here given he’s unlikely to be back in the team for very long for the rest of this season 
DJ - jury still out for me.  Shows some good moments, but I don’t look at him and think, he’ll get us out this league

Of the loans, I’m not sure on whether I’m that fussed about Leko or Famewo staying.  They’re both okay.  Elliott Lee is okay, but am I seeing someone that week in, week out could do the business.

I got bored of typing the same old stuff over the summer about a clear out despite just missing out on the play offs.  I didn’t think the squad was good enough despite a lot of others saying we just need one or two more.  I pray we don’t do something similar again this summer.  It will be Groundhog Day.  We need a fresh start a’la Powell’s makeover in the summer of 2011.

I’m also weary of bringing anyone in in Jan.  The season’s dead.  Let the current crop show they want to be here next season and fight for a place in the team.  It will be hard to find quality in Jan, and if they aren’t going to make a massive difference, don’t bother 

DOUCHER said:

i disagree with that logic - they are 3 of our better players and if our better players aren't promotion worthy then we are in a whole heap of shit coz by that logic we will need to replace the entire 22 in the summer to stand any chance - keep your best and add to them has to be the way forward - our problem is we have 2 or 3 positions where 1 injury and we are knackered but have a load of non contributing 'resource drains' in other positions - a bit of adjustment is needed, not a wholesale cull.  

I think you're both right - we need to be ruthless and clear out the group who aren't contributing enough while we don't need a complete rebuild. Now that we're playing two strikers we need four who are all capable at this level even if they aren't all going to score 15+. A promising young striker like Burstow should then be a fifth choice pushing them rather than one of the four. Davison's not while Leko isn't a striker.

In midfield Jackson clearly doesn't rate Watson, Morgan and Arter. Probably the same for Kirk but there may be other reasons (doesn't fit the formation, still adapting to a new club and place to live etc). With Clare playing CB and JFC injured Gilbey, Lee and Dobson have no competition and neither are they rested.

Out wide Purrington will work hard and score a few goals but we need an alternative who can run at the opposition. That's not Souare and Kirk.

In the back three Pearce does a job in the middle where he's less exposed but for how much longer? Do we want to wait for his performances to decline or will we be more ruthless and replace him before that happens? I guess he'll stay and slowly move away from playing and into coaching. Inniss is another to let go, we shouldn't gamble on him staying fit. It's been argued that he should stay as he's on low wages and will be good cover, but we don't need both Pearce and Inniss in that role as the 4th or 5th CB.

From what TS has said permanent signings will be young players who they see growing with the club while loans will be experienced players. That says to me those loans will be players we can see becoming permanent in the summer as we saw with Stockley. If we can get 3/4 in this month who are good enough to be part of a promotion squad next season that'll make the summer easier.

DOUCHER said:

i think the keeper, famewo, Lavelle, dobson, Lee, Leko, Gilby, stockley and washington are the core to build the team around with clare, dj, cbt and purrington being useful squad players - the rest need to be moved on and i'm very doubtful that jfc will be up to it when he returns - he had a very good year last year in what was an atrocious midfield but he won't get u promoted and i'd be amazed if he comes back from a second major injury at the level we need