• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Fair enough, I may have misjudged your post. Just frustrated that others say the same as me yet my posts get targeted because I say what I think. There were others before me that had mentioned the pitch yet my post was the one that was seized upon. Maybe you replied to mine because you agree with some of them so for that I apologise

Lighten up man for crying out loud! perhaps you get quoted because people like debating with you? people won't bother if you react like you are - grow a pair.
This from someone who appreciates some of your posts even if I don't agree with all of them.
 
A third of the way through the season, away from home we have been stuffed by 4 of the current top 5. At home we have picked up 9 points and scored 5 goals against 5 of the bottom 8. We are slap bang in mid table. 8 more games and we will have played everyone once and we will probably still be mid table. The November run cant last for ever!

We still don't have a first eleven and to my mind we don't have a balanced midfield- we lack a Maher, McCormack, Butler, Guttridge type of player who gets stuck in and moves the ball quickly. Lenny and Demetriou apart, I don't think we are that athletic and quick footed. The older players will naturally lose their sharpness. We have some skillful players who are hampered by the pitch at Roots Hall. And I wonder if the players who have "seen it and done it" are really up for it on long away trips.

Midtable is probably where we will stay - the worry is that a lot of the better sides have to come to Roots Hall in the second half of the season and will we pick up enough points in the away games against the poorer sides.

Andrew,

The fact remains that we are still 3 points away from a place off place.You see us as a mid-table team,which is where we are now.I happen to think that by Xmas and more importantly by May we have the potential to be in the play off positions,once the majority of our injured players are back and regularly in the team.

Granted our away record is not the best but let's hope we can start to improve on that at Walsall on Saturday.As far as our home games are concerned, we've won four. and drawn four.Fortress Roots Hall.That's not a bad record at all.And remember we beat Blackburn in our first game at RH.

Personally,I don't think we're a mid-table team at all.There's still everything to play for this season.
 
Andrew,

The fact remains that we are still 3 points away from a place off place.You see us as a mid-table team,which is where we are now.I happen to think that by Xmas and more importantly by May we have the potential to be in the play off positions,once the majority of our injured players are back and regularly in the team.

Granted our away record is not the best but let's hope we can start to improve on that at Walsall on Saturday.As far as our home games are concerned, we've won four. and drawn four.Fortress Roots Hall.That's not a bad record at all.And remember we beat Blackburn in our first game at RH.

Personally,I don't think we're a mid-table team at all.There's still everything to play for this season.

The majority are back. We are just missing Coker, Turner and Kiernan if you are talking big name players.
 
The majority are back. We are just missing Coker, Turner and Kiernan if you are talking big name players.

Yes that's right.But Kightly was subbed on Saturday and didn't look anywhere near his pre-injury form.AF was back after a two game suspension too.Clearly Ranger is not 100% match fit yet .Don't forget Kipyprianou either.
 
Andrew,

The fact remains that we are still 3 points away from a place off place.You see us as a mid-table team,which is where we are now. As are several other clubs

Granted our away record is not the best but let's hope we can start to improve on that at Walsall on Saturday.We haven't done well against sides in the top five.

As far as our home games are concerned, we've won four. and drawn four.Fortress Roots Hall.That's not a bad record at all. As I said we've played 5 of the bottom 8 and been unconvincing.

And remember we beat Blackburn in our first game at RH. The first 45 minutes in that game has been the highlight of the season. I'd be surprised if we beat them now they have acclimatised to the division.

Personally,I don't think we're a mid-table team at all. There's still everything to play for this season.
.

I think the current top six will take some catching. It would be nice to think it would all suddenly click like last season - but I can't see it from what I've seen so far. We don't dominate midfield and lack pace at the back. We're far too predictable with little creativity. The only real plus is that Oxley looks like a keeper now and has won us some points.

There's then the January window and Leonard - will we risk losing him for nothing when his contract runs out? I'm sure he would want to play at a higher level.

We may make the top ten but won't make the top six.
 
Most of us would agree that our best home performance was beating Rovers; and that since then Rovers have settled and shown they are contenders and a good side.
It ought not to be a shock that teams near the bottom and struggling don't play good football! And often a good game requires two teams to want a good game.
Or that teams in trouble have a game plan to stifle and look to going home with a point - as was Bury's plan.
The pitch is poor, the weather was very poor.
For me these are basic considerations and need factoring in with expectations.
A third of the season gone, we aren't looking promotion material; however a few injuries out and we may struggle further: a few back in and we might edge into the play offs.
Confidence AND stability will be key.
 
Being a bit of the exile living in the north I rely on reports on here and the odd away game to judge the performance of the team, the away games that I've got along to were Rotherham and Donny (which were fun).

some of the reports on here seem to suggest that we are lucky not to be cut adrift of the bottom of the league, are things really that bad?

Being an engineer I like facts and stats so I've compared the table today to the one from last season after 13 games and were are 1 point and 2 goals better off, which suggests that we've actually improved. given the delta between top and bottom last year was 19 points this year is at 25 points, which indicates a bigger gulf in performance between teams in the division (the best are better than last year or the worst are worse or a combination of both).

we are currently 11th for shots on target (61 out of 177 total shots ) compared with 18th (49 oo 121 ) at the same point last season indicating that we are making more chances and hitting the target with a higher probability (0.40 vs 0.34).

we have scored more goals (17 vs 13) but conceded more (25 vs 23).

on paper all of the above makes it look like we are on paper better than last season, my question to those that are fortunate to get along every week is does any of the above come as a surprise? are the results masking poor performances that could make this comparative improvement a bit of false hope?
I think the problem with this is that around this time last season we went on a run of 1 loss in something like 13/14 games - I certainly hope we do go on a run like that now, but we can't expect to do that every season.
 
All the well documented and justified concentration on our defensive problems, some caused by injuries but others as a result of some poor individual performances, is masking a more basic problem. Statistically and based on career records, we have a quartet of strikers who simply do not score enough goals, three of whom, Cox,Fortune and Robinson are not suddenly going to become more prolific at this late stage in their careers. Ranger has the potential, and is still young enough, to improve his scoring rate but it remains to be seen. This means a greater reliance on midfielders and defenders chipping in with more goals to sustain a genuine push for a play off place, automatic promotion now only mathematically possible, not a realistic prospect. I think we need to recognise reality, that the present squad is simply not equipped for football at a higher level and the short termism of most of the recent signings is only delaying the day when we need to give youth its chance. We have a number of promising youngsters, some of whom have already shown what they might achieve given the opportunity. We should use the second half of the season, assuming we have gained a reasonable number of points by Christmas, to give the likes of Elvis, Kyprianou, Yearwood etc a decent run in the first time and before then, give Ba some match time to see if he has what it takes. In this way, by the end of the season we should know whether the kids are good enough and able to replace the old guard whose time is coming to an end.
 
Fair enough, I may have misjudged your post. Just frustrated that others say the same as me yet my posts get targeted because I say what I think. There were others before me that had mentioned the pitch yet my post was the one that was seized upon. Maybe you replied to mine because you agree with some of them so for that I apologise

Because you're so negative maybe?
 
All the well documented and justified concentration on our defensive problems, some caused by injuries but others as a result of some poor individual performances, is masking a more basic problem. Statistically and based on career records, we have a quartet of strikers who simply do not score enough goals, three of whom, Cox,Fortune and Robinson are not suddenly going to become more prolific at this late stage in their careers. Ranger has the potential, and is still young enough, to improve his scoring rate but it remains to be seen. This means a greater reliance on midfielders and defenders chipping in with more goals to sustain a genuine push for a play off place, automatic promotion now only mathematically possible, not a realistic prospect. I think we need to recognise reality, that the present squad is simply not equipped for football at a higher level and the short termism of most of the recent signings is only delaying the day when we need to give youth its chance. We have a number of promising youngsters, some of whom have already shown what they might achieve given the opportunity. We should use the second half of the season, assuming we have gained a reasonable number of points by Christmas, to give the likes of Elvis, Kyprianou, Yearwood etc a decent run in the first time and before then, give Ba some match time to see if he has what it takes. In this way, by the end of the season we should know whether the kids are good enough and able to replace the old guard whose time is coming to an end.

Never going to happen. If we are in the top 10 after christmas and all of a sudden PB plays a load of youngsters for no reason, and we drop down the table what do you think will happen?

If we are bottom half and all of a sudden PB plays a load of youngsters for no reason and we drop into a relegation scrap what do you think will happen.

All of the youngsters (Yearwood/Elvis/Kyprianou) will get games anyway though injuries and suspension and in the cup. Others are currently not good enough.
 
.

I think the current top six will take some catching. It would be nice to think it would all suddenly click like last season - but I can't see it from what I've seen so far. We don't dominate midfield and lack pace at the back. We're far too predictable with little creativity. The only real plus is that Oxley looks like a keeper now and has won us some points.

There's then the January window and Leonard - will we risk losing him for nothing when his contract runs out? I'm sure he would want to play at a higher level.

We may make the top ten but won't make the top six.

Think it's premature to write off our chances of a play off place just yet.I plan to be over for our last home game and think we'll be there or thereabouts.Would agree about Oxley though.
 
Are things that bad? Are things that good? We may have injuries but we are still fielding an eleven. They are squad players in what is perceived as a squad game and elements of it are found wanting. Returning players will need some lengthy time to attain match fitness and by the time our optimum side is playing together the season will have left us with little prospect of the play offs.

Some blame the pitch at RH but our away form is terrible and that is presumably on better pitches. The defence may be makeshift but the attack is the best we have and thus far is as toothless as a Rooney Grannygram.

The play, which on a few occasions shows promise, generally lacks cohesion. Passing is woeful, creativity limited and there is less threat in the final third than a Col Ewe fan applying to Mensa.

There is more that needs to be addressed than the issues of the injuries and pitch. I have absolutely no faith that this season will provide much in the way of hope. Three points from the play offs and a year or more away from challenging for them.
 
We all know about the injuries, that has not helped. What is worrying to me, that even though injured players are coming back, we are still not performing the way most would like. Yes we are only three points of the playoffs, but we are not winning with conviction, as has been discussed on here, we have scraped past the post with many off our wins at home, and our away form leaves a lot to be desired. As far as a top six finish, off course thats possible, but some off our senior pros are going to have to up there game for that to happen.
 
Prior to both the Rotherham and Doncaster matches, the point was made on the radio commentary that the pitch was top notch and the players/management had said "If we can't play on that, we can't play on anything." Result - heavy defeats in both.

The Wigan and Gillingham pitches were pretty good as well. A 3-0 and a 3-3.

So we have conceded 15 goals on 4 fantastic pitches, scoring 5 in return.

I think our pitch affects the entertainment value more than the performance to be honest... although it does stop players running with the ball and is more conducive to "lumping it up there", which we are probably better at when the away team is not on the front foot, so to speak.
 
.

I think the current top two will take some catching.

Edited for accuracy... and even then I think Shrewsbury will crash and burn sooner rather than later. Much too early to write off the top 6, especially as we are only 3 points off it!
 
All I can say, is thank god for the results we have picked up at home otherwise we would be in real trouble. Our away form is not pretty to say the least.

I have seen every home game of the season and even though our performances haven't been great IMO I am still disappointed that we haven't won more at home. We should have beaten Northampton and Peterborough but got draws instead.

That being said, we have had some major luck at times at home (AFC Wimbledon springs to mind) but if hadn't been for Leonard and Oxley I think we would have a few points less to be honest.

I 100% agree that the state of the pitch has hampered us and of course the dreaded injury list has had a big affect.

It's mad that we are only 3 points from the play-offs and I think what most fans are a little bit cheesed off about is the fact that had IF we had players in better form, a consistent back 4, less injuries then god knows where we would be. It's all good and well saying that but had things rolled a little bit more nicely for us we could easily be in the top 6.

You can't live of 'if only' we just have to get on with it. We needs the likes of Cox, McLaughlin, Kightly, Wordsworth to find some form, get some injured players back and see what happens. I firmly believe that when we get Coker back we will be playing a hell of a lot better.

The bright spark of the season for me is Leonard. It's amazing that with what went on in the summer his standards are higher than ever, fair play to the bloke. Nearly every other player out there would have chucked the towel in and I respect him a lot more after this.
 
The bright spark of the season for me is Leonard. It's amazing that with what went on in the summer his standards are higher than ever, fair play to the bloke. Nearly every other player out there would have chucked the towel in and I respect him a lot more after this.

I'm not surprised that he has kept his standards up - after all I'm sure he still wants to play at a higher level and needs to keep in the shop window. Brown gave him a good advert on the TV on Saturday evening.
 
Back
Top