A genuine relegation battle

[Tommy2holes]

I know there maybe some who still feel that promotion or a play off spot is achievable.

Let's be real here.

We are going to get nowhere near the play offs. We now have a genuine relegation fight on our hands.

We are only out of the bottom 4 on goal difference, albeit a vastly superior goal difference.

Relegation would be a catastrophe. Get things right and next season we could be looking at regular 8k gates. Get things wrong and it doesn't bare thinking about.

We can keep mentioning 10 point deductions and were we should be but it's irrelevant. The points are gone and there is no value in mentioning them.

We play Oxford city Saturday who were beaten 7-1 at Dagenham. We go into this game in the worst possible form. Lose this game and I will fear the worst. Make no mistake they are the worst statistical side in the league.

The team needs our support but it also has to show some bollocks and role their sleeves up and go out to win games. Clean sheets are faw less valuable at this point.

Fwiw I'm sure scunny Torquay and Yeovil felt they were too big to go down but fell out of this league easily.

We need points on the board. How we get them is irrelevant, although playing well would be good.

With so many positives off the pitch the performances on the pitch have been alarming.

 

[GBJ]

We can keep mentioning 10 point deductions and were we should be but it's irrelevant. The points are gone and there is no value in mentioning them.

I’m not sure how it can be irrelevant though, Tom. Outside of the top seven, we have won the most games in the division and we have the best defensive record, conceding less than runaway leaders, Chesterfield. That shouldn’t be a relegation-threatened side, in any league.

We haven’t looked like a relegation side up until now & frankly I don’t think we’ve become one overnight, yet I fully recognise that we could still get relegated. That’s why the points deduction is relevant.

The old saying goes, the table doesn’t lie. But in this rare case, it does. Performance & results wise, we are currently an upper mid table team.

That doesn’t mean we should take our form up until this point for granted. We simply can’t afford to. We absolutely need to recoup the form that had us all dreaming of a late playoff surge. Once it clicks up front, I think we’ll be fine. We just need a few wins on the board to bring that confidence back.

You’re right, we are in a relegation battle, but I take some solace knowing that we’re going into a relegation battle having been forced in to one, rather than being there because we deserve to be, though.

 

[NZamba Legend]

Both things are true. We are not one of the worst four teams in the division, or even close. However, with a ten point deduction we could get relegated.

Need to stay focused and determined

 

[Danshrimper]

I’m not sure how it can be irrelevant though, Tom. Outside of the top seven, we have won the most games in the division and we have the best defensive record, conceding less than runaway leaders, Chesterfield. That shouldn’t be a relegation-threatened side, in any league.

We haven’t looked like a relegation side up until now & frankly I don’t think we’ve become one overnight, yet I fully recognise that we could still get relegated. That’s why the points deduction is relevant.

The old saying goes, the table doesn’t lie. But in this rare case, it does. Performance & results wise, we are currently an upper mid table team.

That doesn’t mean we should take our form up until this point for granted. We simply can’t afford to. We absolutely need to recoup the form that had us all dreaming of a late playoff surge. Once it clicks up front, I think we’ll be fine. We just need a few wins on the board to bring that confidence back.

You’re right, we are in a relegation battle, but I take some solace knowing that we’re going into a relegation battle having been forced in to one, rather than being there because we deserve to be, though.

It is relevant, but there is also no point in dwelling on it.

The fact that both Kev and Cav mentioned it after the game on Saturday is a little bit worrying. If we go into the rest of the season with the complacent attitude of ‘oh well we’re only where we are because of the 10 points, we are too good to go down’ then we might just find ourselves in a bit of trouble.

I don’t think for one minute the management team are intentionally instilling this attitude. But it does seem to be subconsciously slipping through.

I do also think we will be fine, but we need to forget about the 10 points.

 

[dusterman]

It is relevant, but there is also no point in dwelling on it.

The fact that both Kev and Cav mentioned it after the game on Saturday is a little bit worrying. If we go into the rest of the season with the complacent attitude of ‘oh well we’re only where we are because of the 10 points, we are too good to go down’ then we might just find ourselves in a bit of trouble.

I don’t think for one minute the management team are intentionally instilling this attitude. But it does seem to be subconsciously slipping through.

I do also think we will be fine, but we need to forget about the 10 points.

Did someone mention that we were still fighting this the court of sporting arbitration of something? Seem to recall we hadn’t fully given up… Maybe that was Ron BS tho cannae remember.

 

[GBJ]

The fact that both Kev and Cav mentioned it after the game on Saturday is a little bit worrying.

I don’t think so. I think it was said in the same vein as what I’ve said above. Yes we’re now in a relegation battle, but we’re not one of the worst teams in the league, and we’re only in that battle for one reason.

I’d be more worried if their heads were dropping and they were giving generic sound bite interviews.

If we go into the rest of the season with the complacent attitude of ‘oh well we’re only where we are because of the 10 points, we are too good to go down’ then we might just find ourselves in a bit of trouble.

Yes, agree completely. The most difficult thing we face now, is complacency setting in, and/or a complete loss of confidence. I think we’re experiencing a blip. But if it persists, then it’ll be cause for concern and the 10 points become much less relevant.

Once we start scoring again & manage to nick a gritty, ugly 3 points, I think we’ll be fine. But we need that first win to act as a catalyst.

 

[onceknownasrab]

It is no good rediscovering the play that served us well earlier in the season. Teams have done their homework and clearly done it better than us. They are nullifying our very predictable play and our insistence to add too many passes is allowing oppo defences all the time in the world. Our management trio need to show that they can come up with a plan to beat the teams we play and not stick to the same old, very tired tactics.
I believe we have the management to do it but, they need to set change in motion now. I also believe we have a more than capable set of players to turn things around as and when they are set up to do so.

 

[GBJ]

It is no good rediscovering the play that served us well earlier in the season. Teams have done their homework and clearly done it better than us. They are nullifying our very predictable play

That can only be true if we weren’t creating chances. We are though.

We had six decent opportunities to score against York. Several against Gateshead.

We’re probably lacking in confidence and match sharpness more than anything. I’d love us to have a Plan B, Plan C, D E F etc. but no amount of tactics will counter hitting the woodwork, having shots cleared off the line, or powder puff shooting. Sooner rather than later it’ll click, and we’ll put 3/4/5 past someone.

 

[Piledriver]

Teams that score most goals with a reasonable defensive record end up in the top 3 , relatively lower scoring teams to make promotion have been Sutton and Grimsby! I stand to be corrected but I don't think the team has ever been at +2 goals per game !
The reverse is obviously also the case although relegation is tied to conceded goals column which obviously is quite good however what's changed is that players were throwing themselves into blocks and defending as if their lives depended on it , all hands to keeping a clean sheet etc now I'm not so sure its the case, have the new contracts rewarded some more highly and upset the squad?
So unless they start creating and converting the chances into goals especially in the first 30 minutes of games because I believe that opposition managers will be telling there players to let us huff and puff let us keep the ball in non danger areas, sit back don't wear yourselves out Alis Rope a Dope lads lol and hit us with a sucker punch job done..not pretty but it's about getting 3 points isn't it ..

 

[onceknownasrab]

That can only be true if we weren’t creating chances. We are though.

We had six decent opportunities to score against York. Several against Gateshead.

We’re probably lacking in confidence and match sharpness more than anything. I’d love us to have a Plan B, Plan C, D E F etc. but no amount of tactics will counter hitting the woodwork, having shots cleared off the line, or powder puff shooting. Sooner rather than later it’ll click, and we’ll put 3/4/5 past someone.

Yes we create chances. Not enough clear cut ones though. It never cease to amaze me the number of times our players shoot with a defender right in front of them, or, how little work oppo keepers are made to do
Our play is too slow and predictable. We need to turn the oppo with pace and quick passing to get in behind them. That's when real chances will come.
Hitting the woodwork makes us seem unfortunate. All teams do it. The oppo sides have hit our woodwork enough times but, we only bemoan our lack of luck.
A few optional plans and tactics, despite your assertion, will help with goal scoring. To leave the oppo defences uncertain of your next move puts them on the back foot. Currently the defenders know exactly where we are going with the ball and so does every fan in the ground and probably in the country. From the moment we gain possession any one of us can predict where the ball will go.

 

[Target man]

The table shows we're not in a pretty position.
However, we've seen time and time again, when the pressure is on, these lads produce the goods. Backing them to get us out of trouble, starting at Oxford.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

I think it massively helps us that we have Saturday/Tuesday matches for the next 4 weeks.

I remember posting before we played Altrincham away that I felt we never do well after a break and it was true.

I feel with the way play, having two games a week with light training in-between is better than long gaps with extended training. We are a rhythm team. Those postponements affected us hugely imo. It broke up our rhythm. I'm hoping these games will help get our rhythm back.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

I know there maybe some who still feel that promotion or a play off spot is achievable.

Let's be real here.

We are going to get nowhere near the play offs. We now have a genuine relegation fight on our hands.

We are only out of the bottom 4 on goal difference, albeit a vastly superior goal difference.

Relegation would be a catastrophe. Get things right and next season we could be looking at regular 8k gates. Get things wrong and it doesn't bare thinking about.

We can keep mentioning 10 point deductions and were we should be but it's irrelevant. The points are gone and there is no value in mentioning them.

We play Oxford city Saturday who were beaten 7-1 at Dagenham. We go into this game in the worst possible form. Lose this game and I will fear the worst. Make no mistake they are the worst statistical side in the league.

The team needs our support but it also has to show some bollocks and role their sleeves up and go out to win games. Clean sheets are faw less valuable at this point.

Fwiw I'm sure scunny Torquay and Yeovil felt they were too big to go down but fell out of this league easily.

We need points on the board. How we get them is irrelevant, although playing well would be good.

With so many positives off the pitch the performances on the pitch have been alarming.

That's the spirit. A bit of positiveness amongst all the doom and gloom of the last week or so.

 

[shrimpled]

I would honestly put my mortgage on us not being relegated.

 

[Fairport]

We are a very frustrating team to watch, we have an excellent defensive record but are also a team that is attack minded. We have lots of possession, 62% again on Saturday. It's not the system we play that is a problem it's the lack of quality in the final third and inability to score enough from set plays that is costing us dear.

 

[RHB]

It cannot be denied that points wise we are skirting with the bottom 4 of the division. But are we in a genuine relegation battle? not in my book we aren't.

We may have lost three games on the spin, but when you realise that one was against the best side in the division by a country mile, one was against a team who have produced some very powerful football which has taken them into the play-offs and finally the last team scored in the 89th minute, after we had battered their woodwork on numerous occasions, then you can see we are not on a downward spiral. Instead we are regrouping with new recruits.

Time will tell whether I'm calling it right, but I genuinely believe that the spirit of this squad and the introduction of new players, marshalled by our coaching team, will start producing the results we all want to see. But maybe patience is also something we need to practice for a while.

 

[Tommy2holes]

It cannot be denied that points wise we are skirting with the bottom 4 of the division. But are we in a genuine relegation battle? not in my book we aren't.

We may have lost three games on the spin, but when you realise that one was against the best side in the division by a country mile, one was against a team who have produced some very powerful football which has taken them into the play-offs and finally the last team scored in the 89th minute, after we had battered their woodwork on numerous occasions, then you can see we are not on a downward spiral. Instead we are regrouping with new recruits.

Time will tell whether I'm calling it right, but I genuinely believe that the spirit of this squad and the introduction of new players, marshalled by our coaching team, will start producing the results we all want to see. But maybe patience is also something we need to practice for a while.

We battered their woodwork. We hit the post once and so did they.

Colin made a good save and we made a last ditch clearance.

They scored a goal. We didn't create chances against a bang average York side at home, when we had a decent crowd in.

The fact is the players are far better than what they are showing. They aren't showing a desire to close opposition, use the space all over the pitch and actual drive into space. It's almost like their is a fear to drive forward. It's all about a clean sheet rather than win.

The top teams ie Notts county, Wrexham and chesterfield do conceded goals but often out score teams.

Trying to snatch a 1-0 win isn't the way forward.

 

[Ipswhrimp]

I would honestly put my mortgage on us not being relegated.

Me too. I'd put my overdraft, my credit card debt and my energy bill on it.

 

[Linda Loan Shark]

We are too good to go down. We will be fine. I am not worried one bit

 

[tommy tucker]

Why is when the players weren't being payed they fought like tigers Once the consortium started paying the wages and dished out new contracts .The wheels fell off and we started dropping like a stone