Question Are Play-offs a certainty??

[DTS]

BBC Essex did the same last year. For me were a long way to go and not playing that well so I think we have a lot of work to do.

 

[JB Shrimper]

I would be surprised if automatics didn't happen. We are having our dodgy spell now, we will turn it around soon and that will be the right time for the run in. Other teams will wobble like we have.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Following the performance last night, my gut instinct is that we will make the play-offs. I don't think analysis after virtually every game serves that much purpose. We started February with six matches to play (including Wycombe on March 1st) and although it's started very badly, there are still three games with which we can help get back on track.
There are however concerns about the depth of quality in the squad and it is worrying to see how exposed we've been in central defence with the absence of Prosser. There's no certainty as to when he's going to return and should he fall victim to another injury or suspension, we'll have a similar problem.
Up front is also a concern. If we lost Corr for any period of time, who could fill in to enable us to continue playing the system we are most successful and comfortable with? Don't know if Freddy can play ninety minutes, let alone a series of matches, week in, week out. I asked on the Hartlepool reviews/ratings thread about IF and HOW we can use Barnard, who was supposed to be are star signing in January. I haven't as yet received any reply........everyone appears to be more concerned with the pro's and con's of bring back capital punishment for Timlin.
Perhaps, in the next ten days we'll have some answers to the above questions and we'll certainly be able to start forming a firmer opinion about what this season holds in store for us.

 

[Jcd]

Kiss. Of. Death.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Hearing the news about Prosser and O'Neill today got me thinking about the failure to gain promotion over the last few seasons. The blame often goes on the manager, players, formations etc etc etc. Isn't it simply that we haven't got a good enough squad IN DEPTH to maintain a challenge. We all know that pitches become heavy in January/February and this takes a toll on the players.........this season we're not hitting gold with our strikers and we've been exposed in central defence, we don't appear to have options that are up to the task at the moment.

 

[Jam_Man]

I would be surprised if automatics didn't happen. We are having our dodgy spell now, we will turn it around soon and that will be the right time for the run in. Other teams will wobble like we have.

7 points adrift and we are in terrible form with 12 games to go.

Love your optimism but in reality at the moment we need to improve just to finish in the play offs, I cant see how anyone can have much confidence of top 3. Its not impossible, but we would need to go on a good run, something we arent looking like achieving at the moment.

 

[LCBB72]

7 points adrift and we are in terrible form with 12 games to go.

Love your optimism but in reality at the moment we need to improve just to finish in the play offs, I cant see how anyone can have much confidence of top 3. Its not impossible, but we would need to go on a good run, something we arent looking like achieving at the moment.

42 years ago we started an unbeaten run that took us up , why cant we do it again .

 

[MK Shrimper]

42 years ago we started an unbeaten run that took us up , why cant we do it again .

No real strikers or central defence? Midfield can't do it all.

 

[Jam_Man]

42 years ago we started an unbeaten run that took us up , why cant we do it again .

The fact you bring a stat up from 42 years ago shows how often it happens.:smile:

Of course we could go unbeaten , but we are actually unbeaten in most of the games we played, we need to go on a winning streak, and if it were that easy to do we would be winning now.

Im not writing us off but our form needs to drastically improve for us to make up those 7 points.

 

[Jcd]

7 points adrift and we are in terrible form with 12 games to go.

Love your optimism but in reality at the moment we need to improve just to finish in the play offs, I cant see how anyone can have much confidence of top 3. Its not impossible, but we would need to go on a good run, something we arent looking like achieving at the moment.

15 games left & 6 points if i'm not mistaken?

Too many twists and turns left in the season to come to any conclusions just yet.

 

[Jam_Man]

15 games left & 6 points if i'm not mistaken?

Too many twists and turns left in the season to come to any conclusions just yet.

I had 12 games in my head from the paper this morning, which obviously was talking about the Premierleague :smile:

We are indeed 6 points behind 3rd and 4th place, but our goal difference is less. Maybe over the course of the rest of the season that will swing, but for now to get into the automatics we need 7 points.

 

[Jcd]

Haha, Maybe one day.

V Good point about goal difference, forgot all about it.

 

[Mick]

42 years ago we started an unbeaten run that took us up , why cant we do it again .

42 years ago we had Billy Best and Gary Moore knocking in the goals and both of them were outscored by Bill Garner !!

Sorry, I don't see too many comparisons.

 

[Southend Pier]

Are we play off material? You can only call it as it stands now, and mathematically possible by some distance.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

CP just playing video of the Orient (2nd Leg...one year ago today). For me, it's not an particularly happy bit of nostalgia..... although it seemed so at the time. As I pointed out, between the Orient 1st Leg and the Final, our league form was W2 D5 L5..........goodbye promotion. The point I really wanted to illustrate was that, in the video, Assombalonga and Reeves were celebrating the latter's equalising goal..............how we could do with that pair in the squad now!

 

[Jam_Man]

CP just playing video of the Orient (2nd Leg...one year ago today). For me, it's not an particularly happy bit of nostalgia..... although it seemed so at the time. As I pointed out, between the Orient 1st Leg and the Final, our league form was W2 D5 L5..........goodbye promotion. The point I really wanted to illustrate was that, in the video, Assombalonga and Reeves were celebrating the latter's equalising goal..............how we could do with that pair in the squad now!

Our league form prior to that game wasnt great either.
Played 8 W 2 D1 L5

Our promotion push died long before we got anywhere near Wembley. November and December were ok, but January onwards we were terrible and only won 2 up until that goal went in to take us to Wembley on Feb 20th.

 

[Southend Pier]

And the coincidence yogi is then we lost an influential lad in Timlin which was one of many reasons which deflated the promotion bid. And the closest we have to a leader in Luke Prosser is ruled out for a little while and when he returns will need a game or two further to get up to speed again. With it looking like there appears no movement in the transfer market you have to wonder if the big E is still in place????? So I hope I hope as far as promotion is concerned this year it is not a case of deja vu.

 

[Worcester shrimper 64]

We havn't even got to 50 points yet which is the target for avoiding relegation?

 

[Jam_Man]

And the coincidence yogi is then we lost an influential lad in Timlin which was one of many reasons which deflated the promotion bid. And the closest we have to a leader in Luke Prosser is ruled out for a little while and when he returns will need a game or two further to get up to speed again. With it looking like there appears no movement in the transfer market you have to wonder if the big E is still in place????? So I hope I hope as far as promotion is concerned this year it is not a case of deja vu.

Funy how our form dips and people start digging up financial issues again. As I just said on the other thread we let Reid go, havent replaced Kiernan. Even if we were under embargo we have two spaces.

As for losing Timlin, the bigger reason last year was losing Tam and Laird in January which saw us nosedive, followed by injuries to the Tomlin and Timlin brothers. 4 players in a short period was pretty fatal, at moment we have lost one, and our form had dipped before he was even injured.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Our league form prior to that game wasnt great either.
Played 8 W 2 D1 L5

Our promotion push died long before we got anywhere near Wembley. November and December were ok, but January onwards we were terrible and only won 2 up until that goal went in to take us to Wembley on Feb 20th.

Should have lost that penalty shootout against Oxford...........Bentley cost us promotion! :winking: