Season over

[Parsnip]

Our position would look ok if we were just beginning to gain some momentum but we're going in totally the opposite direction.

I like the championship though.

[BathRam72]

Look on the brightside.  At least if we don't go up we won't have the indignity of coming down with less than 11 points. Because quite frankly we would struggle up there over a season

[plymouthram]

I like the championship too, but I hate it when we ship in 7 goals at home to 2 teams who you know are mediocre. I wish Mac had not rested players against Leicester, at least we would still be in the cup. Burton must be rubbing their hands waiting for next week.

[RoyMac5]

Just now, plymouthram said:

 I wish Mac had not rested players against Leicester, at least we would still be in the cup.

So what, the way we're playing Millwall would have trounced us!

[Parsnip]

We'll annihilate Burton and go on a storming run.

[CWC1983]

All season there's been at least 6 better teams than us. Let's use the rest of the season to entertain and prepare for next season.

All we can do is trust Steve and the board to identify players in and players out over the summer. 

 

[BarrowRam]

Think the season was over the day pearson was appointed  manager.  We need a major clear out. Players  not good enough. 

[Jayram]

Without question our season is over. Every single team above us is better than us and we will not dislodge any of them. The sheer chaos of our transfer and managerial dealings in the last couple of years has come home to roost and we now have a leaderless bloated squad of bottlers who will never take this club forward. I think it's a case of just playing for pride now with a view to an almighty clear out in the summer. Personally I cannot wait for this utter shambles of a season to end.

[loweman2]

The simple truth is that we are not good enough to get promoted and we haven't been for the last nine years, we cling to hope but the players on the pitch are not good enough, and do we really want to see this team of nearly men playing in the Premier league ? I mean do we really ? I still whince from the last time ! We have one great player but alas he will never be the player that we can rely on to play 40 games a season, so it's time to get the season ticket paid for and another season of so near but so far to look forward to.

[Kernow]

It looks that way now I must admit. The points gap itself isn't impossible but we're 11th. We'd have to make up the gap, as well as overtake at least 4 teams ahead of us. We've conceded 7 goals in two games against sides we should be beating. We've taken 1 point when we should be taking 6.

I really don't know what the best plan for the summer is to give us a team good enough to really compete. For the past three seasons now we've got ourselves into a good position and then slipped up leaving us with a play-off spot at best. What do we actually need to do to become a top two side? A thread the other day suggested a fully fit first eleven would make it into the top 2. Rubbish. We do need changes, but the big decisions are where? Defensively we don't concede many, but we go on runs where we need to outscore the opposition to win. Six goals in a week at home should be enough to win both games, but it's not been enough to win any. Beside Hughes, our midfield has not been good enough for three seasons, despite 'improvements' we've not actually improved. It really is a toss up between a couple of key additions or an overhaul. Then we have the issue of shipping out players we've overpaid for, and then replacing them with quality players to suit our side, which we aren't the best at doing.

[We'll be back in 81]

Its time to get a leader in on the pitch in the summer.

[StantonRam]

hi all

OK, contrary to my earlier post today, tonight's results have made things look very different.  A win tonight would have kept us in the mix but as things stand we're now 8 points adrift.  This season is now dead, and it doesn't matter if we finish 7th or 17th TBH, time to look ahead and plan ahead.  This season is a flop, so let's look at why and what can be salvaged.

Causes -

1.  Pearson - if they had gone to Mac instead of him last summer I think we'd be probably 10-12 points better off and in the top 6 (but probably not top 2, we're just not mentally tough enough - see below).

2.  The same inconsistency and inability to kill off average quality teams that was evident 2 seasons ago - remember Millwall away, Huddersfield away, the same pattern becomes evident, high scoring games, nervousness, cock ups, sudden dips in concentration etc.

3.  The squad is too large and players signed by PC and NP are still here and some are contributing not very much compared to the old guard, many signed by Nigel Clough, but they in turn just don't quite have what it takes to get out of this division.  I don't think we'd miss Blackman, Vydra or a few others I could name.  I've said it before - we need quality not quantity.

4.  Mac - many fine qualities as a coach but too emotionally close to the players, treats them as human beings rather than pieces on a chess board, that makes him a good human being but a flawed leader, not ruthless enough to have a really good clear out when needed and get stuck in.  We reflect his qualities in our play - skilful, often great to watch, but lacking the killer instinct.  We are the Alfa Romeo of this league - great to look at but unreliable.

5.  It would have been better to have lost v West Brom in the FA cup.  The energy, time, injuries etc expended in the 2 games against the Foxes might have actually cost us promotion.  No point in beating a PL side if you can't beat Bristol City or Cardiff!

6.  We miss Thorne, and the fact is that no one else has stepped up and done what he used to do, not addressing this properly was a big mistake, but the biggest mistake was playing him v Ipswich last summer in a game that didn't matter, how dumb can you get?

Cures -

1.  In between the remaining games, tough decisions need to be made behind the scenes - who stays, who goes, who we need.  Planning for the summer transfer window should start now.

2.  We need to move about 10-12 players out and buy only 3 or 4 PL quality players who are hungry and have things to prove.  They are out there and we have to find them.

3.  Somewhere on the staff we need a hard man - neither Mac nor Chrissy Powell nor KP have the ability to give out a good b*****king and still command respect - or at least a 'consultant' to do the dirty work.

4.  Hours and hours and hours of training ground stuff before the new season - Mac is good at this.  Basics of technique, drills for each position/formation, fitness and stamina, mental preparation/sports psychology, whatever it takes, so that next season we TAKE NO PRISONERS!

5.  It has to be this way otherwise the likes of Hughes/Ince/Christie will be gone, we can't keep telling them "one more season", if Hendrick can sign for a PL side for 10 mil then so can they.

6.  If Thorne is unavailable we need a hard man in front of the back 4.  Neither Johnson nor de Saart have the required qualities.  Thorne would need a deputy of similar quality anyway as he's made of glass.  Top priority therefore is to sign Thorne Mk2, spend 10 mil if we have to, move 6 players out if we have to.

Let's start thinking about next season, at least it might cheer us all up a bit.

COYR!!!

LR2

[1977 Ram Raider]

It's got to be a summer overhaul for me otherwise we are in for the same **** next season.

[Guest]

In all honesty we don't look to be challenging for promotion. However this may be a temporary slump and wins start again soon. OK I don't really believe that but the thought of next season cheers me up with players coming back and no doubt new ones coming in for us to be more consistent and stronger and promotion contenders. I hope so because at my age I can't afford to hang about!

[archied]

Pearson is not the reason we are not in the play off places ,,, Mac came in and we went on a run and got in the top six ,,, we then bottled it ,, we have had chances to get back in the mix and we bottle it ,, a culture of getting into prime position then folding has engulfed the club ,,, we need a total clear out and rebuild from Mac down ,, sorry if this seems like a flash ,rash reaction but it's sadly true ,we are repeating the same scenario over and over again 

[plymouthram]

If I was the manager I would go for it. Play entertaining attacking football see where it takes us. We wont make the play offs in our current style and tactics, so lets experiment for the rest of the season. Even try out a player from the u23s. At least we would have a head start on our rivals by playing our remaining 15 games like pre-season matches. we have nothing to lose, because with our current points tally, we are not going to get relegated.

[StantonRam]

"At my age I can't afford to hang about" - that's exactly what Hughes, Christie, Ince will be thinking, we have to do enough in the next few months in terms of rectifying all this to persuade them to stay.

[Sparkle]

At least we have the cup on Saturday don't we ? 

[SKRam]

Off the top of my head I'm thinking this is a Midlands Meltdown ( WBA excepted) ...... Us, Florist, Burton, Brum, Wolves, Villa, Notts Co, Coventry.... all not doing too well just at the mo! Apologies for omissions it's light out here! 

[StantonRam]

Also, my point about Pearson was that his attempt at a total Mike Bassett-esque change to "4-4--f******-2" probably cost us 10-12 points, but I agree that even if we were in the top 6 now we might still have bottled it in the end as you suggest.