Tamworthram

Lots of ifs and buts, but if Bolton win their game in hand or Barnsley win their two games in hand they will only be 4 points behind Portsmouth with 10 games remaining. I personally wouldn’t consider that as running away with it. They have the advantage but not running away with it.

You seem to be obsessed with the word “deserved”. Did they not “deserve” to finish fourth simply because they got the fourth most points? If that’s not enough, they also won the fourth most number of games and scored the fourth most number of goals.

I'm not disagreeing with that (although, we know from this forum that managers can get stick for criticising their players in public), but I really don't see the connection. The fact is the ref messed up and I'd expect their manager to complain about it.

Good shout. I think I'll do it know (before they realise what's going on) just in case.

It's heart breaking to see Stoke in the bottom three. 😀

I agree that they can't really blame conceding the goal on the incident but an attacking opportunity was erroneously taken away from them. A wrong decision by the referee and I reckon we'd all be fuming if it happened to us. But, as it was Notts Forest, my heart isn't bleeding too much.

Maybe they'll be safe by then, won't need to worry about losing an element of home advantage and therefore be happy to give us more in order to boost their bank balance. Here's hoping.

Portsmouth aren't running away with it and I don't quite get the point you are making about them finishing 8th last season. The year before last Plymouth finished 7th and Ipswich finished 11th, so what's your point? It is a weaker league than last season without the teams promoted but it's still not an open goal. I haven't investigated all the signings each team has made but haven't Portsmouth, Bolton and Barnsley strengthened their squads (to a greater extent than we've been able to)?

I get the joke of course but there is a serious side. Every time Sibley plays, the chap sitting next to me makes some comment about how long it will be before he is booked. I have to keep reminding him that Sibley has matured a lot since his bad old days and is no more likely to get booked than any other player.

Or better still, read the actual advert.😀

In particular their CH. He may be good at heading and lumping the ball forward but not so good in open play. That’s why Derby were content to let him have the ball. Sibley had a good game yesterday (and not just for scoring “two” goals) but let’s not pretend he is the new messiah

That load of drivel will give any sports journalists comfort to know AI is unlikely to put them out of a job any time soon.😀

Join the queue buddy.

So still Warne out even if we were to get promoted, and sign players and start to play a style of football that you approve of? I know the latter is unlikely but how can you say “always will be”? Did he run over your cat or something?

Stevenage didn’t win.

I watched the TV series with the real David Fishwick (I think. I'm going to look silly now when I find out it wasn't him 😀) rather than the film. A heart warming story indeed although I did find his incredibly positive and can do attitude a tad annoying at times. He'd struggle with this forum at times. 😄

I watched Ferrari on Now TV last night. Perhaps I wasn’t concentrating enough as I found it a little boring and disappointing. 4/10

Quite possibly/probably but as others have said, even Pep shows respect and recognises the potential threat of a much lower opposition in his press conferences.

So if it matters not what Paul Warne says, why are some people criticising him (or liking the criticism) for what he said in a press conference? As for your assumption that I don’t seem to understand, I think it’s wrong to say that it doesn’t matter what he says. I agree that it doesn’t really matter what he says in the press conference (that’s kind of my point) but it absolutely matters what he says to the players. Anyone that has managed people will know that. Maybe he is showing the other team too much respect but not in what he says in a press conference which is what we’re talking about.

This particular debate is about what PW said in his pre match press conference. I’m saying anyone who is criticising Warne for showing the opposition some respect in a press conference but doesn’t accept the concept that what he says to the players behind closed could be a tad different is probably either a little naive or just looking for another chance to have a pop at Warne.

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised really. Just the usual suspects trying to find any opportunity to have a pop at PW.

Do you really not think there may be chance that PW may say to the players something along the lines of "I know I said how good the opposition are in my press conference but that was just for the public. We shouldn't have anything to fear - this is a game we should be winning. However, let's not be complacent. There still may be ways they can hurt us if we're not on our game"?

Haven't we had this conversation before? Do you not realise that what he says in press conferences is for public consumption and it's only right that he shows respect to the opposition (regardless of how rubbish they may be). Who, in their right minds, wants to hear him say in a press conference "we will will win this one"? Do you think that if Man City had played Maidstone in the FA Cup Pep would have said "we will win this"? As for worrying, who says he is worrying? I just see it as him as either a) just saying something to sound polite and/or b) recognising that regardless of what position the opposition are in they may pose some kind of threat. It feels a bit like groundhog day but I'll repeat what I said last time you raised this further excuse to have a moan at PW: I'm convinced that what he says publicly and what he says to the players is very unlikely to be the same thing. I'm sure (and hope) than when he speaks to the players he will be telling them that this is definitely a game we should be winning. However, even in that more private conversation, I'm sure, whilst wanting to instilling confidence he will be wary being complacent. I really don't understand why you, and those that liked your post, can't see this and seem to take such comments way too seriously.

I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that is a consistently enjoying the football at the moment. But I for one am enjoying the occasional passages of play (sadly though, far too occasional), the number of games we are winning (sadly though, the sense of satisfaction is often overshadowed by a sense of relief) and the fact that we currently sit second in the league (sadly though, I now think it’s very unlikely we’ll end the season there). I am a little apprehensive about next season, regardless of what division we’re in but, I’ll worry about that once we know who we’re up against and who we sign/retain in the summer.

Have you actually read @Caerphilly Ram’s post?