Just about out of reach already.....unless a miracle happens.
play offs....not far away but about a dozen teams in the hunt.
We are in October not March calm down we are only 2 months in.
Tooting .... so where do you see the improvement coming from? Don't tout the Jan window because we all know nothing will happen 'cos the stats aren't right, everyone available is over 28 and basically it's just the crap who are available.
Shall we go with this again then.
The chances of us Hitting a sweet run of form at the same time as other teams collapse is unlikely. Like it or not that is what actually happened last year and then when we did play what had been a consistent top six side we had nothing.
We needed so much more investment than a fanciful base line of a top six side suggested.
We are closer to the playoffs than Bolton are to safety. Yet we couldn't score against them until injury time. We only out shot them when they were defending to hold onto their lead. We are not playing well and frankly are nowhere near good enough to get close to the playoffs. One win at home proves that.
Sorry but we had our chance to improve the side from last season. We didn't and now have an average to good Championship side. But not really good enough to be a play off side yet.
We have one point more than the same time last season but considering the awful September last season that's nothing to shout about!
I believe we have strengthened the depth of the squad but not the team, the standard in the Championship has gone up and we have stood still, performance wise.
Quote from: bill taylors apprentice on October 28, 2017, 05:59:53 PM
We have one point more than the same time last season but considering the awful September last season that's nothing to shout about!
I believe we have strengthened the depth of the squad but not the team, the standard in the Championship has gone up and we have stood still, performance wise.
That's exactly it, we've stood still and 4 teams have broken the bank, hence we'll do well to sneak sixth. But you know what, other teams have done that and then without FFP Khan might get excited. Until then I'm just pleased we don't have Magath, or Branfoot for that matter, but then I'm a butter side up kind of guy. We'll put the Bristolians to the sword, just, with a fitter Cairney but Fonte? Not in the Championship, he's a Portuguese poppadum.
If our home form continues as it is we 'll be looking over our shoulder more then looking up the table.
I agree that the league has moved forward but we have stood still. You can point figures at the recruitment but thinking that he could and then playing Fonte as a winger when we have 15 other options for that position if only one man's fault. The world has worked out how to play us but Slav is two steps behind
All this negatively, I don't know...lol
I was called by certain few last week,doom and gloom merchant... Steady or you will be bracketed with me for seeing things how they are.😹 😹 😹
How many full games have we had Cairney available for ? One man doesn´t make a team but he does half help.
I'm generally pretty positive, but these past few weeks have turned that upside down. At least we showed spirit and I think we played fairly well overall
The quandary I'm in is, of course I want my team to win every game but I'd rather watch a good Championship team rather than a struggling PL team.
I've seen all the ups and too many downs since the sixties and am guilty of wanting an enjoyable game where we win more often than lose!
Cairney won't save us, no matter how well he plays. Not while we have no striker and a powder puff defence that has no physicality. If Khan doesn't push the boat out in January, we are sunk in more ways than one.
Quote from: bill taylors apprentice on October 28, 2017, 06:27:33 PM
The quandary I'm in is, of course I want my team to win every game but I'd rather watch a good Championship team rather than a struggling PL team.
I've seen all the ups and too many downs since the sixties and am guilty of wanting an enjoyable game where we win more often than lose!
[/quot
100% agree...
Still pretty positive about the play offs but not so about automatic, but as stated, it's October so there is no way I'm giving up on it just yet. This coming January transfer window needs to be season changing without a doubt, something that the men in charge failed with last season.
Quote from: The Enclosurite on October 28, 2017, 08:22:42 PM
Still pretty positive about the play offs but not so about automatic, but as stated, it's October so there is no way I'm giving up on it just yet. This coming January transfer window needs to be season changing without a doubt, something that the men in charge failed with last season.
Lets not put our faith in good recruits in January, they are likely to be selected by Stats Boy again and will simply be clones of the unsuitable players purchased last summer.
.....and the men in charge will continue to fail until they are replaced. As there is no evidence to prove otherwise.
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on October 28, 2017, 06:49:07 PM
Cairney won't save us, no matter how well he plays. Not while we have no striker and a powder puff defence that has no physicality. If Khan doesn't push the boat out in January, we are sunk in more ways than one.
I really don't get this point of view. Not having a go but the majority are dubious about the stats squad and our general recruitment, some are even sceptical of Khan. Most however , probably 90% + are well behind Slav and he can do little wrong.
I'm sure that a great coach, and knowledgeable coaching team can empower, coach, inspire , challenge this group of clearly talented individuals and come up with tactics to win matches, keep clean sheets, do something positive with set pieces etc.
Isn't it Slavs remit to do the above? The recruitment has specifically been taken away from him so he can focus on the coaching, on improving individuals through synergy, teamwork and tactics . What I'm getting at is we can't and shouldn't wait til January when we have people at the club right now who's sole job is continuous improvement . Whether that's positioning, psychology, man management, developing and improving confidence..
Should we actually be content with seeing the same stuff week in week out when the same stuff has been proven to not be good enough.
Quote from: Newry FFC on October 28, 2017, 08:48:31 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on October 28, 2017, 06:49:07 PM
Cairney won't save us, no matter how well he plays. Not while we have no striker and a powder puff defence that has no physicality. If Khan doesn't push the boat out in January, we are sunk in more ways than one.
I really don't get this point of view. Not having a go but the majority are dubious about the stats squad and our general recruitment, some are even sceptical of Khan. Most however , probably 90% + are well behind Slav and he can do little wrong.
I'm sure that a great coach, and knowledgeable coaching team can empower, coach, inspire , challenge this group of clearly talented individuals and come up with tactics to win matches, keep clean sheets, do something positive with set pieces etc.
Isn't it Slavs remit to do the above? The recruitment has specifically been taken away from him so he can focus on the coaching, on improving individuals through synergy, teamwork and tactics . What I'm getting at is we can't and shouldn't wait til January when we have people at the club right now who's sole job is continuous improvement . Whether that's positioning, psychology, man management, developing and improving confidence..
Should we actually be content with seeing the same stuff week in week out when the same stuff has been proven to not be good enough.
I agree with your observations and deductions.
Quote from: Newry FFC on October 28, 2017, 08:48:31 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on October 28, 2017, 06:49:07 PM
Cairney won't save us, no matter how well he plays. Not while we have no striker and a powder puff defence that has no physicality. If Khan doesn't push the boat out in January, we are sunk in more ways than one.
I really don't get this point of view. Not having a go but the majority are dubious about the stats squad and our general recruitment, some are even sceptical of Khan. Most however , probably 90% + are well behind Slav and he can do little wrong.
I'm sure that a great coach, and knowledgeable coaching team can empower, coach, inspire , challenge this group of clearly talented individuals and come up with tactics to win matches, keep clean sheets, do something positive with set pieces etc.
Isn't it Slavs remit to do the above? The recruitment has specifically been taken away from him so he can focus on the coaching, on improving individuals through synergy, teamwork and tactics . What I'm getting at is we can't and shouldn't wait til January when we have people at the club right now who's sole job is continuous improvement . Whether that's positioning, psychology, man management, developing and improving confidence..
Should we actually be content with seeing the same stuff week in week out when the same stuff has been proven to not be good enough.
I do think that Slav is showing a worryingly intransigent streak. There are changes we have all discussed that could refresh the team but which he seems reluctant to embrace. I think that's the first of your observations. Hopefully he will step up.
Yet despite this habit of continually dropping home points.
By the end of this week, we could be only 4 points away from an automatic promotion place.
Forget top two thats gone.
Playoffs still well within our grasp and far too early to write off.
My intention was not to start a negative post. I just looked at the table and thought....
I am concerned about home form, history repeating itself. However, good news, I will be jetting into London for the Derby game so I hope home form improves. In over 20 years, attending a match when in UK, I have only seen Fulham lose once. The fateful (bottom of the league)Sunderland match. So, I hope I bring some luck. 049:gif
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:04:43 PM
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Hardly drifting from 6th. We are no worse off than after game 9. Standing still at the moment maybe.
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:04:43 PM
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Hardly drifting from 6th. We are no worse off than after game 9. Standing still at the moment maybe.
'Hardly drifting' i'd say dropping points to bottom 3 clubs and giving points away cheaply to rivals will impact that come end of season. I know we've spoken before (and on twitter) about this and we agreed to look again come xmas and we'll see. I'm predicting a bad scenario relying on improbable form levels like last year with a different/weaker squad dynamic. We'll see. Happy to be very wrong.
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:33:43 PM
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:04:43 PM
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Hardly drifting from 6th. We are no worse off than after game 9. Standing still at the moment maybe.
'Hardly drifting' i'd say dropping points to bottom 3 clubs and giving points away cheaply to rivals will impact that come end of season. I know we've spoken before (and on twitter) about this and we agreed to look again come xmas and we'll see. I'm predicting a bad scenario relying on improbable form levels like last year with a different/weaker squad dynamic. We'll see. Happy to be very wrong.
As I posted elsewhere our record against teams below us at the moment is actually better than at this stage last season:
2016 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record was P6 W1 D4 L1 Pts 7
in 2017 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record is P6 W2 D2 L2 Pts 8
You would hope for more so we are not playing catch up but its what it is. I dont believe we have a weaker squad as such(maybe an XI atm yes). Maybe its just the words your using 'Drifting' when we are not and 'weaker squad' that im seemingly pulling you up on, but its just not all doom and gloom at this moment.
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:43:49 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:33:43 PM
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:04:43 PM
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Hardly drifting from 6th. We are no worse off than after game 9. Standing still at the moment maybe.
'Hardly drifting' i'd say dropping points to bottom 3 clubs and giving points away cheaply to rivals will impact that come end of season. I know we've spoken before (and on twitter) about this and we agreed to look again come xmas and we'll see. I'm predicting a bad scenario relying on improbable form levels like last year with a different/weaker squad dynamic. We'll see. Happy to be very wrong.
As I posted elsewhere our record against teams below us at the moment is actually better than at this stage last season:
2016 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record was P6 W1 D4 L1 Pts 7
in 2017 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record is P6 W2 D2 L2 Pts 8
You would hope for more so we are not playing catch up but its what it is. I dont believe we have a weaker squad as such(maybe an XI atm yes). Maybe its just the words your using 'Drifting' when we are not and 'weaker squad' that im seemingly pulling you up on, but its just not all doom and gloom at this moment.
I just hate the comparison to last year as a barometer to how we can do this year when we had an abnormal run of form, picking up highly unlikely results (and dropping some against teams we likely should of beat) as a safe measure of 'we shouldn't be concerned' You're right, its not all doom and gloom, but its also not sunshine and rainbows and the longer we keep slipping and dropping points, the higher the improbability of us making playoffs.
I maintain we are weaker this year than last year as a whole for a team that targeted top 2 and I feel we're drifting away to our secondary target of top 6 by playing woefully and dropping points against teams we need them from and not relying on getting points against teams its unlikely from. Ie Burton/Bolton - Wolves etc
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:53:44 PM
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:43:49 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:33:43 PM
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:04:43 PM
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Hardly drifting from 6th. We are no worse off than after game 9. Standing still at the moment maybe.
'Hardly drifting' i'd say dropping points to bottom 3 clubs and giving points away cheaply to rivals will impact that come end of season. I know we've spoken before (and on twitter) about this and we agreed to look again come xmas and we'll see. I'm predicting a bad scenario relying on improbable form levels like last year with a different/weaker squad dynamic. We'll see. Happy to be very wrong.
As I posted elsewhere our record against teams below us at the moment is actually better than at this stage last season:
2016 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record was P6 W1 D4 L1 Pts 7
in 2017 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record is P6 W2 D2 L2 Pts 8
You would hope for more so we are not playing catch up but its what it is. I dont believe we have a weaker squad as such(maybe an XI atm yes). Maybe its just the words your using 'Drifting' when we are not and 'weaker squad' that im seemingly pulling you up on, but its just not all doom and gloom at this moment.
I just hate the comparison to last year as a barometer to how we can do this year when we had an abnormal run of form, picking up highly unlikely results (and dropping some against teams we likely should of beat) as a safe measure of 'we shouldn't be concerned' You're right, its not all doom and gloom, but its also not sunshine and rainbows and the longer we keep slipping and dropping points, the higher the improbability of us making playoffs.
I maintain we are weaker this year than last year as a whole for a team that targeted top 2 and I feel we're drifting away to our secondary target of top 6 by playing woefully and dropping points against teams we need them from and not relying on getting points against teams its unlikely from. Ie Burton/Bolton - Wolves etc
But are you not comparing our run last year to what could happen this year by saying its unlikely to happen again? For you to do that its just for someone like me to look at last season and say we are doing better at this moment than last season at the same stage?
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 01:17:31 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:53:44 PM
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:43:49 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:33:43 PM
Quote from: MJG on October 30, 2017, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: FFC1987 on October 30, 2017, 12:04:43 PM
Yep, top 2 was the target, even Slav said so during pre season and we're woefully drifting from top 6 let alone top 2. We've failed spectacularly and things seem very wrong behind the scenes. We don't have the same dynamic, we're sluggish, not critical and prone to conceding cheap, easy goals. I'm not writing us off, asking for a change in management, but I seriously hope, if this is a failure, the guys who recruit are held accountable. Its been dire and just isn't working. In context, the target was top 2, we've almost certainly failed and don't look confident in at least being a 3rd/4th side.
Hardly drifting from 6th. We are no worse off than after game 9. Standing still at the moment maybe.
'Hardly drifting' i'd say dropping points to bottom 3 clubs and giving points away cheaply to rivals will impact that come end of season. I know we've spoken before (and on twitter) about this and we agreed to look again come xmas and we'll see. I'm predicting a bad scenario relying on improbable form levels like last year with a different/weaker squad dynamic. We'll see. Happy to be very wrong.
As I posted elsewhere our record against teams below us at the moment is actually better than at this stage last season:
2016 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record was P6 W1 D4 L1 Pts 7
in 2017 of the 6 sides we had played below us the record is P6 W2 D2 L2 Pts 8
You would hope for more so we are not playing catch up but its what it is. I dont believe we have a weaker squad as such(maybe an XI atm yes). Maybe its just the words your using 'Drifting' when we are not and 'weaker squad' that im seemingly pulling you up on, but its just not all doom and gloom at this moment.
I just hate the comparison to last year as a barometer to how we can do this year when we had an abnormal run of form, picking up highly unlikely results (and dropping some against teams we likely should of beat) as a safe measure of 'we shouldn't be concerned' You're right, its not all doom and gloom, but its also not sunshine and rainbows and the longer we keep slipping and dropping points, the higher the improbability of us making playoffs.
I maintain we are weaker this year than last year as a whole for a team that targeted top 2 and I feel we're drifting away to our secondary target of top 6 by playing woefully and dropping points against teams we need them from and not relying on getting points against teams its unlikely from. Ie Burton/Bolton - Wolves etc
But are you not comparing our run last year to what could happen this year by saying its unlikely to happen again? For you to do that its just for someone like me to look at last season and say we are doing better at this moment than last season at the same stage?
I am insinuating that yes, if a comparison between this year and last is being conducted, we'd need to evaluate the probability of another godly run of form. Its 100% subjective on whether we would of not but i'd argue the run of form we saw last year is improbable this year with our current starting 11/squad. Just my opinion and maybe it is pessimistic but its 100% based on what i've seen this season.
