I turn up wondering if we can win whoever we play in this league, he doesn't install me with confidence. Do you think he can do it ?
In a word. No. I don't think it's a case of can Jack Ross get us through the play offs though as I don't lay a great deal of blame at his feet. The players simply just aren't good enough.
I think we've got a lot of fight in the team and if we've got McGeady and Maguire back fit they're two of the best players in the league so I think we've got a solid chance. Grigg might be playing with an injury too. Agreed that it's more to do with the players though than Ross, a lot of our squad are below par for the league.
I think we have a very smart manager and he played a team tonight to draw at best, lets look at the fixtures this season and results. Pompey two draws against Doncaster. Pompey one draw one win against us. Two wins if you count Wembley. Charlton one loss one draw against us. Doncaster two losses against us edging my bets i would give best odds on a Doncaster win in the first round of play offs, this Saturday i expect to see a scratch team using U23's in prep for the last 3 games of the season. I know form has changed towards the end of the season but this could be our best shot at promotion now, the only fly in the ointment is a chance peterborough could pip Doncaster to the last spot, but then Peterborough has just taken Pompy tonight so who knows. We can only put our faith in the team and manager and if does not work out maybe its for the best because we will struggle in the championship next season and a further year building could be the answer.
Although acadamy lads Gooch and Honeyman aren't even up to it in this league , Paul Lemon and Tony Cullen spring to mind, too small, too slow , tidy but not up to it.
Never mind a scratch team for Saturday. We are relying on you to put Southend to the sword for feck sake.
I'd say Ross has made mistakes tactically in some games but I think, as a manager, he has the ability to get us through and he knows what needs to be done. As others have said, I think its more a case of the team not being quite good enough to get automatic promotion. The playoffs are a lottery and form is no indicator. We've lacked the early season spark in midfield and I think we've missed Maja. Controversial opinion maybe but, despite his obvious quality, I'm not sure that Grigg was the signing we needed.
I’m 60/40 for Ross. I’ve had issues, raised around November, about fear of losing. Put it down to the size of the job. I’ve just seen a star that we’ve failed to win 17 games from winning positions. I’m pissed but I’d like someone to check if that’s correct. The confirmation of this will decide my decision, which will be lengthy and conditional either way. I will say this, this tonight was a cowardly result, not the first.
Let’s not forget, our current points total would, at this stage, normally have at least our fate in our hands going into the last game. We’ve lost 4 games this season. We’ve drawn far too many but we average a little less than 2 per game. Think there’s only once or twice in the last 6 or 7 years that 85 points wouldnt get promoted Putting it into perspective... if, at the start of the season, you were told we’d have 85 points with one to play. Wild that have been acceptable?
It would be 'nice' if we could break our 'Play Off Hoodoo', having never won one to date. I do my level best to keep my optimism at full throttle but this repeating habit of conceding late goals and losing from a winning position just isn't filling me with confidence.
I don't see how conceding late goals can be put down to Jack Ross' deficiencies. It's a concentration thing. Admittedly, he could coach that out of them but players efforts shouldn't drop late in the game at this level.
I think Peterborough was the worst example. I know we're not good at defending a lead. but going ahead away from home in 87minute, even poor teams would probably do ''whats necessary '' to see the game out. Didn't see it, but did we time waste, or ''niggle'' the opposition ?
I think to throw a positive on it, actually winning the playoffs and going up on the day would be an incredible feeling. Personally, I’d rest a load for Southend, I’d rather play Charlton over 2 legs than face them at Wembley. For all it wouldn’t matter to the players the flashbacks would kill some of us off.
Although individual errors are usually to blame for late goals, especially ours, JR makes a lot of poor decisions over substitutions. Thats, when he finally gets round to making them, this shows a degree of indecision, which transmit itself to the team. Some very good players were available from the bench last night for instance, but again the substitutions were poor and he only made two, when it was clear we were fading from the minute we scored and changes were required.
