Well I have a feeling someone is going to get crushed soon, and I have a feeling it will be Doncaster.
It's not a 'must-win' in my eyes because if we don't pick up 3 points, promotion isn't over. If we don't win, the world doesn't come to an end. Like I say though, it's a game we should win.
Every game is a must win game. If I were a player I'd treat every game like the cup final. That is just the kind of person I am. We are a much better side than Doncaster and I will be very disappointed if we don't beat them. But it won't be a disaster. However, we desperately need to go on a run away from home as our home form can't last forever surely
Deja Vu? We have had these threads before and they leave me confused. If we lose to them and win at West Ham we will have the same points as if we win against Doncaster and lose at Upton Park. We have to win a certain number of games from those to play and none of them is a Must win, provided we win enough of them. Now is it more likely that we will get a win away at Donny than West Ham? Probably. But neither is a must win game. But if we fall short of the top two and end up in the playoffs, then there will be some seriously "must win" games
No, you're quite right, it isn't over. Make enough slip-ups though, where you should have won, but didn't, and promotion becomes too tall an order, let alone winning a title. Saints might be 2 points ahead, before next Saturday, but each slip-up makes promotion harder, I think you will agree, unless the rivals slip-up too. And you can't be thinking about winning Championships with that kind of attitude. This isn't the Saints of old, and they can't think that way either, no matter that Nigel says the table will inevitably have Ups and Downs. He's got to make sure Saints attain every Up they can muster. Only we have the luxury to think otherwise because we aren't putting ourselves on the line of winning or losing. In my opinion, Saints have to approach each game as a must-win. So, from their prospective, that's why the next game is.
No, you're quite right, it isn't over. Make enough slip-ups though, where you should have won, but didn't, and promotion becomes too tall an order, let alone winning a title. Saints might be 2 points ahead, before next Saturday, but each slip-up makes promotion harder, I think you will agree, unless the rivals slip-up too. And you can't be thinking about winning Championships with that kind of attitude. This isn't the Saints of old, and they can't think that way either, no matter that Nigel says the table will inevitably have Ups and Downs. He's got to make sure Saints attain every Up they can muster. Only we have the luxury to think otherwise because we aren't putting ourselves on the line of winning or losing. In my opinion, Saints have to approach each game as a must-win. So, from their prospective, that's why the next game is.
The phrase "must-win" implies that if we don't win then the promised land is all but unreachable. "Must win" is a combination of two words that shouldn't be used unless at the very end of the season, or in a playoff final, or in a cup final, in which the consequences of not winning are grave, and have a definable impact - a tangible ramification. Should win would be far more suitable, as Lambden says. If we don't win, what's going to happen? The title is haded to West Ham? We finish outside the automatic places? We can't tell. It would be very much favourable for our chances if we did win, but we shouldn't kill ourselves if we don't.
I'm beginning to have a feeling that, semantics apart, we are thinking along the same lines, in any case. I just happen to think that slip-ups are best avoided entirely, and that Saints cannot gamble with promotion. Put it this way... Say Saints lose the odd game they should be winning, and then find themselves behind in the table, will you start saying that the next game is a must-win..? Or the next..? In fact, when will you say every game is a must-win..? Do you see what I'm getting at..? What's the point of waiting for failure..? Just try and win every game, and have the winning mentality that every game is a must-win. With that attitude you're either going to win by a canter, win hard, or lose, having turned over every stone in trying. There will be no, what ifs. At the same time, I'm the last person to get all wretched about a loss. The game against Bristol City showed plenty of people gnashing their teeth and wailing that Nigel ought to think again. Whereas, some people wrote that we lost and it was gone. Learn from it and let it go. In fact, draw a blue line under it and get onto the next game. Thankfully, Nigel's in charge of that.
I do understand where you sit in this discourse. You're just slightly, just a tiny bit, more ambitious than me
I felt that following the loss at Bristol last Saturday, NA would be demanding 6 points from the next 2 games. 3 are in the bag from the Hull match, a win will be expected at Doncaster. Should we fail to win however it doesn't mean our promotion hopes have gone, obviously! By the way, we have a new poster! Welcome aboard Saint Jenny.
Depends on what you mean by 'must win'. If it's the last game of the season and three points would secure promotion; thats a 'must win' game. Where we are in the league and what we are trying to achieve means every game you go out looking for a win, but that does not make every game a 'must win'. So, in answer to the original question; Doncaster is not a 'must win' and so yes; you are over-reacting [but understand the sentiment of the post].
Welcome to the Saints board Saint Jenny........We look forward to your contribution. Any Problems just PM (private message) either myself Channon or st_brendy. We will help in the mean time enjoy the site. In regards your post you may well be right.....but lower placed teams do seem to be Saints achillies heal. Personally a draw is likely JMO.
Like most Saints fans, our current position is beyond anything I hoped for before the season started. But now we're top, I want us to stay top, if only so we can go on singing "we're top of the league". I currently expect West Ham to win every game, so every game is one we need to be winning. Obviously both we and West Ham are going to drop points, but we need to approach each game as a must win.
Doncaster were in the news recently about trying an innovative idea of getting expensive loans in on low wages but offering them a chance to be in the shop window eg Diouf. Means that they get good players but miss the chance to really build a team. Could also make them more difficult to analyze. Wonder how that will pan out..they are still bottom.
Having a lot of loans never works and it won't for Doncaster. As others have said - if we keep Sharp quiet, we'll be fine.
