The last two results could well prove to be another piece in the jigsaw of relegation,I'm sure the players are as gutted as the fans right now,we needed and should have got at least 4pts out of these two fixtures.Must admit can't quite put my finger on it-we now have financial stabalisation with an owner although football naive has a phenonemal career record in banking and business.A young enthusiastic manager (but unproven) who has made some decent signings with an obvious improvement in the quality of the squad,a decent (if still unfinshed) ground and of course fantastic hardcore support.But we still seem to be misfiring and at definite risk of a third relegation,so why?
Should have run the clock down by bringing on our third sub.......didn't Fletcher or Deehan think of that.........how many players have you seen over the years dawdling off the pitch having been subbed at the last moment.........obviously not any Argyle ones.
That aka is the million dollar question which if you tried to answer would take you all night. It is not just what is done in one match that has put us here. The start to the season was as bad as it could get baring one point in nine games. No pre-season preparation to speak of and a squad full of kids. In my opinion that is where the problem starts and what has come next is just a continuation of that. We have had experience in the squad but not from game nine onwards. Whilst the form has improved it just started too late and there is a nervousness in the squad. There are probably loads of other reasons including other teams finding their form. It was always going to be hard.
Do you think we will stay up Sensible? I really do have my doubts,am a bit surprised because I do actually think we have a reasonable squad by league 2 standards.Would agree with your analysis,but why are we still struggling,particularly given we have great support that a lot of league 2 clubs would be envious of.
I like joe think we will stay up but not with much to spare it seems. Why are we still there with the squad we now have you ask. I think my last point in post above is why. There is a nervousness there even now. If they would only just loosen up and play like they can consistently then I would have no fears at all. We would have another 7 or 8 points on the board. But being so close to the bottom stops that for some reason. If only they could get back to back results even that might just tip the balance and put the spring in their step. I do think football is partly to do with confiedence and belief as well as ability.
Agree to a large degree it's a confidence thing,witness the number of missed chances in the last two games from players of good ability,I think despite what the players say,the pressure is getting to them.It's all so frustrating,watching them play ,you just think why can't they turn it on (like they did at Accrington)-perhaps they will.
This is where I agree with plymborn partly. Fletcher is a novice when it comes to man management. I don't always agree regarding his tactics and training and preparation etc. but he is maybe still a player in his head and not a manager of them in motivation terms. People like Holloway for example have a way of making players of average ability feel like they are world class. His motivational skills are as good as it gets even if part of me still thinks the man is an asshole. For me that is the only thing a manager can do once kick off takes place. But, as said I still think we will stay up.
Ignoring sensible's unkind remarks about my thread the other week......." counting snowflakes"...... I suggested that we would accumulate a total of 42 points this season,I see that after three of those games we are +1 point. In the cold light of day those three matches should have brought us, without doubt nine points. Predicting match results is the easy part.......predicting in the cold light of day how a manager reacts at any moment at what happens on the pitch is, I think governed by the experience that manager has accumulated in his career. A more experienced manager would possibly have used his third substitute in the dieing seconds of such a match as the Macclesfield game, not only does it waste valuable time.......it breaks up the pressure that the losing side is cranking up trying to get an equalizer. Predicting a result can be hard enough without the manager missing obvious tricks........I don't care how new a manager is.......his playing career would have told him the benefit of breaking up play and running the clock down.........and surely during his career Fletcher would have been subbed at the eleventh hour of a game and slowly (because he is tired) walked off the pitch........which helps to wind up the opposition. Personally.....I think Fletcher failed his team by not using all his subs......to help protect his teams hard fought 1-0 lead,....... looks to me like the rabbit caught in the headlights syndrome..........and where was the experienced mentor Deehan .....when he could have earnt his crust by advising.........surely not stuck up in the stand with his notepad and pen.
I don't want to take on the role of forum doomsayer, much less be seen to be deliberately winding others up but I'm genuinely very fearful we are going down. There is an uncomfortably large gap between us & those immediately above, especially as only Macclesfield have played 33. Meanwhile, 2 of the three below us have the games in hand to overtake us if they get a run of form. There's been much angst about the 95m goal that denied us a win on Tuesday but the truth is in the big scheme, an away draw wasn't a bad result. Somebody remarked on Twitter during the game when it was nil-nil that they'd settle for a draw as away games were always hard. That's very true but it doesn't help when we continually let ourselves down at home as we did against Dagenham & Redbridge. It's a joke I know but it genuinely reflects my feelings: had we got 4 points from the last 2 games, I'd have gone back to "Don't panic" from "We're All Doomed". I even had a hope that we might get 6 on the back of the result at Accrington. But we didn't and it's no use the players being gutted, they need to get going. I don't want to be a Fletcher-basher either but this bunch of players do appear to have a better capacity, albeit in this league, than what's gone before. I'm not convinced however they're always delivering 100% of that capacity: again on Tuesday, Tweeps at the game were bemoaning the futility of playing high balls up to MacDonald in particular when he was up against a towering centre back. With several good wide players [Hemmings, Lennox, Berry, Young et al], we don't need to do that. Fletcher needs to find a way to get the most out of what we have and get the players organised accordingly. That will give the players confidence in what they are doing. I'm not entirely sure we're there yet but with only 13 to play, we need to get there quickly.
notDistant........I spluttered into my cup of tea.......with your comment......"I don't want to take on the role of forum doomsayer".......you will be getting a strongly worded PM from sensible......telling you to back off from his territory.....only he is allowed such titles as "forum doomsayer".....he has worked hard and long for that title.......I have visions of Mrs LaLa in her days of forum moderater bestowing the title on him......similar to the Queen Knighting someone........on second thoughts it might be dangerous to allow Mrs LaLa near sensibles neck with a sword.
First it was the title of moaner and now it is doomsayer. I'm neither just for the record. Since when have I been predicting doom? Normally my glasses are tinted at least slightly green and I have only been quoting doom when things look final.
sensible.......after today you might of changed your mind............tinted green glasses have been washed clear white for most fans by now.
