If we fail to win Saturday then any hope for play-offs will be gone for me.This is a classic 'take each game as it comes'.
Win Saturday is critical ( preferably with a convincing performance)
100% this. It’s do-able but that’s a monumental upturn in performances and results required. Just as DB deserves stick for getting us in this current mess, he’d deserve the praise if he manages it. It’s hard to see, or fathom, how we can go from 1 in 10 to 6 or 7 in 10. The fixtures don’t look that easy to me either. Take away the Bolton, Stevenage and Peterborough games where we will likely get no more than 2 points then I think that’s 7 wins needed, minimum 6. We are better than some but are we really any better than Lincoln ? Exeter ? Port Vale ? I’d say we are around that level and no way could we just assume we’d roll them over. A hell of a task but let’s see.
Yep, think you're right there. I reckon he will get until October.We are a poor side.
We shouldn’t really be 6th and I think we will finish 8th or 9th in the end which will seem like a decent season, when in reality it’s been a bit pants really.
I think we will win 4, draw 2 and lose 4.
We are painfully lacking in critical areas and there are things we can’t or don’t do that we should and things we keep doing that we definitely shouldn’t.
Des will definitely get a summer transfer window and it needs some investment.
I can't remember the last time we won a game comfortably.Cheltenham have been better under their new manager but still a game we should be winning fairly comfortably. As you say, it'll show us if that uptick in performance Saturday was anything of substance or just a one off.
Stevenage? Long time ago though. The midfield play was at times sublimeI can't remember the last time we won a game comfortably.
We are a poor side.
We shouldn’t really be 6th and I think we will finish 8th or 9th in the end which will seem like a decent season...
We are painfully lacking in critical areas and there are things we can’t or don’t do that we should and things we keep doing that we definitely shouldn’t.
Agree. We've shown we can be/are a good team at the start of the season.Disagree with much of this. We're not a poor side, and we should be comfortably Top 6.
We're not 'painfully lacking in critical areas' either. We have areas where we are not as strong as others. That happens at every club. Why do we need perfection in order to put up a decent fist of a promotion push?
I think there is a really interesting comparison to be made with Portsmouth here. Imagine, if you will, that Mousinho had jumped ship to Bristol City in November. If this then led to a downturn in form, with them tumbling out of the play-offs, you could comfortably make a case that this was inevitable and that they had previously been in a false position - lot's of late winners, not dominating teams etc. Sound familiar?
That would have been wrong for them - as we can now see - if anything they've improved as the season has gone on (minus a small wobble over the festive period). It is also, IMHO, wrong for us. Who is to say that we wouldn't have improved?
League position and the confidence that comes from that are great drivers. Having seen Portsmouth twice in recent weeks, I don't think, player for player, that they are better than us. And yet they are cruising to the title.
This isn't a dig at Buckingham, it's merely an observation that large swathes of our fanbase regularly talk down our position.
Portsmouth don't have the perfect squad - and they're going to win promotion through organisation and, quite frankly, momentum.
We had both these things earlier in the season - we let them both go without so much as a whimper.
Agree 100%. We are a good team, but sloppy play has cost us games. Where would we be if we hadn't gifted goals to other teams? or been a bit tighter with our passing and keeping the ball?
Our performances and results have been substandard for months. There is a point where you have to concede that its no longer poor form.Disagree with much of this. We're not a poor side, and we should be comfortably Top 6.
We're not 'painfully lacking in critical areas' either. We have areas where we are not as strong as others. That happens at every club. Why do we need perfection in order to put up a decent fist of a promotion push?
I think there is a really interesting comparison to be made with Portsmouth here. Imagine, if you will, that Mousinho had jumped ship to Bristol City in November. If this then led to a downturn in form, with them tumbling out of the play-offs, you could comfortably make a case that this was inevitable and that they had previously been in a false position - lot's of late winners, not dominating teams etc. Sound familiar?
That would have been wrong for them - as we can now see - if anything they've improved as the season has gone on (minus a small wobble over the festive period). It is also, IMHO, wrong for us. Who is to say that we wouldn't have improved?
League position and the confidence that comes from that are great drivers. Having seen Portsmouth twice in recent weeks, I don't think, player for player, that they are better than us. And yet they are cruising to the title.
This isn't a dig at Buckingham, it's merely an observation that large swathes of our fanbase regularly talk down our position.
Portsmouth don't have the perfect squad - and they're going to win promotion through organisation and, quite frankly, momentum.
We had both these things earlier in the season - we let them both go without so much as a whimper.
‘Was always expected to be one of consolidation’ ? Really ? After, what, 8 seasons in L1 what precisely are we meant to be consolidating ? A 9th season in L1 ? I must be on my own then as a fan who was expecting a damn sight more than consolidation.
You are correct in your analysis, unfortunately you won't stop players from making individual errors.Our performances and results have been substandard for months. There is a point where you have to concede that its no longer poor form.
I would say an explosive right back, a centre back who can shift his feet and is a good one on one defender, a defensive centre mid, and a striker are missing based on a semi educated assessment of our team. Admittedly, we have signed Matete who isn't quite ready yet and Goodwin who could turn out to be brilliant, but how long are we going to wait. There are 10 games left!
One major issue we have is our mental capacity. We seem to be unable to go a match without having a major brain fart or two at the worst possible times. If it was just an isolated case of occasionally playing the wrong ball in the final third, or passing when a shot on goal was on then you could put it down to the level we play at. But its worse than that isn't it? Watching us can be like watching a comedy sketch of panic, madness and mayhem that ensues following a most unusual error which then bleeds through multiple players within the team and ultimately ends with us conceding. Ive turned round to people at games and said "you couldn't f*****g make this up", but its not bad luck is it?
In our 8 seasons in L1 we've only finished below 10th 3 times (assuming we don't this season). Within the remaining 5 seasons we've had 2 play-off campaigns and come close to play-offs 3 times (again, assuming we just miss out this season). 'Off seasons' aren't uncommon in L1 historically. Wigan finished 20th then won the league the next season, for example.Have you already forgotten last season?
I mean, I get why you'd want to, but if you have, then you should probably refrain from commenting.
In our 8 seasons in L1 we've only finished below 10th 3 times (assuming we don't this season). Within the remaining 5 seasons we've had 2 play-off campaigns and come close to play-offs 3 times (again, assuming we just miss out this season). 'Off seasons' aren't uncommon in L1 historically. Wigan finished 20th then won the league the next season, for example.
Don't get the idea that the season after an off-season should just be a write off to 'consolidate'.
I disagree on your first point. I think you cán coach habits and settle on a default choice of action in line with what is least damaging.You are correct in your analysis, unfortunately you won't stop players from making individual errors.
These errors can be less impactful if the team is coached, drilled and set up where every player knows his role in minimizing the impact of individual errors.
There needs to be a team response to dealing with individual error.