clough aims for top 2.. we shouldn't

[alcoblade]

the chase is the same they will lose and draw games they all play each other too they all will lose to some lower teams , we are not chasing real madrid and barcelona

I love your optimism, but the chase just isn't thhe same. The teams at the top already, will on average, gain a lot more points than the teams at the bottom.

It's not a case of optimism and pessimism, it's cold hard fact.

The upshot is the same, we need to win as many games as possible.

UTB

 

[Tezza1889]

On a lighter note, did you hear how football heaven finished..

A little f##k you from me for the deluded...lol

 

[Tezza1889]

We have two games in hand on Swindon. Let's say we win those, we are nine points behind. If we beat Swindon, we are six points behind. Which is not a very big gap at all. I am not saying it would be easy, but I don't see any reason why we can't do it if we can put a decent run together.

I'm going to quote you my friend, and I'm just being honest here, games in hand never turn into the maximum points available, wasn't it micky adams who had three games in hand and a possible 9, think he got one from those nine, didn't end well did it..... don't count your chickens is the saying, remember saying the same thing when wet sham played manure, and when chelsea put us down..

Points on the board, all the rest is iffs butts and maybees, you'd think we of all would have learned this...

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Can someone remind me - hasn't NC been in charge all of this season - so to judge him only on the second part of the season would be as much a folly as to judge him on the first half. Its been his team and his tactics all season.

 

[blade too long]

I love your optimism, but the chase just isn't thhe same. The teams at the top already, will on average, gain a lot more points than the teams at the bottom.

It's not a case of optimism and pessimism, it's cold hard fact.

The upshot is the same, we need to win as many games as possible.

UTB

its not optimism , its based on fact , teams at the top do wobble when the pressures on exactly a year ago orient were on 3 more points than swindon after 25 games. no team at the top now is guarenteed to carry on in the same vein, we have to go put the pressure on by keep winning and see who folds

 

[alcoblade]

its not optimism , its based on fact , teams at the top do wobble when the pressures on exactly a year ago orient were on 3 more points than swindon after 25 games. no team at the top now is guarenteed to carry on in the same vein, we have to go put the pressure on by keep winning and see who folds

Agreed to a point. If we were chasing one club I think there's a chance. All four won't fuck up to the degree necessary. And cups aside, we aren't looking like even starting the necessary form.

UTB

 

[Tezza1889]

Can someone remind me - hasn't NC been in charge all of this season - so to judge him only on the second part of the season would be as much a folly as to judge him on the first half. Its been his team and his tactics all season.

That's it in a nutshell, don't judge him on the second half of the season, don't judge him at all, football is full of twists and turns,where we think we should be and where we are, they're two different things, keep the faith, let clough talk of top two while being prodded with a stick from the board, but if we don't get it, keep faith with nigel, don't hound him out, it will pay off in the long term...

 

[DronnieBlade]

Aiming at Top 2 and trying to get there is EXACTLY what Clough should be targeting and saying. Good management IMHO.

Falling (A bit) short and finishing 3rd to 6th would be acceptable.

I wouldn't rule us out just yet !

UTB.

 

[blade too long]

Its never over till Susan Boyle starts singing

 

[blade too long]

had we played v scunny and got 3 points and were just 2 wins behind mk dons then won on saturday there putting us 1 win off 3rd look a lot different then thats without being daft about it

having played less games skews the perspective , yes we have to win the games but its not so far away if we had played 25 and won 2 more wouldnt look anywhere near as difficult

 

[Bladesway]

In the final analysis I think Clough and the board will reflect that our success in the cups ws a mixed blessing. It lifted the profile of the club, brought in extra income but scuppered our chances of achieving automatic promotion. Goodness knows how many extra games we will have played in due course but sheer fatigue as well as suspensions and injuries have to take their toll.

My own opinion is that the failure to sign two quality strikers has left us way short anyway. We have bumbled along for some 36 games without them.

But the additional games won't kill us so thats a myth. Really bakes my shit when I hear people talking about cup runs derailing teams. If we were top now and running out of steam you may have something but if anything the cups have given us some hope that this lot can put a run together. We haven't hit our straps at all this season so one of two things is going to happen.

1) We actually aren't that good so we keep misfiring and farting along.
2) This lot get their shit together like they did last season, with a couple of good signings we start flying. If we do then we could hit top 2. Someone has to make a late run and someone has to trip up, they always do. However, its usually us tripping up.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I'm not suggesting that NC be hounded at all. Just trying to get some of you more "excitable" guys down to earth, because I cannot believe there is anybody, particularly NC, who realistically believes that this squad can even compete over 2 games in the play-offs, and certainly the only chance we have of automatic would be if Bristol C, Swindon, MKD AND Preston were all deducted 25 points for some dastardly crime against football !

We are simply not suited in terms of players and tactics, for this agricultural Division, with the current squad. I don't like it at all, but I'm resigned to another season in this Division because I don't believe we will do major surgery on the squad in the JTW.
UTB & FTP

That is as condescending an answer as I have read in a long time - not worthy of anything else.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

But the additional games won't kill us so thats a myth. Really bakes my shit when I hear people talking about cup runs derailing teams. If we were top now and running out of steam you may have something but if anything the cups have given us some hope that this lot can put a run together. We haven't hit our straps at all this season so one of two things is going to happen.

1) We actually aren't that good so we keep misfiring and farting along.
2) This lot get their shit together like they did last season, with a couple of good signings we start flying. If we do then we could hit top 2. Someone has to make a late run and someone has to trip up, they always do. However, its usually us tripping up.

We're more or less in agreement I think: 1. We aren't good enough 2. We need two good signings which I said we've needed since last summer.

I envisaged the end of season review ( excuses) by the board and manager in the likely scenario at the end of the season; you say we might yet make the top 2, I'll buy that willingly but think the odds are against.

No need at all to bake any shit.

 

[Tezza1889]

But the additional games won't kill us so thats a myth. Really bakes my shit when I hear people talking about cup runs derailing teams. If we were top now and running out of steam you may have something but if anything the cups have given us some hope that this lot can put a run together. We haven't hit our straps at all this season so one of two things is going to happen.

1) We actually aren't that good so we keep misfiring and farting along.
2) This lot get their shit together like they did last season, with a couple of good signings we start flying. If we do then we could hit top 2. Someone has to make a late run and someone has to trip up, they always do. However, its usually us tripping up.

Eh up lad...
Yer right again,.we haven't hit the mark just yet,.and the pasting that was promised hasn't put its its welcome head over the parapit as yet too..

As I know, you will have read the op at length, but may not have followed the whole thread, hope you realise its a thread to protect clough should we fall short this year, i just saw a few people last weekend who think were going auto, so much so that they're saying clough will do it, and I didn't want nc to fall foul of a campaign at the end of a season if we don't get top two, and god forbid we don't win the playoffs (like that never happened before) ...

 

[Tezza1889]

This time last year we were 19th and 14 places from playoffs, after a hell of a run we wound up 7 points short of 6th.

This year its 15 off top 2 with 2 games in hand over one of them, I want to believe - but 15 is a huge gap

15 is a huge gap, its five wins straight and five straight losses for the top three, so talking of top two is bananas as far as the stattos go especially on current form, and that's all we can work on sadly..

As far as maths go, its do able on paper cause there's no guarantee that swindon, mk, and brizzle won't choke..and we won't have another "season of two halves" last season was roy of the rovers stuff and a charge to safety that overachieved everybodys expectations....

We might not make autos, just don't go after clough, that's all I am trying to say here, some will, but if we can see the size of the job and pass that on, we might be able to protect him from the more reactionary amongst us, let's go long term with nigel whatever happens...

 

[BladeFisher]

Good summary of how incredibly difficult it will be to get into the top 2.

We need to secure a play off place and for once come April/ May be a side that has goals in it. Add to that a settled water-tight defence and we have a chance.

I would be more confident of a Clough led side at a play off final that any of our previous efforts.

You never know

We will win the play offs I am convinced.

1. Clough's excellent cup pedigree
2. We've played at Wembley (FACSF Hull)
3. Its 90 years since we won at Wembley!

Believe boys and girls, I am convinced its our year for a Wembley triumph.

And reason 4 is

Preston. They are the second shittest team in the play offs (guess who is the first er oops you don't have to)

So you heard it here first its a Blades v Preston Play off final. Blades to win 2-1 after going 1-0 down I'd say. Well that's my hunch anyway.

 

[Sirius]

We will win the play offs I am convinced.

1. Clough's excellent cup pedigree
2. We've played at Wembley (FACSF Hull)
3. Its 90 years since we won at Wembley!

Believe boys and girls, I am convinced its our year for a Wembley triumph.

And reason 4 is

Preston. They are the second shittest team in the play offs (guess who is the first er oops you don't have to)

So you heard it here first its a Blades v Preston Play off final. Blades to win 2-1 after going 1-0 down I'd say. Well that's my hunch anyway.

As unlikely as it may appear, we have got to go for top two, until it is mathematically impossible to achieve . The fans deserve that effort and it keeps us on edge, as usual. Fantastic achievement, or glorious failure.???

 

[BladeFisher]

As unlikely as it may appear, we have got to go for top two, until it is mathematically impossible to achieve . The fans deserve that effort and it keeps us on edge, as usual. Fantastic achievement, or glorious failure.???

Agreed bud, but am more convinced now that if we fail at that we'll finally break our play off hoo-doo.

 

[BeatleBlade]

I don't think it' out of reach. Win our two games in hand, beat Swindon and we'll be 6 points down and anything could happen. Also, MK Dons have lost their main source of goals so may struggle and that's one opponent out of the way. Not to forget, we have a pretty strong squad in comparison to other teams so may come good later in the season. Hopefully we'll bring in Mackay-Steven and O'Grady as well.

 

[wizadry]

I personally think that after what iv'e seen so far,that we're only going to end up chasing two sides really,they are Swindon and Bristol City in that order as these two sides can mix it up better than any of the other two sides mentioned in this thread,that been Mk Dons and PNE.

The minimum position we will get is third but i also think that in the end the maximum position we will get will be........yes,you guessed it,third.

While ever there's a chance you obviously go for it but in the end we will fall just short of the top two unless we strengthen with a couple of good,strong and pacey aquisitions.I know that's a struggle in this league but they're out there,it's finding them and then aquiring them what i think we have a little problem with.

Can we win the lottery of the playoffs if we end up there? I'm rather hopeful that i don't have to find out,and that i'm wrong in saying we won't get in the top two so that we do get there.

As for Cloughy Tezza1889 ,i really hope we go up.I know,aswell as a lot of you supporters out there know,that some of our fans aren't very patient when it comes down to managers having a stubbornness about them,so i'm really hoping we don't have to find out whether they'll hound him or not.I have to say though,he's done some strange things this season,and to only just be getting to know your best xi at this stage of the season is astonishing really,but i suppose it's better late than never.

 

[Revolution]

And reason 4 is

Preston. They are the second shittest team in the play offs (guess who is the first er oops you don't have to)

So you heard it here first its a Blades v Preston Play off final. Blades to win 2-1 after going 1-0 down I'd say. Well that's my hunch anyway.

You've got it the wrong way round. We are just worse at playoff finals. Preston have the worst playoff record: no promotions in 9 attempts, losing 3 finals. Even we've beaten them. We've only got seven failures (as have Brentford).

 

[Dkc]

Isn't it eight if you count the relegation play-off v Bristol City?

If so, we could equal Preston's record if we fail in the Play Offs this year.

 

[Revolution]

Isn't it eight if you count the relegation play-off v Bristol City?

If so, we could equal Preston's record if we fail in the Play Offs this year.

No, that's included.

1988, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2013.

 

[Davie Blade]

Precis of OP.

Bristol, Swindon and MK are well on course to getting circa 95 points.
At half way we now have 36points ,so we need another 60 points from 23 games.
Or put another way a minimum of 20 wins from 23 games,
or put another way we can only afford to drop points in 3 out of 23 games!

Auto's don't make me laugh.

FFS You can tell we won the last game!

 

[TonyAgana]

Precis of OP.

Bristol, Swindon and MK are well on course to getting circa 95 points.
At half way we now have 36points ,so we need another 60 points from 23 games.
Or put another way a minimum of 20 wins from 23 games,
or put another way we can only afford to drop points in 3 out of 23 games!

Auto's don't make me laugh.

FFS You can tell we won the last game!

When was the last time the top three teams all reached 95 points?

 

[DorsetSUFC]

I would settle for playoffs......................and winning them!

 

[Silent Blade]

When was the last time the top three teams all reached 95 points?

Never happened

 

[Darthblade]

That is as condescending an answer as I have read in a long time - not worthy of anything else.

UTB

Not intended to be condescending at all ..... just realistic assessment I'm afraid.
UTB & FTP

 

[Eskimo]

I'm happy. We are still in the FA cup, I'm going to a second major cup semi final in a year after it took me 35 years of watching United to see the first. We are still in with a good shout of promotion. I like the way we play. I like the manager. I'm patient because things could be much worse.

I think back to Summer 2013 following Mc Cabes decision to stop pouring money into the club, with head in hands I foresaw the long term demise of my beloved club; we would become a Cambridge, Oxford United or Stockport County. It had got to the stage where Motherwell's manager and some Aussie had turned us down and we were all pleased someone (anyone) was prepared to take the job. Wier came and went and then.............

 

[Dkc]

Precis of OP.

Bristol, Swindon and MK are well on course to getting circa 95 points.

No they aren't. If you say that, you may as well say we're well on course for 85 points.