Automatic Promotion

[Darthblade]

I keep seeing comments regarding automatic promotion still and I would like to ask " what has anybody seen from us this season which would in any way support this dream ". With the exception of the Gillingham home game, we have failed to impose ourselves on any other league game this season, including games we have won.

After last nights debacle, which followed the shocking home performances against Orient, Barnsley, and Oldham I fail to see this season as anything other "squad building" as we very clearly have some players who are either not good enough for this division or couldn't give a toss.

I have read so much comment about Scougal & Baxter, Baxter in particular is clearly one of the most talented players in the Division, however, I would drop both at the moment as they are ineffective to say the least.

McCarthy is either underperforming hugely or comes into the "couldn't give a toss" category and I would send him back and play Basham at CH, this seems to be his best position.

Wallace looks the player with most promise, being big enough to look after himself in this pub league, whilst having the skill and technique to stand out as a ball player. Regrettably he appears to be a "John Ebbrell" in that he spends more time with the physios than on the pitch.

Higdon; well where do I begin. There are few players who can influence a football match less than Porter at the moment but he is one. He did not contribute in any way last night and his inept performance earned him the honour of being applauded off ! All I can say is thank god we only gave him a 1 year contract.

Without being in any way knee jerk, I think that we are around 6 players away from a potential promotion side. We lack pace all over the pitch, our 5 / 6 man midfield fails to control matches with alarming regularity and we cannot score goals. We have the smallest midfield in the League by far and are far to easily pushed off the ball ... referees at this poor level of football do not give free kicks even when fouls have been committed.

I really struggle to pick a first eleven, but I would like to see us scrap this ineffective lineup that we currently use and perhaps go back to a mobile 4 - 4 - 2 again. My "least worst" suggestion would fill in until January when we can hopefully buy a RB, CH, CM, CF x2 RW:

Howard
Flynn Basham McEvely Harris
JCR Wallace Doyle Murphy
McNulty O'Grady

Unless we carry out major surgery on the team in January, once again, the opportunity to escape this crappy league will be slipping away.
UTB & FTP

 

[Jonboy60]

I think it's more to do with most of the teams in this league being so bad, we will probably do it by default.

 

[robbiez666]

Unless we sell about 8 and bring about 4 in this January, I seriously doubt it. Too much average, not enough consistency. We'd have to have a hell of a lot of luck for these chumps to go up. It might help if we had a manager who played the same team most weeks and played players in the right position. Not to mention one who wasn't so bloody negative. I hope Nigel will see the light and start attacking teams.

 

[Harry's Game]

No chance.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Higdon; well where do I begin. There are few players who can influence a football match less than Porter at the moment but he is one. He did not contribute in any way last night and his inept performance earned him the honour of being applauded off ! All I can say is thank god we only gave him a 1 year contract.

If Wikipedia is right, Higdon signed a two year contract, with the option of one more.

 

[boo radley]

I keep seeing comments regarding automatic promotion still and I would like to ask " what has anybody seen from us this season which would in any way support this dream ".

Not been beaten well by anyone apart from Swindon.
In other words I've not seen any other team any better than us
. Take last night, it was by far our worst performance of the season at home. Against a side that had the best or one of the best away records. we were absolutely rubbish but they were even worse.
So in other words the standard in this division is crap and we are amongst the best of that.The only team I feel we were maybe lucky to get something from was Oldham? Even then it could be argued we did enough to draw.

 

[brownie4583]

We are 2 good strikers away from a top 2 challenge,hopefully Mr.O'Grady will bang a few in.
Our team is as good as any in this league but we don't have an Afobe,Wilbrabam,Agard etc to put the chances away.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

I keep seeing comments regarding automatic promotion still and I would like to ask " what has anybody seen from us this season which would in any way support this dream ". With the exception of the Gillingham home game, we have failed to impose ourselves on any other league game this season, including games we have won.

After last nights debacle, which followed the shocking home performances against Orient, Barnsley, and Oldham I fail to see this season as anything other "squad building" as we very clearly have some players who are either not good enough for this division or couldn't give a toss.

I have read so much comment about Scougal & Baxter, Baxter in particular is clearly one of the most talented players in the Division, however, I would drop both at the moment as they are ineffective to say the least.

McCarthy is either underperforming hugely or comes into the "couldn't give a toss" category and I would send him back and play Basham at CH, this seems to be his best position.

Wallace looks the player with most promise, being big enough to look after himself in this pub league, whilst having the skill and technique to stand out as a ball player. Regrettably he appears to be a "John Ebbrell" in that he spends more time with the physios than on the pitch.

Higdon; well where do I begin. There are few players who can influence a football match less than Porter at the moment but he is one. He did not contribute in any way last night and his inept performance earned him the honour of being applauded off ! All I can say is thank god we only gave him a 1 year contract.

Without being in any way knee jerk, I think that we are around 6 players away from a potential promotion side. We lack pace all over the pitch, our 5 / 6 man midfield fails to control matches with alarming regularity and we cannot score goals. We have the smallest midfield in the League by far and are far to easily pushed off the ball ... referees at this poor level of football do not give free kicks even when fouls have been committed.

I really struggle to pick a first eleven, but I would like to see us scrap this ineffective lineup that we currently use and perhaps go back to a mobile 4 - 4 - 2 again. My "least worst" suggestion would fill in until January when we can hopefully buy a RB, CH, CM, CF x2 RW:

Howard
Flynn Basham McEvely Harris
JCR Wallace Doyle Murphy
McNulty O'Grady

Unless we carry out major surgery on the team in January, once again, the opportunity to escape this crappy league will be slipping away.
UTB & FTP

Darthblade , there is no chance , that there will be wholesale changes in January . I can actually see Baxter being shipped out . The issue is for some reason the team is not clicking . If we were winning more at home , i would be a lot happier . however my gut feeling is that we only know how to play as the away side tactically , (even at when at home) .

We have a mental and tactical blockage and sorting out the midfield with hardness , commitment ,and a attitude to die for the shirt will help us with the midfield edge . Too may players being the same height , same attitude , and same skill level ,is now causing us a problem .

No team except swindon has rolled us over , but we are becoming a team who appear are happy with a draw , or only can earn a draw , especially at home . BDBL is not a fortress but a place where teams like to come.

Not good

UTB

 

[blade too long]

its here I put in of the teams promoted as one of the top 2 theres nearly always 1 , sometimes both , that come from further back that goes up

Bournemouth , brentford southampton the list goes on
, non were in top 2 before xmas and that means theyd lost and drawn games before xmas,
Top 2 is only a good place to be in May

We might not be thrashing sides or tearing teams apart , but neither have a lot of sides who ended up going up

 

[judge]

I still think we can do it but not without some strengthening

This division is anot absolute gift ,teams at this level ate fitter and better organised than ever but there is a real lack of quality right through the division

If we made a few ambitious signings (loan or otherwise) we could well do it

 

[blade too long]

somehow we are still 5th , as I said look at Bournemoth, end of november season they went up they were 10th
http://www.afcbournemouth-mad.co.uk/snapshot_tables/2012_2013/24/nov/bournemouth/index.shtml
They hadnt been as ruthless as we have been so far , so to panic just yet before the jigsaws complete would be premature, they had lost 5 like us and had only 26 points and had drawn 5 at home

its just an example but its one of many
http://www.afcbournemouth-mad.co.uk/snapshot_tables/2010_2011/23/nov/bournemouth/index.shtml
saints were 7th same time year they went up, having drawn 3 and lost 2 at home

 

[brownie4583]

I would get rid of Baxter,sign Anthony Grant from Crewe for centre midfield and sign another striker to play alongside O'Grady and play 4-4-2 with Murphy on left,Campbell Ryce/Flynn on right.

 

[robbiez666]

There was talk of Baxter going a while back. I do think if we can get good money for him then we should get rid. He just seems to be one of those players who is incredibly hard to fit into a system

 

[blade too long]

Got to push boast out , get someone like Doyle at Chesterfield ,

 

[judge]

There was talk of Baxter going a while back. I do think if we can get good money for him then we should get rid. He just seems to be one of those players who is incredibly hard to fit into a system

And a pair of shorts

 

[brownie4583]

Sears from Colchester?
Front 2 Sears and O'Grady?

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

At this moment in time I can only say "not possible"!

 

[Darthblade]

Not been beaten well by anyone apart from Swindon.
In other words I've not seen any other team any better than us
. Take last night, it was by far our worst performance of the season at home. Against a side that had the best or one of the best away records. we were absolutely rubbish but they were even worse.
So in other words the standard in this division is crap and we are amongst the best of that.The only team I feel we were maybe lucky to get something from was Oldham? Even then it could be argued we did enough to draw.

We have failed to beat any of the other top 6 teams so far, losing to two of them, Swindon ripped us a new one. All those teams have a far superior goal difference to us and all have strikers who are scoring goals freely.

I would swap our midfield for any of the midfields in the top 6. We are lightweight in midfield without Wallace, who looks very injury prone indeed. We don't have a settled side, indeed I don't know whether NC knows yet what is our best side.

We lack pace throughout the team and all the teams we've played seem to have at least a couple of pacey players. We really need a LOT more work than most people realise, I think.
UTB & FTP

 

[Blade58]

Can someone explain why this club should be looking to make the big push come January, but yet seems incapable of making it now?

A classic case of Jam Tomorrow

I hear Clough talking the same crap about how he sees us getting stronger after Xmas and yet there is no evidence to support this. If we believe that Clough may be right in his opinion, why should we assume that the clubs above us will not do the same?

I see a carry on of inconsistency and spluttering along at the minute with no great rhyme or reason to suggest there's a great deal of change imminent

The problem for me is, that he can keep changing the personnel as much as he wishes, after all, that team out there is virtually of his signing anyway, but the tactics remain constant and it's those tactics that almost everyone finds so frustrating

 

[yuley82]

Automatic!!! Ha we'll be lucky if we even get promoted. I'm gonna put my head on the chopping board and say we won't.

 

[boo radley]

We have failed to beat any of the other top 6 teams so far, losing to two of them, Swindon ripped us a new one. All those teams have a far superior goal difference to us and all have strikers who are scoring goals freely.

I would swap our midfield for any of the midfields in the top 6. We are lightweight in midfield without Wallace, who looks very injury prone indeed. We don't have a settled side, indeed I don't know whether NC knows yet what is our best side.

We lack pace throughout the team and all the teams we've played seem to have at least a couple of pacey players. We really need a LOT more work than most people realise, I think.
UTB & FTP

Then according to you we will start to fade away and so far we have been lucky? I think we have been a match for anyone and have beaten the teams that at the time were classed as possible contenders. We won at Colchester which most said we were lucky to do but that is if luck has something to do with it. if that had been Bristol, most would have said it was class. we 'thrashed' Gillimham 2-1 in the last few minutes which was probably the most dominant display since the Preston play off semi. Just last week we totally dominated Crewe in the cup and in the league game the other week. No we are not beating teams by many but I fail to see where we have been lucky rather than matching those at the top and beating those from the bottom well in terms of dominant play. I have yet to see a better team than us at home. We were better than Bristol and as said before the only one close to us was Oldham. It is however so frustrating that we dominate games and don't win better.

 

[Darthblade]

Then according to you we will start to fade away and so far we have been lucky? I think we have been a match for anyone and have beaten the teams that at the time were classed as possible contenders. We won at Colchester which most said we were lucky to do but that is if luck has something to do with it. if that had been Bristol, most would have said it was class. we 'thrashed' Gillimham 2-1 in the last few minutes which was probably the most dominant display since the Preston play off semi. Just last week we totally dominated Crewe in the cup and in the league game the other week. No we are not beating teams by many but I fail to see where we have been lucky rather than matching those at the top and beating those from the bottom well in terms of dominant play. I have yet to see a better team than us at home. We were better than Bristol and as said before the only one close to us was Oldham. It is however so frustrating that we dominate games and don't win better.

With the current squad yes, we will fade. We've been found out ie little pace, no strength in midfield, little consistent creativity, powder puff upfront, inconsistent at the back, ineffective in the first half. With this squad, I expect to finish 6th - 9th tbh unless we invest in some QUALITY in several positions in January.

We have only dominated 1 team at home so far this season ( Gillingham ), excluding the Cup, and have been unacceptably poor on several occasions against teams which aren't world beaters.

I do not believe that NC has been given the resources which were promised by the Board and I think the flawed "master plan" is to try to get promotion without spending much money. We've tried that for the last 3 seasons and, frankly, it doesn't work.
UTB & FTP