Half-term report

[grafikhaus]

So we're midway through the season and - despite a recent upturn in results - we are obviously not where we want to be. Not only did NA take far too long to get to grips with the present-day Division 3 (caused, I think, by his time away from this level) we've also suffered some historically-bad and embarrassing defeats.
We've seen capitulations at Gillingham and at home to Bury (perhaps understandable as both are up near the top) but Colchester at home (currently bottom of the table)? Crewe (currently next-to-bottom)? Shrewsbury (currently 17th)? Throw in points dropped against Fleetwood (21st), Barnsley (19th) Oldham (22nd) etc. and it's easy to see why we're so off the pace. Will we make up the difference?
Last season it was easy to see who the three stand-out teams were but this year? We have seven teams above us and a couple below who may 'come again' (Bury & Rochdale) and don't rule out Donny.
So an awful lot to do and no room for any 'blips', injuries or suspensions.
NA has obviously settled on his best squad and - since the Shrewsbury debacle - the same eleven players have been in the starting eleven/subs for the four league games. Unfortunately, I think the squad looks frighteningly fragile and paper thin.
So all to do. I just hope we don't get hammered in the Cup which may well blow away our new-found confidence.
But fair play to NA. He's stuck to his guns and he may have turned the season around.

 

[Ben_1982]

We beat Fleetwood 3-0... Hardly points dropped

 

[blade too long]

New manager new systems , lots of injured key players , of course the start was eratic,
Since day one weve been plugging holes due to having amore people under doctors than in an episode of Holby City
The game though is all about momentum and as players rise from the gurneys and the never ending under 21 games our first team squads played in
, the quality players are slowly coming back to match fitness.The confidence is rising , the strength of character returning
There have been what some see as embarrassing defeats, but all teams have those
look at any previous promotion , my weve lost to some "shit" sides in the past too
ie Southend did the double over us in 1989
and weve off set the bury loss by going to scunthorpe and winning
not many seen that before
we got 10 points out of last 12
just keep doing that now the tides turning , be close enough in April to get excited

 

[Tyler Durden]

I'm not so sure that Adkins took too long to get to grips with the squad. He had about 40 players on the roster, it's a mammoth task to try and whittle it down to your best 11, or knowing what to adjust when the need arises. It's made all the more difficult when many of your best names let you down as catastrophically bad as they did for much of the first 3 months of the season. Our problems can be attributed to a lack of ability in some instances and a lack of application in others, in other words it's a team thing rather than a manager thing. Hopefully, just hopefully it's starting to be rectified long term, if previous form is anything to go by.

 

[grafikhaus]

We beat Fleetwood 3-0... Hardly points dropped

OK but they knocked us out of the JPT. Boo...Adkins out!