Viking Supporters Co-operative

Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: Chris Black come back on November 09, 2025, 09:05:20 am

Title: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: Chris Black come back on November 09, 2025, 09:05:20 am
After Barnsley, we are now on an 8 game winless run in the league.

That's terrible but not quite on a par with recent poor league runs:

9 games under Danny Schofield in League Two in 2022/23 (2 draws and 7 losses)
9 games under Andy Butler in League One in 2020/21 (2 draws and 7 defeats)
16 games under Darren Ferguson in League One in 2015/16 (4 draws and 12 losses)
11 games under Dean Saunders in the Championship in 2011/12 (4 draws and 7 losses)
12 games under SOD in the Championship in 2010/11 (6 draws and 6 losses)
20 games under Weaver in League Two in 1997/98 (6 draws and 14 losses)
9 games under Weaver in League Two in 1997/98 (1 draw and 8 losses)
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: knockers on November 09, 2025, 11:32:47 am
So, if we lose he matches Weaver and if we draw then he matches Schofield and Butler.
All with his own players which is a luxury that Schofield and Butler didn’t have.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: Reg of the Rovers on November 09, 2025, 01:45:26 pm
So, if we lose he matches Weaver and if we draw then he matches Schofield and Butler.
All with his own players which is a luxury that Schofield and Butler didn’t have.
History hasn't been kind to Butler or Schofield, yet McCann continues to be the messiah? Obviously it would be madness to get rid now, but we aren't a bottom of league 1 side, so either he has the tools to keep us up and make us compete, or eventually it will be time to find someone who can. He's had the backing of the board's money and the backing of the fans, a luxury others on that list really didn't have.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: Chris Black come back on November 09, 2025, 02:16:18 pm
Realistically, we are a bottom half League One side. What is unclear is whether we are mid table or relegation zone. At the moment it looks the latter but the margins during our losses have been very fine, other than a few proper beatings of which Orient was the biggest hiding.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: POD on November 09, 2025, 03:22:58 pm
Our terrible run in the league consists of eight matches since beating Bradford in early September, but during that run, we haven’t really played anyone on form or near the top of the table.
HOME
Wimbledon
Burton
Northampton
Barnsley
AWAY
Wigan
Luton
Orient
Reading
Of these eight matches, we have drawn two and lost six, scoring just five goals and conceding 16.
A terrible run of results, but despite a decent performance yesterday, I fear that worse may be yet to come, as apart from Bradford we haven’t played anyone in the current top six. 
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: Chris Black come back on November 09, 2025, 03:45:43 pm
Of that lot we weren’t great in many of them but only Orient and maybe in parts Wigan we were totally outclassed. The frustration especially the last four home games which were all winnable and three of them we went ahead. That’s what has killed us really. If we had say an extra win and draw from those four games we would be top half and a win short of the play offs.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: drfchound on November 09, 2025, 04:11:21 pm
Of that lot we weren’t great in many of them but only Orient and maybe in parts Wigan we were totally outclassed. The frustration especially the last four home games which were all winnable and three of them we went ahead. That’s what has killed us really. If we had say an extra win and draw from those four games we would be top half and a win short of the play offs.

And that final sentence says a lot, we are not a bad side in this division.
It won’t take much to bring about a change in fortunes and a top half finish still isn’t out of the question.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: POD on November 09, 2025, 04:25:05 pm
The frustration especially the last four home games which were all winnable and three of them we went ahead.

In fact, in every single home game this season (until yesterday) we have scored the opening goal of the game, but only managed to win three of those games.   
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: Petche on November 09, 2025, 04:29:02 pm
The league is tight. 6 of the top 7 all lost this weekend. A bit more consistency and we'll be ok.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: Lesonthewest on November 09, 2025, 04:34:29 pm
Was it Baldwin who said Grant has a midtable budget but wanted to 'go again'. Well we are just that, hovering midtable, the one thing stopping us & Grant achieving higher has been the poor recruitment of forward players. Put that right & we will climb this league.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the League - a perspective
Post by: mpc123 on November 09, 2025, 05:25:06 pm
We are a decent team we have just gone on a bad run, but all quite close games.

You cant compare prwvious seasons its impossible, what if others had been given a decent budget and still failed.

Both managers everyone mentions are no where near as good as Mccann
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: Chris Black come back on November 15, 2025, 06:52:42 pm
After Barnsley, we are now on an 8 game winless run in the league.

That's terrible but not quite on a par with recent poor league runs:

9 games under Danny Schofield in League Two in 2022/23 (2 draws and 7 losses)
9 games under Andy Butler in League One in 2020/21 (2 draws and 7 defeats)
16 games under Darren Ferguson in League One in 2015/16 (4 draws and 12 losses)
11 games under Dean Saunders in the Championship in 2011/12 (4 draws and 7 losses)
12 games under SOD in the Championship in 2010/11 (6 draws and 6 losses)
20 games under Weaver in League Two in 1997/98 (6 draws and 14 losses)
9 games under Weaver in League Two in 1997/98 (1 draw and 8 losses)

Updated to now reflect our current situation, which exactly mirrors Schofield and Butler, and is marginally superior to Weaver.

9 games under McCann in League One in 2025/26 (2 draws and 7 losses).
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: big fat yorkshire pudding on November 15, 2025, 07:01:34 pm
Yet the football is a million times better than under those other managers.  Clearly the squad has some weaknesses, but we're losing games narrowly rather than convincingly which is something.

Work to do but we have stepped up a league with a lot of players not having experienced this level. They will improve but it's also fair to say we didn't bring enough league 1 quality in it appears.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: Barmby Rover on November 15, 2025, 07:07:56 pm
We need another striker, the thing that made us competitive in this division the last time GM was in charge was a 20 goal striker in John Marquis. If we had half the player Marquis was at the time there wouldn't be a problem. Things are being created, but little of the effort turns into a shot ON TARGET, that is what another quality striker would convert.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: Bentley Bullet on November 15, 2025, 07:14:44 pm
Rovers had more shots on target than Lincoln today.
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: GazLaz on November 15, 2025, 07:19:14 pm
Rovers had more shots on target than Lincoln today.

And more than Barnsley last week, and more than Reading before that… and more than Bradford and Crewe in the cup games…
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: In the box on November 15, 2025, 10:22:09 pm
Rovers had more shots on target than Lincoln today.
And your point is ??
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: Bentley Bullet on November 15, 2025, 10:36:58 pm
And there's a thread on here that decries Paul Dickov for losing six out of seven games in the CHAMPIONSHIP, despite having the lowest budget in the league, and probably the worst injury situation in the club's history!
Title: Re: Terrible runs in the league - a perspective
Post by: Bentley Bullet on November 15, 2025, 10:52:07 pm
Rovers had more shots on target than Lincoln today.
And your point is ??
My point is made in reply to someone who said little of the effort turns into a shot ON TARGET.