Febuary Fixtures

[Dare to dream!]

So January's games are now over, after a positive start it fizzled out a bit and it we didn't really take advantage.

Still a long shot to get in the Play offs but February's fixtures look like make or break.

Walsall (H)
Scunthorpe (A)
Sheff Utd (H)
Barnsley (A)
Millwall (H)

All teams above and around us so a few wins and it could give us a good platform to try and win every game for the remainder of the season and see where it takes us

or

We could crash and burn

[Surrey Rover]

When it comes to the playoffs we've already crashed and burned. Not a chance of making the playoffs the squad is average league one at best.

[The Red Baron]

Will people PLEASE stop talking about the play offs!

 No.1. We would have to produce title -winning form from here on in to finish 6th.

No. 2. We are not consistent enough to win more than two games in a row, never mind the 5-6 we need to give us a chance.

No. 3. If by some chance we did reach the play offs it would do us more harm than good IMO. It would delay the proper assessment of the squad and the bloodletting that's needed if we are going to be any better next season.

The aim now is to get to 50-55 points and then take the opportunity to assess a few players properly.

At the moment my bigger concern is that we get sucked in to a relegation battle, because I'm not sure how up for a fight some of our players are.

[Donnywolf]

I am hoping only for a top half finish now.

Defensively we are too frail to make the Playoffs and seem to be (as was posted by the Posh Fan) trying to score 4 if the opposition get 3. This may work on the lesser lights but as the OP says probably wont be any good against the better Teams

[The Red Baron]

I'd like to think we can still finish top half, though my confidence has taken a knock.

[The L J Monk]

I'd like to think we can still finish top half, though my confidence has taken a knock.

For Christ's sake, I hope so...

And sometimes gets it wrong. Like offering us at 5/1 to make the top half a couple of months back. That one will give me a nice win come May.

[Sad-Rovers]

Some tough games coming up. Never see a poor bookie, do you?

[the vicar]

So January's games are now over, after a positive start it fizzled out a bit and it we didn't really take advantage.

Still a long shot to get in the Play offs but February's fixtures look like make or break.

Walsall (H)
Scunthorpe (A)
Sheff Utd (H)
Barnsley (A)
Millwall (H)

All teams above and around us so a few wins and it could give us a good platform to try and win every game for the remainder of the season and see where it takes us

or

We could crash and burn

Forget about the play offs just lets hope they can get the team sorted and playing some sort of football not like the last 2 games

[DRFC-Hanksie]

I forgot about the play-offs a few week ago. The gap itself between 5th and 6th says a lot. As long as Sheff Utd don't make the play-offs i'll be happy, their fans are absolute gobshite's with this 'big club' mentality.

The optimistic side of me hopes we take 9 points from February. Not looking like it with the performances. Went to Fleetwood and the quality of the togger was dire, could have been there till 6pm and probably still 0-0. Didn't go last night but from what I've heard on here, absolute garbage. Not playing Saturday though, could give us time to at least work on plugging the gaps.

[dickos1]

Up until the Fleetwood game we were averaging 2 points a game under ferguson, if we do that from now until the end of the season we will be in the playoffs

[Copps is Magic]

There's no point forgetting about the play-offs while you still have a chance of getting there. What is the motivation for the players otherwise? To stay in league one and think about next season? It wouldn't work would it because this league is absolute drudgery of the highest order and it says something when the dingles were probably the best team to visit the keepmoat this season.

Don't buy this idea that getting promotion/play-offs would somehow do more harm than good. I'm struggling  to think of an example of it doing harm for a club. What does harm is staying in this league year on year. Look at Sheff U.

[Sad-Rovers]

Went to Fleetwood and the quality of the togger was dire, could have been there till 6pm and probably still 0-0. Didn't go last night but from what I've heard on here, absolute garbage.

I'd have said we played slightly better last night than at Fleetwood, Hanksie. That's not to say we played well, just that Fleetwood are a shit side. Any competent L1 team would have absolutely battered us on Saturday.

[mrfrostsdad]

Jesus!! We don't need to be getting in the playoffs, because if we did and by some miracle we won them, we would need a complete new team next season as we don't have a single player who could operate at a higher level.
We don't want the owners having a heart attack!!

[The Red Baron]

There's no point forgetting about the play-offs while you still have a chance of getting there. What is the motivation for the players otherwise? To stay in league one and think about next season? It wouldn't work would it because this league is absolute drudgery of the highest order and it says something when the dingles were probably the best team to visit the keepmoat this season.

Don't buy this idea that getting promotion/play-offs would somehow do more harm than good. I'm struggling  to think of an example of it doing harm for a club. What does harm is staying in this league year on year. Look at Sheff U.

The Blunts made the play offs last year, ditto Swindon and Chesterfield. None are exactly pulling up trees this season.

Peterborough would be a better example to look at. Changed their manager during the season, finished strongly and are well up there this time.

You could also look at Walsall. Faded badly at the business end last season but came flying out of the traps this time and are still going. Although Gillingham improved as last season went on, they never really threatened the top 6.

As for motivation, I'd have thought quite a few of ours would be playing for contracts - or at least to make enough of an impression for someone else to pick them up.

[Copps is Magic]

It just seems to me one of these daft counter-intuitive things football fans say. If you finish sixth, you are, by definition, ready for the play-offs because you're the sixth best team in the league.

I don't understand what possible harm it could cause. Even if you fail in the play-offs its extra-income and leverage to attract players. Always aim as high as is possible. Don't settle for mediocrity on the premise you might one day be good.

[Sad-Rovers]

Odd mentality of footy fans. I don't care if we fluke our way into the playoffs, as long as we're there.

Still, not happening this season.

[drfchound]

Sad, i totally agree with your sentiment on getting into the top six.
Players have to have an objective.
I too now think it is a tough ask but it isnt impossible.

[MrFrost]

Tough one this.

I don't believe for a minute we will reach the play offs. Mid table would be okay for me, after the start we had.

However, we've been led to believe we have a very strong League One budget in place for us to achieve promotion this season. Given the large drop in attendances compared to last season, if we did finish mid table, statistics show is, this will fall further next season, how would this effect the budget for next term?

[Sammy Chung was King]

We need all our best players fit. We would need a centre back and a striker coming in. We would need good fortune going for us, this group of games should be close. Fifteen points available, i would expect us to need between 9-11 points out of those to be back on track.
We are capable of it, but also capable of hardly getting any points, just like the rest of the league.
Our team hasn't got that consistency that marks you out as 'Special'. It's on a knife-edge at the minute, round about the same difference to relegation as promotion, i think we will be nearer the latter personally.

[IDM]

A couple of games ago we had 35 points from 26 games, therefore 2 points per game on average would give us 40 more points and 75 for the season.  Since then we lost one and drew one, therefore are 3 points behind already.  To get back on track we need to win 3 on the bounce.

It is not impossible but is becoming more improbable with recent performances, results and injuries.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I'll do the annual sticking out of my neck.

90 points for second place
74 points for 6th place
66 points for top half finish.
45 points to stay up.

Being the eternal optimist that I am, I'll go for us winning the last 18 matches on the bounce and pipping Walsall to 2nd spot on the last day of the season.

[colincramb]

I was shot down by a few a couple of weeks back when I said it wasn't looking likely. Well, it's looking even less likely now. Having ambition is not a bad thing but there comes a time when reality has to kick in. The squad just isn't strong enough this season. Let's get enough points so that we aren't looking over our shoulders, then see where we are. Does anybody think the team, with current injuries we have, is capable if putting 4/5 consecutive wins together? Unfortunately, I don't.

[BillyStubbsTears]

With everyone fit and on form, plus another couple of defenders, we'd have a chance of squeaking into the play-offs. As it is, nope.

[les@donr]

Perhaps privately Fergie knows we are not good enough for the play offs, of course would not come out and say it. I suspect he is thinking ahead to next season to build a team that is more his than it is at the moment. There will be movement of PD players going out and DF players coming in.

[tonybuk86]

I think we should not be aiming for play offs, due to the fact we are not ready to be in the championship, I say top half finish and then rebuild in the summer for a title push next year.

[drfchound]

So. if we have to win the last game of the season to get that sixth spot would you want us to lose or draw so we dont get it?

[Copps is Magic]

I think we should not be aiming for play offs, due to the fact we are not ready to be in the championship.

Makes for an interesting team talk that. Inspirational stuff.

[phil o sophical]

Perhaps privately Fergie knows we are not good enough for the play offs, of course would not come out and say it. I suspect he is thinking ahead to next season to build a team that is more his than it is at the moment. There will be movement of PD players going out and DF players coming in.

Fergie has certainly got more out of Dickovs players than he ever did. Wherever we are next season I'm looking forward to it already to see what sort of team DF is allowed to put together

[bobjimwilly]

I think we should not be aiming for play offs, due to the fact we are not ready to be in the championship, I say top half finish and then rebuild in the summer for a title push next year.

I see where you're coming from tony, but I think IF we did get into playoffs and IF we did get promoted it's a nice problem to have, having to rebuild for the championship rather than another league one season.

[The L J Monk]

In the next 5 games we have 3 of the top 7 plus two local derbies. We're now down to 16th, potentially only 7 points above the drop zone if Fleetwood win their game in hand. There might still be another way out of this league...