In SOD I trust

[JamieM]

topnotch_Donny wrote:

Plymouth were at this level a bloody long time. Even Rotherham enjoyed six years at this level. We are on borrowed time, it is as simple as that. We cant live with teams at this level. so there will come a time when we plummet.

SOD might have pulled white rabbits before, but he is losing player a for player b then player c, and there becomes a point where you become stuck. That or lose your manager.

I think we are league one size, so I am just enjoying it and we will go down Be it next season or another 5 seasons.

Yes we can live with teams in this division, we have shown that time and again over the past 2 seasons.

However, we can't compete financially in this division but that doesn't mean that we're on borrowed time. Yes SOD has lost out on players but they will be replaced, do you not think he has a plan B, C, D, E? I think your underestimating him to be honest. Remember, we have 10 weeks to get new players!

There may be a day where we can compete, with steadily rising attendances over the next couple of years, who knows. Instead of competing in the 'Championship' transfer market we wheel and deal in the upper League 1 and 2 markets, the lower SPL market, the cheap European market and particularly utilise the loan market.

[scuzzer]

Surely Blackpool have just shown exactly how much we should be panicking in the predicament we're in.

We're likely to spend more than they did last summer and on the back of some brilliant loan dealings and good management from Holloway they've got to the supposed promised land.

There's nothing to say the same can't be done by DRFC with a lot of luck and a following wind - even if the unthinkable happened and SoD was to be tempted away, again, imagine how many Blackpool fans thought they'd move forward when Grayson jumped ship to manage that big club up the road.

Don't panic people for crying out loud we're in good hands.

[topnotch_Donny]

The way I see it is, SOD cant buy top quality players as they are out of our price range, so he goes for loan and bosman players as we cant compete with fees.

Sod is losing out in player chioce A). Ok he has plan b,c,d and e, but do you think his choice E) will be as good as his choice B)?

I think we become weaker every time SOD misses out on his target hence me saying, its only a matter off time before we become stuck. Yes, SOD has worked miracles in the last two seasons, but that doesn't mean he will always pull it off, does it?

And Blackpool were a fairytale story. I cant see any small club emulating them anytime soon.

All I am saying is, enjoy this level as our time will come and we will face the drop, and we all know how long and how hard it can be to get back up  :X

[CusworthRovers]

topnotch_Donny wrote:

The way I see it is, SOD cant buy top quality players as they are out of our price range, so he goes for loan and bosman players as we cant compete with fees.

Sod is losing out in player chioce A). Ok he has plan b,c,d and e, but do you think his choice E) will be as good as his choice B)?

I think we become weaker every time SOD misses out on his target hence me saying, its only a matter off time before we become stuck. Yes, SOD has worked miracles in the last two seasons, but that doesn't mean he will always pull it off, does it?

How can you say we become weaker? We have improved every season he has been here. How does that make us weaker?

Plus, if he keeps pulling it off. He will have eyes likes 'Master' off Kung Fu

[topnotch_Donny]

CusworthRovers wrote:

topnotch_Donny wrote:

The way I see it is, SOD cant buy top quality players as they are out of our price range, so he goes for loan and bosman players as we cant compete with fees.

Sod is losing out in player chioce A). Ok he has plan b,c,d and e, but do you think his choice E) will be as good as his choice B)?

I think we become weaker every time SOD misses out on his target hence me saying, its only a matter off time before we become stuck. Yes, SOD has worked miracles in the last two seasons, but that doesn't mean he will always pull it off, does it?

How can you say we become weaker? We have improved every season he has been here. How does that make us weaker?

Plus, if he keeps pulling it off. He will have eyes likes 'Master' off Kung Fu

Did we become stronger? It's hard to tell i guess. Some say and I agree that if we had have kept Wellens and Mills we would have done better.

Its panic season I guess  

[CusworthRovers]

You haven't answered why we've become weaker, and simply asked me if we have become stronger.


I'll give you the courtesy of answering your question..............yes we have got stronger. Season 1 outside play offs plus JPT. Season 2 promoted. Season 3 stayed in CCC and finished mid table. Season 4 finished 12th.

I suppose you can only judge how strong we are on the pitch by points and league. We have got stronger every season.
Off the pitch, all the right noises are coming out that we are not struggling unlike all.


To summarise, I would suggest we have got stronger each season under Sean.

So, how are we weaker then, in your opinion?

[topnotch_Donny]

Billy Sharp was why we got more points. I think we were actually weaker last season than the season before. Our first season at this level, we were struggling with confidence (for the first half of the season) but then we flew.

This season that's just gone, we have been steady, and never came close to what we were in the second half of the first season.

If we could keep hold of players, we would be very strong; however, we cant, so we have to start again hence getting weaker. Lets see what the next chapter reveals as I think we will struggle.

Just a gut feeling.I hope I am wrong, but it's getting harder and harder imho. You cant maintain a CCC side if you lose key players all the time, it's destructive to the progression and there's only so many times SOD can fix it  

[DonnyNoel]

topnotch_Donny wrote:

Billy Sharp was why we got more points. I think we were actually weaker last season than the season before. Our first season at this level, we were struggling with confidence (for the first half of the season) but then we flew.

This season that's just gone, we have been steady, and never came close to what we were in the second half of the first season.

If we could keep hold of players, we would be very strong; however, we cant, so we have to start again hence getting weaker. Lets see what the next chapter reveals as I think we will struggle.

Just a gut feeling.I hope I am wrong, but it's getting harder and harder imho. You cant maintain a CCC side if you lose key players all the time, it's destructive to the progression and there's only so many times SOD can fix it  

Theres no doubting the loss of Mills and Wellens appeared to weaken us on paper. But we did better in terms of points and position. So IMO thats all you need to say to say we were stronger. We never dropped into the releagtion zones and at one time we were 5 points off the playoffs with a game in hand.
 
I totally agree its getting harder and there aren't many small teams at this level like there have been in recent seasons but if we renew all outstanding contracts and get in 3/4 loan signings of similar quality to this season then (plus the now mentioned quality striker) then I think we're set for a similar season to last.

[topnotch_Donny]

Yes we got more points last season because we were low on confidence in the first half of the first season.

I bet we would have got more points last season with the team that finished the first season hence being weaker  

I'm guessing obviously, but we just started to click and then lost key players and we have never hit the same form since.

[DRNaith]

I think that the footballing community watch what little gems O'Driscoll uncovers and if we can't be quick about signing them up when they become available there are plenty of vultures ready to take advantage.

[DonnyNoel]

topnotch_Donny wrote:

Yes we got more points last season because we were low on confidence in the first half of the first season.

I bet we would have got more points last season with the team that finished the first season hence being weaker  

I'm guessing obviously, but we just started to click and then lost key players and we have never hit the same form since.

Its hard to pass hypothetical judgements on mental traits carrying on through a season with regards to confidence but remember we actually finished last season with 15pts from the last 12 games so hardly flying form.

And taking it at \"ins and outs\" level:

Shackell more than replaced Mills.
Sharp & JET improved the team.
Oster didn't replace Wellens in a like for like sense but added as much quality in the middle.

So whilst we could never prove it, I wouldn't go along with your bet, especially factoring in the general improvement of players this season like JOC, Roberts, Wilson, Shiels.

[DonnyNoel]

DRNaith wrote:

I think that the footballing community watch what little gems O'Driscoll uncovers and if we can't be quick about signing them up when they become available there are plenty of vultures ready to take advantage.

Very true. In loaning players its almost like doing other clubs scouting for them - they see how they perform on loan here and then swoop in if they make the grade.

If I were a scout at any club around us in the final table (Preston, Derby, Coventry) I'd be keeping an eye on anyone doing well for us and coming up to the end of contract.

[topnotch_Donny]

DonnyNoel wrote:

topnotch_Donny wrote:

Yes we got more points last season because we were low on confidence in the first half of the first season.

I bet we would have got more points last season with the team that finished the first season hence being weaker  

I'm guessing obviously, but we just started to click and then lost key players and we have never hit the same form since.

Its hard to pass hypothetical judgements on mental traits carrying on through a season with regards to confidence but remember we actually finished last season with 15pts from the last 12 games so hardly flying form.

And taking it at \"ins and outs\" level:

Shackell more than replaced Mills.
Sharp & JET improved the team.
Oster didn't replace Wellens in a like for like sense but added as much quality in the middle.

So whilst we could never prove it, I wouldn't go along with your bet, especially factoring in the general improvement of players this season like JOC, Roberts, Wilson, Shiels.

We have never hit the form of the 2nd half of the 1st season, and we only picked up 2 more points than the season before (last season) and that was with all of Billies goals and a steady season with no real dips, like we had when we first came up, in a time were SOD was learning about the division.

If you can remember, we were creating some real good chances,but no one could finish the chances. We were also a bit too slow in the build up.

As soon as we upped the pace and brought on a natural finisher, we picked up the 2ND most points in the division in the 2ND half of the season (form we haven't come close to repeating since).

I think at the start of this season there was confidence in the squad because they realised that they could do it, as shown in the 2ND half of the first season.

Anyway it's pointless guessing, so fingers crossed that SOD works his magic again.

It's about time we had a bit of good news though  

[topnotch_Donny]

DonnyNoel wrote:

DRNaith wrote:

I think that the footballing community watch what little gems O'Driscoll uncovers and if we can't be quick about signing them up when they become available there are plenty of vultures ready to take advantage.

Very true. In loaning players its almost like doing other clubs scouting for them - they see how they perform on loan here and then swoop in if they make the grade.

If I were a scout at any club around us in the final table (Preston, Derby, Coventry) I'd be keeping an eye on anyone doing well for us and coming up to the end of contract.

Yes that's the price of success, we become a bargain bin for bigger clubs.

JR can try and beat them off with a stick, but money talks  :X