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As I posted a little while back, not only are we nailed on for relegation but more than likely we will finish bottom - with, no doubt, a fairly pathetic points total. On current average of points per game, we will probably end up with around 30 points.

For me, its a straight fight between us and Chester for bottom spot. I actually think Guiseley will probably join us too, but watch out for Solihull Moors, they are making a REAL fight of it and I have a sneaky feeling they may just pull out of it. Why? Because they made a very solid appointment in Mark Yates as Manager, someone who knows this level very well and that area too. He has also been backed, and using his “contacts” (REAL ones not IMAGINED ones!) has made some very decent signings in this window with the likes of midfielder Kyle Storer from Cheltenham and now I hear striker Adi Yussuf from Barrow being added - just the sort of players that might have made a difference to us - but, as we know, we have spectacularly failed to bring in anything like the quality needed.

Indeed, although his (Owers) first raft of signings weren’t great .... in my opinion they were a lot better than what he has brought in of late. For all their shortcomings can anyone disagree .... Rhys Murphy > Alex Fletcher(for now, at least); Josh McQuoid > Tommy O’Sullivan; Jazzi Barnum-Bobb > Aaron Barnes(doubt we will ever see him play though!); Alex Davey > Conrad Balatoni..... and from the little I have seen of him so far, Anyone > Reece Mitchell! The only exception might be Elliott Romain who looked quite useful on debut, but it is still very early days yet!

So, if EVERYONE was fit and available, the only Owers signing that would make my starting XI is indeed Romain. If I was picking the team, I would probably still be going with the other TEN spots in the side being filled by Nicholson/Herrera recruits .... how damning is that!

In other words: (5-3-1-1) Dorel; Higgins, Efete, Gowling, McGinty, Davis; Young, Klukowski/Lathrope, Dowling; Gosling; Romain

There are teams that will be looking over their shoulders, such as Barrow, Hartlepool, Woking, Maidenhead perhaps - but if any of those are to be dragged down into the relegation dogfight .... sadly it wont be us doing it!

It would be an unbelievable escape now. We need massive change - the whole management team replaced by better and quickly. Then some better signings and good fortune. I can't see the changes being made though sadly.

I thought Bromley was the last chance to start an escape. It probably was but an unexpected win at Macclesfield would probably have the same effect on points. But from what I read and what I saw at Boreham Wood it looks hopeless now.

Was a point at Macclesfield to spur we needed. Was it signing Williams before that?
Either way a bit of confidence was crucial in beating Barrow today.
I haven't given up now and it sounds as if the players haven't.
Following Macclesfield I decided to come down for Dagenham match and after today I'm going to Maidenhead.
Can there really be a miracle escape three years in a row? Perhaps there can.

Play like today in the second half and it's possible.

I'd just say try and keep 'in it' until March and if possible try to gradually reduce the gap. I do feel a bit of an idiot now about that Macclesfield result because i maintained that a win at all costs was needed and felt let down because we didn't get it but it does look like a steady point on the face of it. Gradually collect some steady points and then the run in by and large (excluding Dover away and Hartlepool away) is filled with teams we really could beat if at it.

I feel that if the points gap has been further reduced come March, which is no easy task given the likes of Daggers and Orient are to be played, then i reckon it's more than possible that survival could be achieved.

If we did survive then that probably means Owers gets the gig for next sesson , do we really want another season of this crap?

Plainmoor78 wrote: 03 Feb 2018, 22:40 If we did survive then that probably means Owers gets the gig for next sesson , do we really want another season of this crap?

I'm not sure we'll have a choice either way sadly.

We are one point ahead of my route to survival...just saying

madgull wrote: 03 Feb 2018, 23:19 We are one point ahead of my route to survival...just saying

Tbh, your correct, probably just need chester and Hartlepool to both get liquidated. And then it's game on.

Couldn't think Of a worse way to survive , I rather play in the western league than rely on another great club to die to survive. I'm a big believer in karma

westyorkshiregull wrote: 04 Feb 2018, 09:06 Couldn't think Of a worse way to survive , I rather play in the western league than rely on another great club to die to survive. I'm a big believer in karma

Might not be a great way to stay up but you could look at it a different way.
Clubs spend within their means and find their squad is not quite good enough and go down
Clubs spend above their means to buy 'star' striker etc. they stay up
Where is the justice/karma in that
Surely the badly run club deserve to go down more than the well run club.
Karma would be the badly run club go down because they have finished bottom 4

Chester only need 50000 to keep fighting , they were taken over by fans that as they run dry the club is now on its last legs.
It's a sad state of the way football is run with so many billions at the top I'm afraid. The premier league should never have been allowed to do what they did
Now if it was a case like Boston united them years ago that would be different as that was cheating , but no not for me with anyone of these clubs.
I'd rather give up supporting my club than feel any satisfaction in that thank you

Thing is though, if Chester got to the Premier League then would they happily forfeit some of the money they'll get chucked at them and give it to the likes of Torquay, Hartlepool etc?

Not on your life.

It's survival of the fattest out there in footyland i'm afraid. There is not one club that would go against the grain and offer to hand out their own money to the clubs below that are struggling.

If you are a Torquay or a Chester and want to improve and get more money coming in then they need to do what everyone else does. Either find a rich owner to buy the club or work your arse off to try and get more fans through the gates, create extra revenue, live within your means and also employ a manager who can achieve beyond what is expected.

Agree totally. The losers are always the fans and I wouldn't wish our misery on anyone just to retain a level of football.