The League Two relegation battle

[AustrianAndyGull]

I know that Chris but other teams can pull out results against the top teams when we can't and we also struggle to despatch mediocre teams like Barnet, Bristol Rovers and Morecambe so then it only points one way. I don't want to be defeatist mate but i'm chasing rainbows here lad! I can't see us getting 2 wins. Labadie helped us narrowly edge past two poor sides in Chesterfield and York in what were our first back to back wins since November and now he has gone. I'm not saying we were a one man team but we HAVE to do that again with the players we've got minus Poke.

[brucie]

There are two many negatives I'm afraid to say. Labadie and Chappell are massive blows, as is the loss of Poke.
Knill has managed only two wins since he has been here and its fair to say that even in those games we were hanging on at the end.
The loss of the two loan players means that we are back to having a really weak subs bench.
I fear for our chances so much tomorrow that I am really considering not going.
I would love to be proved wrong - if we do somehow scrape a win tomorrow I do feel that we might go to Morecambe and win but in reality I just cannot see us getting past Barnet.

[SuperNickyWroe]

I know that Chris but other teams can pull out results against the top teams when we can't and we also struggle to despatch mediocre teams like Barnet, Bristol Rovers and Morecambe so then it only points one way. I don't want to be defeatist mate but i'm chasing rainbows here lad! I can't see us getting 2 wins. Labadie helped us narrowly edge past two poor sides in Chesterfield and York in what were our first back to back wins since November and now he has gone. I'm not saying we were a one man team but we HAVE to do that again with the players we've got minus Poke.

york yes. chesterfield i would say no.
if you use your rationale, they beat barnet away last week and we beat them..................
and also, we have been playing well(ish) lately - apart from bradford of course.....

[AustrianAndyGull]

I think Brucie makes a good point, Knill has only won 2 of his 11 games thus far ( both with Labadie ) and although that includes tough away trips to Northampton and Gillingham and a home game with Vale, it also includes home games to Wycombe and Oxford and we still cannot win away and although we drew at Southend ( who themselves are in a really poor slump ) we couldn't even beat Dagenham or Accrington who are two teams near the bottom.

We now expect him to replicate this against a side in Barnet battling for their lives and EVERY player shedding sweat for the cause, against an up and down Morecambe side whose form doesn't concern me because if you look at our away record it says we have won 1 in nearly 5 months and despite many attempts against poorer sides than Morecambe, we STILL cannot manage another AND against one of the form sides in the division Brizzle who could still be in with a play off shout come our game, even if not thay can still enjoy the game without pressure. On top of this i am totally convinced that not enough of our players have the right frame of mind for what is about to unfold in these next 2 weeks, not just the games themselves but the waiting around, the pressure being cranked up during the week, the expectation and argument and counter argument. We're going to be relegated and i say that as a dedicated fan true to my heart but if i take EVERYTHING into account on a realistic level then relegation is the conclusion i keep returning to despite me wanting to discover a glimmer of optimism from somewhere. Sorry all.

[SuperNickyWroe]

There are two many negatives I'm afraid to say. Labadie and Chappell are massive blows, as is the loss of Poke.
Knill has managed only two wins since he has been here and its fair to say that even in those games we were hanging on at the end.
The loss of the two loan players means that we are back to having a really weak subs bench.
I fear for our chances so much tomorrow that I am really considering not going.
I would love to be proved wrong - if we do somehow scrape a win tomorrow I do feel that we might go to Morecambe and win but in reality I just cannot see us getting past Barnet.

let me just say that we did actually win matches before they arrived brucie.......

[AustrianAndyGull]

I know some of you have heard this said before in previous campaigns and we've squirmed out of it at the death often in dramatic circumstances but i just don't have ANY confidence in these players to grind out these results like their lives depended on it. That is what is required.

[Scott Brehaut]

I know some of you have heard this said before in previous campaigns and we've squirmed out of it at the death often in dramatic circumstances but i just don't have ANY confidence in these players to grind out these results like their lives depended on it. That is what is required.

Genuine question Andy.

If you are convinced we are down and if you have NO confidence in the players we have, why bother going to Morecambe?

Go on holiday and enjoy yourself and save your money.

[ferrarilover]

I was gonna ask a similar thing of Tezza, but knew I'd be wasting my time.

Matt.

[Scott Brehaut]

I was gonna ask a similar thing of Tezza, but knew I'd be wasting my time.

Matt.

Indeed - at least Andy will answer.

[SuperNickyWroe]

Indeed - at least Andy will answer.

true scotty, but it wont be a coherent or lucid answer...................

[Southampton Gull]

It won't just be the one answer either

[brucie]

Changed my mind and I am going today. I am with Andy - we look to be going down for certain and I have been convinced of that since the Bradford game.
There just isn't one positive going into todays game. Take the loss of Chappell - he is young and inexperienced but he is some way better than any other winger we have. He is able to carry the ball forward with pace and generally keep control of it.
Same with Labadie - he wasn't any great shakes but could get his foot in and put the ball in the net. Can anyone see Lathrope coming up with a goal or two in these last three games.
We havn't really got a left back - Nicholsons too slow. His replacement Cruise is quicker,good on the ball but his positional sense and marking ability when defending are hopeless.
We have a keeper who (however well he might have done last week) is very likely to make a crucial error or two today.
Oastler apparently freezes in big games and continually passes the ball to an opponent.
Our main striker could still miss the las two games if he is booked today.
Add to that we are probably going to have to rely on one or more of Stevens,Macklin,Easton or an unfit Morris.
Whatever way you want to swing it does it really look likely we are going to win today?
Of course Barnet are probably equally as hopeless as us but I have seen us lose to so many poor sides this season that I just cannot see anything other than a 0-1 defeat today.
I will be more than happy to be proved wrong though.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Guys, (hate using that word as it makes me sound like a homosexual ) but i'm going to Morecambe because even a miserable tw*t like me harbours a glimmer of hope that we can scrape out of it. Yes taking everything into account my opinion still is that we will drop but it is still possible we can get out of it. Even if we lose or draw today then we can still get 2 wins from our last two games although i don't think we'll have a hope in hell of achieveing that if i'm honest.

I'm going to Morecambe as i want to go and support the team wherever i can and if i wasn't going on holiday and we were already safe i'd still go as it's a game i can get to. Hope this answers your questions lads. Eh? LADS - see what i did there? Used the word LADS as that's what i am. :~D

[AustrianAndyGull]

Oh and apologies if i offended any homosexuals.

[Scott Brehaut]

Guys, (hate using that word as it makes me sound like a homosexual ) but i'm going to Morecambe because even a miserable tw*t like me harbours a glimmer of hope that we can scrape out of it. Yes taking everything into account my opinion still is that we will drop but it is still possible we can get out of it. Even if we lose or draw today then we can still get 2 wins from our last two games although i don't think we'll have a hope in hell of achieveing that if i'm honest.

I'm going to Morecambe as i want to go and support the team wherever i can and if i wasn't going on holiday and we were already safe i'd still go as it's a game i can get to. Hope this answers your questions lads. Eh? LADS - see what i did there? Used the word LADS as that's what i am. :~D

Thanks for the response. It was a genuine question and I wasn't taking the old what-not. Just trying to understand why people, who are convinced we are down and that we are going to lose every game, bother "wasting their money" to watch an "obvious" loss.

I only ask because if I was feeling anything like the above, I wouldn't bother going.