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Glass half empty?
Views: 1470
Or half full?
For me, the performances recently have shown that we don't deserve much this season, I think we will probably fall just short of the playoffs.
That doesn't mean its been a bad season, it will have exceeded most people's, but it it has been a disappointing second half so far considering we were competing for the automatics at one point.
Soooo frustrating... We will never have a better opportunity.
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3 people
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 461
Half full, what a great first season back in L1 it's been, regardless of it we finish 6th, 7th or 8th.
Most expected us to go down and we're punching well about our weight. We're averaging 4k crowds and we're mixing it with teams averaging over 20k
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1 person
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 353
Agree but remember what happened in season 2 last time .Different era of course so hope I am not tempting fate
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 348
The boat was well and truly rocked in season one when Westley left. The squad drove us to the play-offs before most of them went on to new challenges.
Once bitten, twice shy and all that. Players are starting to be tied to contracts beyond the end of the season and Evans has been too. I’d say we’re much better prepared for all eventualities come the end of the season.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 339
This squad hasn't had the opportunity to gel like that one had, but has more talent on an individual basis. I think both sides benefited from a League One which was having an off year.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 373
I took the opening post to be half full or half empty regarding us making the playoffs.
Even if we finish 7th, it has undeniably been an outstanding season.
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1 person
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1026
Empty
That game was awful. Sad times when we only look like scoring when pidge is in the box and hes a centre back. Rest of the time play it to the wing and do nothing. If we have another game like that we have no hope of making it
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1067
It’s the performances across the whole season that count. Not a small sample period.
If we get into the play offs we’ve earned it and therefore it’s deserved.
I think it’s mad that people are actually annoyed that we’re not pissing the league. We’re massively overachieving. I dread the melt down if we don’t get promoted and then have the temerity to finish mid-table or worse next season.
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5 people
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 527
Got to agree with you there Tucks. This is a tough league and defensively we're pretty much watertight. Crying out for a bit more firepower though. But I find it hard to moan.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 542
Only thing I would say in counter to that, is that creativity starts at the back. Our defenders are defenders first and foremost. While I'm not saying they are like Barcalona, the other bigger clubs in the league have defenders that can perhaps play a bit more, creating more chances for the midfield and frontline. I think that's where we find ourselves now.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 365
Just like the Arsenal invincibles team, lots of creativity in the back four, don't remember to many of Fegies defences at United be that creative ether,
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 361
Ferdinand could pick a pass.
Bruce and Pallister not so much.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 319
Sweeney can pick a pass too, Pidge on occasions, TVC capable too, does the mean we are creative form the back
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 502
Level with Pompey for most clean sheets, and only Pompey, Derby and Lincoln have conceded fewer goals.
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1 person
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1032
I don’t think people are annoyed that we’re not pissing the league, I think they’re annoyed that this squad is talented enough to be higher than the position we’re in. Though I do agree that reactions to poor results have been OTT!
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 879
Definite hint of hyperbole on my part.
I do think the last season and a half will have ramped expectations up though, certainly with newer fans who have only seen us win. We’re better placed to become a sustainable League One club now. If we make it to the Championship then amazing. But if we don’t I do worry anything other than challenging at the top end of the table next season will be seen as failure in some quarters.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 979
I don't think it's talented enough to be higher than 6th. 6th is an incredible achievement for this squad. Blackpool have Jordan Rhodes and we currently above them. The teams above us have better squads and bigger budgets.
It was talented enough to win today so that is annoying but results don't always go to plan.
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1 person
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 563
That just about sums it up. We have largely come up short (just) when playing other teams in the top seven.
Derby W L
Portsmouth D L
Barnsley L
Bolton L
Oxford L
Peterborough D
In the four games we have still to play against teams in the that group we arguably need to win a couple, or lose none.
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1 person
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 689
Totally agree Sev.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 837
Not sure I agree. We’ve got plenty of players in the squad who are experienced at the top end of League One. We’ve dropped a huge number of points from winning positions. Poor refereeing decisions have caused us to drop a few points too. All signs that we could be higher in the league than we are if just a few key moments had gone differently.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 752
Teams and fans will always wonder "what if the ref had been better".
They'll still be shit next season.
And the one after that.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 599
Sure. But usually it feels like they even out over the course of the season in a way that they haven’t this time.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 630
As Evans said in the Fleetwood pre match interview, a person from the EFL said we were top of the league for incorrect decisions against us this season. Apparently.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 561
Yep. Heard that.
Don't believe it.
I doubt the EFL keep a spreadsheet of apologies.
I strongly doubt they'd share it with Steve.
If they shared it, and it made us look the victim, it would have been leaked.
In any event I assume they will only send apology emails if a manager complains in the first place, and many simply won't bother both because it's wasted energy or because they won so the mistake doesn't matter.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 507
Thinks it's true , if a manager make a complaint to Ref i assume they put it in their report, club then get a formal response from PGMOL.Whether there is any formal table published by them don't know ,but bet our club have the emails to back up Evan's claims
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 539
I take all of Evans interviews with a pinch of salt.
They're always extremely entertaining though!
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 527
You can also imagine when he's cornered an EFL official they'll say all sorts just to keep him happy.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 643
And they always forget all the decisions that go our way
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 928
Not for the next game or two they don't.
Red card today.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 892
Yeah saw that, hopefully that hurts them in terms of results.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 910
Orient had someone sent off too.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1063
In life people tend to focus on what they haven't got and what they could have had, rather than celebrate what they have got.
We are 6th by 1 point, with a game in hand and slightly better goal difference (that might change on Wednesday lolol).
Today was a disappointing result but I'm happy with where we are. There are going to be disappointing games, it doesn't have to define the rest of the games.
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4 people
Peterborough next week
Views: 1156
They’re going to destroy us if we play like we did today.
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1 person
Re: Peterborough next week
Views: 955
Our defending isn't an issue and our away form is very good.
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1 person
Re: Peterborough next week
Views: 951
Stop being silly
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1080
Due to circumstances I've had to book a holiday for the first two weeks in May, so we need to go all the way or not at all.
A club of our means would have to get incredibly lucky to stay in the position we were in earlier on in the season, we're talking Reid hitting 30 league goals. The playing style that got us here is designed to eliminate risk from games which leaves very fine margins that we were getting on the right side of, now we're on the wrong side.
Edited by Freemo at 19:29:40 on 9th March 2024
Edited by Freemo at 19:29:57 on 9th March 2024
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1 person
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1058
I booked to travel back from France for the last game of the season because I thought that might seal our survival or be rhe last chance for me to see us in L1 for a while.
Then I changed my mind and thought it'd be the game that saw us clinch an automatic spot.
Now I'm simply hoping it sees us clinch a playoff spot, even though I won't be in the UK to see us at Wembley.
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2 people
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 839
I’m sorted for that game cos friends’ kids are shadowing the players out. Haven’t the heart to tell them that the kids are never seen again
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1141
Empty.
Two goals scored in five games. Didn't look like scoring all game against an awful side, playing 25 mins against ten men. Scored a good 15-20 less than those we are competing with.
We are entorely reliant on Reid to score our goals and he looks awful at the minute, with no confidence and he cannot control a ball let alone score (fuck knows why he stayed on all 90 minutes today, would rather he went off than Hemmings).
I just don't see where the goals are going to come from to get us over the line.
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4 people
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 798
My current concern with Reid is that in order to get himself firing again he’s maybe being more selfish to the detriment of the team.
The onus is on everyone to put the ball in the net. The goals will come for Reid again, especially if the weight of expectation is taken off of him.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1112
You are silly.
We’ll finish 6th. And then it will get really weird…
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1109
I reckon we beat derby and maybe edge posh.
not much of a chance with the others
Cheers,
InvaderOfPitches
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 796
Better ask David Beckham before edging his wife.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1175
More half full for me.
I’m sure if in July if anyone on here was asked that if on the 9th March we would be 6th in the league, everyone would have ripped your arm off for it.
I think recent performances have been battling at best but we have still picked up results, today in a way shows how far we have come where a team come the Lamex and set up for a 0-0 and try to nick it the last 10-15 in league 1.
Today was one of those, a very bitty game and we probably could have played another 90 minutes and it still would have been 0-0 although frustrating you’ll get those over the course of a season.
My only complaint aside from some idiots in the north stand this season, is lack of plan b like today we didn’t have that difference maker from the bench, subs where very like for like (list for hemmings aside), but even that can be assigned to the fact on how far we have come in 2 years, make the play offs or not we have had a tremendous season.
Edited by RussD81 at 18:21:32 on 9th March 2024
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1092
pretty negative way of looking at football.
yes we aren't a huge club but we have an extremely competitive league one side. The league seems to be particularly weak this season given sides like orient and Northampton are in 10th & 11th.
We have comfortably beaten many sides this season and we aren't 6th purely out of luck. We should be aiming higher
cheer up
InvaderOfPitches
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3 people
Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1091
I must say, it’s brilliant to know we’ll be playing at least league one football next season, but I think the OP and others here feel that way too. Something good is still going to happen I reckon
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1041
Absolutely, to stay up was aim #1
And we've smashed that.
Which means we can enjoy it now come what may. And it will go down in our history as a great season.
BUT... Will we have the cajones and resources to come close again next season?
Or is this as good as it gets?
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1043
I disagree
Even before the season there were at least 6 sides who were significantly worse than us
Relegation was never going to happen
Cheers,
InvaderOfPitches
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1171
We can£t beat teams that setup to draw. Luckily we don£t have many of those left.
4 clean sheets in a row. Just the 1 bad result in the last 4 and we didn£t even lose.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1228
We haven't done enough for the playoffs.
We're still in the mix because other teams keep mucking up. So, in one respect, it's still on.
But Posh and Oxford away will see us comfortably out of the running.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1233
I think we'll scrape the playoffs, but lack of firepower and ability will be our undoing over two legs.
For the love of god can we work on our attacking throwins! Not had a decent one all season.
Edited by RockyBottom at 17:41:20 on 9th March 2024
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1208
With Reid well always have a punchers chance, that ain't where we'll struggle.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1074
Really disagree with the post , drew last week to a team who beat Barnsley 5-1 today , hardly ever get outplayed by anyone, yes today was frustrating but great squad and attitude.
I think we will get the play offs and I think the season is a hugely successful one to this point . Fleetwood and Burton are the only two teams in the division our sort of size . Incredibly harsh in my opinion.
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Re: Glass half empty?
Views: 1108
Well yeah, maybe firepower doesn't describe the problem correctly. We play a certain way, with players that give 100%, but not sure that is enough alone to make the next step. Sometimes we look a bit one dimensional.
No complaints though overall. Still punching massively above our weight. As you said though, doubt we'll ever get a better chance for a shot at The Championship.
Edited by RockyBottom at 18:38:38 on 9th March 2024
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