Wretched winter continues

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 29 Dec 2019, 17:03

Just 1 win in the last 9 league games.

If we maintain that poor form then we will only achieve 2 more wins this season, and we will rapidly wave goodbye to the play off spots like we are doing to the automatic ones.

Maybe we need to take more risks? A win and a defeat every two games gets more points than two draws after all.

Nesty · 29 Dec 2019, 17:20

Typically the Northampton goal was scored by the player who gave away the penalty. and according to the BBC Radio guys should have been red carded. Ince sounds about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Alex !! oh dear, already short of strikers he gets red carded.

It is obvious we need at least two strikers.

Ben3 · 29 Dec 2019, 17:23

Realistically (getting away from RCS/EE’s trolling) a good away point.

It’s very tight at the top and if we can sign a striker who a) plays each week and b) scores regularly, we will be well in the mix

Congrats Duffy and all for a great year, let’s see what 2020 brings

Hubert Parry · 29 Dec 2019, 17:44

Agreed. I think some people have been led to believe that we have some divine right to be in the top three. Anything in the top half would be a successful season. Our budget is probably worthy of less. People need to be careful what they wish for.

29 Dec 2019, 18:40

Decent away point today, clear we are missing our main strikers, January cannot come soon enough.

Horteng · 30 Dec 2019, 18:06

I do think Duff is a bit 1 dimensional at times. Afraid to mix it up a bit

That said the start to the season was great but we have gone off the boil rather concerningly over the last 6 weeks or so

everyman · 31 Dec 2019, 10:36

Hubert Parry wrote:Agreed. I think some people have been led to believe that we have some divine right to be in the top three. Anything in the top half would be a successful season. Our budget is probably worthy of less. People need to be careful what they wish for.

People should remember who we are and be realistic about their expectations.

Alf · 31 Dec 2019, 11:16

everyman wrote:
Hubert Parry wrote:Agreed. I think some people have been led to believe that we have some divine right to be in the top three. Anything in the top half would be a successful season. Our budget is probably worthy of less. People need to be careful what they wish for.
People should remember who we are and be realistic about their expectations.

And also that it is the job of the opposition management to suss out our game plan and do their best to nullify it, that is part of the game. We do the same. Some days it works for us better than it does for the opposition and sometimes it doesn’t.

Nesty · 31 Dec 2019, 13:14

Horteng wrote:I do think Duff is a bit 1 dimensional at times. Afraid to mix it up a bit

That said the start to the season was great but we have gone off the boil rather concerningly over the last 6 weeks or so

I think that our game plan recently has been dictated by the injuries.

darreno · 31 Dec 2019, 13:39

Agree Nesty .

We've rarely had a settled squad all season and we're still eighth. A good achievement so far IMO.

Fuller · 31 Dec 2019, 14:00

Yes a surprisingly good first half of the season on the whole.

I just hope it does not go the same way as the 2010/11 season when we were around the play off at Xmas but tailed off badly in the second half of the season. Probably doubtful it will as we have a much stronger squad in comparison now. Just need a few quality signings that can re-ignite the spark.

Happy new year to all.

paperboy · 31 Dec 2019, 15:03

Fuller wrote:Yes a surprisingly good first half of the season on the whole.

I just hope it does not go the same way as the 2010/11 season when we were around the play off at Xmas but tailed off badly in the second half of the season. Probably doubtful it will as we have a much stronger squad in comparison now. Just need a few quality signings that can re-ignite the spark.

Happy new year to all.

Agreed, given that our big pre-season permanent signings of Reid ,Ince and Campbell have yet to have an impact we have done really well.

Let's hope that Alfie is this seasons Dan Holman...and next.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 31 Dec 2019, 16:29

My post wasn’t to disagree with having a good season, which we are. It was merely to point out that one win in nine games is poor form, even for a relegation side.

theidlerich · 31 Dec 2019, 18:27

The first quarter of the season was excellent; the second less so [frustrating to say the least] and certainly not play-off hopeful fodder, more mid-table obscurity! Hopefully fortunes will turn when the 'injured' and newbie's settle and are fit!

Benctfc · 01 Jan 2020, 23:24

I think the playoffs are achievable. We really need to get back to picking up wins at home. However if you look at our remaining home matches other than Exeter they are all games you would go into expecting us to win. (I know it never works that way). We have played all nearly all the current top 7 at home. We have shown we can compete away from home and pick up the odd win so there is no reason why with a bit of better luck with injuries and a couple of signings we can't get top 7.

Shade · 02 Jan 2020, 14:09

Benctfc wrote:I think the playoffs are achievable. We really need to get back to picking up wins at home. However if you look at our remaining home matches other than Exeter they are all games you would go into expecting us to win. (I know it never works that way). We have played all nearly all the current top 7 at home. We have shown we can compete away from home and pick up the odd win so there is no reason why with a bit of better luck with injuries and a couple of signings we can't get top 7.

If we're looking at it that way then we're more than in with a shout for automatic still. 6 points off third and, let's be honest, when you look at the draws we have picked up, of which there have been 11 so far, we should have won at least 5 of those if we had taken our chances - two of them where we've finished against 10 men! That would be an extra 10 points. We would be 2nd, one point off top.

I can't remember the last time we conceded a good goal. Most games we seem to be letting 1 in now, and every single one has been preventable. Either a mistake from the defence or midfield losing/giving the ball away in a stupid position (like against Plymouth) or the defence just not reacting quick enough (like against Northampton and Newport). I'm not blaming the defence for all of our problems at the moment as we're not creating enough and not taking our chances, but I'm just saying that if it weren't for the mistakes and easy goals, we would never concede. I honestly can't remember the last good goal scored against us.

Nesty · 03 Jan 2020, 10:30

theidlerich wrote:The first quarter of the season was excellent; the second less so [frustrating to say the least] and certainly not play-off hopeful fodder, more mid-table obscurity! Hopefully fortunes will turn when the 'injured' and newbie's settle and are fit!

bizarrely the start to the season saw goals galore - both ends of the pitch with us scoring and conceding and near the top. Since then the goals have dried up, but we are not conceding so many either.

Nesty · 03 Jan 2020, 13:06

Nesty wrote:
theidlerich wrote:The first quarter of the season was excellent; the second less so [frustrating to say the least] and certainly not play-off hopeful fodder, more mid-table obscurity! Hopefully fortunes will turn when the 'injured' and newbie's settle and are fit!
bizarrely the start to the season saw goals galore - both ends of the pitch with us scoring and conceding and near the top. Since then the goals have dried up, but we are not conceding so many either.

stats ..............

First 13 games P13 W7 D4 L2 Goals F 24 A 10 Pts 25

Last 11 games P11 W2 D7 L2 Goals F 11 A 9 Pts 13

not to labour the point but rather than split the season "first 13 / last 11" it could read "with Varney /without Varney"