The Next 6 Games will define the season (1 Viewer)

We are about to go on a 10 match unbeaten run, we will win the Checkatrade trophy semi final on penalties and acquire an additional 9 points in the league

Aaaahahahahahahahaha!
Aaaaahahahaha!
Aaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Ha!
I think the season has already been fairly well defined.
But I admire your optimism.

smileycov said:

I do not think all is lost as yet. We are 8 points adrift, with a game in hand.
Win that and then its only 5, another win potentially puts us on the heels and 1 victory away from safety.
Obviously the biggest problem is we can not seem to buy a win at the moment, so 2 or 3 wins are a distant dream.

I still think the players are better than they are showing at the moment and the new guys may well be the difference we needed.

In an ideal world we have 6 winnable games (except maybe Milwall) coming up now, so a great opportunity to adress the slide and start the long climb to safety. One of them gives us the fantastic day out at Wembley I am sure we all desperately want. I still hold out a slither of hope we can do something in these next 6 that saves the season.
We will see how the next 2/3 go as a starter.

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Well yeah, unfortunately Chesterfield and Northampton were very clearly both winnable games and both on absolutely dreadful runs of form until they met us.

If we can get one win and pull back to five points (obviously the other teams have to lose while we win), then it might at least make us feel a bit better about ourselves.

smileycov said:

Obviously the biggest problem is we can not seem to buy a win at the moment, so 2 or 3 wins are a distant dream.

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Arguably, the biggest problem is that we can't score. No goals in the last 3 league games, in which 2 of the opponents were very poor sides on terrible runs of form.

I think the season is defined already. I never like to see people say that we are "certain" to go down - we've got 54 points to play for over 18 games and the season runs for 3 months, so mathematically it is far from certain. But my 100% expectation is that we haven't got enough in the squad, giving its current weakness, to close the gap between now and the end of the season.

Still, we have to try and therefore not give up. I personally hope we pick a weakened side against Wycombe and prioritise the league, to gvie ourselves every chance of picking up enough points to give ourselves a chance of survival. If we do get knocked out y Wycombe (I won't be at the game myself) then I won't bat an eyelid; if anything that'll help us survive if we can pick ourselves up and focus our undivided attention on the league.

If someone offered me today a win over Wycombe vs staying up, it would be the latter 100 times out of 100. We have to do everything to try to make it possible; to that end, the signings this month haven't greatly helped our cause.

I think being a Cov fan it's always easy to be pessimistic in any given situation, especially now.

However I do think there will be a few twists and turns yet, I must admit I was one of the biggest Pro Slade posters on here and as yet he hasn't done anything to justify that to me.

I was surprised recruitment wise that a manager who got Orient to the playoffs on frees and loans alone couldn't muster more than an 18 year old untested striker, possibly things going on behind the scenes that have Slades hands tied ?

One positive and thing I am surprised about is since when have we ever been in a position to reject offers for players ? Up until now offer us £5 and a bag of chips and you could have anyone, I'm massively surprised that SISU didn't cash in on our starlets, especially ones who don't have long left on contracts. It's nice to see and maybe the very start of something that we are now a "self sufficient" club, perhaps we didn't need to sell.

Personally, I think we'll start a bit of an upward turn soon, I can see one win breeding confidence, a Semi final win may just be the key to us staying up. If that happens, with the protests and what not I'd love to think we may see the end of SISUs reign in the closed season and a good chance to start again.

Time as they say, will tell.

Admire the optimism but perhaps need to factor some of the other teams fixtures.

We don't have a game in hand over Oldham & Chesterfield who play each other this Saturday also its Bury vs Shrewsbury. Someone like Port Vale has a game in hand on us. Swindon for example would view games against Bury, Northampton Oldham & Coventry as winnable (that's 4 of their next 5 games)

Lose to Millwall and that leaves us needing probably at least 27 more likely 30 points from 17 games (51 points available)

Its going to require Championship form to get out of this and sorry I see no evidence of that anywhere close.............. then of course the last few games of the season are against teams in or around the current top six. We have to beat the teams around us certainly giving those teams anything hurts us

There is hope, but to be honest not much

Mate you can dream on the last 12 games defined our season................. no fuckin hope

smileycov said:

I do not think all is lost as yet. We are 8 points adrift, with a game in hand.
Win that and then its only 5, another win potentially puts us on the heels and 1 victory away from safety.
Obviously the biggest problem is we can not seem to buy a win at the moment, so 2 or 3 wins are a distant dream.

I still think the players are better than they are showing at the moment and the new guys may well be the difference we needed.

In an ideal world we have 6 winnable games (except maybe Milwall) coming up now, so a great opportunity to adress the slide and start the long climb to safety. One of them gives us the fantastic day out at Wembley I am sure we all desperately want. I still hold out a slither of hope we can do something in these next 6 that saves the season.
We will see how the next 2/3 go as a starter.

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Come back on to us when you've had your MRI scan results

oucho said:

Arguably, the biggest problem is that we can't score. No goals in the last 3 league games, in which 2 of the opponents were very poor sides on terrible runs of form.

I think the season is defined already. I never like to see people say that we are "certain" to go down - we've got 54 points to play for over 18 games and the season runs for 3 months, so mathematically it is far from certain. But my 100% expectation is that we haven't got enough in the squad, giving its current weakness, to close the gap between now and the end of the season.

Still, we have to try and therefore not give up. I personally hope we pick a weakened side against Wycombe and prioritise the league, to gvie ourselves every chance of picking up enough points to give ourselves a chance of survival. If we do get knocked out y Wycombe (I won't be at the game myself) then I won't bat an eyelid; if anything that'll help us survive if we can pick ourselves up and focus our undivided attention on the league.

If someone offered me today a win over Wycombe vs staying up, it would be the latter 100 times out of 100. We have to do everything to try to make it possible; to that end, the signings this month haven't greatly helped our cause.

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If you offered me today a day out at Wembley I would take it 100 times out of 100 for our long suffering fans to have a day in the sun. Why? because that is 90 minutes away against a team from a lower division.
Staying up is now a very long shot and we can't afford another bad run but guess what? we haven't finished the last bad run yet and don't look likely to.
Our best games have been against the top sides and we fell just short of winning or drawing. It has been the so called winnable games we have faltered on time and time again.

smileycov said:

Is there any need to be a prick?

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No, but it helps.

smileycov said:

I know, i do look at the next few though and think this is the time if any that will make or break.
home games against Swindon and Gills - 2 home wins may be massive in context of other's results. Oldham and Wimbledon away, again if we was to save ourselves these 2 need winning.
I fully appreciate we have and are shocking, but we need to do something now, and i truly think these are the games to do it.
A cup final at Wembley would also help the confidence i think, i know some say it wont i believe it will. IMO

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Yeah, I agree on the last point. Been so much doom and gloom. A cup final has to raise spirits surely!

smileycov said:

I do not think all is lost as yet. We are 8 points adrift, with a game in hand.
Win that and then its only 5, another win potentially puts us on the heels and 1 victory away from safety.
Obviously the biggest problem is we can not seem to buy a win at the moment, so 2 or 3 wins are a distant dream.

I still think the players are better than they are showing at the moment and the new guys may well be the difference we needed.

In an ideal world we have 6 winnable games (except maybe Milwall) coming up now, so a great opportunity to adress the slide and start the long climb to safety. One of them gives us the fantastic day out at Wembley I am sure we all desperately want. I still hold out a slither of hope we can do something in these next 6 that saves the season.
We will see how the next 2/3 go as a starter.

Click to expand...

I see where you are coming from but I think you are being over optimistic. In my experience of relegation battles (which is many) there is often an upturn in form before results. It can be a long time turning the corner.

There are no signs of this form, this resilience, neither are there two or three players coming back from injury to stabilise things. I hope you are right and we put up a fight. However I suspect we will be playing out the season at best trying to lay foundations for next season.

smileycov said:

I do not think all is lost as yet. We are 8 points adrift, with a game in hand.
Win that and then its only 5, another win potentially puts us on the heels and 1 victory away from safety.
Obviously the biggest problem is we can not seem to buy a win at the moment, so 2 or 3 wins are a distant dream.

I still think the players are better than they are showing at the moment and the new guys may well be the difference we needed.

In an ideal world we have 6 winnable games (except maybe Milwall) coming up now, so a great opportunity to adress the slide and start the long climb to safety. One of them gives us the fantastic day out at Wembley I am sure we all desperately want. I still hold out a slither of hope we can do something in these next 6 that saves the season.
We will see how the next 2/3 go as a starter.

Click to expand...

Hobo said:

I see where you are coming from but I think you are being over optimistic. In my experience of relegation battles (which is many) there is often an upturn in form before results. It can be a long time turning the corner.

There are no signs of this form, this resilience, neither are there two or three players coming back from injury to stabilise things. I hope you are right and we put up a fight. However I suspect we will be playing out the season at best trying to lay foundations for next season.

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Something like Stokes coming back could give us renewed vigour perhaps.

The guy is just so solid and rarely makes mistakes. No nonsense, gets stuck in.

We need more players with his attitude.

If we don't take 6 points from the next 3 games we are down. That's two wins in 3 matches. It's unlikely .

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:

If we don't take 6 points from the next 3 games we are down. That's two wins in 3 matches. It's unlikely .

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Just one win. A win and then a draw might just have us feeling a bit less down in the dumps and lift morale.

I'm with adm...2 wins out of three. Anything less and we are likely to see us falling further behind safety. A tall order but if we are going to get out of this mess that is the sort of sustained form we need for Feb and march.


PUSB

lifeskyblue said:

I'm with adm...2 wins out of three. Anything less and we are likely to see us falling further behind safety. A tall order but if we are going to get out of this mess that is the sort of sustained form we need for Feb and march.


PUSB

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We need an unbeaten run for starters. A run of say 2 wins and 2 draws. A platform to build on.

We simply have to beat the teams around us though too. We have to play Bury and Oldham and Shrewsbury and Swindon.

No more slip ups.

.....basically we need far more points than games remaining. It hasn't happened so far .

Otis said:

We need an unbeaten run for starters. A run of say 2 wins and 2 draws. A platform to build on.

We simply have to beat the teams around us though too. We have to play Bury and Oldham and Shrewsbury and Swindon.

No more slip ups.

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Absolutely. To have any chance of staying up we need an unbeaten run with more wins than draws. No wonder we an unbeaten run of 10 games if we draw them all. Yes 2 wins and 2 draws is ok as long as the wins are against teams around us.


PUSB

Said a long time back, we will get relegated and go to Wembley... We never do things right!!

One think we can say is that our history points to us surviving by the skin of our teeth.

We usually drag ourselves out and in the last game pick up the points to survive.

At the moment it feels like we are doomed.

But a lucky win on Saturday and a win in the semi could well bring back the confidence and will to win that we are sorely lacking.

PUSB


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There is a thread claiming that the season is defined by the next six games every six weeks

mrtrench said:

There is a thread claiming that the season is defined by the next six games every six weeks

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I know! I have posted six times on it.

I knew about the thread even before it was created, a kind of sixth sense if you will.

I'm going to start them early next August. The next 46 games will define the season

Fergusons_Beard said:

One think we can say is that our history points to us surviving by the skin of our teeth.

We usually drag ourselves out and in the last game pick up the points to survive.

At the moment it feels like we are doomed.

But a lucky win on Saturday and a win in the semi could well bring back the confidence and will to win that we are sorely lacking.

PUSB


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That was then, this is now.

exactly - you could have Dion or Cyrille fighting to get you out of the mire
Today weve got Marcus fuckin tudgay

smileycov said:

I do not think all is lost as yet. We are 8 points adrift, with a game in hand.
Win that and then its only 5, <snip>

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Your logic is so flawed, you need to go back to school.
If we win the next game, we will still be bottom.
Our relegation rivals will also be picking up points (more than us at present), so we could win the next game and still be 8 points adrift.

skybluesam66 said:

exactly - you could have Dion or Cyrille fighting to get you out of the mire
Today weve got Marcus fuckin tudgay

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And regardless of everything else afflicting this club, there is still no leader on that pitch. Nobody to rally, motivate and inspire...naturally, such players are rare in L1, or out of our price range, but still, a leader on that pitch can sometimes be the difference between defeat and a draw.

No on-field leader, poor players, hap-hazard discipline, unstable defense, clueless strikers, no creativity in midfield, one-track ineffectual tactics and rock bottom confidence. This is a recipe for oblivion, with little or no improvement to be expected.

Fergusons_Beard said:

One think we can say is that our history points to us surviving by the skin of our teeth.

We usually drag ourselves out and in the last game pick up the points to survive.

At the moment it feels like we are doomed.

But a lucky win on Saturday and a win in the semi could well bring back the confidence and will to win that we are sorely lacking.

PUSB


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

our history tells us that we have been relegated twice in the last 10 years and it will be 3 tmes sadly fairly soon

Otis said:

I know! I have posted six times on it.

I knew about the thread even before it was created, a kind of sixth sense if you will.

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666 not looking good for you Otis