The Run In (9 Viewers)

[Flying Fokker]

Last year we had Gyokeres and Hamer who were 2 of the best players in the league. Our team this year is more rounded and the quality is spread across the pitch. There isn’t the same ‘X Factor’ of Vik and Hamer and stubbornness of defence to grind out results and drag us up the table.

Yet, we’re on course to beat last seasons point tally. 4-5 additions to this team and we’re challenging for automatics next season.

Did Gyokeres show much form during our last 5 games? Maybe assists and pulling players away from others, but he certainly didn’t score any/ possibly one?

 

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[Theonlywayisskyblue]

Why are we developing our own story about Sheaf leaving ? Hasn't he got 2 more years on his contract ? Why would we let him go if we're serious about a big push next year ?

 

[skybluecam]

We spent £7m in January…

As for COH, it’ll be loss but he’s not irreplaceable - we survived better players leaving.

You cant say that with a straight face

I said at the time our failure to recruit a winger would cost us playoffs - maybe it still won't yet but we obviously got messed around by P'boro. Not the best piece of business we've ever done.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Oh yes I forgot but it was a bit of an oversight of Robins not to play Mason-Clark yesterday then...

No one is irreplaceable.

It’s well known now that we agreed a deal to sign EMC in the window but Peterborough pulled the plug. There isn’t really anything DK or Robins could’ve done as we’d pursued the player for the whole window.

You said Robins wasn’t supported, he was.

 

[Cally Fedora]

You can forget the form book at this point. Teams scrapping to stay up are as hard to beat as those at the top at this point. For me, whatever happens from here on in it’s been a superb season. FA cup semi at Wembley - great. But moreover this is the first season on the rung of progress. That’s due to the fact we won’t be re-building as a shed load of loans leave. We’re adding to a squad rather than building one.

 

[coop]

Think we will fall quite a few points short in the end but a great season.

 

[steve cooper]

After yesterday we need to beat either Leeds or Southampton to have a realistic chance of staying in it.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

You cant say that with a straight face

I said at the time our failure to recruit a winger would cost us playoffs - maybe it still won't yet but we obviously got messed around by P'boro. Not the best piece of business we've ever done.

I absolutely can. We needed a CM, we go and sign Torp. We needed a winger, we pursued MR’s top target and failed on deadline day because P’boro couldn’t secure their targets. The sums exchanged is £6-7m, when have we ever spent that in January?! It’s one less signing we need to make in the summer too.

Looking at the bigger picture, is it possible that we’re interested in pursuing longer term goals at a sustainable rate?

We have a 5 year plan and we’re one year into that. We’re on track as is even if we fail to finish 6th this year.

 

[skybluecam]

I absolutely can. We needed a CM, we go and sign Torp. We needed a winger, we pursued MR’s top target and failed on deadline day because P’boro couldn’t secure their targets. The sums exchanged is £6-7m, when have we ever spent that in January?! It’s one less signing we need to make in the summer too.

Looking at the bigger picture, is it possible that we’re interested in pursuing longer term goals at a sustainable rate?

We have a 5 year plan and we’re one year into that. We’re on track as is even if we fail to finish 6th this year.

EMC is completely irrelevant when he doesn't even join the club till the summer.

The sums haven't been exchanged. To all intents and purposes it is a summer signing.

 

[Otis]

You can forget the form book at this point. Teams scrapping to stay up are as hard to beat as those at the top at this point. For me, whatever happens from here on in it’s been a superb season. FA cup semi at Wembley - great. But moreover this is the first season on the rung of progress. That’s due to the fact we won’t be re-building as a shed load of loans leave. We’re adding to a squad rather than building one.

Definitely.

People say Norwich have an easier run-in, but they have Ipswich up next and then Sheff Weds away, who will be fighting for their lives.

They could very easily lose both their games.

Very hard to find easy games at this point in the season.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

EMC is completely irrelevant when he doesn't even join the club till the summer.

The sums haven't been exchanged. To all intents and purposes it is a summer signing.

EMC is officially our player now and the payment being deferred as a gesture of goodwill doesn’t change that.

We agreed a deal to sign EMC in the Jan window but P’boro pulled out of that. So it is fair to say MR was supported in the window - he secured two long term targets.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

EMC is officially our player now and the payment being deferred as a gesture of goodwill doesn’t change that.

We agreed a deal to sign EMC in the Jan window but P’boro pulled out of that. So it is fair to say MR was supported in the window - he secured two long term targets.

He wasn't supported sufficiently in providing a squad that was large enough to mount a play off bid this season. EMC might turn out to be a good signing. Time will tell but he's no use to us this season and to expect Wright, Palmer and Latibeaudiere to play both matches after the US jaunt was not reasonable.

 

[skybluecam]

EMC is officially our player now and the payment being deferred as a gesture of goodwill doesn’t change that.

We agreed a deal to sign EMC in the Jan window but P’boro pulled out of that. So it is fair to say MR was supported in the window - he secured two long term targets.

It just doesn't make sense though? Our only backups for Wright/Saka in the wide positions were a shoehorned in Palmer and Tavares. We needed a winger and didn't get one. Transfers often break down, they should've had a backup (or just signed someone else too, a loan if needs be).

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

He wasn't supported sufficiently in providing a squad that was large enough to mount a play off bid this season. EMC might turn out to be a good signing. Time will tell but he's no use to us this season and to expect Wright, Palmer and Latibeaudiere to play both matches after the US jaunt was not reasonable.

What were your realistic expectations? We’ve spent more money this season than probably the last 20 put together. Let that sink in for a second.

It just isn’t realistic to expect to replace 17 players and improve your position in one season.

That just the playing staff, we’ve not even started on off-field progress like investing in the training and CBS related improvements.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

What were your realistic expectations? We’ve spent more money this season than probably the last 20 put together. Let that sink in for a second.

It just isn’t realistic to expect to replace 17 players and improve your position in one season.

That just the playing staff, we’ve not even started on off-field progress like investing in the training and CBS related improvements.

To continue to improve our league position as we have every season up to now under Robins. Yes we have spent more than any other season but we have also earned more from transfers.

Not to have any cover for Wright and Sakamoto for a half a season makes no sense and is likely yo cost us a play off opportunity.

 

[messiahrobins]

Simms and Wright have a lot about them, agreed. We need to get more balls into the box for Simms, he’s really proven his value as a goal scorer in recent games.

On the McFadz point, he’d be valuable had we stuck with 3-4-1-2 but in a back 4, I don’t think he’d suit that at all.

Just having Fadz about the place i think would have helped Kitching and Thomas, Kitching yesterday definitely looked too tight. The lads want promotion so badly and yesterday it affected them negatively which is where i think the older heads are invaluable.
The good news is the lads are so invested in the club, we have had years pre-robins era when that was not the case

 

[MusicDating]

At least we haven't got any of our bogey sides to play!

 

[alexccfc99]

I'm still frustrated about yesterday.
Were Cardiff better than us - no.
Have Norwich been better than us over our two games this season - No
West Brom sit comfortably 5th - home game - better team - EFL letter of apology due to performance of officials. away game,start slow, then they couldn't get out of their half from 40 mins onwards. Biggest over achievers in the league.

This will be a season of missed opportunity to reach the play-offs (forget about automatics) - once in, anything can happen.

People talking about next year - pretty much everyone in the top 2/3rds of the division will be saying the same.

O'Hare will be gone. There will be big interest in Sheaf. Nobody knows that we will be a stronger outfit than this season - which we would need to be to get anywhere near troubling autos.

Pressure is on now. A Win yesterday and a draw against Leeds and Southampton would have been "ok" - now I'd say we need at least 4 points to stay in with a shout.

Bit of an all over the shop post, but you try to take every opportunity you get - we let yesterday's slip through our fingers.

Frustrated!!!

We should have battered Norwich at our place - I thought they were utter shite

Then again, so were we at the time so they have clearly improved as well

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

To continue to improve our league position as we have every season up to now under Robins. Yes we have spent more than any other season but we have also earned more from transfers.

Not to have any cover for Wright and Sakamoto for a half a season makes no sense and is likely yo cost us a play off opportunity.

Robins has been given the tools. It’s not King’s fault Robins recruited to play with wingbacks and 3 central defenders. EMC was also Robins’ target and the deal we got was probably as good as we could get in the circumstances.

We didn’t lose to WBA, Norwich, PNE and Cardiff because we didn’t have backup for Wright or Sakamoto. That’s the bottom line. We’ve dropped 9 points to our competitors whereas last year we didn’t lose to anyone in and around the playoffs.

If we need another window to reconfigure the team, so be it. Robins himself will accept he can’t just change the formation and the personnel required and expect money to be thrown at it.

 

[skybluecam]

If we need another window to reconfigure the team, so be it. Robins himself will accept he can’t just change the formation and the personnel required and expect money to be thrown at it.

Of course he can.

Between the switch to 433/4231 (Stoke H) and January we were in automatic promotion form. It was obvious we needed depth out wide. In that situation, if the funds are there (they were) you have to make it happen.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Of course he can.

Between the switch to 433/4231 (Stoke H) and January we were in automatic promotion form. It was obvious we needed depth out wide. In that situation, if the funds are there (they were) you have to make it happen.

We signed said player for £4+ million. The club thought they had secured him permanently without the loan back agreement.

Why aren’t you following this?

 

[skybluecam]

We signed said player for £4+ million. The club thought they had secured him permanently without the loan back agreement.

Why aren’t you following this?

The bottom line is we needed reinforcements in that area and failed to secure any. That's my point.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

Robins has been given the tools. It’s not King’s fault Robins recruited to play with wingbacks and 3 central defenders. EMC was also Robins’ target and the deal we got was probably as good as we could get in the circumstances.

We didn’t lose to WBA, Norwich, PNE and Cardiff because we didn’t have backup for Wright or Sakamoto. That’s the bottom line. We’ve dropped 9 points to our competitors whereas last year we didn’t lose to anyone in and around the playoffs.

If we need another window to reconfigure the team, so be it. Robins himself will accept he can’t just change the formation and the personnel required and expect money to be thrown at it.

Of course it was part of the reason why we lost those matches. We had to play players who had played two international matches including extra time because there was no one to cover.

You talk as if Robins and King have two separate aims rather than should be working together for the good of the club. You seem to think King should punish Robins for changing formation and also the players by making them have to play too many matches in succession.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

We signed said player for £4+ million. The club thought they had secured him permanently without the loan back agreement.

Why aren’t you following this?

We are following it. You seem not to understand Robins can't play Mason-Clark. It really isn't difficult.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

The bottom line is we needed reinforcements in that area and failed to secure any. That's my point.

So the resources were provided then, were they not?

It would’ve been ideal to get EMC over the line but that wasn’t the difference between making the playoffs and not. Our results against the teams around us did make a difference.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

So the resources were provided then, were they not?

It would’ve been ideal to get EMC over the line but that wasn’t the difference between making the playoffs and not. Our results against the teams around us did make a difference.

No they weren't.

Where are these wingers we bought in January?

 

[skybluecam]

So the resources were provided then, were they not?

It would’ve been ideal to get EMC over the line but that wasn’t the difference between making the playoffs and not. Our results against the teams around us did make a difference.

It's impossible to say if it was the difference or not, maybe with another winger available we would've got better results from games like Bristol, Plymouth, West Brom, Cardiff etc. Robins has been forced into playing Palmer, MVE and Dasilva on the wing in various games which obviously isn't ideal.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

We are following it. You seem not to understand Robins can't play Mason-Clark. It really isn't difficult.

You’ve said MR hasn’t been given the resources when he has. I’m sure MR could have identified another target if he wanted. He’s signed the player and being unable to play him for a few months is an inconvenience but doesn’t impact the bigger picture.

We’re working to a 5 year plan, not a 1 year gamble.

 

[shepardo01]

Middlesbrough by the way!!!!

 

[Otis]

Middlesbrough by the way!!!!

You seen who they have got coming up, one after another, in a 3 game period. Hull, Ipswich, Leeds.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

Middlesbrough by the way!!!!

Yes where did they come from?

 

[steve cooper]

We are following it. You seem not to understand Robins can't play Mason-Clark. It really isn't difficult.

What people are failing to see for some reason is that we obviously wanted to secure Mason-Clark at all costs, and if that meant waiting, then so be it. This season is a transitional season, hopefully getting us to where we want to be ultimately. We have just overperformed the expectation. Why can't people see that?

 

[Balli001]

Agree with elements.

I do think we will really give a good challenge next season, but as you say, you can't keep wishing time away, you've gotta grab opportunity in here and now.

I think yesterday has pretty much cooked us, we have to get 3 points min now from Leeds/Saints to stay in serious mix for me.

7 games left, realistically got to win 4, likely 5.

Unlikely but we could win our remaining home games and then pick up a win at Birmingham or Blackburn.

 

[shepardo01]

You seen who they have got coming up, one after another, in a 3 game period. Hull, Ipswich, Leeds.

Interesting! I know they've been on a great run, no idea who they've played - case of playing poorer teams and picking up points, or are they going to be the "us" of last year!???

 

[Deleted member 9744]

What people are failing to see for some reason is that we obviously wanted to secure Mason-Clark at all costs, and if that meant waiting, then so be it. This season is a transitional season, hopefully getting us to where we want to be ultimately. We have just overperformed the expectation. Why can't people see that?

People may see it but it doesn't necessarily make it right. I am sure those teams that go up won’t be saying how disappointed they are that they haven't rigidly stuck to the model and that promotion isn't enough compensation for that. I know I don't cherish transitional seasons, especially where a couple of short term signings could make all the difference.