Can we win the league? (3 Viewers)

[Liquid Gold]

Yep. We have as much a chance as anybody else. None of the favourites running away. We're below Notts County and we completely dominated them at the Ricoh.

If the trend of the last few seasons continues then the way to get out of this league is to be tight at the back and that's what we're doing so far.

 

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[letsallsingtogether]

Let's see how we do on Tuesday.
We will have a depleted squad with injuries and suspensions.
Win that and it might show that this squad is good enough.
so here's to Tuesday PUSB

 

[Otis]

Let's see how we do on Tuesday.
We will have a depleted squad with injuries and suspensions.
Win that and it might show that this squad is good enough.
so here's to Tuesday PUSB

I do worry about the number of bodies missing on Tuesday. Didn't Davies pick up a knock too?

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

It's not Sunday league. Stringing 6 or 7 passes together isn't beyond our technical ability. That Mowbray comparison is just ridiculous - his assembled squad was simply not good enough to compete in L1, whatever type of football they played, as shown when Slade took charge. This squad is very competitive for this level and whenever we have looked good this season is when we've got the ball down and played football.

The comparison isn't ridiculous - we could've went top of the league during the Xmas period. The perception of most L1 fans was that we'd be up there in the playoffs/autos... before we capitulated.

The key to doing well in this league is solid defence. Just look at the top 7 and the GA section in any season in L2 - all conceding on average 1 goal or less a game.

 

[Ranjit Bhurpa]

Can we win the League?
Yes we can.

 

[Malaka]

Nah!

 

[letsallsingtogether]

I do worry about the number of bodies missing on Tuesday. Didn't Davies pick up a knock too?

I believe so but hopefully just a knock and nothing serious.

 

[Esoterica]

The comparison isn't ridiculous - we could've went top of the league during the Xmas period. The perception of most L1 fans was that we'd be up there in the playoffs/autos... before we capitulated.

The key to doing well in this league is solid defence. Just look at the top 7 and the GA section in any season in L2 - all conceding on average 1 goal or less a game.

Surely he's talking about Mowbray's last season not the one before when questionning technical ability? And I agree about the defence being important but I believe we'd still be just as solid against a team like Port Vale who were for the most part awful, if we'd only played 1 holding midfielder. If Andreu had played alongside Doyle with 2 strikers ahead of them we'd have been more likely to score 2 or 3 rather than relying on a excellent last minute save from Burge to keep it at 1-0. While the pitches are still good and teams are that bad, we could be putting teams out of sight by half time and retaining the interest of more than 6500 people.

 

[blueflint]

not without a goal scorer

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Yes we can

I would imagine our squad is better suited to missing players than any other in the league

 

[dongonzalos]

Only if we sign a striker.
Or if Ponti is somehow the sane for the senior team as he is at academy level

 

[skyblue025]

A lot will depend on January transfer window. Not for the ones we sign but more to do with who we sell. Does anyone have any confidence we will keep hold of Jones if he keeps his good start to the season going. There won't be many wingers in any league with 10goals by Christmas. He will be sold and the viscous circle will start again.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Surely he's talking about Mowbray's last season not the one before when questionning technical ability? And I agree about the defence being important but I believe we'd still be just as solid against a team like Port Vale who were for the most part awful, if we'd only played 1 holding midfielder. If Andreu had played alongside Doyle with 2 strikers ahead of them we'd have been more likely to score 2 or 3 rather than relying on a excellent last minute save from Burge to keep it at 1-0. While the pitches are still good and teams are that bad, we could be putting teams out of sight by half time and retaining the interest of more than 6500 people.

That's how I've interpreted it as, it makes more sense too.

Its easier said than done when most teams are putting 8-10 players behind the ball and playing for draws. I think at full strength, Andreu playing behind McNulty will be the most potent partnership we have. Playing Beavon and NcNulty up front or one behind the other doesn't make too much of a difference. As for Andreu, I get the impression he's been signed to play in an advanced role so he can get goals, playing deeper could impact his game for the worse.

Winning teams put bums on seats, that's what the team needs. Get the basics right, if don't concede you cannot lose. We've had many Cov teams capable of goals, the caveat being that we concede similar amounts of goals... I think the goals will take care of themselves to be honest. Again, it's too early to tell how the season will play out.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

A lot will depend on January transfer window. Not for the ones we sign but more to do with who we sell. Does anyone have any confidence we will keep hold of Jones if he keeps his good start to the season going. There won't be many wingers in any league with 10goals by Christmas. He will be sold and the viscous circle will start again.

Don't worry we can bring back Kyel Reid

 

[Esoterica]

I'd happily have us grind out 1-0s every week from own goals if it got us promoted

And I acknowledged that many people would. Ultimately I would too, of course, I just don't think it needs to be that way with this squad.

 

[pastythegreat]

Not enough goals in the squad to win the league. But I think we have enough to get into the play offs.

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Tell that to Burton, who managed back to back promotions as a boring 1-0 or 0-0 team. Burton rarely looked like scoring. They rarely looked like conceding either though. IF we can keep clean sheets your more likely to scrape a win!

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[Esoterica]

That's how I've interpreted it as, it makes more sense too.

Its easier said than done when most teams are putting 8-10 players behind the ball and playing for draws. I think at full strength, Andreu playing behind McNulty will be the most potent partnership we have. Playing Beavon and NcNulty up front or one behind the other doesn't make too much of a difference. As for Andreu, I get the impression he's been signed to play in an advanced role so he can get goals, playing deeper could impact his game for the worse.

Winning teams put bums on seats, that's what the team needs. Get the basics right, if don't concede you cannot lose. We've had many Cov teams capable of goals, the caveat being that we concede similar amounts of goals... I think the goals will take care of themselves to be honest. Again, it's too early to tell how the season will play out.

If the question was 'What is the best combination of players up front?' I agree that Andreu behind McNulty looks pretty good on paper and I think you're right that Andreu was signed to play higher up the pitch. Having said that I think Robins has been surprised, if not caught out a bit, by just how defensive other teams have been against us, so while playing Andreu deeper may impact the goals he scores I think that would be offset by the additional technique and passing range he would bring when teams do put 8-10 men behind the ball i.e. helping us create more than if he was playing higher.
It was better on Saturday in the 2nd half and we were getting balls to Beavon that he's not had all season but I felt that was down to a) having got an early goal for once and b) the defence playing higher that in turn pushed the midfield up, rather than it being a deliberate decision to play Kelly higher. I genuinely think we will look better against teams that want to win this year than we will against the poorer teams if we persist with the same spine to the team but it's only really been Notts County and maybe the first 20 minutes at Grimbsy that have tried to beat us.

 

[ready_96]

All depends on how we adapt now we've picked up injuries and suspensions. I believe we have the quality to stay inside the top 10 for the majority of the season, then if we can start taking points off the teams around us, like we did verses Notts County and winning the 'bigger' games, then everyone suddenly starts to take note.

Grinding out 1-0 wins will do the team no end of good. Confidence plays a massive part in football and if we can keep the points tally ticking over, come mid season we could find ourselves in a very good position to mount a challenge

PUSB

 

[stupot07]

Tell that to Burton, who managed back to back promotions as a boring 1-0 or 0-0 team. Burton rarely looked like scoring. They rarely looked like conceding either though. IF we can keep clean sheets your more likely to scrape a win!

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They were the top scorers in league two when they won the league, they were more 1-0 specialists in league one.

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[Mucca Mad Boys]

They were the top scorers in league two when they won the league, they were more 1-0 specialists in league one.

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That was a season that was comparatively very low scoring. How many season will the top scoring teams are on 69 goals? Would have been 6-7th last season (in that category).

If you go into games knowing you won't concede more than 1 goal, you don't need to be free flowing. We literally scored for fun under Presley, but, we also conceded as many as we scored...

In my opinion, you build from the back of you want to get promoted. 1st-7th, year in and year out, almost always concede in and around 46 goals... That's clearly the place to start for me. We've had plenty of high scoring teams and goal scorers and it hasn't got us much success.

 

[stupot07]

That was a season that was comparatively very low scoring. How many season will the top scoring teams are on 69 goals? Would have been 6-7th last season (in that category).

If you go into games knowing you won't concede more than 1 goal, you don't need to be free flowing. We literally scored for fun under Presley, but, we also conceded as many as we scored...

In my opinion, you build from the back of you want to get promoted. 1st-7th, year in and year out, almost always concede in and around 46 goals... That's clearly the place to start for me. We've had plenty of high scoring teams and goal scorers and it hasn't got us much success.

You still need to score goals though. We currently average a goal per game, and quite often not looking like scoring. You have to get the right balance. Hopefully it will click, but I just don't seen enough goals in this team to win the league. I do think we will finish top 7 though.

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[higgs]

I think pompey won something like 9 out of the last 10 games to win the title so I suppose anything is possible they weren't firing on all cylinders earlier in the season they were fairly inconsistent aswell

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[Mucca Mad Boys]

You still need to score goals though. We currently average a goal per game, and quite often not looking like scoring. You have to get the right balance. Hopefully it will click, but I just don't seen enough goals in this team to win the league. I do think we will finish top 7 though.

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Atm, you're right.

But, this is off the back of 3 very disappointing results and before then we beat Notts County 3-0 (who haven't lost since) and Grimsby 2-0. That to me suggests the goals are in there. The main this is our defence - best in the league so far - with 2 keeping howlers! For me, I'd rather us be complaining about a lack of goals than vice versa, scoring lots of goals but also shipping too many silly goals in open play.

We had some fantastic results against Carlisle in L1, let's hope we give them a hiding to show the league we just had a hiccup.

 

[Gosford Green]

My mate knows Micheal Doyle. His (Doyle) opinion is that this team is no worse than Pompey last season.

My opinion so far is the the teams across the league are all about the same, there is no 4th division ( I prefer this name as I am old) fixture version of Man City V Bournemouth.
We seem to have a solid defence of sorts but are very short up front, to be able to mount a title or promotion push we need a striker who can score 25-30 goals from somewhere and preferably on loan to the end of the season so SISU can not sell him in January. Also, the January window will be huge if we are in with a chance, but previous years transfer window activity does not give much hope. My prediction is 10th.

 

[Nick]

I don't think we will win the league, top 3 to go straight up would be an achievement I think. After seeing the squad he has put together and that Robins doesn't have much of an excuse of his hands being tied then to finish outside of the playoffs would be a massive failure.

 

[Otis]

I don't think we will win the league, top 3 to go straight up would be an achievement I think. After seeing the squad he has put together and that Robins doesn't have much of an excuse of his hands being tied then to finish outside of the playoffs would be a massive failure.

Totally agree. Promotion has to be the aim. Top 7 would be acceptable, but finishing outside the play-offs would be out and out failure.

 

[steve82]

My early prediction hasn't changed we will just make the playoffs.

And to be honest I'd rather go up via the play offs (if it was nailed on obviously) than finish 2nd or 3rd. Although its guaranteed promotion another delightful day at Wembley is far better.

 

[Nick]

My early prediction hasn't changed we will just make the playoffs.

And to be honest I'd rather go up via the play offs (if it was nailed on obviously) than finish 2nd or 3rd. Although its guaranteed promotion another delightful day at Wembley is far better.

I don't think I could handle a playoff run. I'd need to be numbed by beer, especially if it went to pens or the last 10 minutes like Saturday.

 

[steve82]

I don't think I could handle a playoff run. I'd need to be numbed by beer, especially if it went to pens or the last 10 minutes like Saturday.

I know what you mean. We'd likely lose the 1st game 3-0 with Lee Burge having a off day to dampen the mood and the place go into meltdown before Stuart Beavon and Peter Vincenti score 3 each to become hero's in a 6-0 classic while Maxime Biamou shooting us to promotion at Wembley.

While then spending the summer bemoaning the lack of fees paid on transfers while hopefully still playing in cov.

 

[st john]

3 tough games coming up, 2 away. Would be reasonably happy with 4 points.
17 points from the first 10 games would just about keep us in contention for autos.

 

[higgs]

4th

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[Astute]

We are letting in less than half a goal a game. We are scoring just over a goal a game. Lots of other clubs have had more goals against them than we have had shots on target against us all season.

Keep this going and there will be no reason why we shouldn't be in the top 3.

 

[Otis]

Slight worry last night that Carlisle got close at the end, but I think by then we were also pressing to get a 3rd.

 

[Astute]

Slight worry last night that Carlisle got close at the end, but I think by then we were also pressing to get a 3rd.

They were pressing at the end. But we were pressing most of the second half. I can handle teams coming at us for the last 10 minutes when we are 2 up. It is only squeaky bum time when we are only 1 up.

 

[Otis]

They were pressing at the end. But we were pressing most of the second half. I can handle teams coming at us for the last 10 minutes when we are 2 up. It is only squeaky bum time when we are only 1 up.

Yeah, but that's not what I mean, I mean in terms of they should have scored. At one point (from a corner or cross), one of their players missed all but a sitter of a header from just 4 or 5 yards out.