The not so impossible mission (4 Viewers)

gaz said:

Don't see anything wrong with a bit optimism.
one thing we need at this club is a little positivity.
Who are any of us to tell a fellow fan that they should give up on promotion.

Maybe that's what's wrong at our club, losing mentality of some fans unbelievably giving up on the season in October.

I wonder if the Liverpool management team said to the players at half time when 3-0 down to AC Milian in the champions league final, no one has ever came back from 3-0 down at half time in this final, you won't win it now.... I'm just being a "realist"

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Nothing wrong with optimism, but I don't want to see a situation where we finish the season in 14th and people start calling for Robins' head because we got nowhere near the play-offs.

I don't think that will happen mate as fans are hoping to finish in the play offs, rather than expecting it.

Sutty said:

Nothing wrong with optimism, but I don't want to see a situation where we finish the season in 14th and people start calling for Robins' head because we got nowhere near the play-offs.

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Sutty, the only ones that would do that are the cretins. On the other hand, didn't someone post a week ago that he overheard a couple of blokes at the Ricoh saying Robins should be sacked?

skyblueindorset said:

Sutty, the only ones that would do that are the cretins. On the other hand, didn't someone post a week ago that he overheard a couple of blokes at the Ricoh saying Robins should be sacked?

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Fisher and Waggot:facepalm:

gaz said:

I don't think that will happen mate as fans are hoping to finish in the play offs, rather than expecting it.

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Yeah as I say nothing wrong with hoping, just as long as people realise it would be a monumental achievement given the way the first 15 games have gone.

wingy said:

Fisher and Waggot:facepalm:

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That's quality, wingy. :claping hands:

Sutty said:

Yeah as I say nothing wrong with hoping, just as long as people realise it would be a monumental achievement given the way the first 15 games have gone.

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I doubt anyone thinks its going to be a walk in the park tbf.

Im all for optimism and positivity and everyone else should be to! #pusb

gaz said:

Don't see anything wrong with a bit optimism.
one thing we need at this club is a little positivity.
Who are any of us to tell a fellow fan that they should give up on promotion.

Maybe that's what's wrong at our club, losing mentality of some fans unbelievably giving up on the season in October.

I wonder if the Liverpool management team said to the players at half time when 3-0 down to AC Milian in the champions league final, no one has ever came back from 3-0 down at half time in this final, you won't win it now.... I'm just being a "realist"

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But that was just one single game .Of course a turnaround is possible in one single game. Here we are talking about 31 games, with us almost certainly having to win at least 15 of those and us lose only 3 games for the rest of the campaign.

31 games, not one single game.

Fine to be optimistic, but are any of us saying we can win the FA Cup this year? It's all about optimism tempered by realism.

I absolutely love football fans. There were (minority, granted) posts and CWR callers suggesting that Robins should be sacked only a few days ago. I know 3 points make an impact, but it's like we've won the league every time we win the league.

IMHO the realistic expectation is a steady ship by Christmas. There's going to be a few losses and a few wins along the way, but by Christmas, I expect that Mark Robins wise words will be reflected on the pitch. If not, I'm not going to call for his head, because it's a massive task and as he said himself, it takes time. I'd much rather it be this way round than the boom and bust of so many ex-managers.

Well said that man.

No-one is talking of giving up or not being optimistic. But this is a team we've done nothing but complain about this season. Lack of spirit, lack of pace, awful defending, lack of quality. There is so much wrong and so much work to do.

We're bottom 4. Talking of the play-offs is pure fantasy. Let's just see if we can get up the table and assess where we are by Christmas.

Id take top half finish (mid table at least), a few good results and some consistency and maybe a JPT final win or decent ish fa cup run and then start again in the summer ready for a serious go at it in 13/14 season

WillieStanley said:

I absolutely love football fans. There were (minority, granted) posts and CWR callers suggesting that Robins should be sacked only a few days ago. I know 3 points make an impact, but it's like we've won the league every time we win the league.

IMHO the realistic expectation is a steady ship by Christmas. There's going to be a few losses and a few wins along the way, but by Christmas, I expect that Mark Robins wise words will be reflected on the pitch. If not, I'm not going to call for his head, because it's a massive task and as he said himself, it takes time. I'd much rather it be this way round than the boom and bust of so many ex-managers.

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Sorry WS but did you just say




"Its like we've won the league every time we win the league"

Didn't notice that.

Think he meant to say.

"It'll be like we've won the league when we win the league."

I was trying to be funny, but sometimes I don't even get my own jokes!!!

As if to say "I do it too!!"

Otis said:

"It'll be like we've won the league when we win the league."

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That is a valid point I wish I'd made!! Great way of putting it!!

Otis said:

But that was just one single game .Of course a turnaround is possible in one single game. Here we are talking about 31 games, with us almost certainly having to win at least 15 of those and us lose only 3 games for the rest of the campaign.

31 games, not one single game.

Fine to be optimistic, but are any of us saying we can win the FA Cup this year? It's all about optimism tempered by realism.

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Sorry I didn't quite catch that, how many games was it ?

The point is still very much valid.
Point being that just because it hasn't happened before, doesn't mean that it wont happen.


Not much point following the city if we ever manage to get back to the Premiership one day is there, it's not like we are ever going to win that league or anything is it.
That way we can just give up on our season in August rather than October.
optimism tempered by realism and all

If we had looked a good team this season and showed promise then I think there could be more reason for optimism.

Trouble is, apart from 45 mins against Bury and little flashes we haven't looked a good side at all. Hit and miss, goal shy and a wobbly defence and no complete performances.

We have looked anything but a winning team.

We deserve to be where we are in the bottom 4.

gaz said:

Sorry I didn't quite catch that, how many games was it ?

The point is still very much valid.
Point being that just because it hasn't happened before, doesn't mean that it wont happen.


Not much point following the city if we ever manage to get back to the Premiership one day is there, it's not like we are ever going to win that league or anything is it.
That way we can just give up on our season in August rather than October.
optimism tempered by realism and all

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The main objective for pretty much all of the 34 years in the top flight was survival, anything above that was a bonus......and believe me the season rarely ended before the final whistle of the final match.

stupot07 said:

The main objective for pretty much all of the 34 years in the top flight was survival, anything above that was a bonus......and believe me the season rarely ended before the final whistle of the final match.

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I know that Stu, I'm a Cov fan.

True, Stu.

Midtable was considered a great success in the Premiership.

Very different parameters.

In the Premiership it is just a case of trying to be the best of the rest (after the untouchable giants of that league). In League One the aim is promotion and the teams are much more equally matched and there is no dominant team.

If ever there is a dominant team they are obviously not there the following season cos they will have almost certainly been promoted.

In the Prem there is no promotion so every year you have to contend with Arsenal and Chelsea and Man U and Man City etc.

Oh for the glory days of beating Trakia Plodviv away 4-1. Oh well still in London celebrating the 3 points, back home and back to reality tomorrow.

Otis said:

True, Stu.

Midtable was considered a great success in the Premiership.

Very different parameters.

In the Premiership it is just a case of trying to be the best of the rest (after the untouchable giants of that league). In League One the aim is promotion and the teams are much more equally matched and there is no dominant team.

If ever there is a dominant team they are obviously not there the following season cos they will have almost certainly been promoted.

In the Prem there is no promotion so every year you have to contend with Arsenal and Chelsea and Man U and Man City etc.

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True now but not then ,The Mancs both had spells outside the topflight ,The likes of Leeds ,forrest Villa had their moment in the spotlight back then ,things are a little more stitched up now.

They are.

One thing that makes part of me not wanting for us to get back up there.

It's a 5-6 horse race for the top 3 places and that's it.

Otis said:

They are.

One thing that makes part of me not wanting for us to get back up there.

It's a 5-6 horse race for the top 3 places and that's it.

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Would love to see Moyes crack it on a mediocre budget by their standards or maybe Pardew ,would be so good for the game and real fans.

WillieStanley said:

I absolutely love football fans. There were (minority, granted) posts and CWR callers suggesting that Robins should be sacked only a few days ago. I know 3 points make an impact, but it's like we've won the league every time we win the league.

IMHO the realistic expectation is a steady ship by Christmas. There's going to be a few losses and a few wins along the way, but by Christmas, I expect that Mark Robins wise words will be reflected on the pitch. If not, I'm not going to call for his head, because it's a massive task and as he said himself, it takes time. I'd much rather it be this way round than the boom and bust of so many ex-managers.

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In the 2010/11 season, Wednesday had just 5 more points than we currently do at the same stage-they went onto finish 16th and took batterings along the way. I've said it elsewhere on this forum, but I think their 2 season spell with comparable finances is the best source of optimism for anyone in need of it-the change in fortunes simply comes from a better understanding and appreciation of the league and hence what is needed to get out of it.

If we finish in the top six,i'll run around the ricoh in my skidmarked underwear.It just aint gonna happen.

Crawley were in 3rd before last night and we dominated them. If we can do that to the 3rd place team in League 1, think what we can do to teams like Hartlepool. We've got the potential and now Mark Robins is making sure we have the belief. We CAN do this

Which is still massive and we're still not playing well and are still 2nd best in most matches and still making lots of errors and still look likely to lose the one player who is scoring the goals for us in Jan.

TrueSkyBlueLiam said:

Crawley were in 3rd before last night and we dominated them. If we can do that to the 3rd place team in League 1, think what we can do to teams like Hartlepool. We've got the potential and now Mark Robins is making sure we have the belief. We CAN do this

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We dominated Crawley? You sure?

Crawley 56% possession to our 44%

Crawley 18 shots on goal to our 10.

Crawley 10 shots on target to our 5

Crawley 8 corners to our 2.

No way we dominated that match last night. Just that we were sharper in front of goal. That was the difference between the two sides, but don't see how anyone could say we dominated.

Granted, we're not perfect, but our luck is changing. Fans and players are starting to believe. Thing ARE changing for the better. And last night in the players lounge, Goldie apparently told his team mates that he's having the time of his life at City and if asked to stay, he would stay 100%, so things are starting to finally go our way. Even better, Reece Brown wasnt even on the bench last night

I think things are definitely improving ............ no sometimes it isnt pretty or even very good .......... but we are winning games more often and that has to be good. The more we win the more confident the players will be......... but equally there seems to me to be a growing expectation amongst the fans that we can go into games with a realistic chance of at least 1 point or that 3 points is not unreasonable to expect (it used to be unreasonable all too often).

MR has changed the ethos of the club to some degree (still ways to go yet) from a nice place to have a kick around to a more professional place of work. The players may not be performing to their best but they are working, do understand the formation, know the standards their manager expects and are growing into a team.

Will we make play offs etc ......... personally i think it is too soon to tell so i am not expecting it to happen. We are 10 points behind the 6th team who have a game in hand, It doesnt look much but if those top six match our points tally till Xmas we will still be 10 points behind but with half the games played. Of course it can be done, but right now i am just relaxing in the knowledge that we seem to have a team that doesnt get beat anything like as often as it used to ..... a team that is heading upwards finally with a growing confidence ..... and a manager that knows how to mould a team and get results.

I think if you look at what was there to begin the season and what is there now there are significant and important differences. The team is more cohesive, there is a better blend and balance, the players understand the system and can play it, ok sometimes it isnt quality but we get results, fullbacks are starting to get forward, there have been 12 scorers this season already, we have a target man in form which gives us a chance and keeps some pressure off the defence, the team is younger with growing energy (ok not as young as last season that was too young but younger than what AT had in mind for this season), we keep a tighter more solid shape better organised, there is only one man in charge and he appears to know his job (ie getting results). Wins breed confidence and for once the future looks far more positive. Long way to go and a lot to change but yes far more positive

still not convinced we will make playoffs this season.......... but if we dont I think i could almost bank on us going up automatically next season.

TrueSkyBlueLiam said:

Granted, we're not perfect, but our luck is changing. Fans and players are starting to believe. Thing ARE changing for the better. And last night in the players lounge, Goldie apparently told his team mates that he's having the time of his life at City and if asked to stay, he would stay 100%, so things are starting to finally go our way. Even better, Reece Brown wasnt even on the bench last night

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Great if true, but how do you know he said that?

pipkin73 said:

11 points from the last 7 games and that includes the last 2 defeats from winning possitions. So in reality we are improving as we only had 3 points from the previous 8 games. We were bottom with Bury and have moved 5 points clear of them even with them now improving.
Not saying that we can make the play-offs but with the improved form shown above we can get top 10. Improve that form slightly again and maybe top 8. If we were top 8 then we would have to have a chance unless the top 6 or 7 had pulled away from the rest. Since Robins and McGoldrick have came together we are not far off that magical 2 points per game ratio.
Yes it is going to be an amazing turn aroung but that turn around has already started over the last 7 games.
PUSB

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It's now 14 points from the last 8 games not including 2 cup games with a 7-0 aggregate. Get behind the lads as with the fixtures comming up we have a real chance to climb the table. Lets try and do a Crystal Palace on this division. If we have a great November that will give the players and i hope the supporters enough confidence to get results from a tricky December. We are not playing well atm but still getting results as the players have improved confidence, fitness (mentally and phisically) and organisation. Imagine what could happen if we all pull together!!!