Make Or Break Time.

Massive week ahead in the top half of the Skrill N.

Tuesday 4th February 2014
7.45pm Altrincham v AFC Telford United
7.45pm Colwyn Bay v Gloucester City
7.45pm Histon v Boston United

Then:

Saturday 8th February 2014
3pm Altrincham v Bradford Park Avenue
3pm Barrow v North Ferriby United
3pm Boston United v Brackley Town
3pm Guiseley v Worcester City
3pm Harrogate Town v Hednesford Town
3pm Oxford City v AFC Telford United
3pm Solihull Moors v Colwyn Bay

Then Guiseley v Town on Tues - if they can sort the pitch out.

Safe to say every game is massive now, next 2 are 6 pointers....Infact 6 out of the next 7 games are 6 pointers!!

Are we gonna have a new one of these every few weeks?

Getting a bit desperate now.

Mixed bag of results for us Saturday, can't expect them to be good all the time. Worst result undoubtedly Boston's demolition of Gainsborough. 7 points ahead of us now, and a good team to boot. On the plus side Guiseley lost another of their games in hand of us, and Altrincham only drew. It is going to be something of a miracle if we make the top 5, but I'm still determined to be optimistic, even if it does make DK sigh!

Oh, and the Moors lost as well!

Well we were getting close but now we're 7 points adrift again and things could be worse by the weekend. I did say this would happen although it's very unfortunate for us that ultimately this has happened without us kicking a ball. We really could have done with that Colwyn Bay game not getting called off.

Forget games in hand and who still has to play who and all these ifs and buts. It comes down to pure mathematics and logic. We'll probably need to win 11 or 12 out of 16 now to grab a playoff spot and even that might not be enough. Who in their right mind would bet on that happening?

I'm not against optimism Paul but I just feel some people on here are wildly unrealistic and I know that when the overall judgement needs to be made they won't look at things objectively. That's why I don't think anything will ever change.

It's very easy to be negative. Yes it's not going to be easy, but it's still doable. The last 15 our record of 9 2 4 puts us top of the form league- nobody else has done better. We replicate that over the next 16 and we have a chance. As people have said this is the toughest stint of games we have now so we will know if we are ko'd so to speak after the next week or so. While we're still in with a shout i say we all get behind the team and get down to the CNG and cheer the boys on. Realistically we need at least 6 points from 9 from the next 3. If we can hang in there the two matches coming up v Boston and Brackley would be gargantuan.

Solihull are fading, Brackley form is distinctly average, we can catch them, it's only Boston that seem to be potentially the proverbial bridge too far, if not at least a bridge in the distance.

Either way having seen the manner in which the team has played recently, with additions such as Mallory, Heath I'm looking forward to next year, which will be a big year, however positive / negative you are you'd have to say that we are only going to be stronger next season.

Don't forget the cup final either! I'm sure we're all looking forward to Valley Parade.

TownUltra wrote:It's very easy to be negative. Yes it's not going to be easy, but it's still doable. The last 15 our record of 9 2 4 puts us top of the form league- nobody else has done better. We replicate that over the next 16 and we have a chance. As people have said this is the toughest stint of games we have now so we will know if we are ko'd so to speak after the next week or so. While we're still in with a shout i say we all get behind the team and get down to the CNG and cheer the boys on. Realistically we need at least 6 points from 9 from the next 3. If we can hang in there the two matches coming up v Boston and Brackley would be gargantuan.

Solihull are fading, Brackley form is distinctly average, we can catch them, it's only Boston that seem to be potentially the proverbial bridge too far, if not at least a bridge in the distance.

Like I said, it's all ifs and buts and you refuse to look at the bigger picture or detach your emotions. You keep banging the same old drum but you never listen or learn from previous experience. Is this the 3rd or 4th "we can still do this, if this happens and that happens" thread you've started now? I'm not being negative, nor do I support the team any less. I'm just imparting my wisdom. Sorry if people can't handle that but at least I'm being objective. We won't make the playoffs for all the reasons we've discussed to death. Even with an easy run of games it would be unlikely. As it is we have a really tough run of games. It's not going to happen.

TownUltra wrote: however positive / negative you are you'd have to say that we are only going to be stronger next season.

People thought that last season. There are no guarantees. To be honest I'm not sure where we're going. Guaranteed there will be changes in the summer though. Some good but probably some bad too. And on it goes.

Do you know what's funny about all this? You think we still have a chance because you can see what a good group of players we have and what a good team we can be, which is something we both agree on but when we fail you'll refuse to accept the reasons why.

Colwyn have had to postpone their game against Gloucester tonight due to a waterlogged pitch.

JordanF wrote:Colwyn have had to postpone their game against Gloucester tonight due to a waterlogged pitch.

Town Ultra doesn't even see them or Guiseley as a threat to our league position so I guess it doesn't matter.

You never know!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Take it away Woodsy.

Brackley in 5th. Beat them and win our game in hand and we're only two points behind.

We certainly have enough wingers now to fly high- get it?

COME ON TOWN. WINNERS NEVER QUIT. QUITTERS NEVER WIN.

Looking at the league table even my optimism is on life support! We certainly can't afford many slip ups between now and late April, but lets at least hope we can keep plugging away for a few more matches yet. From were we are I think 7th would be a reasonable finishing position this season.

We plainly do need to win Saturday and then Tuesday at Guiseley.

I still believe that we can reach the playoffs as long as it is mathmatically possible.

We are in good form at the moment, I believe last 15 league games is W9 D2 L4? (someone correct me if I am wrong).

For me, we just lack 2 strikers and 1 central defender. All other positions are very strong in my opinion if we can retain the current squad. I think the chances of this are very high personally.

The problem this season has not been the lack of goals, as the return has been quite good, but its just the Strikers putting the ball in the back of the net.

Its hard to say who should stay and who should go at the moment, but if we dont qualify for the playoffs, he should start giving the lesser used members more of a chance. i.e Sellars, Metcalfe, Cartman etc....and then start chopping straight away.

it's easy to identify areas for improvement, reinforcements needed, etc, but the reality is that we should be looking at a top 5 finish. I would be surprised if our budget wasn't one of the highest in the league. You can piss around all you like arguing the case for a new striker or extra cover in defence, but the real issue is the manager. I'm quite confident that there are many other managers out there that would be capable of ensuring us a higher position in the league, without the constant debate about whether our strikers are up to the job, etc. The daft thing is that the only reinforcement needed is the manager yet no-one has the courage to discuss this.

You forgot to say 'in my opinion' TS.

JordanF wrote:You forgot to say 'in my opinion' TS.

And you forgot to include the word 'expert'.

Thanks anyway

TS

We’ve a rooky manager who has managed to get us to the 2nd round of the F.A. Cup for the first time, finish 6th in the league last season only 1 place below the highest ever finish the club has had!
Got us to a cup final this season & still with a sniff of the play-offs on a realistic budget as we will likely be spending £***, *** on a new stand in the summer!!!!
Replace the manager now?
 

Yes

town supporter wrote:it's easy to identify areas for improvement, reinforcements needed, etc, but the reality is that we should be looking at a top 5 finish.  I would be surprised if our budget wasn't one of the highest in the league.  You can piss around all you like arguing the case for a new striker or extra cover in defence, but the real issue is the manager.  I'm quite confident that there are many other managers out there that would be capable of ensuring us a higher position in the league, without the constant debate about whether our strikers are up to the job, etc.  The daft thing is that the only reinforcement needed is the manager yet no-one has the courage to discuss this.

Love it when you're your normal courageous self TS   Makes me feel so timid and inadequate   

'No one has the courage to discuss this'. What? Its been discussed endlessly on this forum, including by me. The reason why it has died down a bit is partly a) its pointless since Simon ain't going anywhere and b) because of what Big Lundy says above. Simon has actually done pretty well the last couple of seasons. The fact is we will never know what another manager would have done, so anyone can say anything. I could say if only we had signed Damien Reeves and Jarman back in July we would now be 10 points clear at the top, but so what?

On balance would I rather have Irving (with all his plans for the club) and Simon as manager, or neither of them and no money, well it is a 'no brainer' as they say.

We already have a superb new pitch (no postponements in a lousy wet winter), a developing Academy and Youth set up (Bill never bothered), links to the community developing, links to charities at home and abroad, new terracing planned for the summer, a great cup run last season, and, oh yes, we are in the final of the WRCC...whats not to like?

Still think we need a couple of strikers though.

Well said.