Maybe now we can look at our position & progress with reality...and at the playoffs

[NMH]

Now that we have had an amazing spell as leaders, followed by a crap spell as losers, we can now take a realistic perspective of our place in the league.

Neither situation was how it should have been according to form - we were probably over-achieving at the top and under-achieving when we were dropping like a stone. Winning at Cardiff and losing at home to the filth obviously still did happen and nothing can erase those facts - but getting on an even keel and playing at the level we are capable of requires stability and unity of the squad..... and not necessarily a good thing bringing in 'exciting new names' every week!

I'm looking at the playoffs and thinking we could be somewhere up there by the end of the season. I still doubt we will go up, but having a go at it will be thrilling for our first AmEx season.

 

[Husty]

good old NSC, 2 - 1 up at half time and now we're promotion contenders again?

 

[saafend_seagull]

Lol, we haven't even won today yet. 9 points above relegation if results remain the same, only takes HALF the run we went on to be in the bottom 5.

 

[brunswick]

struggling against the worst team in the league (yes 2-1 up but cant get it out of our half at mo).........and you talk of the play-offs?

 

[NMH]

I'm not talking about today's game, you GOONS.
Where is it mentioned?
However I am thinking about the league position while the match is on, and without any expectations.

So if you ladies will get off your "i must have a go" (don't post if you have bugger-all to say other than these weak responses) attitude and give an opinion, we can perhaps watch the "WATCH LIVE STREAMING OF THE SOUTHEND V CRAWLEY TOWN OR WHATEVER" threads sink down the board.

 

[tedebear]

We'll finish mid table, and I'll be well pleased with that. Any more absolutely over the moon, and any less very dissapointed, but mid table would be perfect. Lets build a future not a scamper up and down the leagues.

 

[Mellotron]

Now that we have had an amazing spell as leaders, followed by a crap spell as losers, we can now take a realistic perspective of our place in the league.

Neither situation was how it should have been according to form - we were probably over-achieving at the top and under-achieving when we were dropping like a stone. Winning at Cardiff and losing at home to the filth obviously still did happen and nothing can erase those facts - but getting on an even keel and playing at the level we are capable of requires stability and unity of the squad..... and not necessarily a good thing bringing in 'exciting new names' every week!

I'm looking at the playoffs and thinking we could be somewhere up there by the end of the season. I still doubt we will go up, but having a go at it will be thrilling for our first AmEx season.

Spot on. Played like a team with (understandably) very little confidence today and still did enough to win. Do the same on Tuesday and the performances will improve.

 

[goldstone]

Now that we have had an amazing spell as leaders, followed by a crap spell as losers, we can now take a realistic perspective of our place in the league.

Neither situation was how it should have been according to form - we were probably over-achieving at the top and under-achieving when we were dropping like a stone. Winning at Cardiff and losing at home to the filth obviously still did happen and nothing can erase those facts - but getting on an even keel and playing at the level we are capable of requires stability and unity of the squad..... and not necessarily a good thing bringing in 'exciting new names' every week!

I'm looking at the playoffs and thinking we could be somewhere up there by the end of the season. I still doubt we will go up, but having a go at it will be thrilling for our first AmEx season.

We'll be nowhere near the playoffs if we continue to play like we did today. Mid table at best. More like bottom half. Only hope is to get our sick-notes playing and sign a striker in Jan.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

struggling against the worst team in the league (yes 2-1 up but cant get it out of our half at mo).........and you talk of the play-offs?

Quite. Seriously scrappy three points, and nowhere NEAR play-off form.

 

[NMH]

We'll finish mid table, and I'll be well pleased with that. Any more absolutely over the moon, and any less very dissapointed, but mid table would be perfect. Lets build a future not a scamper up and down the leagues.

Yes, that's an expectation margin that sets the table out for a realistic campaign in my opinion.
We would, as has been acknowledged, have been pleased enough to be hereabouts (pleased to be in this league actually) and then build up for longevity in these higher divisions.
The start to the season had a little fortune and a few surprises ....but we are now seen as a decent side and won't get away with 'upsets' too easily.

Gus got us up, he is a 'new' manager, and the squad has been built on a modest budget. TB might want to recoup a bit before lashing out on any new players or launching a bid at the Prem. There needs to be faith shown in the squad members, not rushing out to replace employees who are also perhaps young and hopeful.

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

We are not going to be play-offs. We'll be near but not near enough. We're not clever enough at the moment by a long stretch.

 

[One Love]

We are home against the second to bottom team and we won.

However we had 3 efforts on goal on target and that includes the 2 goals. Coventry had 3.

3 efforts on goal not on target. Coventry had 6.

We've won that game today by the skin of our teeth.

 

[NMH]

I'm liking the idea that we are becoming a stable entity in the division - and furthr from being Championship newcomers.
Like I've said - it's not about one or two results but the feeling of being and belonging in this league.
Hopefully we can make things even more interesting from now, too.

 

[rcf0712]

More importantly, with 29 points we are now just 18 points away from the season total of 47 required to stay up based on the average over the past 5 Championship seasons - fact.

 

[The Terminator]

of course promotion would be nice but tbh i am happy for a mid table finish, get the first season under our belt and take it from there. Any thing else is a bonus

 

[LamieRobertson]

of course promotion would be nice but tbh i am happy for a mid table finish, get the first season under our belt and take it from there. Any thing else is a bonus

spot on....enjoy the football..its competitive stuff...lov it

 

[NMH]

'sake. Double post

 

[NMH]

of course promotion would be nice but tbh i am happy for a mid table finish, get the first season under our belt and take it from there. Any thing else is a bonus

Yep, but it's great to have it stay interesting. It might be nice to be 'safe' several games ahead of the final match of the season, but competing to be in the playoff zone would be delicious. I agree that we don't yet have the squad for the Premier League, and might not be set to get prodigious talents threatening the top of the league - but it's not really such a stretch of the imagination to believe that many of our players could do alright there.

I'm thinking Bridcutt, Noone, CMS, Dunk, KLL, Vicente for examples