So who will be relegated?

[Gullscorer]

Accrington scored two goals in a game..!!

[stefano]

Mansfield and Exeter

[lucy6lucy]

Mansfield and Exeter

I admire your optimism

[standupsitdown]

Mansfield and Exeter

If Torquay can put a decent run together I wouldn't be surprised if these were the two to go down.

[stefano]

If Torquay can put a decent run together I wouldn't be surprised if these were the two to go down.

Exactly. Both are 9 points ahead of us but we have a game in hand and have to play each of them late in the season. I would hope we can achieve 10 points from the next 5 (4 of them at home - although unfortunately this season we seem to have been better away - time to turn that around). Achieve that and 10 points from the last 8 games (including wins against Exeter and Mansfield) and we should stay up.

Yep. Exeter and Mansfield for me!

[ferrarilover]

To be honest, this might not be a bad shout. Fleetwood is a tough game to call. They're in dire form, so it's not inconceivable that we could get a point from them. We did from Burton, and comfortably so too. Seen Rochdale twice already this season and they've beaten us 1-0 at home following a Pearce slip and 2-0 with two last minute goals in the Cup (on a day where we were so bad that the womens' team would have thrashed us about 6-0). We could get something at home to them. Cheltenham conceded four against us at home and don't seem to have improved much since that day. Bury are right in the mix and lost to us at their place. Newport were crap at their place and got extremely lucky to beat us. We held York to a 0-0 until we went down to 10 men (and they're another side who are totally unpredictable). Southend have been beaten by some real shit just lately.

We won't, of course, we'll **** it up and get beaten without the oppo being any better than us, but it's nice to dream.

Matt.

[Burnhamgull]

There's definitely points to be won but we've said that all season.

Exeter are dropping quicker than the Titanic and I wouldn't be surprised to see them join us in the conference next year.

I've spent years dreaming of success for the club but some prick woke me up this year.

[tomogull]

Exactly. Both are 9 points ahead of us but we have a game in hand and have to play each of them late in the season. I would hope we can achieve 10 points from the next 5 (4 of them at home - although unfortunately this season we seem to have been better away - time to turn that around). Achieve that and 10 points from the last 8 games (including wins against Exeter and Mansfield) and we should stay up.
Yep. Exeter and Mansfield for me!

Well Stefano - I read your post and then looked out of the window and saw some pigs flying by ..... I reckon you've been hitting that bottle of Sanatogen again ! In any case, reading your posts on the Hartlepool match thread (and an entertaining little skirmish with Hector), you must be forgetting that Alan Knill is no longer at Plainmoor to save us. The big word is 'If' ..... IF we can get some results at home, IF we win our game in hand. IF we can hammer someone 10 - 0 to improve our goal difference (in effect, we are 10 points behind Exeter and Mansfield because of goal difference). But as you say, there are still 13 games left and wins against Fleetwood (Sat) and Bury (Tues) and something at Cheltenham (the following Sat - by no means out of the question), we would put ourselves back in the mix again. Still time to hope and dream .......

[stefano]

Well Stefano - I read your post and then looked out of the window and saw some pigs flying by ..... I reckon you've been hitting that bottle of Sanatogen again ! In any case, reading your posts on the Hartlepool match thread (and an entertaining little skirmish with Hector), you must be forgetting that Alan Knill is no longer at Plainmoor to save us. The big word is 'If' ..... IF we can get some results at home, IF we win our game in hand. IF we can hammer someone 10 - 0 to improve our goal difference (in effect, we are 10 points behind Exeter and Mansfield because of goal difference). But as you say, there are still 13 games left and wins against Fleetwood (Sat) and Bury (Tues) and something at Cheltenham (the following Sat - by no means out of the question), we would put ourselves back in the mix again. Still time to hope and dream .......

:~D I quite like Hector's posts really as he always writes lucidly and is never rude (well only to the really thin skinned!). A fair bit that I have put on various threads has been a little tongue in cheek only because I was disenchanted by the witch hunt for Mr Knill which I felt was unbecoming of a club like ours. There is another side to things, and the fact that he was head hunted so quickly by another club when there are hundreds of unemployed managers / coaches says something about how his ability is viewed within the professional game. Mr Wilder is no fool, but Mr Knill was the first person he turned to. Truth is we were a bit to quick to get rid of Mr Ling. He had taken us to the play-offs one season, and the next we were in touching distance of the play-offs when he became ill. Football reasons? Somebody having a laugh there I think.

However all that aside I have not given up hope that we can turn things around. With the games running out it has to be done quickly of course, but the next 5 games with 4 at home are all winnable (according to my dictionary there is no such word but what the hell?). Of course we won't win all of them, but 9 or 10 points from the next 5 would leave us (probably) needing 10 from the last 8. Our players have put us in this position so here is the opportunity to get us out of it. Sort out the next 5 games, then if we can not get 10 points from 8 games we will deserve to go down.

So still Mansfield and Exeter to go down for me (and on the subs bench I have Wycombe and Cheltenham).

Hell .... with all those dragged in we may finish as high as 20th!

[tomogull]

Yep. Exeter and Mansfield for me!

Well Stefano - I read your post and then looked out of the window and saw some pigs flying by ..... I reckon you've been hitting that bottle of Sanatogen again ! In any case, reading your posts on the Hartlepool match thread (and an entertaining little skirmish with Hector), you must be forgetting that Alan Knill is no longer at Plainmoor to save us. The big word is 'If' ..... IF we can get some results at home, IF we win our game in hand. IF we can hammer someone 10 - 0 to improve our goal difference (in effect, we are 10 points behind Exeter and Mansfield because of goal difference). But as you say, there are still 13 games left and wins against Fleetwood (Sat) and Bury (Tues) and something at Cheltenham (the following Sat - by no means out of the question), we would put ourselves back in the mix again. Still time to hope and dream ....... [/quote]
:~D I quite like Hector's posts really as he always writes lucidly and is never rude (well only to the really thin skinned!). A fair bit that I have put on various threads has been a little tongue in cheek only because I was disenchanted by the witch hunt for Mr Knill which I felt was unbecoming of a club like ours. There is another side to things, and the fact that he was head hunted so quickly by another club when there are hundreds of unemployed managers / coaches says something about how his ability is viewed within the professional game. Mr Wilder is no fool, but Mr Knill was the first person he turned to. Truth is we were a bit to quick to get rid of Mr Ling. He had taken us to the play-offs one season, and the next we were in touching distance of the play-offs when he became ill. Football reasons? Somebody having a laugh there I think.

However all that aside I have not given up hope that we can turn things around. With the games running out it has to be done quickly of course, but the next 5 games with 4 at home are all winnable (according to my dictionary there is no such word but what the hell?). Of course we won't win all of them, but 9 or 10 points from the next 5 would leave us (probably) needing 10 from the last 8. Our players have put us in this position so here is the opportunity to get us out of it. Sort out the next 5 games, then if we can not get 10 points from 8 games we will deserve to go down.

So still Mansfield and Exeter to go down for me (and on the subs bench I have Wycombe and Cheltenham).

Hell .... with all those dragged in we may finish as high as 20th! [/quote]
Can't argue with your reasoning Stef but there is a major flaw in your argument. 10 points from the next five games and 10 points from the remaining eight games would give us a total of 50 points. I don't think that will be enough this season. Taking our dreadful goals difference into account, I reckon we will require a minimum of 52 points which is still achievable if we could just get a little run going ...... Yes, Hector's posts are usually well argued even if his glass of shaving water is half-empty (I liked that one !) and he always agrees with Brucie ......

[gullintwoplaces]

I am so glad that there are still some optimists out there! In the same way that I am glad that there are people who pray for my soul even when I don't go it church. Without hope where would we be? I have little hope that we will survive, but good on those that do, their optimism is a shining light.

[stefano]

Can't argue with your reasoning Stef but there is a major flaw in your argument. 10 points from the next five games and 10 points from the remaining eight games would give us a total of 50 points. I don't think that will be enough this season. Taking our dreadful goals difference into account, I reckon we will require a minimum of 52 points which is still achievable if we could just get a little run going ...... Yes, Hector's posts are usually well argued even if his glass of shaving water is half-empty (I liked that one !) and he always agrees with Brucie ......

Yes I did think that when I posted. 50 or more points has only been needed once since relegation to the Conference began (although that was last year). If more than 50 is needed this season then I can't see us getting it. But in our present position, if we do get to 50 we will have given it a damned good go, and will at least slip into the Conference with a bit of optimism for next season.

In some ways there is comfort in being 24th. We know when we glance at the live table on match day we will not be lower than when we started!

[stefano]

I still fancy Exeter and Mansfield, although at some stage we have got to start trying to help ourselves.

What better way to start than at home to Rochdale, a team we always used to beat on their visits to Plainmoor. Forget the respective league positions and show some fight as in 2010 when our relegation threatened team hammered eventually promoted Rochdale 5-0, with Silly Billy getting a couple in our 3-0 half time lead.

Tomorrow will change everything. Exeter like us have been very poor at home and are almost certain to be turned over by Northampton Town. Mansfield despite a good win on Saturday I would put to lose at home to York City (4-0 winners at Home Park only a couple of weeks ago).

We can't though rely on others so lets start things moving tomorrow. Three of the next four at home and all including the away game are games we can win. One win is all it will take. Confidence and belief will return and the grey skies will start to drift away from Plainmoor and towards the County Town.

If we are going to go down .... at least don't go down with a whimper!

[SuperNickyWroe]

I still fancy Exeter and Mansfield, although at some stage we have got to start trying to help ourselves.

What better way to start than at home to Rochdale, a team we always used to beat on their visits to Plainmoor. Forget the respective league positions and show some fight as in 2010 when our relegation threatened team hammered eventually promoted Rochdale 5-0, with Silly Billy getting a couple in our 3-0 half time lead.

Tomorrow will change everything. Exeter like us have been very poor at home and are almost certain to be turned over by Northampton Town. Mansfield despite a good win on Saturday I would put to lose at home to York City (4-0 winners at Home Park only a couple of weeks ago).

We can't though rely on others so lets start things moving tomorrow. Three of the next four at home and all including the away game are games we can win. One win is all it will take. Confidence and belief will return and the grey skies will start to drift away from Plainmoor and towards the County Town.

If we are going to go down .... at least don't go down with a whimper!

the problem is we couldnt score five even if rochdale didnt turn up.
one would be a start.

i admire your endless optimsim, but its blatantly obvious that its us and one other.

[Gullscorer]

2010 of course was our first season back in League Two after our promotion from the conference; despite our initial struggles we eventually finished in 17th place with 57 points, and in the following season we were in the League Two play-off final in Manchester.

The difference in those days was the positive attitude which Paul Buckle had instilled in the players, so that they never gave up if they happened to go a goal down. That kind of mentality dissipated in Martin LIng's second season, coinciding with the onset of his depression, and has not yet returned to the team.

Chris Hargreaves never actually had much of a chance when he took over as manager; the whole squad had been too long in the 'slough of despond', and he really needed more than half a season to work the miracle. That miracle may yet happen; if it does, it will indeed be miraculous.

But the best thing Hargreaves can do, whether or not we're relegated, will be to have an almost complete clear-out of players at the end of the season and to completely build his own squad from scratch as Paul Buckle did in his first season. If he can instil the right mental approach in his new squad and begin to follow that with the kind of success which Paul Buckle achieved, then all the troubles of the recent past will be forgotten.

The tragedy is that we may well have to endure a couple (or more) seasons in the Conference along the way.