Most liked posts in thread: Final League Position (POLL)

80 points could get you automatic this season

Best point average at the moment only gives one team, Forest Green, more than 80 points and even that's 'only' 82

I voted for the play-offs, but automatic in this crazy season isn't as potty as it sounds - if we keep up our current points ratio (24 out of the last 11) then we end up on 78

And I also think we have one of the deepest squads. Certainly, I'd be surprised if Forest Green, Cambridge and Carlisle were bigger and it's those who would be promoted if the season ended right now

All to play for, It's as I said at the start of the season, nothing would surprise me, i.e. anywhere in the Top 10

 

Newport V Forest Green today plus 6 of the top 10 playing eachother Tuesday.
Another huge week if we can beat Orient then things will look even more promising than they already do.

 

Looking on the league 2 forums all the talk is of Bolton being the only team to make a late run for the autos and being certs for a play off position.
A few sides in the top 10 losing momentum with the odd whisper about us.
This is exactly how it should be.
I don't want any pressure and extra hype placing on us.
Many feel Cambridge and FGR are certs for automatic promotion with the last auto place and play offs totally up for grabs.

 

This is when you want all draws apart from us

 

Im so excited for the run in.
Last 5 games sees us against Tranmere, Vale, Salford, Scunny and Morecambe.
A true test of any promotion chasing team.

 

Why do FGR matter?

Probably going to win the league.

 

FGR will be champions imo

 

Thought I’d share this post with you, from TFF.

“Current Table (max points achieveable)

Cambridge 52 (97)
FGR 51 (105)
Cheltenham 50 (103)
----------
Morecombe 49 (97)
Tranmere 48 (99)
Exeter 46 (101)
Salford 45 (96)
----------
Newport 44 (98)
Bolton 44 (92)
Carlisle 43 (103)
Bradford 40 (94)

PPG Table

FGR 84
Cheltenham 79
Cambridge 77
----------
Tranmere 76
Exeter 76
Carlisle 76
Morecombe 75
----------
Newport 72
Salford 71
Bradford 66
Bolton 63

PPG Table based on last 10 games form
Example Tranmere 48 points from 29 games.
21 points in last 10 so 2.1 x 27 (last 10 games + 17 remaining games) + 27 (points from 1st 19 games) = 83.7 points

Tranmere 84
FGR 80
Cheltenham 79
----------
Cambridge 79
Bradford 77
Exeter 75
Morecombe 73
----------
Bolton 70
Carlisle 68
Salford 65
Newport 57

The 10 game form PPG table offers a decent insight in to how things may pan out as it factors in how teams are performing after the transfer window and had poor starts (Tranmere, Bolton, Bradford) or overpowered starts to the season but are now on the slide (Newport and Carlisle even?).”

Makes for very interesting reading.

 

I saw a lot of what looked like tired challenges around our box last night culminating in 4 or 5 really good opprtunities that better teams than Orient will capitalize on.
As much as people lauded Orient for being disciplined in their defensive approach a lot of our passes into players and energy to get to balls that weren't bang on were short of how they have been in games leading up to last night.
We got some of this back with the introduction of Stevens and Crankshaw.
For all their hard work, Wood, AOC, Watt and Sutton coughed up posession a lot.
Not being critcal, just backing up what both the posters above have stated.
Im not blindly seeing us marching our way to the top by the end of the season.
Its very possible but, as last night highlighted to me, we need to freshen things up across the whole team rather than rotating the front 4.
I hope to be proven wrong with a more convincing display on Saturday but if the little obsevations like loss of possession or cheap free kicks given away because the players look leggy crop up again then imo then the reasons are for all to see and against Mansfield, a little squad rotation should be applied to keep those outside promotion chances going long term instead of watching them fizzle out because we ragged the back 6 silly.

 

Don't feel the need to defend yourself by saying you're not been critical
You're actually bang on in your assessment, I saw the same myself last night.

 

What slightly worries me is our lack of cover for Watt and Sutton. As others have noted, both looked leggy at times yesterday, committing fouls in dangerous areas because they couldn't get goal side of the ball carrier. Watt also had a period in the first half when he hit several fairly simple passes straight to Orient players.

If Cooke gets injured or needs a rest we have Rowe and Clarke who could replace him in the attacking central midfield role. But I don't think we have like for like replacements for Watt and Sutton. We could move Cooke into the defensive duo and play Rowe ahead of him but that's not ideal given how well he is performing further forward.
AO'C has played at DM in the past, reasonably well, but he's doing really well at RB and I don't think T&S would want to tinker with the defence. Maybe Reece Staunton could do a job there. He seems good enough on the ball.
Thoughts?

 

I would only move Cooke from his role as a '10' as an absolute last resort. I'd try any other option we have if it meant not dropping him into central midfield. I thought Watt struggled again last night, he gave cheap ball away and at times did look tired. That said i like the lad and think he offrs a lot when on his game. I'd like to see Crankshaw given a start, he already looks a great piece of business.

 

I agree.
Well surprised by that score.
Blows it wide open

 

Me too. I predicted 8-12th but then briefly thought I was too pessimistic and that we we would make the playoffs. But I now feel that we have been worked out by other teams who are preventing the likes of Sutton and Watt from knocking the ball around as they were a few weeks ago. And we are paying the price for not recruiting a wise old head in central midfield in January. We now look far less creative and we're missing Cooke badly.

 

It is hard to call this season, do think its do-able right down to the last game of the season.

do disagree about cheering about snatching a point at the death. Shows determination that!

 

Your last part is a bit a disingenuous, I think the team hates losing or drawing more than you do fordy… by that reasoning why haven't we won every game at home this season? You'd much rather moan at a team for drawing than losing 1-0 at home. You probably don't care we haven't lost at home since TS came in. For the past few seasons we used to roll over as soon as opposition have scored, now we have some grit and some determination.

 

Bolton
Tranmere
Cheltenham

forest green
Exeter
Carlisle
Bradford

 

I think we’ll fall a little short but very happy to be proved wrong in a positive sense

 

Top half (please). The 11/4 on a top half finish will be very pleasing.

 

But if our form can get us in to the playoffs, no team will fancy coming up against us. (I still think we'll miss out on them though).