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Raging_Bull

Raging_Bull

Well-known member
What is the boards current feeling as we enter 2022 and the second half of the season?

We've had lots to be positive about in the last year or so, but personally I have serious worries about the teams current status with a bunch of injuries, loss of form and a young manager who's decision making, team selection and game management at times leaves a lot to be desired IMO, so out of the three options below where are you at?

A. Pushing for the play offs
B. Mid table
C. Relegation fight.

Right now I'm looking at option C and unless we have a really good transfer window and recruit a really good coach to replace Stuart McCall I can see us struggling.
 
B - but more on the C-side than A, which is totally acceptable. Hopefully a couple of good signings and a few players returning from injury will settle everyone down.
 
C

I said last week on here we should not play any of our first team in the cup match (so not hindsight. I worked it out that we'd just survive if we stayed injury free from now until the end of the season (last 14 games we averaged 1.07 points a match) the injuries to Keshi and hubby in the cup has fecked that up.

100 % a relegation fight if we don't recruit in this window. Remember other teams will up their game at the end of the season as they'll have something to fight for at the top and bottom of the league.

Edit: B if we bring new players in
 
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I'm just going to say that the people who pile into Critch at any difficult moments l are actually a bit pathetic in my opinion.

These people find it so easy to overlook how impressive we were last season, especially at game management, which is a big criticism of Critch. They overlook the budget we operate with in comparison with other Championship clubs. They overlook how we have nonetheless beaten Fulham, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Reading and Preston. And drawn with West Brom, Bournemouth, QPR and Swansea.

They overlook the chronic injury problems.

And they overlook the fact that our trajectory is upwards, under an owner who backs his manager and believes in him. And supports him. As most of the fans do.

And he has said recently that a new assistant will be sought in January. And that signings will be made to strengthen areas that need strengthening.

THe losses of Anderson and Husband are bad news, these are two very strong characters who help to drive the team. Leaders on the pitch. We've also lost Carey and Wintle recently, big blows. We obviously need reinforcements. I don't know what we can afford.

i reckon we will be ok though cos we have good people on and off the pitch. We will likely see it get worse before it gets better, but we should keep the faith. Unfortunately there's a type of football fan that turns against people when the going gets tough. I hope we manage to avoid this cos it will only serve to drag us down.
 
voyeur said:
I'm just going to say that the people who pile into Critch at any difficult moments l are actually a bit pathetic in my opinion.

These people find it so easy to overlook how impressive we were last season, especially at game management, which is a big criticism of Critch. They overlook the budget we operate with in comparison with other Championship clubs. They overlook how we have nonetheless beaten Fulham, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Reading and Preston. And drawn with West Brom, Bournemouth, QPR and Swansea.

They overlook the chronic injury problems.

And they overlook the fact that our trajectory is upwards, under an owner who backs his manager and believes in him. And supports him. As most of the fans do.

And he has said recently that a new assistant will be sought in January. And that signings will be made to strengthen areas that need strengthening.

THe losses of Anderson and Husband are bad news, these are two very strong characters who help to drive the team. Leaders on the pitch. We've also lost Carey and Wintle recently, big blows. We obviously need reinforcements. I don't know what we can afford.

i reckon we will be ok though cos we have good people on and off the pitch. We will likely see it get worse before it gets better, but we should keep the faith. Unfortunately there's a type of football fan that turns against people when the going gets tough. I hope we manage to avoid this cos it will only serve to drag us down.
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Post of the year so far.
 
They overlook the chronic injury problems.

Which also characterised last season. I'm not saying anyone plans for these things but is it a feature of the way the team trains?
 
B.

We will bring in players this month.
The injury list should improve in the next few weeks.
We are on 33 points and only need to scrape a few more wins for security.
Our recent league form hasn’t been that bad with 2 wins and2 undeserved defeats in last 4 games.
 
B, but towards the lower end.

A comment on our injuries.
I think it's remarkable how well we've done considering the ridiculous injury crisis. I recently had words with a Middlesbrough fan on twitter where I commented on their recent Covid postponement that I hoped the number of players they had out didn't include any injuries (as they were so keen to tell us). His reply - "we don't have any injuries". That made it really hit home with me that the sheer volume of mid-long term injuries we've suffered in the last 18 months just isn't normal. At all. And yet we've adapted and made it work, and I'm confident we'll do it again, although it has got to the stage where new signings this month are vital.

This injury crisis can't last forever. And with the signings we may be about to make then we'll be extremely competitive in this league next season (and I do believe we'll stay up - even if we lose to Barnsley). Next season we may have a midfield that includes Dougall, Brannagan, Carey and Ward. It could end up being our strongest area.

Progress is never linear, I think sometimes it's good to step back and look at the bigger picture.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
They overlook the chronic injury problems.

Which also characterised last season. I'm not saying anyone plans for these things but is it a feature of the way the team trains?
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I think it might be down to how hard we have to work in games? We all saw the increase in physicality and pace at the start of this season.

I felt we needed to rest certain players on Saturday, I said Marv, Hubby, Kenny and Keshi. Key players who have been busy, starting every game. Two got injured. Cold day in January, early kick off against eager lower league opposition.

Why did we start them? I reckon Sadler really wanted the money from a cup run. Can't blame him, he took the club in not long before Covid and has had to spend huge amounts sorting the club out. It's a shame the strikers couldn't put the chances away. But it happens, especially in scrappy cup games on rough pitches.

Where key players should be held back in my opinion.
 
Right now C

But a decent January with 2/3 decent signings with some very winnable games coming up could soon change to B.
 
BFC_53 said:
B, but towards the lower end.

A comment on our injuries.
I think it's remarkable how well we've done considering the ridiculous injury crisis. I recently had words with a Middlesbrough fan on twitter where I commented on their recent Covid postponement that I hoped the number of players they had out didn't include any injuries (as they were so keen to tell us). His reply - "we don't have any injuries". That made it really hit home with me that the sheer volume of mid-long term injuries we've suffered in the last 18 months just isn't normal. At all. And yet we've adapted and made it work, and I'm confident we'll do it again, although it has got to the stage where new signings this month are vital.

This injury crisis can't last forever. And with the signings we may be about to make then we'll be extremely competitive in this league next season (and I do believe we'll stay up - even if we lose to Barnsley). Next season we may have a midfield that includes Dougall, Brannagan, Carey and Ward. It could end up being our strongest area.

Progress is never linear, I think sometimes it's good to step back and look at the bigger picture.
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It's possible Ward won't play for us again. From what I've read his injury is pretty bad and I think his contract is up in June. It's pretty sad, he started the season very well and had a great 2020/21 season too. I really hop he gets back to where he was.
 
voyeur said:
It's possible Ward won't play for us again. From what I've read his injury is pretty bad and I think his contract is up in June. It's pretty sad, he started the season very well and had a great 2020/21 season too. I really hop he gets back to where he was.
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That would be a massive shame if true. He's one player I really do think we already had that was championship quality, and he has plenty of experience in this league too.
 
Just look at the league table. Derby and Barnsley are as good as gone and any team managed by Darren Ferguson
can't defend . Injuries and the loss of Wintle are a concern but I'm sure this will be addressed in the next 3 weeks . So a confident B
from me.
 
B

Ignoring Reading, Cardiff and Hull each have 23 points from 24 games. If they carry on at that rate they'll end the season at 44 or 45 points, yet not be relegated.

46 points should therefore be enough, this year, to avoid the drop - we need 13 points from 20 remaining matches
 
We could do with getting at least a point at Barnsley. Which won't be easy without Keshi, Wintle, Hubby etc.

Not that Barnsley are in great shape at the minute.

Hopefully by the end of January we will have some new signings to boost us and an assistant to help out with substitutions and stuff. And maybe some players fit again. You never know.

About these Failings of Critch. No manager is perfect. Pep fucks things up. Look at the Champions League final debacle. Neil Warnock does some things really well. But has some clear and obvious weaknesses. Sam Allardyce. Any manager you care to name. I think Critch does a large proportion of the job very well indeed. Hence our success on a budget. Having Calderwood and McCall seemed to help. We got better results. Get an assistant in. Sadler says we will do.

It's hard to predict the rest of the season. We may well struggle through January. But things could well improve when new people arrive to fill the gaps and they've settled in. And bottom 3 seems very unlikely.

Transitioning to a different level is never easy. You have contracted players who don't fit the requirements. We need another clear out in the summer, and we need to try to find better players on a low Championship budget. And try to hold on to our better players. It's a tough rolling gig. But we have learnt what this division needs very quickly. Critch adapted to the Championship in a few games. We have outperformed Hull and Posh.
 
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B- from me. We are lucky that Barnsley and Peterborough arent pulling up enough trees. Derby have a lot to do. I think we have lost our Mojo. The club needs a lift and this transfer window is vital.
 
B. Always was. 20 games left, we are more than capable of picking up at least four or five wins and a few draws. 50 points will comfortably be enough this season, probably 46-48 will do . Average a point game from here on in, and we coast home.

Any one thinking of a play off push at the start of the season is lying, and anyone thinking we will go down is a drama queen and must have either forgotten how much of a mess the club was in recently and also not been there when we really were shit for years.

We know we need a few additions here and there on and off the pitch, and its a working project. We will be fine.
 
B

Comfortably lower mid-table which is what Sadler would have expected given that this is our first season back in the Championship.

That will be considered a job well done but expectations will be higher next season.
 
I just tip up and watch the games and take it as it comes… I’m not interested in worrying about a relegation fight that might never happen or building up for a promotion race either.

Who knows….If we did, it wouldn’t be as much fun.
 
B minus, I hope Saturday was a hard lesson and a lesson learnt. We still have enough within the squad and hopefully added additions to kick on and finish lower mid table.
 
B for me, we must be positive, we'd have taken our points total at this stage any day of the week. But for me, to avoid getting dragged into a battle, we need Critch to up his game a little and what I mean by that is this naivety that seems to have engulfed him recently in trying to play games through COVID, play first XI's in the cup when if you look around, pretty much every other team took this weekend as an opportunity to give players a winter break. The outcome is that we have now lost our attacking hub i.e Keshi and best lb Husband. We clearly need a couple of signings too to assist.
 
Before the season started I never thought C. I’m still saying B.
Never know us to have so many long term injuries all at once.
Hopefully some of the injured will be due back sooner rather than later
Get a couple of decent loan signings and buy a couple with championship experience and we will crack on and be fine this season in mid table or above
Can’t wait for Barnsley away on Saturday UTMP
 
Ship some of the fringe players out, bring in some championship level players and bonus..
It’s a B …easy this armchair football manager stuff …😁…all within the budget of course..!
 
voyeur said:
I'm just going to say that the people who pile into Critch at any difficult moments l are actually a bit pathetic in my opinion.

These people find it so easy to overlook how impressive we were last season, especially at game management, which is a big criticism of Critch. They overlook the budget we operate with in comparison with other Championship clubs. They overlook how we have nonetheless beaten Fulham, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Reading and Preston. And drawn with West Brom, Bournemouth, QPR and Swansea.

They overlook the chronic injury problems.

And they overlook the fact that our trajectory is upwards, under an owner who backs his manager and believes in him. And supports him. As most of the fans do.

And he has said recently that a new assistant will be sought in January. And that signings will be made to strengthen areas that need strengthening.

THe losses of Anderson and Husband are bad news, these are two very strong characters who help to drive the team. Leaders on the pitch. We've also lost Carey and Wintle recently, big blows. We obviously need reinforcements. I don't know what we can afford.

i reckon we will be ok though cos we have good people on and off the pitch. We will likely see it get worse before it gets better, but we should keep the faith. Unfortunately there's a type of football fan that turns against people when the going gets tough. I hope we manage to avoid this cos it will only serve to drag us down.
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Great post and articulates my thoughts! I tend to try and avoid this site for a couple of days after any defeat as the meltdown is ridiculous imo. On Saturday we had enough chances to be away and gone by half time. Didn't take them and a couple of key injuries later we are out of the cup. I've seen hundreds of similar 'shocks' over the years and quite a few this weekend.

I for one have never been happier in my 40 years of supporting the mighty and can only see good things ahead!

Back to the OP I expect mid table, hopeful of a top half finish!
 
B pushing a B+

We're a good team and a good squad and we're going to have fewer fixtures midweek compared with just about every other team in the division.

I was hoping plenty of Championship sides got through to the next round of the cup and got a few big clubs in the 4th round; it's another game and it's another distraction; don't get me wrong I wanted us to go through, but as soon as it didn't we need to look at the benefits.

We will keep working and getting better.

I'd have liked Wintle, so that's a place that needs filling; whether it's a new player or a returnee remains to be seen.

What we really need is one of our strikers to go on a decent run of form; do that and we will be there or thereabouts. There's no sign of it happening yet BUT, it happens plenty. I don't care which one it is, but someone will step up and start finishing off the chances we are making.

And before I finish; how easily dissatisfied can we become. Doing the best of the promoted teams, holding our own in this division after coming up sooner than we expected and the club has 'lost it's mojo!' Not being funny, but I was watching Blackpool for the best part of 25 years before I saw us out of the bottom two divisions, being in the Championship and more than holding our own was a dream back then and today it remains a fantastic achievement.
 
Hoping it will be B but whatever ever happens i do not believe we will be relegated. We have come a very long way with this manager in a very short time so retaining championship status is success to me. Under Sadler/ Critchley and given a little more time we are going to become a very decent side at this level who can then also concentrate on cup runs.
 
As it stands it won't be B
But it won't be a C either!!😁

I was hoping after the start of the season we could have finished as high as 8th, however the last 10 games have knocked a serious dent into procedures.
I don't think every hole will be plugged this transfer window but I think we'll have enough to hold the likes of Posh, Hull, Derby, Barnsley and the dark horse Reading (and we all thought our fa cup exit was bad!!)

So, after waffling on for a bit I think we'll finish 16th/17th
 
A couple of new signings, Keshi not as bad as first feared, a few longer term injuries clearing up and back in training.

A all day long.
 
voyeur said:
I'm just going to say that the people who pile into Critch at any difficult moments l are actually a bit pathetic in my opinion.

These people find it so easy to overlook how impressive we were last season, especially at game management, which is a big criticism of Critch. They overlook the budget we operate with in comparison with other Championship clubs. They overlook how we have nonetheless beaten Fulham, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Reading and Preston. And drawn with West Brom, Bournemouth, QPR and Swansea.

They overlook the chronic injury problems.

And they overlook the fact that our trajectory is upwards, under an owner who backs his manager and believes in him. And supports him. As most of the fans do.

And he has said recently that a new assistant will be sought in January. And that signings will be made to strengthen areas that need strengthening.

THe losses of Anderson and Husband are bad news, these are two very strong characters who help to drive the team. Leaders on the pitch. We've also lost Carey and Wintle recently, big blows. We obviously need reinforcements. I don't know what we can afford.

i reckon we will be ok though cos we have good people on and off the pitch. We will likely see it get worse before it gets better, but we should keep the faith. Unfortunately there's a type of football fan that turns against people when the going gets tough. I hope we manage to avoid this cos it will only serve to drag us down.
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I think your a bit wide of the mark when you talk of good game management last season, how many games did we concede in the last 5 minutes of a game last season?
 
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