Can we make the play offs? | Page 7 | Vital Football

Can we make the play offs?

Imps2018 said:
The only player we should be ‘blooding’ is Montsma back from injury if at all possible. All positions should be earned rather than given.
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Although it’s up to the medical team, I would actually prefer we keep Lewis ‘out of the line of fire’ until the pre-season to give him the best chance of being fit and robust for next season. There’s no reason to risk him this season if we are safely mid-table.
 
PerthImp said:
Although it’s up to the medical team, I would actually prefer we keep Lewis ‘out of the line of fire’ until the pre-season to give him the best chance of being fit and robust for next season. There’s no reason to risk him this season if we are safely mid-table.
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He is out of contract in the summer.
 
I have seen others saying it but the run of form really coincides with playing some poor teams in the division - 17th, 23rd, 18th, 15th, 22nd, 20th.... it's great we have put these teams away and the extra firepower signed in January (and players getting back fit) has correlated with the upturn too, grinding out a couple of results but also seeing a few bits of good attacking football (like Shrews). But I suspect we maybe wouldn't have got into the playoff chat at all if a few tougher games had been mixed in.

We haven't beaten a team in the current top 7 all season (W0, D4, L7). And even when we were a considerably worse football team we did get results against some of the poor teams (conversely versus the bottom 7 it's W9, D3). The long winless run from start of Dec to early Feb coincided without playing any of them (as well as all our injuries).

It's very different to last season where we drew a lot more games against the bottom sides, and we didn't lose to any of the top four with only Peterborough really getting the better of us across the whole top 7 - W4, D7, L3. If we'd not had such a soft underbelly this time compared to last (and conceded so many goals from set pieces early season) we'd probably be in the mix a little more.

Rather than blooding people etc I think a massive thing for confidence going into next season would be picking up results against teams above and around us. Barnsley will be tough, we get to play a bunch of teams around us (Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers, Wigan at home and Oxford away) as well as of course Pompey. If it goes to form it would not surprise me to see us draw against some of the better sides at home and lose away, while picking up points against your Cheltenham's, Carlisle's and Cambridge's but TBC of course!

I think MS needed a run like this after taking over with so many players out and then having to play Derby, Bolton, Peterborough, Derby again... but perhaps it has all been truer to expectations (both the bad run and the good run) than it appears..? I saw a SWB article this week stating reasons for our upturn in form were things like Chris Cohen, more timing on the training pitch with Skubala & squad depth - I think they're all factors but feels like a big omission not to consider the difficulty of fixtures (not meant as a criticism!)
 
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Spot on we've beaten the poorer teams which is great, as it's something we struggled to do in recent seasons.
Now it's looking to do the next bit finding the bit extra to beat the teams at the top.
The Cowleys were brilliant at this
 
Rasenimp said:
I have seen others saying it but the run of form really coincides with playing some poor teams in the division - 17th, 23rd, 18th, 15th, 22nd, 20th.... it's great we have put these teams away and the extra firepower signed in January (and players getting back fit) has correlated with the upturn too, grinding out a couple of results but also seeing a few bits of good attacking football (like Shrews). But I suspect we maybe wouldn't have got into the playoff chat at all if a few tougher games had been mixed in.

We haven't beaten a team in the current top 7 all season (W0, D4, L7). And even when we were a considerably worse football team we did get results against some of the poor teams (conversely versus the bottom 7 it's W9, D3). The long winless run from start of Dec to early Feb coincided without playing any of them (as well as all our injuries).

It's very different to last season where we drew a lot more games against the bottom sides, and we didn't lose to any of the top four with only Peterborough really getting the better of us across the whole top 7 - W4, D7, L3. If we'd not had such a soft underbelly this time compared to last (and conceded so many goals from set pieces early season) we'd probably be in the mix a little more.

Rather than blooding people etc I think a massive thing for confidence going into next season would be picking up results against teams above and around us. Barnsley will be tough, we get to play a bunch of teams around us (Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers, Wigan at home and Oxford away) as well as of course Pompey. If it goes to form it would not surprise me to see us draw against some of the better sides at home and lose away, while picking up points against your Cheltenham's, Carlisle's and Cambridge's but TBC of course!

I think MS needed a run like this after taking over with so many players out and then having to play Derby, Bolton, Peterborough, Derby again... but perhaps it has all been truer to expectations (both the bad run and the good run) than it appears..? I saw a SWB article this week stating reasons for our upturn in form were things like Chris Cohen, more timing on the training pitch with Skubala & squad depth - I think they're all factors but feels like a big omission not to consider the difficulty of fixtures (not meant as a criticism!)
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I Agree that the fixtures have been key -( as they were in our bad run when we had no attackers).. but even in the draws against Derby, Peterborough and Stevenage we were the better team. So clear improvements have been made - it's unrealistic to make up a big gap on P/O teams but I'd argue that in our current guise we are one of the 6/7 strongest teams in the league. Let's just hope we can keep most of the key players.
 
Rasenimp said:
I have seen others saying it but the run of form really coincides with playing some poor teams in the division - 17th, 23rd, 18th, 15th, 22nd, 20th.... it's great we have put these teams away and the extra firepower signed in January (and players getting back fit) has correlated with the upturn too, grinding out a couple of results but also seeing a few bits of good attacking football (like Shrews). But I suspect we maybe wouldn't have got into the playoff chat at all if a few tougher games had been mixed in.

We haven't beaten a team in the current top 7 all season (W0, D4, L7). And even when we were a considerably worse football team we did get results against some of the poor teams (conversely versus the bottom 7 it's W9, D3). The long winless run from start of Dec to early Feb coincided without playing any of them (as well as all our injuries).

It's very different to last season where we drew a lot more games against the bottom sides, and we didn't lose to any of the top four with only Peterborough really getting the better of us across the whole top 7 - W4, D7, L3. If we'd not had such a soft underbelly this time compared to last (and conceded so many goals from set pieces early season) we'd probably be in the mix a little more.

Rather than blooding people etc I think a massive thing for confidence going into next season would be picking up results against teams above and around us. Barnsley will be tough, we get to play a bunch of teams around us (Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers, Wigan at home and Oxford away) as well as of course Pompey. If it goes to form it would not surprise me to see us draw against some of the better sides at home and lose away, while picking up points against your Cheltenham's, Carlisle's and Cambridge's but TBC of course!

I think MS needed a run like this after taking over with so many players out and then having to play Derby, Bolton, Peterborough, Derby again... but perhaps it has all been truer to expectations (both the bad run and the good run) than it appears..? I saw a SWB article this week stating reasons for our upturn in form were things like Chris Cohen, more timing on the training pitch with Skubala & squad depth - I think they're all factors but feels like a big omission not to consider the difficulty of fixtures (not meant as a criticism!)
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They're fair points.

A better ballpark of where we are will be the next handful of games because it's a tougher month but with better squad availability than our December/early part of January run (albeit weakened in midfield with Hamilton out for the season and McGrandles currently out as well).
 
To be honest I was wishing with all of my magical Druid blood for a win on Saturday. Mainly in hope that a win would claw us back with a chance at the play offs.
 
There is general rule in football; and life, really. In the top half, it is harder to move up, than down. In the bottom half, it is easier to move up than down.
 
So in essence we needed to combine our results against the top teams last season with our form against the lower teams this season and we'd be laughing.
Perhaps Kennedy/Skubala was the dream ticket and we've missed our chance.
 
Very decent bump imp73.
6 points off 6th now though Stevenage do have a game in hand.
Realistically it's a scrap for 1 team out of 5 to get that 6th place and we are very much in the discussion alongside Stevenage, Oxford, Blackpool and Orient.
Stevenage have Posh away on Wednesday after our home match with Cambridge. Oxford are at Bolton and Blackpool at Northampton.
Gap could be down to 3 before next Saturday's home game.
Exciting
 
Momentum is vital at this stage of the season and is what usually wins the play-offs.

In the eight-game form table, Lincoln are 1st, Orient 11th, Blackpool 13th, Oxford 16th, and Stevenage 18th. It can all change very quickly, of course.
 
Great day today but just for perspective, it's only a small matter of seven wins from nine still required; which will also probably necessitate winning at Oxford amongst them.
 
Scotimp said:
Momentum is vital at this stage of the season and is what usually wins the play-offs.

In the eight-game form table, Lincoln are 1st, Orient 11th, Blackpool 13th, Oxford 16th, and Stevenage 18th. It can all change very quickly, of course.
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I have a feeling we will do a Bristol Rovers style 2007 run

When we win at Wembley we should all wear yellow socks
 
Rasenimp said:
I have seen others saying it but the run of form really coincides with playing some poor teams in the division - 17th, 23rd, 18th, 15th, 22nd, 20th.... it's great we have put these teams away and the extra firepower signed in January (and players getting back fit) has correlated with the upturn too, grinding out a couple of results but also seeing a few bits of good attacking football (like Shrews). But I suspect we maybe wouldn't have got into the playoff chat at all if a few tougher games had been mixed in.

We haven't beaten a team in the current top 7 all season (W0, D4, L7). And even when we were a considerably worse football team we did get results against some of the poor teams (conversely versus the bottom 7 it's W9, D3). The long winless run from start of Dec to early Feb coincided without playing any of them (as well as all our injuries).

It's very different to last season where we drew a lot more games against the bottom sides, and we didn't lose to any of the top four with only Peterborough really getting the better of us across the whole top 7 - W4, D7, L3. If we'd not had such a soft underbelly this time compared to last (and conceded so many goals from set pieces early season) we'd probably be in the mix a little more.

Rather than blooding people etc I think a massive thing for confidence going into next season would be picking up results against teams above and around us. Barnsley will be tough, we get to play a bunch of teams around us (Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers, Wigan at home and Oxford away) as well as of course Pompey. If it goes to form it would not surprise me to see us draw against some of the better sides at home and lose away, while picking up points against your Cheltenham's, Carlisle's and Cambridge's but TBC of course!

I think MS needed a run like this after taking over with so many players out and then having to play Derby, Bolton, Peterborough, Derby again... but perhaps it has all been truer to expectations (both the bad run and the good run) than it appears..? I saw a SWB article this week stating reasons for our upturn in form were things like Chris Cohen, more timing on the training pitch with Skubala & squad depth - I think they're all factors but feels like a big omission not to consider the difficulty of fixtures (not meant as a criticism!)
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Well as predicted, thrashing top 7 teams 😂
 
Remaining fixtures (home/away):

Stevenage: 5/5 Peterborough (a), Orient (H), Carlisle (a), Bolton (H), Charlton (a), Exeter (a), Barnsley (H), Burton (H), Oxford (a), Cheltenham (H).
Three games against the top six plus Orient and Charlton; three could still go down.

Oxford: 4/5 Bolton (a), Port Vale (a), LINCOLN (H), Shrewsbury (a), Fleetwood (H), Burton (a), Peterborough (H), Stevenage (H), Exeter (a).
Four tough home games plus Bolton away; includes five games against relegation strugglers.

Blackpool: 4/5 Northampton (a), Wigan (a), Derby (a), Wycombe (H), Cambridge (H), Fleetwood (H), Carlisle (a), Barnsley (H), Reading (a).
Three tough aways in a row followed by three winnable homes; local derby against fighting Fleetwood plus a couple of tough ones to finish.

LINCOLN: 5/4 Cambridge (H), Bristol Rovers (H), Oxford (a), Orient (H), Carlisle (a), Reading (a), Wigan (H), Cheltenham (a), Portsmouth (H).
Perhaps the kindest set of fixtures of any contender? Cheltenham could be down by the time they come here and Portsmouth could be on the beach as we were in 2019.

Orient: 5/4 Port Vale (H), Stevenage (a), Exeter (H), LINCOLN (a), Peterborough (H), Cheltenham (H), Derby (a), Fleetwood (H), Shrewsbury (a).
Fading at the wrong time, currently 7 points behind with a poor goal difference. Four very tough aways; four home games are against sides fighting to stay up plus Peterborough.
 
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