UnbelievableJeff
Vital Squad Member
I know this is a risky meme for a thread. I know that this thread could go down in history as a sledgehammer to beat me for eternity, well the length of this site anyway. I know that I will be castigated for being gloomy or pessimistic, but I just see myself as being realistic, basing it on a number of factors, some emotional, some personal and some historical.
Yet, no matter which way I look at it, I just can't see us being in the top seven at 5pm on 5th May.
Why?
Am I being negative, no. We've have had an amazing season. Look at Grimsby, FGR, Cheltenham, Crawley and others. We could be Chesterfield, Barnet or Morecambe. We've won our first national cup competition and we have 8k + fans at home every week and even for midweek games to.
Yet, we need to dispense with the fervour for one moment. We are still a team in transition. We still have a management duo of whom are new to the FL and learning their full time trade too. A management duo of whom were very good teachers. A teacher after two years of full time work are still learning massively, they are inexperienced and will make mistakes and will learn from them. It does take a number of years for them to get up to speed and become experienced and graded excellent.
In the FL, our management duo aren't there yet. Don't get me wrong, their first two seasons have seen them develop amazingly and achieve some fantastic things...but they are still students. Still hungry, still learning and if they say that we are behind the other teams at the top, then I trust them on it.
I don't think our squad is good enough yet. There I've said it. It needs further work. It needs some fine tuning, it needs something extra, a bit of spice, class, X Factor. That can be added. We need a training ground to better our training. That has now been announced. Good. That will allow players to train harder. Train hard, play easy. That is the key to sustained success.
Why do I think like this? Well, because I have analysed what Danny has said many a time "We are someway behind them, but we are catching up every day. We are in transition, we are learning and building all the time. We need to catch up with other teams in respect of their infrastructure." That has been the consistent message.
Sometimes we have to admit we can't and shouldn't expect promotion every season. We can't always expect success, we need to experience what missing out is like right at the end, we need this team to fail. You must all think that I am now bonkers and have lost the plot somewhat. I haven't. For in order to have success you have to have failure and to remember how that feels to spur you on. Again another famous quote from DC.
I think this is what we need. I also think that over a 46 game period we haven't quite done enough to be in the top 7. Morecambe at home. It could come down to games like those. Too many draws and for some of the season we weren't quite sure how to play it. All that experience and learning will be useful for next season's campaign, for which I honestly think will be in league two.
Yes there are people who think I'm talking tosh, who will level me being negative. I am not . I'm just being realistic. We need to ensure long term success and that takes time, consolidation, we need to grow at the right pace, not a frenetic one, which is unsustainable.
So at present we are not quite good enough. Not yet, but I am sure we will be soon, in the not too distant future.
The Play-offs this year are a step too far, one year too soon.
Do I mind another season in the Fourth Division. Not really. I quite like it down here. After all, it's where real football is played.
We just need to balance the hysteria with reality. It still has some way to go.
I know many, if not all, will disagree with me over this, but when we look back in the cold light of day at it all, whatever happens now, it has been a fantastic season and a roaring success.
We still need that little bit of disappointment though, as it really fires them on for next year.
My final predictions for next weekend are therefore
Coventry 3-0 Morecambe (Morecambe relegated)
Mansfield 3-1 Crawley Town
Lincoln City 2-3 Yeovil Town. (Sods law dictates that Yeovil will decide who gets in the top 7)
UTI.
There's always next year.......
Yet, no matter which way I look at it, I just can't see us being in the top seven at 5pm on 5th May.
Why?
Am I being negative, no. We've have had an amazing season. Look at Grimsby, FGR, Cheltenham, Crawley and others. We could be Chesterfield, Barnet or Morecambe. We've won our first national cup competition and we have 8k + fans at home every week and even for midweek games to.
Yet, we need to dispense with the fervour for one moment. We are still a team in transition. We still have a management duo of whom are new to the FL and learning their full time trade too. A management duo of whom were very good teachers. A teacher after two years of full time work are still learning massively, they are inexperienced and will make mistakes and will learn from them. It does take a number of years for them to get up to speed and become experienced and graded excellent.
In the FL, our management duo aren't there yet. Don't get me wrong, their first two seasons have seen them develop amazingly and achieve some fantastic things...but they are still students. Still hungry, still learning and if they say that we are behind the other teams at the top, then I trust them on it.
I don't think our squad is good enough yet. There I've said it. It needs further work. It needs some fine tuning, it needs something extra, a bit of spice, class, X Factor. That can be added. We need a training ground to better our training. That has now been announced. Good. That will allow players to train harder. Train hard, play easy. That is the key to sustained success.
Why do I think like this? Well, because I have analysed what Danny has said many a time "We are someway behind them, but we are catching up every day. We are in transition, we are learning and building all the time. We need to catch up with other teams in respect of their infrastructure." That has been the consistent message.
Sometimes we have to admit we can't and shouldn't expect promotion every season. We can't always expect success, we need to experience what missing out is like right at the end, we need this team to fail. You must all think that I am now bonkers and have lost the plot somewhat. I haven't. For in order to have success you have to have failure and to remember how that feels to spur you on. Again another famous quote from DC.
I think this is what we need. I also think that over a 46 game period we haven't quite done enough to be in the top 7. Morecambe at home. It could come down to games like those. Too many draws and for some of the season we weren't quite sure how to play it. All that experience and learning will be useful for next season's campaign, for which I honestly think will be in league two.
Yes there are people who think I'm talking tosh, who will level me being negative. I am not . I'm just being realistic. We need to ensure long term success and that takes time, consolidation, we need to grow at the right pace, not a frenetic one, which is unsustainable.
So at present we are not quite good enough. Not yet, but I am sure we will be soon, in the not too distant future.
The Play-offs this year are a step too far, one year too soon.
Do I mind another season in the Fourth Division. Not really. I quite like it down here. After all, it's where real football is played.
We just need to balance the hysteria with reality. It still has some way to go.
I know many, if not all, will disagree with me over this, but when we look back in the cold light of day at it all, whatever happens now, it has been a fantastic season and a roaring success.
We still need that little bit of disappointment though, as it really fires them on for next year.
My final predictions for next weekend are therefore
Coventry 3-0 Morecambe (Morecambe relegated)
Mansfield 3-1 Crawley Town
Lincoln City 2-3 Yeovil Town. (Sods law dictates that Yeovil will decide who gets in the top 7)
UTI.
There's always next year.......
We've outplayed all expectations this season and anyone on this forum (or with even a passing interest in the Imps) would have been glowingly proud of top half a few months back.
