League 2 relegation thread 14/15

[White Army]

I think it's between Dagenham, Cheltenham and Carlisle.

Carlisle don't seem to have benefited much from Keith curle coming in and maybe us deciding we don't want paynter has left them. with little budget to spend.

Dagenham I guess will have to go with what they've got which on paper doesn't seem too bad of a side to be fair.

Cheltenham have a manager in charge who I think everybody thought was a poor appointment. Got an assistant who thought paying money for George Donnelly was a good idea as well, so it's not looking great for them either.

 

[1884 Belmont]

Until we are mathematically safe, I won't be comfortable. I don't think we will go down, but whilst all that separates us and the Conference is goal difference, it is too soon to count any chickens. I think about 7 teams are in serious trouble at this point but my outside shout to go down is Portsmouth. It seems unthinkable but their form is truly awful and they don't have the cushion to the bottom 2 that a Plymouth have (not for a second saying Plymouth are in danger, but they are down there on the form table).

 

[Murphy]

What an absolutely massive three points that is, especially with Hartlepool winning this afternoon.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

17th! We've got altitude sickness...

 

[White Army]

3 wins in 5 for us now, and 5 unbeaten. Definitely on the up.

 

[Leewilson]

A very good 4 points for us in the space of 4-5 days. Cheltenham are bloody awful though. We lack confidence at home but even our players seemed to realise as the game went on that you didn't have much to hurt us and really upped it 2nd half. I really fear for Cheltenham on that showing. No disrespect, but if we end up finishing below you, then I have no qualms with going down as it'll be deserved.

I'd be worried if I was a Mansfield fan. On paper you've bought well but I'd worry that your manager is too inexperienced to lead you away from trouble. Carlisle still strike me as a side that will be involved until the end. Tranmere will be fine. Portsmouth I imagine will put some results together when they eventually sack Awford. Oxford should have enough. York are the enigma. I thought Wilcox would lead them out of trouble but they seem to be nicking points here and there but not putting any real run together.

Still as tough as ever to call.

 

[White Army]

Can see Accrington getting dragged into this soon.

 

[HertsCobbler]

I think Cheltenham are bang in trouble.
Not sure how key Aldred was to Accy - their defence sounded awful today.

 

[mowgli]

Cheltenham look at risk as well.

 

[Pilgrim Meister]

Argyle are sliding down the table with alarming pace. Won't be surprised to see us join this thread if things don't improve

 

[mowgli]

Argyle are sliding down the table with alarming pace. Won't be surprised to see us join this thread if things don't improve

Not saying it'll happen but that's what we went through last season from play-offs to relegation scrap as we only won once in 17 games. Ainsworth was lucky we're skint and couldn't afford to sack him. I wouldn't wish what we went through last season on any team.

 

[shoddycollins]

Really bad day for Mansfield and Cheltenham. I don't think they would have expected to lose to Carlisle and then see Daggers and Tranmere both win.

 

[StagsForLife]

Gutted, pisses me off how we can't kill games off! Same old story we score, we conceed and crack. Murray really needs a win on Saturday. It's happened at Carlisle, Exeter, Hartlepool, Cheltenham now and its becoming a joke.

 

[StagsForLife]

Not saying it'll happen but that's what we went through last season from play-offs to relegation scrap as we only won once in 17 games. Ainsworth was lucky we're skint and couldn't afford to sack him. I wouldn't wish what we went through last season on any team.

Murray wants to replicate what you guys did and at this rate he's on course for it..

 

[shoddycollins]

Murray wants to replicate what you guys did and at this rate he's on course for it..

He's still massively liked in Carlisle and it would be a shame to see him get relegated in his first managerial position having been thrown in at the deep end, but there's no room for sentimentality where the ultimate drop is involved.

 

[TRFC ON TOUR]

Just opening the door to walk through it, may close it behind next week.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Just opening the door to walk through it, may close it behind next week.

Behave, we're two points out of the bottom two! Things are looking up but we ain't out the woods just yet.

 

[Westbars_Spireite]

Oh dear Mansfield. Just looked at the table.

 

[TRFC ON TOUR]

Behave, we're two points out of the bottom two! Things are looking up but we ain't out the woods just yet.

5 without defeat, 1 defeat in 9, I can see us finishing 20 points above the relegation zone, my 16/1 bet for a top half finish will pay for my summer holiday.

 

[StagsForLife]

He's still massively liked in Carlisle and it would be a shame to see him get relegated in his first managerial position having been thrown in at the deep end, but there's no room for sentimentality where the ultimate drop is involved.

Thing is we've been playing good stuff with him and he is liked but the performances aren't giving us those crucial points. Before today we had 48 attempts on goal in 3 matches but the lack of ruthlessness to convert them is very frustrating.

 

[shoddycollins]

Thing is we've been playing good stuff with him and he is liked but the performances aren't giving us those crucial points. Before today we had 48 attempts on goal in 3 matches but the lack of ruthlessness to convert them is very frustrating.

I was wondering how he would change your playing style cos we remember him as a very classy and cultured player, so if he got the whole Mansfield side playing the way he used to that would be a massive difference. You didn't seem to have changed much from the Paul Cox days based on today's performance, but maybe that's a lot to do with the players... Or maybe it was just the weather that got both teams playing rugged and unsophisticated cloggerball. It's not very often we come up against a tough team and prevail, usually we crumble when physicality is called for.

 

[StagsForLife]

I was wondering how he would change your playing style cos we remember him as a very classy and cultured player, so if he got the whole Mansfield side playing the way he used to that would be a massive difference. You didn't seem to have changed much from the Paul Cox days based on today's performance, but maybe that's a lot to do with the players... Or maybe it was just the weather that got both teams playing rugged and unsophisticated cloggerball. It's not very often we come up against a tough team and prevail, usually we crumble when physicality is called for.

In his post-match interview he stated that the plan was to get in on the floor and keep possession but we got caught up in your lots game plan.
“I went with this side today as it had a lot of pace and energy. But we got caught up with the way Carlisle wanted to play and the game became scrappy.

“We never got hold of the ball and dictated play and the ball spent a lot of time ping-ponging around."

The side has shown it's capable of staying up but whether they do that is the issue. Silly errors are costly and will see us back in the conference if we're not careful.

 

[shoddycollins]

In his post-match interview he stated that the plan was to get in on the floor and keep possession but we got caught up in your lots game plan.
“I went with this side today as it had a lot of pace and energy. But we got caught up with the way Carlisle wanted to play and the game became scrappy.

“We never got hold of the ball and dictated play and the ball spent a lot of time ping-ponging around."

The side has shown it's capable of staying up but whether they do that is the issue. Silly errors are costly and will see us back in the conference if we're not careful.

It was an odd game then really. In the first half we were saying 'why are we playing this scrappily and why aren't we keeping the ball on the floor, we're playing right into Mansfield's hands'... I was surprised really that you didn't seem up for it. I thought that in the second half unless we kept the ball down you would just close the game down and see out the win... But oddly we grew into that style of play, after a fashion. It's the first time this season I've seen us try and play like that (although I believe we might have done a hatchet job on Wimbledon while I was on holiday), and, once we got the equaliser the ground came alive and the players got the bit between the teeth.

Whether Mansfield have lost something in stopping playing the style of football that turned your fans against Cox I don't know, but I don't think many people had you down as possible relegation contenders before today.

As for us, if turning games into physical battles is working. If we can go and mug Tranmere next weekend I'll be plenty happy. I just hope we don't get too used to it.

 

[Leewilson]

I've had them down as relegation contenders for weeks. They don't score enough goals. It's often either that or a terrible defensive record that kills a side.Cheltenham also fall into this category. After a great start to the season, the goals have dried up, rarely do they score more than 1 and there's a fair few 0s in there as well. Goals against isn't great either. A recipe for disaster.

It's why I think we'll just about be ok. We've got goals in us and have been far more solid over the last 10 games at the back. Providing we don't divert from this formula, I expect us to pick up enough points to survive.

 

[StagsForLife]

I've had them down as relegation contenders for weeks. They don't score enough goals. It's often either that or a terrible defensive record that kills a side.Cheltenham also fall into this category. After a great start to the season, the goals have dried up, rarely do they score more than 1 and there's a fair few 0s in there as well. Goals against isn't great either. A recipe for disaster.

It's why I think we'll just about be ok. We've got goals in us and have been far more solid over the last 10 games at the back. Providing we don't divert from this formula, I expect us to pick up enough points to survive.

There's the problem. We aren't converting our chances. The rub of the green hasn't been with us lately but only that goes up to a certain point before you draw the line and say we need to be banging these in.

 

[Murphy]

Cheltenham seem to have loaded their eggs into one basket with the loan signings route, seemingly because their budget is gone from what I've read from Mark Halliwell, Cheltenham based journalist on Twitter as well as a few of their fans - seems to be down to Yeats at the start of the season. Terry Gornell isn't working from the sounds, Byron Harrison's hot footed it to Chesterfield and again from what I've seen I don't think he was tremendously liked down there anyway (could be wrong of course). Which sort of leaves the onus on loan players from where I'm sitting, and that's a very dangerous thing to do - especially given Jack Dunn who's sounded like the main source of optimism up front picked up an injury this afternoon.

Difficult times.

 

[StagsForLife]

It was an odd game then really. In the first half we were saying 'why are we playing this scrappily and why aren't we keeping the ball on the floor, we're playing right into Mansfield's hands'... I was surprised really that you didn't seem up for it. I thought that in the second half unless we kept the ball down you would just close the game down and see out the win... But oddly we grew into that style of play, after a fashion. It's the first time this season I've seen us try and play like that (although I believe we might have done a hatchet job on Wimbledon while I was on holiday), and, once we got the equaliser the ground came alive and the players got the bit between the teeth.

Whether Mansfield have lost something in stopping playing the style of football that turned your fans against Cox I don't know, but I don't think many people had you down as possible relegation contenders before today.

As for us, if turning games into physical battles is working. If we can go and mug Tranmere next weekend I'll be plenty happy. I just hope we don't get too used to it.

I think the only thing we're missing with Cox is that he could still grind out the results in the second half of the season.

 

[Stanleyfan]

There's usually a side that slides down the table after Christmas - at the moment that seems to be us - lost 4 in a row now.
We were shocking today!

 

[Pablosammy]

As for us, if turning games into physical battles is working. If we can go and mug Tranmere next weekend I'll be plenty happy. I just hope we don't get too used to it.

It'll be an interesting game for sure. We're not afraid of the physical side either, so it could get edgy. I'd love to say I can't see anything but a Rovers win here, but we all know these things rarely go to plan! Definite six pointer though.

 

[Boz]

I think we'll be better able to judge Rovers prospects at the end of this month. Majority of games away, including trips to York, Portsmouth and Cheltenham and next weekend home to Carlisle. All potential 6-pointers. Don't think I've seen us beat Carlisle in ages, so perhaps I should stay away.