Relegation Thread 2017/18

[valefan16]

Weren't most of the Crewe fans on here predicting a top 7 finish at the start of the season?

They won promotion at Vale Park in August!

 

[MrGloverLover]

To be fair he was really putting the spin on Tuesday night in his post match interview!

Everything he says has no relation to anything that actually happened in real life.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Weren't most of the Crewe fans on here predicting a top 7 finish at the start of the season?

Think most were predicting top half with push to top 7. Probably on the back of our last summer signing. We were expecting one or two more incomings which never happened. Still, on paper our team is alright and better than last years. The management (both of the team and of the club) is pretty terrible tho. Artell has failed to deliver on early promise and his shortcomings have been horrendously exposed. Like any football fan, our optimism was misplaced.

A decent experienced manager wouldn’t need to do much to comfortably keep us up. Unlike other clubs tho, such as Vale, we can go whistle if we think we can expect one of those.

 

[valefan16]

Think most were predicting top half with push to top 7. Probably on the back of our last summer signing. We were expecting one or two more incomings which never happened. Still, on paper our team is alright and better than last years. The management (both of the team and of the club) is pretty terrible tho. Artell has failed to deliver on early promise and his shortcomings have been horrendously exposed. Like any football fan, our optimism was misplaced.

A decent experienced manager wouldn’t need to do much to comfortably keep us up. Unlike other clubs tho, such as Vale, we can go whistle if we think we can expect one of those.

We've had enough years of inexperience! Since Brian Horton left in 2004 the likes of Foyle, Glover, Grew, Page etc. Apart from Micky Adams and Lose Gannon we've not had a manager with FL experience...

 

[TimeyWimey]

Not that experience counts for everything obviously. Our Gudjon Thordarson days were fucking bleak to say the least. But that was an absolutely bonkers appointment regardless. It was two fingers up to the fans who wanted an outsider in; ex-clayhead & shit, perfect.

The fact we know as fans the next manager is guaranteed to be either Kenny Lunt, Lee Bell or Alex Morris shows up what an insular, wanky boardroom we have. Three ex players, now coaches, the eldest of whom is I think 38, Lunt being the most experienced with 12 months as assistant manager. Sold to us as being evolution, not revolution; developing our own coaches and protecting investment; appointing from within ensuring continuity and guaranteeing they know the club. Or, translated, cheap option that protects the beloved academy. Football League status? Pah.

 

[Urban]

From the sounds of things, we're getting rid of most of our backroom staff APART from Mark McFuckwitGhee and James Thorne - our 'Head of Football' who's previous footballing experience must come from playing Subbuteo with his dad back when he was 10, because he's done nothing and by all accounts is meant to be universally disliked.

 

[ValiantRob]

I reckon everyone from Cambridge downwards is a potential relegation candidate.

 

[Vanni]

Good result for Barnet today. I was getting slightly worried we were going to lose Urban's positive outlook on all things Barnet next season.

As for us, I'm definitely reserving a place for us in this thread, as there's a good chance we're going to need it sooner rather than later. January's new signings (or lack of) will make or break our season. Then there's the question of how much time will our totally clueless manager be given to further sink us into trouble.

DERRY OUT NOW.

 

[valefan16]

Big win to go four clear! Didn’t expect that and after the midweek heroics with 9 men we’ve actually started to show we have some bollocks in the side.

No suprise results have turned back for the better with Whitfield’s return. We must keep him in January!

Tough run of games now

Colchester A
Coventry H
Luton H
Notts Co A

Four points from that id be delighted, on current form you’d say that Coventry game is a massive one for us.

 

[hellogregory]

IF we fail to beat bottom placed forest green next week, I’m throwing us back into the hat for this.

 

[Urban]

Morecombe were the first football team I've ever seen in League 2 in that first half today. Really, really bad - think you'd have to go back to playing some of the minnow teams in the early rounds of the FA Trophy to see individual performances as bad as that. It showed as they made 2 HT subs and came out better.

We were still fairly bad. A ridiculously good goal from Campbell-Ryce and us scoring from a defensive error from them set us apart. Big John missed a penalty (we've not had an Akinde (Pen) for ages now) and we just sat deep for absolutely no reason.

I didn't see much today that says we're turning a corner. The players don't look like they want to work for McGhee, they seem confused at what style they're being asked to play and worse of all, Blackman is still starting matches. HOW IS FUCKING ANDRE BLACKMAN STARTING MATCHES ABOVE THE NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH FFS.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

IF we fail to beat bottom placed forest green next week, I’m throwing us back into the hat for this.

Similar if we can't get something off you we're back adrift with a horrendous gd too when otherwise the race is tight. Good signs here and there but others improving too so need another run. Depends who's back from injury and suspension

 

[Andy Proctor]

Big win to go four clear! Didn’t expect that and after the midweek heroics with 9 men we’ve actually started to show we have some bollocks in the side.

No suprise results have turned back for the better with Whitfield’s return. We must keep him in January!

Tough run of games now

Colchester A
Coventry H
Luton H
Notts Co A

Four points from that id be delighted, on current form you’d say that Coventry game is a massive one for us.

Out of the 8 recent meetings against Coventry we have only won 2 of them both were 3 2 wins. I don't expect us get anything from Colchester or Luton put it that way but we are playing alot better now.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

We are beginning to tick some of the "you have to be a proper shambles to get relegated out of this league" boxes, but I think Derry will be gone tomorrow and with a semi-competent appointment we definitely have enough to stay well clear, but I might review that opinion if we get done by Barnet and Crewe over Christmas.

 

[Urban]

We are beginning to tick some of the "you have to be a proper shambles to get relegated out of this league" boxes, but I think Derry will be gone tomorrow and with a semi-competent appointment we definitely have enough to stay well clear, but I might review that opinion if we get done by Barnet and Crewe over Christmas.

We won't beat you. Excellent opportunity for your new manager to do what ours hasn't done and impress.

 

[TommoCUFC]

We are beginning to tick some of the "you have to be a proper shambles to get relegated out of this league" boxes, but I think Derry will be gone tomorrow and with a semi-competent appointment we definitely have enough to stay well clear, but I might review that opinion if we get done by Barnet and Crewe over Christmas.

Think you might be disappointed with who is (apparently) lined up mate

 

[AdamStag]

Morecombe were the first football team I've ever seen in League 2 in that first half today. Really, really bad - think you'd have to go back to playing some of the minnow teams in the early rounds of the FA Trophy to see individual performances as bad as that. It showed as they made 2 HT subs and came out better.

We were still fairly bad. A ridiculously good goal from Campbell-Ryce and us scoring from a defensive error from them set us apart. Big John missed a penalty (we've not had an Akinde (Pen) for ages now) and we just sat deep for absolutely no reason.

I didn't see much today that says we're turning a corner. The players don't look like they want to work for McGhee, they seem confused at what style they're being asked to play and worse of all, Blackman is still starting matches. HOW IS FUCKING ANDRE BLACKMAN STARTING MATCHES ABOVE THE NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH FFS.

Don't worry, they've got us on Saturday, they'll find a way to beat us

 

[LongEatonPie]

Don't worry, they've got us on Saturday, they'll find a way to beat us

Whats happened to the Stags, on paper you have a top 3 side and have stuttered to get any kind of form. I know we are only half way through the season but surely they have "gelled" now? Or is Evans not as good as people think he "should" be?

 

[AdamStag]

Whats happened to the Stags, on paper you have a top 3 side and have stuttered to get any kind of form. I know we are only half way through the season but surely they have "gelled" now? Or is Evans not as good as people think he "should" be?

We haven't any decent forwards apart from Danny Rose, that's pretty much it

 

[northstandexile]

We can’t score, oh for a Matt Rhead to bang in a few goals.

 

[AdamStag]

Some interesting results today.

It appears that lesters luck had ran out with an abject showing against a shocking Stevenage side.whereas Barnet Crewe and forest green have had poor results.

Having only got 5 points from 9 against Chesterfield Yeovil and Morecambe, though we've played badly there's such a chasm between those in the top half and those knocking around the relegation zone

 

[valefan16]

7 points from 9 after a mini stutter have pushed us away from trouble, now five clear and remarkably taken 20 points from 11 games to be half way to 50 at the half way stage... we had 5 after 12 games!

Should give us a cushion with three of the top four up next, although our form suggests we can compete in those games...

Expecting us to strengthen in January and would take a huge downturn to see us go down now after that first quarter of a season but hopefully we can get to safety quickly and see what Aspo and Rudge can do next year.

Keeping Whitfield will be key though next week.

 

[AdamStag]

The "messiah" at Chesterfield

 

[valefan16]

Eight point gap now! Top two up next so a crucial buffer heading into them!

 

[Crewelad87]

Well our two games vs Chesterfield makes me pretty confident we've found atleast one team we should finish above. Just one more to go.

 

[valefan16]

Well our two games vs Chesterfield makes me pretty confident we've found atleast one team we should finish above. Just one more to go.

CFC And FGR has both seemed to have turned a corner but both have gone back to pot at bit. That said Barnet seem doomed under McGee.

 

[#Beebot]

CFC And FGR has both seemed to have turned a corner but both have gone back to pot at bit. That said Barnet seem doomed under McGee.

We are. He's totally unhinged. I don't think I've seen this level of opposition to one of our managers before from our fans, especially after so little time.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Unbeaten against relegation threatened sides at home (Chesterfield, Barnet, Crawley all wins) with the rest all to play.

Three crucial wins away from home against sides that were in or are in the scrap too (Vale, Morecambe and Chesterfield)

And the only three games we've lost in the scrap were all at sides from the South West of England (an area of the country we haven't won in for 6 years).

Last season we did a grand job of picking up points from the top teams in the league and constantly giving those at the bottom points to gain ground on us. This year, our habit of killing off fellow crap sides might well just be enough to keep us up. 8 wins from our remaining 22 will be enough and, with a few necessary additions in January, I'm hopeful of achieving that generous minimum requirement. Yesterday stopped the rot of winning 1 game then losing 4, we just need to be more ruthless in front of goal when we have a lead. 14 points dropped from winning positions this season would see us around the playoff mix if we learned to kill games off.

Just a weird side this season, when we're good, we look very good. When we're bad, it's almost Davisesque levels of bad with the lack of commitment and the heads dropping soon as we go a goal down.

Start of the season I said Crawley and Morecambe to drop. I reckon it'll be Barnet and Morecambe now. Surely Chesterfield won't go down again even if they did lose to us twice?

 

[Never Mind The Paul Cox]

The worrying thing for a lot of the wooden spoon contenders with the window about to open soon, should be that Dale Vince will more than likely chuck loads of money at it to avoid the drop. He spent a small fortune failing every year when we were in that horrible league trying to get them up, so I highly doubt he wants to head back down there and risk having to do so again. Also, he's got all these lavish plans for a wooden stadium and a giant hippy park around it or something, so it won't attract the locals of Stroud if it's hosting Vanarama football again.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Would have thought FFP would stop DV spending big even if there were players keen to come. One signing so far is a prospect from the NL South. Couple of loanees and maybe one more i reckon