Relegation Thread 23/24 Sponsored by Sadford City

[Meadow]

Last January Vince publicly backed the hapless Ian Birchnall, and gave our fraud of a DoF free rein to rebuild the squad in January to keep us up. We made ten signings, a mix of random journeymen, youngsters and loanees, got rid of some of our more reliable performers and then having 'successfully' rebuilt sacked Birchnall and brought in Big Dunc. Not long after we sacked the DoF when we realised what a mess he'd made. We picked up a grand total of 6 points over the rest of the season. All those panic signings for 6 fucking points.

Have we learnt from that clusterfuck? Well so far we've struggled horribly with an out of his depth head coach and a DoF who has put together a squad most of who are either injured most of the time or look less then half arsed. 18 new signings for 15 points in nearly half a season. The answer to that, according to Vince, is to publicly back the hapless Dave Horseman and promise to allow the DoF who built this squad last summer to have free rein to have another rebuild in January. So it seems we haven't learnt anything.

Massive mistake allowing us to buy Armani Little for probably peanuts. Last season he was a bit hit and miss and then he got injured.

Despite a short injury break early on this season he's been one of our best players. Maybe he just needed the right person alongside him and he's definitely got that in Jake Reeves.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Massive mistake allowing us to buy Armani Little for probably peanuts. Last season he was a bit hit and miss and then he got injured.

Despite a short injury break early on this season he's been one of our best players. Maybe he just needed the right person alongside him and he's definitely got that in Jake Reeves.

Little was very clearly unhappy and not at all at home at our place - and it showed. Even among the clusterfuck that was League One FGR. Sounds harsh to say that he showed little promise at our place, but to my eyes that was the long and short of it. Glad it's worked out for him with you.

There are numerous other players we've let walk away over the past couple of years I think we should have kept (most notably, obviously, Jake Young, but also Dan Sweeney)

 

[Luke Imp]

Colchester will drop and drop until they are about a point outside the relegation zone and then go and win 3 or 4 games in a row to pull clear again, it’s all they ever do.
Every season.

The L2 version of Burton, who do exactly the same thing!

 

[Chris FGR]

We don't look capable of pulling ourselves out of trouble. We'll make a few panic signings in January but that isn't going to fix things.

 

[chipmunx]

We're 10 points away from putting this thread on ignore....

 

[Alfie]

Looking bad for both FGR & Sutton but still half a season to play.
A crumb of comfort for FGR is that they've only played 9 home games while most other have played 10 or 11 and three teams have played 12.
Sutton have played 10 but are apparently playing better than their lowly league position.
And of course the teams immediately above them lost yesterday.
History shows that one of either FGR or Sutton might escape relegation but not both.

 

[joethegill]

We've already lost to a side in the relegation zone 4 times this season. We play both FGR and Sutton in the next month, and I'll be astounded if we don't lose at least one of those games.

 

[Gunit]

We haven’t won away all season, I think you’ll be ok!

 

[DearneValleyRover]

If we don’t invest in January we will definitely be in this thread right to the end of the season

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Looking bad for both FGR & Sutton but still half a season to play.
A crumb of comfort for FGR is that they've only played 9 home games while most other have played 10 or 11 and three teams have played 12.
Sutton have played 10 but are apparently playing better than their lowly league position.
And of course the teams immediately above them lost yesterday.
History shows that one of either FGR or Sutton might escape relegation but not both.

Would be a crumb of comfort if our home form wasn't so terrible, crowds such as they were plummeting and a general air of tailspin.

 

[Greenacres]

Would be a crumb of comfort if our home form wasn't so terrible, crowds such as they were plummeting and a general air of tailspin.

What worries me is that we have twelve home games remaining and all but four are against teams challenging for promotion or the play-offs, it is hard to see where we are going to get many wins from...at the moment relegation isn't quite nailed on, but the fat lady is definitely en route to B&Q to buy a hammer and nails, practicing her singing on the way.

 

[Chris FGR]

We've already lost to a side in the relegation zone 4 times this season. We play both FGR and Sutton in the next month, and I'll be astounded if we don't lose at least one of those games.

Would have to go some to lose to us.

 

[joethegill]

Would have to go some to lose to us.

Pretty much the consensus when we played the bottom dwellers earlier in the season, but trust me - our ability to absolutely gift a treat to shite opposition is second to none.

 

[Casey]

If we don’t invest in January we will definitely be in this thread right to the end of the season

Very odd because you tore us a new one when we played up there. Typical men against boys game.

Just shows you can't rely on one game to make a judgement.

Casey

 

[Chris FGR]

Pretty much the consensus when we played the bottom dwellers earlier in the season, but trust me - our ability to absolutely gift a treat to shite opposition is second to none.

Would take it if you do gift us the points, but not convinced it's possible for any half organised L2 team to lose to our lot right now.

Over the last couple of seasons quite a few opposing fans have given us false hope, promising they always trip up against shite opposition and such. And then turn up, smash us and can't believe how bad we are.

 

[Chris FGR]

Just the 7 points adrift of safety now then.

Luckily for us it's Troy Deeney to the rescue. Tough first job in management but he's definitely got more about him than Horseman.

 

[Chris FGR]

Salford dropping like a stone, wonder if they'll recall Callum Morton from his loan here now we're relegation rivals?

 

[DearneValleyRover]

It will take one hell of a recruitment next month to get us out of this

 

[Greenacres]

Salford dropping like a stone, wonder if they'll recall Callum Morton from his loan here now we're relegation rivals?

Possible...if they see him as harming their chances of survival by playing for us...if I'm being brutally honest we could probably steal the likes of Son, Mitoma and Foden and it probably wouldn't do too much other than put a dent in their respective careers.

 

[JJ1990]

Think we're looking at a very crowded field down here. Sutton can't pick up wins and neither can FGR.

But there is plenty of competition battling to push into those bottom 2 spots. Colchester have seemingly made a horrendous managerial appointment and are about to lose their top scorer. Salford are getting battered every single week and have no manager, Grimsby are shipping 6 at home. Morecambe have won 1 of their last 9 and could be about to lose key players like King and Mellon.

Swindon are in dreadful form, have issues on and off field and have now lost most of their goals and assists in Kemp and Young. Obviously the battle needs FGR and Sutton to win some games and close the gap, but there seem to be a few candidates for the drop right now.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Deeney's clearly got them playing for him but the squad's short on quality in key areas. If we can get Belshaw back in the window might have a chance of getting out of it. We have game/s in hand but obviously not much use if you're not getting points from them.

 

[Chris FGR]

Deeney's clearly got them playing for him but the squad's short on quality in key areas. If we can get Belshaw back in the window might have a chance of getting out of it. We have game/s in hand but obviously not much use if you're not getting points from them.

Our games in hand are at Mansfield and at home to Wrexham. More likely to harm our goal difference then gain us points unfortunately.

Salford next Saturday is huge. Win and we're right on their tails and right in the fight. Lose and the fat lady will be starting to warm up.

 

[Gunit]

Doesn’t feel like we’re one of the worst 2 sides right now but we’ve got to put the points on the board. Opportunities like today against one of the weaker teams at home are fast running out. Surely Colchester and Salford won’t carry on as they are forever.

 

[Optipez]

Deeney's clearly got them playing for him but the squad's short on quality in key areas. If we can get Belshaw back in the window might have a chance of getting out of it. We have game/s in hand but obviously not much use if you're not getting points from them.

I'm hoping Notts might go for Belshaw, we need a keeper and he's a Notts fan still living locally.

 

[Ainsty]

I'm hoping Notts might go for Belshaw, we need a keeper and he's a Notts fan still living locally.

We want Belshaw too, but we should never have let him go in the first place. He has played for three clubs so far this season Bristol, FGR & Harrogate. Doesn't that mean he is barred from moving to a fourth? Or is goalkeeping a specialist position so keepers have different rules?

 

[Optipez]

We want Belshaw too, but we should never have let him go in the first place. He has played for three clubs so far this season Bristol, FGR & Harrogate. Doesn't that mean he is barred from moving to a fourth? Or is goalkeeping a specialist position so keepers have different rules?

I don't know if emergency loans are different but if not he can't join us even if we wanted him, you're right I think.

 

[chipmunx]

Our games in hand are at Mansfield and at home to Wrexham. More likely to harm our goal difference then gain us points unfortunately.

Salford next Saturday is huge. Win and we're right on their tails and right in the fight. Lose and the fat lady will be starting to warm up.

Dear FGR,

Please beat and help relegate Salford.

Yours sincerely

Everyone

 

[Essex2Wessex]

If the Colchester managerial appointment goes to plan (and who knows it can be a crazy club), they will presumably be out of this debate within a couple of months. Hopefully that steps up the chances that Salford will be deeper in it....

 

[ForzaCounty]

Dear FGR,

Please beat and help relegate Salford.

Yours sincerely

Everyone

Dear Sutton,

Please get your act together and send them both down

 

[Chris FGR]

Dear Sutton,

Please get your act together and send them both down

We're perfectly capable of sending ourselves down, thank you very much.