Relegation Thread 23/24 Sponsored by Sadford City

[Optipez]

Sutton and FGR have both changed managers, had the transfer window so now there's nothing left but coaching what you've got. It looks a big gap and is going to take a massive change in form.
I'd be amazed if you both escape and it's reaching the point where I'd be surprised if either manage it which is unusual as it's not often the bottom two are there all season.

 

[Gladders]

Get today out of the way, then 4 of the next 6 games will define our next few seasons. Colly, Donny, Greeny and Suttony

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Get today out of the way, then 4 of the next 6 games will define our next few seasons. Colly, Donny, Greeny and Suttony

Ooooo that's a make or break set of 4 fixtures. Obviously Town have been struggling all season long but think will have too much for at least 2 of that quartet, and that will be enough.

After last season I did not expect Grimbo to be this low down the league table that's for sure. I doubt anybody did tbh.

 

[GTFCfish]

Get today out of the way, then 4 of the next 6 games will define our next few seasons. Colly, Donny, Greeny and Suttony

Is that the names in the new sequel to the Teletubbies?

 

[JJ1990]

68 - Mathematical Safety
51 - MK Dons(30)
50 -
49 -
48 -
47 - Harrogate(29)
46 - AFC Wimbledon(30), Gillingham(30)
45 - Average Survival(2010-2023)
44 - Notts County(30)
43 - Newport(30), Morecambe(29)
42 - Accrington(30)
41 -
40 - Bradford(31)
39 - Crawley(29)
38 - Walsall(29), Swindon(31)
37 - Tranmere(31)
36 -
35 -
34 - Salford(31)
33 - Expected Survival 23/24
32 - Doncaster(30)
31 -
30 -
29 - Grimsby(30), Colchester(31)
28 -
27 -
26 -
25 -
24 -
23 -
------------------------------------------------------
22 - Sutton(31)
20 - Forest Green(30)

This is unfortunately shaping up to be one of the least interesting relegation "battles" in league history, and I use the word battle lightly given the bottom 2 just aren't showing any sort of meaningful fight. FGR go down 4-0 at home to an admittedly good Mansfield side, but still. Sutton narrowly lose at mid-table Morecambe. It's hard to see where 1 win is coming from for both, let alone the 5-6 they need to even close the gap and overhaul the teams above them.

Colchester suffer a late defeat at Harrogate and Grimsby give away 3 horrendous goals to lose heavily at home once again. Grimsby especially are lucky the bottom 2 are such a shambles right now. If either team gets their act together, there could be a few nervy decision makers in Cleethorpes.

20th - Grimsby Town, 29 points, -12 GD: Colchester(A), Doncaster(H), Morecambe(A), Forest Green(H), Wimbledon(A)
21st - Colchester United, 29 points, -17 GD: Grimsby(H), Accrington(H), Sutton(A), Salford(A), Stockport(H)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23rd - Sutton United, 22 points, -26 GD: Wrexham(H), Bradford(A), Colchester(H), Notts County(A), Tranmere(A)
24th - Forest Green Rovers, 20 points, -26 GD: Barrow(A), Crawley(A), Tranmere(H), Wrexham(H), Grimsby(A)

I'm saving myself a bunch of work by removing all but the bottom 4 from this update. Until Sutton and FGR look like they have even a remote chance of catching the teams in 17th-20th, why bother including those teams? They will still be marked in red, but I won't be listing their fixtures.

Next Week's Fixtures:

Tuesday 13th February
Colchester United v Grimsby Town
Barrow v Forest Green Rovers
Sutton United v Wrexham

Saturday 17th February
Bradford City v Sutton United
Colchester United v Accrington Stanley
Crawley Town v Forest Green Rovers
Grimsby Town v Doncaster Rovers


Colchester will surely fancy themselves to beat Grimsby and leapfrog them, then they have another winnable home game against inconsistent Accy. Sutton have 2 tough ones. I don't see FGR winning either of their games. Grimsby will need a positive result over Donny next Saturday to ease the nerves. No mid-week update, will do one next Saturday/Sunday.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Lose on Saturday and I think that’s us gone because the bottom two are improving and we’re only going one way atm. This club is cursed.

 

[Alfie]

Colchester will surely fancy themselves to beat Grimsby and leapfrog them, then they have another winnable home game against inconsistent Accy. Sutton have 2 tough ones. I don't see FGR winning either of their games. Grimsby will need a positive result over Donny next Saturday to ease the nerves. No mid-week update, will do one next Saturday/Sunday.

Oh dear, although not your fault but Colchester v Grimsby being abandoned did muck up your forecasts.
***BTW terrific result for Crewe at Stockport***

 

[BarraMatt]

FGR didn't look like an outfit that were bottom on last night's showing, some decent players in there and now you've got a manager in that actually knows what he's doing they may see an upturn in form. Just needed to get that one win over the line to regain some belief. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see them string a few results together to give them a chance.

 

[Gunit]

Can’t see us winning another game now. There’s more chance of us winning a penalty than a game. We’re done. Thanks for having us.

Not seen a league win since 28/10!!

 

[Boz]

Rovers in danger of sliding back into this. Lost the last two, Stockport next then games against the bottom two. Lose those three and we’re in touch with the relegation places again

 

[JaredSUFC]

Can’t see us winning another game now. There’s more chance of us winning a penalty than a game. We’re done. Thanks for having us.

Not seen a league win since 28/10!!

I haven’t been present for a win of any kind since 25/2/23…..

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I haven’t been present for a win of any kind since 25/2/23…..

I last saw SUFC win on 05/08/23 and very impressively so.

 

[クレイグ]

Can’t see us winning another game now. There’s more chance of us winning a penalty than a game. We’re done. Thanks for having us.

Not seen a league win since 28/10!!

Nice one. That's you beating us on Saturday now!

 

[Gunit]

Nice one. That's you beating us on Saturday now!

If we double you that’s automatic relegation in my book.

 

[JaredSUFC]

Nice one. That's you beating us on Saturday now!

Haha, funny

 

[Meadow]

Thankfully we're safe from relegation. We could even make the playoffs. Sad to see Sutton in their current predicament.

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Can’t see us winning another game now. There’s more chance of us winning a penalty than a game. We’re done. Thanks for having us.

Not seen a league win since 28/10!!

Not that it'd help, but the 2 games against our lot you really impressed me in terms of you shouldn't be where you are in the table. But I did read that you've saved the best 2 performances for us. Keep up what you did against us and results (and any blatant pens) may go for you.

 

[Gunit]

It’s too late. We’re ok now but not good enough to go on play off or above form.

Think there are probably a few games where we’ve played better but yes we played pretty well against you. (Notts opening day 5-1, though against 10, Walsall 4-0, AFCW away for a start).

 

[Master D]

Could see Sutton bouncing straight back though.

 

[Gunit]

Don’t know. Not sure what the finances are like these days. Relegation leaves a massive hole. We have investment coming from overseas but no idea the extent of it nor regularity. We also have ground work to fund, though sounds like it’ll be in stages. Plan is to get side to the right of the away fans as you look at the pitch fully developed over time.

 

[Greenacres]

Don’t know. Not sure what the finances are like these days. Relegation leaves a massive hole. We have investment coming from overseas but no idea the extent of it nor regularity. We also have ground work to fund, though sounds like it’ll be in stages. Plan is to get side to the right of the away fans as you look at the pitch fully developed over time.

It looks like we could be facing each other in the National League next season but I would rather be in your position than ours, a club run by sensible people with a clear grasp on reality...rather than, well, I think you know. I agree about relegation leaving a massive hole in finances, someone published our accounts for the last ten years earlier in the week, the differences in income between clubs in the League and National League are massive...OK, so we have someone willing to plug the gaps but for all his talk about sustainability it feels that our club is about as sustainable as a tub of ice cream abandoned in the Sahara.

 

[GTFCfish]

It’s too late. We’re ok now but not good enough to go on play off or above form.

Think there are probably a few games where we’ve played better but yes we played pretty well against you. (Notts opening day 5-1, though against 10, Walsall 4-0, AFCW away for a start).

You remind me a bit of ourselves when we went down, new manager comes in but playing catch up and he makes you a lot more solid and pretty much in every game, but can’t turn enough of them into wins to catch anybody up.
You seem to have drawn a lot just as we did which is good that you’re not getting spanked any more but not good enough to pull yourself to safety.
We also had some really late sickeners in games which makes that sinking feeling even worse, 90+5 equaliser for Carlisle, 89th minute equaliser for Salford after we battered them the whole game and missed a 1 on 1 v Cheltenham with the last kick of the game to win.
Your last second one v Doncaster last week reminded me of just how shitty that had all felt.
Which all combined tells me that you’re pretty much doomed.

 

[Gunit]

Yeah Doncaster was where all hope died for me. Found a way to not win against a side that deserved nothing. At a point where it would have put them under big pressure.

 

[GTFCfish]

.

 

[Gunit]

It’s only Grimsby and Colchester refusing to put us out of our misery.

 

[Greenacres]

It’s only Grimsby and Colchester refusing to put us out of our misery.

Yeah, it feels like they are being bad on purpose and will discover a rich vein of form just at the point that we have a chance of getting past them...sod's law it will be right at the very end of the season.

 

[dedwardp]

I don't think we have been bad since Etherington was given the boot. Last week's 90th minute goal at Harrogate is the only defeat and I think we can feel hard done by not to have at least four more points from the last few games - 11 or 12 points from Cowley's six games would then be a good return. In the last three games alone we've dropped points from two goalkeeping howlers and a ridiculously unfortunate own goal today.

I'd say I feel 95+% sure we won't get relegated and that's all that they need to worry about for the moment - they won't have us looking over our shoulders next season either. Just need a couple of wins to make that cushion seem insurmountable.

 

[devilofajob]

FGR are doomed if they can't get anything from us.
I'll stick my neck out and say majority predictions of our league demise were WRONG!

 

[Carver]

Grimsby and their glasses can fuck off down back to where they belong the fucking grim scruffy derelict chav yokels.

 

[GTFCfish]

Grimsby and their glasses can fuck off down back to where they belong the fucking grim scruffy derelict chav yokels.

Thanks for your input.