The 2016/17 Relegation Thread

[Indian Dan]

That's us well and truly down. Another hammering on the road when we needed to win. No chance of getting anything in our next 3 games, two more humiliating derby defeats to come.

Goodbye League One, I'd say it's been fun but a 16th placed finish last season and a relegation this season says otherwise.

The one good thing about being down the bottom is that the teams around you are also shite and any games in hand are likely to be lost.

 

[EricSabin]

Yeah having played 2 games more than everyone else around is, with 3 very tough fixtures coming up.. I'll bet anyone on here £10 we won't pick up another point all season. Terrible side.

I'll take that bet. £10 that you get another point, you're on

 

[blademan89]

I'll take that bet. £10 that you get another point, you're on

I'll take the bet too

 

[Hurrikeen]

I'll take the bet too

And me.

 

[joethegill]

UTS sounds like a Gills fan.

 

[blademan89]

And me.

You will both stay up. I hope you both do anyway.

 

[UTS]

Alright, I hereby promise to pay £10 each if we pick up another point, which we won't. Easy money.

 

[JJH]

Alright, I hereby promise to pay £10 each if we pick up another point, which we won't. Easy money.

You won't pay up.

 

[Indian Dan]

You won't pay up.

I know a bloke I used once when a customer owed me 5 grand. His business card had a clenched fist with the catchy motif 'We don't fuck about' on it.

We'll use him.

 

[Gills4years]

I am getting a strange vibe this year that fans of a number of teams involved in this scrap are not getting as anxious as usual as they think that if their team goes down, they will have thoroughly deserved it.

In our case, the three wins we have chalked up in recent times - Southend Bury and Scunthorpe - have been achieved against the run of play and with huge fortune. Now additionally the goals we need to outscore the opposition have dried up.

Some fans are speculating whether we could even stay up if we lose the remaining six games. While I think that scenario is impossible it would also be undeserving so I am not sure I would want it to happen.

Some Vale and Bury fans have said they can not see where any more points are coming from either.

Of course, it never works out that way but it is true that none of us have any more games against each other in order to prove that we are the shite that sinks fastest.

 

[Hurrikeen]

If Vale don't beat either Wimbledon or Chesterfield in their next 2 games, only then will I start to feel a little happier.

Even Swindon are catching up.

All our run ins are difficult on paper.

 

[joethegill]

In our case, the three wins we have chalked up in recent times - Southend Bury and Scunthorpe - have been achieved against the run of play and with huge fortune. Now additionally the goals we need to outscore the opposition have dried up.

I'm not sure that's 100% accurate. Against Southend we played well in the first half and deserved to lead, then the red card on half time gave us further encouragement. Southend came out with nothing to lose second half and got one back, but I wouldn't say we were fortunate to win that one. Likewise Bury - they had a lot of shots but not clear cut chances, so I think we ground that one out deservedly too. Will certainly agree about Scunthorpe though, that was a robbery and a half that one!

On the flip side we thoroughly deserved to beat Chesterfield and were robbed that night, so it works both ways.

I think the rest of what you say is correct though, and I've often pointed out the run ins of some teams around us looking far worse than our own which I believe will keep us up. Not ideal, but it's how I see it playing out!

 

[valefan16]

We have been dire for months and only just started to improve since Xmas in the main. If we go down we will have deserved it IMO, although I guess whoever does go down will have deserved it!

We have picked up 10 points against the sides we have left to play in the first part of the season so a repeat would be welcome... but doesn't work like that does it!

 

[Bobbin']

Feel like this is said every season but whoever finishes in the bottom 4, deserves to go down. Everyone plays 46 games, everyone has the same amount of points to play for and if 20 teams get more than you, you deserve to go down.

Gills4years If you lose your next 6 and still stay up, you deserve to stay up. If the teams below you can't take advantage of that and still can't overtake you, then that's why they deserve to drop instead.

 

[valefan16]

If Gills lost all 6 and we didn't get the 3 points to stay up from 8 games we'd deserve to fold let alone go down! Sure they wont lose all 6 though!

 

[hold'um Oldham]

Of those teams just above the drop is anyone actually confident of staying up?

Seems like everyone reckons they won't win another game yet im quite confident we will still be in league 1 for our 21st season next year regardless of our tough fixtures.

Mind you our form is good so it's a little easier to be confident

 

[Simpo]

While we've generally been okay away for a good few years, is our home results that have been truly dismal over that time. But when Sheridan has come in, he's found the way to pick up points in nearly every home game.

I'll actually be very surprised if we go down from this position. Sealing safety in our last home game, against Rochdale, would be good fun.

 

[Indian Dan]

We've got Scunny, Wimbledon and Franchise at home and Driftwood, Saddlers and Charlton away

The best I can see is 9 points. Good enough? - I doubt it very much.

 

[womble76]

Well ardley said last night he is going to give the youngsters a chance now we are safe. So god knows what we will be like. We might be an early on the beach 3 points.

 

[joethegill]

I don't think we'll go down, but I'm probably one of very few Gills fans around who feels that. I've felt for a long time that there are enough sides who are worse than us, and I still maintain that belief.

 

[valefan16]

Well ardley said last night he is going to give the youngsters a chance now we are safe. So god knows what we will be like. We might be an early on the beach 3 points.

Play the kids on Saturday would be nice!

 

[GFC4EVA]

I don't think we'll go down, but I'm probably one of very few Gills fans around who feels that. I've felt for a long time that there are enough sides who are worse than us, and I still maintain that belief.

Wish I could share your optimism Joe but I just can't honestly see where we will get the points with the way we are playing atm.
Wanted pennock to succeed but he is way out of his depth

 

[Indian Dan]

We cant all go down, ffs!

 

[leedsvaliant]

Our only hope is if the 2 or 3 teams above us have a really poor run in, because I genuinely can only see us getting 4-6 points at the very most out of our remaining games. Having said that, most teams around us are saying the same thing and I can see it being quite a low points total that survives.

Clutching at Straws but :

AFC Wimbledon at home - hopefully play a team of kids as Ardley said
Rochdale away - might be playing for nothing as they are 6 points off the playoffs
Chesterfield away - might be virtually relegated
Sheffield United home - might be promoted or virtually promoted
Oxford United away - might have nothing to play for
Bolton Wanderers at home - might be promoted or virtually promoted
Walsall away - will have nothing to play for
Fleetwood Town away - might rest players for playoffs

But as we know only too well, teams who have nothing to play for are often relaxed and are potentially more dangerous. It'll clearly go down to the last game and I wouldn't trust us to win at Fleetwood or indeed anywhere away from home.

Get a few of our injured players back and we might have a chance but they're all completely unfit at the moment.

 

[joethegill]

Wish I could share your optimism Joe but I just can't honestly see where we will get the points with the way we are playing atm.
Wanted pennock to succeed but he is way out of his depth

Well no, I completely understand where people are coming from, and Pennock certainly isn't the answer. Having said that, I think we do have players (not defensively) who are more than competitive to win games against fellow league one sides. Whether we do or not is up for debate!

Also, I'm honestly not THAT bothered if we do go down anyway. Yes, the quality of football will be lower, but not by a huge amount. We'd get to play a few different sides and go to a few different places, and forgive me if I'd rather an away trip to Cambridge or Exeter than yet another Greater Manchester or Yorkshire club - Looks as though at least 3 of those will be joining League One next season, although they could well be replaced by a similar amount going the other way. Of course, there are negatives to going down a tier.

Accrington for one.

 

[Bobbin']

Well ardley said last night he is going to give the youngsters a chance now we are safe. So god knows what we will be like. We might be an early on the beach 3 points.

See you still have to play Port Vale, Swindon and Oldham.

I'm sure every other side down there, including us really appreciate him doing that.

 

[Bobbin']

Our only hope is if the 2 or 3 teams above us have a really poor run in, because I genuinely can only see us getting 4-6 points at the very most out of our remaining games. Having said that, most teams around us are saying the same thing and I can see it being quite a low points total that survives.

Clutching at Straws but :

AFC Wimbledon at home - hopefully play a team of kids as Ardley said
Rochdale away - might be playing for nothing as they are 6 points off the playoffs
Chesterfield away - might be virtually relegated
Sheffield United home - might be promoted or virtually promoted
Oxford United away - might have nothing to play for
Bolton Wanderers at home - might be promoted or virtually promoted
Walsall away - will have nothing to play for
Fleetwood Town away - might rest players for playoffs

But as we know only too well, teams who have nothing to play for are often relaxed and are potentially more dangerous. It'll clearly go down to the last game and I wouldn't trust us to win at Fleetwood or indeed anywhere away from home.

Get a few of our injured players back and we might have a chance but they're all completely unfit at the moment.

I've always thought it to be the other way, you want to be playing the teams with nothing to play for.

 

[darren gregory]

I'm sorry mate but we still lost twice didn't we.. we are a bloody awful side. Like I said, we won't pick up another point this season I'm sure of it. Capitulation.

WOW,, points in bag over games in hand all day.
And you have Vaughan ....
calm down lad

 

[Indian Dan]

Well no, I completely understand where people are coming from, and Pennock certainly isn't the answer. Having said that, I think we do have players (not defensively) who are more than competitive to win games against fellow league one sides. Whether we do or not is up for debate!

Also, I'm honestly not THAT bothered if we do go down anyway. Yes, the quality of football will be lower, but not by a huge amount. We'd get to play a few different sides and go to a few different places, and forgive me if I'd rather an away trip to Cambridge or Exeter than yet another Greater Manchester or Yorkshire club - Looks as though at least 3 of those will be joining League One next season, although they could well be replaced by a similar amount going the other way. Of course, there are negatives to going down a tier.

Accrington for one.

If you had Power owning your club you'd be shitting yourself that dropping to L2 was a prelude to non league and then on to oblivion

 

[LadyWomble]

See you still have to play Port Vale, Swindon and Oldham. I'm sure every other side down there, including us really appreciate him doing that.

Ardley will not be fielding 11 kids in any remaining game. He's very protective of young players, too protective in many fans' eyes who wish he'd play them more. I took his comment to mean that someone like Egan who has only come on as a sub so far may get a start. Or other young'ish/fringe players (Fitzpatrick, Beere, Oakley) may get more game time. In the case of the latter, they will be giving their all in the hope of getting a new contract for next season.