The 2016/17 Relegation Thread

[Indian Dan]

We have to climb above 2 teams to escape. Can't see it, tbh. Us and Bury.

 

[valefan16]

We have to climb above 2 teams to escape. Can't see it, tbh. Us and Bury.

We won't overhaul Bury.

 

[T.A]

We won't overhaul Bury.

You won't pick up another point this season?

 

[Indian Dan]

Some yellow fuckers may hand you 3 points

 

[valefan16]

You won't pick up another point this season?

Doubt it. Never win away and our home game is Bolton!

 

[hold'um Oldham]

Got married yesterday and the ceremony was due just as the goal went in. The usher announcing it got the biggest cheer of the day. Made my day. Here's to the play off push next season

 

[Lancs@(Bantam)]

Congrats Oldham well done, just need Bury to sort themselves out now and survive also.

 

[Shrimper92]

Reckon it will go;

Bury: LWL
Swindon: DDW
Port Vale: LLWL
Shrewsbury: DLL
Gillingham: DLD

Gillingham 51
Swindon 49
Bury 49
Shrewsbury 48
Port Vale 48
Chesterfield
Coventry

 

[valefan16]

Keeper error again after we'd started well and forced three of four good chances.

 

[Agombar stool]

Results going for us currently. If we can grab an away win it will be massive

 

[valefan16]

We'd be ok had our keeper not fucked up again, seconds after a goal we had disallowed and had forced their keeper into two great saves. Need something today and going with a whimper.

 

[PuB]

Sorry to see Vale go, it's a shit feeling as we know full well ourselves. Hopefully you'll be back sooner rather than later.

 

[KeithH]

Thank god that crap season is over. Commiserations to Port Vale from a very relieved shagger.

 

[GFC4EVA]

So pleased the season is over been awful from start to finish.

sorry to see vale go had a soft spot for them since our promotion battle but rather them than us.

Would like to thank pennock for his (poor) efforts but time to move on.
hopefully the rumour of kenny jackett being at our game were true, would be a very good appointment if true

 

[3Loggerheads]

GFC4EVA, The last few weeks I have been wondering how pivotal that 95 minute Gillingam winner in the match at our place at the end of August would be after we threw away a 2-0 lead........it kept you up but thankfully not at our expense.....

 

[GFC4EVA]

I would say our 95th minute equaliser at home to port vale looks to be our most important goal of the season as had we not got that the roles would have been reversed and we would have went down yesterday

 

[Buxton Vale]

I would say our 95th minute equaliser at home to port vale looks to be our most important goal of the season as had we not got that the roles would have been reversed and we would have went down yesterday

I agree. That goal was the difference in staying up or going down.

 

[Vale on Trent]

Gutted, but nothing surprises you with this club. It just goes down as another crap season following Port Vale. Personally, I can't be bothered with next season unless we are challenging at the top. That might make me a shit fan, but frankly I'm losing interest and I know I'm not the only one. 5 God awful years trying to get out of League Two have returned.

 

[valefan16]

Gutted, but nothing surprises you with this club. It just goes down as another crap season following Port Vale. Personally, I can't be bothered with next season unless we are challenging at the top. That might make me a shit fan, but frankly I'm losing interest and I know I'm not the only one. 5 God awful years trying to get out of League Two have returned.

It's deeply frustrating. That promotion and the hard work to get there with administration etc does feel a bit wasted right now. This was so so avoidable too with Smurf gambling on getting rid of rather than tweaking a very solid league one squad, then getting star struck when Jose Mourinho phoned and giving Bruno the job.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Goodbye League One.

It's been emotional.

 

[Gills4years]

It's deeply frustrating. That promotion and the hard work to get there with administration etc does feel a bit wasted right now. This was so so avoidable too with Smurf gambling on getting rid of rather than tweaking a very solid league one squad, then getting star struck when Jose Mourinho phoned and giving Bruno the job.

At least Smurf didn't make national news this season by following up his bizarre Exeter rant from the previous season (he should feel what it is like to lose twice to Brackley like us !)

If he was threatening to sell up then, I would have expected him to go ballistic about being relegated. Has he commented yet?

 

[LS Bantam]

How much do Vale fans link the European experiment last summer to relegation? That all seemed to be the chairmans doing gambling mid table mediocrity on something different, he's made his bed and now has to lie in it?

 

[Dan Phillips]

How much do Vale fans link the European experiment last summer to relegation? That all seemed to be the chairmans doing gambling mid table mediocrity on something different, he's made his bed and now has to lie in it?

That is ultimately why we have gone down.

It started the downward spiral and Michael Brown, as much as I have been critical since he took over on Boxing Day due to his silly tactical approaches to certain games and his bizarre positioning of certain players, he has been dealt a seriously harsh hand. Having the spine of the team (Jak Alnwick, Anthony Grant and Alex Jones) ripped from beneath him in January, forcing him to scrap around for free agents and poor loan options. We did improve slightly in terms of performance and endeavour until the final 7 or 8 games where we capitulated due to a mixture of lack of quality, a ridiculous injury list and having no confidence whatsoever.

This is a massive summer for us now. He has to get this right now in regards to Brown and his future, the retained list being sensible, and the restructuring of the boardroom and chairmanship being of absolute paramount importance.

 

[valefan16]

At least Smurf didn't make national news this season by following up his bizarre Exeter rant from the previous season (he should feel what it is like to lose twice to Brackley like us !)

If he was threatening to sell up then, I would have expected him to go ballistic about being relegated. Has he commented yet?

No he hasn't said a word in weeks... a) because the fans are vocally wanting him gone and b) rumours are he has sold us or taking a back seat and just financing it with someone else leading it.

Its all his fault he kind of admitted that a couple of months back so he cant really go ballistic at anyone but the man in the mirror.

 

[valefan16]

How much do Vale fans link the European experiment last summer to relegation? That all seemed to be the chairmans doing gambling mid table mediocrity on something different, he's made his bed and now has to lie in it?

Relegation is down to a few factors, that being the main one.

Its become apparent that Bruno's pre-season was shall we say more technical than fitness wise. At the start of the season we did the right thing in only playing a couple of the foreign lads in a side full of English experience so the older heads of Tavares and Knops. This worked out well and we were challenging the top end of the table with some real good results at home. Away from home we didn't find the right formula either (only seemed to find it in the last 5 days of the season!)

The fitness issues soon caught up with us and we ended up in my opinion having to throw in experienced foreign players far quicker than we should such as Amoros, Kiko, ADF and Big Reg in key roles and certainly around Xmas we had a line up with a very youthfulness with a fair chunk of the foreign signings. This led to poor form and some real embarrassing performances such as AFC Wimbledon, Sheff United, Bolton away where we just got shown up, even games we drew or the odd win was in a situation where we got smashed but Alnwick, poor opposition finishing etc let us off the hook.

Brown came in, we signed experience and to his credit the performances improved in that we started to compete in games even if results didn't go our way but then Jones, Alnwick and Grant going tore the core out the team.

Injuries then mounted and although form in general improved our complete lack of strikers signed in January/injured (Walker for eg) meant we just hadn't the goals to win enough games.

Our top scorer left
Our second top scorer is a centre half as is our forth!
Fifth is a right back/midfielder

Relegation Factors:
Foreign recruitment
Injuries
Away Form
Lack of Fitness
Using 41 players in 1 season!
Lack of strikers

List goes on.

 

[valefan16]

Norman Smurthwaite has today resigned.

Statement doesn't really answer if he will still be funding us until a new buyer comes in or if we will be self sufficient mind.

 

[Agombar stool]

Luke Williams gets the tin tack from Swindon.

A good start to the summer.

 

[KeithH]

Luke Williams gets the tin tack from Swindon.

A good start to the summer.

Sorry mate this is a league 1 forum!!!!
"ducks"

 

[Indian Dan]

Luke Williams gets the tin tack from Swindon.

A good start to the summer.

Now swiftly followed by Embleton and a definitive 'non' from Tactics Tim.

 

[Marked Ox]

Luke Williams gets the tin tack from Swindon.

A good start to the summer.

That is disappointing.

Is Tim Sherwood still with you?