Underperformer Of The Season?

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Quick thoughts on who folks reckon has been the most underperforming side of the season thus far?

Is it you're own side?
Have you expected so much more from them, or another club?
Or have you expected more, been provided little, but still expect to finish strongly?

There's been some clubs that have undoubtedly been amongst the bigger spenders, some of which are up there challenging for automatic, some of which are lingering around in mid-table needing a barnstorming run to become a playoff contender.

Or maybe fans of the club's in trouble reckon that they should have proven better on pre-season expectations?

Either which way, we all have aspirations for our own sides, but who has massively let down the most so far?

No need for the over-achievers thread, as Accy have already brought a six month supply of Brasso to shine their well deserved trophy.

 

[shoddycollins]

Hartlepool... we expected massive things of them with Bingham in their side.

More seriously though this thread has Luton written all over it.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Hartlepool. After the miracle Moore worked last season I thought they'd be around the top 7.

 

[jacobncfc]

Ray Trew.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Luton really. But ourselves, Cambridge, and Notts all have genuine reasons to feel quite disappointed, based on what was predicted on here by our own and other fans.

I'm really disappointed in truth. This was the first season in ages we actually had a budget that we could go out and buy the players we were targeting, and not just sign the only players left at the end of the window to fill a gap. I was optimistic that this season we could achieve something but we haven't been able to find any consistency whatsoever. Injuries have disrupted us since September/October, but really, we weren't exactly looking brilliant before that.

Overall, it's been a disappointing season, littered with some very good moments.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Hartlepool. After the miracle Moore worked last season I thought they'd be around the top 7.

I thought we'd be comfortably mid-table at least. Moore should be doing better with the squad he has. Combination of poor man management, confusing tactics and lack of strengthening in midfield has cost us. He still has time left in the bank from last season but we've got a number of winnable home games coming up and a poor return from them will demand a change. It's amazing how patient the fans have been and crowds have stayed around the 3.5-4k mark all season.

Luton win the prize for this thread possibly followed by Notts and us.

 

[Meadow]

Us. On paper, we have a fantastic team, but they seem to have been sleepwalking until recently.

 

[womble76]

Are you bonkers. It can't be us we are just outside playoffs. Our squad if not ducking around is good enough to go up but also good enough to be midtable. Notts county or Cambridge for me. I expected Moore.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I think us and Notts County are probably joint 1st.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

I think us and Notts County are probably joint 1st.

Nah. You beat Notts County.

 

[jacobncfc]

I think we should win because Luton have at least taken a vaguely sensible approach to switching managers.

 

[Meadow]

Are you bonkers. It can't be us we are just outside playoffs. Our squad if not ducking around is good enough to go up but also good enough to be midtable. Notts county or Cambridge for me. I expected Moore.

What we've done the last few matches is what we should have been doing for the whole season so we have underachieved.

We're not underachieving now.

 

[womble76]

This basically suggests we should be winning the league.

 

[Beast]

I thought some of morecombes signing were very good for this level and expected them to be doing better then they are same with Cambridge thought they should be near the top with there signings

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Well we can settle if the biggest underachievers are us or Notts County tomorrow in the underachievers derby.

We have been poor all season and the general expectation level was that we would be up there challenging for automatic promotion. We have fallen woefully, and expensively short.

Dont mean to sound wise after the event but I did have some reservations in the summer about who we had brought in, but even I thought we would be in the playoffs. Its become apparent that Still really made a huge balls up over the summer in bringing in a load of expensive and on paper good quality players but with no cohesive thought or plan behind any of it. Its lead to us looking disjointed and out of kilter all season.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I loved John Still, but like with every manager, you know he's going to be dismissed when you start thinking: "what game was he watching" and you start disagreeing totally with what he's saying.

Some of his decisions in recent weeks have been baffling. Luke Guttridge - a player who he said is chronically unfit. A player who was allegedly was kept out of the team by John for being a 'trouble maker'... signed on an 18 month contract. Puzzling.

The team's defensive, negative mentality was eventually our downfall and the more setbacks we had, the more (subconsciously) defensive we became. We would've been in a lot better position if we didn't concede all of the last minute goals earlier in the year. That absolutely crippled us.

A positive though going into the final months of the season - our GD is a lot better than all of the clubs around us, which might suggest we're in a slightly false position. I'd be surprised if we still finished outside of the Top 10 this season.

 

[hellogregory]

Notts County.


I predicted Luton would struggle, they are actually doing better than I thought.

 

[Habbinalan]

My first reaction was a clear win for us but actually we've been good in parts all season and have had some great away performances, even before Richard departed. I thought Luton but I can see them finishing higher than their current position - then so might we if all the Jimmy Spencer summer hype pre-injury is to be believed.

Based on diligent research, blended with a hint of prejudice and a big dollop of superstition:

1. Portsmouth
2. Luton Town
3. Plymouth Argyle
_________
4. Notts County
5. Oxford United
6. Northampton Town
7. Barnet
____________
8. Cambridge United
9. Leyton Orient
10. Bristol Rovers
11. Wycombe Wanderers
12. AFC Wimbledon
13. Yeovil Town
14. Exeter City
15. Hartlepool United
16. Morecambe
17. Carlisle United
18. Stevenage
19. Mansfield Town
20. Dagenham & Redbridge
21. York City
22. Accrington Stanley
______________
23. Newport County
24. Crawley

Despite our goal keeping issues, after that review of our opposition for the season, I'm feeling much more relaxed. With 8/8 approaching, I shall now try to keep bullishness in check until early November - when I'll hopefully be returning from a month off the grid in the wilds of Argentina to a top 10 league position and a favourable draw in both FA and League Cups (bullishness control failure again).

If I look back to my July predictions, I clearly over-estimated Barnet's potential - but few shared my optimism. Since I don't expect much improvement from them, my award goes to Notts County.

 

[mowgli]

Player for us Jason Banton now released.
Team i thought would be higher is Yeovil after Sturrock got the managers job.

 

[E10rifle]

For coin spent versus points returned it's clearly Luton. One of only two teams with a bigger budget than Franceso's Failcats.

Notts County the other obvious candidates, though that whole club seems to be caught in a massive malaise. For such a big club their attendances (home and away) have been a joke.

 

[shoddycollins]

For coin spent versus points returned it's clearly Luton. One of only two teams with a bigger budget than Franceso's Failcats.

Notts County the other obvious candidates, though that whole club seems to be caught in a massive malaise. For such a big club their attendances (home and away) have been a joke.

I was surprised at their away attendance at Deepdale, thought they'd be well up the shorter trip but hardly any turned up. Think Yeovil brought more to Blackpool.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Leyton and Lootun...

 

[jacobncfc]

For coin spent versus points returned it's clearly Luton. One of only two teams with a bigger budget than Franceso's Failcats.

Notts County the other obvious candidates, though that whole club seems to be caught in a massive malaise. For such a big club their attendances (home and away) have been a joke.

Pretty much sums it up, everyone's sort of given up. We've fallen from
the top half of League One to the bottom half of League Two in twelve months, so it's understandable. We've been consistently dreadful for about four years, in hindsight missing out on the play-offs in League One on goal difference with a team that had a fantastic chance of going on to win them completely knocked everything out of us.

 

[SVH]

Are Orient really paying Jay Simpson 8k a week? If so, Luton and Orient for me.

 

[Habbinalan]

Are Orient really paying Jay Simpson 8k a week? If so, Luton and Orient for me.

Based on the exceptionally full and detailed briefing we had pre-season, Orient are performing much as I expected. At this stage, I see no reason why Nolan will make enough of a difference, especially if he tries to do it ON the pitch.

It won't be a Davids style meltdown but every time he steps on the pitch there'll a welcome awaiting. Ledson, Dunne and Berry got a spring in their step when he came on yesterday and Ledson managed to get to the head of the queue.

I think we'll both hover around 10th.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Are Orient really paying Jay Simpson 8k a week? If so, Luton and Orient for me.

That was last season. He had a 50% wage cut. He will be on £3.5-£4k, as will McAnuff. I imagine Payne will be around that. Cox will be on £5k. I don't particularly want to think of Nolan's wages.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Wow, so you reckon some £14k-£17k a week on the wages of just 4 players?

I'd imagine that's the entire weekly budget for over half the division! I wasn't even aware of that.

 

[Urban]

Still can't get over how they were paying Dossena £20k p/w last season...

 

[Nelza82]

Orient and Luton considering the wages they pay.

Notts have been in a dark place for a while and seem to have a bellend of a chairman so no real surprise.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I'm not surprised by Notts. Didn't expect them to be fighting relegation nor do I expect them to get a top 7. Not after appointing some foreign geezer who knew didly shit about League 2. Seems they've taken another gamble with Fullarton but no matter how bad he is I'd expect County to be 11th-15th.