Route to survival

[Wild Bill]

Reasons to be optimistic. We are starting to play well and have some fresh blood in. Derek knows how to keep calm and carry on. Other teams will wobble, squabble and sack managers. We have some winnable home games against Accrington, Wimbledon, Barrow, Swindon, Cheltenham, Carlisle and Harrogate. We might also get some surprise results, particularly in April when many teams will have nothing to play for. It will probably go down to the last game, but at least we are at home this time. Keep the faith

[redrobo]

Just had a look at the Chesterfield v Doncaster game. Chesterfield are 4-1 up but significantly they have only had 8 shots bur 7 on target. Unless we improve our 'on target' rate we will be in trouble A he'll of a lot of work to be done in the training field but it can be done

[Billy bodger]

Still a long way to go we need to be in a reasonable position by the end of March 35+ then we have 4 of our
last seven games at home. Derek has to find a consistent scorer from our squad.
After the Fleetwood game why did we go back to same old same old 26 shots 1 goal?
We need consistent goal scorer.

[cragbankshrimp]

Still a long way to go we need to be in a reasonable position by the end of March 35+ then we have 4 of our
last seven games at home. Derek has to find a consistent scorer from our squad.
After the Fleetwood game why did we go back to same old same old 26 shots 1 goal?
We need consistent goal scorer.

This isn't going back to the same old. The same old was 5 shots and no goals ffs. We were unlucky not to come away with all three points and playing like they did on Tuesday we will win more than we'll lose.

[BerlinWaller]

Still a long way to go we need to be in a reasonable position by the end of March 35+ then we have 4 of our
last seven games at home. Derek has to find a consistent scorer from our squad.
After the Fleetwood game why did we go back to same old same old 26 shots 1 goal?
We need consistent goal scorer.

This isn't going back to the same old. The same old was 5 shots and no goals ffs. We were unlucky not to come away with all three points and playing like they did on Tuesday we will win more than we'll lose.

Totally agree with this.

[Billy bodger]

The same old same old, was referring to losing, even with 26 shots. It was the fact we did it out the ballin the net enough.

[black morse]

Route to survival is now very rocky.

We need a bare minimum of 44/45 points to stand a chance of survival based on the last 4 years figures.
We have 26 points so another 18/19 points from 14 games. 8 out of those are at home but 9 of the remaining fixtures are against clubs in the top half. It's still possible but very rocky indeed!

[Andy D]

It's Key that Derek finds his best front 3 fast!

[Angler1]

The only way we will survive is by going on a win streak ,meaning win at least 3 before a loss. Look at Swindon .

[redrobo]

We have to learn and use the way that other teams use the dark arts of the game as much as I detest such a move .

Last nights disgraceful use of them by Doncaster aided by a totally incompetent group of officials showed how by play acting and falling over at every tackle slowed the game down and took the pressure off them at times when we were getting momentum. Too many teams have come to the Maz and used such tactics and get away with it. But when Dacjers is man handled the referees award the opposition the free kick.

If that is the way the game is going then we have to join the club. However just you watch. If we did the same as others do it we'd be the ones to be booked by an ever growing band of totally incompetent set of officials both on the pitch and off .

[Keith]

Yesterday (and coming Saturday) are not the games we expect survival points to come from. One point from the two games would be a bonus. We were (again) unlucky not to have picked something up last night. That said, we started far too slowly and Doncaster should have been out of sight by half-time. Second half was much improved. Should we have had a penalty? Possibly even two? To be honest, watching the appeals back, I'm still not sure, but on another day (or in our penalty area instead of theirs!)

The other thing to remember when talking about 'shots' vs 'shots on target' is that shots blocked by a defender don't appear to count as 'on target'. We had a few shots from further out, that were blocked by defence. When your luck is in, the rebound falls to an attacker, or deflects into the goal. Last night, they always were cleared, or went to a defender. We need one or two 'good' rebounds or deflections. Doncaster had one block that went narrowly over the bar, that could just as easily have nestled in the top corner. When your luck is in... I'm happy to see those attempts on goal, as eventually, if we keep going, luck will change.

[KenH]

We have to learn and use the way that other teams use the dark arts of the game as much as I detest such a move .

Last nights disgraceful use of them by Doncaster aided by a totally incompetent group of officials showed how by play acting and falling over at every tackle slowed the game down and took the pressure off them at times when we were getting momentum. Too many teams have come to the Maz and used such tactics and get away with it. But when Dacjers is man handled the referees award the opposition the free kick.

If that is the way the game is going then we have to join the club. However just you watch. If we did the same as others do it we'd be the ones to be booked by an ever growing band of totally incompetent set of officials both on the pitch and off .

We do "play the game" sometimes too. There have been times when Moore did the "drop dead" injury to time waste and slow the game down last year. Last night, Stott was instructed to drop as he was walking off the pitch for treatment to his bleed - Derek didn't want him off the pitch for a few minutes receiving treatment, so told him to sit on the pitch, so he'd only be off for the 30 seconds after treatment. I was quite impressed the ref didn't berate him for it because he was nearly off the pitch before he dropped, but if the rules allow it, then why not?

We just need to do it more.

[marky No.1]

Yeah Stotts collapse was blatant, CC was continually having a go at their assistant, but he turned round and gave it back, lol

[RedRedWine]

I think its easy to watch the game through your own teams perspective and look for alternative outlets for your frustration - but I didn't actually think Donny were that bad at timewasting/managing the game last night; certainly not the worst. I also thought that the officials had a decent game, aside from awarding a few throws the wrong way - and didn't really notice their involvement too much.

On the balance of play last night, I think we were worthy of a draw - but didn't make the most of the opportunities that presented themselves after a very slow start to the game (we could easily have been 2 or 3 down after 10 minutes).

I don't really understand:
Why the start was so lacklustre
Why Macadam is in the team ahead of Whyte - he is perhaps more adaptable to playing different roles, but in the position he played most of the game last night... Whyte is clearly a much better option
Why we make a triple sub on 85 minutes - surely you have to give these players more of an opportunity to make an impact

The 'pitch' we have is a real leveller. Its a tight league anyway - but I do not really care too much about the position of teams we face as testified by Donny.... up there currently but holding on against us even before they were reduced to 10 men; we must fancy our chances against anybody playing on that absolute disgrace of a playing surface.

[Andy D]

Yeah Stotts collapse was blatant, CC was continually having a go at their assistant, but he turned round and gave it back, lol

Also there was a moment in the first half with Andy Dallas inside the penalty area, when challenged by the defender, Andy tried staying on his feet, where other players would of gone down play acting and been awarded a penalty.

[Keith]

I was quite impressed the ref didn't berate him for it because he was nearly off the pitch before he dropped, but if the rules allow it, then why not?

I think the ref was a bit more accepting because he was the one who told Stott to go off, and he was clearly bleeding, so not 'putting it on'.

[Billy bodger]

We need 20 points from 14 games to get to a real safety position, not a lot really until you see that we have only accumulated 26 from 32! With a dozen being 1-0 losses. That’s real frustration!! Just think if 4-5 of them were draws and how much better of everyone would feel.
Can we rely on beating all the teams 7 teams that have been mention, half the games?? No, we also have to pick up points against teams like Doncaster. Teams like MK Dons, Port Vale, Grimsby, Bromley and Salford.
Last night was a missed opportunity, just to get one goal and to get a point. Derek was calm last night, in fact I thought he was asleep standing up then woke up and put three guys on who wanted to get on 15-20 minutes earlier in the 85 minute and only Lewis could get into the game putting a good number of balls in the middle in the few minutes he was on the pitch.
I’m not asking a lot am I? After Saturdays win I would have taken a point at least against these two top teams and we were not good enough to get it last night. Are we good enough to get that point against Walsall, well on the day I hope we are, but then I hope we win and that would shake things up, so we hope it will happen and dream on.
I’ve not given up there is time to turn things around and get into 22nd place, COYS

[Billy bodger]

Just read Dereks message to us in ‘ALL THE RIGHT NOTES’ he said “get behind the team and make a difference” well the first 15 mins deflated us really, totally second best, so it’s hard to lift the team who start a game like that.

[Wild Bill]

I think we need six wins and a couple of draws to stay up. Maybe five wins and three draws. Any less and we are reliant on two teams being poorer than us.

Wimbledon, Barrow, Swindon, Cheltenham, Carlisle and Harrogate are all winnable at home.

Perhaps we will grab an unexpected win away or at home to a top team.

I still think its 50/50. Derek needs to find his best 11 though and our strikers need to come up with the goods.

I just hope we still have a chance come Harrogate on the last day.

[black morse]

Just read Dereks message to us in ‘ALL THE RIGHT NOTES’ he said “get behind the team and make a difference” well the first 15 mins deflated us really, totally second best, so it’s hard to lift the team who start a game like that.

Watching the game on Sky I noticed the support wained after the first 15 minutes....quite understandable really. The Team have to produce something to get the supporters really behind them. It showed in the second half when the volume of support was raised again.

[shrimpsontoast]

Six wins and a couple of draws. Don’t think so, this is a 50 point year.

[marky No.1]

I think we need 47 points going into the final game against Harrogate which is 21 points from 13 games equates to 6 wins, 3 draws , 4 losses.
A tough ask, but can't see a way we can be safe before Harrogate, just hope we have a chance on the last day while relying on others to fail no doubt

[fulwoodshrimp]

Like all fans I keep hoping that the season will turn and after a game like Fleetwood I hope we have turned a corner but I am brought back to earth sharply. Generally we have played well but just lack that quality, that cutting edge and sadly I am beginning to feel we are going to be relegated and experience life in the National League. Our route to survival just seems beyond us. We continue to struggle for goals and there is a reason clubs have loaned us strikers- they don't get many goals! It's a sad story but hopeless ownership has killed us.

[Andy D]

Credit to Derek Adam's, that we still have a chance mathematicaly, with all things considered.

[black morse]

Credit to Derek Adam's, that we still have a chance mathematicaly, with all things considered.

Definitely!