The Hotel End

The Hotel End => Cobblers Corner => Topic started by: TPFKA Marvo on December 23, 2023, 17:41:55 pm



Title: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 23, 2023, 17:41:55 pm
Look, I know a lot of you have written us off already but history is on our side. Graham Carr finished 6th in his first season in the third Tier after promotion (would have been enough for the play-offs now) and Ian Atkins did reach the play-offs after finishing 4th. The point is, we almost always had our best season in our first tilt at this level, only Keith Curle failed entirely. So why not? We're 10th, 4th in the current form table, have already beaten Peterborough, Blackpool and now Oxford, all above us. Okay, Derby tore us a new one but nobody else has taken us apart. Two or three additions to the current squad in January and who knows what we might achieve. One thing history has taught us, when the chance arrives you have to take it with both hands. You don't need reminding what normally happens in our second season in Tier 3. Have some faith. If we can turn Stevenage over, its game on.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on December 23, 2023, 17:55:19 pm
Just no. Enjoy the moment before you even start to consider such things.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Cordwainer2 on December 23, 2023, 18:03:38 pm
Only interested in the gap to the relegation places!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on December 23, 2023, 18:07:35 pm
In all fairness we are very nearly top of our league - well our sub division. We aren't battling it out for the play off spots, we are not fighting to keep the relegation contenders at bay, we are near the top of our bunch. Just Lincoln to overcome.

Top of the sub division clash next week then.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on December 23, 2023, 18:10:45 pm
I don’t think this thread is too mad personally.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on December 23, 2023, 18:13:03 pm
I don’t think this thread is too mad personally.

It’s sanity personified when you think someone started a thread about redevelopment over 11 years ago.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on December 23, 2023, 18:14:49 pm
I don’t think this thread is too mad personally.
I think that you and and Marvo need a very big fat cuddle together.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on December 23, 2023, 18:45:05 pm
It’s sanity personified when you think someone started a thread about redevelopment over 11 years ago.

😂😂😂😂

I think that you and and Marvo need a very big fat cuddle together.

Momentum’s a weird thing in sport mate. I’m sure we won’t be troubling the top six. But after years of league two, might as well enjoy the ride ☺️

I’d certainly like to see a few pounds found from the sofa in January, let’s see what we could do.

Up the Cobblers.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: itsme on December 23, 2023, 19:46:27 pm
A couple more wins and it will be time to look up not down


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on December 23, 2023, 19:52:37 pm
I'm all for looking ahead but I do think at least a positive WDL is required before thinking about play offs. The two teams below us, Charlton and Bristol Rovers have a game in hand and 1 and 2 points behind us so 10th is a nice artificial spot to enjoy at Christmas.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dr Feelgood on December 23, 2023, 20:04:57 pm
I don’t think this thread is too mad personally.
I do


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 23, 2023, 20:08:53 pm
I'm all for looking ahead but I do think at least a positive WDL is required before thinking about play offs. The two teams below us, Charlton and Bristol Rovers have a game in hand and 1 and 2 points behind us so 10th is a nice artificial spot to enjoy at Christmas.


And the team directly above us in only 2pts ahead and WE have a game in hand, so.....

If only you could count games in hand as definite wins. Football isn't like that, Charlton haven't won any of their last 4.

Anyway, let's see how the next two games go against two sides currently above us. That should give us a better idea.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on December 23, 2023, 20:27:39 pm

If only you could count games in hand as definite wins. Football isn't like that, Charlton haven't won any of their last 4.


They haven't lost in their last 7 league games either.
I would love to be talking about the play offs but to consider yourself a contender I do think a top half WDL is required.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: lordjord on December 24, 2023, 19:43:08 pm
For me its fantastic that this threat can even be discussed, it shows the progress that has been made under Brady. That being said I think its definitely a few steps too far. We are flying right now but a lack of squad depth and goals around the team will stop us IMO.

Still, if we can secure a win against Stevenage it puts us in a really strong position to sell the club to new recruits in this window. A L1 side that is pushing for the playoffs, definitely a much more attractive position then one where you could end up in L2 next season.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on December 24, 2023, 20:30:17 pm
Still, if we can secure a win against Stevenage it puts us in a really strong position to sell the club to new recruits in this window. A L1 side that is pushing for the playoffs, definitely a much more attractive position then one where you could end up in L2 next season.

This entirely, but who would you drop if nobody moves on? My former suggestion has been superb in recent weeks so I can forget about him being replaced.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 26, 2023, 13:59:37 pm
Charlton beaten today since that's one team that can't go above us.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dr Feelgood on December 26, 2023, 15:20:30 pm
Can we close this please. We're going to be nowhere near the playoffs


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on December 26, 2023, 15:29:29 pm
Can we close this please. We're going to be nowhere near the playoffs

I just came on to say the same thing but you beat me to it. :P


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3649 on December 26, 2023, 15:33:43 pm
Pffffft 😏


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on December 27, 2023, 06:53:00 am
Can we close this please. We're going to be nowhere near the playoffs

Nah... I love it when we can memorialise somebody's rush of blood to the head.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on December 27, 2023, 07:39:18 am
There is zero chance of us competing for a place in the play offs, we have already lost 12 games in the first half of the season.

But with 30 points in the bag already and no team being relegated in the last 10 years with 51 points we only need another 21 points to be safe from relegation. In fact the average number of points required over the 10 tear period was 48.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 29, 2023, 20:45:49 pm
Its back on! All we need to do is get us a goal scorer.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on December 29, 2023, 20:48:40 pm
We were nearly top of our sub section tonight. Only a late Rovers goal between us and 9th place.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 29, 2023, 21:18:00 pm
Portsmouth, Bolton, Peterborough & Derby are probably a class apart and will almost surely fill the top 4 places. But that leaves two spots. Are we really saying we can't compete with Stevenage, Oxford, Barnsley, Blackpool & Bristol Rovers? Really?

The chairman has got to back Brady in this transfer window and bring in some goals for us. It's got to be worth the gamble, these opportunities don't come around that often.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on December 29, 2023, 21:26:20 pm
Well we didn't compete with Stevenage on Boxing Day.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 29, 2023, 21:36:35 pm
Well we didn't compete with Stevenage on Boxing Day.

But we beat Oxford, Peterborough and Blackpool. What's your point? Youi can't win every game, you should be more supportive of your team.

Also remember what Everbrite said in the first week of the season. Stevenage are a flash in the pan and he wouldn't be in the slightest surprised if we finish above them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on December 29, 2023, 22:07:14 pm
I'd say each of those wins were blue moon moments. If we finish top ten I'll be chuffed. Playoffs ecstatic. 14th or 15th is realistic


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 29, 2023, 22:30:59 pm
I'd say each of those wins were blue moon moments. If we finish top ten I'll be chuffed. Playoffs ecstatic. 14th or 15th is realistic

Surely that's with what we have now? What if Brady is allowed to bring in two or three players that prove successful?

If you don't dream then you can't have a dream come true.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: bringbackbroadhurst on December 30, 2023, 07:34:45 am
I'm just enjoying where we are and how we're playing.

It would be amazing to reach the play-offs, but it would probably be the worst thing for us in the bigger picture. Think 1998-99.

If the stand saga comes to an end next year and we can attract some investment, then that's the time to look at things differently, perhaps.

A few years of stable League One finishes and more nights like last night is all I want.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on December 30, 2023, 07:40:55 am
Of the teams above us we have beaten Peterborough, Blackpool and Oxford and lost all of the other 7 games taking 9 points from a possible 30.

You don't have to be a "mastermind" to think this thread is "pointless" but the "countdown" is on, let "the chase" begin.
"Opportunity knocks" but only 4 teams have a worse defensive record, will this be "the weakest link"?
Perhaps the "tipping point" will be the transfer window, will JB get a "deal or no deal" and will "the price be right"?
At the end of the day it is just a "question of sport".

Sorry, I have too much spare time.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 30, 2023, 08:03:56 am
1st. Portsmouth.
Lost 0-3 at home to Blackpool and haven't win for 3 games, including draws with two team in the bottom 5.

2nd. Bolton.
Lost 0-4 at home to Wigan.

3rd. Peterborough.
Also lost to Wigan and of course us.

4th. Derby
Lost their first three home games.

It's easy to find chinks in any armour, even in the top four teams in this division. There are a couple of play-offs spots up for grabs, why not us? Over the last 10 games we've the 6th best record in the division. This may be our moment because history tells us we don't fare to well in our second season in the third tier.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on December 30, 2023, 13:09:23 pm
With 22 games to play we need another 45 points or there abouts, W12 D9 L1 i dont think we have that form in this team to reach the play-offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 30, 2023, 13:36:23 pm
With 22 games to play we need another 45 points or there abouts, W12 D9 L1 i dont think we have that form in this team to reach the play-offs.

How about 15 wins, 7 defeats?

Anyway, I don't think anyone believes this squad as it is will do it BUT like I and others have said before, 3 astute signings could make all the difference. Its unlikely but not totally out of the realms of possibility.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on December 30, 2023, 14:49:23 pm
 We could get 3 excellent signings, but they are likely just going to be replacements for Bowie, Hoskins and Leonard. Even if we kept this squad i cant see us getting 15 more wins.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on December 31, 2023, 12:03:31 pm
The average number of points to achieve a 6th place finish over the last 10 completed seasons is 73 with the highest being 81 (2 seasons ago) and under 70 on 3 occasions.
So to get to 73 points we would need another 40 points from our remaining 22 games, almost 2 points a game which is a tall order.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 31, 2023, 12:14:35 pm
If we beat Cheltenham Monday and keep on gaining points at the same rate as we have this season, we'd end up with 66pts. That's not far short you know. This transfer window is crucial.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DrillingCobbler on December 31, 2023, 12:25:46 pm
The team in 7th, is currently shooting towards 84 points.

I think that's our biggest issue. We would need to perform top3, for 22 games whilst others would have too slip up a fair bit.

Of course everything can change quickly. Win tomorrow and a couple of the teams lose around 5th/6th, and we could be 7 points off...which makes things look much more doable.

Statistically we've probably got about a 2% chance, but I wont be booking any holidays around the play off dates yet, just in case!!  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on December 31, 2023, 12:46:21 pm
I'd love us to push on. But we are not going to make the play offs. We are still quite inconsistent, as recent performances have shown. Plus I very much doubt there will be any significant increase in the playing budget any time soon.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on December 31, 2023, 12:51:34 pm
We are not keeping enough clean sheets and are conceding too many goals, only Shrewsbury and 3 of the bottom 4 have conceded more. We have conceded 15 in our last 7 away games and wont win many conceding over 2 goals per game.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on December 31, 2023, 13:00:48 pm
I'd love us to push on. But we are not going to make the play offs. We are still quite inconsistent, as recent performances have shown. Plus I very much doubt there will be any significant increase in the playing budget any time soon.

If we can retain current squad it is possible to have a decent season. If we are on a Dave Bowen type of season then next season maybe the one to watch.
Otherwise Terrys comments smack of common sense


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Worthless Recluse on December 31, 2023, 13:02:43 pm
If we beat Cheltenham Monday and keep on gaining points at the same rate as we have this season, we'd end up with 66pts. That's not far short you know. This transfer window is crucial.
Here's one for you then Marvo.
If we pick up 2 pts a game from now until the end of the season we will have 77 points and maybe an outside chance of top 6.
When was the last time we averaged 2 points a game over a run of 22 games outside of the fourth tier?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on December 31, 2023, 13:23:25 pm
66 points last year would have been 10th, so outside the playoffs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 31, 2023, 13:26:58 pm
Here's one for you then Marvo.
If we pick up 2 pts a game from now until the end of the season we will have 77 points and maybe an outside chance of top 6.
When was the last time we averaged 2 points a game over a run of 22 games outside of the fourth tier?

Outside chance? When Carr finished 6th in this division he got 73pts. When Atkins finished 4th he got 71pts.

Anyway your question. Starting at Barrow in 2022 (final league game of the season) and ending at Carlisle in December, we collected 45pts from 22 matches. That was in League 2 of course, I doubt we've ever done something similar in League 1 but I can't say for certain.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 31, 2023, 13:34:42 pm
66 points last year would have been 10th, so outside the playoffs.


and in 2014/5 it would have been only 3 points short as Chesterfield finished 6th on 69.

66pts would have finished 7th.

Its highly unlikely but its not impossible. With every win you record, the task gets easier and vice-versa of course. Lets beat Cheltenham first and see where that takes us. When we lost at home to Dagenham under Chris Wilder, if you have predicted what would happen later that season they'd have said you were mad. Things are only impossible until someone makes them possible - Nelson Mandela.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Worthless Recluse on December 31, 2023, 13:47:59 pm
Outside chance? When Carr finished 6th in this division he got 73pts. When Atkins finished 4th he got 71pts.

Anyway your question. Starting at Barrow in 2022 (final league game of the season) and ending at Carlisle in December, we collected 45pts from 22 matches. That was in League 2 of course, I doubt we've ever done something similar in League 1 but I can't say for certain.
When Carr finished 6th with 73 points, I wonder how many points 6th position had after 24 games relative to Oxfords 43 today?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on December 31, 2023, 14:12:59 pm
Until it is mathematically impossible, it is still possible...FACT


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 31, 2023, 14:24:18 pm
When Carr finished 6th with 73 points, I wonder how many points 6th position had after 24 games relative to Oxfords 43 today?

Wigan in 6th had 40pts after 23 games.
The next table a few days alter has Brentford 6th with 41pts after 25 games.

Sadly nobody made it to 6th having played 24 games.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 31, 2023, 14:26:28 pm
I'm finding the discussion quite amusing. I forever being called out on here for being the "negative" one, now I'm being called out for being the positive one. I've a feeling I can never win.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Worthless Recluse on December 31, 2023, 14:41:33 pm
I've a feeling I can never win.
So overall a sense of negativity?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on December 31, 2023, 15:18:17 pm
Here's one for you then Marvo.
If we pick up 2 pts a game from now until the end of the season we will have 77 points and maybe an outside chance of top 6.
When was the last time we averaged 2 points a game over a run of 22 games outside of the fourth tier?

Probably under Dave Bowen promotion season in the Third Division, we finished with 100+pts  .....I think!
Come in Freddie Ramscar.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3649 on December 31, 2023, 15:18:31 pm
Any stats to back that up?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on December 31, 2023, 15:25:25 pm
Probably under Dave Bowen promotion season in the Third Division, we finished with 100+pts  .....I think!
Come in Freddie Ramscar.

Sorry Everbrite, only 2pts for a win back then so just 62pts. That would equate to 88pts for 3 pts for a win.

We did score more than 100 goals though, maybe that's where you're getting confused?

That table is on this forum.

Having said that, if you include the first three games of the following season in Division 1, the Cobblers under 3pts for a win would have amassed 53pts in a 22 game period.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on December 31, 2023, 15:27:30 pm
I've a feeling I can never win.

You can't.

FACT


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on December 31, 2023, 15:36:19 pm
I'm finding the discussion quite amusing. I forever being called out on here for being the "negative" one, now I'm being called out for being the positive one. I've a feeling I can never win.

This country. :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on December 31, 2023, 16:27:57 pm
We are currently WDL 10 3 11 The two clubs in the bottom two play off positions are 12 7 5 and 13 4 7 so it's gojng to take an impressive second half to overhaul either of those. Weirdly Stevenage's 12 7 5 seems easier to overtake to me but they are both 10 points ahead.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on December 31, 2023, 17:11:10 pm
Sorry Everbrite, only 2pts for a win back then so just 62pts. That would equate to 88pts for 3 pts for a win.

We did score more than 100 goals though, maybe that's where you're getting confused?

That table is on this forum.

Having said that, if you include the first three games of the following season in Division 1, the Cobblers under 3pts for a win would have amassed 53pts in a 22 game period.
   
Northampton Town   46   26   10   10   109   60   1.817   62   Division Champions, promoted
2   Swindon Town   46   22   14   10   87   56   1.554   58   Promoted
3   Port Vale      46   23   8   15   72   58   1.241   54   
4   Coventry City   46   18   17   11   83   69   1.203   53



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on December 31, 2023, 18:43:04 pm
We would also need a point more than our rivals as we are the only team in the top 10 with a negative goal difference.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on December 31, 2023, 19:31:33 pm
We would also need a point more than our rivals as we are the only team in the top 10 with a negative goal difference.

Presumably ours would improve if we keep on winning games and theirs would decline if they keep on losing.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 01, 2024, 14:13:24 pm
Two of our targets, Oxford & Stevenage both behind.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 01, 2024, 15:59:10 pm
I think that you and and Marvo need a very big fat cuddle together.

Joining our cuddle yet?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 01, 2024, 16:03:18 pm
Stevenage, Derby, Bristol Rovers all beaten, Barnsley drop 2 pts at home. Cobblers 9th, just 7pts off the play-offs. Still along shot but never say never.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 01, 2024, 16:06:42 pm
JB must be chuffed looking at that table.
Another 3 points closer to safety. Great to see Bowie starting to fire a few in.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 01, 2024, 16:10:14 pm
JB must be chuffed looking at that table.
Another 3 points closer to safety. Great to see Bowie starting to fire a few in.

I'm not even looking down anymore, doesn't concern us.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on January 01, 2024, 16:33:20 pm
Joining our cuddle yet?
I might get a bit squashed mate.  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: ajp on January 01, 2024, 17:59:21 pm
The next set of five (tough) games may point the way forward to how the season will progress imo.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 01, 2024, 20:24:56 pm
I've just noticed with Leyton Orient winning ar Cambridge today, the three teams automatically promoted from League 2 are all now in the top half of League 1.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 02, 2024, 10:41:03 am
Only three of the teams above us playing a league game Saturday, I reckon the best result would be Leyton Orient to beat Blackpool or at the very least take a point.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: NottsCobbler on January 02, 2024, 14:31:10 pm
Only three of the teams above us playing a league game Saturday, I reckon the best result would be Leyton Orient to beat Blackpool or at the very least take a point.

Orient vs Blackpool postponed on Saturday due to Blackpool's involvement in the FA Cup third round at Forest.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Madrid Cobbler on January 03, 2024, 09:39:58 am
Obviously it's great to be where we are and it's more than we could have dreamed of a couple of months ago. However, before we all get too excited about play-off possibilities, let's get through January. Personally, even from here, I'd consider a 15th place finish to be a success.

To me the most important thing is keeping key players in the window. Getting another central midfielder and a winger would be nice, as McWilliams and Sowerby are injury prone (not to mention Fox of course!) and an out and out winger would give us another option. Other signings might depend on injuries and whether any of our players get poached.

UTC!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: BackOfTheNet on January 03, 2024, 10:00:40 am
I've said all along, success this season is comfortable survival. We look like we'll do that, but I'm not taking anything for granted just yet.

That said, the playoffs are not out of reach. When people first started talking about them we were 10 points off them and I thought that was too much, but in the space of a week we've closed that to 7 points. There are always teams that go on a run and teams who fade away (and I still maintain Stevenage will start to get find out by the better footballing sides in the second half of the season) so with almost half a season to go 7 points is very doable.

I don't think we're good enough to get through the playoffs if we do scrape into them, but it extends the season and keeps the interest up, doesn't it?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 03, 2024, 10:47:26 am
It'd be nice to mount a challenge.
Would be the highest ever finish most of our younger fans have ever seen. Unless you are 60+ we could achieve what most fans have only ever seen a few times with a 4th, 6th and 9th finish in this league since the infamous 1960's.

It would have highly unusual for us not have some interest at either end of the table when we get to the final few matches.
TBH I'd settle for a double over the P*sh, with anything else a bonus.

I think it is a shared ambition for any fan under 65 (subject to memory!) to possibly see us in the Championship one day. If the likes of Colchester, Doncaster, Wycombe, Yeovil, Southend and Gillingham can do it I'm sure we can.*

*Not picked out to have a dig at our owners past and present.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on January 03, 2024, 14:08:19 pm
Highest I’ve ever seen the Cobbs finish a season is 4th in L1, and I wouldn’t say I’m a teenager anymore.
With a little bit of backing I think we could achieve our realistic dream of being in the Championship.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Merry Comrade on January 04, 2024, 12:22:51 pm
 I am 66 so am just too young to remember the climb to Division 1 in the 60's. Like Manwork the highest I've seen the Cobblers finish in 4th in League 1. I 've often had discussions about the merits of having one 'season in the sun' albeit in the championship over consolidating our position in League and for me I would take the season of glory every time, even if it was exactly that - just one season. I don't think it will happen this season but that doesn't stop me dreaming.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 06, 2024, 16:13:48 pm
Pompey lose to Cheltenham and Cobblers stay 9th. Not too bad for a weekend off.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Risdene on January 06, 2024, 16:16:37 pm
Only 2 teams, below us, now have a game in hand and 4 have played a game extra!

Now is the time to back J B so he can make a goode signing?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Lizard68 on January 06, 2024, 16:36:49 pm

Now is the time to back J B so he can make a goode signing?

Is that some sort of hint, or just wishful thinking?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Risdene on January 06, 2024, 16:45:54 pm
Is that some sort of hint, or just wishful thinking?
Informed rumour on the back of a seperate Pompey deal.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 06, 2024, 18:27:06 pm
Chances are we will still be 9th after the Wigan game next week as If we win we could go level with Blackpool if they lose but their goal difference is far superior. We can only slip to 10th if we lose to Wigan and Bristol Rovers win at Barnsley.

Don't forget to cheer for the mighty Wrexham to win their FA Cup tie tomorrow because if Shrewsbury go through to the next round our game will be off in 3 weeks time.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on January 06, 2024, 19:59:01 pm
Chances are we will still be 9th after the Wigan game next week as If we win we could go level with Blackpool if they lose but their goal difference is far superior. We can only slip to 10th if we lose to Wigan and Bristol Rovers win at Barnsley.

Don't forget to cheer for the mighty Wrexham to win their FA Cup tie tomorrow because if Shrewsbury go through to the next round our game will be off in 3 weeks time.

Talking about 'off' am no longer in ROW N but relocated to ROW K. Let N132 know please. See you v WIGAN
regards


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on January 06, 2024, 20:05:08 pm
Informed rumour on the back of a seperate Pompey deal.
So is that Sherring off to Portsmouth as has been rumoured with Goode potentially coming in as replacement?.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on January 08, 2024, 11:14:56 am
I watched the Fleetwood v Derby game and thought Fleetwood were the better side for most of the game even though they lost 3-1. Derby were pretty average in my view and if we play our best football and are able to field a decent side then we should be able to beat them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 13, 2024, 14:33:17 pm
Pompey losing at home.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 13, 2024, 14:35:22 pm
Pompey losing at home.

Ah, we're on automatic promotion watch now.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 16, 2024, 19:16:25 pm
Barnsley losing at home.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Ragdoll Cobbler on January 16, 2024, 22:55:29 pm
Barnsley losing at home.

Thankfully, they turned up second half & won...I'm still looking down rather than up!

Absolutely no chance us making the play offs...let's just get to 52 points then we can all relax & have some fun  >:(


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on January 17, 2024, 07:02:46 am
Surely time for this thread to end.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on January 17, 2024, 07:22:29 am
Surely time for this thread to end.

Nah... A couple of wins on the trot and more will believe in the magic.  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 17, 2024, 07:54:06 am
No chance we will get near the play offs. If Oxford in 6th place continue their form to date they will end the season on 76.6 points so we would need another 40 points from our remaining 20 games or 10 points (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat) from each set of 5 games. I doubt we will be able to achieve that from the next 5 games of Oxford, Charlton, Portsmouth away and Shrewsbury, Bolton at home. The points gap to the play offs is more likely to increase than decrease as the season progresses.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 17, 2024, 08:33:01 am
We're 9th in the division, just 3 places from the play-offs and still have 20 games to play!

Jesus, the lack of ambition, even dreams within our supporter base is quite astounding. Little wonder why the owners don't gamble in this transfer window with funds for Jon Brady when the supporters have so little faith and belief in their team.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Pablo69 on January 17, 2024, 09:05:14 am
Marvo i think its people just not daring to hope.
I have a mate who in big matches bets on the opposing team. He doesnt want his team to lose but happy to drown his sorrows in a few pints if they do lose.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 17, 2024, 09:14:35 am
Very happy to see Barnsley win last night and Derby the night before...keeping those self entitled, arrogant w⚓s from down the A43 down!

Marvo, we are just 12 (Twelve) points behind Barnsley - get a fcuking grip!

First time in ages, enjoying the season, playing the likes of Derby, Bolton and yes, Barnsley without too much stress!
Hopefully, haven't jinxed anything, but Carlisle being put to the sword takes us a step closer towards confirmed safety. Not lack of ambition, just reality!
Don't worry, will be calling for Brady's head next season if we aren't in the automatics by October!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 17, 2024, 09:35:16 am
We're 9th in the division, just 3 places from the play-offs and still have 20 games to play!

Jesus, the lack of ambition, even dreams within our supporter base is quite astounding. Little wonder why the owners don't gamble in this transfer window with funds for Jon Brady when the supporters have so little faith and belief in their team.

I'm in.

There is always a team or two who fly up without much fuss. I get it because it is never normally us but far, far stranger things happen in football.
It just makes a change to the usual relegation fight most were expecting a couple of months ago. As a minimum we should now be looking up rather than down.

If Bowie, Hoskins keep firing, get Louis back to chip in, our new flying winger comes up trumps, we get some dodgy decisions in our favour, Simpson and Hylton start banging them in....OK maybe too far.  :P


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Risdene on January 17, 2024, 09:42:56 am
I'm happy for this topic to be here EVERY season as it means JB is continuing his excellent management!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 17, 2024, 09:56:08 am
So reality. So I guess you didn't go to Liverpool because obviously there wasn't any hope of the Cobblers winning there?

What about when we lost 1-2 at home to Dagenham & Redbridge on 5th September 2015 and were 16th in League 2. What odds would you have been given on us winning 27 and losing just 2 of our next 40 League matches to win the title by 13 points?

And what about when we were in the bottom tier in 1960. Did anybody think we'd be playing in the top flight just 5 years later?

Dreaming of what could happen, however seemingly impossible it might be is what being a football supporter is all about. Without those dreams, what's the point?

Nobody believes we will do it, I don't think we will do it but to rule it out completely when we are so close is just plain daft. If we don't consider the possibility, however remote that possibility may be then what's the point of going on? Shall we pack our scarves away and get ready for next season?

There are over 42,000 posts on the redevelopment thread, basically bemoaning the lack of ambition within the club but if the supporters, the life and soul of the club don't believe, then why should the owners?

As for Oxford United, well if you've already written off the club in 9th and the club in 8th would only be 2pts better off if we win our game in hand, I think it highly unlikely they wont finish in the play-offs.





Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3649 on January 17, 2024, 10:00:15 am
Nothing wrong with hoping or dreaming


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 17, 2024, 10:49:57 am
So reality. So I guess you didn't go to Liverpool because obviously there wasn't any hope of the Cobblers winning there?

What about when we lost 1-2 at home to Dagenham & Redbridge on 5th September 2015 and were 16th in League 2. What odds would you have been given on us winning 27 and losing just 2 of our next 40 League matches to win the title by
13 points?















And what about when we were in the bottom tier in 1960. Did anybody think we'd be playing in the top flight just 5 years later?

Dreaming of what could happen, however seemingly impossible it might be is what being a football supporter is all about. Without those dreams, what's the point?

Nobody believes we will do it, I don't think we will do it but to rule it out completely when we are so close is just plain daft. If we don't consider the possibility, however remote that possibility may be then what's the point of going on? Shall we pack our scarves away and get ready for next season?

There are over 42,000 posts on the redevelopment thread, basically bemoaning the lack of ambition within the club but if the supporters, the life and soul of the club don't believe, then why should the owners?

As for Oxford United, well if you've already written off the club in 9th and the club in 8th would only be 2pts better off if we win our game in hand, I think it highly unlikely they wont finish in the play-offs.





That's the difference...I go, you don't!
And don't give me any sh*te like been there and got the t-shirt. Also done the 92 - so what? More importantly, seen the Cobblers at 78 of the 92, as well as literally hundreds of non-league and European clubs.

Grew out of groundhopping when I was around 21!

Dreaming is one thing...a thread and arguing as you do for every thread you create is fcuking embarrassing!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 17, 2024, 11:12:54 am
That's the difference...I go, you don't!
And don't give me any shite like been there and got the t-shirt. Also done the 92 - so what? More importantly, seen the Cobblers at 78 of the 92, as well as literally hundreds of non-league and European clubs.

Grew out of groundhopping when I was around 21!

Dreaming is one thing...a thread and arguing as you do for every thread you create is fucking embarrassing!

Well that's weird, I've seen the Cobblers at 78 as well (140 in total). I wonder how I did that if I don't go?

Though in fairness the most important thing to me was the game itself, not what the local pub was like. Though I don't criticise you for that on your umpteen posts on the subject because that's me, I don't post if I'm not interested.

I said I didn't think we will make the play-offs. However unlike you, I don't and wont rule it out until it's mathematically impossible. What I have ruled out is relegation, though I did that at the start of the season.



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 17, 2024, 11:35:57 am
That doesn't make much sense Marvo, relegation is still possible with a bad run of results so why rule 1 in and 1 out. To gain a play off place we need to get 13 more points than the teams already in there as our goal difference is so much worse than other teams. Personally I don't think we will come close to either scenario and will achieve a comfortable mid table finish which we would have been delighted with at the start of the season.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Ragdoll Cobbler on January 17, 2024, 11:41:20 am
Anyone who thinks we still can't be dragged into a relegation battle is absolutely deluded!

We are massively punching at the moment & Brady is working wonders...let's get to 52 points then see what happens eh?

No doubt if we start dropping down the league, some will moan & "think we should be pushing for the play offs!"  ::)

We would all love a season or two in the Championship etc, but most of us are realistic & without serious funding, realise we are even now above where we should be...


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Worthless Recluse on January 17, 2024, 11:43:40 am
Anyone who thinks we still can't be dragged into a relegation battle is absolutely deluded!
Couldn't agree more.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 17, 2024, 12:19:13 pm

Anyone who thinks we still can't be dragged into a relegation battle is absolutely deluded!


'Can't' and 'won't' are two different things. It would probably take one of our worst run of results in our history to get close to relegation from this position.

Of course we can mathematically, the same as Man Utd could win the Premier League this season.

We won't be and neither will Man Utd win the league. Happy to be deluded though for pointing that out.  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 17, 2024, 12:49:59 pm
That doesn't make much sense Marvo, relegation is still possible with a bad run of results so why rule 1 in and 1 out.

Of course it's possible but you've ruled out the play-offs. I guess it's just our different mindsets.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on January 17, 2024, 12:56:34 pm
Anyone who thinks we still can't be dragged into a relegation battle is absolutely deluded!

We are massively punching at the moment & Brady is working wonders...let's get to 52 points then see what happens eh?

No doubt if we start dropping down the league, some will moan & "think we should be pushing for the play offs!"  ::)

We would all love a season or two in the Championship etc, but most of us are realistic & without serious funding, realise we are even now above where we should be...

I have in the past sometimes disagreed with you but would comment on yoiur theme as follows:

Cautious common sense suggests that relegation maybe a potential  possibility, particularly after a bad run and associated factors (think off Oxford and their relegation to the Cconference). Personally I think the main point is that we are doing well with a team/squad post well put together by Brady. What makes me attend games is the hope that we might win. So in my opinion is that if this form continues we will edge closer to the Play Offs which is a good thing for players and club alike let alone supporters. We have already shown we are the equal of several promotion hopefuls. Also I feel you over emphasise the importance of funding as there are quite a few examples where ambitious funding has failed; for example Peterborough, Oxford, Blackpool, Wigan even perhaps Pompey and Derby. To secure their targets they simple get the cheque book out plus the offer of inflated wages! Cue players like Rhodes and Wyke.

nb I have no issue or grudge with you!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Worthless Recluse on January 17, 2024, 14:08:06 pm
'Can't' and 'won't' are two different things. It would probably take one of our worst run of results in our history to get close to relegation from this position.

Of course we can mathematically, the same as Man Utd could win the Premier League this season.

We won't be and neither will Man Utd win the league. Happy to be deluded though for pointing that out.  ;D
At what point would it become a bit squeaky bottom.
Three wins and three places away from relegation with half a dozen games left?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 17, 2024, 14:20:19 pm
At what point would it become a bit squeaky bottom.
Three wins and three places away from relegation with half a dozen games left?

For us to get a few points from relegation with half a dozen games left would take some sets of results. I think if that was to happen we'd be resigned to relegation rather than having a squeaky bottom.
The games are getting chalked off and unless we were within 6 points of the drop it wouldn't even register. That said, I haven't seen anything to suggest that we aren't going to continue picking up points so there a lot of teams who will need to catch us.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 17, 2024, 14:25:18 pm
For us to get a few points from relegation with half a dozen games left would take some sets of results. I think if that was to happen we'd be resigned to relegation rather than having a squeaky bottom.
The games are getting chalked off and unless we were within 6 points of the drop it wouldn't even register. That said, I haven't seen anything to suggest that we aren't going to continue picking up points so there a lot of teams who will need to catch us.
This is more like it... Relegation watch thread!  :D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 17, 2024, 14:37:32 pm
This is more like it... Relegation watch thread!  :D

Relegation? I've got one eye on the autos!! Can't be doing with the play-offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: BackOfTheNet on January 17, 2024, 15:48:54 pm
Guys, guys, there's no need to squabble. It doesn't have to be a binary choice of "worry about the playoffs" or "worry about the drop zone".

This is the Cobblers!

We're 12 points off one and 14 points off the other. There's no reason we can't all worry about both!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Worthless Recluse on January 17, 2024, 15:58:14 pm
For us to get a few points from relegation with half a dozen games left would take some sets of results. I think if that was to happen we'd be resigned to relegation rather than having a squeaky bottom.
The games are getting chalked off and unless we were within 6 points of the drop it wouldn't even register. That said, I haven't seen anything to suggest that we aren't going to continue picking up points so there a lot of teams who will need to catch us.
No, I don't think it'll be a problem either.
We need another 14 points from 20 to be reasonably safe. Anything less than that and we'd have an end of season that matches Fleetwood and Carlisles current form.
Can't happen can it?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 17, 2024, 16:29:45 pm
Nah... A couple of wins on the trot and more will believe in the magic.  ;D

Absolutely, this is a very important block that we are in.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Madrid Cobbler on January 17, 2024, 17:51:36 pm
We're just not used to being near mid table. That's why people don't know whether to look up or down. I'm with JB. Let's get to 52 points asap and see if we're still in a position to have a crack at the play-offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on January 17, 2024, 17:57:48 pm
Absolutely, this is a very important block that we are in.

There was a point on Saturday when we led against Wigan and the live table had us just 7 points off the top 6 and I was daring to dream.....three days later we are 12 points off....it really can change that quickly! It can change back just as quickly though, we've only got to overtake three more teams.



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on January 17, 2024, 18:47:14 pm
Absolutely, this is a very important block that we are in.
;D ;D course it is. We just call it Oxford away.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 17, 2024, 18:51:45 pm
;D ;D course it is. We just call it Oxford away.

Or Block 6, game 2 for the enlightened.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on January 17, 2024, 18:55:52 pm
Or Block 6, game 2 for the enlightened.
Or just the next game. Each to their own.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on January 17, 2024, 19:22:53 pm
My take on this is that JB has maxed out the most of this team and squad to achieve what we have and a very comfortable position in the table. From where we are now we need title winning results to close the gap on those teams currently in the playoffs. I would love to be proved wrong but I just can’t see us having the ability to go up another couple of gears.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 17, 2024, 20:05:08 pm

Guys, guys, there's no need to squabble. It doesn't have to be a binary choice of "worry about the playoffs" or "worry about the drop zone".


I’ve long since mastered the art of not worrying or getting angry about anything that you can’t control. This includes interest rates, the price of diesel and my football teams results. If you can control it and you’re not happy then change it or accept it.
It’s a far healthier way to navigate through life.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: itsme on January 17, 2024, 20:34:47 pm
It will be strange to have a season with maybe nothing to play for with a few games left


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on January 17, 2024, 20:54:03 pm
Or Block 6, game 2 for the enlightened.

I’m going to wait until that thread gets really going. THEN FÛCKING DELETE IT.  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3649 on January 18, 2024, 06:57:39 am
I’m going to wait until that thread gets really going. THEN FÛCKING DELETE IT.  ;D
Do it 🥳


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 18, 2024, 09:06:34 am
Quiz time;
Oxford United's Kassam Stadium is known unfavourably by their fans as...?

Answers on a postcard. Clue in the above six posts!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on January 18, 2024, 10:00:57 am
Quiz time;
Oxford United's Kassam Stadium is known unfavourably by their fans as...?

Answers on a postcard. Clue in the above six posts!

Pretty sure you were the Star Chamber 'Judge' who cautioned most of us for ignoring the ethics of posting off topic  :o :o :o


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 18, 2024, 10:08:18 am
Pretty sure you were the Star Chamber 'Judge' who cautioned most of us for ignoring the ethics of posting off topic  :o :o :o
Six or seven posts about blocks is certainly off the relegation watch topic!

No more clues...it should be a breeze from now on in!   ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on January 18, 2024, 10:23:41 am
Quiz time;
Oxford United's Kassam Stadium is known unfavourably by their fans as...?

Answers on a postcard. Clue in the above six posts!

I've just checked with an Oxford supporting mate of mine. He said the UNITED STADUIM. But said there's a couple.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: southofthecounty on January 18, 2024, 10:39:22 am
Quiz time;
Oxford United's Kassam Stadium is known unfavourably by their fans as...?

Answers on a postcard. Clue in the above six posts!
Is it the Cursedam stadium? I love to hear the tradition cry of "Oy! Mind my motor", every time a shot on goal goes awry.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 18, 2024, 10:44:13 am
Kstaad


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on January 18, 2024, 11:23:04 am
Breeze Block Stadium.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 18, 2024, 11:26:31 am
Breeze Block Stadium.
Correct! Take from Take Hart would say...prizes are in the post!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 23, 2024, 21:06:25 pm
Cobblers win, Derby & Oxford lose. 9pts off Oxford in 6th, that rearranged game could prove to be vital.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: itsme on January 23, 2024, 21:08:58 pm
Maybe just maybe it might be time to start believing


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 23, 2024, 21:11:24 pm
I'm a great believer in luck and at the moment it feels like things are going our way.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: itsme on January 23, 2024, 21:12:19 pm
Apart from the injuries need a couple of more bodies in


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 23, 2024, 21:19:26 pm
🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 27, 2024, 14:08:12 pm
Stevenage are behind at Wigan.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 27, 2024, 14:18:30 pm
Stevenage equalise but Oxford go behind.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 27, 2024, 14:19:23 pm
Now Barnsley behind.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 27, 2024, 15:10:18 pm
Derby losing.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 27, 2024, 18:27:30 pm
Have people still got their rose tinted glasses on?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 27, 2024, 18:49:12 pm
Well the gap to sixth hasn’t changed so yes. But as said elsewhere, it’s up to KT and DB to find some funds for at least a couple of players.



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 27, 2024, 19:04:37 pm
I really don't think that the gap to 6th not changing makes any difference and a couple of new faces also would probably be not enough. Should we get 2 points per game from our remaining 18 games (unlikely) we would finish the season on 76 points and the 6th placed team (currently 9 points in front with a game in hand) would only need 1.42 points per game  against the 1.81 points per game they have so far achieved.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 27, 2024, 20:22:10 pm
Have people still got their rose tinted glasses on?

Well done, you were right all along in your assessment that we are crap. Does it make you fell better?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 28, 2024, 08:34:43 am
I really don't think that the gap to 6th not changing makes any difference and a couple of new faces also would probably be not enough. Should we get 2 points per game from our remaining 18 games (unlikely) we would finish the season on 76 points and the 6th placed team (currently 9 points in front with a game in hand) would only need 1.42 points per game  against the 1.81 points per game they have so far achieved.

Of course it makes a difference. Look at how many of the teams above us that we still have to play.

What’s the issue with actually having a bit of aspiration? I’ll take the safe assumption that you were around in the 60s and saw our decade of highs and lows. For me born in 89, I’ve never seen us break the second tier, and doing that once would probably satisfy me.

This season, we have overwhelmingly beaten the season target of surviving, and before Jan should have thought, “this is a real opportunity, will we get a better one”?

Sadly there are too many fans and board members who are happy to knock people who believe that better can be achieved.

Enjoy the moment in being correct I guess?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 28, 2024, 09:32:41 am
We are around 150/1 to be promoted and 150/1 to be relegated


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 28, 2024, 09:40:45 am
Marvo, thanks for asking I'm feeling fine, no better or worse after yesterdays disappointing performance. Perhaps you could redirect me to where I said we were crap but of course you won't be able to because it is another case of you making it up. We have bad games such as yesterday but if we were crap we would not be 9th in the table.

Transfer fees at the moment are quite ridiculous as shown by Oxford paying £400,000 for a striker who has scored 6 goals this season for the mighty Cheltenham. I wonder how much it would cost to bring in these 2/3 players the club have a lack of ambition in signing. It is not just about getting to the play offs as you have to win them otherwise the club have shelled out all of this money to stay where we are. So far we have played 7 games against the top 6 teams and lost 6 of them so our chances of overcoming 1 of them over 2 legs and then beating another at Wembley are remote to non existent. Also we are going to need 2 points a game from our remaining games to reach the play offs which with so many injuries even with a couple of new faces is more than an uphill task.

We will probably end the season with about 62 points which before the season started most would have been delighted with as we would not be in a relegation battle and it would be classed as a successful season.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 28, 2024, 09:46:39 am
We are around 150/1 to be promoted and 150/1 to be relegated

Not quite right, the Cobblers are 80/1 to win promotion via the play-offs (Skybet). I don't think anybody was suggesting we ever had a chance of automatic. Of course, had we held on against Wigan and got the expected home victory over Shrewsbury we'd only be 4pts off the play-offs now and those odds would have been a lot shorter. Such a narrow dividing line.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 28, 2024, 09:49:24 am
Marvo, thanks for asking I'm feeling fine, no better or worse after yesterdays disappointing performance. Perhaps you could redirect me to where I said we were crap but of course you won't be able to because it is another case of you making it up. We have bad games such as yesterday but if we were crap we would not be 9th in the table.

Transfer fees at the moment are quite ridiculous as shown by Oxford paying £400,000 for a striker who has scored 6 goals this season for the mighty Cheltenham. I wonder how much it would cost to bring in these 2/3 players the club have a lack of ambition in signing. It is not just about getting to the play offs as you have to win them otherwise the club have shelled out all of this money to stay where we are. So far we have played 7 games against the top 6 teams and lost 6 of them so our chances of overcoming 1 of them over 2 legs and then beating another at Wembley are remote to non existent. Also we are going to need 2 points a game from our remaining games to reach the play offs which with so many injuries even with a couple of new faces is more than an uphill task.

We will probably end the season with about 62 points which before the season started most would have been delighted with as we would not be in a relegation battle and it would be classed as a successful season.

Crap enough not to have had ever had the chance to make the play-offs in YOUR opinion. Maybe you should get behind the team instead of undermining them?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 28, 2024, 10:01:02 am
Once again, not being in a position to challenge for a play off place does not make you crap. Also I am always behind the team you won't find me booing them off the pitch after a poor performance and if we got relegated I would have no hesitation in renewing my season ticket as you renew yours on your couch. You really have misconstruing other posters comments to suit your own agenda down to a fine art.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 28, 2024, 10:01:38 am
If Maidstone can beat Ipswich you have to believe in the ‘impossible’.

I don’t see why next season should follow the normal pattern. We’ll be free of the shackles of (arguably) our worst signing of all time. That releases a decent chunk. We have a settled management team with experience of this league. We probably won’t see Leonard again but others will go/come in. I’m sure Liverpool will continue without Klopp.
The owners aren’t going to change their model. Crowds are up but since the Chelsea windfall I don’t think we’ve had any lucrative deals for our players. We’ll have fresh challenges such as money bags Wrexham and co.
Fear the worst, hope for the best is the mantra for most fans. Based on previous seasons it would be nice to be a stable L1 club until we’re in a position to push on. Whether we were/are close enough this season was always going to promote debate and disagreement, like most things on here!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 28, 2024, 11:39:34 am
If Maidstone can beat Ipswich you have to believe in the ‘impossible’.

I don’t see why next season should follow the normal pattern. We’ll be free of the shackles of (arguably) our worst signing of all time. That releases a decent chunk. We have a settled management team with experience of this league. We probably won’t see Leonard again but others will go/come in. I’m sure Liverpool will continue without Klopp.
The owners aren’t going to change their model. Crowds are up but since the Chelsea windfall I don’t think we’ve had any lucrative deals for our players. We’ll have fresh challenges such as money bags Wrexham and co.
Fear the worst, hope for the best is the mantra for most fans. Based on previous seasons it would be nice to be a stable L1 club until we’re in a position to push on. Whether we were/are close enough this season was always going to promote debate and disagreement, like most things on here!

It's interesting Aidy. Only six Cobblers gaffers have managed a complete season in the third tier, hopefully Brady will be the 7th.

Of those only 4 made it to two full seasons and only Graham Carr has ever managed three.

All bar the legendary Dave Bowen had worse records in following seasons.

I wonder where Brady will end up on this list or whether he can buck the trend?

(https://i.postimg.cc/28c7W4x7/League-1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on January 28, 2024, 13:53:59 pm
Once again, not being in a position to challenge for a play off place does not make you crap. Also I am always behind the team you won't find me booing them off the pitch after a poor performance and if we got relegated I would have no hesitation in renewing my season ticket as you renew yours on your couch. You really have misconstruing other posters comments to suit your own agenda down to a fine art.
I never boo, but did leave on the 87th minute yesterday!
Wonder if Marvo turned off his laptop in disgust around the 89th?  :P


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 28, 2024, 14:21:42 pm
I never boo, but did leave on the 87th minute yesterday!
Wonder if Marvo turned off his laptop in disgust around the 89th?  :P

Watched the first half of the Rugby, then switched to the Cobblers. Have a guess which I found the most entertaining.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 28, 2024, 17:53:53 pm
Not quite right, the Cobblers are 80/1 to win promotion via the play-offs (Skybet). I don't think anybody was suggesting we ever had a chance of automatic. Of course, had we held on against Wigan and got the expected home victory over Shrewsbury we'd only be 4pts off the play-offs now and those odds would have been a lot shorter. Such a narrow dividing line.

They are 80/1 to make the playoffs with SkyBet, not to win promotion. Bet365 and many others are offering 150/1 for promotion whichever route.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 28, 2024, 20:31:27 pm
They are 80/1 to make the playoffs with SkyBet, not to win promotion. Bet365 and many others are offering 150/1 for promotion whichever route.

odds checker doesn't list the Cobblers but Bristol Rovers are 80/1 to win promotion via the play-offs and they are 3 pts worse off than us.

(https://i.postimg.cc/13xgym6G/odds.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Ragdoll Cobbler on January 28, 2024, 21:01:38 pm
odds checker doesn't list the Cobblers but Bristol Rovers are 80/1 to win promotion via the play-offs and they are 3 pts worse off than us.

(https://i.postimg.cc/13xgym6G/odds.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Perhaps because they are spending money in this January window to strengthen & we ain't!  ::)

They just signed Kamil Conteh from Grimsby for an alleged six figure fee & also after Jack Marriott who's one of the highest paid players in league 1!

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/wrexham-join-battle-with-oxford-united-stevenage-carlisle-and-bristol-rovers-for-fleetwood-town-striker-jack-marriott/ (https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/wrexham-join-battle-with-oxford-united-stevenage-carlisle-and-bristol-rovers-for-fleetwood-town-striker-jack-marriott/)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on January 28, 2024, 21:10:27 pm
odds checker doesn't list the Cobblers but Bristol Rovers are 80/1 to win promotion via the play-offs and they are 3 pts worse off than us.

(https://i.postimg.cc/13xgym6G/odds.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Postimages
TrustScore 3 out of 5
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Worked well while paying for the premium upgrade, but that expired and they wanted me to renew using crypto which i have no idea about. multiple emails went unanswered then i noticed a lot of my images had been deleted so i tried to log in and had been blocked due to a violation of our Terms of Use. I wasn't t advised of this and emails to sort it out are unanswered. I now cant get in to retrieve all my images so use this at your own risk

Date of experience: 29 December 2023

nb Had an isp warning that this site maybe unreliable


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 28, 2024, 21:11:47 pm
I can promise you Bet365 and plenty of others are offering Cobblers at 150/1 for promotion, just go to their sites.
I'm not sure what posting a screenshot of one bookie offering those odds for Bristol Rovers indicates. Perhaps they have historical bets for them to get promotion via the play offs. It doesn't look like they are considering the Cobblers a viable bet.
I guess you could contact them if you wanted worse odds than everywhere else,


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: singcobb on January 28, 2024, 21:48:25 pm
Just think how sweet it would be to go up through the play-offs at the expense of the Scum.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on January 28, 2024, 21:51:40 pm
Just think how sweet it would be to go up through the play-offs at the expense of the Scum.

Or Oxford!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 29, 2024, 07:49:33 am
I can promise you Bet365 and plenty of others are offering Cobblers at 150/1 for promotion, just go to their sites.
I'm not sure what posting a screenshot of one bookie offering those odds for Bristol Rovers indicates. Perhaps they have historical bets for them to get promotion via the play offs. It doesn't look like they are considering the Cobblers a viable bet.
I guess you could contact them if you wanted worse odds than everywhere else,

It's called oddschecker, it usually lists the odds from all sites. I can only presume that SKYBET is the only one offering prices for that particular bet.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 29, 2024, 08:01:08 am
Perhaps because they are spending money in this January window to strengthen & we ain't!  ::)

They just signed Kamil Conteh from Grimsby for an alleged six figure fee & also after Jack Marriott who's one of the highest paid players in league 1!

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/wrexham-join-battle-with-oxford-united-stevenage-carlisle-and-bristol-rovers-for-fleetwood-town-striker-jack-marriott/ (https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/wrexham-join-battle-with-oxford-united-stevenage-carlisle-and-bristol-rovers-for-fleetwood-town-striker-jack-marriott/)

Hold on, I'm getting confused. I thought everybody on here was claiming it was nigh on impossible for us to get promotion being so far behind, even if we did sign new players. Now you're saying Bristol Rovers are still in the hunt even though they are 3 pts further behind?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 29, 2024, 08:14:57 am
Hold on, I'm getting confused. I thought everybody on here was claiming it was nigh on impossible for us to get promotion being so far behind, even if we did sign new players. Now you're saying Bristol Rovers are still in the hunt even though they are 3 pts further behind?

I dont thinks that odds of 80/1 means a team is still in the hunt.
Try this page on Oddschecker
https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-1/english-league-one/promotion (https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-1/english-league-one/promotion)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 29, 2024, 08:19:19 am
We were 14/1 for promotion at the start of the season. Not sure what we were to reach the PO's as quite a niche bet but maybe 6/1. You'll struggle to find that current bet online but I'll give you 100-1.
I think if you combined England winning that test match (mid 2nd innings) and Maidstone beating Ipswich there is probably a similar chance.
It's not us got to bridge the gap, so many teams need to drop them.

On the plus side, the odds on our relegation will have widened significantly. If you are a proper dolly downer you can make a fortune on 250-1.
We're about as non-threatening at either end as you can get and it is such an unusual position for us. When else have we been here with so many games to go and still getting record crowds?

P*sh joint favourites for promotion but no surprise looking at the table. The biggest bonus this season would be doing the double on them before we part ways again.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 29, 2024, 09:05:54 am
I dont thinks that odds of 80/1 means a team is still in the hunt.
Try this page on Oddschecker
https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-1/english-league-one/promotion (https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-1/english-league-one/promotion)

Are you saying that nobody who has made a bet at odds of 80/1 (or over) has ever won?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Risdene on January 29, 2024, 13:17:00 pm
Are you saying that nobody who has made a bet at odds of 80/1 (or over) has ever won?
I guess only one in eighty!!!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 29, 2024, 14:25:22 pm
I guess only one in eighty!!!

That's the catch though isn't it, there is always the odd winner that defies the odds. It's the hope that kills you.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: MCHammer on January 29, 2024, 15:30:09 pm
I got some stick a couple of years ago when I said we weren't ready to go up from league two under Brady.  That was way before Bristol Rovers did us a favour.

My view was that JB wasn't ready and if we had gone up he'd have likely got the sack.  Another season of learning and improving in league two and look at us now.  It's my personal opinion that extra experience both good and bad has made us what we are today.

Similar logic applies to the Championship.  I get why fans would want it at face value and as was pointed out a couple of years ago you can't pick and choose when the opportunities arise but we are so not ready as a club in every single way to play Championship football.  It would probably damage the club for years.  I can't even believe fans would enjoy it past the initial buzz as we likely would lose most weeks.

Feels like some people just want to tick it off their bucket list...which I do as well but would rather it was achieved at a time when we could stand a chance of being competitive.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 29, 2024, 16:29:55 pm
I got some stick a couple of years ago when I said we weren't ready to go up from league two under Brady.  That was way before Bristol Rovers did us a favour.

My view was that JB wasn't ready and if we had gone up he'd have likely got the sack.  Another season of learning and improving in league two and look at us now.  It's my personal opinion that extra experience both good and bad has made us what we are today.

Similar logic applies to the Championship.  I get why fans would want it at face value and as was pointed out a couple of years ago you can't pick and choose when the opportunities arise but we are so not ready as a club in every single way to play Championship football.  It would probably damage the club for years.  I can't even believe fans would enjoy it past the initial buzz as we likely would lose most weeks.

Feels like some people just want to tick it off their bucket list...which I do as well but would rather it was achieved at a time when we could stand a chance of being competitive.

Not for the first time in many years of posting on THE,  our favourite MC speaks a lot of sense.  Sometimes I think you can't touch this, when it comes thinking about our future logically.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Ragdoll Cobbler on January 29, 2024, 17:28:43 pm
With our evergrowing injury list & lack of anymore incomings this thread seriously needs closing...sorry Marvo!  :-*


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 29, 2024, 17:41:24 pm
You could always, you know, not read it 😉


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 29, 2024, 20:32:35 pm
MC would have a point….if it hadn’t been well over 50 years.  :P
You definitely have to take the opportunity of a promotion if it ever presents itself.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: MCHammer on January 29, 2024, 20:54:56 pm
MC would have a point….if it hadn’t been well over 50 years.  :P
You definitely have to take the opportunity of a promotion if it ever presents itself.

Don't get me wrong I'll be celebrating with everyone else when we win at Wembley.   ;D

I'll just be telling you all "I Told You So" next season when we are getting smashed every week and JB gets the sack.  :P


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 29, 2024, 22:02:59 pm
Don't get me wrong I'll be celebrating with everyone else when we win at Wembley.   ;D

I'll just be telling you all "I Told You So" next season when we are getting smashed every week and JB gets the sack.  :P

I don't see why we can't emulate Rotherham United. Just need the capacity increased to make it viable and find someone with deeper pockets that Thomas.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Risdene on January 30, 2024, 04:16:24 am
I don't see why we can't emulate Rotherham United. Just need the capacity increased to make it viable and find someone with deeper pockets that Thomas.

We have been waiting over 100 years for ' someone with deeper pockets' so don't hold your breath!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 30, 2024, 07:43:16 am
We have been waiting over 100 years for ' someone with deeper pockets' so don't hold your breath!

We had money once, when Calderwood was manager, when we signed the liked of Martin Smith. We were Billy Big Bollocks for a short spell of time.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 30, 2024, 10:45:04 am
Are you saying that nobody who has made a bet at odds of 80/1 (or over) has ever won?
I would suggest you would need odds of lower than around 25/1 to be considered in the hunt for promotion. Anyone higher are basically making up the numbers. You could of course go on a great run and get yourselves in the hunt but not otherwise.
By the way after Saturday we are now around 250/1 for promotion and Bristol are 200/1


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 30, 2024, 10:56:59 am
I would suggest you would need odds of lower than around 25/1 to be considered in the hunt for promotion. Anyone higher are basically making up the numbers. You could of course go on a great run and get yourselves in the hunt but not otherwise.
By the way after Saturday we are now around 250/1 for promotion and Bristol are 200/1

You could always be ‘that’ guy who bet on Leicester to win the Premier League. Go big or go home!
Even more remarkable is that people win the lottery.
Ultimately it’s all a mugs game.

As for the play offs. It’s a possibility that the most optimistic can hang on to.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 30, 2024, 15:10:42 pm
I would suggest you would need odds of lower than around 25/1 to be considered in the hunt for promotion. Anyone higher are basically making up the numbers. You could of course go on a great run and get yourselves in the hunt but not otherwise.
By the way after Saturday we are now around 250/1 for promotion and Bristol are 200/1

25/1 you say to stand a chance.

The biggest single football bet ever landed was on the famous 5,000/1 offered by bookmakers on Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2015-16


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 30, 2024, 15:59:28 pm
25/1 you say to stand a chance.

The biggest single football bet ever landed was on the famous 5,000/1 offered by bookmakers on Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2015-16

I said lower than 25/1 to be in the hunt. Everyone stands a chance, no matter how miniscule.
I'm not sure that everyone competing is "in the hunt". Over to Football Cliches.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 30, 2024, 16:26:39 pm
I said lower than 25/1 to be in the hunt. Everyone stands a chance, no matter how miniscule.
I'm not sure that everyone competing is "in the hunt". Over to Football Cliches.

Okay. So Leicester City obviously weren't in the hunt that season. That bloke who put money on them at 5,000/1 must have been a right bloody idiot.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on January 30, 2024, 16:28:07 pm
Okay. So Leicester City obviously weren't in the hunt that season. That bloke who put money on them at 5,000/1 must have been a right bloody idiot.

I bet he still hasn't stopped regretting his foolish move......


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 30, 2024, 17:25:02 pm
Never thought I’d see a few seemingly taking joy in dismissing other fans for believing in a play off place 😂

Whilst it is unlikely, it’s still on for now. People forget that our rivals have to play each other. We’ve lost 3 since October in the league, so why not remain a bit optimistic until mathematically we can’t.

Barnsley still have to play Bolton twice, Leyton Orient, Derby, Portsmouth, Blackpool and us. They’re dropping points to rivals.

Stevenage still have to play Blackpool,Derby, Posh, Leyton Orient, Bolton and Oxford. They’re dropping points.

Oxford still have to play Pompey, twice Blackpool, us, Leyton Orient, Bolton Posh and Stevenage. They’re dropping points.

Blackpool still have to play Stevenage, Oxford, Posh, Bolton, Orient, Pompey, Us, Derby and Barnsley. They’re dropping. Points.

We’ve got Pompey, Bolton, Orient, Oxford, Posh, Blackpool, Derby and Barnsley. We will drop points.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 30, 2024, 18:36:36 pm

, so why not remain a bit optimistic until mathematically we can’t.


Exactly Dan.


Whilst I hope for promotion, I always keep a firm eye on the relegation spots and breathe a sigh of relief the day that mathematically we can no longer be relegated.

Somehow I can be optimistic and pessimistic at the same time.  Football is weird isn't it?  Although, the supporters of the "top" clubs don't experience this, they are never getting relegated and don't have the play offs to aim for. You can see why Fenners needs The Mighty Cobblers to keep it real, it can't be much fun following the Blues this season.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 30, 2024, 20:18:34 pm
Okay. So Leicester City obviously weren't in the hunt that season. That bloke who put money on them at 5,000/1 must have been a right bloody idiot.

That's a good point - can you be "in the hunt" before a season starts? I guess you can but it's not something you would normally say. I guess Maidstone are similar long odds to win the FA Cup but you you're not likely to say they are in the hunt. Surely it's reserved for those with a reasonable chance of winning it? Someone in or just behind the leading pack. If it applied to everyone it would be a redundant expression.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 30, 2024, 20:49:19 pm
That's a good point - can you be "in the hunt" before a season starts? I guess you can but it's not something you would normally say. I guess Maidstone are similar long odds to win the FA Cup but you you're not likely to say they are in the hunt. Surely it's reserved for those with a reasonable chance of winning it? Someone in or just behind the leading pack. If it applied to everyone it would be a redundant expression.

If they were 5,000/1, I think it's reasonable to assume they weren't regarded as being in the hunt. Wouldn't football be drab if all results and competitions went the way they were expected to go. Who'd be stupid enough to go to Portsmouth Saturday?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on January 30, 2024, 20:54:07 pm
Oxford 2-2 with Pompey. Happily take that after they led.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 30, 2024, 21:39:45 pm
I bet some of you ‘idiots’ give a few quid away every week at 14 million to 1.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 31, 2024, 06:09:22 am
I bet some of you ‘idiots’ give a few quid away every week at 14 million to 1.

Yes, supporting the good causes that the lottery helps, with the added bonus of occasionally getting a free lucky dip. One £30 and one £140 windfall last year, shared with Bigger Boy Bingers as they were his dates of birth. Younger Boy Bingers was not a beneficiary with his unlucky dates. You win some, you lose some.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on January 31, 2024, 06:35:35 am
If they were 5,000/1, I think it's reasonable to assume they weren't regarded as being in the hunt. Wouldn't football be drab if all results and competitions went the way they were expected to go. Who'd be stupid enough to go to Portsmouth Saturday?

You dont need to be in the hunt to enjoy going to a football game.
You can divide the league into different groups. I reckon currently we have five - "front runners", "in the hunt", "slim chance", "needing a miracle" and "making up the numbers". Eventually clubs will drop out of the race when it's mathematically impossible to win the league, gain promotion or reach the play-off, depending which you are measuring
This can evolve as the season progresses, particularly at the top where the front runners may become "runaway leaders" to "shoe-ins" and then "barring a miracle" towards the end. An exciting season will have a couple of front runners and a few in the hunt at the final game.
You can move between the groups, for example earlier in the season Oxford Utd were front runners for promotion but are now only in the hunt and if they are not careful will slip into the slim chance category.
A win on Saturday and you could argue we are a slim chance to reach the play-offs but at the moment you've got to admit we need a miracle to gain promotion and certainly to win the league.



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on January 31, 2024, 08:09:01 am
You dont need to be in the hunt to enjoy going to a football game.
You can divide the league into different groups. I reckon currently we have five - "front runners", "in the hunt", "slim chance", "needing a miracle" and "making up the numbers". Eventually clubs will drop out of the race when it's mathematically impossible to win the league, gain promotion or reach the play-off, depending which you are measuring
This can evolve as the season progresses, particularly at the top where the front runners may become "runaway leaders" to "shoe-ins" and then "barring a miracle" towards the end. An exciting season will have a couple of front runners and a few in the hunt at the final game.
You can move between the groups, for example earlier in the season Oxford Utd were front runners for promotion but are now only in the hunt and if they are not careful will slip into the slim chance category.
A win on Saturday and you could argue we are a slim chance to reach the play-offs but at the moment you've got to admit we need a miracle to gain promotion and certainly to win the league.



and that's what I've ben saying all along. Very slim chance, almost none but people were saying "no chance" and then were happy to have been proven right, that's where I draw the line.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on January 31, 2024, 10:10:48 am
At the moment we have a 50/50 record having won and lost the same number of games and most would have been pleased with that at the beginning of the season. I think at the end of the season the situation will be much the same and the points gap to the play offs is more likely to increase than decrease.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on January 31, 2024, 11:31:19 am
You dont need to be in the hunt to enjoy going to a football game.


Exactly this.

Then sometimes a surprise happens and a run comes together, which is doubly exciting. We weren't in with a chance before kick off at Blackpool, but then it all changed.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on January 31, 2024, 12:45:19 pm
Exactly this.

Then sometimes a surprise happens and a run comes together, which is doubly exciting. We weren't in with a chance before kick off at Blackpool, but then it all changed.

We were as good as relegated accordingly to some a while ago. I think it is a reluctance to accept that we are capable of mid-table obscurity, it is unchartered territory for many.

Whilst we are at it, can someone give me odds on a standard 'miracle' and increased odds on a miracle outside of natural and scientific laws, i.e. fiction?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on January 31, 2024, 14:06:49 pm
I bet some of you ‘idiots’ give a few quid away every week at 14 million to 1.

 ;D
 
See them in Morrisons  spending £20/30 a time on the lottery!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on January 31, 2024, 15:01:04 pm
;D
 
See them in Morrisons  spending £20/30 a time on the lottery!
Three times I have declined the opportunity to join a work place syndicate, saying that I have no intention of being involved in the arguements that would occur in the unlikely event of a win. I have seen brawls erupt over someone winning 50 quid on a fruit machine. (I just filled that up for you, I want half)
As for the Muppets and their scratchcards..


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3649 on January 31, 2024, 19:31:41 pm
The wages of sin is death  ;)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on February 01, 2024, 09:25:32 am
The wages of sin is death  ;)


What’s the antidote?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on February 01, 2024, 10:13:48 am
For me its fantastic that this threat can even be discussed, it shows the progress that has been made under Brady. That being said I think its definitely a few steps too far. We are flying right now but a lack of squad depth and goals around the team will stop us IMO.

Still, if we can secure a win against Stevenage it puts us in a really strong position to sell the club to new recruits in this window. A L1 side that is pushing for the playoffs, definitely a much more attractive position then one where you could end up in L2 next season.

Your post continues to haunt me especially when we lost so badly to Stevenage! I just hope we emulate 8th place or better! I believe there is always hope when supporting the Cobblers and fortune has at least smiled  on us in our long history! Remember vividly our last visit to Pompey where JOT had a magnificent game and Collins winning goal! Hope always survives.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on February 01, 2024, 10:38:59 am
Your post continues to haunt me especially when we lost so badly to Stevenage! I just hope we emulate 8th place or better! I believe there is always hope when supporting the Cobblers and fortune has at least smiled  on us in our long history! Remember vividly our last visit to Pompey where JOT had a magnificent game and Collins winning goal! Hope always survives.
I love discussing threats...Iran, Putin, Trump and the Post Office are some of my favourites!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on February 02, 2024, 09:08:07 am
Time to get Marvo's thread back on track Saturday.

Onwards and upwards!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on February 02, 2024, 09:24:01 am
Time to get Marvo's thread back on track Saturday.

Onwards and upwards!
With a modicum of investment this was a possibility but the complete lack of backing this is impossible.
Wonder was utter BS will come out when it’s season ticket renewal time.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Grove on February 02, 2024, 11:45:26 am
Lock the thread, doesnt involve us


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on February 02, 2024, 11:49:44 am
Lock the thread, doesnt involve us

Until it's mathematically impossible I'm always optimistic, therefore it remains open... ;)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Merry Comrade on February 02, 2024, 12:12:25 pm
 One game at a time is the mantra. Forget about the blocks. A win tommorrow, although highly unlikely, will get more than a few of us dreaming of the play off places again. Travelling in the Saints 'luxury' coach tomorrow so the journey should be comfortable although I fear the game itself may be the exact opposite.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 02, 2024, 12:33:08 pm
Funnily enough, going to Portsmouth, putting in a great performance and coming back with the points will actually make things worse. Then even the most sceptic amongst would have to say if we could go there and win at the league leaders, then there was no reason whatsoever we couldn't have made the play-offs and what a shame it was that Brady wasn't backed in the transfer market.

Maybe better if we lose this one so the "I told you so's" can have their moment in the sun.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Welly Cobb on February 02, 2024, 12:43:05 pm
We've lost more game than we've won, and we're on negative goal difference. A single result can happen on a day, maybe we beat Portsmouth with or without a functioning midfield, but the odds of making the play-offs are unlikely irregardless of the result. Particular as teams like Bolton and Portsmouth have reinforced with a much more financial backing than we would have even if we'd gone for it.

Football isn't played on paper, which is how Leicester happened and why lightning could strike and we could go on a run, but we were never going to buy ourselves into the playoffs when the teams in that part of the table are on 3 times our wage structure and crowds of 20k.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 02, 2024, 12:57:22 pm
We've lost more game than we've won, and we're on negative goal difference. A single result can happen on a day, maybe we beat Portsmouth with or without a functioning midfield, but the odds of making the play-offs are unlikely irregardless of the result. Particular as teams like Bolton and Portsmouth have reinforced with a much more financial backing than we would have even if we'd gone for it.

Football isn't played on paper, which is how Leicester happened and why lightning could strike and we could go on a run, but we were never going to buy ourselves into the playoffs when the teams in that part of the table are on 3 times our wage structure and crowds of 20k.

Nobody was asking to but ourselves into the play-offs, we haven't got the money for that, they were just suggesting we strengthen a little to give ourselves a better chance.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Carton Lid on February 02, 2024, 13:08:11 pm
With a modicum of investment this was a possibility but the complete lack of backing this is impossible.
Wonder was utter BS will come out when it’s season ticket renewal time.
They'll get the digger back out and a bloke with a can of spray paint.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on February 02, 2024, 13:21:13 pm
Lock the thread, doesnt involve us

Ahhhh, that's just where your wrong. I'm happy to bet you a hundred pounds, that sooner or later we will be in the play offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on February 02, 2024, 13:57:46 pm
They'll get the digger back out and a bloke with a can of spray paint.
They have previous with that kind of thing, didn’t Willshire post pictures of a guy in high vis in the east stand saying work had restarted during the Cardoza era, when Buckinghams had pull off site months beforehand.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on February 02, 2024, 14:49:50 pm
They have previous with that kind of thing, didn’t Willshire post pictures of a guy in high vis in the east stand saying work had restarted during the Cardoza era, when Buckinghams had pull off site months beforehand.
Was that the one that was a self appointed ball boy? (sorry, gender neutral junior recovery agent)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on February 02, 2024, 16:12:25 pm
Was that the one that was a self appointed ball boy? (sorry, gender neutral junior recovery agent)
;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Grove on February 02, 2024, 17:22:43 pm
Ahhhh, that's just where your wrong. I'm happy to bet you a hundred pounds, that sooner or later we will be in the play offs.

Plays offs closer than ever , thread ?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on February 02, 2024, 19:01:24 pm
One game at a time is the mantra. Forget about the blocks.

No, never!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on February 02, 2024, 19:30:43 pm
No, never!

Don’t worry mate, the blocks will live on as long as the redevelopment and Play-off watch threas.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on February 02, 2024, 19:57:00 pm
Don’t worry mate, the blocks will live on as long as the redevelopment and Play-off watch threas.

Hurrah!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on February 03, 2024, 21:04:07 pm
Currently around 500/1 for promotion and 100/1 for relegation. It seems losing away to the leaders of the division hasn't affected our  chance of promotion or risk or relegation.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: ajp on February 03, 2024, 21:09:29 pm
Time to close this thread I’m afraid.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 13, 2024, 21:09:07 pm
Watching the Orient stream, they are talking about how they are now just 7 pts off the play-offs. Funny, they were behind us in the table when our supporters had already written us off. Goes to show doesn't it, anything can happen in football.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on February 13, 2024, 21:14:34 pm
Watching the Orient stream, they are talking about how they are now just 7 pts off the play-offs. Funny, they were behind us in the table when our supporters had already written us off. Goes to show doesn't it, anything can happen in football.
They can talk all they like but Orient won’t make the playoffs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 13, 2024, 21:17:16 pm
They can talk all they like but Orient won’t make the playoffs.

Probably not but it is nice to see their supporters at least thinking it might be possible.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 17, 2024, 16:08:58 pm
Third, fourth, fifth, sixth & seventh all fail to win. It really is opening the door for someone to make a late charge, though it looks beyond us now. Stevenage are fading away now, just like Everbrite said they would, be nice to catch them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on February 17, 2024, 16:47:52 pm
Third, fourth, fifth, sixth & seventh all fail to win. It really is opening the door for someone to make a late charge, though it looks beyond us now. Stevenage are fading away now, just like Everbrite said they would, be nice to catch them.

Agree, would be nice to finish as the top promoted side. Carlisle aside, it's been a decent showing from the promoted sides


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on February 17, 2024, 22:22:25 pm
If we beat Oxford, we’d be 9 behind with a game in hand. We seem to be playing with more freedom now, interesting to see how far off we finish at the end of the season.

We still have 9 of the bottom 11 to play. That fat lady has loosened her vocal chords, but she’s not quite singing yet.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on February 18, 2024, 19:30:44 pm
For me top 10 would be fine. In the summer we would then be able to persuade players that they aren't likely to be in a relegation battle or worse still playing League 2 football the next season.
The plan has to be two or three years in League One before we can expect to entice the players with the ability to get us to the play offs or auto promotion.
We could of course get lucky but that luck has two sides.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on February 19, 2024, 10:08:51 am
For me bids for Tyreece and Bowie, AK,  then the search for a Leonard replacement, and offload the likes of Hylton, Haynes, and bring in some L1 quality.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on February 19, 2024, 10:24:41 am
Too make the playoffs  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 20, 2024, 20:56:57 pm
I know people don't agree but I look at tonight's game against a side expecting to finish in the play-offs and I do wonder had we gambled and bolstered the side early in the January whether we might have made it. We got well beaten by Pompey but other than that we've been in every other game. Omitting the Portsmouth match, the 12 pts we've dropped since the beginning of January would have us sitting in the play-offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on February 20, 2024, 21:22:36 pm
I know people don't agree but I look at tonight's game against a side expecting to finish in the play-offs and I do wonder had we gambled and bolstered the side early in the January whether we might have made it. We got well beaten by Pompey but other than that we've been in every other game. Omitting the Portsmouth match, the 12 pts we've dropped since the beginning of January would have us sitting in the play-offs.
Pointless speculation, having bolstered the side we might have got less points than what we do now.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on February 20, 2024, 21:49:40 pm
For me bids for Tyreece and Bowie, AK,  then the search for a Leonard replacement, and offload the likes of Hylton, Haynes, and bring in some L1 quality.

Not sure on Tyreece tho’. Had Some good moments and his physicality made him nuisance to all and sundry. Left a couple of calling cards on their defence. Had a chance to score too - as if!!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 20, 2024, 21:51:56 pm
Pointless speculation, having bolstered the side we might have got less points than what we do now.

Well isn't that the whole point of this forum? A place for discussion?

Every time somebody says if only that player wasn't injured or if only that shot hadn't hit the bar or if only that Referee had given the stone wall penalty, do you chirp up, pointless speculation?

No, I didn't think so.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on February 20, 2024, 22:04:18 pm
It would have been good to strengthen in January but I seriously doubt we'd have got anyone who improved us by the amount needed.

We've got players coming back who will strengthen us and two winnable games coming up which if won would see us pretty much safe with 11 games to go; a situation we'd all have taken back in August and more so in September when we'd not had a great start.

I'm really waiting to see how we do with what Brady considers is his best XI, if that's ever possible. Only then can we more accurately see where we stand and then we can judge what would be needed to kick on.

If having Sowerby, SMcW and of course Super Sammy back kicks us on then the biggest issue becomes strengthening at full back and replacing the loanees.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on February 21, 2024, 05:37:49 am
When I watched us tonight, it was clear that for us to mount a serious challenge we would have needed to have improved all over the pitch. Now that is basing it on a side that is already depleted. But that is the current situation. As I have said. We are doing wonders with what we have. And we started the season with a mindset to survive in league one. There certainly wasn’t any attempt to assemble a play off challenging squad. Let alone a push for the autos.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 21, 2024, 06:26:27 am
When I watched us tonight, it was clear that for us to mount a serious challenge we would have needed to have improved all over the pitch. Now that is basing it on a side that is already depleted. But that is the current situation. As I have said. We are doing wonders with what we have. And we started the season with a mindset to survive in league one. There certainly wasn’t any attempt to assemble a play off challenging squad. Let alone a push for the autos.

Sometimes when you take a girl out for the first time you're hoping if you're lucky you might get a goodnight kiss. It's only as the night develops you'd wish you'd bought some condoms.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on February 21, 2024, 07:13:55 am
Sometimes when you take a girl out for the first time you're hoping if you're lucky you might get a goodnight kiss. It's only as the night develops you'd wish you'd bought some condoms.
So the first date is going really well and better than you could have expected, you pop into the toilets and ‘invest’ in some condoms. She sees them, thinks you’re very presumptuous and the whole date is derailed!.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on February 21, 2024, 07:22:45 am
Sometimes when you take a girl out for the first time you're hoping if you're lucky you might get a goodnight kiss. It's only as the night develops you'd wish you'd bought some condoms.

Never a problem for me. You can't have too many kids  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on February 21, 2024, 07:28:34 am
Sometimes when you take a girl out for the first time you're hoping if you're lucky you might get a goodnight kiss. It's only as the night develops you'd wish you'd bought some condoms.

Romantic analogy. So you are suggesting that we've had our balls tickled and should have bought Jonny and his Mates from the shop window?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on February 21, 2024, 09:47:33 am
Sometimes when you take a girl out for the first time you're hoping if you're lucky you might get a goodnight kiss. It's only as the night develops you'd wish you'd bought some condoms.
If you had spent the night in the King Billy, then you could guarantee that she would have bought her own.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on February 21, 2024, 10:35:29 am
What Fenners says...

Throughout this season we've pretty much all (collectively) bemoaned;

The quality and or fitness of our keeper(s)
The inadequacies of our full backs
The fragility of our midfield
The lack of goal threat from our forwards.

On that basis, to improve the team to push for the lottery of the playoffs (autos have gone...) and for the improvement to also sustain us in the Championship IF we made the playoffs and IF we traversed them, you're basically looking at adding 6 or 7 players.

Does anyone seriously think those players are out there, even if we had the money which would probably be well over a million in fees and another 30-40k per week on the wage bill?

Reality check.....

I'm happy if we end up mid table, safe with half a dozen games to play and sitting having a stress free final day of the season, for one year at least anyway....


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on February 21, 2024, 10:44:31 am
I think we will be safe with more than half a dozen games to play.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemaker on February 21, 2024, 10:55:17 am
What Fenners says...

Throughout this season we've pretty much all (collectively) bemoaned;

The quality and or fitness of our keeper(s)
The inadequacies of our full backs
The fragility of our midfield
The lack of goal threat from our forwards.

On that basis, to improve the team to push for the lottery of the playoffs (autos have gone...) and for the improvement to also sustain us in the Championship IF we made the playoffs and IF we traversed them, you're basically looking at adding 6 or 7 players.

Does anyone seriously think those players are out there, even if we had the money which would probably be well over a million in fees and another 30-40k per week on the wage bill?

Reality check.....

I'm happy if we end up mid table, safe with half a dozen games to play and sitting having a stress free final day of the season, for one year at least anyway....
It will be a great achievement I agree and all anyone realistically expected.
Is it the limit of our expectations though?
As fans can we not hope for investment to keep us progressing in the right direction?
If we fail to invest and follow the same old story of not being a sustainable league one club with ambitions of progress , what then?
We know what happens
It’s happened before and David bower hasn’t come out with a rallying call telling the fans that things will be different this time and we will show ambition rather than have our usual relegation.
Mind you they haven’t asked for the season ticket money yet.
I’m certainly not getting carried away by staying up as it’s usually the lack of further investment needed (as detailed by KT) that leads us to go in ever decreasing circles.
Il stand by my opinion that if David bower fails to invest in his club or fails to get outside investment and/or business partners to help we will be relegated within the next two campaigns.
Can anyone disagree and if so why?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on February 21, 2024, 11:00:39 am
I think we will be safe with more than half a dozen games to play.

In real terms I think we are safe now.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on February 21, 2024, 11:13:49 am
In real terms I think we are safe now.

And to say that at this stage of the season, is a testament to the hard work put in by Brady, his coaching/fitness staff, the team, and of course the other staff at NTFC.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: EB Claret on February 21, 2024, 11:21:50 am
It will be a great achievement I agree and all anyone realistically expected.
Is it the limit of our expectations though?
As fans can we not hope for investment to keep us progressing in the right direction?
If we fail to invest and follow the same old story of not being a sustainable league one club with ambitions of progress , what then?
We know what happens
It’s happened before and David bower hasn’t come out with a rallying call telling the fans that things will be different this time and we will show ambition rather than have our usual relegation.
Mind you they haven’t asked for the season ticket money yet.
I’m certainly not getting carried away by staying up as it’s usually the lack of further investment needed (as detailed by KT) that leads us to go in ever decreasing circles.
Il stand by my opinion that if David bower fails to invest in his club or fails to get outside investment and/or business partners to help we will be relegated within the next two campaigns.
Can anyone disagree and if so why?

Can't disagree with much of that and I'm sure most fans harbour the dream of us hitting the heady heights of The Championship.

But... at the moment we are in the third season running where we are probably over achieving. I'm too busy enjoying that to look too far ahead.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 21, 2024, 11:29:46 am
Well lets face it we will never know as we didn't strengthen in January. We could have signed a striker who got 15 goals between January and the end of the season and got us in the play-offs or we could have signed a striker who didn't score a single bloody goal. Like I said, we'll never know. It would be nice to think we will be in the same position again next season but history says otherwise. Plenty of time and games before then.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on February 21, 2024, 11:36:00 am
And to say that at this stage of the season, is a testament to the hard work put in by Brady, his coaching/fitness staff, the team, and of course the other staff at NTFC.

...and dare I say the owners. You don't get an engaged, high performing set of employees if the owners are sh*t.

They'll have their work cut out again close season with losing a few keys faces, which should be cancelled out with one of them being Hylton.  :P
It is going to be an interesting summer break and revised line-up for 2024/25. It'd be great if we can replicate/improve on this season.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on February 21, 2024, 18:58:47 pm
Sometimes when you take a girl out for the first time you're hoping if you're lucky you might get a goodnight kiss. It's only as the night develops you'd wish you'd bought some condoms.

There speaks the voice of experience.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on February 21, 2024, 21:45:58 pm
Well lets face it we will never know as we didn't strengthen in January. We could have signed a striker who got 15 goals between January and the end of the season and got us in the play-offs or we could have signed a striker who didn't score a single bloody goal. Like I said, we'll never know. It would be nice to think we will be in the same position again next season but history says otherwise. Plenty of time and games before then.

It's totally reasonable to want more, especially with our history of having /achieving very little.

Putting myself in the owners shoes though, I'd want a few years proven stability in this division. At the same time, sort the ground and periphery out. Once that's all in place Id be more inclined to invest on the playing side to push on.

Imagine this scenario.... We gatecrash the playoffs and go up. I can't imagine many, if any Championship sides with a worse physical infrastructure. It'd be embarrassing off the pitch and probably more so on it as said insufficient infrastructure wouldn't generate the revenue to fund a competitive side


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 22, 2024, 06:42:35 am
Yes but a season in the Championship, imagine that, it would be worth it.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on February 22, 2024, 06:49:56 am
It's totally reasonable to want more, especially with our history of having /achieving very little.



You could apply that logic to any aspect of life. In fact, I could take your remarks quite personally. ;D Are people as harsh on themselves for not excelling. Or are they more inclined to do so when they haven't got to lose money, or put more time and effort into something. Where do the comparisons stop. As I have said. Taking into account mine and others thoughts about our potential this season. I am more than happy with the current situation.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on February 22, 2024, 08:15:31 am
It will be a great achievement I agree and all anyone realistically expected.
Is it the limit of our expectations though?
As fans can we not hope for investment to keep us progressing in the right direction?
If we fail to invest and follow the same old story of not being a sustainable league one club with ambitions of progress , what then?
We know what happens
It’s happened before and David bower hasn’t come out with a rallying call telling the fans that things will be different this time and we will show ambition rather than have our usual relegation.
Mind you they haven’t asked for the season ticket money yet.
I’m certainly not getting carried away by staying up as it’s usually the lack of further investment needed (as detailed by KT) that leads us to go in ever decreasing circles.
Il stand by my opinion that if David bower fails to invest in his club or fails to get outside investment and/or business partners to help we will be relegated within the next two campaigns.
Can anyone disagree and if so why?

Firstly when we have been relegated back to league 2 in the recent past it hasn’t been down to finances making it impossible for us to be competitive. The likes of Accrington, Crewe, Morecambe and Roachdale who we have a significant advantage over managed to stay up at our expense.

In relative terms this season has been a harder campaign as there are none of those very small teams in the league, we are part of a large group of about probably 8-10 teams that have in around the same level of resources. Probably to the extent that potential transfers are as much about location and how the club is sold to the player as finance between this group.

As we proved in the past with the Chinese money, spending significantly beyond our income is still no guarantee of anything as we were relegated anyway. You just need to look at the league table this season with Charlton struggling to survive and Fleetwood bottom of the table despite having/had players including Marriott, Stockley, Broom, Mayor, Vela and Tshimanga, the sort of bigger name, bigger wage, ‘league 1 players’ that many of our fans were envious of and would have wanted us to sign.

The truth is next season is likely to be even harder. Does that mean we should be demanding the owners spunk away a load of their own money so the club runs beyond it means, pay wages that can’t be covered by income, even though this guarantees nothing. We know this isn’t going to happen anyway and the owners are going nowhere until the development is complete so people can constantly whine about it as much as they like and call out anyone who doesn’t agree as lacking ambition but it’s all pointless.

We are where we are this season because the club has done a lot of things right. We have assembled a hard working team with good character. For once we kept a promotion team together with the club being proactive with contracts and developed a reputation for bringing on loan players. We have kept faith with a manager when at various times there have been odd calls for his head. There have been way too many teams throwing money at things and just expecting success but that’s when the focus goes away from being a well run club and making those numerous small gains. My focus now would be on why we are getting so many injuries and how we can bring through more youth players.

We might go down in the next two seasons, it won’t be easy but there is no reason it should be inevitable and the more things we continue do right the less likely it is.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 22, 2024, 09:06:19 am
Firstly when we have been relegated back to league 2 in the recent past it hasn’t been down to finances making it impossible for us to be competitive. The likes of Accrington, Crewe, Morecambe and Roachdale who we have a significant advantage over managed to stay up at our expense.

In relative terms this season has been a harder campaign as there are none of those very small teams in the league, we are part of a large group of about probably 8-10 teams that have in around the same level of resources. Probably to the extent that potential transfers are as much about location and how the club is sold to the player as finance between this group.

As we proved in the past with the Chinese money, spending significantly beyond our income is still no guarantee of anything as we were relegated anyway. You just need to look at the league table this season with Charlton struggling to survive and Fleetwood bottom of the table despite having/had players including Marriott, Stockley, Broom, Mayor, Vela and Tshimanga, the sort of bigger name, bigger wage, ‘league 1 players’ that many of our fans were envious of and would have wanted us to sign.

The truth is next season is likely to be even harder. Does that mean we should be demanding the owners spunk away a load of their own money so the club runs beyond it means, pay wages that can’t be covered by income, even though this guarantees nothing. We know this isn’t going to happen anyway and the owners are going nowhere until the development is complete so people can constantly whine about it as much as they like and call out anyone who doesn’t agree as lacking ambition but it’s all pointless.

We are where we are this season because the club has done a lot of things right. We have assembled a hard working team with good character. For once we kept a promotion team together with the club being proactive with contracts and developed a reputation for bringing on loan players. We have kept faith with a manager when at various times there have been odd calls for his head. There have been way too many teams throwing money at things and just expecting success but that’s when the focus goes away from being a well run club and making those numerous small gains. My focus now would be on why we are getting so many injuries and how we can bring through more youth players.

We might go down in the next two seasons, it won’t be easy but there is no reason it should be inevitable and the more things we continue do right the less likely it is.

The one thing I would add to this, the examples of Accrington, Crewe, Morecambe and Rochdale are good ones, we would expect to be above them all and indeed we now are. So in our rightful place in that regard.

The example of Charlton, well they are undoubtedly a bigger club and we would expect them to be higher than us in the football echelon. This season they are not, indeed they may even get relegated. However what I have learnt studying the history of football, you can pretty much guarantee that in the not too distant future, Charlton will once again be above us. It's all about being in your traditional rightful place. We are at our peak now or at the top of the roller-coaster if you like. Inevitably we will descend again, hopefully on a gentle slope and Charlton will climb. The ONLY way these things change are massive investment. Bournemouth would be the perfect example, we were pretty much on their level throughout most of our history, Brentford too. Without that investment we're destined to stay where we are and continue the ride between tiers 3 & 4 of the football league. If you were frozen today and was brought back in 50 years time and they gave you the football league tables, I bet you would notice hardly any difference.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on February 22, 2024, 09:33:31 am
The ONLY way these things change are massive investment.
Luton?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on February 22, 2024, 09:38:02 am
The one thing I would add to this, the examples of Accrington, Crewe, Morecambe and Rochdale are good ones, we would expect to be above them all and indeed we now are. So in our rightful place in that regard.

The example of Charlton, well they are undoubtedly a bigger club and we would expect them to be higher than us in the football echelon. This season they are not, indeed they may even get relegated. However what I have learnt studying the history of football, you can pretty much guarantee that in the not too distant future, Charlton will once again be above us. It's all about being in your traditional rightful place. We are at our peak now or at the top of the roller-coaster if you like. Inevitably we will descend again, hopefully on a gentle slope and Charlton will climb. The ONLY way these things change are massive investment. Bournemouth would be the perfect example, we were pretty much on their level throughout most of our history, Brentford too. Without that investment we're destined to stay where we are and continue the ride between tiers 3 & 4 of the football league. If you were frozen today and was brought back in 50 years time and they gave you the football league tables, I bet you would notice hardly any difference.

You're right on the money element but I'm not sure the tables will necessarily resemble the ones around 50 years ago in 50 years time.
Leeds and Derby winning the 'Prem', Carlisle and Man Utd relegated, QPR chasing the title, Orient in the 'Championship' play off positions. Plenty of teams such as Workington and Southport.

Let's hope we are more 'Orient' than 'Workington'.

Throw enough money at anything and it will be successful...maybe not Salford....that's the only thing we really have, a big town and catchment area. The are ample big and successful clubs we could replicate.
Examples of Luton achieving it on a relative shoe string are few and far between.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 22, 2024, 09:52:43 am
You're right on the money element but I'm not sure the tables will necessarily resemble the ones around 50 years ago in 50 years time.
Leeds and Derby winning the 'Prem', Carlisle and Man Utd relegated, QPR chasing the title, Orient in the 'Championship' play off positions. Plenty of teams such as Workington and Southport.

Let's hope we are more 'Orient' than 'Workington'.

Throw enough money at anything and it will be successful...maybe not Salford....that's the only thing we really have, a big town and catchment area. The are ample big and successful clubs we could replicate.
Examples of Luton achieving it on a relative shoe string are few and far between.

If you go back exactly 50 years, of the 44 clubs in the top two divisions, 37 are still there. 6 are in League 1 and one (Swindon) are in league 2. Of the 6 that are in league 1, Derby & Portsmouth could well return this season (even Oxford) making the figures even more static. Clubs rise and fall but overall stay where they are/belong.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: EB Claret on February 22, 2024, 10:16:54 am
If you go back exactly 50 years, of the 44 clubs in the top two divisions, 37 are still there. 6 are in League 1 and one (Swindon) are in league 2. Of the 6 that are in league 1, Derby & Portsmouth could well return this season (even Oxford) making the figures even more static. Clubs rise and fall but overall stay where they are/belong.

Interesting. A little dose of realism for us all there!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on February 22, 2024, 10:36:32 am
If you go back exactly 50 years, of the 44 clubs in the top two divisions, 37 are still there. 6 are in League 1 and one (Swindon) are in league 2. Of the 6 that are in league 1, Derby & Portsmouth could well return this season (even Oxford) making the figures even more static. Clubs rise and fall but overall stay where they are/belong.

So 7 out of 44 weren’t. Not bad odds on our chances again one day. Without the likes of non-league Luton dipping in/out of the Prem and Leicester winning the title. It’s what makes football unpredictable and great.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on February 22, 2024, 10:45:18 am
So 7 out of 44 weren’t. Not bad odds on our chances again one day. Without the likes of non-league Luton dipping in/out of the Prem and Leicester winning the title. It’s what makes football unpredictable and great.

I love that Chelsea continue to keep pillaging Brighton but remain below them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 27, 2024, 22:28:25 pm
They can talk all they like but Orient won’t make the playoffs.

You 100% certain? Up to 8th and just 5pts off the play-offs now having beaten a play-off rival tonight. I hope they do it because we were ahead of them when everybody wrote us off as having no chance.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on February 27, 2024, 22:58:03 pm
Lincoln City, after making several signings in January, are another side on a surge, 13pts from a possible 15. They are also hoping for sides to slip up above them. Bolton & Derby both lost tonight, their second defeats on the bounce. It's hotting up.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on March 12, 2024, 21:39:33 pm
Lincoln City, after making several signings in January, are another side on a surge, 13pts from a possible 15. They are also hoping for sides to slip up above them. Bolton & Derby both lost tonight, their second defeats on the bounce. It's hotting up.

January 1st, we were 9th, Lincoln were 11th.....4 points behind us having played a game more. Tonight as they currently sit 6-0 up against Cambridge they are 8 points ahead of us now having picked up 26 points from their last 12 games, unbeaten since New Years Day.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on March 12, 2024, 21:45:32 pm
Bad news. As of tonight, we can close the Automatic Promotion thread. Mathematically, the highest we can finish is now 3rd.

There was one point, when we couldn't have finished bottom either, but that milestone needs to wait for another day. Hopefully.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 12, 2024, 21:50:37 pm
January 1st, we were 9th, Lincoln were 11th.....4 points behind us having played a game more. Tonight as they currently sit 6-0 up against Cambridge they are 8 points ahead of us now having picked up 26 points from their last 12 games, unbeaten since New Years Day.

Great minds think alike. Difference is that they believed it was still possible, made a couple of excellent signings in the January transfer window and we didn't.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 12, 2024, 21:59:18 pm
Play offs for us was never  possible, we never had the squad to make that challenge.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 12, 2024, 22:10:05 pm
Play offs for us was never  possible, we never had the squad to make that challenge.

Well with the benefit of hindsight that's an easy get out clause that. How do you know how we might have fared had we made three good starting line-up signings on January 1st? Like grange said, we here in a better position than Lincoln.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 12, 2024, 22:19:27 pm
But we didn't make signings that strengthened the squad, not hindsight at all, just common  sense, doesn't matter what anybody else has achieved,  NTFC were never going to make a push for the playoffs with the squad they had at the end of the transfer window.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 12, 2024, 22:21:24 pm
Well with the benefit of hindsight that's an easy get out clause that. How do you know how we might have fared had we made three good starting line-up signings on January 1st? Like grange said, we here in a better position than Lincoln.
We were massively overachieving while Lincoln were underachieving so there was far more scope for Lincoln to improve, while it’s no surprise to me that we seem to have run out of steam. Like you say who knows what would have happened but unfortunately the goalkeeper we bought in hasn’t worked at all.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 12, 2024, 22:23:31 pm
But we didn't make signings that strengthened the squad, not hindsight at all, just common  sense, doesn't matter what anybody else has achieved,  NTFC were never going to make a push for the playoffs with the squad they had at the end of the transfer window.

Yes but we were calling for those signings to be made but other supporters on here said, no, it was pointless, we had no chance. Lincoln are showing that wasn't the case. We WON at Lincoln just two days before the transfer window opened.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 14, 2024, 10:10:08 am
We were massively overachieving while Lincoln were underachieving so there was far more scope for Lincoln to improve, while it’s no surprise to me that we seem to have run out of steam. Like you say who knows what would have happened but unfortunately the goalkeeper we bought in hasn’t worked at all.

Hardly over achieving against at least 60% of League One Clubs?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Gustavo Palcrice on March 14, 2024, 11:14:46 am
Omega or TAG Heuer.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 11:19:18 am
We were never going to make the play offs and nor should we. I understand the 'take every opportunity you can' but dont agree with it. I would much rather build a team that can compete in this division and stabilise than I would for 1 'season in the sun' where we get battered every week.

They made the right decision in January. Our place in League 1 was as sealed as it could be, assuming they set the bar very high and either players didn't hit it or we lost out. They know they have a job to do to replace Leonard and Bowie in the summer so I would much prefer all their efforts being on talking to clubs to either get equally good loan signings or players on a permanent deal.

Going to sound a like a sycophant but the club have got this season absolutely spot on. The tricky second season still looms though.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 11:33:46 am
We were never going to make the play offs and nor should we. I understand the 'take every opportunity you can' but dont agree with it. I would much rather build a team that can compete in this division and stabilise than I would for 1 'season in the sun' where we get battered every week.

They made the right decision in January. Our place in League 1 was as sealed as it could be, assuming they set the bar very high and either players didn't hit it or we lost out. They know they have a job to do to replace Leonard and Bowie in the summer so I would much prefer all their efforts being on talking to clubs to either get equally good loan signings or players on a permanent deal.

Going to sound a like a sycophant but the club have got this season absolutely spot on. The tricky second season still looms though.

Completely wrong. Those chances come up once in a blue moon and every effort has to be taken to try and achieve the dream, however implausible it might seem. We've only risen above our current level once in 127 years, it's as rare as rocking horse s***. I'd much sooner be a Rotherham or a Peterborough (spit) that switch places between the Championship and League 1 on a regular basis than be a yo-yo club between the third or fourth tier. You have to remember one disastrous season for the Millers or Posh could mean they end up in League 2. For us it's the non-league, then what?

Incidentally, are Lincoln really that much bigger a club than us?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on March 14, 2024, 12:15:45 pm
KT got it exactly right as there was no point in spending our modest budget in the faint hope of reaching the play offs. Had we got there what chance would we have had overcoming 2 of Portsmouth, Derby, Peterborough, Bolton or Barnsley to get promoted?. Our results against these teams show we are a long way off beating 2 of them even with the addition of a couple more signings in January. Better option was to keep the cash for the summer transfer window when we have to replace Leonard and Bowie.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on March 14, 2024, 12:26:56 pm
KT got it exactly right as there was no point in spending our modest budget in the faint hope of reaching the play offs. Had we got there what chance would we have had overcoming 2 of Portsmouth, Derby, Peterborough, Bolton or Barnsley to get promoted?. Our results against these teams show we are a long way off beating 2 of them even with the addition of a couple more signings in January. Better option was to keep the cash for the summer transfer window when we have to replace Leonard and Bowie.

That remains to be seen. Not holding my breath. Hope you're right though.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 12:31:01 pm
Completely wrong. Those chances come up once in a blue moon and every effort has to be taken to try and achieve the dream, however implausible it might seem. We've only risen above our current level once in 127 years, it's as rare as rocking horse s***. I'd much sooner be a Rotherham or a Peterborough (spit) that switch places between the Championship and League 1 on a regular basis than be a yo-yo club between the third or fourth tier. You have to remember one disastrous season for the Millers or Posh could mean they end up in League 2. For us it's the non-league, then what?

Incidentally, are Lincoln really that much bigger a club than us?
Wasn't aware an opinion could be completely wrong.
Completely agree with your opinion on being a yoyo between L1 and Champs, disagree on timeline.
No Lincoln are not a bigger club, didnt say they were. They made a decision and good for them. We took a decision and good for us. What I dont know is how much have Lincoln gambled on achieving play offs this year or next and what happens if they dont? I've no idea but Cobblers decided to not take that risk and I think it was the right thing to do.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 12:48:55 pm
KT got it exactly right as there was no point in spending our modest budget in the faint hope of reaching the play offs. Had we got there what chance would we have had overcoming 2 of Portsmouth, Derby, Peterborough, Bolton or Barnsley to get promoted?. Our results against these teams show we are a long way off beating 2 of them even with the addition of a couple more signings in January. Better option was to keep the cash for the summer transfer window when we have to replace Leonard and Bowie.

Well I wonder why you bother even going if that's the limit of your ambition.

Still, I guess there's plenty of supporters like you and one of the main reasons why we've always remained where we are now.

Did you go to Anfield by the way or did you not bother as what were the chances of us ever beating Liverpool?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on March 14, 2024, 12:55:00 pm
We were never going to make the play offs and nor should we. I understand the 'take every opportunity you can' but dont agree with it. I would much rather build a team that can compete in this division and stabilise than I would for 1 'season in the sun' where we get battered every week.


I’m not sure how a L1 team can ever prepare for Championship stability? Other than big clubs how many have ever achieved that?
A starter for 10 is a bigger ground…oh sh*t…didn’t do MK much good though.

I know I was very unhappy when we lost to Grimsby.
Whether we were ever in a serious position this season is up for debate but I agree it made little sense to tie next seasons budget up in knee jerk signings.
Whether we have built something to kick on next season or face the dreaded drop also remains to be seen.
Will we get another Leonard, or another Hylton?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on March 14, 2024, 12:55:53 pm
🔒


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on March 14, 2024, 13:03:21 pm
Marvo, my reason for going is to support the team instead of sitting on my coach. You are right there are a lot of supporters like me who took the more level headed view of our prospects of even reaching the play offs but our opinions don't effect where we are.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 13:10:57 pm
The clubs supporters lack of ambition is only surpassed by the clubs lack of ambition. It's like a mirror image. Maybe we deserve each other.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DrillingCobbler on March 14, 2024, 13:11:13 pm
As a fan, of course Id have loved them to have splashed out to *try and make up the deficit and earn a play off place. However, the likelihood would have been a few hundred grand out of pocket as a result of doing so. Which is still the most likely outcome as far as Lincoln is concerned. Time will tell on that. Their current chances of promotion are surely no better than a 1 in 6 shot or thereabouts. At best.

BUT if that g@mble had meant the money coming off next seasons budget if it didn't pay off, Id rather that we kept our powder dry and spend it in the summer.

I fully understand Marvo's view point and Id too love to see us have a stab at tier2. I just don't expect someone else to spend their money on my hobby, basically. That isn't a vain pop at Marvo either, we are all coming from it from one angle and debating it. Which is a good thing. Its also interesting.

I reckon it will be Derby, Pompey and Bolton that will go up. Maybe scum, at a push. But 3 from those 4...


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on March 14, 2024, 13:45:29 pm
It isn't a supporters lack of ambition it is realism by the majority of supporters.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on March 14, 2024, 13:55:07 pm
It isn't a supporters lack of ambition it is realism by the majority of supporters.
Well said 👍


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Glastonbury Cobbler on March 14, 2024, 14:02:26 pm
Lots of our supporters do lack ambition and are happy to settle for mediocre - which fits the chairman's agenda so I do agree with Marvo they do go hand in hand.

I would say we were never going to make the playoffs we need to spend loads all over the pitch to even compete with the top 6 or 7 - however Lincoln (Similar size club, similar budget etc.etc) have shown it can be done


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 14:14:04 pm
It isn't a supporters lack of ambition it is realism by the majority of supporters.

So you didn't go to Liverpool then?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 14:20:01 pm
I don't lack ambition and nor do I accept mediocrity.

I want to see us become an established L1 side and build up over 2-3 years to then challenge at the top of this division. I don't want a season like Rotherham have had this year just to say we have been in the Championship for 1 season.

I respect the opinion of those that would like to have seen us go for it this year. I don't criticise them for that opinion, I just have a different thought. The world doesn't always need to be binary.



Oh and not directed at me but yes I went to Liverpool, expecting to be beat, but excited for a big day out, and who knows.... I dont want to be excited to just be a number for 43 games in the Championship
Also went to Reading and Ipswich in that cup run.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on March 14, 2024, 14:33:54 pm
I'm not sure a supporter can have ambition, the owners maybe but supporters can put money in and hope for the best.

It isn't a stretch to hope that we might reach the heady heights of the Championship again one day but it won't be with the current owners, or potentially the ones after that. We can but hope.
We've been there a couple of times in the past 60 years, you'd hope that the odds of probability mean that we'll do it again one day. There are smaller teams than us who have had a sniff.

If you are a 'Northampton' going up on the first, second or third season, how do you not become a 'Rotherham'? It'd be nice to find out if we had the chance.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on March 14, 2024, 15:00:02 pm
Over land and sea!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 15:17:21 pm
I don't lack ambition and nor do I accept mediocrity.

I want to see us become an established L1 side and build up over 2-3 years to then challenge at the top of this division. I don't want a season like Rotherham have had this year just to say we have been in the Championship for 1 season.

I respect the opinion of those that would like to have seen us go for it this year. I don't criticise them for that opinion, I just have a different thought. The world doesn't always need to be binary.



Oh and not directed at me but yes I went to Liverpool, expecting to be beat, but excited for a big day out, and who knows.... I dont want to be excited to just be a number for 43 games in the Championship
Also went to Reading and Ipswich in that cup run.

Of course you lack ambition. You said it yourself, you don't want to go up to the Championship this season. For some unexplained reason, you seem to think we will go against history and establish ourselves as a League 1 club, even though we all know we have one of the smallest budgets in the division. If we went up we'd probably get relegated next season but we'll probably get relegated from League 1 too so what's the difference? I'll answer my own question, as a Championship club we'd stand a much better chance of attracting investment, maybe new owners, who knows. Also only 3 clubs go down from the second tier, so that's one less team you'd have to better.
You can't pick and choose when you go up and when you don't. Football isn't like that. If an opportunity presents itself then you have to grab it with both hands because god knows when or even if the opportunity will ever arrive again.

Kudos to you though, I think your are the first fan I've seen that's said he doesn't want to go up.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 16:19:57 pm
Of course you lack ambition. You said it yourself, you don't want to go up to the Championship this season. For some unexplained reason, you seem to think we will go against history and establish ourselves as a League 1 club, even though we all know we have one of the smallest budgets in the division. If we went up we'd probably get relegated next season but we'll probably get relegated from League 1 too so what's the difference? I'll answer my own question, as a Championship club we'd stand a much better chance of attracting investment, maybe new owners, who knows. Also only 3 clubs go down from the second tier, so that's one less team you'd have to better.
You can't pick and choose when you go up and when you don't. Football isn't like that. If an opportunity presents itself then you have to grab it with both hands because god knows when or even if the opportunity will ever arrive again.

Kudos to you though, I think your are the first fan I've seen that's said he doesn't want to go up.
I am mid career middle management. My career ambition is to be Senior Manager, but I am not ready for it yet, I am a few years away at least. Does that mean I am not ambitious in my career?

I dont think we ever had a realistic opportunity of the play offs. Yes we were up to 9th but from memory was still about 8-9 points outside the playoffs. If I was a Stevenage fan I would have wanted the club to spend in January (I dont know if they did or not) as they have a realistic chance and need to solidify their position. and I would imagine are exceeding most of their fans expectations. For us I think it was the right decision, we will never know.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on March 14, 2024, 16:36:10 pm
I am mid career middle management. My career ambition is to be Senior Manager, but I am not ready for it yet, I am a few years away at least. Does that mean I am not ambitious in my career?


Stay put….its overrated.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 16:48:53 pm
I am mid career middle management. My career ambition is to be Senior Manager, but I am not ready for it yet, I am a few years away at least. Does that mean I am not ambitious in my career?


So if they offered you the position tomorrow with I expect a big pay rise and maybe a better office, you'd turn it down?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 16:52:41 pm
Last point from me on this as we will never know what might have happened.

Was curious though as if you look at Lincoln compared to us since end of January...

Last ten games NTFC 10 Points. Lincoln 24 points. So makes you think we made the wrong decision however...
We have played three of the same teams, we got 5 points, Lincoln 7 points.
Of the other games  we have played, all bar 1 team currently occupy the top 10. The one that doesn't is 11th.
Lincoln, 2 in the top 10, 4 in the bottom 10, of which 2 in the relegation zone.

Now I know that the current positions were not the same as they were when the games we played etc, we have a similar run in now so curious to see where both teams finish.

What a f***ing great game football is.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 16:53:42 pm
So if they offered you the position tomorrow with I expect a big pay rise and maybe a better office, you'd turn it down?
You mean like I did last year? Family, health, career.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 16:58:08 pm
You mean like I did last year? Family, health, career.

So they obviously think you're ready. Maybe a self worth course might be the ticket?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on March 14, 2024, 17:01:59 pm
So they obviously think you're ready. Maybe a self worth course might be the ticket?
I dont care what they think. Happy with what I have and where I am, for now.
Same with having a football team in League 1, building in a way that excites me and think it would be a mistake to over reach too soon.

Just hope this doesnt bite me in 12 months!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 17:09:45 pm
I dont care what they think. Happy with what I have and where I am, for now.
Same with having a football team in League 1, building in a way that excites me and think it would be a mistake to over reach too soon.

Just hope this doesnt bite me in 12 months!

Our history says it will, big time. I don't expect Brady to be here at the end of next season. It's not going to be much fun.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on March 14, 2024, 17:27:04 pm
Thanks for letting us know, so there is no point in renewing our season tickets. Drop in club revenue all down to Marvo.

I confirm I did not go to Liverpool as I was still working at that time running my own business and the contract I was working on at that time made it impossible. I have been to plenty of others including our cup game at Man City and at Ipswich during Bobby Robson’s reign. I don’t go to all away games as it is not fair on her indoors to give up every Saturday but have been to rather more than just Derby this season.

As a matter of interest why do you always try and shoot other posters with your delusional Marvo knows best attitude?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 17:42:40 pm
Thanks for letting us know, so there is no point in renewing our season tickets. Drop in club revenue all down to Marvo.

I confirm I did not go to Liverpool as I was still working at that time running my own business and the contract I was working on at that time made it impossible. I have been to plenty of others including our cup game at Man City and at Ipswich during Bobby Robson’s reign. I don’t go to all away games as it is not fair on her indoors to give up every Saturday but have been to rather more than just Derby this season.

As a matter of interest why do you always try and shoot other posters with your delusional Marvo knows best attitude?

I'd answer that but as I'm not delusional I can't. Maybe try rephrasing the question?

I wont be renewing my season ticket.

It's going to get pretty nasty on here next season. It's always okay the first year, something new but it gets old real fast.

I hate it when other supposed Cobblers fans run the team down, saying were not good enough and that we haven't got a chance. That may be the case but why air those views? Your wife may be ugly but you don't have to keep reminding her of that.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 14, 2024, 17:51:07 pm
but we'll probably get relegated from League 1


I hate it when other supposed Cobblers fans run the team down, saying we’re not good enough and that we haven't got a chance. That may be the case but why air those views?



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 18:11:04 pm
That's not running them down, that's history, they can't help it, its destiny.

On the bright side the bar is set so low, even escaping relegation by the skin of their teeth will seem like a success.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on March 14, 2024, 18:39:49 pm
We knew you meant ‘us’,  ‘we’ and ‘our’ :P
Isn’t that no different to saying it wasn’t worth investing as we never go up?

I have a bit more faith that JB won’t totally lose the plot but close season really is crucial and we need to unearth some gems. Totally agree that history tells us not to be too optimistic.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on March 14, 2024, 18:40:06 pm
Stay put….its overrated.
You’ll suddenly become aware of corporate politics, not nice.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 14, 2024, 18:54:29 pm
Totally agree that history tells us not to be too optimistic.
Do people actually give any relevance at all to things that might have happened under different ownership or management or with completely different players?. Think we drew our last two matches against Man City in the league but I wouldn’t put my house on us not losing should we play them again!.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on March 14, 2024, 19:42:04 pm
Do people actually give any relevance at all to things that might have happened under different ownership or management or with completely different players?. Think we drew our last two matches against Man City in the league but I wouldn’t put my house on us not losing should we play them again!.

It’s hard not to considering the pattern of the last 60 years, which covers most of us on here.
After beating Liverpool we can do anyone on a one off….and even a ‘West Ham’ over two legs.
As for a season slog, we don’t have too much optimism to go on. It’s a race towards death for all of us whether we’re destined to see anything at a different level again. We’ve seen things like play offs can go either way…if we can get there.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on March 14, 2024, 19:43:47 pm

I'm not sure a supporter can have ambition,the owners maybe but supporters can put money in and hope for the best.

It isn't a stretch to hope that we might reach the heady heights of the Championship again one day but it won't be with the current owners, or potentially the ones after that. We can but hope.
We've been there a couple of times in the past 60 years, you'd hope that the odds of probability mean that we'll do it again one day. There are smaller teams than us who have had a sniff.

If you are a 'Northampton' going up on the first, second or third season, how do you not become a 'Rotherham'? It'd be nice to find out if we had the chance.

Of course we can. I'm a supporter and my ambition is to see us in the Championship before I die.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on March 14, 2024, 20:50:24 pm
Of course we can. I'm a supporter and my ambition is to see us in the Championship before I die.

Fair enough Shoey. Not a term I’d personally use. I might say I’d love to win the lottery but I wouldn’t say it’s an ambition. I might have an ambition to run 5km under 25 minutes. JB could have an ambition to get a team into the Championship…etc.
It’s good to have ambitions though and I’m sure you can help by cheering us on.  :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 20:53:51 pm
Do people actually give any relevance at all to things that might have happened under different ownership or management or with completely different players?. Think we drew our last two matches against Man City in the league but I wouldn’t put my house on us not losing should we play them again!.

Of course its relevant. If you can't learn from experience/history then I'm at a loss what you can learn from.

Every club has its rightful place, ours is bottom third of League 1, top third of League 2. We beat Swansea at Wembley but Swansea are a bigger club than us, that's why they are now in the next league up. We lost to Grimsby but they had dropped into non-league while we remained at our level. Derby are always going to get out of this division. If they don't do it this year then they will the next or the one after that. They're a big club, it will happen. Same as it did for Man City, Aston Villa, Ipswich, Sunderland, Leeds, etc, etc.
There is nothing about us that would lead you to believe we can be a stable League 1 side, nothing at all. We're just waiting for the inevitable drop back down, its all about preventing that for as long as we can. Don't fret though, we'll get back up again.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on March 14, 2024, 21:35:15 pm
Fair enough Shoey. Not a term I’d personally use. I might say I’d love to win the lottery but I wouldn’t say it’s an ambition. I might have an ambition to run 5km under 25 minutes. JB could have an ambition to get a team into the Championship…etc.
It’s good to have ambitions though and I’m sure you can help by cheering us on.  :)

It's not my ambition in life, just for the team I support. JB may have an ambition to get a team to the Championship (Cobblers?) just as I have an ambition to see them there. I'd also love to win the lottery, it may help to make the dream a reality.
No need to be patronising either.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 14, 2024, 22:02:31 pm
Of course its relevant. If you can't learn from experience/history then I'm at a loss what you can learn from.

Every club has its rightful place, ours is bottom third of League 1, top third of League 2. We beat Swansea at Wembley but Swansea are a bigger club than us, that's why they are now in the next league up. We lost to Grimsby but they had dropped into non-league while we remained at our level. Derby are always going to get out of this division. If they don't do it this year then they will the next or the one after that. They're a big club, it will happen. Same as it did for Man City, Aston Villa, Ipswich, Sunderland, Leeds, etc, etc.
There is nothing about us that would lead you to believe we can be a stable League 1 side, nothing at all. We're just waiting for the inevitable drop back down, its all about preventing that for as long as we can. Don't fret though, we'll get back up again.


I don’t disagree in terms of our rightful place. What I was getting at was just because since the 70’s we’ve never gone 3 seasons in league 1 without getting relegated it means relegation is inevitable this season or next. People look for patterns that are coincidence and link them as some sort of law as to how the future will unfold. Maybe we do go down next season, it won’t be easy but just because in 75/76 we only lasted one season in the third tier doesn’t mean that there is zero chance of us  ever making it four seasons in league 1 or maybe more. I 100% agree we should learn from past failures, I’ve praised the club for not dismantling a promotion winning side and being more proactive with out of contract players but my point was what has happened a long time in the past doesn’t necessarily set in stone what’s going to happen in the future. I just find a lot of these stats mainly used by pundits and commentators facile and of little relevance to now.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 14, 2024, 22:18:23 pm
Of course its relevant. If you can't learn from experience/history then I'm at a loss what you can learn from.

Every club has its rightful place, ours is bottom third of League 1, top third of League 2. We beat Swansea at Wembley but Swansea are a bigger club than us, that's why they are now in the next league up. We lost to Grimsby but they had dropped into non-league while we remained at our level. Derby are always going to get out of this division. If they don't do it this year then they will the next or the one after that. They're a big club, it will happen. Same as it did for Man City, Aston Villa, Ipswich, Sunderland, Leeds, etc, etc.
There is nothing about us that would lead you to believe we can be a stable League 1 side, nothing at all. We're just waiting for the inevitable drop back down, its all about preventing that for as long as we can. Don't fret though, we'll get back up again.


You appeared to be obsessed with 'every club has its place'. All we need is sufficient funding to become a stable League One Club. That's the obvious way but Bowen did it another way without massive backing and JBrady appears to be going the same route. This sense of inevitability is your Achilles heal, it crops up in many of your posts and you yourself are governed by it. Has it occurred to you that Brady might be able to get us up on a comparative shoe string budget with a side based on team ethos, a happy dressing room and and an all for one  attitude. Both this league and the Championship have examples of Clubs, so called big Clubs languishing in or near the bottom of their leagues, like Sheffield Wed plus seven others and in League One we have Reading,Charlton and Wigan. You could include Port Vale who spent a lot of money pre season! The point is you don't need a Sugar Daddy but what is essential is a good Football Manager who is capable of uniting the players to a common purpose. We have one! Whilst Tuesday result was disappointing in the manner it was lost, we ought to hold our nerve and not over react at least not too much! Rome was not built in a day!                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                          
                      


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 14, 2024, 23:33:37 pm
Let's revisit this again, same time, same place, next season.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on March 15, 2024, 11:13:24 am
Let's revisit this again, same time, same place, next season.

I'll be here. We'll see you all next year.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on March 15, 2024, 11:24:23 am
Looking on the bright side next year we may have to rename it "automatic promotion watch".


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 15:26:44 pm
Lincoln are on fire!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 16:05:56 pm
Marvo you are obsessed with Lincoln.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 16:11:03 pm
Last 2 games, won 5-1 away at Barnsley, 6-0  v Cambridge, now 3-0 up at half-time. Wouldn't you prefer that?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on March 16, 2024, 17:37:02 pm
🔒


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 17:48:44 pm
This was the table on the opening day of the January transfer window. It was at this time Cobblers fans (and the club) gave up on the play-offs. Notice Lincoln are 4 points behind us having played a game more. They are now just 2pts off the play-offs.

(https://i.postimg.cc/bwL9n3x0/1st-Jan.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 16, 2024, 17:56:31 pm
Marvo you are obsessed with Lincoln.


 ;D Plagiarism!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 18:04:16 pm

 ;D Plagiarism!

Nice you can find something to smile about.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 18:14:11 pm
Why post the table from Jan 1st, is it just to promote your Club Lincoln ;D
Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln ,Lincoln,  there thats covered the next four posts  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 18:20:35 pm
They have just scored 5, 6 and 5 in three games. Do you know when the Cobblers last did that?

Lincoln are making all you lot who said it couldn't be done look like mugs. No wonder you are trying distraction tactics. It won't work, we can see you.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 18:23:34 pm
Wrong again Marvo, most people were saying it couldn't be done by NTFC, they have been proven right, alot of people don't care about other teams. Your just making yourself look like a mug.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 16, 2024, 18:26:20 pm
Wrong again Marvo, most people were saying it couldn't be done by NTFC, they have been proven right, alot of people don't care about other teams. Your just asking yourself looking like a mug.
Exactly this.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 18:28:36 pm
So you are all claiming that Lincoln are a bigger club than the Cobblers and can do things we can't? Okay, fair enough.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 16, 2024, 18:28:59 pm
They have just scored 5, 6 and 5 in three games. Do you know when the Cobblers last did that?

Lincoln are making all you lot who said it couldn't be done look like mugs. No wonder you are trying distraction tactics. It won't work, we can see you.

You need to show just a little more respect to all Cobblers Fans and their differing opinions!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Lizard68 on March 16, 2024, 18:31:15 pm

and their differing opinions!


 ;D ;D ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on March 16, 2024, 18:36:53 pm
So you are all claiming that Lincoln are a bigger club than the Cobblers and can do things we can't? Okay, fair enough.
You’re wasting your breath Marvo, most cobblers fans are just happy we are a league team, good old KT he saved us.
Personally I agree with you a little investing and we could have been Lincoln.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 18:37:10 pm
You need to show just a little more respect to all Cobblers Fans and their differing opinions!

Why? I am not giving any respect to so called fans who write the club off with four months of the season left. It is any wonder the club show so little ambition.

Now the players are mirroring these supporters, they've stopped trying to.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on March 16, 2024, 18:41:02 pm
Go on, flagellate them all!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 16, 2024, 18:44:34 pm
Why? I am not giving any respect to so called fans who write the club off with four months of the season left. It is any wonder the club show so little ambition.

Now the players are mirroring these supporters, they've stopped trying to.

You are being silly now!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 16, 2024, 18:45:05 pm
So you are all claiming that Lincoln are a bigger club than the Cobblers and can do things we can't? Okay, fair enough.
No but Lincoln are far more established in League 1 and have had the chance to build a squad with far more quality than ours. Up to January 1st we were massively overachieving while they were underperforming so there was far more scope for them to improve than us. Unfortunately we lost a keeper and replaced him with a massively inferior player. We have had a lot of injuries. Marriott a potential signing but out of our price range has done nothing at league 2 Wrexham. Carlisle have spent big and done nothing so it’s no guarantee you will improve.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 18:54:14 pm
No but Lincoln are far more established in League 1 and have had the chance to build a squad with far more quality than ours. Up to January 1st we were massively overachieving while they were underperforming so there was far more scope for them to improve than us. Unfortunately we lost a keeper and replaced him with a massively inferior player. We have had a lot of injuries. Marriott a potential signing but out of our price range has done nothing at league 2 Wrexham. Carlisle have spent big and done nothing so it’s no guarantee you will improve.

Of course there are no guarantees but that doesn't mean you just give up!

As for over achieving, well, if you say so. Maybe Atkins, Carr and Bowen overachieved, I'm not sure this counts. Worse run of form for three years.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 16, 2024, 19:06:53 pm
Of course there are no guarantees but that doesn't mean you just give up!

As for over achieving, well, if you say so. Maybe Atkins, Carr and Bowen overachieved, I'm not sure this counts. Worse run of form for three years.

It’s not about giving up it’s about how we spend our limited finances. As ntfclad said any extra money spent in this winter window would reduce next season’s budget.

I was talking about the  position we were in at the turn of the year with the quality of players at our disposal, which was definitely overachieving for me and perhaps why it’s not really a surprise that our form has dropped.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on March 16, 2024, 19:19:23 pm
Our limited finances will be affected by the 1000 or so fewer fans through the gates per home game (excepting the Derby one) because form, results and performances have dropped off the cliff.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Out Of Towner on March 16, 2024, 19:19:54 pm
Wrong again Marvo, most people were saying it couldn't be done by NTFC, they have been proven right, alot of people don't care about other teams. Your just making yourself look like a mug.

But why couldn't it? In both games against Lincoln this season we proved we were better than them. January came around, they pushed on, invested in the squad & signed players where they needed to improve, and now they're better than us. If they could do that, we 100% could have as well.

Whilst I understand the decision to perhaps save the funds & invest in the summer, it seriously needs to work otherwise we'll find ourselves following the usual pattern for us at this level, heading back to League Two within a couple/few seasons & then wondering why we didn't at least try to take an opportunity when it was available.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 19:24:08 pm
Jesus Marvo, just because people dont agree with you , you start throwing your toys out the pram. People stated at the start of this thread that NTFC would not be able to mount a challenge for the playoffs this season, they have been proven 100% correct. Investment rightly or wrongly was never going to happen, we all wish it was. Now they have been proven correct you're saying they're not real fans ? Grow up for christs sake.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 19:41:33 pm
Jesus Marvo, just because people dont agree with you , you start throwing your toys out the pram. People stated at the start of this thread that NTFC would not be able to mount a challenge for the playoffs this season, they have been proven 100% correct. Investment rightly or wrongly was never going to happen, we all wish it was. Now they have been proven correct you're saying they're not real fans ? Grow up for christs sake.

Thats nonsense. How can they be correct when we didn't strengthen (like Lincoln). We've no idea how we would have done, a decent goalkeeper alone would have made a massive difference. The only thing that has been proven is that a team in our position at the start of January had every chance of making the play-offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on March 16, 2024, 19:46:17 pm
No but Lincoln are far more established in League 1 and have had the chance to build a squad with far more quality than ours. Up to January 1st we were massively overachieving while they were underperforming so there was far more scope for them to improve than us. Unfortunately we lost a keeper and replaced him with a massively inferior player. We have had a lot of injuries. Marriott a potential signing but out of our price range has done nothing at league 2 Wrexham. Carlisle have spent big and done nothing so it’s no guarantee you will improve.

They've only been in league 1 for 4 years and only been back in the league for 6 years having spent a similar length of time in the non league wilderness. So you could say that we're far more established in the football league than them and have had the chance to build a squad with far more quality than theirs. We're similar sized clubs and I can't imagine they have a massive budget or splashed out stupidly to bolster their squad in the window. But they certainly managed to snap up some very good players and at least greatly improved the match day experience, scoring lots more goals , enticing more fans to the ground and giving themselves a decent chance of the play offs. Whereas we're going the other way. I'm with Marvo on this.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 19:49:11 pm
Im not doubting that we had a chance if investment had happened but it didnt, but people said the  wouldn't happen and that the Cobblers wouldn't make the playoffs, So yes they were correct, i know its hard for you to admit you're wrong, but there you go.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 19:51:36 pm
Im not doubting that we had a chance if investment had happened but it didnt, but people said the  wouldn't happen and that the Cobblers wouldn't make the playoffs, So yes they were correct, i know its hard for you to admit you're wrong, but there you go.

You can't say something is a failure if you haven't tested it. That's really stupid.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 19:53:40 pm
You cant say people are wrong when they are correct, That's really stupid.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 20:00:34 pm
You cant say people are wrong when they are correct, That's really stupid.

They could only be right if we'd invested and then failed. Lincoln have PROVEN it was possible for a team in our position to have still made the play-offs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 20:03:47 pm
What rubbish you do post, they are correct because we didnt make the playoffs 100% fact, Lincoln are not in the Playoffs yet  so what has that proven ?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on March 16, 2024, 20:11:57 pm
The sad thing is that Lincoln didn't really do a lot in January either..... I mean its not like they splashed out thousands on transfer fees. They picked up a player upon completion of the League of Ireland season and therefore completion of his contract in Moylan, they picked up Joseph Taylor on loan from Luton after he had been recalled from his loan for the first half of the season at League 2 Colchester, and they got Conor McGrandles on loan from Charlton. They also recalled Freddie Draper from Walsall where he had been on loan and stuck him back in their team.

Since New Years Day and since making the squad changes above they are unbeaten in 13, have won 8 of the last 10, have scored 16 goals in three games, and attracted over 9300 to their home game against Bristol Rovers today.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 16, 2024, 20:20:09 pm
They've only been in league 1 for 4 years and only been back in the league for 6 years having spent a similar length of time in the non league wilderness. So you could say that we're far more established in the football league than them and have had the chance to build a squad with far more quality than theirs. We're similar sized clubs and I can't imagine they have a massive budget or splashed out stupidly to bolster their squad in the window. But they certainly managed to snap up some very good players and at least greatly improved the match day experience, scoring lots more goals , enticing more fans to the ground and giving themselves a decent chance of the play offs. Whereas we're going the other way. I'm with Marvo on this.

Turnover in players is that rapid that I don’t think it matters this is only their 7th season back in the league. We saw Lloyd Jones turn down more money with us to play in league one with Cambridge, so this is their fifth season with that advantage compared to our first. In terms of budget there probably isn’t a significant difference (though not sure manny will agree), but for probably a number of reasons at present there squad for me has far more quality than ours. If you believe that with Moulden in goal and the injuries that a couple of better signings (we did bring in Moore & Gape) would have produced a possible playoff place that’s fine but not for me, I’d rather see the money spent on next season’s campaign.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on March 16, 2024, 20:20:52 pm
The sad thing is that Lincoln didn't really do a lot in January either..... I mean its not like they splashed out thousands on transfer fees. They picked up a player upon completion of the League of Ireland season and therefore completion of his contract in Moylan, they picked up Joseph Taylor on loan from Luton after he had been recalled from his loan for the first half of the season at League 2 Colchester, and they got Conor McGrandles on loan from Charlton. They also recalled Freddie Draper from Walsall where he had been on loan and stuck him back in their team.

Since New Years Day and since making the squad changes above they are unbeaten in 13, have won 8 of the last 10, have scored 16 goals in three games, and attracted over 9300 to their home game against Bristol Rovers today.

I dream of even having the ability to get that many in our ground.  :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on March 16, 2024, 20:22:22 pm
I dream of even having the ability to get that many in our ground.  :)
KT says we don’t need any more capacity FACT.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 16, 2024, 20:25:14 pm
The sad thing is that Lincoln didn't really do a lot in January either..... I mean its not like they splashed out thousands on transfer fees. They picked up a player upon completion of the League of Ireland season and therefore completion of his contract in Moylan, they picked up Joseph Taylor on loan from Luton after he had been recalled from his loan for the first half of the season at League 2 Colchester, and they got Conor McGrandles on loan from Charlton. They also recalled Freddie Draper from Walsall where he had been on loan and stuck him back in their team.


Yeah the Moylan deal had been done in the summer.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 20:30:18 pm
What rubbish you do post, they are correct because we didnt make the playoffs 100% fact, Lincoln are not in the Playoffs yet  so what has that proven ?

You do talk crap. We didn't make the play-offs because we didn't strengthen.

It's like me saying if you put sugar in your tea it will be sweeter and you saying it wouldn't, then not putting sugar in your tea and claiming you were right. Utter rubbish.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on March 16, 2024, 20:38:09 pm
I give up, you're  correct, we havent made the playoffs, that is correct, but you carry on with your pointless threads about any crap you can come up with.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 16, 2024, 20:44:09 pm
You do talk crap. We didn't make the play-offs because we didn't strengthen.

It's like me saying if you put sugar in your tea it will be sweeter and you saying it wouldn't, then not putting sugar in your tea and claiming you were right. Utter rubbish.

Wrexham and Carlisle two of the sides that invested most in January on their teams are both averaging less points per game after ‘strengthening’ than they were before. I guess sometimes you end up putting salt in your tea not sugar!.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 20:47:41 pm
Wrexham and Carlisle two of the sides that invested most in January on their teams are both averaging less points per game after ‘strengthening’ than they were before. I guess sometimes you end up putting salt in your tea not sugar!.

Yes, it was a gamble but if you don't buy a ticket, you can't win the jackpot.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on March 16, 2024, 21:07:54 pm
Platitudes


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 16, 2024, 21:53:37 pm
Turnover in players is that rapid that I don’t think it matters this is only their 7th season back in the league. We saw Lloyd Jones turn down more money with us to play in league one with Cambridge, so this is their fifth season with that advantage compared to our first. In terms of budget there probably isn’t a significant difference (though not sure manny will agree), but for probably a number of reasons at present there squad for me has far more quality than ours. If you believe that with Moulden in goal and the injuries that a couple of better signings (we did bring in Moore & Gape) would have produced a possible playoff place that’s fine but not for me, I’d rather see the money spent on next season’s campaign.


Agreed - fool and their money are soon parted. Considering Lincoln are not in the plays off yet with 7/8 games to go so anything can happen.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on March 16, 2024, 22:29:18 pm
Agreed - fool and their money are soon parted. Considering Lincoln are not in the plays off yet with 7/8 games to go so anything can happen.

Certainly doing better than us and encouraging more people to go and watch them. Although we aren't able to encourage many more to fit in our ground.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 16, 2024, 22:55:20 pm
Certainly doing better than us and encouraging more people to go and watch them. Although we aren't able to encourage many more to fit in our ground. 

Supporting Northampton is not for faint hearts! We have to support the team even more now; we beat Lincoln easily a few weeks back. A winning side attracts supporters, gird you loins people and make a fight of it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 23:09:34 pm
Supporting Northampton is not for faint hearts! We have to support the team even more now; we beat Lincoln easily a few weeks back. A winning side attracts supporters, gird you loins people and make a fight of it.

Bloody hell, now he understands.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 16, 2024, 23:13:36 pm
Agreed - fool and their money are soon parted. Considering Lincoln are not in the plays off yet with 7/8 games to go so anything can happen.

It's not about whether they make the play-offs, it was whether it was possible, or are you now saying that 2 points behind with 7 games to go is too big of a gap to make up? Remember we were 4 points better off than Lincoln, had a game in hand and as you have just said yourself, beat them easily.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on March 17, 2024, 00:21:20 am
Bloody hell, now he understands.

Apologies Marvo - I sometimes have an issue with your logic!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 17, 2024, 08:19:57 am
Apologies Marvo - I sometimes have an issue with your logic!

I know you do Everbrite, that's why I try and speak very, very slowly.

Your problem is, if you don't mind me saying, is that you only want to hear posts that agree with your point of view, rubbishing any that stray from the party line. For example, at the start of the campaign when others were worrying whether we'd be able to avoid relegation this season, I was reassuring, using history as a yardstick and saying that we can expect to be okay. You had no problem with that whatsoever. Now though when I use the same yardstick to say in all likelihood we face a relegation dogfight next season, one I feel personally we will lose, you're up in arms, I'm not a real supporter, history counts for nothing. You can't have it both ways.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on March 17, 2024, 09:40:48 am
Yes, it was a gamble but if you don't buy a ticket, you can't win the jackpot.

Isn’t that the crux of it. While there is a mathematical chance then anything is possible to varying degrees of probability. What Lincoln are doing or our present form prove nothing about a potential future that never existed. It comes down to a philosophical choice, your lottery analogy is a good one. I would never say no to more money but choose not to do the lottery, even though someone is guaranteed to win the odds are too astronomical for me and I’d rather just use that money elsewhere. For you maybe that jackpot is worth buying tickets for. The whole debate has surely become tiresome now and whether Lincoln do or don’t make the playoffs is irrelevant and not worth talking about.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 17, 2024, 09:52:44 am
Isn’t that the crux of it. While there is a mathematical chance then anything is possible to varying degrees of probability. What Lincoln are doing or our present form prove nothing about a potential future that never existed. It comes down to a philosophical choice, your lottery analogy is a good one. I would never say no to more money but choose not to do the lottery, even though someone is guaranteed to win the odds are too astronomical for me and I’d rather just use that money elsewhere. For you maybe that jackpot is worth buying tickets for. The whole debate has surely become tiresome now and whether Lincoln do or don’t make the playoffs is irrelevant and not worth talking about.

I agree. If we get relegated next season, we might look back and say "we might as well have had a go" (bought the ticket). The club decided not to, we'll never know what might have happened had they, so let that be the end to it.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: MCHammer on March 17, 2024, 11:31:24 am
Always thought it's pointless making comparisons with how other clubs are doing.  Let's face it none of us have in depth knowledge about other clubs so how do we know we are even comparing like with like?

Our club is nowhere near ready for the Championship and in my view a promotion at the wrong time could actually be more damaging in the long run than beneficial. 

I think the right decision was made in January, all things cosidered.  It's always a window you overpay for your targets and I don't believe without significant "investment/more debt" we would improved enough to compete with clubs that have way bigger budgets anyway.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on March 17, 2024, 12:45:14 pm
It was good that we got promoted last season and not the season before as we came up with a much settled squad. In the less than 1% chance we gained promotion again this season we would have come back down with minimal points. After 30 games we had 41 points so if we gained 2 points a game from the last 16 games we would have finished on 73 points which may not be enough. There is no point being in the play offs if you are not going to get promoted and given our results against the other likely play off teams that would be extremely unlikely over the 3 games.

We now have people who were accusing us of having a lack of ambition doing exactly that by saying we are likely to go back down next season. History does not always repeat itself otherwise we would not have lost yesterday as we had not lost any of our previous 11 visits to Wycombe.

We have taken 7 points from 5 games against last seasons relegated Championship teams with Reading still to play away, it is probable that we wont get as many against the teams that come down from the Championship this season. But in 5 games against the 3 teams who came up with us we have only taken 2 points with Carlisle still to play at home so we could end up with 5 points from the 6 games if we win, I think we are capable of taking at least 5 points from 6 games against any 3 of the 4 teams who come up from Division 2 this season so what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.

How we do next season will largely depend on our transfer business in the summer which fortunately was not wasted in chasing the rainbow in January.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 17, 2024, 12:51:10 pm
It was good that we got promoted last season and not the season before as we came up with a much settled squad. In the less than 1% chance we gained promotion again this season we would have come back down with minimal points. After 30 games we had 41 points so if we gained 2 points a game from the last 16 games we would have finished on 73 points which may not be enough. There is no point being in the play offs if you are not going to get promoted and given our results against the other likely play off teams that would be extremely unlikely over the 3 games.

We now have people who were accusing us of having a lack of ambition doing exactly that by saying we are likely to go back down next season. History does not always repeat itself otherwise we would not have lost yesterday as we had not lost any of our previous 11 visits to Wycombe.

We have taken 7 points from 5 games against last seasons relegated Championship teams with Reading still to play away, it is probable that we wont get as many against the teams that come down from the Championship this season. But in 5 games against the 3 teams who came up with us we have only taken 2 points with Carlisle still to play at home so we could end up with 5 points from the 6 games if we win, I think we are capable of taking at least 5 points from 6 games against any 3 of the 4 teams who come up from Division 2 this season so what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.

How we do next season will largely depend on our transfer business in the summer which fortunately was not wasted in chasing the rainbow in January.

If's, buts and maybes.

Of course nothing is certain but there's a reason the bookies make a lot of money. We'll be one of the favourites for the drop.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on March 29, 2024, 19:49:54 pm
I know everyone’s thinking it. And it had to go in the thread on the day that it happened.

Lincoln are in the play offs. They play Oxford too so it’s fully in their hands. Good luck to them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on March 29, 2024, 21:53:06 pm
I know everyone’s thinking it. And it had to go in the thread on the day that it happened.

Lincoln are in the play offs. They play Oxford too so it’s fully in their hands. Good luck to them.

Now, now then Dan, you can't expect us to compete with a city the size of Lincoln, with such a massive fan base and their history and tradition of being a top end football club. Don't forget, in 1901-2 they finished 5th in the second division! We need to know our place.  ;) :P


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on March 30, 2024, 13:07:16 pm
 ;) of course not.that 1902 season really does set them apart from us.

That said, you and I will always look back at this season as a missed opportunity


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Larry on March 30, 2024, 13:26:57 pm
;) of course not.that 1902 season really does set them apart from us.

That said, you and I will always look back at this season as a missed opportunity

I'm not so sure. We've rarely had a positive WDL record so despite our apparent position it's generally top of bottom half. You can only tweak the squad with what's available in January and there's nothing around like the summer with players out of contract. This is real football not Football Manager 2024
We are having a great season, outperforming many of our peers in this division. The summer will be a good time to persuade decent quality players that they dont risk a relegation battle if they sign for us.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 02, 2024, 08:06:54 am
I know everyone’s thinking it. And it had to go in the thread on the day that it happened.

Lincoln are in the play offs. They play Oxford too so it’s fully in their hands. Good luck to them.
An Oxford team who did more business in January than Lincoln yet have gone backwards?
Blackpool also did more business but gone backwards, similar with Wigan.

Lincoln took a gamble and it paid off. Well done. Still stand by the club took the right path in January.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on April 02, 2024, 08:39:48 am
  Thank you Larry and Tvor for your opinions  :)

I respect them both despite not agreeing. Regrettably we will never know what would have happened if we’d gone for it, but that is football.

Roll on next season 👍🏽


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 02, 2024, 08:55:49 am
  Thank you Larry and Tvor for your opinions  :)

I respect them both despite not agreeing. Regrettably we will never know what would have happened if we’d gone for it, but that is football.

Roll on next season 👍🏽
Agree, summer will be interesting, especially as we will need to replace Leonard and Bowie, as well as strengthen elsewhere. Good news is we have more money in the pot from the January savings  ;)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: lordjord on April 02, 2024, 12:31:10 pm
Whilst we do not know where we finished I think that injuries alone (let alone a lack of overall quality) would have put a stop to any playoff dreams. Lincoln are now 15 unbeaten which is a seriously impressive upturn in form.

Realistically where would we have wanted to strengthen at the time in January? Probably a striker, winger and midfielder at that point.

I certainly dont think we would have been looking at full backs considering how many we already had on the books which looking back retrospectively we would have needed, along with a better quality keeper. The injuries to all of our backline have been horrendous and whilst by now are no longer a surprise i dont believe it would have been possible to fill the gaps that have popped up since January whilst still adding real high quality up top.

Thats not be lacking ambition btw, do I want us to push for the playoffs? Absolutely I do. Just dont think it was on the cards this season based on the bodies we have consistently been missing.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on April 02, 2024, 13:08:18 pm
Whilst we do not know where we finished I think that injuries alone (let alone a lack of overall quality) would have put a stop to any playoff dreams. Lincoln are now 15 unbeaten which is a seriously impressive upturn in form.

Realistically where would we have wanted to strengthen at the time in January? Probably a striker, winger and midfielder at that point.

I certainly dont think we would have been looking at full backs considering how many we already had on the books which looking back retrospectively we would have needed, along with a better quality keeper. The injuries to all of our backline have been horrendous and whilst by now are no longer a surprise i dont believe it would have been possible to fill the gaps that have popped up since January whilst still adding real high quality up top.

Thats not be lacking ambition btw, do I want us to push for the playoffs? Absolutely I do. Just dont think it was on the cards this season based on the bodies we have consistently been missing.

+


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 02, 2024, 13:28:39 pm
Whilst we do not know where we finished I think that injuries alone (let alone a lack of overall quality) would have put a stop to any playoff dreams. Lincoln are now 15 unbeaten which is a seriously impressive upturn in form.

Realistically where would we have wanted to strengthen at the time in January? Probably a striker, winger and midfielder at that point.

I certainly dont think we would have been looking at full backs considering how many we already had on the books which looking back retrospectively we would have needed, along with a better quality keeper. The injuries to all of our backline have been horrendous and whilst by now are no longer a surprise i dont believe it would have been possible to fill the gaps that have popped up since January whilst still adding real high quality up top.

Thats not be lacking ambition btw, do I want us to push for the playoffs? Absolutely I do. Just dont think it was on the cards this season based on the bodies we have consistently been missing.

Yes that's all well and its nice for you to share your opinion is but like everybody else, that's all it is, an opinion. You, like everybody else have no idea where we would have finished had we gone for it (like Lincoln). None of us will ever know because we can't, because we didn't go for it. What we do know is that this was the table on January 1st when we were 4 points better off than Lincoln AND had a game in hand. That's NOT an opinion. It couldn't be done (our supporters said).

(https://i.postimg.cc/VL3K5rsz/1st-Jan.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 02, 2024, 14:02:24 pm
Yes that's all well and its nice for you to share your opinion is but like everybody else, that's all it is, an opinion. You, like everybody else have no idea where we would have finished had we gone for it (like Lincoln). None of us will ever know because we can't, because we didn't go for it. What we do know is that this was the table on January 1st when we were 4 points better off than Lincoln AND had a game in hand. That's NOT an opinion. It couldn't be done (our supporters said).
Havent seen anyone say it couldnt be done. I have seen people (myself included) saying we didnt think it was worth the risk. Happy to be proven wrong.
What are your thoughts on Oxford and Blackpool who did more business than Lincoln but are now both now outside of the playoffs?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 02, 2024, 14:13:12 pm
Home draws against Wigan, Bolton and Charlton, defeats to Shrewsbury and Blackpool...last minute Orient defeat. Having our top scorer injured etc.

It's a tenuous link to suggest a couple of players would have made all the difference but true that we will never know. There again, if my Grandmother had wheels she'd be a bicycle....

I'd say we've done pretty well with the hand we've been dealt and with a fully fit and firing Hylton, plus the likes of Simpson turning up more often we may have had a shot.
No reason at all why next season needs to be doom and gloom when we have proven that we are a match for anyone in this league.

I think it has been pretty much proven that our fans are generally doom mongers, with very few predicting that we were going to finish as high as we ultimately will.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 02, 2024, 14:24:55 pm
Home draws against Wigan, Bolton and Charlton, defeats to Shrewsbury and Blackpool...last minute Orient defeat. Having our top scorer injured etc.

It's a tenuous link to suggest a couple of players would have made all the difference but true that we will never know. There again, if my Grandmother had wheels she'd be a bicycle....

I'd say we've done pretty well with the hand we've been dealt and with a fully fit and firing Hylton, plus the likes of Simpson turning up more often we may have had a shot.
No reason at all why next season needs to be doom and gloom when we have proven that we are a match for anyone in this league.

I think it has been pretty much proven that our fans are generally doom mongers, with very few predicting that we were going to finish as high as we ultimately will.

And therein lies the rub. Everybody is happy to say they were wrong, they didn't think we could finish this high but yet they all (almost) to  a man say with real conviction that we couldn't have finished any higher. Talk about contradictory.

Your grandmother had wheels argument can just as equally be applied the other way. One player, a top notch goalkeeper would have made a massive difference.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on April 02, 2024, 14:26:06 pm
I’ll pose a question.

If we’d gone for Taylor from Luton at the same time that Lincoln had, and been successful. Would an in form poacher have won us some of those close games you mention?

My gut says yes, and I’d also imagine he’d have chosen us due to location. So possibly just 1 extra player could have made all the difference.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 02, 2024, 14:32:43 pm
And therein lies the rub. Everybody is happy to say they were wrong, they didn't think we could finish this high but yet they all (almost) to  a man say with real conviction that we couldn't have finished any higher. Talk about contradictory.

Your grandmother had wheels argument can just as equally be applied the other way. One player, a top notch goalkeeper would have made a massive difference.
Again, happy to be proven wrong but I havent seen anyone say that. We could have finished in the playoffs, we could have won them. I just dont think we would have.

To Dan's question. Yes it certainly is a possibility that he could have been a player to change our fortunes. Do you also think its possible he could have got injured within a week of joining too?  I think you get it that we will never know, and both scenarios have positives and negatives and respect the opinions of those who think we took the right path so respect you for that.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: lordjord on April 02, 2024, 14:33:25 pm
Yes that's all well and its nice for you to share your opinion is but like everybody else, that's all it is, an opinion. You, like everybody else have no idea where we would have finished had we gone for it (like Lincoln). None of us will ever know because we can't, because we didn't go for it. What we do know is that this was the table on January 1st when we were 4 points better off than Lincoln AND had a game in hand. That's NOT an opinion. It couldn't be done (our supporters said).

That sounds so condescending  ;D, thats why i posted it, its a forum, we are all generally stating opinions. Yeah we could have done it, as at the time teams in the relegation zone could have done also, I just think most thought it was so unlikely that it would not be adding the risk factor considering we lost over 1million already and we then went on to play another rookie keeper and regularly trotting out 4 CB's across the backline. How much do you think would have been reasonable outlay? Say £1m for 3 outfield players plus their wages. That's not getting you anywhere near top end L1 talent even at those sums.

With so many players around these levels being OOC each season I would rather see that we gave players more cash by way of wages rather then take the huge gamble on a few 100k for players which is not guaranteed to get you anything. One thing is for certain, we all want Brady to be backed as much as possible so that we can see how far he can take us which hopefully is the championship. If we can generate the funds to speculate on bigger fees then what would be a huge boost eventually, but I think there are better ways to go about it right now is all.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: lordjord on April 02, 2024, 14:35:37 pm
I’ll pose a question.

If we’d gone for Taylor from Luton at the same time that Lincoln had, and been successful. Would an in form poacher have won us some of those close games you mention?

My gut says yes, and I’d also imagine he’d have chosen us due to location. So possibly just 1 extra player could have made all the difference.

I dont think so personally. I dont think we can rely on simply having a poacher type striker in the current set up of the team, whoever plays there currently be it Bowie, Simpson or Appere is asked to get through so much work off the ball I dont think Brady would allow someone to be more of a poacher or that we would create enough without that players pressing.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 02, 2024, 14:41:56 pm
And therein lies the rub. Everybody is happy to say they were wrong, they didn't think we could finish this high but yet they all (almost) to  a man say with real conviction that we couldn't have finished any higher. Talk about contradictory.

Your grandmother had wheels argument can just as equally be applied the other way. One player, a top notch goalkeeper would have made a massive difference.

Where does the bit about not having owners that were willing to bankroll these extra players come into it? Or were you offering up some of your pension?

Forget the play offs, I reckon we could have potentially pushed for the autos with half a dozen better players.

The answer to the ultimate question of life, the Universe and everything is not 42, it's Danny Hylton. That guy has a lot to answer for.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on April 02, 2024, 17:57:34 pm

(https://i.postimg.cc/VL3K5rsz/1st-Jan.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Interesting to see that the teams in the top half of the table then are also the teams who are in the top half now, with the exception of Bristol Rovers, which is a real shame...... for them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on April 02, 2024, 18:25:45 pm
I’ll pose a question.

If we’d gone for Taylor from Luton at the same time that Lincoln had, and been successful. Would an in form poacher have won us some of those close games you mention?

My gut says yes, and I’d also imagine he’d have chosen us due to location. So possibly just 1 extra player could have made all the difference.

I thought this inane hypothetical thread was done but apparently it won’t die.

We were never going to go for Taylor as we were already up to our four loan max. We went for Jack Marriott but were told it would cost stupid money to sign him and decided against it and he went to Wrexham. So I guess a more pertinent question to pose is what would have happened if we’d have used a huge chunk of next season’s budget to sign Marriott?. Well he’s done nothing at Wrexham in league 2 and is already barely getting any minutes so personally I’m glad we decided against it.



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 02, 2024, 18:39:33 pm
I thought this inane hypothetical thread was done but apparently it won’t die.

We were never going to go for Taylor as we were already up to our four loan max. We went for Jack Marriott but were told it would cost stupid money to sign him and decided against it and he went to Wrexham. So I guess a more pertinent question to pose is what would have happened if we’d have used a huge chunk of next season’s budget to sign Marriott?. Well he’s done nothing at Wrexham in league 2 and is already barely getting any minutes so personally I’m glad we decided against it.



With respect its a 5 loan max, and that is only a max in the matchday 18. In theory we could have ten players on loan at the club but we could only name FIVE of them in a matchday squad. Second point is that we weren't up to the max as we actually signed Springett on loan six days after Lincoln signed Taylor, so again in theory we could have signed Taylor but then not be able to get Springett...... would that have been a bad thing?
Another thing to mention though is that already having Bowie and Simpson in on loan it was highly unlikely we were ever going to go for a third loan striker (that's if we are calling Springett a winger rather than a striker) as it would have pushed Bowie or Simpson out of the picture....something which parent clubs don't tend to like!

The "revelation" that we had set ourselves a 54 point target this season also shows the ambition from the club, from the top downwards, so it is now folly to believe we were ever in a position where we even wanted to have a tilt at a playoff place anyway!

Finally, facing £1m a year losses should also suggest that next season will be more of the same, in other words there was no money "saved" in January to be used in the Summer. The only time we've shown any real ambition in the transfer market in the last 10 years was on the back of the Chinese money......but thats for another thread!!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on April 02, 2024, 18:44:16 pm
You are right Grange my mistake, had completely forgotten about Springett.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 02, 2024, 20:26:37 pm


Finally, facing £1m a year losses should also suggest that next season will be more of the same, in other words there was no money "saved" in January to be used in the Summer. The only time we've shown any real ambition in the transfer market in the last 10 years was on the back of the Chinese money......but thats for another thread!!

Not sure we need to spend more to compete. We’ve done OK as we are. Imagine we swapped Hylton with two fit £2k a week players chomping at the bit. We’ll miss Leonard but with some decent additions there is no reason why we should struggle.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 02, 2024, 20:35:34 pm
Not sure we need to spend more to compete. We’ve done OK as we are. Imagine we swapped Hylton with two fit £2k a week players chomping at the bit. We’ll miss Leonard but with some decent additions there is no reason why we should struggle.

You're right...we may not need to spend any more! Its generally accepted that the Hylton transfer is right up there with "worst signings in the history of NTFC".

The Leonard miss will be big...... and we don't know how much of our budget was being used up on his wages..... it may have been nothing at all, we may have been paying 10%, 20, 30, 40...whatever? We just don't know. What we do know is we would need a comparable player on the pitch and a comparable deal with the parent club with regards to wages, that might be a tough ask!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on April 02, 2024, 20:41:11 pm
It can never be determined what will happen if you don't sign players,  Carlisle were 3rd from bottom and took the "Gamble " and signed 6 players ?  Ended up being the first team relegated !!! Might have stayed up if they hadn't signed that many.
Only thing for certain is if you say Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln  Marvo appears  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 02, 2024, 21:09:22 pm
Could have been anybody, didn't have to be Lincoln, could have been Leyton orient, they were in a better position. The point always was, when many said it couldn't be done, somebody did it. That's all you need to know.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: just.reading on April 02, 2024, 21:24:43 pm
Could have been anybody, didn't have to be Lincoln, could have been Leyton orient, they were in a better position. The point always was, when many said it couldn't be done, somebody did it. That's all you need to know.

They haven’t done anything yet, the season isn’t over for another month.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 02, 2024, 21:41:21 pm
They haven’t done anything yet, the season isn’t over for another month.

Isn't it about more than a league position though? What they (Lincoln) certainly have done is kept up the interest from their fans! I doubt very much whether they would have had a 10000 crowd against Leyton Orient on Friday had they been sitting safely in mid table like us. They also took a respectable 724 to Carlisle yesterday...again probably higher than if they had been in 11th/12th position. Commercial revenues will be up, who knows they may have sold a few more season tickets for next season to fans who live in the hope that they might actually be playing in the Championship.

They are involved in exactly what the playoffs were meant to do, in keeping the season alive for more clubs than if it was a straight 4 up 4 down.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on April 02, 2024, 22:08:34 pm

They are involved in exactly what the playoffs were meant to do, in keeping the season alive for more clubs than if it was a straight 4 up 4 down.

Oh GPC, you are soooooo last year! Surely you mean 3 up 4 down. We're League One now, don't you know?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 02, 2024, 22:11:55 pm
Oh GPC, you are soooooo last year! Surely you mean 3 up 4 down. We're League One now, don't you know?

Lol....my bad (whatever that means!)  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Ragdoll Cobbler on April 02, 2024, 22:19:25 pm
Could have been anybody, didn't have to be Lincoln, could have been Leyton orient, they were in a better position. The point always was, when many said it couldn't be done, somebody did it. That's all you need to know.

It couldn't have been done by us as JB never had (or was ever likely to get) any proper backing in the January window, hence why many said the play offs were a pipe dream for us...

I mentioned in the January transfer window thread that Joe Taylor (then on loan from Luton to Col U) would have been a decent signing of intent...Lincoln then went on to sign him & he's massively helped them to get into the final play off place...

All supporters would have loved a go at the play offs but without any tangible backing it was never going to happen...that's not being negative, it's being realistic!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on April 02, 2024, 22:25:11 pm
It couldn't have been done by us as JB never had (or was ever likely to get) any proper backing in the January window, hence why many said the play offs were a pipe dream for us...

I mentioned in the January transfer window thread that Joe Taylor (then on loan from Luton to Col U) would have been a decent signing of intent...Lincoln then went on to sign him & he's massively helped them to get into the final play off place...

All supporters would have loved a go at the play offs but without any tangible backing it was never going to happen...that's not being negative, it's being realistic!
Let’s see what happens in the summer.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 03, 2024, 07:40:06 am
It couldn't have been done by us as JB never had (or was ever likely to get) any proper backing in the January window, hence why many said the play offs were a pipe dream for us...

I mentioned in the January transfer window thread that Joe Taylor (then on loan from Luton to Col U) would have been a decent signing of intent...Lincoln then went on to sign him & he's massively helped them to get into the final play off place...

All supporters would have loved a go at the play offs but without any tangible backing it was never going to happen...that's not being negative, it's being realistic!

Well you're certainly turning this debate on its head. That was NEVER the question. The question was could we do it with backing in the January transfer window and the resounding answer from the majority of you lot was "No", said it was impossible and a waste of money.
Now the question is will we be in a better position next year to have a go? I'd say that's very unlikely because what is going to change? I'll tell you what, nothing with the likes of you supporting the club. You can stick your realism where the sun don't shine. What's the point of following the club if you daren't to dream.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 03, 2024, 07:46:23 am
Could have been anybody, didn't have to be Lincoln, could have been Leyton orient, they were in a better position. The point always was, when many said it couldn't be done, somebody did it. That's all you need to know.
With the exception of Ragdoll above who I think was replying directly to you post. Can you please point out who said it couldn't be done.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 03, 2024, 07:48:21 am
Isn't it about more than a league position though? What they (Lincoln) certainly have done is kept up the interest from their fans! I doubt very much whether they would have had a 10000 crowd against Leyton Orient on Friday had they been sitting safely in mid table like us. They also took a respectable 724 to Carlisle yesterday...again probably higher than if they had been in 11th/12th position. Commercial revenues will be up, who knows they may have sold a few more season tickets for next season to fans who live in the hope that they might actually be playing in the Championship.

They are involved in exactly what the playoffs were meant to do, in keeping the season alive for more clubs than if it was a straight 4 up 4 down.
Its all if buts, maybes, and personal choices. I would chose a boring end to this season to ensure a better next season everyday. I would love it if we could have done both, but we are not in that position.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on April 03, 2024, 08:42:51 am
Anyway, having just read two pages of theoretical football did anyone watch the real game last night, Portsmouth v Derby? I thought it was a cracker especially given the conditions and a draw was a fair result, if both sides don't go up automatically I will be very surprised.

The only downside to the game was Aaron McLean's commentary - why does he have to talk so LOUD, it was so annoying. Please Sky, let's have Don Goodman or Andy Hinchcliffe in future.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 03, 2024, 09:33:19 am
With the exception of Ragdoll above who I think was replying directly to you post. Can you please point out who said it couldn't be done.

There's 6 or 7 on the very first page of this thread!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 03, 2024, 09:34:40 am
Its all if buts, maybes, and personal choices. I would chose a boring end to this season to ensure a better next season everyday. I would love it if we could have done both, but we are not in that position.

and prey tell me how have we ensured that?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on April 03, 2024, 10:08:34 am
It is easy to point to a player who has moved to another club and been successful and say we should have signed him, no telling if Joe Taylor would have had as much success here.
At the start of the season people were bemoaning than Admiral Muskwe had gone to Exeter and we should have signed him but he has not scored a single goal for them.
Another was Daniel Agyei who went to Leyton Orient and has only scored 4 goals and like Muskwe has spent much of the season injured.
Jack Marriott, who did not impress me when we played Fleetwood, went to Wrexham and can't get into their team.
Danny Hylton, we were crying out for the club to sign him 12 months before they did, how has that worked out?
So 1 in 5 of the players our supporters wanted has had some success at their chosen club, I don't think a 20% success rate is very impressive.

If Taylor had come here and scored goals it is highly unlikely we would be in Lincolns position. This year they have played 16, won 11, drawn 5, lost 0, scored 33, conceded 5. This year we have conceded 28 and adding the goals Taylor may have scored would not have made any difference to our goals conceded, we have 1 of the worst defensive records in the division. This is down to our awful record of injuries to our defenders and JB not being able to select a settled back line, some games not having a fit full back and having to play 4 centre backs.

Most seasons there is a club that comes with a late run and this season it is Lincoln but it still remains to be seen if it will be successful. Stevenage were in a much better position than us in January but have been on a very poor run and look like missing out and Blackpool have a lot to do if they are going to finish in the top 6.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 03, 2024, 10:17:25 am
There's 6 or 7 on the very first page of this thread!
Just read the very first page and I counted, none, that said it couldnt be done.

We haven't ensured it. But we (in theory) have more money in the summer pot as we didn't spend it at Christmas. My opinion is different from yours. Neither are right, neither are wrong. They are both opinions to which there will never be an answer.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on April 03, 2024, 12:18:11 pm
Can we close this please. We're going to be nowhere near the playoffs

I just came on to say the same thing but you beat me to it. :P

There’s two straight away 👀


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 03, 2024, 13:30:09 pm
There’s two straight away 👀
We must both be reading with biased glasses on. I don't see either saying we couldn't do it.
Suggesting its unlikely so not worth the thread, and by extension,  the gamble at January.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on April 03, 2024, 13:47:15 pm
Just read the very first page and I counted, none, that said it couldnt be done.

We haven't ensured it. But we (in theory) have more money in the summer pot as we didn't spend it at Christmas. My opinion is different from yours. Neither are right, neither are wrong. They are both opinions to which there will never be an answer.

I guess it depends on what the question is,

Is it possible for any team in Northamptons position or lower to make the play offs?

If Brady had been backed heavily in the window and likely signed Marriott and the other Fleetwood lad that we decided were too expensive would we have made the play offs? despite a lot of injuries and Mouldens poor form.

If Brady had been backed heavily in the window, had a crystal ball and made only good signings and not bought in Moulden or try to sign Marriott and we didn’t have a load of injuries could we have made the play offs?.

Is it wise to back Brady heavily in the window to chase the playoffs knowing the money comes out of next years budget?.


They are all very different questions. I said to Marvo there is no way Orient will make the playoffs but said nothing about Lincoln as they are two very different situations.



Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on April 03, 2024, 13:51:31 pm
I guess it depends on what the question is,

Is it possible for any team in Northamptons position or lower to make the play offs?

If Brady had been backed heavily in the window and likely signed Marriott and the other Fleetwood lad that we decided were too expensive would we have made the play offs? despite a lot of injuries and Mouldens poor form.

If Brady had been backed heavily in the window, had a crystal ball and made only good signings and not bought in Moulden or try to sign Marriott and we didn’t have a load of injuries could we have made the play offs?.

Is it wise to back Brady heavily in the window to chase the playoffs knowing the money comes out of next years budget?.


They are all very different questions. I said to Marvo there is no way Orient will make the playoffs but said nothing about Lincoln as they are two very different situations.

Some great questions and going to stop trying to make my point after this as im starting to bore myself! But these two questions sum it up for me.

Is it possible for any team in Northamptons position or lower to make the play offs? - Yes
Is it wise to back Brady heavily in the window to chase the playoffs knowing the money comes out of next years budget?. - IMO... No


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 03, 2024, 14:32:21 pm
Some great questions and going to stop trying to make my point after this as im starting to bore myself! But these two questions sum it up for me.

Is it possible for any team in Northamptons position or lower to make the play offs? - Yes
Is it wise to back Brady heavily in the window to chase the playoffs knowing the money comes out of next years budget?. - IMO... No


How do you know that? Say the gamble had paid off and we'd made a load of money from a play-off final? What if there wasn't any money anyway? If that was the case, it can't be added to next years budget.

Anyway, your first answer agrees with what I have said all along, it is only certain Northampton so-called supporters who say it was not possible.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 03, 2024, 14:40:22 pm
I guess it depends on what the question is,

Is it possible for any team in Northamptons position or lower to make the play offs?

If Brady had been backed heavily in the window and likely signed Marriott and the other Fleetwood lad that we decided were too expensive would we have made the play offs? despite a lot of injuries and Mouldens poor form.

If Brady had been backed heavily in the window, had a crystal ball and made only good signings and not bought in Moulden or try to sign Marriott and we didn’t have a load of injuries could we have made the play offs?.

Is it wise to back Brady heavily in the window to chase the playoffs knowing the money comes out of next years budget?.


They are all very different questions. I said to Marvo there is no way Orient will make the playoffs but said nothing about Lincoln as they are two very different situations.

Look if 5 teams had all made the gamble to make the one remaining play-off spot, its bloody obvious 4 of them will fail. So from that point, to say well its not worth the gamble then is as about as defeatist as you can get.

Portsmouth, Bolton, Derby and Peterborough have all spent heavily to gain promotion, at least one of them wont make it, does that mean none of them should have bothered in the first place?

My gripe about this thread is that some of our so-called supporters had us down as failing even before the decision not to strengthen in January had even been made. Not only that, they seem quite pleased with themselves that we have failed. I reckon we'll be fighting relegation next season but I'll be happy to be proven wrong. I guess that's the basic difference between some of us.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 03, 2024, 15:01:22 pm
We've got a better chance of reaching the play offs next season than we have this season. FACT.  :P

I think already predicting a relegation fight next season (when we are a very comfortable 11th) is a similar attitude to thinking we didn't have a chance of making the play offs.
Certainly bizarre in conjunction of thinking that adding a couple of players in Jan would have meant our chances of reaching the play offs would have been dramatically increased, not forgetting the slim pickings and lack of finances we have.
Won't have a clue on next season until half a dozen games in and a raft of new faces to learn.

Based on stats, history and probability of our success rate at leaving this division, the money was probably wisely kept in the pocket. 

18th this season, relegation fight next. Still, a stopped clock is right twice a day and it's safer to place your predictions at that end of the table.  :P


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 03, 2024, 17:22:29 pm
We've got a better chance of reaching the play offs next season than we have this season. FACT.  :P

I think already predicting a relegation fight next season (when we are a very comfortable 11th) is a similar attitude to thinking we didn't have a chance of making the play offs.
Certainly bizarre in conjunction of thinking that adding a couple of players in Jan would have meant our chances of reaching the play offs would have been dramatically increased, not forgetting the slim pickings and lack of finances we have.
Won't have a clue on next season until half a dozen games in and a raft of new faces to learn.

Based on stats, history and probability of our success rate at leaving this division, the money was probably wisely kept in the pocket. 

18th this season, relegation fight next. Still, a stopped clock is right twice a day and it's safer to place your predictions at that end of the table.  :P

If you do the same thing over and over again and each time get the same result, it's a fair assessment to think it will happen again the next time. It might not but in all likelihood it will. Having said that the bigger the gap between us and the relegation door this time means we can fall but not necessarily fall to the bottom. Had we finished 18th then yes, I think we'd have been nailed on for next season but 11th? That's a big safety margin. We often make it to the third season. Carr went from 6th to 20th before being relegated  and Wilson went from 18th to 20th. Atkins 4th to 22nd was the biggest drop of all. Of course Stuart Gray actually improved our position the second season so its not unheard of.

As for my predictions, you should recall I was assuring people we wouldn't go down this season when many people were pissing their pants early doors. That was based on experience and history. Why wouldn't I stick to such a reliable and proven formula?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on April 03, 2024, 18:22:05 pm

As for my predictions, you should recall I was assuring people we wouldn't go down this season when many people were pissing their pants early doors.

Indeed, many were saying our budget almost guaranteed a return to league 2 but like you I believed there was every chance we could stay up.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 03, 2024, 20:45:39 pm
It gets confusing because I’m sure there were previous ‘arguments’ about no one saying we’d get relegated.
One things for sure, there is plenty of knee jerking, grumpiness and clouded memories around here. Not surprising with an average age probably north of 50.
Probably best to stick with everyone being right/wrong sometimes. It’s just seems that being ‘right’ can outweigh anything else on occasion.
Considering what has gone on previously it’s fair to suggest our long term L1 prospects probably aren’t that promising. Let’s hope 2024/25 can start with optimism.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on April 03, 2024, 20:55:38 pm

Considering what has gone on previously it’s fair to suggest our long term L1 prospects probably aren’t that promising. Let’s hope 2024/25 can start with optimism.

I am optimistic that when we get relegated next season, as history suggests we surely will be, we can win promotion back to League One the following season, hopefully as run away Champions and having much more fun in the process than merely being mid-table and considering ourselves on the beach by early April.

Such is our destiny as a historical yo-yo club.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on April 03, 2024, 21:15:52 pm
I am optimistic that when we get relegated next season, as history suggests we surely will be, we can win promotion back to League One the following season, hopefully as run away Champions and having much more fun in the process than merely being mid-table and considering ourselves on the beach by early April.

Such is our destiny as a historical yo-yo club.
That’s the spirit comrade, your becoming as miserable as me.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on April 03, 2024, 21:21:50 pm
That’s the spirit comrade, your becoming as miserable as me.

No, not miserable, looking forward to the next promotion season, which is really unlikely to happen in League One. Sometimes you have to cope with the storms to enjoy the rainbows that follow them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 03, 2024, 21:46:49 pm
No, not miserable, looking forward to the next promotion season, which is really unlikely to happen in League One. Sometimes you have to cope with the storms to enjoy the rainbows that follow them.



Jeez Bingers, wishing your life away. Some poor sods will have seen their final promotion.
You’re right though, our grandkids have plenty of L2 promotions to look forward to. If they are really lucky they might get a non-league bounce back thrown in.  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on April 03, 2024, 22:05:21 pm


Jeez Bingers, wishing your life away. Some poor sods will have seen their final promotion.
You’re right though, our grandkids have plenty of L2 promotions to look forward to. If they are really lucky they might get a non-league bounce back thrown in.  ;D
Dont joke about things like that. Very rarely does a relegated team see a rapid return. Its just taken Chesterfield seven years. And they have better facilities than we have.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 03, 2024, 22:07:11 pm
Dont joke about things like that. Very rarely does a relegated team see a rapid return. Its just taken Chesterfield seven years. And they have better facilities than we have.

The grandkids have time, they might even see us in the Prem.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on April 03, 2024, 22:38:37 pm
If you take all the concrete factual evidence around you, primarily that it takes significant investment to get out of this division, then the reality is that becoming a solid, middle of the road L1 side is the best we can achieve. We are not, never have been and sadly never may be as big as Portsmouth, Derby and Bolton. And whilst it may hurt,based on historical average league position (Marvo, correct me if I'm wrong) we're not as successful as The Pish either, certainly not in recent history anyway.

That's not to say we can't have that one season... Burton did it and there's doubtless other examples too.

But for that to happen, one of two things, or both, need to happen. We either need a sugar daddy to pump millions into the club or a manager needs to get "lucky" and build that inexplicable, perfect machine that magically gels and defies the odds.

The chances of either of these things happening are less likely than the reality that this summer Brady will be doing his best to fills the holes left by some decent loanees and build a squad that keeps us exactly where we are now.... 10th, 11th or thereabouts.

Saying all this doesn't make me unambitious, miserable, grumpy or defeatist. If we go the next 5 seasons middle of L1 that for us is a relative success. And every year we stay in this division means another summer where we can dream of it being "that one season".

I would take that over being a yo-yo club between L2 and L1 every day of the week and twice on a Sunday. Yes, promotions are great, but relegations aren't. Losing is horrible and I'd rather be average in L1 than rubbish, then maybe great in L2.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on April 04, 2024, 07:43:23 am
I totally agree with the above post and would rather see us established as a mid table division 1 side (if that is our current limitations) to going up and down from division 2. The other plus point of being in division 1 is the much better away support whereas in division 2 quite a few sides bring very few supporters.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Ragdoll Cobbler on April 04, 2024, 08:09:10 am
If you take all the concrete factual evidence around you, primarily that it takes significant investment to get out of this division, then the reality is that becoming a solid, middle of the road L1 side is the best we can achieve. We are not, never have been and sadly never may be as big as Portsmouth, Derby and Bolton. And whilst it may hurt,based on historical average league position (Marvo, correct me if I'm wrong) we're not as successful as The Pish either, certainly not in recent history anyway.

That's not to say we can't have that one season... Burton did it and there's doubtless other examples too.

But for that to happen, one of two things, or both, need to happen. We either need a sugar daddy to pump millions into the club or a manager needs to get "lucky" and build that inexplicable, perfect machine that magically gels and defies the odds.

The chances of either of these things happening are less likely than the reality that this summer Brady will be doing his best to fills the holes left by some decent loanees and build a squad that keeps us exactly where we are now.... 10th, 11th or thereabouts.

Saying all this doesn't make me unambitious, miserable, grumpy or defeatist. If we go the next 5 seasons middle of L1 that for us is a relative success. And every year we stay in this division means another summer where we can dream of it being "that one season".

I would take that over being a yo-yo club between L2 and L1 every day of the week and twice on a Sunday. Yes, promotions are great, but relegations aren't. Losing is horrible and I'd rather be average in L1 than rubbish, then maybe great in L2.

Exactly this!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 04, 2024, 09:05:27 am
Well I'll be glad when it's over. It's just a borefest now. How anybody can get exited about the next four totally meaningless games is beyond me. We could win them all, we could lose them all, what does it matter? We're just treading water. I guess the next thing of any importance will be the retained list, then its 4 months of waiting and wondering who the new additions will be. I've got to say I'm looking forward to the break. It's job done, has been for weeks.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 04, 2024, 09:11:02 am
Well I'll be glad when it's over. It's just a borefest now. How anybody can get exited about the next four totally meaningless games is beyond me. We could win them all, we could lose them all, what does it matter? We're just treading water. I guess the next thing of any importance will be the retained list, then its 4 months of waiting and wondering who the new additions will be. I've got to say I'm looking forward to the break. It's job done, has been for weeks.

Imagine how boring it must be to support Everton.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on April 04, 2024, 09:13:48 am
I want to stay in League one, because  I dont like League Two. Simple.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 04, 2024, 09:17:30 am
Football has never been just about winning the title/promotion, or fighting relegation. Otherwise many teams wouldn't be worth following.
You can apply that to rugby. There'd be pretty much no point supporting a team until the final play off game.

I think we are just so used to having something at stake with a few games to go but interesting the crowds have held up very well. I reckon we'll do some good business on ST sales for next season too.

Hopefully we can win most of the remaining games, it may be a close season reset but winning is a habit.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Pablo69 on April 04, 2024, 09:29:03 am
Is it true that the money the club receives is not dependent on your end of season position unlike the premiership?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TPFKA Marvo on April 04, 2024, 10:28:55 am
Football has never been just about winning the title/promotion, or fighting relegation. Otherwise many teams wouldn't be worth following.
You can apply that to rugby. There'd be pretty much no point supporting a team until the final play off game.

I think we are just so used to having something at stake with a few games to go but interesting the crowds have held up very well. I reckon we'll do some good business on ST sales for next season too.

Hopefully we can win most of the remaining games, it may be a close season reset but winning is a habit.

There's not a lot of evidence to go on but I think we can be pretty sure our crowds next season wont match this, unless of course capacity is increased by the long awaited completion of the East Stand.

In Carr's second season in the third tier average attendance went down by 1,595. Atkins decreased 325, Wilson 401. Bowen's went up by 2,529 but of course we had the capacity then AND we won the league. If we can keep the average attendance to within 300-400 of this season I think we will have done well, though you have to keep in mind this year has been exceptional.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DavCobb on April 04, 2024, 10:41:25 am
There isn't much wiggle room on the attendances and overall numbers are very much driven by away fans. We don't seem to have been put off with mid-table obscurity anyway. There is something to be said about being able to relax watching a game.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on April 04, 2024, 11:28:27 am
If we can keep the average attendance to within 300-400 of this season I think we will have done well, though you have to keep in mind this year has been exceptional.

This is really important in my opinion. Even if you believe the current owners have no intention of investment in the ground beyond the competition of the East stand. Then keeping attendances at the current level is vital in convincing the next owner in the viability of increasing capacity. If they start dropping to the 5,000-5,500 level then I struggle to see anyone rationalising spending a big lump of cash to make the ground bigger.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: AYelvertoftCobbler on April 04, 2024, 13:33:59 pm
I can't find it, but I recall someone talking about the Sky TV deal and there being a pretty big difference in TV revenue between L2 and L1 starting next year. This alone is a good reason to be pleased about being in L1. Its not JUST about home attendances.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on April 04, 2024, 18:37:32 pm


Jeez Bingers, wishing your life away. Some poor sods will have seen their final promotion.

It's a circle, the circle of life.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on April 05, 2024, 23:19:38 pm
I'd be amazed if we can't maintain current attendance levels. And far more chance of doing that with even only a moderately successful L1 side than anything in league 2

I don't think the likes of Harrogate, Barrow, etc. Do much to swell the coffers


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DrillingCobbler on April 13, 2024, 18:57:47 pm
Well it looks like Lincoln should have kept their money in their pockets for the summer!  ;)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 13, 2024, 19:12:00 pm
Well it looks like Lincoln should have kept their money in their pockets for the summer!  ;)

 ;D ;D

A first defeat in 17 which leaves them five points behind Oxford, each with three games to play. Tuesday night....Oxford v Lincoln! 

Oxford have themselves  "done a Lincoln" in winning their last three scoring 4, 4, and 5 in the process, conceding none.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: DrillingCobbler on April 13, 2024, 19:16:30 pm
;D ;D

A first defeat in 17 which leaves them five points behind Oxford, each with three games to play. Tuesday night....Oxford v Lincoln! 

Oxford have themselves  "done a Lincoln" in winning their last three scoring 4, 4, and 5 in the process, conceding none.

Classic case of 'getting there' with the chase, and then fcuking it up as soon as they arrive!

Donny in league2 - 8 wins on the trot. Now that is an incredible run. They are now one win away from the play offs having been about 19th/20th a few weeks ago. Football eh!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 13, 2024, 19:26:43 pm
Classic case of 'getting there' with the chase, and then fcuking it up as soon as they arrive!

Donny in league2 - 8 wins on the trot. Now that is an incredible run. They are now one win away from the play offs having been about 19th/20th a few weeks ago. Football eh!


1st February they were 22nd with 28 points, sixteen points away from seventh. Now after one defeat in 16 they are just a point behind Crawley in that last spot and three behind Barrow. Big game next Saturday as Donny host Barrow!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 16, 2024, 21:12:03 pm
Lincoln won the big game at Oxford to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Imps have to play Cheltenham and Portsmouth in their final two. Oxford have Stevenage and Exeter to play. I can see both picking up points and as a result dragging Barnsley into things. The Tykes looked assured of a playoff spot but now have to play Blackpool, themselves still in the picture, and of course us at home on the last day.
Chances are they will need something from the game with us.

Friday 19th         Oxford v Stevenage

Saturday 20th     Blackpool v Barnsley
                          Cheltenham v Lincoln

Saturday 27th     Barnsley v Northampton
                         Exeter City v Oxford
                          Lincoln v Portsmouth
                          Reading v Blackpool


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 19, 2024, 20:58:03 pm
Its a 1-1 draw between Oxford and Alex Revell inspired Stevenage. Lincoln will go back above Oxford with a win tomorrow and be at least five goals better off in the GD stakes.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: itsme on April 20, 2024, 06:28:16 am
If Lincoln make the play offs I predict they'll win them as the form since Christmas had been really good


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on April 20, 2024, 16:23:55 pm
Lincoln do indeed climb back into the top 6 at Oxfords expense, Blackpool beat Barnsley to ensure that it's two from four on the final day.

Barnsley have now gone 5 games without a win, the only good thing for them is that defeats have been narrow and they have scored two goals in each of their last three games. Blackpool have won 4 in a row and need to make that five to stand a chance of getting in.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on April 20, 2024, 16:39:23 pm
Barnsley have the easiest game next week.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Dan on April 20, 2024, 19:28:30 pm
If Lincoln make the play offs I predict they'll win them as the form since Christmas had been really good

A massive part of me wants them to.

The other part of me feels dirty but think I’d be okay with the Scum going up, just to save another battering at their place, and instead they can have a year of being battered.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on April 21, 2024, 13:26:00 pm
Barnsley have the easiest game next week.

Am dreading the game after yesterday result against Exeter. On second thoughts having to get up at 5.30am in order to meet the Tavern deadline at 6.25am is a big ask!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Coolcat on April 21, 2024, 15:15:55 pm
Am dreading the game after yesterday result against Exeter. On second thoughts having o get up at 5.30pm in order to meet the Tavern deadline at 6.25pm is a big ask!
What you doing, getting the flags out for a welcome home solo?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on April 21, 2024, 15:57:13 pm
What you doing, getting the flags out for a welcome home solo?

Thanks for heads up - will buy you a drink at Barnsley or stopover!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on April 27, 2024, 13:40:15 pm
Bolton, Peterborough, Oxford and Barnsley get the places.

Fair play to Lincoln monumental effort from them but they fall short.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on May 03, 2024, 12:03:26 pm
Tomorrow afternoon Brackley v Boston play off final for a place in the National League, anybody going?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: rebelspawn on May 03, 2024, 16:21:31 pm
Tomorrow afternoon Brackley v Boston play off final for a place in the National League, anybody going?

Yes I will be there.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 03, 2024, 18:56:53 pm
Bolton one up...


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on May 04, 2024, 11:33:48 am
Looks like another visit to Barnsley next season, unless they do a Cobblers and overturn a 3-1 deficit


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 04, 2024, 12:48:49 pm
Looks like another visit to Barnsley next season, unless they do a Cobblers and overturn a 3-1 deficit

Also probably off to St Andrews as well, as it stands.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 04, 2024, 12:52:08 pm
Also probably off to St Andrews as well, as it stands.

Commentators curse .. :-[  :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 04, 2024, 13:04:41 pm
Also probably off to St Andrews as well, as it stands.

Nice to see the bottom teams giving it a go. Currently, all the bottom 8 apart from Huddersfield are winning.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on May 04, 2024, 16:33:28 pm
Brackley again blow their chance of promotion to the National League losing 1-2 in the play off final at home to Boston who finished the season 10 points behind them in the league table.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 04, 2024, 19:47:19 pm
Barnsley have the easiest game next week.

 ;D 8)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: guest3670 on May 04, 2024, 20:07:22 pm
Poxford 1 up against the pish


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 10, 2024, 19:25:03 pm
Crewe are "doing a Northampton"... :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Fred_NTFC on May 10, 2024, 21:56:05 pm
Just goes to show how much of a lottery the play-offs are as Doncaster have been in ridiculous form but it all seems to go out the window.

Good news for us if Crawley or Crewe make it up, can see both struggling. From a selfish point of view I'd rather Crewe as it's an easy train ride from Edinburgh.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Saint Cobbler on May 11, 2024, 13:04:34 pm
Just goes to show how much of a lottery the play-offs are as Doncaster have been in ridiculous form but it all seems to go out the window.

Good news for us if Crawley or Crewe make it up, can see both struggling. From a selfish point of view I'd rather Crewe as it's an easy train ride from Edinburgh.
Crawley please. Easy car ride and parking from Kent.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 11, 2024, 15:01:47 pm
Crawley please. Easy car ride and parking from Kent.

Parking wasn't so easy the last time, restricting entry to the ground car park to those with their car park season tickets. Never used to be a problem.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Letchworthcobbler93 on May 11, 2024, 17:06:40 pm
All supporting crawley today, aren't we?  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on May 11, 2024, 17:26:36 pm
All supporting crawley today, aren't we?  ;D
MK is a lot closer and ……….actually no fcuk em hope Crawley score another 3.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: itsme on May 11, 2024, 18:26:59 pm
From a purely selfish point of view I hope Crewe go up ad it's a ground I've not done before


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on May 11, 2024, 18:31:50 pm
From a purely selfish point of view I hope Crewe go up ad it's a ground I've not done before
A very bizarre ground with one huge stand and the other three non league, lots of chavy fans to boot.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 11, 2024, 18:55:21 pm
All supporting crawley today, aren't we?  ;D
Dunno, Im quite fond of local derby games, as they have more of an edge to them. There will always be a bit of passion when we play MK, whereas Crawley bring nothing.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: RowN on May 11, 2024, 19:21:36 pm
Crawley are now 5 nil up on aggregate against s*** hole Keynes, fingers crossed it’ll be more!!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on May 11, 2024, 19:23:31 pm
Jay Williams having a great game so far


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: southofthecounty on May 11, 2024, 19:27:16 pm
Crawley are now 5 nil up on aggregate against s*** hole Keynes, fingers crossed it’ll be more!!
Just outa interest, what's the record defeat in a play off semi anyone?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Gustavo Palcrice on May 11, 2024, 20:21:02 pm
It's a shame, it is a scandal, they way they burn the candle, at both ends.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 11, 2024, 20:31:30 pm
Crawley are now 5 nil up on aggregate against s*** hole Keynes, fingers crossed it’ll be more!!

7-1 now  :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on May 11, 2024, 20:45:32 pm
MK lose 8-1. I’m sure we all feel sorry for MK and Posh.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on May 11, 2024, 21:05:40 pm
Dont feel to sorry for MK, Beds has already stated they will be averaging crowds of 9,000 next season, he's  never been wrong yet.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Observing on May 11, 2024, 21:30:35 pm
Beds frantically trying to find a reason why MK are more progressive.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Letchworthcobbler93 on May 12, 2024, 06:07:44 am
Mk fakes have only had 2 games over 8,000 this season. This play-off, and sutton at home. Mostly they have been averaging about 5,999 - 6,500.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 12, 2024, 08:23:44 am
I have to say Crawley were mighty impressive, they just simply blew MK away. I have to confess to bursting out laughing when Jay Williams scored that goal after a few minutes to make it 4 - 0. They just never looked back after that and could easily have had two more, a sitter missed when the guy lobbed the keeper but didn't hit it hard enough and another hit the post. I wouldn't want to be Crewe.

As for that goalkeeper what a revelation he is, he was almost playing as a centre back in the first leg.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: CobblerForever on May 12, 2024, 09:50:33 am
Crawley's average home league gate this season has been 3,641 (Crewe's 5,220 btw). That's not sustainable in the medium term. Over half their squad have contract end dates in a month or so's time.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on May 12, 2024, 11:17:32 am
Probably going to turn out to be a quality striker but what a twät the mk dons max dean was.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 12, 2024, 11:33:44 am
Probably going to turn out to be a quality striker but what a twät the mk dons max dean was.

Yes he should have been sent off for stamping on Jay Williams - just for once I wish they had VAR.

The commentators were saying that most of Crawley's squad were plucked from non league - shades of Graham Carr's team of 86/87.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Melbourne Cobbler on May 12, 2024, 11:37:07 am
Whatever way you cut it Massive King Dongs have been a PR disaster for Plastic Town.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on May 12, 2024, 11:40:33 am

As for that goalkeeper what a revelation he is, he was almost playing as a centre back in the first leg.
Amazing distribution, barely had any saves to make over the two legs so hard to know about his shot stopping. Would happily take Kelly and Lolos if we could.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 12, 2024, 12:11:16 pm
Amazing distribution, barely had any saves to make over the two legs so hard to know about his shot stopping. Would happily take Kelly and Lolos if we could.

They interviewed that Kelly fellow after the game with Orsi alongside him and he was about half the size of Orsi, it was quite amusing. He was also quite literally speechless - yes I wouldn't mind him either.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 12, 2024, 12:37:03 pm
I have to say Crawley were mighty impressive, they just simply blew MK away. I have to confess to bursting out laughing when Jay Williams scored that goal after a few minutes to make it 4 - 0. They just never looked back after that and could easily have had two more, a sitter missed when the guy lobbed the keeper but didn't hit it hard enough and another hit the post. I wouldn't want to be Crewe.

As for that goalkeeper what a revelation he is, he was almost playing as a centre back in the first leg.

The Crawley keeper didn't cover himself in glory when we last played at Crawley, he appeared to be much better over the two legs.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: CobblerForever on May 12, 2024, 12:47:25 pm
Norwich v Leeds. A good advert for a one-off match.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 15, 2024, 12:26:00 pm
https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news/crawley-mk-dons-wembley-accrington-stanley-play-off-965860-20240511?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR07Hru0bE8cnCxg0p2KQKXPwdYO2_b1hq2OrxzBJYLdiXgaVRMLdPvz4Mo_aem_AaleoLDWV2W8w36hRFySZJ9WZSubQrx56b2i5p613K-y-bCfyid4XyKTDWy1yrGKioa9pvGP7bvvK8-B2CxXg9cI

 :)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: 1971cobbler on May 16, 2024, 14:01:45 pm
Yes he should have been sent off for stamping on Jay Williams - just for once I wish they had VAR.



Retrospective punishment applied

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c90z04wxqxzo


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 16, 2024, 18:29:11 pm
Retrospective punishment applied

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c90z04wxqxzo

Good, it's what he deserves, pity the ref didn't see it though as the donkeys would have been down to 10 men.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 16, 2024, 18:46:59 pm
Good, it's what he deserves, pity the ref didn't see it though as the donkeys would have been down to 10 men.
I doubt that would have made much difference mate.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 18, 2024, 08:42:28 am
No surprise there.

https://x.com/KieranMaguire/status/1791572464381702598


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: CobblerForever on May 18, 2024, 16:52:42 pm
Can I be the first to mention we took 4 league points off Oxford this season? We are therefore better than them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Manwork04 on May 18, 2024, 17:19:39 pm
Can I be the first to mention we took 4 league points off Oxford this season? We are therefore better than them.
Absolutely, but Bolton were awful.
Just goes to show what a little bit of investment can do.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on May 18, 2024, 19:09:50 pm
I thought Lincoln did the investing? ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 18, 2024, 19:13:09 pm
Can I be the first to mention we took 4 league points off Oxford this season? We are therefore better than them.
I may be on my own with this, but I look forward to playing Oxford and possibly MK. Those games have a bit of an edge to them. I am sure that I can find somebody else to dislike next season though.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: WasRambo on May 18, 2024, 21:38:03 pm
Very unhappy minibus full of Trotter in-laws heading home. Glad I swerved that one....


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on May 19, 2024, 07:32:16 am
When a team (Oxford) can get promoted after finishing a 46 match season 10 points behind their opponents (Bolton) shows what a mockery the play off system is. Finishing 3rd in the division should get you the 3rd promotion place. I fully understand the reasons for the play off system but have never liked them even when we were promoted for finishing in 7th place under KC.
Today we have teams in 6th and 7th places playing for promotion from the 2nd division.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 19, 2024, 08:00:28 am
I fully expected Bolton to beat Oxford with ease but it turned out the other way. Bolton just weren't at the races and as much as I dislike Oxford they deserved to win it.

Hopefully they will get some hammerings next season.

No doubt the same will happen today, I fully expect Crawley to win so it's bound to be Crewe.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 19, 2024, 08:41:46 am
When a team (Oxford) can get promoted after finishing a 46 match season 10 points behind their opponents (Bolton) shows what a mockery the play off system is. Finishing 3rd in the division should get you the 3rd promotion place. I fully understand the reasons for the play off system but have never liked them even when we were promoted for finishing in 7th place under KC.
Today we have teams in 6th and 7th places playing for promotion from the 2nd division.

I don't like the play offs for the same reasons you state, but alternatively I like the play offs because it keeps games 'interesting' for more teams deeper into the season, when previously the 'middle teams' were playing out meaningless games (to them) just to see out their fixtures.
It doesn't eradicate the meaningless games completely (we were effectively 'safe' in March) but it reduces the amount of them for longer.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on May 19, 2024, 11:01:58 am
I really like the play offs. I appreciate it means a team getting promoted that is maybe not as good as one which isn’t, but everyone knows where they stand at the beginning of the season and what it adds to the season outweighs that for me. I don’t even mind the national league where play off places go even lower but teams finishing higher get more of an advantage. I would even like to see 4up/4down from the championship to league one.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Winslow Lee on May 19, 2024, 11:05:00 am

No doubt the same will happen today, I fully expect Crawley to win so it's bound to be Crewe.

Don’t really care but I guess I hope Crewe win so we can maybe pick off some of the Crawley players as some of them looked good.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Merry Comrade on May 19, 2024, 11:36:42 am
I may be on my own with this, but I look forward to playing Oxford and possibly MK. Those games have a bit of an edge to them. I am sure that I can find somebody else to dislike next season though.

  Your not on your own Tabasco. I am totally with you on this one.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: CobblerForever on May 19, 2024, 12:26:04 pm
  Your not on your own Tabasco. I am totally with you on this one.

MK Dons was excellent for me. Down the branch line to Fenny Stratford and a short walk. Always that bit extra to the game.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 19, 2024, 13:05:17 pm
I like the play offs because one of the best moments of my life happened after 93 minutes. What a day.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on May 19, 2024, 14:02:06 pm
Crawley it is then. Would have preferred Crewe. Easier on the train 😀.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 19, 2024, 14:26:16 pm
Well done Crawley, thoroughly deserved too. I think they will lose a few of those players though.

Also well done VAR as it was clearly no penalty. However I would like to know why Chris Long wasn't booked as it was dive surely.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on May 19, 2024, 15:18:19 pm
Was at the game, Crawley very comfortable and played some good stuff. Crewe, who over the years have been the passing team were just a hit and hope side…Long has lost about three yards of pace! Didn’t see much of Williams for Crawley but a good team performance gets them promoted.
Atmosphere poor, 33,300 there.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Horsham Cobbler on May 19, 2024, 16:27:39 pm
Crawley it is then. Would have preferred Crewe. Easier on the train 😀.

Happy with a 10-mile round-trip away game next season  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 19, 2024, 16:37:40 pm
Happy with a 10-mile round-trip away game next season  ;D

He's trying to say we're all invited round to his for a post match knees up.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 19, 2024, 17:31:06 pm
I very much doubt that, any of us would have picked Crawley for promotion at the start of the season. However, fair play to them they did what was required and achieved promotion as a result. I also believe that they wont bring anything to the party, cos down that way, you are either Palace or Brighton.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 19, 2024, 18:39:34 pm
I also believe that they wont bring anything to the party,

I am rather hoping that their contribution to the party will be a good opportunity to secure 6 points.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 19, 2024, 19:02:40 pm
I am rather hoping that their contribution to the party will be a good opportunity to secure 6 points.
Fair point raised Bangers.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 19, 2024, 20:42:11 pm
Fair point raised Bangers.

They could be crucial points in their respective blocks.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: TVOR on May 20, 2024, 09:12:03 am
So the team with the lowest average attendance in League 1 playoffs got promoted.  ???


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Peter Frost on May 20, 2024, 10:12:27 am
I see that cheating tosser is still playing for them - we need to make sure he gets a warm Sixfields welcome . Disappointed Bolton didn’t go up - they deserved on the season’s performance plus I think we were more likely to take points off Oxford than them.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 20, 2024, 15:37:22 pm
I see that cheating tosser is still playing for them - we need to make sure he gets a warm Sixfields welcome . Disappointed Bolton didn’t go up - they deserved he season’s performance plus I think we were more likely to take points off Oxford than them.


Faint heart never won a game at Bolton! We smashed them here too!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: GrangeParkCobbler on May 20, 2024, 21:33:44 pm
So the team with the lowest average attendance in League 1 playoffs got promoted.  ???

Just looked at what investment they've had and how the current owners came to be..... very interesting piece on their official site from April 2022 following the takeover.....

"WAGMI United also pledged a new era of unprecedented transparency and accountability to Crawley Town Football Club supporters and the Crawley community. With Johnson and Smith assuming roles as club directors, they plan to allow the fans to decide whether or not they keep those roles for the following season if the team does not achieve its goal: earning promotion to League One by the end of their second season in charge.

"If we're trying to build a community-club, and we are, then we have to build in mechanisms to hold ourselves accountable,"  said Eben Smith, WAGMI United co-founder. "So if Crawley Town Football Club doesn't get promoted to League One by the end of our second season, which we think is about 50/50, then we under-performed. If we underperform, Crawley Town fans should get to vote on who the next directors of the club are. We might run for reelection because it was clearly all Preston's fault, but we don’t just get to hold the fanbase hostage because our dad invented Cablevision."


So they achieved their goals....and the directors kept their jobs as a result!!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 26, 2024, 08:28:38 am
Good luck to Colin Calderwood's Saints.


90 points and you fûcked it up! Hopefully anyway.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 26, 2024, 10:05:28 am
Good luck to Colin Calderwood's Saints.


90 points and you fûcked it up! Hopefully anyway.

Southampton beat Leeds in both league games and I have a suspicion they will do it again.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: CobblerForever on May 26, 2024, 10:16:01 am
Just looked at what investment they've had and how the current owners came to be..... very interesting piece on their official site from April 2022 following the takeover.....

"WAGMI United also pledged a new era of unprecedented transparency and accountability to Crawley Town Football Club supporters and the Crawley community. With Johnson and Smith assuming roles as club directors, they plan to allow the fans to decide whether or not they keep those roles for the following season if the team does not achieve its goal: earning promotion to League One by the end of their second season in charge.

"If we're trying to build a community-club, and we are, then we have to build in mechanisms to hold ourselves accountable,"  said Eben Smith, WAGMI United co-founder. "So if Crawley Town Football Club doesn't get promoted to League One by the end of our second season, which we think is about 50/50, then we under-performed. If we underperform, Crawley Town fans should get to vote on who the next directors of the club are. We might run for reelection because it was clearly all Preston's fault, but we don’t just get to hold the fanbase hostage because our dad invented Cablevision."


So they achieved their goals....and the directors kept their jobs as a result!!

Crawley lost just short of £4 million in year ended June 30th 2023 (the movement on the Profit & Loss account in the Balance Sheet). That's some investment they've made there.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03858150/filing-history


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 26, 2024, 14:26:38 pm
1-0 Southampton after 24 minutes.  ;D


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 26, 2024, 16:05:48 pm
1-0 Southampton after 24 minutes.  ;D

Calderwood clean sheet. Well done Colin.

We all hate Leeds,
We all hate Leeds,
We all hate Leeds
We all hate Leeds!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: BackOfTheNet on May 26, 2024, 16:13:07 pm
I only watched the last half an hour plus stoppage time, but Southampton had gone full-Colin!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 26, 2024, 16:16:24 pm
I bet the Windmill in Kingsthorpe aint a happy place at the moment.
Maybe Calderwood knows a few young strikers that need our tuition?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on May 26, 2024, 17:38:34 pm
So pleased for Southampton. Can’t stand Leeds. And some of their supporters were complete tossers down Covent Garden last night.. Put me right off my steak tartare 😀


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Zen Master on May 26, 2024, 17:57:28 pm
In some ways I’d like Leeds to be in prem however…

We all hate Leeds
We all hate Leeds
We all hate Leeds…..

Bring back Nicholas Bignall…


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 26, 2024, 18:01:32 pm
So pleased for Southampton. Can’t stand Leeds. And some of their supporters were complete tossers down Covent Garden last night.. Put me right off my steak tartare

Well done Southampton thought you deserved it. Leeds only turned up for the first 10 minutes of each half, although James was unlucky with the shot that hit the bar. The turn out was impressive at just under 86K with both teams about the same at just under the 40K mark according to the commentators, so where did the other 6K come from? It means of course that neither team beat the mighty Cobblers attendance v Grimsby at 41K, although they weren't particularly mighty that day.

That's the last meaningful league game now until August, time to get more into the cricket. Come on Northants.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Gustavo Palcrice on May 26, 2024, 18:01:38 pm
So pleased for Southampton. Can’t stand Leeds. And some of their supporters were complete tossers down Covent Garden last night.. Put me right off my steak tartare 😀

Aller-retour?


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 26, 2024, 22:42:59 pm
Calderwood clean sheet. Well done Colin.

We all hate Leeds,
We all hate Leeds,
We all hate Leeds
We all hate Leeds!

When Akenfenwa  scored that famous winner against Leeds, was no fan of Leed but when Bayo scored that  goal  Bayo was my hero for life! I never hated Leeds  or  Posh for that  matter. Just  beating them was sufficient.  Don’t understand why you want to hate  Leeds when we have beaten them twice!


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 26, 2024, 23:13:09 pm
I was there at the County Ground in 1966 when we beat Leeds 2 - 1 when we were both in Division 1. Leeds came second that season behind Liverpool and their players were all internationals - all British too.

It was a wonderful moment especially as we had lost the game at Elland Road 6 - 1.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 26, 2024, 23:27:43 pm
I was there at the County Ground in 1966 when we beat Leeds 2 - 1 when we were both in Division 1. Leeds came second that season behind Liverpool and their players were all internationals - all British too.

It was a wonderful moment especially as we had lost the game at Elland Road 6 - 1.

That Goal by Bayo !  He just bulldozed thru’their defence  and goal keeper too ! His momentum scored the goal as I think their goalie partly saved it and it only just crossed the line! As for the 1966 game can always remember Graham Moore’s tackle to send Bremner flying horizontal thru’ the air !


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on May 27, 2024, 07:53:53 am
When Akenfenwa  scored that famous winner against Leeds, was no fan of Leed but when Bayo scored that  goal  Bayo was my hero for life! I never hated Leeds  or  Posh for that  matter. Just  beating them was sufficient.  Don’t understand why you want to hate  Leeds when we have beaten them twice!

Bayo didn't play when we beat them 2-1. He scored the equaliser the previous season when we drew 1-1.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 27, 2024, 08:01:09 am
That Goal by Bayo !  He just bulldozed thru’their defence  and goal keeper too ! His momentum scored the goal as I think their goalie partly saved it and it only just crossed the line! As for the 1966 game can always remember Graham Moore’s tackle to send Bremner flying horizontal thru’ the air !

Graham Moore was a great player and I thought we were lucky to sign him from Man U. My youngest daughters father in law used to play alongside him at Cardiff before he joined Man U.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 27, 2024, 08:28:13 am
When Akenfenwa  scored that famous winner against Leeds, was no fan of Leed but when Bayo scored that  goal  Bayo was my hero for life! I never hated Leeds  or  Posh for that  matter. Just  beating them was sufficient.  Don’t understand why you want to hate  Leeds when we have beaten them twice!

Do you not remember being relegated by them at Elland Road in 2009?

It's also a bit of the local rivalry thing when there are those round here, who should by rights be supporting Bradford, but go for the "big" club instead.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: west stand oap on May 27, 2024, 09:17:34 am
In the 1966 game the 3 goals came in a 5 minute spell early in the game, Barry Lines 11 mins, George Hudson 13 mins and O'Grady replied 16 mins, the crowd was 21,548.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on May 27, 2024, 09:24:32 am
Leeds team that day not quite all British as Johnny Giles played who is Irish.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 27, 2024, 10:02:09 am
Do you not remember being relegated by them at Elland Road in 2009?

It's also a bit of the local rivalry thing when there are those round here, who should by rights be supporting Bradford, but go for the "big" club instead.

We have quite a few of those in Northampton as well... :(


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: tcobb on May 27, 2024, 10:10:04 am
Was at Elland Road in 2009 and still can't believe how poorly we played for a team that needed a result.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: the grumpy old man on May 27, 2024, 10:27:04 am
Leeds team that day not quite all British as Johnny Giles played who is Irish.

I wasn't sure which side of the border he came from but 10 British isn't bad.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 27, 2024, 10:28:31 am
We have quite a few of those in Northampton as well... :(

Exactly, so there is a point of principle at stake.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Shoemender on May 27, 2024, 11:59:08 am
We have quite a few of those in Northampton as well... :(

Quite a few on here with "Prem teams". North and south of the border. ;)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Deepcut Cobbler on May 27, 2024, 18:33:41 pm
Quite a few on here with "Prem teams". North and south of the border. ;)

Yes, I am one but watching The Cobblers always takes priority.
Many of the ones that we describe don't even go to watch the Prem team that they purport to support...


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 27, 2024, 21:12:02 pm
Do you not remember being relegated by them at Elland Road in 2009?

It's also a bit of the local rivalry thing when there are those round here, who should by rights be supporting Bradford, but go for the "big" club instead.

Correction - it was two wins and a draw!  Prefer to dwell on our meagre successes.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on May 28, 2024, 07:25:52 am
Yes, I am one but watching The Cobblers always takes priority.
Many of the ones that we describe don't even go to watch the Prem team that they purport to support...

I'm unashamedly in the category as well.. Never miss a Cobblers game for Chelsea. But definitely my bit on the side.. 


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 28, 2024, 13:38:24 pm
I'm unashamedly in the category as well.. Never miss a Cobblers game for Chelsea. But definitely my bit on the side.. 

Oh dear, infidelity never ends well.

Wouldn't have thought it from you Fenners, must be your dirty secret to hide from the rest of us.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on May 28, 2024, 20:12:22 pm
Oh dear, infidelity never ends well.

Wouldn't have thought it from you Fenners, must be your dirty secret to hide from the rest of us.

You must have been hidden under a rock for years Bingers. Roger mentions it as often as he can. Along with a few others. I love Chelsea. In fact. I should really be a Chelsea supporter more than a Cobbler. But I am most certainly not.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 28, 2024, 21:34:08 pm
You must have been hidden under a rock for years Bingers. Roger mentions it as often as he can. Along with a few others. I love Chelsea. In fact. I should really be a Chelsea supporter more than a Cobbler. But I am most certainly not.

Under a rock like a lurking toad Fenners, that must have passed me by. So blue, you are virtually Boro, by the sounds of it. The shame.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on May 29, 2024, 03:49:19 am
Under a rock like a lurking toad Fenners, that must have passed me by. So blue, you are virtually Boro, by the sounds of it. The shame.

Fortunately my Cobblers credentials stand up to, and in fact surpass most others. Luckily for you, we aren’t comparing… 😎


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 29, 2024, 07:58:25 am
Fortunately my Cobblers credentials stand up to, and in fact surpass most others. Luckily for you, we aren’t comparing… 😎
You are my leader and role model Fenners. 😘


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 29, 2024, 08:08:27 am
You are my leader and role model Fenners. 😘


Starting to get the impression that you are a bit of a nutter! Shame really.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 29, 2024, 08:50:07 am


Starting to get the impression that you are a bit of a nutter! Shame really.

Only starting Evers. What a good judge of character you are.


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Terryfenwickatemyhamster on May 29, 2024, 11:23:21 am
Only starting Evers. What a good judge of character you are.

Everbrite is right. It is such a shame that you have turned out to be a nutter. As your role model and leader, I feel partly responsible for not taking the nurturing and mentoring of you as serious as I should have. Perhaps I can draw you closer to my bosom, and drag you back from the brink. Whilst there is clearly not much to work with. You are most certainly not beyond salvage.

You could start by not looking at games in blocks. 


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Tabasco Kid on May 29, 2024, 11:53:10 am


You could start by not looking at games in blocks. 
(https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/xenforo/smile.png)


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: everbrite on May 29, 2024, 14:49:34 pm
Everbrite is right. It is such a shame that you have turned out to be a nutter. As your role model and leader, I feel partly responsible for not taking the nurturing and mentoring of you as serious as I should have. Perhaps I can draw you closer to my bosom, and drag you back from the brink. Whilst there is clearly not much to work with. You are most certainly not beyond salvage.

You could start by not looking at games in blocks

Death where is thy sting or another nail


Title: Re: Play-off watch
Post by: Bingers on May 29, 2024, 20:31:25 pm
Everbrite is right. It is such a shame that you have turned out to be a nutter. As your role model and leader, I feel partly responsible for not taking the nurturing and mentoring of you as serious as I should have. Perhaps I can draw you closer to my bosom, and drag you back from the brink. Whilst there is clearly not much to work with. You are most certainly not beyond salvage.

You could start by not looking at games in blocks. 

I am glad not to be beyond salvage and look forward to your bosom.








Not sure about the blocks issue, might need to consult with Dan about that.






And JB.