Incoming?

[John]

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see another player arrive this week, maybe even yet another striker. We're right in the mix but the Richards injury is a real blow. Another player, this time one from a higher division and with a proven scoring record may just be the ticket and knowing Cardoza, he will supply the cash if Wilder asks for it. Getting someone in, maybe from a Championship or even Premiership team would be a gamble and a costly one but it surely would be money well spent. We've a real chance, we must do everything we can to take it for we all know how fortunes can change from one season to the next.

[ajp]

Was the replacement not the signing of Gray though?

[bri77]

It cost us a few years ago when we were chasing the play offs and bayo got injured by branston, our season fizzled out then.

[clarkeysntfc]

Likewise IMO we'd have finished in the top 3 had Langmead not got injured a couple of years back.

[John]

Was the replacement not the signing of Gray though?

Initially. I haven't seen the guy, he could be the answer but his record suggests he isn't, I'm pretty sure had Hackett not been injured then Gray would have been on the bench Saturday.

There must be a decent guy about in the higher divisions, can't make it into his first team but could do with some first team football at this late stage in the season. His wages would be high bit it's only for a couple of months. Worth the risk I reckon.

[DrillingCobbler]

I have wondered this myself too...

As you say, it would make sense. A 10-20k game on additional wages seems a no brainer, I made the point on a tweet to J lake on Saturday that our 'B players' are not up to the required level at the moment and that's the area where Wilder will no doubt be focussing on in his summer recruitment. The likes of fruit machine, Bodin and Gray (going by his record) are not up to the levels of a fit K-Mo, Richards and Byron/Taylor etc when they are not available. We looks a lot weaker both as a starting eleven and on the bench on Saturday just because 3 players were lost from Tuesday. Factor in the fatigue, it was a game too many for us.

We will no doubt face it problem again when we play bury, over the Easter weekend and the game that follows the Tuesday night match at Oxford.

Perhaps we just have to accept it and see where the group takes us and then make sure we are better equipped next season if we come up a bit short?

[clarkeysntfc]

There's little doubt in my mind that our best 13-14 players are good enough to be in the top 7 of this league over a 46 game season.

What I do doubt is whether the 5-6 squad players behind them are.

Regardless of what happens in the next 11 games, I'm expecting a small turnover amongst that group of players this summer with Byrom and Taylor likely to be signed up to longer contracts.

Duke, Jalal, Carter, Bodin, Hornby, Mohammed are the players I am thinking of.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Initially. I haven't seen the guy, he could be the answer but his record suggests he isn't, I'm pretty sure had Hackett not been injured then Gray would have been on the bench Saturday.

There must be a decent guy about in the higher divisions, can't make it into his first team but could do with some first team football at this late stage in the season. His wages would be high bit it's only for a couple of months. Worth the risk I reckon.

Hackett may have played but I think if JJ hadn't been slightly unwell leading up to the game he would have been in the No10 behind Toney on Saturday.
As it was they set up with Toney in the 'No10' role behind Gray but as the half progressed Toney appeared to be occupying the front role space with Gray and them both getting in each others way reducing any width.
Too early to make judgement so although Gray did well chasing down and made runs he very rarely received the quality service.  This was probably more to do with D'Ath having another quiet game, Toney playing in an unfamiliar 'provider' role and Byrom being suspended.  I thought Bodin livened it up a bit when he came on but we were going for the equaliser which eventually led to us conceding their breakaway second.  Will we miss Richards? Of course but if a combination of Gray, Bodin or Toney are adequate replacements is another question, depending if we are still going for promotion or settling for consolidation prior to next season.  If we are still going for it, they are probably not.
They deserved to win because they scored two more than us however our possession performance was good without being a threat.  We missed Byrom and a performance from D'Ath, aside from their ball over the top we weren't overly threatened ourselves.
On another day with another ref, we could have been playing with ten men for the majority of the game (I have seen them given, especially for an away side) but in my opinion, he got the decision right.

[betamax toploader]

On another day with another ref, we could have been playing with ten men for the majority of the game (I have seen them given, especially for an away side) but in my opinion, he got the decision right.

What was going through Dukes head?
It should have been clear to him, that his momentum would carry him outside of the area.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

It looked like him and Cresswell(?) hesitated, Duke came out of the area, I was expecting him to either reverse until he was back in his area to catch it or head it away but he caught it and stood there looking at the ground to see where the line was.  He was still at least a yard outside..It wasn't as if the Plymouth player was in close proximity with his challenge.
He then disposed of the ball and ran towards the goal to set up the wall.  Initially I was waiting and expecting the official to call him back and send him off.  He didn't and more surprisingly he didn't even call him across to have a word or issue a caution which I think annoyed the Argyle fans even more.  Their constant boos sounded like Dooooooooooook and the Duke grin back at us after one clearance was an indication that he thought that he had been fortunate as well. 
It was fun talking to the Argyle fans afterwards...They thought that Toney was a dirty b***tard, Horwood was out of order in his altercation with the disabled fan on the far side and the referee was our twelfth man however with our possession thought that they were fortunate to take all three points.

[clarkeysntfc]

Unless he's denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, handball outside the area isn't a red card.

[DrillingCobbler]

There's little doubt in my mind that our best 13-14 players are good enough to be in the top 7 of this league over a 46 game season.

What I do doubt is whether the 5-6 squad players behind them are.

Regardless of what happens in the next 11 games, I'm expecting a small turnover amongst that group of players this summer with Byrom and Taylor likely to be signed up to longer contracts.

Duke, Jalal, Carter, Bodin, Hornby, Mohammed are the players I am thinking of.

Outfield Players only:

*GROUP A - Creswell, Diamond, Collins, Moloney, Horwood, Taylor, Byron, Hackett, K-Mo, D'Ath, Holmes, Richards, Toney, JJ.

*GROUP B - Carter, Morris, Tozer, Newey

*GROUP C - Bodin, Hornby.

So pretty much in agreement with you Clarky, just think your being harsh on K-Mo who was good far more than he was bad and that for a winger is impressive. Before November, he was overall our best player arguably.I've also dumped Hornby in pot C, which of course is based on no football for 2 years and not his previous form.

The problem as you highlight is when we have to dip outside of the main Group...the quality isn't there and we are weakened.

The good thing though is that those 4 in Group B are probably all on very decent wedge...so improving the overall quality of the squad in the Summer shouldn't be too difficult. Im also not adverse to keeping some of these lads but they would need to be on far less money than they are now...it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that Carter will be one of the highest earners and that Morris and Tozer likewise.

I haven't included Gray because (a) I have not seen him and (b) he's not ours.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Unless he's denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, handball outside the area isn't a red card.

I know, however an immediate once only interpretation of the incident could have ended with the official issuing a red.
The fact that he didn't even talk to him was surprising.

[Shoemaker]

I think we should stick with what we've got.
This season the chairman has backed the club properly and if I were him I'd be saving my money for next season and a couple of decent quality additions,as I believe two or possibly three good additions are all that's required to allow us to kick on and gain promotion.
That said we will probably lose a couple of good players so it may be four or five required.
We're not guaranteed to get in the play offs but will stay up but next year I think there will be a real air of optimism so I'd leave it till then and write this season off.
Mid table obscurity....
No final day worrying....
No Wembley embarrassments....
Lovely

[John]

It's in our own hands THIS season, nobody can say what next season might bring, we could be starving off relegation again.

If I were near the top of the hill, I wouldn't go back down to the bottom and try to climb it again tomorrow, not when the summit is so near.

[Shoemaker]

We need to balance the books though.
Decent strikers cost decent money/loan fees.
For once the board has backed the manager with quality additions.
At the end of the season we can say ta ta to those fringe players who need to be released and bolster the squad again with quality.
I'd agree with the argument if we were in the play offs and had a good chance of staying there.
We are still off the pace and let's be honest even if we got there the likes of Plymouth over two legs await.
We are good but there are better teams out there,I'm not sure that will be the case in a seasons time.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

If the season had started on the 1st Jan we would have been top two?
Our pre Christmas form did us but then again our squad following our January purchases is now better..

[John]

We're the best team in the league in 2015 on CURRENT form.

I'd rather spend money now while we're in the position we're in to get us over the line than wait until the summer and hope that the players we bring in will do the business, that is of course if Wilder is still here. That's the problem, we don't know what the future holds.

[Saint Cobbler]

I agree that we should really go for it this season, next season we could have a bad start, get more injuries, other teams get some good acquisitions and do well, or anything, which means we're left floundering. We are near the playoffs now, we could get 70 points, so let's get a Richards replacement (i.e a proven goal scorer) if we can and give ourselves a chance. By the way, does anyone know (Marvo?) our average points per game with and without Richards in the team? I bet there's a significant difference and his injury will probably prove to be the difference between qualifying for the playoffs and missing out.

[everbrite]

I agree that we should really go for it this season, next season we could have a bad start, get more injuries, other teams get some good acquisitions and do well, or anything, which means we're left floundering. We are near the playoffs now, we could get 70 points, so let's get a Richards replacement (i.e a proven goal scorer) if we can and give ourselves a chance. By the way, does anyone know (Marvo?) our average points per game with and without Richards in the team? I bet there's a significant difference and his injury will probably prove to be the difference between qualifying for the playoffs and missing out.

I also agree with Marvo - we have a reasonable chance to make the play offs. I think talk about consolidation etc smacks of defeatism or throwing the towel in. As for waiting for next season ........some people!