Post by Jon on Apr 7, 2018 11:37:57 GMT
Well the agony has been prolonged past Easter - which is more than we hoped for a few weeks ago.
Thirteen points from six games (W4 D1 L1) needed to reach the magic 50.
Of course, we could very well go down with 50 and we could very well stay up with less than 50, but the line will not be far away from where it usually is.
Six points from the last two is as much as you could ask, but we were desperately clinging on and riding our luck against a very poor Woking team and I gather Chester were even worse.
If we are going to get points off Dover, Fylde and Ebbsfleet we will have to play a hell of a lot better than that.
All three are fighting for the last play-off place but none are unbeatable if we could really get our act together.
I feel that a midfield two of Young and Lemonheigh-Evans (excellent players though both are) would be over-run by Dover.
I do not think we have got the three at the back to work, but don't think I would risk returning to a back four at this stage.
My solution would be to use Williams from the bench. Healey can then push right up front with Romain and could give way to Williams around the 70-75 minute mark. That would allow us to bring in a holding midfielder and afford Young and Lemonheigh-Evans more chance to push up and create.
If Sotolik is 100% fit, I would stick him in there and I would replace Balatoni with Efete to add a bit of pace to the back three.
If Sotolik is not fit, I would leave Balatoni in, play Efete at right wing back and push Barnes into the holding midfield role.
I would not see replacing a striker with a defender as a defensive move - it just allows the players we have to play in their more natural roles. A draw might be seen as a point won if other results go our way, but we have to go for the three points that would really throw the fight wide open
Not long ago I saw this as easily our most difficult remaining game, but now Fylde and Ebbsfleet are on better form than Dover - so we cannot afford to lose our only remaining life with so many games to go.
Thirteen points from six games (W4 D1 L1) needed to reach the magic 50.
Of course, we could very well go down with 50 and we could very well stay up with less than 50, but the line will not be far away from where it usually is.
Six points from the last two is as much as you could ask, but we were desperately clinging on and riding our luck against a very poor Woking team and I gather Chester were even worse.
If we are going to get points off Dover, Fylde and Ebbsfleet we will have to play a hell of a lot better than that.
All three are fighting for the last play-off place but none are unbeatable if we could really get our act together.
I feel that a midfield two of Young and Lemonheigh-Evans (excellent players though both are) would be over-run by Dover.
I do not think we have got the three at the back to work, but don't think I would risk returning to a back four at this stage.
My solution would be to use Williams from the bench. Healey can then push right up front with Romain and could give way to Williams around the 70-75 minute mark. That would allow us to bring in a holding midfielder and afford Young and Lemonheigh-Evans more chance to push up and create.
If Sotolik is 100% fit, I would stick him in there and I would replace Balatoni with Efete to add a bit of pace to the back three.
If Sotolik is not fit, I would leave Balatoni in, play Efete at right wing back and push Barnes into the holding midfield role.
I would not see replacing a striker with a defender as a defensive move - it just allows the players we have to play in their more natural roles. A draw might be seen as a point won if other results go our way, but we have to go for the three points that would really throw the fight wide open
Not long ago I saw this as easily our most difficult remaining game, but now Fylde and Ebbsfleet are on better form than Dover - so we cannot afford to lose our only remaining life with so many games to go.
