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Post by daveshaw on Jan 17, 2009 4:29:59 GMT
This season is starting to take on a familiar pattern to last. We are in danger of not even making the playoffs. Both Wrexham and Cambridge are looming up. Kettering can sneak in there. Also Oxford and Stevenage cannot be written off yet.
This time last season Buckle did nothing during the transfer window which led us to spectacularly snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory in both the league and trophy. He must act very soon to nail our playoff credentials or risk dropping the same bollock he did last time.
He needs to bring in players to do the job. Don't give me any excuses, he's had total control and the money to ensure our season. But he is letting it slip thro his fingers again.
I hope he's got some aces up his sleave or i fear it will all end in tears.
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Post by weathergull on Jan 17, 2009 8:27:59 GMT
I accepted some time ago that automatic promotion was out the window.
I still think we will make the play-offs.......just! Though we all know what a lottery that is!
We need to find someone who can score goals, sounds simple but obviously isn't! Buckle did say he would possibly bring in players to the squad if we needed them!
Do we need them....................................YES
Will he bring them in................................NO
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Post by capitalgull on Jan 17, 2009 11:12:59 GMT
Well that was a predictable thread start wasn't it! Actually expected it a little earlier, but guess the time difference in Thailand explains it....and surprise surprise it's Merse's second favourite Mr Negative who posts the first reply as well.
While I fully admit to seeing the possibility of automatic promotion disappearing over the horizon as well, there is nothing to suggest that our level of performances has dropped....of course, not seeing many games Dave S would not know this.
Performances last season had already started going wrong; this season if anything they are still getting better, and individuals are performing a good deal better than those who were first team regulars at this point in 2007/8. We have proved to be adaptable to conditions and to opponents, and there is no obvious resorting to long ball tactics in every game for all of the 90 minutes.
All it would have taken was a little bit of composure, or dare I say it a small touch of luck, to have beaten both Kidderminster and Wrexham, providing an extra five points that would have had us nicely placed in behind a side with a new manager and less certainty than they had two weeks ago. As far as the games I have seen, we have performed badly in one meaningful game just ONCE since the start of September, and that was the instantly forgettable defeat by Eastbourne.
Since then we have beaten high-flying Histon out of sight, knocked a Championship side out of the FA Cup to equal the best run we have had in that competition in the club's long history (and win more games than any other season in the Cup too), and been unlucky/lacked composure in two games against teams in the top seven.
We are still right slap bang in the middle of a promotion race, and in two cup competitions, with a squad MUCH stronger than last season, with MUCH more depth and MUCH more belief.
I don't for one minute see that the rot has set in at Plainmoor - anyone that saw the battling display in dreadful conditions against a talented and hungry Wrexham side last night could not claim we looked like a team on the decline - and when you see the squad options Buckle still has at his disposal (if he chooses to use them) unlike last season it does not appear to be stretched as in 2008.
I would say the addition of two players - Ashley Barnes would be a good place to start, and some cover at right-back, is all we might need and I wouldn't panic if we didn't get either.
As for claiming Oxford could be a danger - are you mad Sir? They'll be lucky to last the season as a going concern. I'll be surprised if the play-offs do not include Wrexham, Torquay, Kidderminster and Kettering. Stevenage are renowned second-half bottlers (and we have two games in hand on them, plus a five point advantage). Histon and Crawley might be flies in the ointment, but I would certainly expect the former to drop away sometime soon.
And as for Dave's assertion that Buckle did nothing in January last year to add to the squad, dare I suggest....
Michael Poke, signed on January 7 (think he did quite well, didn't he - might just have been a really different season had he not been injured and Buckle cannot control that)
Roscoe Dsane, signed on January 27 (still scoring goals now and looks like a decent signing)
Steve Adams, signed on January 27 (and met with almost universal approval at the time)
Kaid Mohamed, signed on January 27 (did well during his loan didn't he, and still doing well in the BSP now)
I know I tend to bite at Dave's posts all the time, but this negative crap really does get on my nerves, especially combined with the fact that he never (stand to be corrected regards watching on illegal internet feeds) sees games and never takes the time to think about what positives might be happening at Plainmoor. It seems the Bateson Blinkers have been replaced by the Buckle Blinkers now!!
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petef
Match Room Manager 
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Post by petef on Jan 17, 2009 11:24:08 GMT
I would be concerned if we were playing as poorly as we were at this point last season but although we have gone off the boil a little the performances, generally have been pretty good apart, that is from sticking the ball in the onion bag .
If the forwards can find some real form to match our general play there is no reason to doubt we will make the playoffs with ease. Just ask any E City supporter if they thought they had any chance of promotion at this point last season when they were lying in tenth and 11 points off a play off a position.
I believe we are paying the price somewhat for a less adventurous approach and you only have to look at the goals against column (36 last 25 this at this stage) to realise that. Our wide men are covering an awful lot of ground defensively and when it comes to producing at the sharp end they are paying the price and not able to make that extra effort to cause a bit more damage.
The alternative, maybe, is to change the tactic and risk all, perhaps play an extra man in the middle and a wide man who's role would just to attack the full back Carryoll and Plumer being the obvious candidates and maybe even Brough added to the middle.
Whatever the reasons we simply ain't scoring enough goals to see us challenging Burton that ones gone I'm afraid and I personally believe we have enough ability in the squad for us to start scoring more regularly.
Does Buckle tinker and maybe risk all though that's the big question.
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Dave
TFF member
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Post by Dave on Jan 17, 2009 11:26:14 GMT
A good reply Andy and one I was about to write with most of the same points you have made. I keep asking myself do I really believe Dave S when he says we really would like to be proved wrong. Is it the case that while he states that, deep down he is hoping the wheels do come off and then he can post at the end of the season, how he told us so and how he was right all season.
We are indeed playing so much better now than we were at this time last season and while some feel getting a Sills type player is what is needed for the second half of the season, I really feel Green can do the job, if and when required. We still have so much to play for and apart from a certain song, the Plainmoor experience is really first class at this time and as a fan I could not ask anymore of the team or the club, to keep me as entertained as they have this season so far.
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merse
TFF member
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Post by merse on Jan 17, 2009 11:47:16 GMT
All it would have taken was a little bit of composure, or dare I say it a small touch of luck, to have beaten both Kidderminster and Wrexham, providing an extra five points that would have had us nicely placed in behind a side with a new manager and less certainty than they had two weeks ago. As far as the games I have seen, we have performed badly in one meaningful game just ONCE since the start of September, and that was the instantly forgettable defeat by Eastbourne.  ....................and on such thin margins do matches and seasons change. Always has been the case and always will do. Like the golfer who's putts circumnavigate the rim only to pop back out, and the big hitting cricketer who holes out to a fielder one day but clears the ropes the next. Sport is competitive and there is always an opponent doing their best to put you off or cause that little bit of misjudgement that decrees whether or not your shot goes wide or your pass goes astray. I've never appreciated why some people have a problem with taking that on board...............after all even I might give a decent snooker player a game if he NEVER left the cue ball in a difficult spot for me to attempt my shot from. A one eyed blind man could see that the quality of OUR play this season is vastly superior to last season. That the strength in depth and quality of OUR squad is much better than last season. But, dare I say it; the quality of the opposition is also superior to last season too. I honestly can't think of an obvious candidate at OUR level of the game who could be brought in and improve our starting eleven, so that leaves those who could theoretically add to the quality of our bench...................therefore leading one to identify just who would lose that place - Benyon, Stevens, Caryol, Adams, Thompson, Ellis, Robertson and Poke form a pretty impressive set of players not starting for us at present don't they. Just how big a squad do these critics feel we need and just who do they think the club should be considering signing..................particularly in view of another pretty pathetic sub two thousand attendance figure last night. |
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Post by weathergull on Jan 17, 2009 11:58:05 GMT
Negative? Negative? Just expressing my opinions CG. I too think the team are playing well, and things are buzzing at plainmoor - cups and in a play-off position. How many chances go begging every game though? Ones which should & would be put-away if we had a decent finisher. People keep saying Green must be given more time, how much time though? One month, two, or when we can no longer make the play-offs Just my opinion.......................................................OH OH Here he comes... |
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Dave
TFF member
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Post by Dave on Jan 17, 2009 12:00:03 GMT
That made me laugh weathergull  |
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merse
TFF member
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Post by merse on Jan 17, 2009 12:30:04 GMT
Sorry to disappoint you..................he's having his oats! Time to freeze my bollacks off take Anthony to football, so will be gone for a while. 
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Post by weathergull on Jan 17, 2009 12:40:07 GMT
Sorry to disappoint you..................he's having his oats!Time to freeze my bollacks off take Anthony to football, so will be gone for a while. Scotts..............I hope!  |
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Post by jimd on Jan 17, 2009 13:13:35 GMT
Sorry to disappoint you..................he's having his oats! Time to freeze my bollacks off take Anthony to football, so will be gone for a while. Noooo....you wasn't posting whilst?  I hope I can get that image out of my head  |
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merse
TFF member
Posts: 2,684
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Post by merse on Jan 17, 2009 15:00:01 GMT
I meant the horse Jim, of course I did 
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Post by daveshaw on Jan 17, 2009 17:35:01 GMT
Dave R, anyone who knows me (even merse) will tell you i'm a Torquay fan thro and thro. I will be gutted if we don't get promoted. To suggest i will get any ego massaging pleasure from us not doing it is just stupid. So, i don't believe Buckle has got it. Please let me be wrong and i will be bouncing around Thailand with delight. The only thing i miss about england is TUFC and i want success for us. So don't ever question my loyalty to the cause. I want us out of this crap league.  |
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Dave
TFF member
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Post by Dave on Jan 17, 2009 17:52:41 GMT
Well I shall wait and see what you post at the end of the season Dave S, if we do not go up, I do not question that you are a TUFC fan and believe its in your blood the same as all fans, I just think at times you expect to much and just maybe to soon.
I want to buy a new fifa football game, mine is years old now, but won't until TUFC are back in the league, as I like to play the game as TUFC, so apart from all the other reasons, I have another one.
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Post by daveshaw on Jan 17, 2009 17:59:26 GMT
Dave i think you can predict exactly what i'll say if we don't go up. It will be the same as i say now. On the other hand if we do get promoted i'll be too pissed to care and looking forward to next season in the real league.
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