Magpies

[frogpole]

With 57 CBs missing (at the last count) this is gonna be 'interesting' ...

Fingers crossed for a 2-1 win, with Kane getting both goals

[gazan]

..and a referee who's presided over 5 defeats for the Alex. I'm tempted to say 1-1 (again!) but I fear that actually suggesting means it won't happen.
Two sides finding winning difficult - does that mean that today has to change?
Hopefully O'Riordan is fit enough. What about MickeyD? (Lots of rumours)
Finally, Stuart Maynard (County manager) says that Crewe will put a lot of balls into the box. Hmm! I wish!

[gazan]

Very disappointing! Did we actually set up to win? Clearly the last 10 minutes were slowing everything down. Too many draws. Think the season is juddering to a stop.

[gazan]

Need 14 points from last 8 games to secure even a play-off spot now. Just can't see it.

[MikeSB]

Need 14 points from last 8 games to secure even a play-off spot now. Just can't see it.

LB is not setting up the team to win matches, despite him saying we have 9 cup finals left. Leaving virtually all the strikers on the subs bench for three quarters of the games is nonsense IF you are playing for promotion. They should start the game with as many strikers as they have to try and score goals in the match. Can someone please advise these so called managers and coaches that the whole purpose of this game since it was invented over 100 years ago was to score goals and not camp out in your own half. Also its not fair on the fans who pay a lot of money in travel and match tickets to sit there while we tap the ball to one another in our own half of the pitch ie just like in training at RH. How many direct shots did we have on goal in 95 mins? 5?

Never mind some will call it a successful season if we remain in the top 10..

[LordK]

Well thoughts?, lots of effort and huffing and puffing, but very little in the way of opportunity.
MD looked not really match fit and TL after his knock a few weeks back not 100%. Its an agonizing March!

[LordK]

Gazan,

I agree 8 x points will be difficult and relies on teams around us assisting, So Vale +1, Grimsby +1, Bradford 0, Cheltenham +3, Colchester +1, Tranmere +1, and finally maybe another last game Walsall +1, totaling 8 x points. I think that's still not enough and agree with all, that we need goals, it would be dreadful to not make it on goal difference. However the playoffs cost the club circa 200k, for no return last year, (prefer to keep that in the Bank), and to be honest unless a big change in tactics we shall not progress in the playoffs and I see a one-season bounce even if we did make it to promotion.

[LordK]

Final predictions are

Pre-Christmas
UP - Bradford City, Doncaster, Port Vale
PLAYOFFS - MK Dons, Gillingham, Walsall, Chesterfield
DOWN - Bromley
CREWE 8th

REVISED Feb 7th 2025
UP - [B]Bradford City, Doncaster, Walsall
PLAYOFFS - AFC Wimbledon, Port Vale, Chesterfield, Notts County
DOWN - Carlisle and erghhhhh Tranmere
CREWE 9th missing out

REVISED and FINAL PREDICTION March 22nd 2025
UP - Bradford City, Doncaster, Walsall
PLAYOFFS - AFC Wimbledon, Port Vale, Chesterfield, Notts County
DOWN - Carlisle and erghhhhh Tranmere (looks like they escape and Morecambe will go down)
CREWE 9th missing out, possibly even falling to 10-12th

It's very annoying that Grimsby is making a bid for the playoffs, especially as they were very mid-table before Christmas! Mr Artell is used his transfer window well!

[LordK]

Gazan, sorry 14 x points (not 8 points), impossible the way we are playing!

[MikeSB]

In fairness to LB, he probably knows we have not got the forwards and firepower in the forward line this season and so has tried to play defensively and trying to get breakaways for goals and why so few chances. It's not just us that suffer though as all teams want prolific strikers and they cost a lot of money which we haven't got. I wonder if we have any decent strikers coming through the academy?

There a lot better supported teams than us who are in the bottom half of the league and they are really suffering for the same reason. eg Tranmere and Carlisle. So we can only be tolerant as we can be and be pleased we have had, in essence, a good season.