Did we peak too soon?

[frogmiller]

I don’t think we’ve peaked too soon, I reckon it’s more likely that our one way of playing has been scouted out and opposing managers pick teams and tactics to nullify our plan A

This happened before when Moore was scoring loads of goals. The opposition just spread out making it harder to close them down. Moore being suspended then finally moving on gave us a breath of fresh air.
The two wings were used instead with Forde and Newell both backed up solidly backed up by Emmanuel and Mattock. One player may have been undervalued in that system and it was Ball. His ability to get across from one side to the other to out number the full back and midfielder was instumental. This is only my opinion of course.
Have the team got time to sort out another formation that would turn our form round again? It all depends how fit Proctor is and whether we can fit the Vaulks, Towell and Palmer into the same team. If not which one misses out?

[sawmiller]

Good that we are even thinking about and looking forward to the play-offs - start of season expectations generally were perhaps a little bit lower from where we are now - an interesting late spring beckons

[frogmiller]

Good that we are even thinking about and looking forward to the play-offs - start of season expectations generally were perhaps a little bit lower from where we are now - an interesting late spring beckons

You're right Saw. the majority of fans were expecting us tobe comfortably mid table. One or two were hoping for automatic promotion, I with others (but not many) said play-offs were possible.

I suppose we'll look at the season as a dissapointment if we don't keep in the play-off spot here on in.

The excellent run has turned the season into anto an exciting one with the management team gaining respect from fans when it wasn't there before. They'll always have there doubters as every management team does.

[Yak]

For me if we have peaked and we lose in the play offs so be it.
What I can’t accept though is if the team drop the effort or application to win because they are in the comfort zone.

[kentmillerman]

Spot on Yak. Its in the players hands.

[flourbasher]

I think the solution is with PW and not the players
PW is still learning his trade and he's worked out how to change things when they're not working a few times this season.
His use of tactical substitutions by putting on wingers / strikers (Lavery, Williams) when the opposition has been tiring has been a masterstroke
He knows we've stumbled of late but won't be admitting this in public and rightly so.
He'll also be kicking himself that he worked out to win away from home (Shrews) on a dodgy pitch and his team wasn't competitive on the latest one (Southend). He'll have learnt a lot from that.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with which I suspect will involve Richard Wood again

[sawmiller]

Given our current position, it is ours to lose. Whatever the outcome, I feel far more optimistic than I did 12 months ago regarding the general direction of travel of our side

[millmoormagic]

I think the solution is with PW and not the players
PW is still learning his trade and he's worked out how to change things when they're not working a few times this season.
His use of tactical substitutions by putting on wingers / strikers (Lavery, Williams) when the opposition has been tiring has been a masterstroke
He knows we've stumbled of late but won't be admitting this in public and rightly so.
He'll also be kicking himself that he worked out to win away from home (Shrews) on a dodgy pitch and his team wasn't competitive on the latest one (Southend). He'll have learnt a lot from that.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with which I suspect will involve Richard Wood again

Good post mate, and yeh woody will start i think, the rest will have done him good.Warney is trying to shoehorn Palmer in i think, and thats taken away something, i'm not knocking Palmer at all, its just he is new to the squad still.

[gm_gm]

To be where we are is a great achievement, I can’t see us dropping out of the play off spots. What happens after is a lottery though, I’m torn between being scared of what will happen if we do go up and the excitement of being in the Championship for 1 season.

[Donmiller]

No matter what happens, considering the calamity of last season I think we have done extremely well to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on and get on with this season.

I don't think dropping Ajayi is the answer, he needs consistency and if he gets dropped whenever he has a bad performance he's not going to learn how to move on and improve for the next game. I don't always agree with Warne's sub choices- Forde and Yates on Sat were very questionable. The fact he even considers putting Yates on at all is mind boggling- I know people like him but he is simply not good enough and to be frank, I don't think he ever will be.

I don't think it's that we have peaked too early, I think opposition have just figured us out and our weaknesses.

The problem we have now is, we are probably going to get into the play offs but I, like many others, don't think we will get promoted. Do we really want the season to end on a low of us losing in the play off semis/final or will it be more oh well we had a good season we go again next?