Quote Originally Posted by jacobncfc View Post
I continue to strongly, strongly disagree with the idea that this isnt a ?strong squad?.

It has a rebuilt goalkeeper and back line that everyone agrees has been excellent. Two wing backs who won promotion last season. A nominee for the divisions young player of the year in midfield. The second and third leading goalscorers in the league in attack. The divisions player of the year from last season occasionally.

There are very few, possibly no, other squads in League Two this season that can match that amount of proven quality across the pitch. Maybe Port Vale, maybe MK (lol).
We're coming up for Game 45 now though, so we have all the evidence, and they've had all the chance to prove it.

Like so many of us, I've watched every single second of this season's campaign and the obvious conclusion to reach is that we don't have enough players who can consistently perform at a high level.

We have Bass, Platt, Bedeau, Abbott, Didzy and Jatta (and JJ again, one day hopefully). All the rest are in and out, alternating between 5 and 6 out of 10, just not good enough for a promotion aspiring club.
The wing-backs you mention are a case in point. As others have mentioned, their statistical return has been woeful but it's been the general level of performance too. Very patchy, verging on sub-standard.

We don't have to worry, SM will get what's coming to him. Either a promotion and a crack at the next level or far more likely a continuation of this painful run-in leading to the exit door. But the players have to take their share of responsibility as well and too many haven't been up to snuff.
After 44 games we have about 70 hours of footage on Magpie Player showing how poor many of them have been. We are where we are for a reason, the table doesn't lie, we're a 69pt team with a sub 69pt manager.

Bros have had to make an entirely new team with virtually nothing left from the NL team at all. And the evidence of this season shows they're only half way there.