Nervous

[1955pie]

I just need to dream that we win the P/O final 9-0 now.

If we were to win the play off final 1-0 which would you prefer, scoring in the first minute or the last minute?

[countygump]

If we were to win the play off final 1-0 which would you prefer, scoring in the first minute or the last minute?

Last min every time.

[Notts78]

If we were to win the play off final 1-0 which would you prefer, scoring in the first minute or the last minute?

First for me. If the opponents pepper our goal we still have that buffer if we conceded. Where as at nil nil my heart would be out my chest every time they went forward. That said, going mental with a last minute winner (Agueeeeero or the last minute QPR winner over Derby coke to mind)

[jackal2]

Shouldn't be really, but I'm really nervous about Saturday. I've just got this feeling that we'll end up playing Wrexham away now in the playoffs, and that they will raise their game even more with fans in. It doesn't matter what's happened in the league previously, Wrexham will still fancy their chances and rightly so. Would prefer to play them at home.

I suppose it doesn't matter in a way. The last few weeks has provided the best football we've seen since the Cotterill days, so onwards and upwards eh?

Anyone else nervous?

I'm more intrigued than nervous.

If we're being honest, a likely finishing position of 5th or 6th in the National League suggests we're not yet ready to return to League Two football, but the counter to that argument is that we seem to have improved quite dramatically in recent weeks and are possibly now a better team than our final league position would suggest.

The bottom line is this. If we're ready for promotion and League Two, then we will beat whoever we meet in the play-offs and thereby conclusively demonstrate the improvement we've made under IB. If we don't beat our play-off opponents, whoever they are, then the rational conclusion must be that we're still a work in progress, but with every reason to be optimistic about next season.

Contrary to the oft-used expression that play-offs are a "lottery", they actually are not. Most of the time, the teams that finish in the higher play-off positions end up winning through, and it's comparatively rare for the lower ranked teams to gain promotion. The league table doesn't lie all that often. If on this occasion we genuinely are in a false position relative to our current potential, we will prove it in the coming weeks.

[queenslandpie]

I'm more intrigued than nervous.

If we're being honest, a likely finishing position of 5th or 6th in the National League suggests we're not yet ready to return to League Two football, but the counter to that argument is that we seem to have improved quite dramatically in recent weeks and are possibly now a better team than our final league position would suggest.

The bottom line is this. If we're ready for promotion and League Two, then we will beat whoever we meet in the play-offs and thereby conclusively demonstrate the improvement we've made under IB. If we don't beat our play-off opponents, whoever they are, then the rational conclusion must be that we're still a work in progress, but with every reason to be optimistic about next season.

Contrary to the oft-used expression that play-offs are a "lottery", they actually are not. Most of the time, the teams that finish in the higher play-off positions end up winning through, and it's comparatively rare for the lower ranked teams to gain promotion. The league table doesn't lie all that often. If on this occasion we genuinely are in a false position relative to our current potential, we will prove it in the coming weeks.

Nothing to disagree with but for me its one from Stockport, Torquay Notts and Hartlepool. The rest are very distant. The former are all good sides and I do believe they can all beat each other although not by a lot. I can't remember feeling like that about a division for a while. My honest opinion is I think Stockport will do it. I don't think we are quite ready but I am extremely impressed with the strides IB has made.

[jacobncfc]

I'm more intrigued than nervous.

If we're being honest, a likely finishing position of 5th or 6th in the National League suggests we're not yet ready to return to League Two football, but the counter to that argument is that we seem to have improved quite dramatically in recent weeks and are possibly now a better team than our final league position would suggest.

The bottom line is this. If we're ready for promotion and League Two, then we will beat whoever we meet in the play-offs and thereby conclusively demonstrate the improvement we've made under IB. If we don't beat our play-off opponents, whoever they are, then the rational conclusion must be that we're still a work in progress, but with every reason to be optimistic about next season.

Contrary to the oft-used expression that play-offs are a "lottery", they actually are not. Most of the time, the teams that finish in the higher play-off positions end up winning through, and it's comparatively rare for the lower ranked teams to gain promotion. The league table doesn't lie all that often. If on this occasion we genuinely are in a false position relative to our current potential, we will prove it in the coming weeks.

To be honest, most teams in the top half/ten of the National League are pretty much ready for League Two. It’s not a coincidence that no team has ever been relegated straight back.

[queenslandpie]

To be honest, most teams in the top half/ten of the National League are pretty much ready for League Two. It’s not a coincidence that no team has ever been relegated straight back.

I do not agree. I think many of them are but I don't think Chesterfield, Bromley Eastleigh or Halifax are ready. Any of the top 5 would be fine in L2.

[upthemaggies]

To be honest, most teams in the top half/ten of the National League are pretty much ready for League Two. It’s not a coincidence that no team has ever been relegated straight back.

That sounds convincing and impressive until you realise L2 is out of step with the division above and below in only relegating 2 clubs rather than 4. It's the easiest league to stay up in, we know just how bad you have to be to go down. It might be the case though that no club promoted from the 5th tier has finished in the bottom 4 the following season until Barrow finished 21st, I've not checked.

[jacobncfc]

That sounds convincing and impressive until you realise L2 is out of step with the division above and below in only relegating 2 clubs rather than 4. It's the easiest league to stay up in, we know just how bad you have to be to go down. It might be the case though that no club promoted from the 5th tier has finished in the bottom 4 the following season until Barrow finished 21st, I've not checked.

Yeah that’s the reason why it happens - there’s a bottleneck in both divisions. I think it’d benefit both to move to three up, three down now to be honest.

[jacobncfc]

I do not agree. I think many of them are but I don't think Chesterfield, Bromley Eastleigh or Halifax are ready. Any of the top 5 would be fine in L2.

Depends what you mean by ready, I guess. I think everyone down to Boreham Wood in 13th would at least compete for survival in League Two, and probably end up staying up. The top five would all be comfortably mid-table or above.

It’s the natural result of only having two relegation/promotion places. There’s a bottleneck of badly run, underperforming clubs in League Two and a bottleneck of quite well run clubs near the top of the National League.