Playoffs - The mini-league of 6 clubs playing for 5th, 6th and 7th

[Elite_Pie]

Unless some thing strange happens, it looks like Sutton, Torquay, Hartlepool and Stockport will occupy the top 4 places. It also looks like the other 3 playoff places are between 6 clubs - us, Halifax, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Eastleigh and Bromley. Assuming Chessie lose in the late game, this is the maximum points total each of those 6 clubs can achieve:

Wrexham 75
Notts 75
Halifax 74
Chesterfield 74
Bromley 73
Eastleigh 71

On current form tables, we have no chance of getting near 75 points, but current form is really 'past 6 games form'. It tells you what's happened, but it doesn't predict the future. We've been at or near the top this season, but then gone on a poor run. I honestly can't see us suddenly going on a winning run, but there's still a very tempting prize on offer if we do.

[Elite_Pie]

A very informative post well worth adding to this thread:

All of Eastleigh's remaining games are against sides that are currently 14th or lower.
Wrexham don't play anybody with anything to play for other than Notts.
Halifax as above but with the one difficult fixture at home to Chesterfield.
4 of Chesterfield's remaining 6 are at home but have 2 games against top 6.
Bromley have a tough looking run in. Only two at home (against Pools and us) and they have to go to Torquay and us.
We've got an equally tough run in as Bromley, playing each other twice plus Sutton and Wrexham.

[optipez]

It's over for us this year Elite. The owners and new manager were too casual and took it for granted that there'd be an upturn because Ardley was underperforming.
Pretty conceited and now we're in a deep hole and still digging.
Personally, I'd relieve IB of his duties tonight and put Doyle and JOB in charge until the seasons end, they literally can't do worse.
As Sidders said yesterday the Reedtz have made a couple of mistakes, sacking Ardley, the timing of sacking Ardley and appointing his replacement.
Think they need to be honest with themselves and face up to the unfolding disaster sooner than later. It sounds drastic but IB will absolutely not take us up this year, Doyle or JOB would have more chance, or at least no less chance.

[Elite_Pie]

It's over for us this year Elite.

Before today's game I was 90% sure it was over, after today's game I'm 95% sure.

But it's the 5% left that we have to cling on to.

[CheltenhamPie]

Before today's game I was 90% sure it was over, after today's game I'm 95% sure.

But it's the 5% left that we have to cling on to.

A true Notts County fan. Hope springs eternal

[jackal2]

A true Notts County fan. Hope springs eternal

For those who want a positive thought: if we do manage to make the play-offs now, it will mean we will inevitably have produced a good run of results in the final few games, and teams that go into the play-offs on a good run of form often do well in them!

[Elite_Pie]

Amazingly we are still odds on to make the playoffs, and as short as 4/7 with Skybet:

https://www.oddschecker.com/football...e/top-7-finish

[jackal2]

It's over for us this year Elite. The owners and new manager were too casual and took it for granted that there'd be an upturn because Ardley was underperforming.
Pretty conceited and now we're in a deep hole and still digging.
Personally, I'd relieve IB of his duties tonight and put Doyle and JOB in charge until the seasons end, they literally can't do worse.
As Sidders said yesterday the Reedtz have made a couple of mistakes, sacking Ardley, the timing of sacking Ardley and appointing his replacement.
Think they need to be honest with themselves and face up to the unfolding disaster sooner than later. It sounds drastic but IB will absolutely not take us up this year, Doyle or JOB would have more chance, or at least no less chance.

I don't think IB will be relieved of his duties anytime soon, and nor should he be. I don't say that because I think he's certain to be a success, because none of us knows what the future may hold even if we think we do, but having made the decision to sack the previous manager and appoint a new one, there is no point doing anything other than give him ample time to develop 'his' team.

It may well prove to be the case that the disruption of changing the manager mid-season has not worked for us in terms of gaining promotion this season, but if the new management team was to re-shape the squad in the summer and get some good results at the start of next season and then kick-on, it could prove to be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain in the way it did for Sam Allardyce many years ago.

A decision was made to go with a new coaching team and we will see over a longer period of time whether it will ultimately be beneficial. To sack the relatively new manager now would be like a return to the chaotic, revolving door days of Trew and Hardy, which was what landed us in the National League in the first place.

[Notts78]

I don't think IB will be relieved of his duties anytime soon, and nor should he be. I don't say that because I think he's certain to be a success, because none of us knows what the future may hold even if we think we do, but having made the decision to sack the previous manager and appoint a new one, there is no point doing anything other than give him ample time to develop 'his' team.

It may well prove to be the case that the disruption of changing the manager mid-season has not worked for us in terms of gaining promotion this season, but if the new management team was to re-shape the squad in the summer and get some good results at the start of next season and then kick-on, it could prove to be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain in the way it did for Sam Allardyce many years ago.

A decision was made to go with a new coaching team and we will see over a longer period of time whether it will ultimately be beneficial. To sack the relatively new manager now would be like a return to the chaotic, revolving door days of Trew and Hardy, which was what landed us in the National League in the first place.

Did you feel the same way about Fullerton?

[jackal2]

Did you feel the same way about Fullerton?

I opposed the appointment of Fullarton before it was even made. If you recall, the rumours about Fullarton broke on this very board 24 hours or so before his appointment was officially announced, and pretty much every poster expressed not only their disbelief that the Trews might make such a poor call, but also their opposition to that appointment if it was true. In Fullarton's case he really was on a hiding to nothing before he even started, because of the complete breakdown of the relationship between the fans and the owners, never mind between the fans and the new manager.

Lazy comparisons between Fullarton and Burchnall are pretty meaningless anyway. Burchnall is a young manager like Fullarton it's true, but he does have prior senior team management experience at two previous clubs, and he has entered a situation where the relationship between the fans and the owners is not generally a fractious one.

I don't think any of us would have predicted Burchnall as the new manager when Ardley left, because we hadn't really heard of him in this country, but the sentiments on this message board towards the new manager were generally welcoming and open-minded. I don't dispute that there has been much disappointment his early results, but a thread posted only last week showed that many posters are still willing to give him a decent amount of time before reaching any permanent judgements, and I think the current owners certainly aren't the type to be dismissing managers after a few weeks.