Play-Offs

[Blues4LifeDan]

Those long odds are there for a reason and I guess most of us think in our heart of hearts that York will win the play offs, but we are hard to score against and are in good form - I think we will win or draw against Rochdale. FGR hold no threat to us. I reckon we will get to Wembley and then it's just a lottery but the odds are strongly in favour of York. And after finishing 28 points above us they unquestionably deserve to win.

BUT, it's a funny old game Saint.....

There's absolutely no guarantee of anything in football. We finished a considerable amount of points above Crewe under Luggy and we lost in the playoffs against them.

This is the National League, any team, player or manager can lose their bottle. Finishing with so many points brings it's own pressures and expectations. It's not a given that the 'favourite' steps up to that. Anyone can lose their nerve and freeze in a one-off game.

Also, let's not discount Oldham or Halifax beating York first. Oldham in particular have players that can hurt teams. They are a big club, that will pack the York away end if they get there. It's not an absolute given that York will win.

 

[Southend Elvis]

You've given it a good go though

At the moment, plenty of times this season we could.

 

[Southend Elvis]

You've given it a good go though

Some of us see things differently, which is fine. My worry is that we sleep walk into backing everything, without questioning and doing DD. We can't afford to get things wrong, as we need to use our money sensibly. We were stuck with huge contracts after our stint in the championship, and that started our decline.
Hopefully things will work out, but we are Southend, and never do things easily.

 

[Maldon Shrimper]

I know I am getting a head of myself but today FGR have posted there ticket arrangements for the semifinal either against us or Rochdale. With specific warnings no sales accepted in home areas for away fans.Also NO park and ride will be available so who ever gets through parking will be a nightmare

 

[RHB]

I know I am getting a head of myself but today FGR have posted there ticket arrangements for the semifinal either against us or Rochdale. With specific warnings no sales accepted in home areas for away fans.Also NO park and ride will be available so who ever gets through parking will be a nightmare

@Barling Magna, are you reading this, old geezers with sticks info.

 

[Supershrimper]

Saw this today, the guy runs a computer algorithm across 10000 simulations to work out an average league position, this is from after saturdays win.

View attachment 36097

Would be interested to see his computer working the possibility of the route to the final for 2-7

 

[pottster]

As we've seen this season anyone can beat anyone in this league. I think we will see next week if this is the case!

 

[GBJ]

Some of us see things differently, which is fine. My worry is that we sleep walk into backing everything, without questioning and doing DD. We can't afford to get things wrong, as we need to use our money sensibly. We were stuck with huge contracts after our stint in the championship, and that started our decline.
Hopefully things will work out, but we are Southend, and never do things easily.

It’s a fair point, but I don’t think the majority of fans have that mentality tbh. I see it more as some people are - rightly or wrongly - prepared to be patient a little longer than others.

Morton is a perfect example tbh. Back in July/August last year, some people had designated him as the scapegoat for the season. Then we had Pepple, a man who was written off before he’d even kicked a ball for us.

I’ll hold my own hands up and say I was too quick to judge KAF. His settled run in the team has shown he’s better than what I originally thought.

To bring this back on topic, if we fail to gain promotion this term, I don’t think we should panic or consider it a disaster. We are behind some of our competitors in terms of squad depth/quality, but that doesn’t mean to say we will still be, moving forward. We have improved season-on-season (a demonstrable fact, not an opinion) and just being part of the playoffs will be an invaluable experience to some of these players who are contracted to us next season.

 

[blues exile]

It’s a fair point, but I don’t think the majority of fans have that mentality tbh. I see it more as some people are - rightly or wrongly - prepared to be patient a little longer than others.

Morton is a perfect example tbh. Back in July/August last year, some people had designated him as the scapegoat for the season. Then we had Pepple, a man who was written off before he’d even kicked a ball for us.

I’ll hold my own hands up and say I was too quick to judge KAF. His settled run in the team has shown he’s better than what I originally thought.

To bring this back on topic, if we fail to gain promotion this term, I don’t think we should panic or consider it a disaster. We are behind some of our competitors in terms of squad depth/quality, but that doesn’t mean to say we will still be, moving forward. We have improved season-on-season (a demonstrable fact, not an opinion) and just being part of the playoffs will be an invaluable experience to some of these players who are contracted to us next season.

We haven't 'improved season on season'. The previous season disregarding the 10noint penalty we would have had 75 points and has a better goals record. We regressed this season but managed to sneak into the playoffs anyway.

 

[RHB]

We've reached a Play-Off spot, and I for one, am very happy at the moment. We may get dicked in our next game, we may not, we may play wonderful attacking football, or we may just make sure we get the job done. Either way, progression is the order of the day. As we well know, everyone is entitled to their opinion on here, but for God's sake, lets not make this another battle ground for good and evil, lets just enjoy the moment.

 

[GBJ]

We haven't 'improved season on season'. The previous season disregarding the 10noint penalty we would have had 75 points and has a better goals record. We regressed this season but managed to sneak into the playoffs anyway.

No, of course, you’re right. This season has been worse than last season. My apologies.

Hey, on a brighter note, you must be thrilled to be proven wrong though about this seasons finish though, eh? According to your good self, we were destined for mid-table mediocrity under the current coaching staff.

 

[blues exile]

No, of course, you’re right. This season has been worse than last season. My apologies.

Hey, on a brighter note, you must be thrilled to be proven wrong though about this seasons finish though, eh? According to your good self, we were destined for mid-table mediocrity under the current coaching staff.

We sneaked into the playoffs because of other sides like Gateshead and Altrincham falling away. Coming up is a big test of Maher's qualities and it will be interesting to see if he can meet the various challenges in preparation, tactics on the day etc. I sincerely hope he does by the way. The club is bigger than any one individual and I want to see us back in the EFL for next season.

 

[Holy Joe]

We sneaked into the playoffs because of other sides like Gateshead and Altrincham falling away. Coming up is a big test of Maher's qualities and it will be interesting to see if he can meet the various challenges in preparation, tactics on the day etc. I sincerely hope he does by the way. The club is bigger than any one individual and I want to see us back in the EFL for next season.

No we got into the playoffs because over 46 games we deserved it. Gateshead (and others) had their run of good form at the start of the season, we had ours at the end.

 

[GBJ]

We sneaked into the playoffs because of other sides like Gateshead and Altrincham falling away.

The league table doesn’t lie. Over 46 games we were better than those teams you’ve mentioned. That’s a fact, not an opinion.

Coming up is a big test of Maher's qualities and it will be interesting to see if he can meet the various challenges in preparation, tactics on the day etc. I sincerely hope he does by the way. The club is bigger than any one individual and I want to see us back in the EFL for next season.

Quite, but it doesn’t answer my question. You must be happy you’ve been proven wrong?

 

[blues exile]

The league table doesn’t lie. Over 46 games we were better than those teams you’ve mentioned. That’s a fact, not an opinion.



Quite, but it doesn’t answer my question. You must be happy you’ve been proven wrong?

I am happy we are in the playoffs but that owed a lot to other teams falling away rather than our own form. As you well know, a prediction at any given time can be subject to the vagaries of events beyond the control of the subject and that was the case here. If you regard that as being proved wrong and it gives you satisfaction, so be it. The real test is yet to come.

 

[GBJ]

I am happy we are in the playoffs but that owed a lot to other teams falling away rather than our own form.

Wrong again.

Our league standings since November speak for themselves.

As you well know, a prediction at any given time can be subject to the vagaries of events beyond the control of the subject and that was the case here.

The following statements weren’t predictions, they were clear and concise opinions that Maher wasn’t good enough to lead us anywhere other than mid-table.

“Maher's peak was two seasons ago. Like all managerial cycles end, his is now in obvious decline.”

“Time to recognise the game is up. We might stagger on with the occasional upturn in results but mid table mediocrity coupled with dire, negative entertainment value is the best we can hope for with the current coaching staff“.

If you regard that as being proved wrong and it gives you satisfaction, so be it. The real test is yet to come.

Hold this for me, would you?

 

[Medway Blue]

We sneaked into the playoffs because of other sides like Gateshead and Altrincham falling away. Coming up is a big test of Maher's qualities and it will be interesting to see if he can meet the various challenges in preparation, tactics on the day etc. I sincerely hope he does by the way. The club is bigger than any one individual and I want to see us back in the EFL for next season.

I don't doubt that you want the club to do well.

I also don't doubt that a huge part of you is bursting at the seams to say "I told you so" if Maher fails, and would take great joy in doing so.

 

[Bazza the dog]

I am happy we are in the playoffs but that owed a lot to other teams falling away rather than our own form. As you well know, a prediction at any given time can be subject to the vagaries of events beyond the control of the subject and that was the case here. If you regard that as being proved wrong and it gives you satisfaction, so be it. The real test is yet to come.

I personally couldn't care less how we get there but the fact of the matter is that we finished in a play off position, after 46 matches and that is the bottom line (what matters).

I would have been sick as a pig is we had played free flowing football all season, were extremely unlucky and finished 8th in the league.

Apart from York, the side the other teams wouldn't fancy would be us and with recent memento, form against Rochdale this season and a decent partisan away following under the lights gives me the feeling that we have a good chance of progressing into the semi final.

Of course, I could be wrong given how this division has been but you have to be "in it to win it" and we are in it, so to speak.

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

I personally couldn't care less how we get there but the fact of the matter is that we finished in a play off position, after 46 matches and that is the bottom line (what matters).

I would have been sick as a pig is we had played free flowing football all season, were extremely unlucky and finished 8th in the league.

Apart from York, the side the other teams wouldn't fancy would be us and with recent memento, form against Rochdale this season and a decent partisan away following under the lights gives me the feeling that we have a good chance of progressing into the semi final.

Of course, I could be wrong given how this division has been but you have to be "in it to win it" and we are in it, so to speak.

Totally agree. A season is 46 games long and all the teams play each other twice.

Like us some teams will start slowly and develop through the season.

Like Gateshead, others with start off strongly and then fade.

But we got there by earning more points than the 17 teams below us and are there on merit and hard work.

Now we can apply ourselves to the play offs and do as best we can, but with confidence that we have an overall good record against all the other play off contenders, York apart, but they only beat us once and before the Jan window. None of them, including York have beaten us twice in the season.

I'm going into the play off games my glass half full. We should fear none of the others, but stick to what has served us well in the back half of the season, as the team has been strengthened and it is the momentum we have created since Jan that has got us into the top seven on merit.

Let the others worry about us, because they need to be! We can beat anyone on our day and our defence has, like the rest of the team, got better and better as the season has gone on.

If the management team can channel the positivity around the place at the moment and every player knows what they expect of them and delivers, we have a damn good chance of coming through this and getting back into the EFL.

COYB!

 

[kentblues]

Seems to me that yet again our pre-season and transfer activity was screwed through no fault of the management team with consequences early on.

Subsequently over the last 29 games we are 3rd in the form table between York and FGR.

I would suggest the last 29 games is a far better indication of where we are now, compared to the first 17 given the above...