New Signings and the Playoffs

[John B]

With the recent new signings how do people rate our chances for the playoffs this season

 

Not really sure myself but I am glad that we now face Huddersfield and Swindon in March when the new players will have bedded in to the team.

 

Defence looks good but it is the creativity side of things which still worries me a little

Edited 14 January, 2010 by John B

[instinct]

I think we have better chances now than at the start of the transfer window, hopefully will stop shipping so many goals, we're having no problems scoring them at mo. Need some cover for lambert though, would like to see us sign another striker.

[The Fat Controller]

In all fairness i'm happy to have a club to support, this time last year what we are experiencing now was only at best only a dream.

 

Yes we will make the play-offs but I do feel for supporters of MOST other clubs when they are going through what we have experienced in the last 4-5 years. It's not nice seeing your best players sold off to scavaging clubs for peanuts to pay off the debts.... we're now ok and possibly going to be branded as scavengers with our new money

[Glasgow_Saint]

Team we have should be good enough

[Gemmel]

I could be wrong and these players might walk straight into the team, but it looks to me as if we are putting together a SQUAD to challenge for the playoffs as opposed to strengthening the first team (I'm sure we will do that as well).

 

I never believed we would challenge this season and am still very skeptical, but it looks like NC thinks it's a possibility and is backing his man.

 

Happy Days

[Window Cleaner]

We won't make the play-offs this season, even with Rooney,Ronaldo and Vidic it would probably be difficult.There's no way splashing another 5 or 6 million will change much because we have a 13 point (or so) deficit on the last place and 2 (or even 3) of the places are already as good as signed ,sealed and delivered.

Plus there are plenty of sides in between us and 6th place, they won't all go into free-fall.

[InvictaSaint]

With the recent new signings how do people rate our chances for the playoffs this season

 

Not really sure myself but I am glad that we now face Huddersfield and Swindon in March when the new players will have bedded in to the team.

 

Defence looks good but it is the creativity side of things which still worries ma a little

 

Ahh, bless her; tell her not to worry - things will be fine... ;-)

[saint_stevo]

Lambert injury= no chance

[saints_is_the_south]

Still think there is room for more improvement as far as signings are concerned. Stock or/and Danns would be good & some cover for Lambert. Ideally we need 2 players per position though for right back with Murty's fitness I'd say 3 options which we now have.

 

GK: Davis (Bart)

RB: Murty (Ostemobor, James)

LB: Harding (Mills)

CB: Fonte (Seaborne), Jaidi (Perry)

LM: Lallana (Holmes)

CM: Hammond (Wotton)

CM: Stock? (Schneiderlin)

RM: Danns? (Antonio)

ST: Lambert (?)

ST: Connolly (Papa)

[Winchester_Saint]

I could be wrong and these players might walk straight into the team, but it looks to me as if we are putting together a SQUAD to challenge for the playoffs as opposed to strengthening the first team (I'm sure we will do that as well).

 

I never believed we would challenge this season and am still very skeptical, but it looks like NC thinks it's a possibility and is backing his man.

 

Happy Days

 

Agree. Although am sure Otsemobor will go straight in at RB ahead of James, especially until Murty returns. Jose Fonte will probably form a regular partnership with Jaidi, too, although Perry has been terrific whenever he has played.

[NickG]

gk - two strong players

rb - new guy / murty /James

lb -Harding / Seaborne /Mills

cb jaidi/fonte perry/thomas Seaborne/Lancashire Martin/Saville

rm papa/Antonio/

lm lallana/Mills/Holmes

cm Hammond/Schneiderlin/Wooton/James/Gobern

forward Lambert/Papa/Connolly/Paterson

 

For a league one play off side think that is a good squad.

 

BUT for us to go up we need champion type form and think we could do with more competition in midfield - central and right, and perhaps another forward.

 

Signing of Danns or similar would show real intent

[St.Patrik]

Sure some players must leave soon - the squad is way to big. Wonder who will leave first ? MY money is on Saga leaving soon anyway.

[NickG]

We won't make the play-offs this season, even with Rooney,Ronaldo and Vidic it would probably be difficult.There's no way splashing another 5 or 6 million will change much because we have a 13 point (or so) deficit on the last place and 2 (or even 3) of the places are already as good as signed ,sealed and delivered.

Plus there are plenty of sides in between us and 6th place, they won't all go into free-fall.

 

10 points

[NickG]

With the recent new signings how do people rate our chances for the playoffs this season

 

Not really sure myself but I am glad that we now face Huddersfield and Swindon in March when the new players will have bedded in to the team.

 

Defence looks good but it is the creativity side of things which still worries me a little

 

scored 3 or more in ten fairly recent games

[Window Cleaner]

Sure some players must leave soon - the squad is way to big. Wonder who will leave first ? MY money is on Saga leaving.

 

 

We have been trying to shift Saga and Thomas for 18 months (or more) now. Neither of them will leave unless we either pay them off or subsidise a loan move for them. They cost too much for their ability, football wise they are not in the "value for money" bracket. No player is going to wander off for a 3K a week contract now whilst they can still collect big swans from us and sort something out at the end of the season,which is just 4 months away.

 

24x4000 £= a whole lot of cash.

[Window Cleaner]

10 points

 

Yes yes be pedantic then, Huddersfield and Swindon have games in hand, one of them will get points from them.We are effectively 13 points off the play-offs at this moment,in the words of Carol King-it's too late.

[Andy_Porter]

Defence looks good but it is the creativity side of things which still worries me a little

 

We have struggled to keep it tight at the back all season. We haven't struggled to score goals. At one point we'd scored 40 goals in 15 games.

 

If we bring in either a left winger or a goal scoring midfielder than I'd be dissapointed if we don't reach the play offs.

 

We need to average just over 2points per game, just need to go into everygame expecting to win.

[NickG]

maybe, stranger things have happened and watching tv a lot of neutrals expect it so we should not write it off

[instinct]

Don't forget we're only 4 points clear of the relegation zone at the moment... just to put things in perspective.

 

I'd rather take the league by storm next season than creep up this season, we would be better prepared for championship imo

[Andy_Porter]

 

I'd rather take the league by storm next season than creep up this season, we would be better prepared for championship imo

 

If we don't get promoted Lambert, Lallana or Schneiderlin might get a better offer? Losing one, two or even all three would put us straight back to square one.

 

We have to do everything we can to get promoted this season while it isn't out of reach.

[Window Cleaner]

If we don't get promoted Lambert, Lallana or Schneiderlin might get a better offer? Losing one, two or even all three would put us straight back to square one.

 

We have to do everything we can to get promoted this season while it isn't out of reach.

 

I don't doubt that they already have better offers,probably just loyalty to the club keeping them here at the moment.I hope we're not paying Fonté more than these 3 cos if we are, well bye lads.

[Thedelldays]

Why would anyone rather go up next season instead of this... Madness

[RonManager]

Why would anyone rather go up next season instead of this... Madness

 

I'd like to go up this season and next season.

[dannysfc]

I was just going to start a new thread about the Play Offs but thanks John B for saving me the hassle of doing it !

I think that this is a great signing we have just made in Ostemobor along with others and I would be happy if we do bring in at least another 2-3 players and a striker would be pretty Good as well to partner Lambert who has the cutting edge and Good decent finishing to boot (Sorry Connolly!)

I would be very Happy if we do scrape into the Play Offs as I think that we will then have a decent chance of getting into the Championship next season but we will see!

COYR!

[RonManager]

I was just going to start a new thread about the Play Offs but thanks John B for saving me the hassle of doing it !

I think that this is a great signing we have just made in Ostemobor along with others and I would be happy if we do bring in at least another 2-3 players and a striker would be pretty Good as well to partner Lambert who has the cutting edge and Good decent finishing to boot (Sorry Connolly!)

I would be very Happy if we do scrape into the Play Offs as I think that we will then have a decent chance of getting into the Championship next season but we will see!

COYR!

 

Was Bomber Harris your Dad?

 

His famous saying when asked about the effectiveness of carpet-bombing in WW2 was -

 

'well it has never been tried -

 

and we will see.'

 

Old family saying?

[Window Cleaner]

I'd like to go up this season and next season.

 

where will get the money from for that then Ron?

Liebherr isn't going to chuck money at us you know. That's why we've signed Seaborne and Otsemobor instead of argentinian starlets costing 30 million a piece.

We need to get up, consolidate, get some TV money into the coffers and then move on up.

[RonManager]

where will get the money from for that then Ron?

Liebherr isn't going to chuck money at us you know. That's why we've signed Seaborne and Otsemobor instead of argentinian starlets costing 30 million a piece.

We need to get up, consolidate, get some TV money into the coffers and then move on up.

 

I can wish can't I? :smt023

[St Marco]

I think i'm going to stick with what i said just before our 1st game. We have come from a disaster zone that was in the making since 2003, we fell from the top and hit almost rock bottom. We had the worst group of players i can remember having, no manager and no money. In a short space of time look how far we have come. If we had got in some of the other people who wanted to buy us i have no doubt we would still be in the bottom four now.

 

Point being it is a building process. With each of these signings comes a potential brick to add to our new wall. It is not quite built yet but is getting there.

So i think we will miss out on it this year, and if we do i won't be dissapointed. The first half to the season has been amongst the most enjoyable starts to a season i can remember. If we go into the 2nd half with the same form then we have every chance of making it. A win on saturday will go a long way. But next year is our year.

If we do make the playoff's though that would be an amazing achivement, maybe better then getting to the cup final.

[hypochondriac]

I'll reserve judgement until the end of the window

[instinct]

Why would anyone rather go up next season instead of this... Madness

 

Because teams that go up having won their leagues convincingly tend to do well in the next league. Leeds took 4 years to get to where they are now.

 

Then again to even get in the playoffs we would have to have league winning form so it wouldn't make too much of a difference.

[Thedelldays]

where will get the money from for that then Ron?

Liebherr isn't going to chuck money at us you know. That's why we've signed Seaborne and Otsemobor instead of argentinian starlets costing 30 million a piece.

We need to get up, consolidate, get some TV money into the coffers and then move on up.

 

It does not cost a great deal to challenge in the CCC

 

look at balckpool

forest have spent £5m to a team that had to be save from relegation

I'm sure Leicester have not spent much this season

[dannysfc]

Was Bomber Harris your Dad?

 

His famous saying when asked about the effectiveness of carpet-bombing in WW2 was -

 

'well it has never been tried -

 

and we will see.'

 

Old family saying?

 

No he is not my Da thanks RonManager!

I don't even know who he is anyway Tbh!

[St Marco]

It does not cost a great deal to challenge in the CCC

 

look at balckpool

forest have spent £5m to a team that had to be save from relegation

I'm sure Leicester have not spent much this season

 

Indeed. Both have good managers which makes a huge difference. Can give a crap manager loads of money and he will still be crap. But give a good manager a small lump of money and he will get the most from it. I think Davies and Pearson have both shown to be very resourceful.

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

Lambert injury= no chance

 

Agreed, which is why we need to sign a some decent cover for him.

[Window Cleaner]

No he is not my Da thanks RonManager!

I don't even know who he is anyway Tbh!

 

Sir Arthur Harris if you want to look him up and find out something about the recent history of your nation.

[West End Saint]

I think i'm going to stick with what i said just before our 1st game. We have come from a disaster zone that was in the making since 2003, we fell from the top and hit almost rock bottom. We had the worst group of players i can remember having, no manager and no money. In a short space of time look how far we have come. If we had got in some of the other people who wanted to buy us i have no doubt we would still be in the bottom four now.

 

Point being it is a building process. With each of these signings comes a potential brick to add to our new wall. It is not quite built yet but is getting there.

So i think we will miss out on it this year, and if we do i won't be dissapointed. The first half to the season has been amongst the most enjoyable starts to a season i can remember. If we go into the 2nd half with the same form then we have every chance of making it. A win on saturday will go a long way. But next year is our year.

If we do make the playoff's though that would be an amazing achivement, maybe better then getting to the cup final.

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head play offs have always been a big ask this season it would be immense if we made it and we will have to go on 1hell of a run to do so.

 

I am very happy with the progress being made on & off the field really enjoying my football and I am convinced we are heading in the right direction I hope we make the play off's but if we dont you wont hear me moaning & calling for changes.

 

I think we should get to webley and if we finish this season just outside the play off's and a trophy it will have been a massive success

[The Commodore]

Still think there is room for more improvement as far as signings are concerned. Stock or/and Danns would be good & some cover for Lambert. Ideally we need 2 players per position though for right back with Murty's fitness I'd say 3 options which we now have.

 

GK: Davis (Bart)

RB: Murty (Ostemobor, James)

LB: Harding (Mills)

CB: Fonte (Seaborne), Jaidi (Perry)

LM: Lallana (Holmes)

CM: Hammond (Wotton)

CM: Stock? (Schneiderlin)

RM: Danns? (Antonio)

ST: Lambert (?)

ST: Connolly (Papa)

Wouldn't be better if we used 10 players to test this squad theory with the back-up......

[SNSUN]

Firstly with half a month still to go I think there'll me more ins and outs, we haven't seen the last of them IMO.

 

Secondly play-offs are always an outside shot, we'd have to pick up some seriously good form to scrape in, and hope that the bigger teams drop theirs a bit.

 

Lastly, I think it can be done, but I wouldn't be too concerned if we don't go up this season, next season is the big one.

[KK the 2nd]

Outside chance but could happen.

We are 7/1 to be promoted or 1 in 8 chance according to the bookies. Taking their margin out probably means a true 1 in 10 chance.

Given the only way we will go up is via the playoffs I reckon we would be slightly odds on to beat whoever we met in the semis and the final and working that backwards that we would be around a 2/1 chance to reach the playoffs or 1 in 3 chance.

[John B]

Wouldn't be better if we used 10 players to test this squad theory with the back-up......

 

He Has 2 CBs

[Window Cleaner]

Outside chance but could happen.

We are 7/1 to be promoted or 1 in 8 chance according to the bookies. Taking their margin out probably means a true 1 in 10 chance.

Given the only way we will go up is via the playoffs I reckon we would be slightly odds on to beat whoever we met in the semis and the final and working that backwards that we would be around a 2/1 chance to reach the playoffs or 1 in 3 chance.

 

I don't know anything about odds but I would have thought that obtaining 50 more points from 22 games (as we've only got 38 from 24 so far) and beating

2 other top League 1 sides to boot would be worth far more than a 7/1 chance.

It's just the bookies being stingy. They'd far rather you bet on a 10/1 managerial shot who isn't even considered for the job in question. Like MLT being Chairman of Saints for example.

[saint_stevo]

Agreed, which is why we need to sign a some decent cover for him.

 

Agreed

[Tom28]

I like whats been done in the window. Pardew has looked at what we've been doing and will know that scoring goals is not our problem. Our problem is conceding too many. So his top priority this window would have been to sort our defensive problems and I think he has done that. I think Seaborne is Trotman's replacement, who can also provide cover for Harding, and Fonte is an addition that improves us. Otsemobor is the natural right back we've been crying out since Murty proved to be injury prone.

 

However, whilst generally the pattern has been that we've ben scoring a lot, and conceding too many, against the better sides, we've had trouble scoring (Leeds, Colchester) so I think we do need to add someone - either a goalscoring or creative midfielder, to give us the edge over the top teams in the division. Jobi McAnuff anyone?!

[ph11be]

Think we're in with a shout!

 

After 10 games we were 16 points of the playoff places, and we're now 10 points behind after 24 games. Making up 6 points in 14 games. If we kept going at this rate we would be 0.5 pts behind at the end of the season (which might be accounted for by a superior goal difference).

 

Plus our squad is being greatly strengthened, so we have a good chance.

COYR

[sandwichsaint]

Are the play-offs still achievable?

 

Emphatically ‘Yes!’ … but it will be tight!

 

In the first round of games we gained 10 wins, 8 draws, 5 defeats (38 points gained but equal to a net 28 points with the -10 deduction). If we exactly repeat our results (of course we won’t) we would have 76 points which is a borderline play off position so add two more points for 78 points which should be enough. To reach 78 points we need to repeat every point we gained in the first round PLUS a further 12 ‘bonus’ points – we have already played our first reverse fixture, Colchester, where we needed 1 point (or more) to stay on track; we lost therefore a net -1 and we now need 13 ‘bonus points’ to reach 78 (the original 12 plus minus 1 for Colchester).

 

First round of games

Win Exeter City_Home_Win

Win Gillingham_Home_Win

Win Hartlepool United_Away_Win

Win Milton Keynes Dons_Home_Win

Win Oldham Athletic_Away_Win

Win Southend United_Away_Win

Win Tranmere Rovers_Home_Win

Win Walsall_Away_Win

Win Wycombe Wanderers_Home_Win

Win Yeovil Town_Home_Win

Draw Brentford_Home_Draw

Draw Carlisle United_Away_Draw

Draw Charlton Athletic_Away_Draw

Draw Colchester United_Home_Draw

Draw Leyton Orient_Away_Draw

Draw Millwall_Home_Draw

Draw Norwich City_Home_Draw

Draw Stockport County_Away_Draw

Lose Brighton & Hove Albion_Home_Lose

Lose Bristol Rovers_Home_Lose

Lose Huddersfield Town_Away_Lose

Lose Leeds United_Away_Lose

Lose Swindon Town_Away_Lose

 

Second round of games

-1 Colchester United_Away_Draw - actual result was a loss equals minus 1 point

3 Exeter City_Away_Win

3 Gillingham_Away_Win

3 Hartlepool United_Home_Win

3 Milton Keynes Dons_Away_Win

3 Oldham Athletic_Home_Win

3 Southend United_Home_Win

3 Tranmere Rovers_Away_Win

3 Walsall_Home_Win

3 Wycombe Wanderers_Away_Win

3 Yeovil Town_Away_Win

1 Brentford_Away_Draw

1 Carlisle United_Home_Draw

1 Charlton Athletic_Home_Draw

1 Leyton Orient_Home_Draw

1 Millwall_Away_Draw

1 Norwich City_Away_Draw

1 Stockport County_Home_Draw

0 Brighton & Hove Albion_Away_Lose

0 Bristol Rovers_Away_Lose

0 Huddersfield Town_Home_Lose

0 Leeds United_Home_Lose

0 Swindon Town_Home_Lose

 

To reach 78 points:

 

We ideally need to double all of our wins, this looks very do-able (with potential banana skins at MK away, and perhaps Walsall or H’pool at home)

 

We have the potential to pick up two bonus points if we can turn any of those draws into wins (Millwall is a big target, as is B’ford away and Carlisle or Orient at home)

 

We have the potential to pick up three (or one) bonus points if we can reverse any of our five losses (Brighton and Bristol away and Hudds and Swindon at home are massive)

 

To re-iterate; we need all of the first round points PLUS an extra 13 bonus points from the remaining 22 games. What happens in the other games is of no real concern to us at this stage, if we get our 78 points we will be in the play-offs (hopefully!).

 

Not impossible but the above shows the size of the task in front of us; fasten your seat belts and get on board!

 

COYRs

[Toadhall Saint]

With the recent new signings how do people rate our chances for the playoffs this season

 

Not really sure myself but I am glad that we now face Huddersfield and Swindon in March when the new players will have bedded in to the team.

 

Defence looks good but it is the creativity side of things which still worries me a little

 

Can I wait to answer until the end of the transfer window?

[Under Weststand]

Start of the season & most of the season I've thought we'd just miss out on the last play-off place. However the first half of the season our Achilles heel has been the defence. Now there is no grantee that the signings will sort this out. But I like the look of Fonte, also we now have a RB with pace. So I see us improving immensely in that department, if we can get clean sheets on a regular basis from now on, then we know we have the ability to score goals from this team. I am starting to believe we could snatch that last play off place.

[david in sweden]

With the recent new signings how do people rate our chances for the playoffs this season

 

Not really sure myself but I am glad that we now face Huddersfield and Swindon in March when the new players will have bedded in to the team.

 

Defence looks good but it is the creativity side of things which still worries me a little

 

The prev. JPS ties had;

Trotman, Perry and Thomas and (+1 game with Jaidi) as central defenders.

With Trotman gone, Jaidi still injured and new guys cup-tied

..who will we have at the back for the two MK games ?

........and an eventual final ?

[RedAndWhite91]

The prev. JPS ties had;

Trotman, Perry and Thomas and (+1 game with Jaidi) as central defenders.

With Trotman gone, Jaidi still injured and new guys cup-tied

..who will we have at the back for the two MK games ?

........and an eventual final ?

 

Fonte isn't cup tied for JPT.

[CWD]

I was just going to start a new thread about the Play Offs but thanks John B for saving me the hassle of doing it !

I think that this is a great signing we have just made in Ostemobor along with others and I would be happy if we do bring in at least another 2-3 players and a striker would be pretty Good as well to partner Lambert who has the cutting edge and Good decent finishing to boot (Sorry Connolly!)

I would be very Happy if we do scrape into the Play Offs as I think that we will then have a decent chance of getting into the Championship next season but we will see!

COYR!

 

Whats wrong with Connolly?! he is technically a better player than Lambert. Granted, they do different jobs, and Lambo is far more effective in L1, but these two are, imho, the best partnership in L1, and would frighten CCC sides too.

 

I am very positive about the second half of the season, can see us going unbeaten and scraping into 4th/5th

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreamland:p?

Edited 14 January, 2010 by CWD