THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

I take your point that we don’t fit a lot of the “we’re doomed captain mainwaring” signs, but there are others that make me a little pessimistic right now.

- poor performing side that is performing worse as the season goes on
- inability to resolve issues with important players - Lewie
- heavy reliance on a single player (Aneke) who is both injury prone and likely to attract interest
- players played out of position - Williams can be useful cover, but if he’s attacking and continually has to cut in so he can use his right foot, he’s easy to nullify
- tactics that are easy to predict and cut out - hoofing high balls to man-mountain Agard only starts to look slightly less daft when compared to doing the same to BTA
- not beating fellow strugglers at home
- lack of urgency at the end of games that could be won
- playing so poorly that we make very poor sides look good.

If we were seeing lots of positive signs, with things just not coming off, then I’d have a little confidence, but I don’t see what we’re trying to do or how we’re trying to play - we look like we’re just desperate for every game to be over and to get through it unscathed. That’s unlikely to happen.

I’m not going to get all hot and bothered about it - I liked league 2, it will clear out the whingers for a while and we’ll survive it. Not good though and it will take a good few seasons to recover from it.

In the championship season, I was feeling relatively positive about our chances until bottom of the table Bolton away - we made them look like Barcelona, they beat us 3-0 I think, and that was the point that I reckoned we were in serious trouble. I’ve had a few equivalent moments in recent weeks, and I don’t see that we have either the players or the manager to turn it round.

What I’m really interested in is to understand what Neilson is trying to do. He mentioned in an interview with Luke the other day that as well as trying to change the ethos on the pitch, he was trying to change the ethos of the club. I’m genuinely intrigued in both of those - he’s certainly changed the ethos on the pitch, as we’ve gone from being an interesting footballing side to a dull hoofing side, but I presume that’s not how he’d see it. What he’s looking to change about the ethos of the club is more concerning to me, as I have no idea what that means.

I’ll stick a pint on that with you

Done.

I'd be amazed if they finish above us after witnessing them yesterday. They were the worst side I've seen at the Colon Dome since Accrington Stanley brought 35 supporters when we were in L2.

They're an appalling side. That said, we aren't much better. But we're better than them.

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And if a double-decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die

Came on this thread late, cannot be bothered to read all that has gone before, but in a summary we are certainly in a relegation scrap now, so let's not say "oh our squad is too good to go down" - because it is not.

Despite all my gripes about RN (and wanting him out) and the state of the club and where we are in the league, I actually will find the rest of the season quite exciting....being in a relegation scrap will be far more exciting than finishing mid-table and going through the motions. Every match will have something to play for now. Ordered my tickets for Walsall away yesterday.....usually Walsall v MK Dons is a fixture that hardly excites...but it will do this time. So much hanging on these games now.

So get set for a roller coaster ride folks !

We will go down with neilson in charge, that's it really.

I'll have a pound with you to say we won't

You’re on.

Around the 50 point mark is what is needed normally so that's five wins and five draws. Over the next four weeks we play teams in and around us. Win them and we are part way there. What worries me is our inability to turn draws into wins and winning from losing positions. Sort that out and will be fine.

Plus look at the table Plymouth are in 12th on 35 points. With who we have to play we might be mid table by the end of next month!

I believe we have enough to stay in this league, the next month or so I hope will confirm that, with fixtures against teams we should haul points from, not saying we will win them all, but a couple of wins and a draw or two would stabilise our position.

But I will add, that the likes of the fabled messiah Osman Sow, need to start showing why we went to great lengths to sign him and start scoring some bloody goals.