Smells Like Teen Spirit

[GodalmingYellow]

So is everyone still in denial this morning, or is it now down the the few usual suspects?

I think Wilder's blown it and I think Stevenage will take the title. There, I've said it.

That doesn't mean I don't think we can win the title, or that I think Wilder is a crap manager, or any of the other usual rubbish thrown at anyone who dissents from the party line.

I just don't think we will get automatic promotion. Stevenage are seemingly unable to drop points at the moment and we are struggling to gain any. In fact I think Stevenage will win comfortably.

I would be worried about our chances in the play offs a well. Rushden are playing too well.

[Dr Bob]

So is everyone still in denial this morning, or is it now down the the few usual suspects?

I think Wilder's blown it and I think Stevenage will take the title. There, I've said it.

That doesn't mean I don't think we can win the title, or that I think Wilder is a crap manager, or any of the other usual rubbish thrown at anyone who dissents from the party line.

I just don't think we will get automatic promotion. Stevenage are seemingly unable to drop points at the moment and we are struggling to gain any. In fact I think Stevenage will win comfortably.

I would be worried about our chances in the play offs a well. Rushden are playing too well.

My posting yesterday on another thread was not quite as explicit as this, but I agree totally with everything you write (although I would not single out R&ampD in particular as I do not think we are capable of beating any other team in the play-offs on current form). That was my feeling before Saturday's match, during it, and remains my position this morning.

[tomoufc]

Of course the nature of football is that Stevenage will drop points. I'm particularly looking at their run of difficult games starting on 27/03:

Crawley A

Oxford H

Luton H

AFC W A

Oxford will get better. We're a shadow of a team without constable, but he'll be back. I still think Wilder is the best manager we've had since I started supporting the U's in 1997.

This period is a test of the supporters' nerve as much as the players...

Whoever wins the league will do so by 1 or 2 points I think.

[GodalmingYellow]

Of course the nature of football is that Stevenage will drop points. I'm particularly looking at their run of difficult games starting on 27/03:

Crawley A

Oxford H

Luton H

AFC W A

Oxford will get better. We're a shadow of a team without constable, but he'll be back. I still think Wilder is the best manager we've had since I started supporting the U's in 1997.

This period is a test of the supporters' nerve as much as the players...

Whoever wins the league will do so by 1 or 2 points I think.

A denial!

[slappy]

I had thought Stevenage's run in was tough as Tom posted above, plus York last day of the season.

But we still have to face H&ampY away, Rushden away who thumped 8 past Gateshead, as well as Cambridge at home. What looked like 3 winnable games are now not looking so easy.

[Brahma Bull]

Out of form in early March doesn't mean out of form in early May, unless we have Patterson in charge!

Stevenage have some tough games granted and they seem unbeatable but I would have taken on Saturday 8 August, sitting one point from the leaders on Monday 15th March.

On that basis, the people who want or have written us off on the back of a few weeks of poor form, seems a tad OTT.

Stevenage and Luton will pull away and close the gap respectively this week so we need to be on form come Sunday.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

Realistically, I can't see Stevenage dropping enough points for us (or another team) to take advantage. They've got 2 relatively easy games coming up whereas we haven't (is any game easy for us at the moment?). I can see the lead being extended over the next 2 or 3 weeks and by the time Stevenage get to the more difficult games, they'll be too far ahead to make a huge difference. Besides, if their good form continues, they could easily remain unbeaten for the rest of the season.

Our best hope is to find some form fast and put the pressure on, then maybe, just maybe they might crack. Can't see it happening though.

[GodalmingYellow]

Realistically, I think we will now need to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, and more than 3 draws in that would make life very difficult for us.

[Brahma Bull]

Realistically, I think we will now need to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, and more than 3 draws in that would make life very difficult for us.

I would agree with that, although I think we can afford one more defeat as long as it isn't Stevenage. Yes we've made this very hard for ourselves but if sections of fans have written us off, then that may help the players play with some freedom.

As for the 'easy games' I think those are the games which Stevenage could lose, especially if they have that mentality. It happened to us last week, it can happen to them. They think they have the title sewn up, good luck to them. They haven't been awarded the Championship yet.

[Andrewmaha]

Regardless of the cool natured exterior I would stake a bet that there have been some twitchy moments and sweaty palms in the Wilder household during Saturday night and Sunday.

Today represents a serious test of his 'metal' and his ability to sit the players down and work out what has contributed to a downturn in form and to in turn generate an improvement.

My overall feeling is that November was the turning point and something changed around this time - I don't know what it was but Wilder needs to work it out. The league form since then reads something like:-

P16 W8 D4 L4 F23 A14

which is more akin to a 7th or 8th placed team rather than a table topper.

Before anyone says it, November coincided with a 4 match winning streak. However there was a couple of unconvincing nil nils in there so this may detract from the positiveness of the results.

Please Chris - work out what it is that's wrong! And for heaven's sake me sure we hang in there until at least the Stevenage game and then go out there and play for a win.

[Ascension Ox]

Realistically, I think we will now need to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, and more than 3 draws in that would make life very difficult for us.

Baloney! So Stevenage are going to be unbeaten for the rest of the season are they?

11 games left, they have Crawley (A), AFC(A), Luton (H), Us (H), York (H) , Alty (A), Kiddy (A) amongst their fixtures. They also only recently lost v Tamworth and Rushden.

Talk about running up the white flag, anyone concluding we are out of it must be nuts.

[GodalmingYellow]

Realistically, I think we will now need to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, and more than 3 draws in that would make life very difficult for us.

Baloney! So Stevenage are going to be unbeaten for the rest of the season are they?

11 games left, they have Crawley (A), AFC(A), Luton (H), Us (H), York (H) , Alty (A), Kiddy (A) amongst their fixtures. They also only recently lost v Tamworth and Rushden.

Talk about running up the white flag, anyone concluding we are out of it must be nuts.

I'm going to have to conclude that you have selective reading Tim. This is nothing to do with white flags, as per my initial post.

So far Stevenage have lost only 4 matches all season, and none at home. That's from 33 matches. They only have 11 games remaining, suggesting the likelihood is that at most they will only lose one more game.

Quoting their home fixtures as potential losses is nuts. They've not lost any yet.

Of their 4 away defeats, each has only been by a single goal, one of which was against us, and we were lucky to come away with all 3 points.

So yes, it is far far more realistic that Stevenage finish the season unbeaten, than it is that we do. And certainly much more realistic that they gain more points than we do, because both for the entire season and on current form they have achieved this already.

Denial doesn't help, it makes things worse.

[deanwindass]

Of their 4 away defeats, each has only been by a single goal, one of which was against us, and we were lucky to come away with all 3 points.

I thought we deservedly won then. Their goal came very late. Oh for the days when we won deservingly against good, title-challenging, full-time teams at home.

Denial doesn't help, it makes things worse.

I find that it helps.

[boris]

Denial doesn't help, it makes things worse.

In his prime he probably would have helped, but he's in his late '70s now so I suspect his pace might have gone.

[Roo]

I agree with a lot what has been said here for both arguments..and we will find out who is right at the end of the season.

HOWEVER...........I would like to remind everyone that we are only ONE (count them!) point behind Stevenage.............and we still have to play them. That game will have much more efeect on the final table than the Kettering game.

Believe me, I would rather we were ten points clear BUT we are where we are, and we are still very much in this.......IF we refuse to panic.

Mind you. I've been wrong before.