Random thoughts on last night

[Paul Cooper]

A couple of these points maybe covered on the Midson thead, but a few rambling comments:

- I love seeing Chapman in the side. His vision , passing and unflustered play is quality. Some wondered whether he could go up from the Conference. I always thought that he looked as if he had come from Sheffield United in the Championship at the time. Quality, and midfield players with quality tend to have just that little bit extra time.

- We are winning games that we wouldn't have done a few months back (and wouldn't have done for a numebr of years pre Wilder when we inevitabley had a 'soft underbelly'). Duberry, Whing and Wright will throw themselves in front of shots and generally the side work really hard.

- the table is getting closer at the top. Cheltenham, Southend, Crawley have all had pretty big wobbles over the past few weeks. IF we were to beat Cheltenham could we just ...... Still very doubtful, but Reading came from nowhere to suddenly be second in the Championship (they may well now implode), we did it v Blackpool in that glorious run many years ago under Denis Smith. I doubt that we are quite good enough but if the players stay fit an JPP, Cradock come back could we do the inmpossible?

A final word for Ryan Clarke- what a goalkeeper. In the past 2 home games he has had very little to do, but he has still had to pull off a couple of very fine saves. He also seems to have improved in coming for balls and catchng them. Surely he could play in a very good league 1 or even Championship side? Credit too for Hodgkinson.

[SmileyMan]

Funny how a seemingly unimportant midweek game that ends 1-0 can turn out to be almost a season-defining moment.

After ten games without moving from 7th spot, a win this Saturday could be absolutely massive we'd have points, goals and games to spare.

I think promotion is essential to holding onto Clarke, and possibly Wilder. The Duberry signing was a big gamble that has paid off (apart from the own goals!) with our mean, mean defence.

[joepoolman]

Although obviously you finish as high as possible but I think 5th is a good target, realistic target and it means home 2nd leg.

[BigCrompy]

Although obviously you finish as high as possible but I think 5th is a good target, realistic target and it means home 2nd leg.

Well it has to be said that our form is good...we've not lost many games this season, and how long has our worst run been? Probably 3 weeks, whereas in other times we'd slump for 3 months at a time.

The same cannot be said for teams above us...Shrewsbury, Southend, Crawley...doing their level best to shoot themselves in the foot.

My point being...

...we could at best hope for 3rd.

[Aylesbury Rich]

We had our wobble in November, and that was only 3 games really. Far better to be going into the last 10 games on a roll. Always seems to be the team that finishes the season strong that wins the play offs.

Have we really only lost 8 games this season?! And just two since the end of November?

[theox]

Have we really only lost 8 games this season?!

One less than Slumdon's 9. It's all those pesky draws that have seen us (almost) out of automatic promotion race.

[SmileyMan]

One interesting upshot is that we now can't be relegated. This was probably true anyway if you perm all the remaining matches, but on the simple calculation of minimum/maximum points, the lowest we can now come is 20th

http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D3/runin.html

[Ancient Colin]

Unless we go into admistration, have to release all the players and fail to fulfil our remaining fixtures, of course. Bloody optimist.

[Baboo]

[quote=&quotAylesbury Rich&quot]We had our wobble in November, and that was only 3 games really. [quote]

Plus losing in the JPT and FA Cup meant 5 straight defeats. Then we only drew at Morecambe - 6 games without a win.

[Dr Bob]

And I bet the sun is not shining where you are, either.

[Ancient Colin]

It is, and there is no rain, so all my tulips are dying. Sigh.

[Aylesbury Rich]

We had our wobble in November, and that was only 3 games really.

Plus losing in the JPT and FA Cup meant 5 straight defeats. Then we only drew at Morecambe - 6 games without a win.

Indeed, though they are not listed on my little fixture list on my desk so I forgot about the cup games. Even so, a pretty solid record. If only we had taken three points at home to Herefore, Macclesfield, Bradford etc......