Oh, Biscuits

[Kairdiff Exile]

Two points dropped against a club in complete turmoil.

We've lost all momentum now. Very hard to see us regaining it this side of the transfer window, by which point we're likely going to need to readjust expectations so we're aiming for playoffs rather than automatics. That's still an obvious improvement on last year, but what an opportunity we might rue when we come to look back on it.

D-Bux needs to impose his vision - whatever it is - on this team fast.

[Kernow Yellow]

When we appointed Liam Manning, many fans thought we were already relegated, and there was a general consensus that even if we survived, it would take several transfer windows to undo the terrible squad situation that Robinson had left Us with. In that context, and with a promising manager having walked out on Us so early in the job, I'm not overly upset if we're 'only' challenging for the play-offs this season. Buckingham needs to be given some time to adjust into the job and make his mark. One thing he has done already is get Josh Murphy playing better and more consistently than anyone else has managed. If his late shot had curled just inside the post at Reading there would be a lot of positivity about the place at the moment. Fine margins and all that.

The endless one-twos between defenders and goalkeeper need to stop (or at least have some clearer objective of developing position), but that is hardly a new thing under Des, and I believe he did identify it as a problem in his post-match interview. So I'm definitely prepared to be patient, at least until the key players return from injury and he's had a chance to use the transfer window...

[Dr Bob]

I am very much with KY on this. I always try to reflect on what our par position is, in relation to how we are doing and how others are performing, at any point in time. Up to now, we have been mostly good, but with some poor performances and aberrations. Our away wins at Derby and Barnsley, for example, combined decent performances from us with slowish starts from them. Bolton took a while to get going. The only team to be outperforming us consistently from the start was Portsmouth. But Bolton - and others - have found form and, crucially, apart from Stevenage - were teams who most would have expected to be up there anyway. Second in the table always felt temporary to me, but we have done well enough to be there or thereabouts, at least in terms of the play-off positions.

Des might have been frustrated after the Reading game at our inability to make the most of our possession and score enough goals, but we have been talking about this for years, not days or weeks. Nor, as has been suggested elsewhere, was one good transfer window going to turn us from relegation candidates to title contenders. It improved us massively, but we are still playing catch up with teams that came close last year (and Stevenage!) in seeking one of the top two positions.

Listening to a few things that Des has said, my guess is that he deliberately changed very little at first, but has now seen where our shortcomings are and is starting to work on what to do about them. Maybe he will succeed, maybe not, but he has to be given the time to put his ideas into practice.

[Isaac]

Much better against a team who admittedly were very poor and low on confidence. Signs that Buckingham might be a bit more attacking than Manning was, seemed like a vintage Robinson set up with Brannagan further forward and the wingers very much out wide and two full backs who weren't centre halves really. Would think this will help our chances of a result against the weaker teams, but might make us vulnerable against the stronger sides.

Felt a bit sorry for Harris, didn't do anything particularly wrong with his two main chances, one a good save, the other good positioning by the goalkeeper. Reminds me a bit of Joseph last season, willing runner but not confident in front of goal yet.