Rob Jones tonight

[dickos1]

We're not in a relegation battle yet, there's 37 games left. In the premier league if there were 37 games left it'd mean they'd only played one game.

[Filo]

We're not in a relegation battle yet, there's 37 games left. In the premier league if there were 37 games left it'd mean they'd only played one game.

And in the Premier League there would only be 3 points difference from top to bottom

[The Red Baron]

Re the R word. A look at last season's table from a similar stage is interesting.

http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/league-one/2014-2015/table/2014-09-27

The good news is that none of the bottom five at that stage was relegated, although two of them only stayed up on the last day of the season. The bad news is that none of the teams in the bottom half managed to reach the play offs.

[walter the red]

Due to the abject failure of some of our senior players ,do you think RJ could do worse than give the youth players a chance in the team ,we have good young ones in Middleton,Manderville,Whitehouse ,McKay's ,etc.
I know many will say they are not ready but when will they be -they are fit and have good skills so surely they can't be as bad as some of our so called "best " players ?

[Askern_reds]

Due to the abject failure of some of our senior players ,do you think RJ could do worse than give the youth players a chance in the team ,we have good young ones in Middleton,Manderville,Whitehouse ,McKay's ,etc.
I know many will say they are not ready but when will they be -they are fit and have good skills so surely they can't be as bad as some of our so called "best " players ?

I've allways said there not ready but, now in thinking throw the lot in im pig sick of watching this lot, at least you'll be watching someone giveing there all if rj wants fast flowing football he's going to have to because wellens keegan copps are past it.

[The Red Baron]

Due to the abject failure of some of our senior players ,do you think RJ could do worse than give the youth players a chance in the team ,we have good young ones in Middleton,Manderville,Whitehouse ,McKay's ,etc.
I know many will say they are not ready but when will they be -they are fit and have good skills so surely they can't be as bad as some of our so called "best " players ?

Obviously I haven't been to any games, but it seems a pity that Middleton has gone out of the squad. He seemed to have a decent pre-season, started in the first team but now struggles to make the bench. Can he really be a worse bet than Chaplow or Gobern?

I don't suppose it helps that Wellens and the man who was supposed to replace Wellens are both here. A case for going out on loan? Ditto Whitehouse and Jack McKay.

[dickos1]

Were 2 points off Barnsley were  at this stage last year,
They still flirted with the playoffs come April
We need a decent run, with Tyson and forrester almost back, and I'd play jones now
I think it's possible to go on a good run

[BillyStubbsTears]

Need to get a bit of perspective on "current form".

Yes it's a poor return, but we've played:
5 of the top 9 - 4 of those away
6 of the top 12 - 5 of those away.
In our 4 home games, we've played 3 sides who are unbeaten away.

In other words, it's been about as tough a start as we could have had. Add to that another injury crisis (which might just be turning round) and it's little wonder that we have been poor.

I'm not saying that we're looking like world-beaters, but to start talking about us being relegation fodder is a bit premature. See how things look when the fixtures have evened up a bit.

If we're still in this position by the end of next month, I might accept that we are in a serious relegation scrap. My guess is that we'll be mid-table by then.

[mushRTID]

It's not the amount of games left that is the concern it's that we look like we've forgot how to win a game. Sure we will win the odd one but at the minute it looks really hard work for us.

We need this manager in quickly.

[Colin C No.3]

Billy, Billy.

Those 5 of the top 9 & 6 of the top 12 have been 'helped' to achieve those positions by the 3 points we've 'fed them'!

As for the 3 unbeaten away sides we've played at home......I'm flogging a dead horse here aren't I.

That dressing room must be a soul destroying place to a part of right now, especially for the young players. It needs drastic 'surgery' & the sooner the better.

[dickos1]

Walsall gillingham sheff u would have been in the top 10 irrespective of our result

[BillyStubbsTears]

Colin

Those 5 clubs have between them played 40 matches so far this season where they haven't played us. They've picked up 70 points from those - equivalent form to 80-81 points over a full season. Which suggests that they are in play-off/promotion form even when they aren't playing us.

If you think that we HAVEN'T had a tough start to the season, then feel free to demur. All I'm saying is that the talk about us hurtling into L2 is a little bit premature.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Thank you dickos.

[Dutch Uncle]

Need to get a bit of perspective on "current form".

Yes it's a poor return, but we've played:
5 of the top 9 - 4 of those away
6 of the top 12 - 5 of those away.
In our 4 home games, we've played 3 sides who are unbeaten away.

In other words, it's been about as tough a start as we could have had. Add to that another injury crisis (which might just be turning round) and it's little wonder that we have been poor.

I'm not saying that we're looking like world-beaters, but to start talking about us being relegation fodder is a bit premature. See how things look when the fixtures have evened up a bit.

If we're still in this position by the end of next month, I might accept that we are in a serious relegation scrap. My guess is that we'll be mid-table by then.

Just the point I was making a week ago BST

Too soon to have us down as in a relegation fight all season, but we do need clarity ASAP on the managerial front, and some wins PDQ to lift morale

[Copps is Magic]

We're in a relegation battle because we're in the bottom 4 and playing in a completely disjointed fashion. The problem with the above stats is that firstly they presume we're going to pick up sufficient points against lower opposition. Secondly, even if we picked up points against such teams (which is not guaranteed) we would still need to pick up points off some of the higher opposition. In other words, we could  have a good record against lower teams and still go down. Invariably this is what actually happens.

Stats can't say we're not in a relegation battle because the only thing that matters is the league table. The only argument would be that we are under performing with the players we have available. An opinion I held at the start of the season but I am now slowly coming to the realisation that we have some very very average players who make up the bulk of our squad.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Dutch. Yeah. I'm a shameless plagiariser...

Copps
I'm still not getting despondent yet. In the last few matches, we have had two dreadful decisions on goal-line clearances that have cost us points, were kept out by a MoM goalkeeper performance against the second in the league and (I thought) looked well in the match on Saturday until MacKenzie lost his marbles.

Yes, you can only make excuses for so long, but to me, we're not a basket case. Yet.

If we're still picking up less than a point a game by the end if October, I'll be joining you in the Private Fraser gang. But not yet.

[Dutch Uncle]

CiM - simple stats have us a relegation battle, no argument

My above rationale is opinion, trying to look at possible reasons/excuses for the pure stats - reasons/excuses like unlucky fixtures start, lack of rub of the green in decisions, injures, and managerial instability.  These give me (at least for the moment) some hope that the early season stats might not remain consistent all season.

Here's hoping 

[Dutch Uncle]

Dutch. Yeah. I'm a shameless plagiariser...

Not at all BST, just a man with excellent opinions!

Not yet a Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky

[Sammy Chung was King]

Once you get used to losing games, it's very hard to turn around.