Relegation Thread 2017/18

[Soup Ladle]

Believe me gents, this particular game was the worst one ever in terms of one set of fans taking pleasure in sending their opponents down. I'd really like to say what the Orient fans did to the Oxford fans on that day but I just can't seeing this is a family friendly forum Absolutely despicable some of the things they did!

Oh god, don't bring that one up again.

 

[shoddycollins]

We've played most of the teams off this thread in just the last few weeks so I feel qualified to give my views on them all. Not all of them were home games but those that weren't I saw at home earlier in the season.

What I can say is that you're all almost as bad as one-another so it seems like a complete toss up as to who will go down, and probably it will all be decided in a few up-coming six-pointers. Before last weekend when many of the teams down the bottom won I had said I still couldn't see Chesterfield or Barnet overhauling anyone, no matter how shit everyone else was. Now though it's a lot closer.

Grimsby must be the worst of them I've seen. Yesterday they had that look about them of a team you occasionally get at this stage of the season where relegation has become a formality. You know where you have a team yet to get into double figures and it's just a case of when, not if relegation is confirmed. Also they're the only team where I can't pick out anything positive in the performance I witnessed to argue that they might survive, they were just bad in every single department. Despite this, they have a new manager taking over; last throw of the dice maybe but all he needs to do is motivate a bunch of shit players to win some upcoming games against other shit players, and that could well see them safe, and looking at the Fishy the Grimsby fans seem to feel that some of the players being left out of the side are better than those playing so Jolley may well find some quality to save them.

Chesterfield were equally bad in most respects however despite what their fans said after the game, I thought they showed a lot of fight and really wanted to get the ball forward, also Chesterfield's fans and management seem pretty positive and all behind the team which could help a lot. I quite liked watching them, I thought they gave us a real game, just didn't have the finesse to go with the desire.

Barnet actually have something about them, although both times we've played them, they threw a lead away and when they visited BP earlier in the season they looked fast and skillfull going forward but now they have a manager who doesn't play that way and we have signed one of their fast skillful players. Still though, they have some decent players and a manager who while awful to watch and awful to listen to, knows how to dig teams out of the shit. I think their big mistake was appointing McGhee but now they've gotten over that madness they could, perhaps should be alright even though they do still have a fair distance to claw back.

Vale, we're still yet to play at BP so I haven't seen them. Their win over us before Christmas sounded on the radio to be well deserved but that might seem a lifetime ago for their fans as they appear to have returned to the form that saw them in the bottom two for the opening weeks of the season. I'll reserve judgement until we play them again, by which time all could have changed again. The fans still seem to be behind Aspin though so there must be reason in there for them to survive.

Yeovil looked awful, but they have beaten other teams and we maybe don't see the real Yeovil as they have a really poor record against us (terms of payment for Paddy Madden). They may drop closer to danger in the remainder of the season but I think the gap is big enough and they won't be overly troubled in games against the teams below them.

FGR are clearly headed in the right direction despite looking like they had nothing at all about them when we played them recently, like Yeovil they've a reasonable gap and are probably better than what us Cumbrians have seen. I certainly don't think they're going to be worse than the teams below them over the rest of the season.

For Crewe see Yeovil, I've actually seen them twice and they were poor on both occasions, but they have also put together a few decent little results and for that reason and also that they now have Super Shaunie Miller, I can't see them being overhauled.

Morecambe are Morecambe (or Morecombe if you're from down south). They always find a way and I don't see any reason to suggest why the North-West's premier Right Said Fred tribute act should fail to drag their battlers across the line yet again, assuming of course nothing really bad happens to them, such as Kevin Ellison being out for the rest of the season after headbutting a brick wall.

Cheltenham and upwards I think are safe though Stevenage are determined to at least make the final table look like relegation was more of a threat than it really was. The genuine contenders for relegation are Vale, Grimsby, Morecambe, Chesterfield and Barnet.

I think the bottom of the table will look like this come May:

17 Crewe
18 Yeovil
19 Stevenage
20 Morecambe
21 Port Vale
22 Barnet
-------
23 Chesterfield
24 Grimsby

Barnet v Chesterfield on the last day of the season could well be a winner-stays-up game.

 

[valefan16]

Vale did play at Brunton Park in the win before Xmas. You come to us in April (probably to get revenge!) although you’ve single handedly given us hope by beating all our rivals lately!

 

[Buxton Vale]

Vale, we're still yet to play at BP so I haven't seen them. Their win over us before Christmas sounded on the radio to be well deserved but that might seem a lifetime ago for their fans as they appear to have returned to the form that saw them in the bottom two for the opening weeks of the season. I'll reserve judgement until we play them again, by which time all could have changed again. The fans still seem to be behind Aspin though so there must be reason in there for them to survive.

Our win was at your place btw.

 

[shoddycollins]

Our win was at your place btw.

So it was, must've blocked out the memory of it.

 

[Chris FGR]

We were absolutely dire in both games v Carlisle. Dire. Thank fuck we don't have to play them again.

Also our home form and away form are complete polar opposites, can't stop winning at home (5 straight wins), but absolutely shite away (1 point in last 7 games).
Good thing is we still have 5 home games left, gonna need to win at least 3 of them.

 

[valefan16]

So it was, must've blocked out the memory of it.

So have our players... hence they can’t get back to the December standard!

 

[Vanni]

Without being disrespectful to Port Vale, I'll be honest and say that I really fear for them, and that'd be a shame as I like them to stay up. I know it's not really fair to rate any side after watching them just the one time, but we played them at theirs back in December - at the time when they were picking up points and with Aspin in charge - and I still thought they were a very poor and limited side helped massively by my lot's pathetic showing on the day.

 

[Luke Imp]

I've been thinking the Cods would be ok and keep ticking over, but we're starting to hit that serious time of the season and they've played two games more than others.

Not every season, but it seems like relegation threatened teams end up realising they're in a scrap and go on some kind of mini runs around this time of the year. Not good enough for some, but other do escape.

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

I think we'll get a couple of wins against the sides around us to just see us safe as long as Jolley fucks off certain players. We have Euro U19s winner Easah Suliman barely making the bench while Nathan Clarke steals a fucking wage week in week out and Sean McAllister has dropped off the face of the earth leaving James Berrett running the circus in midfield. Charles Vernam is one of the few players we have who look like making stuff happen but Hooper and Matt get the nod for some reason I can't fathom and please dont get me started on Paul Dixon. I would rather us play with a frozen piece of dogshit at left back.

Dropping said people for actual footballers coupled with a little bit of motivation and belief should see us safe. We do actually have some half decent players here, somewhere. Jolley needs to get them in asap if only to keep the fans on his side.

 

[PaulHaddock]

If Jolley drops The Undroppables (Dixon, Clarke, Berrett, Matt, Summerfield) next week, he’ll at least get the fans on side. We have so many younger, better players on the bench and in the reserves. Sure, we probably won’t stop conceding with them but we’ll at least stand a chance by getting some goals.

Some rumours going round that Fenty told Slade to slash the budget in January by selling and loaning players (Osborne, Jones, Clements). Thinking behind it is that we were fairly safe and could get rid of the high earning better players. That has caught up with us now as we have no genuine quality players left (Dembele aside, but he’s had a back injury since December). A year of mismanagement has fully bitten us now.

 

[JJ1532]

Not that I expected any better, but the league this season has been of a really poor standard. I've not watched many teams that truly impressed me. I mean, we've played the top 3 5 times and whilst losing all 5, only one of those was by more than 1 goal. I've seen teams that have looked pretty good and beat us in one game, only to look like shit in the next. And we've been, bar the first month and last month, completely shit, lost 19 of 26 games and didn't even drop into the bottom 2.

 

[valefan16]

Without being disrespectful to Port Vale, I'll be honest and say that I really fear for them, and that'd be a shame as I like them to stay up. I know it's not really fair to rate any side after watching them just the one time, but we played them at theirs back in December - at the time when they were picking up points and with Aspin in charge - and I still thought they were a very poor and limited side helped massively by my lot's pathetic showing on the day.

To be fair that was on the back of three bad performances... we are very much a confidence side. If we get one win we will get a couple more quickly but it’s getting that one win that’s the problem.

Of our nine wins seven have come in two winning/unbeaten spells. Only Crawley on the opening day and Barnet in November aside.

Beat Cheltenham, Morecambe and Exeter in a week in October and beat Cambridge, Carlisle, Coventry and Luton with a point at Colchester in the middle.

Grimsby is massive. Win that I think we will be ok. They are currently the only side poorer than us formwise! Problem is Vale are always bearing gifts to sides in long winless runs.

 

[darren gregory]

So far this season we have had an 11 game run without a win and the current run stands at 9.
That is some going in one season. Saturday is a must not lose against Grimsby.

 

[AdamStag]

Given how hard it is to get out of the conference (unless you're Barnet) it seems a very foolish ploy by fenty to play with fire. Everyone seems to be slightly picking up, apart from you just now

 

[Chris FGR]

May 2016 - FGR v Grimsby - NL play off final - winner goes up
May 2018 - FGR v Grimsby - L2 final day - winner stays up

Could happen. Wonder if two teams have in effect played-off for the same thing, in different divisions, just 2 seasons apart?

 

[valefan16]

So far this season we have had an 11 game run without a win and the current run stands at 9.
That is some going in one season. Saturday is a must not lose against Grimsby.

Essentially written off half a season already!

 

[BlackHaddock]

We still have Vale, Barnet and Chesterfield at home to come, plus our final game at the Village. If we can't win a couple of those we don't deserve to stay in the league. I just hope Jolley knows what he's doing and the players try to do what he wants them too.

 

[GTFCfish]

May 2016 - FGR v Grimsby - NL play off final - winner goes up
May 2018 - FGR v Grimsby - L2 final day - winner stays up

Could happen. Wonder if two teams have in effect played-off for the same thing, in different divisions, just 2 seasons apart?

I don't think it will go to the last game with you, I think you'll already be safe by then.
As for us who knows, but as Black Haddock says if we can't beat a couple of the bottom teams at home then we deserve everything we get.

 

[darren gregory]

I don't think it will go to the last game with you, I think you'll already be safe by then.
As for us who knows, but as Black Haddock says if we can't beat a couple of the bottom teams at home then we deserve everything we get.

It is a good job Grimsby aren't at Vale last game. For the game in October i thought either The Queen or Theresa May had come to the game, never seen so many old bill in my life. Don't think Vale could afford thePolice bill if it was the last game it'd bankrupt us.

 

[shoddycollins]

It is a good job Grimsby aren't at Vale last game. For the game in October i thought either The Queen or Theresa May had come to the game, never seen so many old bill in my life. Don't think Vale could afford thePolice bill if it was the last game it'd bankrupt us.

On the plus side you'll be able to watch the game again on Bodycam Squad.

 

[valefan16]

It is a good job Grimsby aren't at Vale last game. For the game in October i thought either The Queen or Theresa May had come to the game, never seen so many old bill in my life. Don't think Vale could afford thePolice bill if it was the last game it'd bankrupt us.

There was loads! Didn’t realise Grimsby had a reputation to be honest! Few more than usual against Newport too!

 

[GTFCfish]

It is a good job Grimsby aren't at Vale last game. For the game in October i thought either The Queen or Theresa May had come to the game, never seen so many old bill in my life. Don't think Vale could afford thePolice bill if it was the last game it'd bankrupt us.

There's always ridiculous Police overkill wherever we go, this was at Mansfield with only 1200 there, last season there was 1650 with no trouble whatsoever too.

 

[FGR Stroud]

There's always ridiculous Police overkill wherever we go, this was at Mansfield with only 1200 there, last season there was 1650 with no trouble whatsoever too.
View attachment 7911

Gee Whizz that is certainly police overkill numbers.
Actually as a law abiding citizen I find it very provocative.
And I love going to Grimsby where I find the home crowd very partisan but generally fair. Never had any problem at their ground [even after the inflatable fish incident ]

 

[Chris FGR]

I don't think it will go to the last game with you, I think you'll already be safe by then.
As for us who knows, but as Black Haddock says if we can't beat a couple of the bottom teams at home then we deserve everything we get.

Hope you're right, given our record against you it wouldn't be the ideal must win game for us tbf. Don't want another Nathan Arnold moment, the one that kills all hope y'know? Shudder.

 

[GTFCfish]

Hope you're right, given our record against you it wouldn't be the ideal must win game for us tbf. Don't want another Nathan Arnold moment, the one that kills all hope y'know? Shudder.

Did somebody say Nathan Arnold.......

 

[AdamStag]

There's always ridiculous Police overkill wherever we go, this was at Mansfield with only 1200 there, last season there was 1650 with no trouble whatsoever too.
View attachment 7911

It's our police going off "advice" basically a load of shit

 

[Luke Imp]

DID SOMEONE SAY NATHAN ARNOLD?! Not sure why there are suddenly tonnes of goals with Titanic music in the background.

 

[gijsbert_bos]

I love the one Lincoln fan in the Ipswich end who unzips his coat to reveal his Lincoln shirt and runs down the front!

 

[GTFCfish]

I love the one Lincoln fan in the Ipswich end who unzips his coat to reveal his Lincoln shirt and runs down the front!

That was Impish, he actually swapped allegiances at that exact moment.