Where will we finnish - post Jan transfer window update

Well we've had quite a decent half season so far but we've lost Clough and Ameobi and the wheels of outright promotion seems to have come off recently.

We've already had our first Nutter (Martin) calling for the managers head and it does seem as though Parkinson has been somewhat inflexible in team selection and tactics in the last few matches.

On the plus side though, we are still third, Alf is back and new players have been signed to hopefully shake things up a bit.  

Once the signings bedded in from summer we were imperious for quite a while - can we do the same for the second half of the season.

I think we will go up automatically but what do you think?

Sluffy wrote:Well we've had quite a decent half season so far but we've lost Clough and Ameobi and the wheels of outright promotion seems to have come off recently.

We've already had our first Nutter (Martin) calling for the managers head and it does seem as though Parkinson has been somewhat inflexible in team selection and tactics in the last few matches.

On the plus side though, we are still third, Alf is back and new players have been signed to hopefully shake things up a bit.  

Once the signings bedded in from summer we were imperious for quite a while - can we do the same for the second half of the season.

I think we will go up automatically but what do you think?

I think you may be asking the wrong question.  The first and foremost question is whether we can survive the season financially.  When KA put a 10 million pound target on Clough and then settled for 3 or less, it makes you wonder how desperate the times have become (again).  Will the team be paid on time each month?  Will the caterer have us in court?  KA has said the right things, but the actions belie what the financials may truly be.

Saying all of that, I hope we finish top six... but from our last six outings, something has to change for the better.  Even though Nat scorched Ameobi, we played better football with him on the pitch.  We have missed sitters consistently, and hope that ALF will make those opportunities.  It's been a season of great defense at times, and missed opportunities on offense.  Will that change?  Can we catch SU or Scunny?  Our September and January form suggest we will not. We have squandered home games to lower level teams and now we have 3 games in eight days... with two being at home.  That may tell the tale for the remainder of the season.  Of course, we have not given time for the new players to acclimate, and gel together, so we hope Parky works them into a cohesive unit.  Injuries are also certain to get us knocked down.  Yesterday's game sent 3 players out.  We don't have cover for everyone... so that also is a huge negative.  But we have hope, and my hope is Parky gets them to play hard and shut down the opposition defensively while creating a few opportunities each game for us to score.  One shot on target is not the answer!

observer wrote:
I think you may be asking the wrong question.  The first and foremost question is whether we can survive the season financially. 

Option 5 Obs.

Not normally a pessimist, (only when it comes to the team), I think we will end up in the playoffs. With the teams propensity for letting us down at crucial time, I don't think we'll get promoted. (I certainly hope I'm wrong, and that we go up one way or another).

Sluffy wrote:Well we've had quite a decent half season so far but we've lost Clough and Ameobi and the wheels of outright promotion seems to have come off recently.

We've already had our first Nutter (Martin) calling for the managers head and it does seem as though Parkinson has been somewhat inflexible in team selection and tactics in the last few matches.

On the plus side though, we are still third, Alf is back and new players have been signed to hopefully shake things up a bit.  

Once the signings bedded in from summer we were imperious for quite a while - can we do the same for the second half of the season.

I think we will go up automatically but what do you think?

Actually its two. Nat was saying we needed to get shut of him before he had even become our manager.

i think we will get into the playoffs but after that its's a lottery. Most of the time the team who finished third miss out because a team who finished fifth or sixth and are in good form and and go up.

I'm sure the Bradford fans will be chuckling if we don't manage to get out of the play offs, they saw it happening to them year after year.

I can't see us scoring enough goals to go up automatically to be honest

I think we are good enough to make the playoffs but I have zero confidence that we will be promoted.

There are still 18 games left with a possible 54 points to be had yet.

It may have escaped your notice KP but we have yet to win a match in 2017?
Furthermore we have led in four games and lost three and drawn one of the aforementioned.
We are piss poor at the moment and your comment re. 18 games left means we have to get 6 points from the next two home games. Anything less and we'll be well on our way to screwing ourselves!
I fear the worst.

ALF was a breath of fresh air last time round and that was in the Championship.

On paper, he should be brilliant for us at this level - should score 10+ goals - but his record is patchy.

I think we'll pinch a play-off spot. Just.

Play offs.

Far too early to assess the impact of the January window so I guess people are voting with what we know from earlier in the season and our current form which is erratic at best. On that basis, the obvious choice is scraping the playoffs and then losing to a form team.

That said, if we start sliding further down the table, surely Parky has to change his system at some point in time and that might cause us to improve. Plus we've no idea how injuries and form may affect the other contenders so it's wide open at the moment.

We'll avoid relegation on the final day, sending Oldham down.