Miles off a top 6 side

I thought we were OK against a pretty poor but willing side. This league is full average players at average clubs including ours. It shouldn't take too much to get out of it. We're better than a lot of other clubs in this league but it's just a bit crap.

 

That’s the same game that I watched.

 

We’re no where near being a top six side right now, despite a decent win today. Just not enough quality in the final third.
We need to keep in touch up to the January window and hope we can find a couple of top signings that make the difference.

 

An odd time to post this, 6 minutes after probably the most comfortable display of the season. OK, the opposition wasn't great, but it's that type of opposition we've struggled to create chances against this season. You can't accuse us of that today, the frustration of course is that we only took 2 of them. But if you limit your opponent to just 3 shots (all of which off target) then only taking the odd chance yourself doesn't matter. Had Forest Green got the first goal (and they very well could have when Brad Collins slipped in the opening minute), they'd have sat incredibly deep, and limited us to pot shots from distance, like Morecambe, Lincoln and Exeter did.

I said earlier in the week that this is a season of transition, several highs and lows throughout a season which will probably culminate in us finishing somewhere between 6th and 12th. Are we miles off the top 6? I wouldn't say so. I think Duff is still learning a lot about his players, I don't think he's necessarily convinced on what his best team is (although the first 11 today isn't far off being the one for me). I don't think we're consistently playing the style he wants us to play. I think the players still don't trust each other enough, and as a result, aren't taking enough gambles in their passing. I think we're still short of a striker, to push Norwood and Cole to perform more consistently; their performance today shows what they can do, but they have no real competition for their place in the team.

A few of these issues just need a bit more match practice. Come the end of the season, I fancy us to be performing at a higher level than we have so far this season. I expect us to address a couple of weaker areas in the January window, even if only loan players coming in. I think we'll begin to experience frustrating 1-1 draws, rather than painful 1-0 defeats, and maybe have a fleeting attempt at pushing the top 6. But I think to say we're miles off, minutes after a good display like that, just seems a bit strange.

 

Fingers crossed he'll be back early Feb. A good 14 or so games still to play. Like a new signing.

We've the January window too.

If we can maintain current form and be in and around the top six by then, you never know.

It's only six years since we entered a new year in the bottom four of League One and still made the playoffs.

 

Portsmouth played FGR two games ago away from home and only squeaked a 1-0 win.

 

Took sheffield united 6 seasons to get out of it and sunderland 5 with alot better squads and bigger budgets than ours.

 

Because they're tossers..

 

12.5 via the A61 if you want to be precise

 

Betting companies had us to finish sixth.
We’re currently fancied to finish 8th and 8/1 for promotion.

 

Probably worth a tenner but no more.