Does anyone else accept we are in a relegation battle?

[Expat Smoggie]

Yes - that can be attributed to the clear unrest at the club surrounding Wilder. I think the side are lacking in confidence at the moment more than anything. Four points from the last two games is promotion form

When you take a look at the league and consistency, or the lack of it I’d say anything is possible, and that could mean relegation, playoffs or even automatic promotion.

 

[Erimus74]

I am really worried we could go down.

A yes man appointed who took an age to decide.

A head coach bailed out by Neil Warnock as we were heading to league one at pace.

Never been so underwhelmed by an appointment.

Nobody else has ever made a move for him.

I think this is going to end in tears.

Papa Johns 7pm kicks off next season.

I think we are doomed.

I hope I am wrong.

As things stand I cant see 3 worse teams than us TBH, hopefully Carrick & his team have enough about them to pull us away from the bottom 3 & in to midtable

Fingers crossed we start to see positives before the world cup

 

[parmoboy]

We are in a relegation battle. We have a poor, unbalanced squad.

Carrick will want to play with a back 4 in my opinion but Jones is the only natural winger we have. We don't have a defensive midfielder at the club.

 

[r00fie1]

Get to the World Cup and the Team / Coaches will have the opportunity to regroup, reorg and get set for the battle in December - moving forwards.
Carrick and Woody have connections in the game and Carrick [particularly] will have players in mind.
Huff and puff to bonfire night, then the work begins.
We saw what the core of this team was capable of last season - that ability and team work hasnt just fallen out of the players shorts: the rest of this season is about player coaching and performance, not the Manager [look at me].
Get behind Carrick an Woody.
UTMB

 

[Paulroddam7]

Too early to call it a relegation battle

 

[TeaCider]

We are absolutely in a relegation battle.

If Coventry win tonight, we're in the relegation zone with over a third of the season gone, and they'll still have 2 games in hand.

I'm pleased with Carrick's appointment though, and I do think we have enough to get out of it.
Just worried about the route we've taken for his coaching staff.

 

[Stocko]

If we were 4th from the top of the table instead of 4th from the bottom would we be in a promotion battle?
pretty obvious really.

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Looking at the league table, everybody from 6th down is in a relegation battle. I keep saying it but it’s the nature of this division. Everyone’s season is alive until March. It’s always about stringing 3, 4, 5 wins or an unbeaten run together. It’s the same every season but people love calling it way, way too early IMO.

 

[1finny]

Not any more - the league table lies

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Looking at the table as it stands we're in both a relegation and promotion struggle. There's absolutely nothing in it.

 

[Nosmo-King]

January will determine if we have an ongoing battle against relegation. Carrick needs backing - financially to offer a midfield capable of creating chances, dictating the pattern of play and controlling games.

Mind we still have issues upfront and also in defence.

Massive transfer window for us.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

January will determine if we have an ongoing battle against relegation. Carrick needs backing - financially to offer a midfield capable of creating chances, dictating the pattern of play and controlling games.

Mind we still have issues upfront and also in defence.

Massive transfer window for us.

Or maybe not if he can balance the players he already has at his disposal. Can and should we be trading half a dozen or more ins and outs at every window. That's no way to establish consistency within a squad?

We have a team of players all proven to be decent here and at other clubs but without a manager/coach to get them to gel.

 

[Nosmo-King]

Or maybe not if he can balance the players he already has at his disposal. Can and should we be trading half a dozen or more ins and outs at every window. That's no way to establish consistency within a squad?

We have a team of players all proven to be decent here and at other clubs but without a manager/coach to get them to gel.

Can’t agree. Our midfield has been proven to be wanting in the majority of games - be it offering cover for the defence or creating chances. And who could we trade? Crooks? Doubtful. Nothing like last season’s player but in fairness injured. Mowatt? Massive disappointment and nowhere near the player from his Barnsley days. Howson? Needs far better support. The Aussie? Flatters to deceive. Too early to judge Hackney.

So it is a place that urgently needs strengthening. To me. We only have 2 viable sales options - Fry and Jones. The rest have residual value only I’m afraid.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Can’t agree. Our midfield has been proven to be wanting in the majority of games - be it offering cover for the defence or creating chances. And who could we trade? Crooks? Doubtful. Nothing like last season’s player but in fairness injured. Mowatt? Massive disappointment and nowhere near the player from his Barnsley days. Howson? Needs far better support. The Aussie? Flatters to deceive. Too early to judge Hackney.

So it is a place that urgently needs strengthening. To me. We only have 2 viable sales options - Fry and Jones. The rest have residual value only I’m afraid.

You're judging them on how they performed in teams organised by failed coaches. The insistence of having three central midfielders in the team when there are players in the squad to make up a decent two central midfielders side.

A new and younger coach may see something in them the way that Jack Charlton did with Stand Anderson's side, who would have thought Souness would become the player he would, that Foggon would knock so many in?

Who would have thought Leadbitter would turn out how he did after being offloaded from a poor Sunderland side to a struggling Ipswich outfit?

And we talk about pace but our best central midfield pairing were the slowest I've seen at the club. Timing, reading far more important.

 

[Nosmo-King]

You're judging them on how they performed in teams organised by failed coaches. The insistence of having three central midfielders in the team when there are players in the squad to make up a decent two central midfielders side.

A new and younger coach may see something in them the way that Jack Charlton did with Stand Anderson's side, who would have thought Souness would become the player he would, that Foggon would knock so many in?

Who would have thought Leadbitter would turn out how he did after being offloaded from a poor Sunderland side to a struggling Ipswich outfit?

And we talk about pace but our best central midfield pairing were the slowest I've seen at the club. Timing, reading far more important.

I’m judging on their ability- and that is found wanting.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

I’m judging on their ability- and that is found wanting.

They're all proven ability, either here or elsewhere. It's why they were signed/kept.

 

[Nosmo-King]

They're all proven ability, either here or elsewhere. It's why they were signed/kept.

Well we have to agree to disagree. Mow art and Crooks have gone backwards.A change in formation has not gone fantastically well - to me this proves how far back as a unit and individually they have become

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Well we have to agree to disagree. Mow art and Crooks have gone backwards.A change in formation has not gone fantastically well - to me this proves how far back as a unit and individually they have become

It's not even a year since Crooks was playing really well, his combo with Dijksteel and Jones had us climbing the table. Has he become such a poor player or is he perhaps carrying an injury or did the coach completely lose the plot, both perhaps?

The chopping and changing if the team over the last few months has been nothing short of farcical. Oh look, another transfer window!!!!

 

[changingman]

The one positive for me is the fact that we have underperformed so far this season, suggesting better can be achieved. I think few people would look at our squad on paper and suggest it's bottom 3 of the Championship (although it's maybe not quite as good as some suggest).

Any sort of improvement in performances should ensure we stay up, which should be target this season.

It's been a season of fine margins, as evidenced by how tight the table is. The xG table has us top (!) currently which suggests evolution rather than revolution in terms of our approach.

My big fear is that we "rip it up and start again" tactically. I'm not convinced that is what is needed and it's a huge risk - get it right and we'll be fine but get it wrong and the risk of relegation becomes pretty large.

Over to you Michael

 

[Humpty]

In answer to the original question, no we are not in a relegation battle. Not yet anyway. We're a third of the way through the season. Wouldn't start paying any attention to the league table until the end of January.