Play-offs gone?

[Roadrunner]

Agreed the play offs are unlikely. Until we have enough points to guarantee us not going down that has to be our focus.

[Rossi the Robin]

56 minutes ago, pillred said:

BN?

Big Nige

[Ska Junkie]

13 minutes ago, Rossi the Robin said:

Big Nige

I was struggling with BN as well to be fair. Makes perfect sense now.

[Rossi the Robin]

4 minutes ago, Ska Junkie said:

I was struggling with BN as well to be fair. Makes perfect sense now.

I was also, took me a couple of minutes when someone else used it 

[steviestevieneville]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

Mathematically it’s possible - 36 available points, 10 points currently from the top six.

Never give up until it’s mathematically impossible.

A run of wins could put right back in the race.

[Red Exile]

2 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

Realistically I'm not sure we were ever Playoff contenders , from the moment they appointed Holden it never felt like a challenging team. I liked Holden, but to get the turn around with the same players needed a new (experienced) face to come in IMHO.

With everything that's happened, Pearson would have to be a member of the magic circle to turn things around with no real time between games to get his ideas over. That said, if luck really swings our way, if we can get some player back fit and if during the next month we can get & stay within 6-9 points of 6th, who knows. I don't think we can make it, but it would be great to be going into the last couple of weeks still being in with a chance. 
It's the Championship and , as we are told , anyone can beat anyone. 10 points off 6th with 36 to play for? Highly unlikely, but we should be looking to get as close as possible, a good finish could affect a lot of things in the summer.

I agree - it was never easy to see how the appointment of Dean Holden fitted with an ambition to finish higher than under LJ, let alone take the side into Premiership contention. There's been a lot of understandable sympathy extended to Holden, tough injury list, tough to lose your first managerial job, but in reality he was a wild gamble. Lansdown got this so wrong, as predicted by the overwhelming majority on here.

However, he's finally made the sort of appointment he should have made when Coppell left and credit to him for that. A good run between now and the end of the season, a contract for Pearson and a review of the playing squad sets things up nicely for next season, when we can hopefully start to return to watch matches.

[Alex_BCFC]

Had to win last night so losing wasn't a big deal as a draw wasn't enough anyway.

Just got to build for next season now and I think Pearson is the man for the job - hopefully get him signed up for next season asap.

[Red-Robbo]

3 hours ago, RedM said:

Playoffs gone? For me they were never here. Yes we had an amazing start in September, and November was also good for us but even during this time we were never totally convincing. For me we never looked like a team likely to be promoted. 

The last three games have been much better, we look like we are playing as a team rather than individuals. Too late for a push this season maybe, infact I think it would be better if we just healed a bit and seriously went for it next season. 

 

Pretty much how I see it, M.

I could only see us taking an early bath from any play-off contest anyway.

If NP continues having a good effect on the players here, I think maybe 9th is our optimum finish. Maybe squeak one place higher with some really good results.

It's now all about the future, but the rest of the season is not just meaningless.  It'll let Pearson assess the weaknesses and strengths, experiment a bit, plan, and hopefully recover club pride further.

 

[Redstart]

More worried that we will lose Pearson to the likes of a relegated WBA to be honest. Really wish we had nailed him down on a deal that was anything other than a 'to the end of this season' contract. 

[Curr Avon]

4 hours ago, SecretSam said:

So, do we accept the play-offs are gone, that we need to focus on grabbing enough points for mid-table and maybe try some of the young 'uns?

Play-off Scone? Don't mind if I do.

[Jerseybean]

48 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Pretty much how I see it, M.

I could only see us taking an early bath from any play-off contest anyway.

If NP continues having a good effect on the players here, I think maybe 9th is our optimum finish. Maybe squeak one place higher with some really good results.

It's now all about the future, but the rest of the season is not just meaningless.  It'll let Pearson assess the weaknesses and strengths, experiment a bit, plan, and hopefully recover club pride further.

 

Yes that’s where I am too. Couple of weeks ago pre NP I was full of doom and gloom, couldn’t see us winning or even scoring again this season. 

Now thinking we ain’t going to make the play-offs or be in a relegation battle. Which leaves the remaining dozen games providing:

NP a good opportunity to assess the players / set up

Players and staff the opportunity to show their strengths / ambition

The prospect of playing the rest of the season without huge pressures, so we can set out with the obvious intention of winning every game but (rather like last night) whatever the result it offers NP further learning

Chances for some of the young uns to get a game

Injured players a chance to return 

Then (hopefully) we should be in a situation where NP feels he’d like to commit and that’s a sentiment matched by the club with NP being well enough informed and able to strengthen with incomings and release through outgoings.

[Red_Alligator]

I think a top ten finish this season would be an achievement and hopefully enough to get NP to stay. I'd like to see him on at least a two year contract as it's quite clear now just how far we are behind the pace of the top Championship sides. 

As far as what will happen re OOC players, I'll be happy as long as Nige leads on the decision making, with the support of the other parties involved. 

There's a long way to go, but at least in my time as a City fan, its the first time that I've had a  real gut feeling that we have a Manager who could realistically get us to the promised land.   

[Engvall’s Splinter]

5 hours ago, SecretSam said:

So, do we accept the play-offs are gone, that we need to focus on grabbing enough points for mid-table and maybe try some of the young 'uns?

They were gone 6/7 games ago as at that point, under Holden, we were never coming back. 

[Engvall’s Splinter]

36 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

Play-off Scone? Don't mind if I do.

I do chuckle at your dad jokes, both on here and on RB. Element of David Brent in there. 

[Curr Avon]

7 minutes ago, Engvall’s Splinter said:

I do chuckle at your dad jokes, both on here and on RB. Element of David Brent in there. 

Thanks son.

[CotswoldRed]

Ironically, on the day I saw enough to convince me we might soon have enough to be of top 6 standard, the chance of achieving it dissolved. 

Focus on next season. 

[MarcusX]

4 hours ago, OneTeamInBristol said:

The aim a few weeks to go was to stay in the division! 

Now we're talking about play-offs gone? 

Amazing how much can change in a few weeks in football

Well we changed manager and got back to back wins, it's not like nothing changed and we suddenly got more positive.

Some of us weren't as concerned about relegation as others mind - though its hard to say we werent going to head that way with Holden still here

[CHIPLEY RED]

7 hours ago, Red Alert said:

I’m pretty sure it’s a lot easier to lose games than win them

Never said it was easy or we will do it but stranger things have happened. 

Remember the start of the season 4 wins on the trot - repeat that and a few eyebrows will be raised.

[SecretSam]

15 hours ago, Redstart said:

More worried that we will lose Pearson to the likes of a relegated WBA to be honest. Really wish we had nailed him down on a deal that was anything other than a 'to the end of this season' contract. 

I would hope that discussions about a long-term appointment are already underway

[Major Isewater]

32 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

I would hope that discussions about a long-term appointment are already underway

I can’t see NP jumping ship unless he feels that he can’t do what he thinks necessary to mount a promotion challenge with us.

As I have written before, I don’t think that money would be Pearson’s main motivation but given the chance to build something in an agreeable environment would be .

Taking a yo-yo club up to the Prem again is not going to leave much of a legacy in the football world but do that here and he will considered a legend ( at least in Bristol ) and a top, top manager elsewhere. 
 

If he does not sign a new contract then he won’t be the man for the job.

 

[Son of Fred]

15 hours ago, MarcusX said:

Well we changed manager and got back to back wins, it's not like nothing changed and we suddenly got more positive.

Some of us weren't as concerned about relegation as others mind - though its hard to say we werent going to head that way with Holden still here

If we'd maintained the status quo I believe 0 point's would have been gained from the last three outings.

Which would have seen us only seven points above the trapdoor.

It's as well SL acted expediently, and indicative of quite how concerned he was - and rightly so.

[Loderingo]

The playoffs were never realistic. People forget we have a -10 goal difference!
 

If we could get 20 points from our remaining 12 games that would take us to 65 and likely be good enough for around 10th place. Another top half finish and permanently getting Pearson would allow us to recruit strongly in the summer.

[RedM]

19 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Pretty much how I see it, M.

I could only see us taking an early bath from any play-off contest anyway.

If NP continues having a good effect on the players here, I think maybe 9th is our optimum finish. Maybe squeak one place higher with some really good results.

It's now all about the future, but the rest of the season is not just meaningless.  It'll let Pearson assess the weaknesses and strengths, experiment a bit, plan, and hopefully recover club pride further.

 

Didn’t we flounder the season after our last flirt with playoffs and never really recovered since? We could do without failure at this time of our rebuild. We are now a pretty much established Championship club and maybe with the experience we have in place, even if it is only until the end of the season, things might be in place for a promotion plan.

As I said NP is only here short term, no one knows if he will stay or go. I’m not assuming either way, largely due to how we’re are set up regarding recruitment etc. Hopefully if he does leave it will be with words of advice, don’t know if we will listen though.

[Red-Robbo]

1 hour ago, RedM said:

Didn’t we flounder the season after our last flirt with playoffs and never really recovered since? We could do without failure at this time of our rebuild. We are now a pretty much established Championship club and maybe with the experience we have in place, even if it is only until the end of the season, things might be in place for a promotion plan.

As I said NP is only here short term, no one knows if he will stay or go. I’m not assuming either way, largely due to how we’re are set up regarding recruitment etc. Hopefully if he does leave it will be with words of advice, don’t know if we will listen though.

 

Quite.

I'm not even assuming he'll be a roaring success here. His record is mixed and although he has had some notable successes there are likewise clubs that went nowhere doing his tenure.

I do think he's an improvement on what we had and for that, and the relatively speedy recruitment process, I'm happy.

The Dean Holden experiment shows how quickly an established Championship club can turn into relegation fodder. 

[big dosser]

if we are going to have a average season lets be honest, with no fans this is the one. Hopefully in the remaining games we can bring some more of the youth in, and look forward to being back at the gate next year with a positive manager and team.