Where do we go from here?

[thefamilyvontrapp]

I’m having a bit of a wobble about the confidence I have for the Stags...
The first half of the season we were playing some brilliant football with good possession and decent build up play.... the second half of the season we’ve looked pretty poor with very little build up play... we seem to be playing very direct now and getting ourselves into a bit of a pickle!!!

We need to get into the automatic spots otherwise (I feel) we won’t get through the play offs..

If we’re in league 1 next season, where do we build in the squad?


I’m not having a go... after Grimsby away (New Years Day) I said we’d go up as champions!!

[nobby +1]

buy a striiker not one in twilight years or a loan player one to keep and not replacing every year . Sorry to say a top keeper defence ok midfield just needs tweak

[cassellswasmagic]

Two key players injured have blown it wide open for me......White & Olejnik. I think we’d already be up bar that. Pressure plays its part near the finishing line too......look at how Leeds have blown it. Sheffield United have handled it well and are one win away from the premier league!!!

[I am Spartacus]

Is it down to the lake I fear?

[Martin Shaw]

Where do we go from here?

Stick together, and we'll do this together. Wise words.

[Amber Andy]

He is obviously gutted. I'm sure we will get promoted this season.

[Amberheart]

Is it down to the lake I fear?

Love plus one

[gazza1988]

What's done us in is having mirfin, diamond and Anderson on good wages and not kicking a ball. Meant we couldn't sign an extra defender, striker and RWB.

Not the best start to a season.

Then we lost Bobby and did ok, then we lost white and not having a adequate replacement. The best we could do is Gethin Jones (who I rate) who has only played 3 games before joining us 2 or 3 days before the window shut. Then we've had to sign players on frees after the window shut. Again they had barely played.

We did ok after this. Still fighting at the top.

When opponents start pressing our defenders they go long. We don't have the personnel to deal with this, we had Rose but then he got injured so we had no plan B anymore who could at least challenge for the long balls.

We had had other injuries. Craig Davies did ok and tried playing though a foot problem which meant he was only at 80% fit from the start of a game. Nicky Ajose, again got injured and while he wasn't a scorer he was good at bringing others into play. Jordan Graham, only a kid and got injured just before our striker crisis.

We still have a striker crisis. Hamilton has been a winger/wing-back and put up front to avoid isolating Walker. He's not done too badly but had any other strikers been fit cj probably wouldn't even be up there at all.

[I am Spartacus]

What's done us in is having mirfin, diamond and Anderson on good wages and not kicking a ball. Meant we couldn't sign an extra defender, striker and RWB.

Not the best start to a season.

Then we lost Bobby and did ok, then we lost white and not having a adequate replacement. The best we could do is Gethin Jones (who I rate) who has only played 3 games before joining us 2 or 3 days before the window shut. Then we've had to sign players on frees after the window shut. Again they had barely played.

We did ok after this. Still fighting at the top.

When opponents start pressing our defenders they go long. We don't have the personnel to deal with this, we had Rose but then he got injured so we had no plan B anymore who could at least challenge for the long balls.

We had had other injuries. Craig Davies did ok and tried playing though a foot problem which meant he was only at 80% fit from the start of a game. Nicky Ajose, again got injured and while he wasn't a scorer he was good at bringing others into play. Jordan Graham, only a kid and got injured just before our striker crisis.

We still have a striker crisis. Hamilton has been a winger/wing-back and put up front to avoid isolating Walker. He's not done too badly but had any other strikers been fit cj probably wouldn't even be up there at all.

You missed off further unsettling of the team by Toni going back to Derby and being replaced by Grant. Nothing against Grant but his appointment may have also been a change too far.

[Spiritater]

In all honesty I can see now why Grant wasn't getting a game with Looooooun. He's such a lightweight.

[Conker]

Looking back now getting Grant in and getting rid of Elsnik was the wrong decision, but it's one pretty much everyone would have made.

Been unlucky with injuries to be fair, Ojenik and White staying fit I reckon we would be a lot closer to Lincoln.

[Amber Andy]

Looking back now getting Grant in and getting rid of Elsnik was the wrong decision, but it's one pretty much everyone would have made.

Been unlucky with injuries to be fair, Ojenik and White staying fit I reckon we would be a lot closer to Lincoln.

So when we do get promoted, it will be more of an achievement.

Keep the faith we will get promoted this season.

[Wil0211]

I think we will win on Saturday and MK Dons will lose. All will look a lot better if that happens

[Martin Shaw]

Looking back now getting Grant in and getting rid of Elsnik was the wrong decision, but it's one pretty much everyone would have made.

Been unlucky with injuries to be fair, Ojenik and White staying fit I reckon we would be a lot closer to Lincoln.

I liked Timi when he was with us. But he was far from a regular starter. And he now can't get in the Northampton starting line-up.

[bobbystagsfan]

the way some go on about elsnik is mad, yeah he was alright for us but people are making out as if him being sent back has/could ruin our season. The injuries to white, olejnik, Davies, rose and being hampered by big wages (Anderson, Diamond, Butcher) has hurt us a lot more than elsnik leaving and grant coming in

[Sedgwick]

Derby have got a lot of youth they're trying to offload. If we go up id break the bank for Luke Thomas but not sure he fits into the offload section of u23's... Hes got a bright future, as has Max Lowe.

And for everyone acknowledging the likes of Anderson, Diamond, Mirfin, Butcher etc... To deal with those high earners and still be in the position were in, plus the injury crisis... Hats off to DF. Even if we don't go up, without that deadwood and some of the fringe players, one or two star players could see us win the league comfortably next year. League one really isn't that far away.

But anyway we need to stick together! Keep going, even if we end up in the playoffs we will not let anything stop us. Keep singing, keep encouraging the lads, Just keep going, were all behind you!

[Vice President]

To answer the thread title ........ simply: We must win on Saturday and then make sure that we hold firm against MK Dons.

We are actually still in a good position.

[oldweststander]

Still in our own hands, if it goes pear shaped tger is,no one else to blame.

3pts Saturday and watch the others tumbke away.

COYs

[The One]

Still in our own hands, if it goes pear shaped tger is,no one else to blame.

3pts Saturday and watch the others tumbke away.

COYs

???

[Jimstag]

To answer the thread title ........ simply: We must win on Saturday and then make sure that we hold firm against MK Dons.

We are actually still in a good position.

Agree VP. We only need 4 points to guarantee promotion providing MK don’t win by a cricket score on Saturday. I would rather win Saturday and leave MK needing to beat us on the last day than the other way around!

That said Stevenage will be a tough game as they are still in with a shout of the last play off spot and I’m sure they’d enjoy spoiling the party as much as Oldham did!

[stag861]

Time was only on the bench for the Cobblers so he's not progressed since leaving us.

[stag861]

Timi of course.

[MTFCMusings]

Timi as an individual is being hyped up to more than he was. It was the balance that he gave to the midfield which has rarely been rediscovered since. Bish, Tommo and Mellis is the best option for the rest of the season.

[BH_Stag]

To answer the thread title ........ simply: We must win on Saturday and then make sure that we hold firm against MK Dons.

We are actually still in a good position.

Agree VP. We only need 4 points to guarantee promotion providing MK don’t win by a cricket score on Saturday. I would rather win Saturday and leave MK needing to beat us on the last day than the other way around!

That said Stevenage will be a tough game as they are still in with a shout of the last play off spot and I’m sure they’d enjoy spoiling the party as much as Oldham did!

Saturdays a strange one. There’s obviously the chance we can pretty much go up if we look after ourselves and results go our way...but even if we lost and everyone else won, we still have a chance on the last day knowing that a win against MK Dons would take us up on GD barring a freak goal swing somewhere along the lines.

[Hjeldefan]

Whilst the late drama left us gutted on monday, in hindsight if we had drawn and MK won, we would have actually been worse off. As it is, we can still (basically) go up saturday and regardless of the weekends results we will still have another shot at MK. Whilst recent performances have left me with little faith we will actually do it, after the Crewe game I worried about missing out on the top 7 all together so count your blessings I guess!