After a conversation

northstandsteve

With a Millwall fan today,I have been reflecting on our position.I said to him what a good result they had yesterday and
that they were doing well.His reply was we aint got any world beaters but we are a honest bunch.The players have to be because they would get pelters down the den if they didn't put it in.Well I have been looking at the championship and dont honestly think with our present squad we would survive.We are where we are because of the players we have and I believe are in a true position.All I ask is they put it in and I will give them 100% support. This means after you have lost the ball track back and put it in.I want to see closing down harrying,i want each and every player to come off that pitch having given everything,if they do that and we fall short fair enough.When I say we wouldn't survive in the championship this is at the present time,at the end of the season things will change a lot,teams are really going to have to cut their cloth accordingly.I also think Younga has been a huge loss for us and our downturn in form has coincided with him being out the team and it really does leave us lopsided.So for the final 3 months im going to give it everything and i hope the players will also and let's just see where it takes us.

supaclive

Well said Steve. If our more talented players applied themselves the way Swindon, Millwall and Colchester have been, I believe we'd be top ...

Kap10

Youga maybe a huge loss to us, but no left back should have the influence his absence has had on us, if that is the reason. In the main we do have a group of honest toilers, with a higher skill level than the average player in the rest of this division and we are not that far off the auto places, but with our post christmas record wse need to get some form by returning to the hig paced, on the deck football we played earlier in the season. Parkie needs to get back to the management skills he showed earlier this season rather than the deck chair approach of recent weeks, strong leadership is required from him now.

cafcdan18

And we need a striker who scores from open play or at least the goals to be shared about. Aside from Bailey and Burton, no one will get double figures. And no one at all will get 20 imho

BlackForestReds

In the last four matches we've conceded four goals - one a game, but only scored three goals. That suggests that our defence isn't the problem while creating and scoring goals is, we need to be a little less timid about attacking.

Covered End

[cite]Posted By: supaclive[/cite]Well said Steve. If our more talented players applied themselves the way Swindon, Millwall and Colchester have been, I believe we'd be top ...

Yeah because we've got better players than Leeds and Norwich. NOT.

Leave it out, there's no way we have better players than them and 3rd is the best we should be realistically.

Morts-Genius

Steve

Thats why we rarely beat Millwall, their fans have a lot to answer for and they get the most out of their pony players.
Our fans have more of a softly softly approach (bit like the labour government).
We wouldn't want to upset them, otherwise they will down tools.

WSS

Think it's harsh you have singled out Sam there Steve.

I don't think you can accuse the players of not putting in 100% - they are simply not as good as many think they are. We are in L1 for a reason and because we are in L1 we have L1 players. Thats a fact.

I agree we'd struggle if we went up with this squad but if you had given me 3rd place at this stage of the season 7 months ago I would've taken it.

I suspect most people would've. Wouldn't you?

northstandsteve

.

cafcdan18

Agree with WSS, aside from one or two players (Bailey, Semedo etc) we have a League 1 players. We are probably not the best team and third is a fair reflection. Nevertheless there are always teams that punch above their weight, I am hoping we will be one of them and get promotion. If not, then next season there will be far more to moan at and our team will be full of League 1 players if not substandard League 1 players.

Covered End

For those of you that have not noticed :-

Wingers are more often that not, a lightweight, tricky type of player, that stay on the periphery. Lighting a game up every now and then with a piece of trickery and skill and a decent cross.

As a rule they do not tend to be your Vinnie Jones / Nicky Bailey lets get stuck in types, who will "die" for their team.

(John Robinson was of course the exception to the rule)

RedArmySE7

Why would you single out Sam? Crazy. It seems time this is just another in a long line of digs at one of our most important players. Incase you hadn't noticed we're above Millwall in the league by 8 points. There's a reason for that and Lloyd Sam is a massive part of that. If you want a team of cloggers running round kicking people go down the Den you'll see it on the streets outside too, but f you want to see players with that little bit extra get off their back.

BlackForestReds

Why would you single out Sam?
........

Exactly, I grant you he's not a tracking back player, but equally we have Bailey, Dailly, Llera, Sodje A and S, Burton and several others who look to me like they give a damn and deserve their salaries.

LargeAddick

why is it that after the Tranmere game when the team were booed by a minority did many on here say that the next three aways would be good for the team as they were playing away from the negativity at The Valley. Well, I havn't seen any improvement at Walsall or Swindon so either booing doesn't affect players or are they still traumatised ?

Ormiston_Addick

[cite]Posted By: Morts-Genius[/cite]Steve

Thats why we rarely beat Millwall, their fans have a lot to answer for and they get the most out of their pony players.
Our fans have more of a softly softly approach (bit like the labour government).
We wouldn't want to upset them, otherwise they will down tools.

Let's put this in better perspective.

Millwall have spent about 75% of their existence in the third tier of English football and have been there this time for not much short of a decade.

They have not been in a higher division than us since the 1970's - maybe even longer.

As a result, the idea that the Spanners extract herculean performances from their players is, I am afraid, total bollocks.

They do, it is true, raise their game against the better sides at The Toolbox, but they don't do it that much away from home or against the smaller sides.

We are not playing that well right now - that is true - but we are third and have only lost three games all season and HAVE NOT SPENT A SINGLE PENNY ON PLAYERS because we are skint.

So, please, let's try and keep the doom-mongering to a reasonable level!!!

Si

[cite]Posted By: LargeAddick[/cite]why is it that after the Tranmere game when the team were booed by a minority did many on here say that the next three aways would be good for the team as they were playing away from the negativity at The Valley. Well, I havn't seen any improvement at Walsall or Swindon so either booing doesn't affect players or are they still traumatised ?

You wouldn't agree that the away point at 5th placed Swindon was better than the home point to lowly Tranmere?

northstandsteve

I have edited my post and taken Lloyd Sams name out as i was using it as a example and not a dig,for christ sake read the poxy post will you.I have said we are where we are because of the players we have,if each and everyone of them puts in 100% everygame that will do for me and should do for all of us.If we come up short because we are not good enough fair enough but if we come up short because we haven't gone that extra yard and given the consequences of another season in this division then we are entitled to voice our displeasure.

oohaahmortimer

but OA our record against millwall is nothing short of shocking considering we have finished above them more often than not in the seasons we have been in the same division as them .... something like 12 victories in 65 games is it , now that's pathetic ....

charltonkeston

[cite]Posted By: oohaahmortimer[/cite]but OA our record against millwall is nothing short of shocking considering we have finished above them more often than not in the seasons we have been in the same division as them .... something like 12 victories in 65 games is it , now that's pathetic ....

Whats our record against them in the last 10 years, we aint lost many.

Ormiston_Addick

[cite]Posted By: oohaahmortimer[/cite]but OA our record against millwall is nothing short of shocking considering we have finished above them more often than not in the seasons we have been in the same division as them .... something like 12 victories in 65 games is it , now that's pathetic ....

Granted - although our recent history is not all that bad, they have not beaten us in the last three games!!!

What is also inarguable is the fact that they have spent most of their history in the third-tier, whereas we have spent most of ours in Tier One/Tier Two.

AFKABartram

A little less conversation, a little more action

forzajuve_27

[quote][cite]Posted By: Covered End[/cite][quote]
Yeah because we've got better players than Leeds and Norwich. NOT.

Leave it out, there's no way we have better players than them and 3rd is the best we should be realistically.[/quote]

Sorry but I'm not buying that our squad isn't better than Leeds or Norwich, I think player for player we do have the best team in the league but other sides at the moment seem to work better as a team. I still think we can finish in the top 2 because there is a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season and we can't keep playing this bad right to the end, similarly Leeds can't keep getting lucky and Norwich can't stay in top form.

Groucho78MFC

My my.....you lot have been a bit spoilt over the years.

Chris_from_Sidcup

[cite]Posted By: oohaahmortimer[/cite]but OA our record against millwall is nothing short of shocking considering we have finished above them more often than not in the seasons we have been in the same division as them .... something like 12 victories in 65 games is it , now that's pathetic ....

Millwall are a cup side. They raise their games against the big boys, Leeds, Norwich and us but then draw at home to Brighton and lose at home to Wycombe.

Chris_from_Sidcup

[cite]Posted By: forzajuve_27[/cite]Sorry but I'm not buying that our squad isn't better than Leeds or Norwich, I think player for player we do have the best team in the league but other sides at the moment seem to work better as a team. I still think we can finish in the top 2 because there is a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season and we can't keep playing this bad right to the end, similarly Leeds can't keep getting lucky and Norwich can't stay in top form.

I think as teams the 3 of us are evenly matched, but Leeds and Norwich have strikers who score goals. Burton may well be a decent player at this level but the other sides have the edge because of Beckford and Holt/Martin.

johnnybev1987

[cite]Posted By: Ormiston Addick[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Morts-Genius[/cite]Steve

Thats why we rarely beat Millwall, their fans have a lot to answer for and they get the most out of their pony players.
Our fans have more of a softly softly approach (bit like the labour government).
We wouldn't want to upset them, otherwise they will down tools.

Let's put this in better perspective.

Millwall have spent about 75% of their existence in the third tier of English football and have been there this time for not much short of a decade.

They have not been in a higher division than us since the 1970's - maybe even longer.

As a result, the idea that the Spanners extract herculean performances from their players is, I am afraid, total bollocks.

They do, it is true, raise their game against the better sides at The Toolbox, but they don't do it that much away from home or against the smaller sides.

We are not playing that well right now - that is true - but we are third and have only lost three games all season and HAVE NOT SPENT A SINGLE PENNY ON PLAYERS because we are skint.

So, please, let's try and keep the doom-mongering to a reasonable level!!!

Spot on OA, very well summed up

pilchard

[cite]Posted By: Ormiston Addick[/cite]
Let's put this in better perspective.

Millwall have spent about 75% of their existence in the third tier of English football and have been there this time for not much short of a decade.

They have not been in a higher division than us since the 1970's - maybe even longer.

As a result, the idea that the Spanners extract herculean performances from their players is, I am afraid, total bollocks.

They do, it is true, raise their game against the better sides at The Toolbox, but they don't do it that much away from home or against the smaller sides.

We are not playing that well right now - that is true - but we are third and have only lost three games all season and HAVE NOT SPENT A SINGLE PENNY ON PLAYERS because we are skint.

So, please, let's try and keep the doom-mongering to a reasonable level!!!

Agree with every part of this post. Says all I have ever said about this percieved brilliance of yer actual Millsmall.

paulbaconsarnie

so when comparing which divisions us and them have been in, we go back to when the clubs were formed.
yet when comparing our record against them, we only go back 10 games?

oohaahmortimer

millwall have spent 2 seasons in the top flight compared to our rather impressive 26 seasons
they have spent 35 seasons in tier 2 compared to our 41
3rd tier the scum 41 seasons us 15
4th tier the scum 5 seasons us never (for the moment but i can assure you it'll be really exciting if we ever get there and we'll have a great chance of promotion)

Scoham

Generally most players we have do put in the effort. They don't always have the belief or handle the pressure, but they usually work hard.

Some like Racon can be a bit too casual/complacent, Sam just isn't about movement and energy so looks lazy to some at times. Like Covered End said wingers are generally all like Sam is, big weaknesses and big strengths, rather than a balanced all round game.

Morts-Genius

On paper we are far superior, so an easy win at the tool box then?
60 odd years before Millwall are due a win against us, that's fair.
What a record that will be.