Sorry to say it but

[Abbo]

The first 2 results i now look for are Luton and Bournmouth, because there the only reason that we will stay in the football league. That performance today was rubbish especially the first half'. Which Celtic did we get O Carroll from, Stalybridge, the guy isnt very good to say the least and as for Wainwright i better not say what i think about him cos i would get barred from this site, not a good performance at all today AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!

[badger]

I AGREE WITH ABBO

if it wasent for luton, bournmouth and rotherham getting points deduted, we would be in a relegation spot, second from bottom.it is not looking good at the moment but i dont think we will go down,but it is going to be a long season.

rochdale brought over 900 fans with them,which leaves us with just over 1,600.

[Crooky MFC]

And with 1 win from 10 games previous to today, we expected more than 1600 home fans, or whatever it was? Geez

[thegentlegiant]

Stop moaning and get behind the team....we always knew it would be hard this season and more than ever we have to remain confident that we can stay up and remain behind the team and manager!!!

[Keith]

It's only the fact that two teams were deducted too many points to be able to catch us (almost certainly) that is stopping us from being [too] worried. But it also gives us a platform to build from, so why not play positively and learn from it? It will take a remarkable change in fortune for the bottom two to catch us, so spread the experience and play without fear of making a mistake.

[OvertheBar]

Get over it will you Abbo...this is only our second season in the Football League. We are looking to survive and shouldn't expect to slaughter teams until we earn our spurs. Look for the positives, there are loads to enjoy.

[Howe Magic]

Just a few things i have noticed tonight - there seems to be a bit more positivity on here tonight,and also people are not abusing each other which makes a pleasant change. I would also like to point out this stat to everyone (Luton started the season 30 points behind us they are still 27 behind us so they have only made 3 points up in 11 games whilst Bournemouth started the season 17 points behind us and are still 16 points behind us so they have only made up 1 point up in 11 games ..... Yes we lay in 20th position but its very tight between about 8 clubs above us i think a win today would have had us in 15th place so lets keep getting behind the team like we did today and we will be ok (I think we will finish about 12th/13th at end of season which to me will be a decent season again....Also i know we have not won many games so far but after todays game is that just the gills defeat in the last 8 - few wins and things will look much much brighter If people think we have got a few problems take a look at chesterfields website now thats a club with a lot of problems on and off the pitch....

[Martin]

Just a few things i have noticed tonight - there seems to be a bit more positivity on here tonight,and also people are not abusing each other which makes a pleasant change. I would also like to point out this stat to everyone (Luton started the season 30 points behind us they are still 27 behind us so they have only made 3 points up in 11 games whilst Bournemouth started the season 17 points behind us and are still 16 points behind us so they have only made up 1 point up in 11 games ..... Yes we lay in 20th position but its very tight between about 8 clubs above us i think a win today would have had us in 15th place so lets keep getting behind the team like we did today and we will be ok (I think we will finish about 12th/13th at end of season which to me will be a decent season again....Also i know we have not won many games so far but after todays game is that just the gills defeat in the last 8 - few wins and things will look much much brighter If people think we have got a few problems take a look at chesterfields website now thats a club with a lot of problems on and off the pitch....

I think for some of us it's taken such a long time to gain league status that the fear of losing it causes worry. Because that's what some of the perceived negativity is down to - worry.

I've watched Morecambe for several years and seen some brilliant teams and some, frankly, awful ones. I hate watching the team play poorly and hate it when they lose but I'll always come back for more. The optimist in every supporter is eagerly going to the ground knowing that this is the game we'll win 7-0! But I'm never relaxed about the season until safe from relegation.

Personally I think that we are one of the poorer teams at present and everything is pointing to a bottom third of the table finish. I don't care as long as at least two others are below us. I hope you're prediction is right though, because 12th or 13th would be magnificent!

But you're right about Bournemouth and Luton. They have bearly impacted on us and have an awful lot to do to haul themselves above anyone.

Hey, we've got a win at least, poor Grimsby haven't managed that yet.

[Joelinho]

i really do agree we should get behind the team and give 110% every match with our support.. although today's performance was unbelievable, during the first half we couldn't string a pass together and we gave every ball away.. my point is, it's much easier to get behind a team that is commited and gives their all every match.. we've got some really talented players although don't seem to understand the meaning of the word commitment.. we seem to be letting them off easy, we need to be a bit more critical of their performances or they're going to thing it's acceptable to draw week in week out.. I realise they're not stupid and know they're under performing but really? is this the way you respond to a 5-0 defeat??! drunken rant over...

[halfwayliner]

Well said Howe Magic.

[Abbo]

In respons to Overthebar"s [Get over it Abbo] I certainly dont expect us to go out and slaughter teams every week, as you put it but i do expect the team to go on the pitch and try 100 per cent and if your happy with most of the performances this season your easily pleased. I know confidence is low amongst the team and too a certain degree amongst the fans too, but we do not look like beating anyone at the moment (in the league). As someone else has said there was roughly 1600 home fans there yesterday and unless we do start winning even that number will fall, worrying times. as for the good bits we did manage to get a point and what a day for Arron, sorry if nearly all of this sounds doom and gloom but i do call ait as i see it.

[shrimper]

we seem to be letting them off easy, we need to be a bit more critical of their performances or they're going to thing it's acceptable to draw week in week out.. ...

The one positive thing, I suppose, about there only being 1,600 or so home fans yesterday was that, I assume, most of those will be real committed fans. I thought the support was excellent even when the team was struggling.

Had we had 2,600 home fans, perhaps with some who are real 'sing when we're winning' types, maybe there would have been a few more boos during the first half. Good vocal backing yesterday - and we fought back for a draw we didn't really deserve with a committed second half display.
Booing, and people getting on the players' backs - heads may have gone down and we may have been on the end of a whupping.
We all know this is going to be a very tough season when the team will need to grind out results - but I think we have a team who can do that. The one thing I thought the team did display yesterday was spirit.

On team selection I thought Yatesy and Henry did well enough to keep their places. Danny Adams was great in parts but then saw his man get behind him a couple of times. I'd have had Gary on in place of Wainer at half time, Neil seems to have lost the energy that he showed pre-season and in the first few games of the season.
Aaron struggled against a good marker for a long time but his goal showed a real striker's instinct - we've not been getting on the end of crosses that well for a while.
We do need a few new players if we're to get out of the drop-zone - may we have to buy players' contracts out, to make room?

[Christies Child]

On the evidence of the goals seen on TV this morning, DA was AWOL for their goal, allowing their player too much room to pick his spot.

Taylor's goal was the result of great persistance by Howe on the left.

As Shrimper suggests we may have to buy out the contracts of those who no longer feature.

The folly of offering 2 year deals to some by whoever?

[Keith]

We do need a few new players if we're to get out of the drop-zone - may we have to buy players' contracts out, to make room?

Alternative view, at the current rate of return, Luton will end the season on 18 points and Bournemouth 23 points. Grimsby are struggling and there are six teams split by two points. The odds are stacked heavily in our favour for staying up. So let's start planning for next season already. Send Davies out on loan to a Conference club so he can get some experience, or give him regular starts to get some league matches under his belt. Don't spend any money in January, although a couple of loans would be good. Save our money this season so we have more to spend next.

I still feel that we aren't 'going at' teams from the off and that this is tactical. So again, with safety pretty much assured, go out there with a positive mindset to play the ball confidently and to score rather than defend. Score one and then go for a second, rather than score one then play deep and defensively (eg Chester) which invites pressure.

I think we've still got a pretty reasonable squad, I just don't think we're playing to their strengths.

[Christies Child]

We do need a few new players if we're to get out of the drop-zone - may we have to buy players' contracts out, to make room?

Alternative view, at the current rate of return, Luton will end the season on 18 points and Bournemouth 23 points. Grimsby are struggling and there are six teams split by two points. The odds are stacked heavily in our favour for staying up. So let's start planning for next season already. Send Davies out on loan to a Conference club so he can get some experience, or give him regular starts to get some league matches under his belt. Don't spend any money in January, although a couple of loans would be good. Save our money this season so we have more to spend next.

I still feel that we aren't 'going at' teams from the off and that this is tactical. So again, with safety pretty much assured, go out there with a positive mindset to play the ball confidently and to score rather than defend. Score one and then go for a second, rather than score one then play deep and defensively (eg Chester) which invites pressure.
I think we've still got a pretty reasonable squad, I just don't think we're playing to their strengths.

100% in agreement.

Too negative....it would of course help if we had a shot at goal every now and then. Their goalkeeper wasn't troubled throughout the first 45 and we're at home!

[Jody]

Another draw, another point nearer safety and its doom and gloom again... Most of you obviously weren't at Gillingham last weekend, because yesterday's performance was a 100% improvement, and we did play some good football in the second half. McStay, and Yates back in, both doing decent jobs, good performances from Roche, Stanley, and Howe, and Taylor took his goal well. We all knew that this season was going to be a struggle, but we aren't in the relegation zone, and there are still teams on minus points below us. No team in this League is going to march through from now, to April without a bad run and fingers crossed we'll be through our bad patch and able to capitalise on that then. The moaning isn't doing any good, and as the North Stand proved yesterday, a bit of atmosphere goes a long way. Lets focus on the positives, and channel the negativity into positive support for the lads on Tuesday at Brentford, and then next Saturday at Port Vale. 3 or hopefully 4 points from the 2 games this week will fire us right up the table.

[Christies Child]

Another draw, another point nearer safety and its doom and gloom again... Most of you obviously weren't at Gillingham last weekend, because yesterday's performance was a 100% improvement, and we did play some good football in the second half. McStay, and Yates back in, both doing decent jobs, good performances from Roche, Stanley, and Howe, and Taylor took his goal well. We all knew that this season was going to be a struggle, but we aren't in the relegation zone, and there are still teams on minus points below us. No team in this League is going to march through from now, to April without a bad run and fingers crossed we'll be through our bad patch and able to capitalise on that then. The moaning isn't doing any good, and as the North Stand proved yesterday, a bit of atmosphere goes a long way. Lets focus on the positives, and channel the negativity into positive support for the lads on Tuesday at Brentford, and then next Saturday at Port Vale. 3 or hopefully 4 points from the 2 games this week will fire us right up the table.

Just hope that we can take maximum points from both the teams on minus points otherwise we could be in trouble especially if they do the double on us. It's going to be a battle for the rest of this season that's for sure.

[Jody]

But that's the thing, CC. We all knew it was going to be a struggle in our second season, especially with the players we lost and haven't(?) properly replaced. We are a little team in League Two, and as long as we aren't in that bottom two most of us should be happy. I'd argue that a lot of our decent results last year were down to promotion momentum (look at exeter, and aldershot in our league, then peterborough, stockport, mk dons in league one, and even hull in the premiership)
It's not like we are being beaten every week, we are drawing with, and taking points from some difficult teams. Every point is a point closer to survival, which is our aim again this season. Anything better than one above the bottom two is a good effort, and we can't be expecting to beat established League teams every week.

[Abbo]

Jody, were not beating anyone, never mind established teams.

[badger]

I dont understand jody saying we always new this season would be a struggle (why?).

I think it is just an excuse for the team doing badly.look at dag&red, they had a bad season last year and this season they are in the playoff at the moment.

[Keith]

We all knew it was going to be a struggle in our second season...

This isn't 'simply' a second season syndrome. Since January '08, we've won seven league matches, drawn eleven and lost sixteen. 32 points from 34 games is relegation form in any normal league. We will only [definitely] avoid relegation because two teams were given such a huge mountain to climb.

Jody, were not beating anyone, never mind established teams.

And that is a discussion that I think it is reasonable to have. Is it because we aren't good enough or because we don't play to our strengths? Are we simply being unlucky, if we fluke a win, that will lift us enough to go on? Do we need to bring in new players in January? Or at the end of the season? What are Dagenham & Redbridge doing that we're not?

I've repeatedly said, this isn't about 'panic' but it is the time to recognise that if something isn't working, it needs to be fixed. Currently, it ain't working.

[campdave]

The folly of offering 2 year deals to some by whoever?

Agreed, that perhaps some of our players shouldn't be on 2 yr contracts. however, with hindsight, it's easy for us to say that. Offer some players a 1 yr contract and they mightn't be interested, or we run the risk of losing players we desperately want to keep for nothing when they get to the end of that year, like when Blackburn moved on as we moved into the league. Sometimes it will bite us in the ass, sometimes it will work to our advantage (Carl Baker anyone?)

[Jody]

I dont understand jody saying we always new this season would be a struggle (why?).

I think it is just an excuse for the team doing badly.look at dag&red, they had a bad season last year and this season they are in the playoff at the moment.

Why you ask?
A huge part of where we finished last season was down to: Joe Lewis (til Xmas) Carl Baker, Gary Thompson. We have none of those anymore, and we haven't replaced them with anywhere near the standard of player that we lost. The money from Carl (I presume) has gone towards paying the debt of the club. The attendances are struggling, meaning we cannot afford new players, and we cannot get rid of the excess players to bring in new ones.
We haven't got the momentum we had at the start of last season, and, as yet, we haven't had any confidence boosting big wins. Whether that is down to a large core of new players all taking time to settle in, I don't know. But in my opinion, most people expected us to struggle this season.

[Sammy h]

How can anyone praise DA after that garbage yesterday, he is shocking, should never play again. Thought we battered them 2nd half and should have got the winner. Great back 4 bar DA. Henry and Yatesy should be in there every week.

[SPARKYM]

The problem as i see it , Is that at least 7 of the regular 1st eleven are not good enough for league 2 But having said that Being a small and relativly new club to the football league, it was always going to be difficult to attract top league 2 players even if we had the finances to compete within the transfer market Hopefully if we manage to hang on for another couple of seasons. with a new ground and proper training facilities thing could possibly change for the better , so until then if it happens like that Sammy and his staff have really got there work cut out