The 2016/17 Relegation Thread

[MJA]

Surprised there isn't one of these in the L1 forum already but as Vale seem to be very much involved I thought it would be nice for the fans of those teams auditioning for a place in L2 to come and share their tinpotness (that is a word) and shitness (that is also a word) with each other.

So who is involved in this story so far.....

Coventry are pretty much down despite the fact that JoeJoeJoeJoe was full of stories of them filling their team with Championship level players leading me to include them in my league winners acca.

The last 3 places are very much up for grabs. There was a bit of optimism from Spirederman following deadline day arrivals at Chesterfield but they have followed that up with a defeat at home against fellow strugglers Oldham today.

Oldham are a strange team this season who seem to want to let everyone pencil them in for relegation before they throw a couple of results together to just keep them on the cusp of safety.

Bury had seemed to be showing something towards their early season form recently with their big earners coming back into the side but then they throw in a defeat against another struggling team in Shrewsbury today.

Talking of Shrewsbury, they are most definitely the in form side of all those around the relegation places having now gone 5 games unbeaten and risen to the dizzy heights of 18th, yet they are still only 4 points clear of the relegation zone. Have they turned a corner or will one bad result send them spiralling again?

Spiralling (this is fucking seamless) is one way to describe Port Vale's plummet down the table. The European adventure soon turned sour with the cold Boslem nights not something the foreign contingent enjoyed and once the continental weather left us, so did performances and more importantly results. The inexperienced Michael Brown has been left to try and recover the mess but replacing 2 key players lost on deadline day with somebody who a L2 side didn't want and a goalkeeper whose experience is all from the Scottish Highlands leagues was never going to be a good idea and that was proven with a heavy home defeat today. The only blessing for Vale is that there is either 1 or 2 game advantages over other teams around them - the only problem is actually getting anything from these games.

Any early season optimism from Swindon fans seemed to evaporate by the end of August and their season never seemed to have got going. A big derby match tomorrow could see them climb 5 points clear of the relegation zone but even if this did happen you wouldn't discount Indian Dan and his mates from returning back towards the relegation zone in the near future.

Gillingham and Northampton are 2 teams who have also replaced managers but as with Vale have not really seen an upturn in fortunates following this, although Gillingham are 3 matches unbeaten following 3 draws.

MK Dons, Wimbledon and Oxford all deserve honourable mentions but their current gap between them and the relegation zone and the fact that none are in terrible form would suggest that they won't play a part in this seasons L1 relegation battle.

All aboard the League 1 relegation bus, next stop League 2!

 

[Agombar stool]

We have signed 9 before the end of the transfer window which is the least we can do. Hopefully the fresh players will provide the impotus required to move up the table.

A defeat in the Derby isn't a disaster in the bigger scheme of things as we have games against relegation rivals which will be more important, however for morale and belief tomorrow, not losing and not having players sent off would be a start.

 

[joethegill]

Doubt we'll be in any trouble if I'm honest, we've had a mostly terrible season but we're picking up points at the moment and have some favourable games coming up (which could go either way, I accept) so I'm looking forward to mid-march and the mid-table thread. There are some very clear candidates for the drop this year and they are the current bottom 3, and all of whom we face in the next month. Other than them, Oldham are doing their annual great escape and will probably manage it because they always do, Swindon seem to be more interested in 'playing the right way' than actually bothering to pick up wins, and Port Vale seem to have lost their good home form which is a worry as their away form is shite. Shrewsbury are in decent form but only 4 clear of the relegation zone so they're hardly safe. Just above ourselves, wouldn't be surprised to see Wimbledon start to slide a bit more, especially considering they're apparently allergic to scoring away goals. Early season form should see them ok though.

Coventry, Chesterfield, Bury and Shrews for me.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Vale coventry bury chesterfield to go down. I look forward to our annual league 2 away loss at accrington again.

 

[valefan16]

We massively remind me of Notts County a couple of years back... great start then a slow painful slide to the abyss.

Today has broken me...

 

[Meadow]

I think our home form will see us through - the complete opposite from earlier on in the season.

 

[Andy Proctor]

We won our first 5 home games since then our home form has been shit won 2 drawn 4 lost 4.

 

[dannylad01]

The Shrewsbury team up to October were relegation certainties. Hurst has come in, patched up the leaky defence making us harder to beat and now made wholesale changes to our attacking options. We're now looking at trying to win games rather than worrying about the opposition too much. I think we'll have enough to stay up as we're now picking up wins at home.

Based on today Bury have a lot of work to do to stay up. Of the other candidates, Coventry look in real trouble, and Chesterfield face an uphill struggle.

Having seen Oldham, Swindon and Gillingham in the last month, Gillingham were comfortably the best of those 3 and should be ok. I wasn't impressed with Vale back in November, but I think the last spot will see Oldham stopping up ahead of Swindon.

 

[valefan16]

Think Chesterfield and Coventry will go... the rest is open, we need to turn around form fast... beating Gillingham is a must and that would bring them into it too... problem is we've only won once away since winning at Gills last season!

Oldham and Shrewsbury are doing ok but hard to tell if that's a spurt or a full turn around. Swindon have been shit but made a fair few signings... if they don't work out I'd fancy them to go. Bury were easily the best side I've seen at Vale Park for a few months (arguably one of our best performances) so think they'll have enough.

Usually get one mid table side slide down at the end of the season and AFC Wimbledon look the most likely candidates to be drawn into the battle.

 

[Indian Dan]

I think 3 are certs - Coventry, Bury and Chesterfield. Got a feeling the 4th spot will go to one of the spectacular fallers. We've given ourselves half a chance with what appears to be a decent bit of recruitment.

My worry is that we still seem to be too 'soft' for a battle. With 4 or 5 games to come against those around us will seal our fate one way or another.

 

[SkyBlueElephant]

I seriously doubt we will even win another match between now and the end of the season. Between our shit players, clueless manager and fans disrupting the match were down.

What's the lowest points record in league one? Whatever it is we will probably beat it.

 

[PuB]

Our form over the last 12 months is definitely relegation form, but we've picked up two decent points from games away at sides doing well this season (sheff utd and Bradford). We are going to have to convert some of those draws in to wins pretty quickly over the next few games or we will find ourselves deep in trouble.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Oxford deserve honourable mentions.

Behave yourself you trouble maker. We are nine points off both relegation and the play offs, no one has played less games than us and we have three in hand on some of the more active sides in the division.

 

[MJA]

Behave yourself you trouble maker. We are nine points off both relegation and the play offs, no one has played less games than us and we have three in hand on some of the more active sides in the division.

Just wanted to make you feel wanted. There is now a mid-table thread for you boring clubs

 

[Spirederman]

Chooo Chooo, I'll comment in detail tomorrow when I'm not aching for my bed...

But...

We won't go down lads.

 

[EricSabin]

With Chesterfield and Swindon at home in our next two games, there's a real chance for us to get away from the drop zone. Conversely, there's a chance we could get dragged in if we lose those two, as our games following that are trips to Southend and Fleetwood

 

[Agombar stool]

In a game where we needed to show effort and desire, we did this for 45 minutes and then folded like the week's laundry.

Time to start seriously planning for league 2, this side we've put together is NOT cut out for a relegation fight, a lot of the players are going through the motions. Oldham and Shrewsbury are showing what needs to be done, I don't think we have what it takes to stay up.

 

[UTS]

We are absolutely down. Certainty. We are in a relegation scrap, millions in debt, injuries everywhere and have a manager with a 7.7% win record!!

We were beyond bad yesterday. No fight, can't defend (worst in the league) falling over, stupid players.

Goodbye league one.

 

[Andy Proctor]

I seriously doubt we will even win another match between now and the end of the season. Between our shit players, clueless manager and fans disrupting the match were down.

What's the lowest points record in league one? Whatever it is we will probably beat it.

You will beat us vale at home as we are complete shite

 

[hold'um Oldham]

We will stay up. No question.

We might have a shite squad but we have quality where it matters and a manager who knows what he is doing.

The squad we have at this moment in time is far better than out league position suggests. Recruited really well in january

 

[Spirederman]

We will stay up. No question.

We might have a shite squad but we have quality where it matters and a manager who knows what he is doing.

The squad we have at this moment in time is far better than out league position suggests. Recruited really well in january

Time waste and play as dirty as you did Saturday, and you'll be fine

Nah, in all honesty I don't believe you'll go down.

 

[hold'um Oldham]

Just seen the highlights from Saturday. Was the game as one sided as they made them look? Chesterfield didn't have a chance according to them yet they showed 5 or six for us.

Would usually have gone but been on a stag do all weekend

 

[Posh Red]

Swindon + 3 others

We don't have the players with the heart for a relegation scrap

 

[Shrew_fan]

As the weeks go by I'm getting more confident we might stay up. Paul Hurst has done a fantastic job since he came in, I think we were 5 points adrift at the bottom when he came it. Still a long way to go mind you.....

 

[Spirederman]

Just seen the highlights from Saturday. Was the game as one sided as they made them look? Chesterfield didn't have a chance according to them yet they showed 5 or six for us.

Would usually have gone but been on a stag do all weekend

No mate, was pretty even, solid rearguard from you guys and we had plenty of shots, just rarely tested the keeper.

 

[hold'um Oldham]

Coventry
Chesterfield
Bury
Swindon for me

 

[Bobbin']

You will beat us vale at home as we are complete shite

Never get comments like this.

Coventry will beat you because your shite? A quick look at the table shows Coventry are rock bottom and 12 points worse off than Port Vale, safe to say they are worse.

 

[valefan16]

Never get comments like this.

Coventry will beat you because your shite? A quick look at the table shows Coventry are rock bottom and 12 points worse off than Port Vale, safe to say they are worse.

Creamed us at home to be fair although think they are weaker now (as are we)

 

[Bobbin']

Creamed us at home to be fair although think they are weaker now (as are we)

Bury beat us 2-0 first game of the season but I fully expect to beat them at The Valley when we play them. Likewise Swindon humiliated us live on sky and I expect to beat them in the return fixture too.

Get what you're saying, it just doesn't make sense to predict a defeat against a side that are obviously a lot worse than you because 'you're shite'.

 

[Hurrikeen]

Bury beat us 2-0 first game of the season but I fully expect to beat them at The Valley when we play them. Likewise Swindon humiliated us live on sky and I expect to beat them in the return fixture too.

Get what you're saying, it just doesn't make sense to predict a defeat against a side that are obviously a lot worse than you because 'you're shite'.

I disagree. Over recent years in L1, we have tended to get better results against top half sides than those in and around the drop. Infact, I think it was the season before last we literally picked up 1pt out of a possible 24pts against the 4 relegated sides.

For example, we play Coventry at home on Saturday and I am not expecting to win.