Cherries: Promotion race will go down to the wire says Pugh (From Thisisdorset)

Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun.

Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies !

UTCIAD

Tomorrow will give us more of an idea where we are going to end up this season, let's hope this new look defence have sorted themselves out and we play more like the team in December than the team in September and last week!! we need the best to turn out tomorrow and get a win!

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game.
.
This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time.
.
Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition.
.
AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2
.
Regards
.

Yes it's as tight as can be at the moment, probably the tightest I've ever seen at this stage of the season.
.
However, give it 2 or 3 weeks and I think you will see a very different looking table.
.
Strangely, we are the runaway faavourites with the bookies, but I believe it's the league table that determines promotion.

smhinto wrote:

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game.
.
This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time.
.
Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition.
.
AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2
.
Regards
.

thank you for your prediction, I feel much better now you have predicted our demise at the hands of Sheff Utd!!

smhinto wrote:

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game.
.
This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time.
.
Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition.
.
AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2
.
Regards
.

Would that be the same horrible feeling you have every week (day).???. 2 days ago you were predicting " a draw at best" now afcb to lose. Whats happened for you to be less optimistic.???, not that we should be concerned by your prediction given your uncanny k ack of getting it wrong.You are being very disrespectful to Cook, Seaborne & Painter & Francis with your comment about being defensively vulnerable. Show a little faith.!!!!!!

STEADY EDDIE 1 for the road wrote:

smhinto wrote:

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game.
.
This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time.
.
Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition.
.
AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2
.
Regards
.

Would that be the same horrible feeling you have every week (day).???. 2 days ago you were predicting " a draw at best" now afcb to lose. Whats happened for you to be less optimistic.???, not that we should be concerned by your prediction given your uncanny k ack of getting it wrong.You are being very disrespectful to Cook, Seaborne & Painter & Francis with your comment about being defensively vulnerable. Show a little faith.!!!!!!

Should read knack, but kack is a perfectly reasonable substitution in this instance.!!!!

Going to a tough run of the 4 next games but I feel that home advantage against Sheffield Utd, Coventry and Doncaster will be decisive.

8 of us sit on the East Stand as my Dad prefers to view and often I we are the only ones making noise. The "WHOLE" ground need to be as vocal as possible and not just the North Stand.

Getting rather nervous for tomorrow but it will make the feeling of winning even better.

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

dont forget Tuesday

smhinto wrote:

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game.
.
This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time.
.
Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition.
.
AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2
.
Regards
.

Clown

andyjb10 wrote:

smhinto wrote:

afcbtintin wrote: Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game. . This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time. . Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition. . AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2 . Regards .

Clown

I now assume from the silly comment of 'clown' . That this would mean that you see the absence of Elphick and Daniels as making no difference at all against a side that has the second best away record in the League.?? Or the fact that we have Coventry and Doncaster to play also with a vunerable defence of which is not going to be exploited at all.

Yes Seabourne and Cook are good players but I believe that the people missing are better. In addition, we have no cover should Seabourne or Cook become injured.
.
See if you have a sensible answer to the above.
.
Regards

Time to really "crank it up" tomorrow people. Need to show thoseYorkshire puds just who is boss on this manor.
Someone is due a good hiding at DC real soon and hopfully SU are about to feel the full force of the AFCB juggernault. They dont like it oop em.!!!!

The best thing to come out of south yorkshire is the M1 . 3 points tomorrow come on you cherries.

3pts please tommorrow boys!!!!
Sadly I'm off to Norfolk but will be getting text updates and am back for the Cov game. Looking forward to seeing the double-thumbed/webbe
d fingered look in Cromer!!
COYR!!!

smhinto wrote:

afcbtintin wrote:
Nervous about tomorrow but it makes it all fun. Next two Saturdays at home are the biggies ! UTCIAD

Yes I share your nervousness. I have this horrible feeling that I had last week prior to the Preston game.
.
This is based on our current defensive frailties due to injury to key players and the fact that Sheff Utd have the second best away record in the league. Even Ed himself has expressed concerns that these injuries have come at a bad time.
.
Before i get slated for this. I am not being negative, i just believe that without Elphick and Daniels we are defensively vunerable, particularly against the stronger opposition.
.
AFCB 1 Sheff Utd 2
.
Regards
.

Your predictions are now becoming tedious earlier in the week it was a draw now a loss.

It's not surprising that many find your predictions laughable so what is it a draw or a loss I know where my money's going in the opposite direction as we always play well against our close opposition then slip up against weaker sides hence I was not surprised with the loss against Preston

REGARDS

jontee wrote:
Yes it's as tight as can be at the moment, probably the tightest I've ever seen at this stage of the season.
.
However, give it 2 or 3 weeks and I think you will see a very different looking table.
.
Strangely, we are the runaway faavourites with the bookies, but I believe it's the league table that determines promotion.

The league table will decide who goes up, but I have never seen a poor bookie. People doubted the bookies when they made Eddie Howe the favourite to replace Groves and look what happened. A lot can happen in the remaining games. Work back an equal number and see where we were. Keep the faith and enjoy the ride.

win, lose or draw,automatic promotion,play offs, or just missimg out, regardless of the final outcome it has been a great season,

joetheman wrote:
win, lose or draw,automatic promotion,play offs, or just missimg out, regardless of the final outcome it has been a great season,

My thoughts precisely!!!
What ever happens I've thoroughly enjoyed my football again since Eddie/Jason's return. What happens, happens, I'll be supporting them them all they way regardless.... UTCIAD

joetheman wrote:
win, lose or draw,automatic promotion,play offs, or just missimg out, regardless of the final outcome it has been a great season,

I agree.
When we started out in Aug, Sept and watched all the cr@p football, at the back of my mind was just how much worse it was going to be in the hard, cold winter sitting there in that freezing North Stand.
Then ....................
..... Our Ed and Jase returned..........
Thanks god for good football to watch once again.
It may be freezing at the moment - but just imagine how cold it would feel right now with Groves still in charge.

Jalal


Francis Cook Seabourne
McDonald

Arter O'Kane
Fraser Pugh
Grabban Pitman

Tubbs,McQuoid,Painte
r,Partington,
McDermott,Allsop,Fle
tch.

SHEFF.UTD. ARE NERVOUS!

Sorry forgot Ritchie.
As Cloughie said played on grass.
However do not think we have too much to worry about!

Looking forward to it - I'll got for a 2-1 home win and the same on Tuesday night would be most welcome. UTC !
Exciting times but lets face it, the last 4 or 5 seasons haven't been dull !

Lincoln's 'Prophet of Doom' strikes again! The Cherries were without Daniels and Elphick last Tuesday when you pointlessly predicted a draw for tomorrow (which in your words would mean the end of our promotion chances).
Now, with the same Cherries' squad in mind as 3 days ago, you are predicting a defeat for us. It just goes to show that your predictions are meaningless, your opinions are irrelevant and, yes, you are negative.
Obviously you are someone who likes the sound of your own voice but as no one can be bothered to listen you have resorted to liking the sound of your own keyboard. So very, very sad.
REAL Cherries' supporters will be cheering the team on tomorrow, hoping for a win, as WE always do. I still pinch myself when I see where we are in the league and how far we have come since the return of Eddie and Jason.

Up the Cherries!

I think you have to look at the past a bit here. I have been following the Cherries for over 50 years and whenever we have looked set for promotion (from this league), we have invariably fallen away at the business end of the season. The only exception of course was THE season of 86/87. The reason for this was not hard to find. As a small club we have limited resources and generally a small squad.
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Much has been made of the size of the current squad, but although large by AFCB standards, it was generally regarded as poorly balanced. There was a surfeit of strikers and midfielders, but less strength in depth at the back. Recent injuries in that department has highlighted this weakness (SMH is right there), and our activities in the January window have not helped us defensively.
.
So once again we are suffering from small squad (or at least unbalanced squad) sindrome. Here we will be at a disadvantage when we come up against a club like Sheff Utd with their resources and we face a run against other top sides.
.
The next few weeks will almost certainly map out where we are going.
.
I'm tempted to make predictions, but would have to add 'Regards' at the end ofthe post !

Using the past as a point of reference covers both sides of the argument. Before and during the great 86/87 season people claimed the club didn't want and couldn't afford promotion also stating that the squad wasn't big enough.
'Size of squad' was also banded around during the 2009/10 season. We wouldn't be able to last the pace because of the embargo etc.
The conclusion of both seasons proved that the size of squad is not the be all and end all. We have quality through out, in fact, it is arguable that the current squad is better than the team of 2 years ago but that is another debate.
Unforeseen factors have played their part during this season, past seasons and, no doubt, in seasons to come. You can't account for what might happen but purely react to and cope with what does happen.
Eddie Howe was a quality defender and only only injury prevented him from playing at the highest level. His track record here as a manager, both spells, is second to none. Therefore I trust his judgement.
Seaborne has been a solid performer since his arrival and Painter only arrived less than 24 hours before playing in the starting line up. Now he has spent a week with the squad he can only get better. Both have played regularly at a higher level. Both have experience of promotion.
Remember, Eddie chooses players when they meet certain criteria, obviously Zubar hasn't met that criteria. If that's good enough for Eddie, then it should be good enough for we supporters. How can we be more qualified to judge?
Going back to the original issue of the size of squad, many people have stated throughout the season that we have been spending beyond our means, fearing a Pompey style scenario in the future. In one of Eddie's first interviews following his return he stated that he was concerned by the size of the squad. It was too big. Although he has brought in Pitman, Ritchie, Allsop and Fraser more players have actually left and I'm sure more will follow in due course to keep our expenses down.
Focus on where we are and where we've come from and just enjoy the journey. Try topping up that half empty glass, and top up the Lincoln Prophet's while you're at it!

Up the Cherries!

Phil McG (Italy) wrote:
Using the past as a point of reference covers both sides of the argument. Before and during the great 86/87 season people claimed the club didn't want and couldn't afford promotion also stating that the squad wasn't big enough.
'Size of squad' was also banded around during the 2009/10 season. We wouldn't be able to last the pace because of the embargo etc.
The conclusion of both seasons proved that the size of squad is not the be all and end all. We have quality through out, in fact, it is arguable that the current squad is better than the team of 2 years ago but that is another debate.
Unforeseen factors have played their part during this season, past seasons and, no doubt, in seasons to come. You can't account for what might happen but purely react to and cope with what does happen.
Eddie Howe was a quality defender and only only injury prevented him from playing at the highest level. His track record here as a manager, both spells, is second to none. Therefore I trust his judgement.
Seaborne has been a solid performer since his arrival and Painter only arrived less than 24 hours before playing in the starting line up. Now he has spent a week with the squad he can only get better. Both have played regularly at a higher level. Both have experience of promotion.
Remember, Eddie chooses players when they meet certain criteria, obviously Zubar hasn't met that criteria. If that's good enough for Eddie, then it should be good enough for we supporters. How can we be more qualified to judge?
Going back to the original issue of the size of squad, many people have stated throughout the season that we have been spending beyond our means, fearing a Pompey style scenario in the future. In one of Eddie's first interviews following his return he stated that he was concerned by the size of the squad. It was too big. Although he has brought in Pitman, Ritchie, Allsop and Fraser more players have actually left and I'm sure more will follow in due course to keep our expenses down.
Focus on where we are and where we've come from and just enjoy the journey. Try topping up that half empty glass, and top up the Lincoln Prophet's while you're at it!

Up the Cherries!

Very well said that man, the only thing that needs to be added is that whilst we have spent good money, we also pulled in circa 3-4million from the fire-sale of our 2010/11 squad.
The other thing worth mentioning to the prophet of doom is that whilst SU may have the 2nd best away record, they are up against arguably THE BEST home record in the division. UTCIAD