| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… 22:39 - Apr 16 with 5735 views | unstableblue |
McKenna has been here 20 games, if his PPG so far was extrapolated across the season, we get to 83 points, and a low goal difference
Wycombe win 2 and draw one of their remaining games, which I expect, they get to 83, add in their better scoring record… and we miss out on a play-off place!
Let’s wake up to how hard this league is.
We need to be much more clinical, more energetic and more physical.., combined with the much improved shape, system and passing. And we need to bully the ‘weaker’ teams in the league.
In McKenna we trust, but we are not going to walk the league next season. |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 22:41 - Apr 16 with 4432 views | pointofblue |
The big question is is this year an outlier? Most years, 75-78 would be enough for the play offs, let alone 83. |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:05 - Apr 16 with 4288 views | MattinLondon |
So standards have slipped so far we now think that L1 is difficult. With a good budget, good manager, good infrastructure a team should get promoted.
As much as I like KM, he’ll have no excuses if he doesn’t get us up next season. |  | | |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:06 - Apr 16 with 4281 views | pointofblue |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:05 - Apr 16 by MattinLondon |
So standards have slipped so far we now think that L1 is difficult. With a good budget, good manager, good infrastructure a team should get promoted.
As much as I like KM, he’ll have no excuses if he doesn’t get us up next season. |
I'm slightly concerned that people are deeming the play offs a success for next season. Talk about successfully downplaying expectations. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:10 - Apr 16 with 4258 views | MattinLondon |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:06 - Apr 16 by pointofblue |
I'm slightly concerned that people are deeming the play offs a success for next season. Talk about successfully downplaying expectations. |
Anything other than promotion will be a total failure. | | | |
| Arghhhhhh….. on 23:50 - Apr 16 with 4148 views | unstableblue |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:10 - Apr 16 by MattinLondon |
Anything other than promotion will be a total failure. |
… I just don’t agree!
In case you hadn’t noticed this will be our FOURTH season in League One! This concept that we have a divine right to leave this league is becoming ridiculous. Sunderland are a bigger club, they’ve been mired in league one.
Our team has had quality attacking football sucked out of them for what 10 seasons?
It doesn’t just come back because we spend money on players. It takes time to change.
I think in McKenna we have the right man. But he is learning his craft.
We’ll get there, but the league is tough, a lottery, and we’ll to excel, and have some luck… and SIGNIFICANTLY improve | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 23:53 - Apr 16 with 4138 views | Guthrum |
However, bear in mind where the team was when McKenna took over. Staggering around punch drunk, losing to Youth teams and L2 strugglers. Fans rebelling and having a go at players.
McKenna launched an outstanding run from worse than a standing start. |  |
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| Arghhhhhh….. on 23:55 - Apr 16 with 4126 views | pointofblue |
| Arghhhhhh….. on 23:50 - Apr 16 by unstableblue |
… I just don’t agree!
In case you hadn’t noticed this will be our FOURTH season in League One! This concept that we have a divine right to leave this league is becoming ridiculous. Sunderland are a bigger club, they’ve been mired in league one.
Our team has had quality attacking football sucked out of them for what 10 seasons?
It doesn’t just come back because we spend money on players. It takes time to change.
I think in McKenna we have the right man. But he is learning his craft.
We’ll get there, but the league is tough, a lottery, and we’ll to excel, and have some luck… and SIGNIFICANTLY improve |
If we were still under Evans I would agree. But with the American ownership and the quality of players they managed to bring in last summer showing promise for this one? Promotion has to be the end destination next season. Will it be? I'm not so sure. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 00:13 - Apr 17 with 4067 views | quirkie |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 22:41 - Apr 16 by pointofblue |
The big question is is this year an outlier? Most years, 75-78 would be enough for the play offs, let alone 83. |
Actually most seasons 74 pts will get you 6th. Crazy how many points it is this season to get 6th. I can see Plymouth missing out with 80 pts.
I guess it is because there are two divisions in this league this year. |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 00:25 - Apr 17 with 4043 views | TheBoyBlue |
Imagine what McKenna could do with a pre-season, some more players he has signed and strikers who can shoot? Also, unlikely to be this many points needed next season.
Not saying it's all going to just fall into place, but I don't think we need to get too downhearted with the last few games where clearly some of the intensity will have waned. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:44 - Apr 17 with 3563 views | ElephantintheRoom |
It’s not coincidence that Wigan, Rotherham and our fellow franchisees at MK have ground out results while ‘big clubs’ like Sunderland, Sheff Wed and indeed Ipswich are well off the pace
I’m not sure that all this infrastructure and backroom staff is entirely beneficial in division three - with a tyro manager whose skill set might not be getting journeymen to knit together better than 21 other teams of so-so players. On thé évidence so far this season there is a danger that McKenna might be creating Burley’s Ipswich one division lower down - perhaps the best ´footballing team’ in the division - just not the best team. I doubt he’ll be given another season IF there’s a glorious play-off failure next season, let alone three failures. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:51 - Apr 17 with 3551 views | DBaldy |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:44 - Apr 17 by ElephantintheRoom |
It’s not coincidence that Wigan, Rotherham and our fellow franchisees at MK have ground out results while ‘big clubs’ like Sunderland, Sheff Wed and indeed Ipswich are well off the pace
I’m not sure that all this infrastructure and backroom staff is entirely beneficial in division three - with a tyro manager whose skill set might not be getting journeymen to knit together better than 21 other teams of so-so players. On thé évidence so far this season there is a danger that McKenna might be creating Burley’s Ipswich one division lower down - perhaps the best ´footballing team’ in the division - just not the best team. I doubt he’ll be given another season IF there’s a glorious play-off failure next season, let alone three failures. |
"Fellow franchisees"??
Bore off scummer. | | | |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:51 - Apr 17 with 3547 views | Churchman |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:44 - Apr 17 by ElephantintheRoom |
It’s not coincidence that Wigan, Rotherham and our fellow franchisees at MK have ground out results while ‘big clubs’ like Sunderland, Sheff Wed and indeed Ipswich are well off the pace
I’m not sure that all this infrastructure and backroom staff is entirely beneficial in division three - with a tyro manager whose skill set might not be getting journeymen to knit together better than 21 other teams of so-so players. On thé évidence so far this season there is a danger that McKenna might be creating Burley’s Ipswich one division lower down - perhaps the best ´footballing team’ in the division - just not the best team. I doubt he’ll be given another season IF there’s a glorious play-off failure next season, let alone three failures. |
Yeah, it’s much better to have a clueless twerp like Clegg running around with a promise and a paint pot. Why bother with structure when you can lump everything on one poor bloke and get the lightbulbs off eBay? Who needs a decent pitch? Smartprice seed at £5 a box will do eh? Ahhh the good ole days of wondering whether Evans was actually an alien life form. I do miss it….
Anyway, Jeremy Goss’ goal against Bayern Munich. Goal of the century do you think? Shame about your result yesterday but it was a good effort. |  | | |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:56 - Apr 17 with 3526 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
Doesn't really tell us anything.
McKenna needs a summer transfer window and pre-season to progress the team.
We are all well aware how hard this league is after 3 seasons of not reaching the play offs. |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 09:39 - Apr 17 with 3397 views | Pilgrimblue |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:56 - Apr 17 by Marshalls_Mullet |
Doesn't really tell us anything.
McKenna needs a summer transfer window and pre-season to progress the team.
We are all well aware how hard this league is after 3 seasons of not reaching the play offs. |
Not sure that McK has what it takes to get us promoted. He'll certainly have support from the Owners but he's got very little experience so it may take him too long. I don't want to see any more changes but there are managers out there they know how to get out of L1. |  | | |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 09:55 - Apr 17 with 3356 views | monty_radio |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 00:13 - Apr 17 by quirkie |
Actually most seasons 74 pts will get you 6th. Crazy how many points it is this season to get 6th. I can see Plymouth missing out with 80 pts.
I guess it is because there are two divisions in this league this year. |
There being two divisions in the league is not just the case for this year. It's become the norm since money became such a determining factor. Certainly it's the fact of life in the Prem, and also in the Champ, due to parachute payments.
But have a look at today's National League table and you'll find that of the 12 teams at the top of that league, 9 have been previously in the league, and not a few of those, such as Wrexham, have recently been boosted by new owners' money. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 10:00 - Apr 17 with 3335 views | pointofblue |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 09:39 - Apr 17 by Pilgrimblue |
Not sure that McK has what it takes to get us promoted. He'll certainly have support from the Owners but he's got very little experience so it may take him too long. I don't want to see any more changes but there are managers out there they know how to get out of L1. |
Out of the top twelve clubs, I think only two are managed by someone who has already won promotion from League One - Warne at Rotherham and Ainsworth at Wycombe. And Ainsworth’s success was through a quirk of calculation because of Covid. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:01 - Apr 17 with 3228 views | patrickswell |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 08:56 - Apr 17 by Marshalls_Mullet |
Doesn't really tell us anything.
McKenna needs a summer transfer window and pre-season to progress the team.
We are all well aware how hard this league is after 3 seasons of not reaching the play offs. |
Indeed and it’s that last stat which is really damning. We all see how difficult this league has become but unlike those other “big” clubs that spent extended periods of time in this division, we’ve never even been part of the discussion come the end of the season. Had Evans stayed, I have no doubt that we’d have probably declined on into League Two within 5 years. What’s interesting is that we’ve paid the price across all three seasons for extended slumps across different parts of the seasons. Lambert’s sides made fast starts but fell away into drift from October/November onwards. Cook made a poor start and while McKenna’s done very well so far, we’ve been stymied by all the draws since the Cheltenham game.
If we maintain our defensive record next season, we have a great chance of going up automatically, we’d probably concede less than 30 goals. We’re good enough to have dominant spells in games, we just need strikers that are going to score 2 or 3 goals in those periods rather than 1.
The squad at large needs to buck its ideas up too. Too often this season they’ve played like a team who think they should be doing better than they are but seem to lack the heart/desire to actually make it happen. “We’re a good team. Ask us and we’ll tell you how good we are.” |  | | |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:11 - Apr 17 with 3191 views | FrimleyBlue |
Arent we 10th in the form table over the last 7 games?
If that's done over a season what does that give us? |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:13 - Apr 17 with 3191 views | itfcjoe |
In the last 12 seasons 76 points has been enough for 6th, that Sunderland in 7th have that with 4 left is a huge statistical outlier so wouldn’t worry too much about it for next season |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:13 - Apr 17 with 3189 views | southnorfolkblue |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 10:00 - Apr 17 by pointofblue |
Out of the top twelve clubs, I think only two are managed by someone who has already won promotion from League One - Warne at Rotherham and Ainsworth at Wycombe. And Ainsworth’s success was through a quirk of calculation because of Covid. |
Both managers that you mention have another thing in common. They have both been given time.
The worry that I have is that if we judge success purely on getting promotion, the danger is that we will be ripping everything up and starting again every season. If this is the project that the owners have mentioned I would hope that the manager will be given at least a couple of full seasons to prove himself. | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:15 - Apr 17 with 3181 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:13 - Apr 17 by itfcjoe |
In the last 12 seasons 76 points has been enough for 6th, that Sunderland in 7th have that with 4 left is a huge statistical outlier so wouldn’t worry too much about it for next season |
What makes people think it wont be the same next season? | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:28 - Apr 17 with 3130 views | itfcjoe |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:15 - Apr 17 by FrimleyBlue |
What makes people think it wont be the same next season? |
Logic and history | |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:35 - Apr 17 with 3099 views | ArnieM |
I think yesterdays game probably confirmed to the manager what he had suspected . This squad is not quite right for this division . We lack goals , physicality, and a streetwise approach . Nice though it is to watch , pretty , possession football will not get us out of this league . McKenna’s approach would be awesome in the championship and higher but not division Three! |  |
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| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:38 - Apr 17 with 3083 views | timothyeo |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:28 - Apr 17 by itfcjoe |
Logic and history |
Although I'd argue the disparity between the top 6 of League One and the bottom 12 is as big as its ever been which is why we've seen the top 6 gain so many points. That looks to be the same again next season.
I'd also warn that the gap between League One and the championship is as big as its ever been, as it is between the championship and the prem. | | | |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:51 - Apr 17 with 3051 views | PhilTWTD |
| Quick sobering stat on McKenna record and the difficulty of this league… on 11:38 - Apr 17 by timothyeo |
Although I'd argue the disparity between the top 6 of League One and the bottom 12 is as big as its ever been which is why we've seen the top 6 gain so many points. That looks to be the same again next season.
I'd also warn that the gap between League One and the championship is as big as its ever been, as it is between the championship and the prem. |
I was going to make a similar point, seems to have developed into more of a division of two halves than previously over the last year or so - perhaps Covid and reduced budgets have impacted the smaller clubs more - and that seems likely to continue next year.
Re the Championship, the success of clubs with lower budgets this season, Luton, QPR (until recently), Blackburn, Huddersfield etc, suggests that it's not quite as strong as it has been in previous years. Think we might have been in with a shout of being in the top half had we gone up this year. Think a lot of clubs are still adjusting after Covid and loss of income.
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