Ritchierich

We said that last Tuesday and then watched a masterclass

Huge game this, regardless of Tuesday’ result. I hope we take decent numbers but for some reason the club isn’t creating the buzz around away games (I suppose there is no direct revenue) So come on, last push for the playoffs, get yourself down to Aldershot, it’s actually one of the best away ends and atmospheres in the NL, proper covered terrace and home support. Ground is right in the town centre, minutes walk from the station and pubs

Don’t tell the players that, they’ll panic under the pressure You’re right but we have 5 home games left and can you honestly see us winning any of them? We are going to have to keep up our exceptional away form to get the points total we need…the away games at Aldershot and Halifax are massive….hopefully scrape a point on Tuesday and then take big numbers to Aldershot for a real playoff showdown

He was excellent on Tuesday

Haha! Well that is certainly true. Either way, Southend would have been in the playoff hunt and honestly I think they would win them, very well organised, great spirit and a manager who gets the best out of his players. I think they will potentially be favourites for the title next season if they can strengthen their squad. It looks like MM doesn’t have the tactical or motivational skills required to win home games regularly so we probably won’t be title contenders but obviously play offs likely again assuming we make them this year and don’t go up.

Indeed! However, their decline may be the reason we sneak into the last playoff spot

Yeah you’re right, they’re shite

Radio said around 6300 with 430 or so Essex Boys

A team that if it hadn’t had 10 points deducted would be 2 points behind us with a game in hand and a superior goal difference

Oh well, a point more towards 7th place. Results went our way with only Aldershot winning in the play off chase No chance we are consistent enough to catch Barnet or Bromley and frankly I’d rather we had 3 away play off games as MM and the players clearly have no clue how to win at home

Honestly this fucking team

Sounds bad for Green, maybe season over if it’s his knee gone

You’re welcome

If a football match could be a song that tonight was Susan Boyle’ first appearance on BGT! Before the game we, the audience, were sneering and laughing at the events to come….and then it began, beautiful from start to finish. McGahey, despite from a distance appearing to have a similar body shape to Boyle had suddenly morphed into the love child of John Sheridan and Andrea Pirlo, commanding the stage, delivering pass after pass and linking play between front and back. Hammond and Sheron buzzing around him, Green and Kitch giving endless width and our numerous Centre half’s winning absolutely everything that came their way. Up front Mikey never let the shattered Eastleigh defenders rest and Garner did what he does, an absolute pest and giving us goals until promotion comes As the game ended and our noisey fans roared their approval I swear I heard Ant or Decs little voice saying “you weren’t expecting that were you?” BP may currently be a footballing desert for us but down south it is truly an OASIS

Very good that, 250 tics in good voice and Frank here in the stands chatting and having photos taken We should fake a safety issue at BP and apply to the NL to finish the season away from home

Crazy really, with ten or so games to go we are in the playoffs but sitting here in a virtually empty leisure centre just before ko I have zero expectations and minimal hope…this is not what a promotion chase is supposed to feel like surely?! 2-1 Latics

Well this should be fun!

Ticket bought, honestly don’t really care what the line up is or what MM says, just need to keep picking up enough points to scrape into 7th and then anything could happen. Nobody will fancy us at their place (ok, except maybe Bromley ) Don’t forget to buy before midnight tonight as the price goes up by a couple of quid tomorrow! Should be fun

I more or less only go to away games down South so the National League and our away form means OASIS types are having the best season we’ve probably ever had (although it doesn’t feel like a promotion team or atmosphere at games tbh)

Hartlepool are just six points outside the playoffs, they probably won’t make them but with ten or so games to go they will be thinking if we get in a run we could sneak in……so far they have lost 17 games!

Er, no we don’t, we sometimes play well but we are often garbage like at Ebbsfleet. Our defensive tactics just work better away

I would be amazed if this lot made the playoffs, no character whatsoever apart from our forwards. Basically we are a lower mid table squad with a dinosaur manager but with a decent forward line that nicks us a few more points than the overall play deserves.

Surely the primary reason for our inconsistency is down to the squad size and having to effectively “start again” after DU left. This is not MMs fault and he’s doing the pre season work in the middle of a playoff chasing season which is not ideal. When I look at teams like Aldershot, sure they are as inconsistent as us but they have a much smaller squad, presumably the starting eleven is pretty much set and they seem to have a real togetherness and spirit and their fans are behind them because they know they are punching a little above their budget and expectations for this season. We are the opposite; huge squad with endless permutations, issues with individual players, 3 managers this season, high expectations due to budget and the club size etc etc. Is it also possible injuries are more frequent due to players not playing regularly so losing match sharpness? I know I suffered less injuries when I played every week compared with when I “semi-retired” and played every month or so to help my old team out. I still stand by my original view that this season is a bit of a write off but one in which we could still make the playoffs and even be promoted! The real proof in the pudding is next season for MM. I think we need a smaller squad, hopefully with more quality and a style of play that we can get a bit more excited about. We are in the playoff positions but this season has, to me, never really felt like a promotion chasing season….nothing like the Dowie season for example.

Er, Barnet were away to Aldershot who went above us with the win and Alty lost at Hartlepool who are now making a late push for 7th, frankly I would have preferred they had both won as we are really battling the likes of Halifax, Aldershot and maybe Pools for the last playoff spot, not a chance we are consistent enough to get anywhere close the the top 5

Well that wasn’t very good was it? Honestly I just can’t believe how poor we are at playing football, we seem incapable of passing the ball at any kind of pace on the ground to our teammates. I guess it’s just this division and we are still capable of scraping 07th spot.