No disrespect to Lincoln who have a good record as a cup team but this must be our best chance of finally collecting a trophy at Wembley. Like many having sat and suffered through our previous defeats there where we came up against quality like Jemson, Goater, Lambert and Jackson with teams inferior to our current one this must be the first time we go in as favourites. Assuming Abu and Toto cannot play I would start the same team who played Oxford. Carlton has done little wrong but I think we move the ball quicker with Stefan up front. I watched Lincoln play their semi against Chelsea U 21 and thought they were well drilled, attack - minded and direct. If we can match their physicality and get the ball down in midfield we should be able to test their defence. This may be a tinpot trophy but I for one will be delerious at the final whistle if we can pull this off.
Rodman and Nsiala have travelled down but remain doubtful. I guess we might see one of them starting or being on the bench. However it this enforced league break will give Nsiala time to heal his fracture too. I'm guessing it'll be Henderson Bolton Beckles Sadler Lowe Godfrey Whalley Nolan Morris Thomas Payne Looking forward to the game and hopefully it gives us something to put in the trophy cabinet alongside the Shropshire cup.
A bitterly disappointing day and a game which was a very poor advert for League 1 and 2 football. I have been to over thirty games this season and that was the worst display I can remember. At least with the other threeWembley defeats we performed with some credit though the opposition were better on the day but neither of these was true today. I would give Lincoln credit for resolute defending but I have not seen their brand of anti - football since the old Wimbledon team. It would be nice to have had a ref with the cojones to send Rhead off for his assault on Deano but alas it was not to be. We had a decent spell at the start of the second half but only Nolan had a good game - the other forwards simply went missing. I lost count of the number of misplaced passes or crosses that did not beat the first man. It took his absence to show the effect Abu has - we badly missed his leadership today. After such a magnificent season the lads looked shot today and that does not bode well for the play- offs. I have reconciled myself to never seeing us win at Wembley simply because I do not think I will go if we get there again.
After the reaction of the Shrews supporters following game against us earlier in the season I have to say I was rooting for you today to win a trophy and at the big Ground. Think your club deserve something out of this season. Reading your comments above I absolutely get the "don't think I will go if we get there again" remark. When we got to the play off final a couple of seasons ago I couldn't wait to get the tickets for son and me or for the day to arrive. It cost me somewhere near £300 for the day out but I didn't care. When we got there the green army outnumbered the Wombles by more than 2 to 1 and the atmosphere outside and inside the ground was fantastic. The game started and was over before anyone really noticed. We lost and the one thing that stood out was that Argyle as a team had failed to even arrive at the ground let alone compete. It was awful. Not losing as such but the way in which we lost. The journey home was as flat as I've ever felt. I had a long conversation with son about if we ever got to Wembley again and would I go. My answer was no definately not because to witness that lack of show again would be twice as bad. We have a chance of going back this season although not taking anything for granted. I tend to expect the worst and then be doubly happy when it isn't. Last Saturday after our league game I found myself in conversation with mates again about what if . Would I stick to the no show or would I crack in the end. Know what? Of course I would go and I would only be kidding myself if I said I wouldn't. Same as you greenhousemeadowman. Would you really be able to resist....................
Welcome back Greeny - that is a good question but I suspect it will not be tested this season. This has been a great season for us overall but playing a high energy pressing game with a small squad (and now without our captain) is starting to take its toll. The points total we are likely to get would have taken us up automatic in most seasons but I cannot see Wigan or Blackburn with the quality of the forwards they have slipping up now. I have never been a big fan of the play-offs even though we got back into the league that way over a decade ago. I hope we don't get Plymouth in the semis if you make it as your team seem to like it at the Meadow. I have booked a holiday in Wales for the play -off final week but you are right I may be sorely tempted to go if we make it. If we don't go up I hope you do as coming from the bottom of the table to promotion in the same season would be quite the story.
Thanks for the wishes. I think you are right about the automatic spots because none of the rest of the league can complete with the spending power of those 2 and squads they have. I do love it though when an underdog gives the supposed big boys a lesson. Problem is it doesn't happen often enough. You have to be nailed on for the play off spots whatever happens automatic wise. It's going to be a slog to the end for 2 of the spots if not 3 if Rotherham continue to slip a bit. Whoever makes it will find it a further hard slog to Wembley and I'm not sure there are any favourites to do it amongst the contenders. To be fair I don't go much on play offs either. You play 46 games to get where you are and not to have to face a lottery at the death. Promotion should be 1, 2 and 3.
Yes - we are already assured of the play-offs and need four points from six games to get third place. Assuming we do that I would like Charlton in the semis, not because I think it would be easy but at least they like us try to play decent football and we played really well at their place before Robinson left. I would hate to play Peterborough who have some of the most arrogant fans in this division. If you can get fifth and then beat Rotherham in the semis the dream scenario would be for us to meet at Wembley so only one of us would then be disappointed ( though I still reserve the right not to go!).
At least we have one thing in common and that's a dislike for Peterborough. It's not the club as such that I don't like but the Manager in particular. Steve Evans is the most odious ingrate I have come across in football and that is a hard title to win. It rubs off on his players as well who are the worst side we have played this season for diving and cheating throughout. All clubs have an arrogant section of supporters unfortunately. I can't stand the billy big bollox approach from anyone. As far as I'm concerned you are where you are league wise and position wise because that's where you deserve to be. You start a season on zero and are no bigger and better than anyone else. There are a number of teams we have met in league 2 and league 1 this season who think they have some divine right to be up the top. It's so much sweeter when they lose and don't go up as expected. And you'll still be there if you make the final despite your right not to go....................
You are spot on there Greeny about the clubs who think they have a divine right to be in a higher division. Blackburn dropped a couple of points last night so we need to win our TV game at Bradford tomorrow to keep them honest - tune in if you want to get the lowdown on us ahead of the playoffs and I am hoping for a backlash from our miserable day at Wembley.
Some good points. A really disappointing day for Salop fans watching a team that didn't seem to have turned up, with only a few moments of skill being shown. Rhead should've been sent off and a hand ball in the box should've led to a penalty. I'm torn over returning if we end in the playoffs. I said at the time that at least the squad will have been now and that should give an advantage however it's my third trip and we've lost each time! I think there could be a ruling regarding promotion that if the third team are a set percentage/number of points above the other teams then they should automatically get the promotion. This has affected teams in the past and could be trialed in one of the league's such as the conference. What do you think of that idea?
Nope for me it's a plain one two and three who go up. Some years ago we were third in the league to go up to the Championship. Burnley were in the last play off position and some 12 points behind us. We had missed out on goal difference in the first place or something equally daft. We went to Burnley and drew 0 - 0. They came to us and we blew it losing 1 - 3 that night. They went on to win at Wembley. That to me says it all and why it should not be. I doubt we are the only ones to have suffered that fate. "It keeps the season alive for a number of clubs" is the apparent reason why they do it and there are a load of people who think it's good to be fair. The ones who do are normally the successful Wembley teams of course. It raises extra revenue for the clubs involved but if you don't go up, or even if you do, it delays preparation for the next season and you start at least a month behind everyone else. Do you keep your current squad for the division you are in or do you look for better quality players for the division above? As you don't know which one you will be in till Wembley is over it is impossible to decide. Euphoric supporters who thought play off games were wonderful until they lost out then moan like the proverbial because their club hasn't signed anyone yet..................not rocket science to see why but then again when were supporters ever that thoughtful when entering a tirade. Hope you catch one of the two above and it becomes academic for you but I fear you may not do that now. Good luck with it anyway.
I would personally like to see play- offs scrapped and not just because we will probably finish third this year. We have 46 games in a season and that surely is enough to distinguish between teams. Otherwise I would make them one-off games with the team finishing higher in the league having home advantage. Unfortunately I don't think this will happen because money talks and these games are money spinners.
Thank you for Peterborough tonight......................or at least for shutting that toe rag Evans up.
We did not do so well wIth Charlton but I was very pleased to see off Peterborough. What do you reckon for your chances now Greeny?
If honest I think we have blown it now but don't tell anyone I said that. The next two games will decide it for us but they are the hardest of the 3 we have left. We picked up one point from six out of the two games we perhaps should have done better in given league position. None of the games are ever that easy in any league and on their day anyone can and do beat anyone else. We have injuries now almost back to square one at the start of the season when we were rock bottom. They have been to key players and our squad is paper thin without them. Wrong time but this season has at least been exciting whatever happens so I can't be too grumpy about it if we do fall away at the death. I still have everything crossed however so haven't quite given up just yet.
Agree with you that the play-offs are a real war of attrition. I will be watching your game on TV on Tuesday and I hope you make the top 6 in the end though it will probably go to the last day. We will probably heavily rotate against MK Dons the last day and hope that will help us a bit.
