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Despite too many results not going our way and a few (or more) individual shortcomings and inadequacies (you know who they are) I get the impression that team performances generally have improved in recent games and that CH has actually begun to turn things around with the return of a positive team spirit and morale.

I shall reserve final judgement until I see CH's retained list and the new signings he brings in, but I believe this bodes well for next season. There are one or two idiots who have already completely written off CH, the players, and the whole club and its future. They're wrong. I don't know the odds against us bouncing back from the Conference at the first attempt, but already I'm willing to have a decent bet on it..!!

If we beat Wycombe on Saturday, they will finish bottom of the division, and we will retain a measure of pride at Plainmoor that we avoided that ignominy. On the other hand, if Wycombe beat us and if Bristol Rovers lose to Mansfield (not impossible since Rovers are a poor side), then Rovers would be relegated and would join us in the Conference next season.

Bristol is half the distance to Wycombe, so we would then have a couple of relatively local derbies, but the real question to consider is which club would be the bigger threat to our own promotion chances next season.

So who would you prefer to have with us in the Conference next season? Wycombe Wanderers or Bristol Rovers?

We're in the FL for 100 years, get relegated by two measley points and suddenly "the Conference is our level".

Matt.

ferrarilover wrote:We're in the FL for 100 years, get relegated by two measley points and suddenly "the Conference is our level".
Matt.

I seem to remember somebody saying that on another thread. They're wrong of course. We'll be a Championship club within five years. If I had a spare £ I'd bet on it. What are the odds..??

I feel cautiously optimistic about next season.

CH seems to have found a system that works reasonably well away from home with 5 wins in 11 away games since he took over. Next season against generally weaker opposition that win rate could be higher.

It is at home that we clearly have major issues and CH needs to crack this during the summer and find a way that will consistently open teams up at home and ensure the right players are brought in to achieve this. if he can do this then it could be a good season with us pushing for the play offs, if not then mid table is probably where we will end up.

Let's not forget that the teams we have beaten away under CH were all struggling at the time and Mansfield were already safe and didn't play well and were down to 10 for much of the game. Against Brizzle, Exeter and Mansfield the pressure was off too as we were already going down. I'm not wantonly trying to take the gloss off those victories, after all wins are wins but I'm just saying not to get too carried away.

Torquay til I die. The players will change, the league will change, but I will always be yellow to my core. I will be there, loud and proud again next season, for the 40th season, COYY

Anyone who says the Conference is our level is being defeatist I am afraid. We have played the 3rd most games in Level 4 of the pyramid of any club in history, well over 2000 games! We are League 2 and we WILL be back where we belong.
Now is the time more than ever to support our club. The hard times make the good times all the sweeter when they return.
I am giving my full support to CH from now. COYY.

Fair enough Andy, you and others are much better qualified than I am to comment on away performances.

The victories may have been against teams struggling at the time but you still have to beat what is in front of you. I just feel CH has a better idea at present on how to get results away from home. Next season against some of the weaker sides we may get away with some of the individual mistakes we have been punished for this season.

Believe me I'm not getting carried away just trying to finds some crumbs of hope for a better season next season and my hope is that we can produce a similar sort of return away (10-11 wins would represent a decent achievement) coupled with a vast improvement at home although I still think we may struggle to break sides down who come to Plainmoor and pack their defence against us.

ferrarilover wrote:We're in the FL for 100 years, get relegated by two measley points and suddenly "the Conference is our level".

Matt.

All I said is "perhaps" it's a thought to consider and I would sincerely hope that the long term ambition of the club is to be a well established league one club, like when I started watching them back in 1969. It's achievable surely! But at this time you have to ponder on the darker side of things.

ferrarilover wrote:We're in the FL for 100 years, get relegated by two measley points and suddenly "the Conference is our level".

Matt.

Just because we had such a long run in the league over the years doesn't mean that we have any right to be an FL club.

Football has changed. When I started watching TUFC in 1992 a small budget, team of journeymen pros and a rickety old ground with no other income streams were par for the course. Now, you've got wealthy backers, multi sponsorship deals, big wage bills, burgeoning youth schemes, vibrant football in the community programmes and off field spin-off businesses. None of the above apply to us, and we've been replaced by the Yeovils, Crawleys, Stevenages of this world.

I'm not suggesting that we have a right to be in the FL, but we're talking about "our level". Our level can't be anything but L2. It's where we've spent about 98% of our existence.

Matt.

Gullscorer wrote:If we beat Wycombe on Saturday, they will finish bottom of the division, and we will retain a measure of pride at Plainmoor that we avoided that ignominy. On the other hand, if Wycombe beat us and if Bristol Rovers lose to Mansfield (not impossible since Rovers are a poor side), then Rovers would be relegated and would join us in the Conference next season.

Bristol is half the distance to Wycombe, so we would then have a couple of relatively local derbies, but the real question to consider is which club would be the bigger threat to our own promotion chances next season.

So who would you prefer to have with us in the Conference next season? Wycombe Wanderers or Bristol Rovers?

Afc Knill can still go down, Wycombe beat us and they lose to nearest rivals oxford they are down, oxford will be up for this, imagine us having nothing to play for and having the chance to relegate Exeter at there place.

We certainly look more of a team under Hargreaves than we ever did under Knill. Despite being relegated, I do sense looking from the outside in that there is a good atmosphere in the dressing room. There's more togetherness and pride and that's created by the man in charge. One of his biggest strengths is he seems to be a good man-manager. Of course I could be completely wrong, but I get the feeling that these players will run through brick walls for him. I never got that feeling under Knill. The loan players seem to enjoy playing under Hargreaves and I think that will boost our chances of at least signing Cargill and Goodwin again next season, when they look more than capable of playing in League Two. Tactically, Hargreaves still has a lot to learn but I feel relatively optimistic ahead of next season with him at the helm.

yeovilgull wrote:Fair enough Andy, you and others are much better qualified than I am to comment on away performances.

The victories may have been against teams struggling at the time but you still have to beat what is in front of you. I just feel CH has a better idea at present on how to get results away from home. Next season against some of the weaker sides we may get away with some of the individual mistakes we have been punished for this season.

Believe me I'm not getting carried away just trying to finds some crumbs of hope for a better season next season and my hope is that we can produce a similar sort of return away (10-11 wins would represent a decent achievement) coupled with a vast improvement at home although I still think we may struggle to break sides down who come to Plainmoor and pack their defence against us.

Fair points Yeovilgull and I also agree that CH may be able to wing it against some of the other limited teams in the conference and it might not be that bad.

As a side issue, i've just looked at the map anyway to see where Welling is...............I AIN'T GOING THERE!!!