To be or not to Be? . ..Away to Peterborough, Sat 26th Apr. 3-0'clock.

[TANGODANCER]

A Wanderer or not a Wanderer? That is the question. The why's and wherefores will be discussed elsewhere, but match-wise, the question is still relevant. Despite naught to lose, who cares enough to give it 100% at the death?

Darren Ferguson won't want to lose a homer, and our recent form will encourage him to think we're easy meat. Do we have enough pride and passion to care? Next season's Whites may be drastically changed depending on a whole host of items, but right now, are there those who want to play for the shirt and badge, contract regardless. This game and the last homer against Stevenage against should reveal the last chapters of a less than encouraging season. So..

Who cares enough to fight to be here next year, and how much do we want them? Que Sera Sera......

[Worthy4England]

We can't beat the year we got promoted for points, we're already way past on goals conceded and we're going to need 9 goals to beat the GF tally. Our top 11 appearance players were:

Dapo
George J
Declan John
MJ Williams
Santos
Kacha
Baka
Gethin
Sexy
Joel Dixon
Will Aimson

Many of whom we were repeatedly told we could do without in favour of some much better footballers, some of whom we landed.

The two teams directly above us that year were Oxford and Plymouth, the two below us Ipswich and Pompey.

They need to give their fcuking heads a proper good shake.

[BWFC_Insane]

We can't beat the year we got promoted for points, we're already way past on goals conceded and we're going to need 9 goals to beat the GF tally. Our top 11 appearance players were:

Dapo
George J
Declan John
MJ Williams
Santos
Kacha
Baka
Gethin
Sexy
Joel Dixon
Will Aimson

Many of whom we were repeatedly told we could do without in favour of some much better footballers, some of whom we landed.

The two teams directly above us that year were Oxford and Plymouth, the two below us Ipswich and Pompey.

They need to give their fcuking heads a proper good shake.

Who is they in this instance? Current players?

I agree when you look down that list in all the money we’ve spent I don’t think we’ve got significantly if any better. The ones that are still here are worse than they were then. We’ve never replaced MJ, Dapo or Kieran Lee with players even remotely close to their quality and MJ and Aimson stand out as players who clearly were significantly better than anything we’ve brought in since at actually stopping the other team scoring.

[Bertie Wooster]

Our team now is worse than the team listed, we have gone backwards significantly IMO in regards to the quality of the squad. I'd love a Kieran Lee, and a Dapo now, I'd prefer Bodvarsson & Bakayoko to Collins & McAtee. A Santos of 18 month to 2 years ago was far better than anything else we have in central defence by some distance.

Look at the full backs, Fossey, Kioso, Bradley all way better than JDC, Declan John was better than anything we have at LB, even Randell Williams is better than anything we now have at FB. MJ Williams was a better DM than anything we have now.

Anyway 5-1 Peterboro.

[Prufrock]

Broadly we've replaced them with better all round footballers (Dapo and Sexy aside) who are worse at the important things they do.

I mean Declan John is at St Mirren and MJ at Barrow, neither is 30. They're not great players. But we just don't have a left back full stop. And no feck* in the middle can read danger or tackle.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Our top 11 appearance players were:

Dapo
George J
Declan John
MJ Williams
Santos
Kacha
Baka
Gethin
Sexy
Joel Dixon
Will Aimson

We're a lot of these inherited?

In hindsight, it might have been better not to only bring in a certain kind of player the manager wanted to bring in. But, at the same time today, one hopes the money people trust the new management team to bring in what they think will benefit the squad.

The previous games are gone, no chance of playoffs. If ever there were two games to show what you can do it would be these last games. Whether it's this club or another club.

[Worthy4England]

Our top 11 appearance players were:

Dapo
George J
Declan John
MJ Williams
Santos
Kacha
Baka
Gethin
Sexy
Joel Dixon
Will Aimson

We're a lot of these inherited?

In hindsight, it might have been better not to only bring in a certain kind of player the manager wanted to bring in. But, at the same time today, one hopes the money people trust the new management team to bring in what they think will benefit the squad.

The previous games are gone, no chance of playoffs. If ever there were two games to show what you can do it would be these last games. Whether it's this club or another club.

Not sure what you mean by "inherited" - they were all signed, I think, by Evatt as Manager - some of them might be from Phoenix on the DoF side, rather than Markham...

[Worthy4England]

We can't beat the year we got promoted for points, we're already way past on goals conceded and we're going to need 9 goals to beat the GF tally. Our top 11 appearance players were:

Dapo
George J
Declan John
MJ Williams
Santos
Kacha
Baka
Gethin
Sexy
Joel Dixon
Will Aimson

Many of whom we were repeatedly told we could do without in favour of some much better footballers, some of whom we landed.

The two teams directly above us that year were Oxford and Plymouth, the two below us Ipswich and Pompey.

They need to give their fcuking heads a proper good shake.

Who is they in this instance? Current players?

I agree when you look down that list in all the money we’ve spent I don’t think we’ve got significantly if any better. The ones that are still here are worse than they were then. We’ve never replaced MJ, Dapo or Kieran Lee with players even remotely close to their quality and MJ and Aimson stand out as players who clearly were significantly better than anything we’ve brought in since at actually stopping the other team scoring.

Yeah - current players.

[Worthy4England]

Broadly we've replaced them with better all round footballers (Dapo and Sexy aside) who are worse at the important things they do.

I mean Declan John is at St Mirren and MJ at Barrow, neither is 30. They're not great players. But we just don't have a left back full stop. And no feck* in the middle can read danger or tackle.

You know that donut when you're trying to connect to a network and it's not having it? That's where my brain is with your opening line! (I get what you're saying)

Better all round, but shit at the important bits doesn't feel like a great recruitment strategy! It feels more "As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University"

[Prufrock]

Oh agreed. It's been a failure, albeit not in a straight line.

Some of the players in that line up were and are baaaad. And we've spent a lot of money to get players who are individually "better" but to make a team that is no better and arguably worse because we miss fundamental parts that any team needs to be successful. MJ for example is at his level mid table in league 2 but we're at a point where we've spent a fortune but he'd still make us better just by being in the right place and occasionally making a tackle.

I get the head scratch about "better" but it's a team v individuals thing for me. Van Dijk is a better player than Jota. But Jota would improve Arsenal's side more than Van Dijk would.

[BWFC_Insane]

We can't beat the year we got promoted for points, we're already way past on goals conceded and we're going to need 9 goals to beat the GF tally. Our top 11 appearance players were:

Dapo
George J
Declan John
MJ Williams
Santos
Kacha
Baka
Gethin
Sexy
Joel Dixon
Will Aimson

Many of whom we were repeatedly told we could do without in favour of some much better footballers, some of whom we landed.

The two teams directly above us that year were Oxford and Plymouth, the two below us Ipswich and Pompey.

They need to give their fcuking heads a proper good shake.

Who is they in this instance? Current players?

I agree when you look down that list in all the money we’ve spent I don’t think we’ve got significantly if any better. The ones that are still here are worse than they were then. We’ve never replaced MJ, Dapo or Kieran Lee with players even remotely close to their quality and MJ and Aimson stand out as players who clearly were significantly better than anything we’ve brought in since at actually stopping the other team scoring.

Yeah - current players.

So I think that sort of assumes that they could do better - if they tried more. And whilst I think many lack any application I don’t think that’s changing and not convinced it’s really their fault. They were signed for too much money and paid too much for what they are.

[BWFC_Insane]

Oh agreed. It's been a failure, albeit not in a straight line.

Some of the players in that line up were and are baaaad. And we've spent a lot of money to get players who are individually "better" but to make a team that is no better and arguably worse because we miss fundamental parts that any team needs to be successful. MJ for example is at his level mid table in league 2 but we're at a point where we've spent a fortune but he'd still make us better just by being in the right place and occasionally making a tackle.

I get the head scratch about "better" but it's a team v individuals thing for me. Van Dijk is a better player than Jota. But Jota would improve Arsenal's side more than Van Dijk would.

We’ve spent a lot of money on lower end league one and top end league two players. We’ve simply massively overrated them. Saying ‘well MJ gets in purely because he can tackle’ or whatever is exactly the problem. All the things MJ did are part of a midfield players job. All this technically better is just absolute pure nonsense.

MJ is a better defensive midfield player than anyone we’ve got. Miles better. Not technically better. Just better. And whoever plays that role in the future needs to be able to do the things required for the role. Or they aren’t good enough.

It’s tiring that there is a weird obsession with ‘technical’ a meaningless term that I think broadly equates to massively overrated because they once every ten matches beat a man or play a tight one two. It also broadly translates to half their attributes being far worse than you need them to be. We need to stop assessing players purely on their passing and skill on the ball. It’s only at best half of what defines you as a player.

[Prufrock]

You're off having an argument with yourself again.

[Bertie Wooster]

Broadly we've replaced them with better all round footballers (Dapo and Sexy aside) who are worse at the important things they do.

I mean Declan John is at St Mirren and MJ at Barrow, neither is 30. They're not great players. But we just don't have a left back full stop. And no feck* in the middle can read danger or tackle.

Have we really ?, I beg to differ.

[Tails07]

BN reporting Santos, Etete and Sharples-Ahmed out with Johnston also expected to be given patentity leave.

Looks like we'll get a good look at a few of the other youngsters, hopefully they can put a bit of passion in to this game and get their names in Schumachers books for next season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

BN reporting Santos, Etete and Sharples-Ahmed out with Johnston also expected to be given patentity leave.

Looks like we'll get a good look at a few of the other youngsters, hopefully they can put a bit of passion in to this game and get their names in Schumachers books for next season.

A dozen absentees is quite impressive even by our standards.

At centre-back, without Toal, Santos, Johnston and Forrester, we might only have Jones, Forino and Murphy. Sam Inwood is mentioned but I believe he's more of a LWB; at RWB, Cogz is suspended and JOT said to still be out. Could be a back four of Jones-Forino-Murphy-Inwood...

Midfield - no Sheehan, no Morley, but we should have Tomo, Matete, Dempsey and Randall.

Up front - back to the Tiny Shinpad Trio of Collins, McAtee and Lolos... although it may be notable that Iles (presumably citing Schumacher) has said we could promote Daeshon Lawrence, a forward, with Abimbola also mentioned.

Not that any of matters muchly anyway, except that some of these seniors are auditioning for their jobs. There'll be plenty of tealeaf-reading.

[irie Cee Bee]

Not looking good but the players tend to play better when there is no pressure so lets see: My side without Johnston would be:

Southwood
Forino Murphy Thomasson
Jones Dempsey Matete Inwood
Randall
Collins McAtee

It is what it is. Could be a heavy defeat.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not looking good but the players tend to play better when there is no pressure so lets see: My side without Johnston would be:

Southwood
Forino Murphy Thomasson
Jones Dempsey Matete Inwood
Randall
Collins McAtee

It is what it is. Could be a heavy defeat.

It will be somewhat ludicrous if Abimbola isn’t starting.

It’s a perfect chance to blood a few more youngsters. Have to set it up right. Expect to lose but great experience yadda yadda…

[TonyDomingos]

We’ve spent a lot of money on lower end league one and top end league two players.

Money aside, players of that quality have done well to make the play offs in consecutive seasons, albeit they'll only finish in the top 10 this year.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We’ve spent a lot of money on lower end league one and top end league two players.

Money aside, players of that quality have done well to make the play offs in consecutive seasons, albeit they'll only finish in the top 10 this year.

Must have been good coaching

As is often the case, I sort of agree with BWFCi's heart but not his hyperbole. I think it's more we've signed the wrong sorts rather than poorer players. But there is part of me looking forward to going back to freebies, because the bigger-ticket items have tended to disappoint.