Rage Online

Conceivable, as although I'm not quite sure how to interpret the word, it sits in the scale where I would put &quotdoubtful&quot which is the option I was looking for...

My thinking is that I am not confident that we will actually win the title, and although I think we will end up either in or around the playoffs, I am not confident about our abilities to actually win our way through such a pressurised format

&quotHog&quot wrote: but bloody hell! I'm beginning to wonder if Methven is a multi-poster on here.

Come on then Charlie, which handles are you hiding under then.....??

Well said Hog. What a load of doom and gloom merchants we have on here. I went for probable partly because I'm the eternal optimist, partly because I put a big bet on us winning the league and partly because I honestly believe it.

Yes at times we play shit but so does everybody else at this level - that's why we're non league. If we played like we used to play in the mid 90's we'd be in the championship.

A reminder of where the eventual top 5 were this time last year:

Dagenham and Redbridge - 5 points adrift of the leaders
York - 5 points adrift
Exeter - 7 points adrift
Morecombe - 10 points adrift &amp they got promoted!

We have a better squad than last season, a better management team than last season and once we cure the panic and inexperience in a team that is still learning to play with each other things will start to look a lot better.

&quotMally&quot wrote:Well said Hog. What a load of doom and gloom merchants we have on here. I went for probable partly because I'm the eternal optimist, partly because I put a big bet on us winning the league and partly because I honestly believe it.

Yes at times we play shit but so does everybody else at this level - that's why we're non league. If we played like we used to play in the mid 90's we'd be in the championship.

A reminder of where the eventual top 5 were this time last year:

Dagenham and Redbridge - 5 points adrift of the leaders
York - 5 points adrift
Exeter - 7 points adrift
Morecombe - 10 points adrift &amp they got promoted!

We have a better squad than last season, a better management team than last season and once we cure the panic and inexperience in a team that is still learning to play with each other things will start to look a lot better.

Sensible stuff.

Anything is possible.

It is possible that the tactics (especially the substitutions) improve.

It is possible, but unlikely given past seasons, that we get an established strike partnership to see us through the bulk of the season.

It is probable that I will do my usual half a season ST at Christmas but likely that, if the home performances stay the same, I won't bother.

It is conceivable that I will get some flak for this posting.

It’s possible, obviously even with Jim Smith still in charge of OUFC team affairs.

By the way, we need to go back to playing on a Wednesday night again at home, as that Tuesday curse has still not gone away. Happy to argue the stats on that one as I make it one League win plus that glorious triumph in the replay against Lewes that resulted in two pointless games against Halifax in the FAT since this bad Tuesday night run began in the previous millennium.

I suppose it is worth noting that in our first seven games we've played teams lying (currently) 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th ... the mean position of the sides we've played thus far is (before the SR - Hfx result) 9.4 against an expected 12.5. However, I think it is no better than conceivable with Smith in charge and in my heart I think we'll still be here again (if solvent) next season

Unlikely. Can't see either the players or the manager being able to cope with the pressure.

&quotAncient Colin&quot wrote:I suppose it is worth noting that in our first seven games we've played teams lying (currently) 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th ... the mean position of the sides we've played thus far is (before the SR - Hfx result) 9.4 against an expected 12.5. However, I think it is no better than conceivable with Smith in charge and in my heart I think we'll still be here again (if solvent) next season

Good point, but people who clutch at factual straws like that aren’t really the majority of our paying customers.

The evidence is that the most loyal element of our fanbase is starting to get seriously pissed off (but still attending, obviously) and the more laid-back supporters are not watching on the same regular basis, or are subscribing to Setanta instead.

/

Anyone want to change their minds on this thread ? http://www.rageonline.co.uk/phpBB2/view ... ampstart=0

&quotAncient Colin&quot wrote:I suppose it is worth noting that in our first seven games we've played teams lying (currently) 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th ... the mean position of the sides we've played thus far is (before the SR - Hfx result) 9.4 against an expected 12.5. However, I think it is no better than conceivable with Smith in charge and in my heart I think we'll still be here again (if solvent) next season

This is precisely what worries many of us.

I went for unlikely, because I can't see it happening without a change in manager, and I don't see that happening mid-season.

OUFC - the solid mid-Conference team

Possibly - justified in part by the fact we've gone from nonentity to unbeatable once before in a season (95-96), and that it does happen sometimes....

It has been a depressing start to the season, probably due to a Exeter PO hangover - in FM07 missing sitters is sometimes accompanied by a bit of text saying 'he won't want to dwell on that' - alas, the club has too much recent history to dwell upon, and it shows on the pitch, in the tactics, and on here.

&quotx586&quot wrote:Possibly - justified in part by the fact we've gone from nonentity to unbeatable once before in a season (95-96), and that it does happen sometimes....

Twice in fact. I am sure some of the older forum members can confirm this, but when we won the Old Div 3 for the first time, isn't it true that we didn't win a single game away from home up until March?

(I suppose I could look on the databank, but I can't be bothered