[CFC91]

 johnd51, on 06 February 2024 - 10:59 PM, said:

Seems I was right. You're all ******s. (who occasionally go to games).

I’ve been too Eastleigh and Dagenham this week but great observation other than that

[Spireite93]

 johnd51, on 06 February 2024 - 10:20 PM, said:

Good evening from deepest, darkest Essex where our favourite team have just reached 80 points, some 22 points ahead of our nearest 'rivals'.
Are there any of you to..ers out there who still think we shouldn't have played (say) 4 first teamers in the Trophy so we still had the prospect of another Wembley visit to look forward to?
Tonight's team selection shows we have the squad
capable of doing the double at a canter. A
massive, money spinning opportunity missed to sign off from this league with a big day out and something to keep the team on their toes. Shame.

It was the right decision in all cases I believe

On the 9th March, if we were still in the competition we have Fylde at Home which could well be the game to clinch the title, likely a sell out crowd (most home games will be from here on in).

Even if we were in the QF of the Trophy, the crowd wouldn't be half that and it would mean moving this lucrative fixture to a weeknight

[dim view]

 johnd51, on 06 February 2024 - 10:20 PM, said:

Good evening from deepest, darkest Essex where our favourite team have just reached 80 points, some 22 points ahead of our nearest 'rivals'.
Are there any of you to..ers out there who still think we shouldn't have played (say) 4 first teamers in the Trophy so we still had the prospect of another Wembley visit to look forward to?
Tonight's team selection shows we have the squad
capable of doing the double at a canter. A
massive, money spinning opportunity missed to sign off from this league with a big day out and something to keep the team on their toes. Shame.

Morning
There’s another thread about smashing records and I whilst I agree, we could have done the double, it would probably have been at the expense of the records. If that is Cook’s logic then I agree with him. The records are the bigger achievement. To support your view though, I do think the squad at Welling could have been strengthened by the inclusion of Cook and Curtis to give us a better chance with no risk.

[rodney]

 dim view, on 07 February 2024 - 11:59 AM, said:

Morning
There’s another thread about smashing records and I whilst I agree, we could have done the double, it would probably have been at the expense of the records. If that is Cook’s logic then I agree with him. The records are the bigger achievement. To support your view though, I do think the squad at Welling could have been strengthened by the inclusion of Cook and Curtis to give us a better chance with no risk.

Wasn’t Curtis on loan? And do you mean Paul Cook 🤣

[Valley Blues]

Wonder if John’s hangover has eased yet?

[Bobby Darling]

 johnd51, on 06 February 2024 - 10:20 PM, said:

Good evening from deepest, darkest Essex where our favourite team have just reached 80 points, some 22 points ahead of our nearest 'rivals'.
Are there any of you to..ers out there who still think we shouldn't have played (say) 4 first teamers in the Trophy so we still had the prospect of another Wembley visit to look forward to?
Tonight's team selection shows we have the squad
capable of doing the double at a canter. A
massive, money spinning opportunity missed to sign off from this league with a big day out and something to keep the team on their toes. Shame.

Agree an opportunity missed to win a great double. We are 22 points ahead and Saturday’s game would have been the first one we would have had to move. We have the players to have done both.

[johnd51]

So next year we have the FA Cup, League Cup and the dreaded Associate Members Cup for which, correct me if I'm wrong, you have to play a proportion of first teamers, and a lot more games than the FA Trophy.
If we are challenging for promotion where should we play the youth team.
(I'm assuming even those of you who don't go to games went to Wembley in the JPT?)

[Goku]

They are all more lucrative and prestigious than the FA Trophy, we won't play the youth team in any but if we have to sacrifice the LDV Vans/Johnstones Paint/Papa Johns trophy/whatever it's called now on the alter of progression for a promotion push by using some of our weaker players then so be it, fine with me, I trust our management who have got our team 22 points clear to make the correct decision.

[JonB]

 johnd51, on 08 February 2024 - 10:38 AM, said:

So next year we have the FA Cup, League Cup and the dreaded Associate Members Cup for which, correct me if I'm wrong, you have to play a proportion of first teamers, and a lot more games than the FA Trophy.
If we are challenging for promotion where should we play the youth team.
(I'm assuming even those of you who don't go to games went to Wembley in the JPT?)

Plenty of teams in the EFL already play it as far as the rules allow them in the EFL Trophy so if we were it wouldnt be an uncommon thing to do. FA and League Cup are different beasts, both can lead to potentially money spinning ties against bigger clubs so are worth taking seriously.

As far as Wembley and JPT from memory there wasnt as many went to the defeat against Peterborough as did when we played Swindon, the Swindon game was a bright spot in a crap season and our first visit to the new Wembley i think. It wasnt as big a pull a couple of years later for a lot of folk.

[60s 70s Spireite]

 johnd51, on 08 February 2024 - 10:38 AM, said:

So next year we have the FA Cup, League Cup and the dreaded Associate Members Cup for which, correct me if I'm wrong, you have to play a proportion of first teamers, and a lot more games than the FA Trophy.
If we are challenging for promotion where should we play the youth team.
(I'm assuming even those of you who don't go to games went to Wembley in the JPT?)

If challenging for promotion - The FL trophy. Four first teamers and the rest youth players. Hook three of the first teamers soon after the start. If that’s what the management want.
The FL Trophy for me is in the same room 101 as the FA Trophy, especially how we’ve already won it and been runners up. Not that interested in another Wembley visit, except for a FA Cup or EFL Cup game, or play off game. Awful place for us to get to, soulless for smaller clubs like us.

Nothing beats a big FA Cup game, especially under Cook.

[Collingham Spireite]

I see Long Eaton are at Heanor in the Derbys Senior Cup semi-final next Weds. Could have been us if only Cook had had the sense to give Grigg, Dobra, Naylor, Jacobs and Colclough a run out against them.

[CFC91]

 johnd51, on 08 February 2024 - 10:38 AM, said:

So next year we have the FA Cup, League Cup and the dreaded Associate Members Cup for which, correct me if I'm wrong, you have to play a proportion of first teamers, and a lot more games than the FA Trophy.
If we are challenging for promotion where should we play the youth team.
(I'm assuming even those of you who don't go to games went to Wembley in the JPT?)

I’d be a big advocate of us withdrawing from the Papa Johns or Best Kebab trophy or whatever it’s called nowadays. Since they added B Teams in it then the thing it totally ruined. Boot them out and I’d take a bit of interest. Certainly won’t get me out the house to watch us play Brighton U21s or whatever

Prior to them joining it was fine, not a prio but certainly a trophy I enjoyed us taking part in!

[johnd51]

 Collingham Spireite, on 08 February 2024 - 11:04 AM, said:

I see Long Eaton are at Heanor in the Derbys Senior Cup semi-final next Weds. Could have been us if only Cook had had the sense to give Grigg, Dobra, Naylor, Jacobs and Colclough a run out against them.

Absolutely right young man. Could have been a treble!
(I completely recognise that we are only having this 'conversation' because the League has effectively been won by our brilliant playing and management team. I just think we are so good the Trophy could have set the seal on a momentous season. I'm clearly on a fairly successful wind up operation but I would like to have gone to Wembley the week after Maidenhead. I guarantee that after the title race is won there will be people on this board criticising the players for not being bothered and 'on the beach'. A Trophy run would keep everyone 'on it')

[Spireite93]

 johnd51, on 08 February 2024 - 11:35 AM, said:

Absolutely right young man. Could have been a treble!
(I completely recognise that we are only having this 'conversation' because the League has effectively been won by our brilliant playing and management team. I just think we are so good the Trophy could have set the seal on a momentous season. I'm clearly on a fairly successful wind up operation but I would like to have gone to Wembley the week after Maidenhead. I guarantee that after the title race is won there will be people on this board criticising the players for not being bothered and 'on the beach'. A Trophy run would keep everyone 'on it')

I understand this and agree to an extent, but I think the positives of not progressing outweigh the negatives

At the time, we weren't racing away with it, we were only 10 days further on from being 2 nil down at home to Solihull where had it remained like that, Barnet would have been 4 points behind.

Had we have known we'd go on such a run and them two implode like they have, consideration may have been given to playing a couple of pro's and advancing in both and maybe the management team will be kicking themselves if the title is sewn up before the Quarter Finals

Right decision at the time, hindsight tells us we could probably have done both though

[HaslandBlue58]

 Spireite93, on 08 February 2024 - 11:42 AM, said:

I understand this and agree to an extent, but I think the positives of not progressing outweigh the negatives

At the time, we weren't racing away with it, we were only 10 days further on from being 2 nil down at home to Solihull where had it remained like that, Barnet would have been 4 points behind.

Had we have known we'd go on such a run and them two implode like they have, consideration may have been given to playing a couple of pro's and advancing in both and maybe the management team will be kicking themselves if the title is sewn up before the Quarter Finals

Right decision at the time, hindsight tells us we could probably have done both though

This is about the fourth sensible reply on the board already this year,could be a stand out year!

[johnd51]

The others were all Clarevoyant.

[clarevoyant.]

 johnd51, on 08 February 2024 - 03:54 PM, said:

The others were all Clarevoyant.

Another sensible post!!

[HaslandBlue58]

 clarevoyant., on 08 February 2024 - 04:20 PM, said:

Another sensible post!!

Make that five then,what a year this is going to be!!!

[dazcarrlegend]

I'm bored of Wembley