Would we have taken the playoffs?

At the start of the season?

I have to say I would. I didn't think this squad was remotely good enough to make any impression in League One, so they have surprised me with their development. And had we not lost Kieffer for nigh on half a season, we would probably already have been up.

The playoffs will mean two further TV appearances - hopefully three. And if we fail, we will still have improved massively and have built a very solid base for an automatic promotion push next season. The owners will also have a better idea of the modest amount of strengthening we need to make the next charge. Let's not forget how many years those massive Blunts spent in this League. I'm confident it won't take us that long.

 

Definitely would have taken the play offs.

 

I said I thought we would finish 4th st the start of the season.
The target set by the club was automatic so in that sense it will be a failure if we don't.

 

I thought the target was to get back to the championship

 

Of course but the club said at the start of the season automatic promotion was the aim. If we were to win the play offs of course it would be a success, maybe a successful failure?
Losing in the play offs would be a huge failure of a season that has promised so much.
We are still in the hunt but it's looking a lot less likely than it did 2 months ago. Our form is awful and our performances are rank average at best.

 

Me too.

 

Agree with most of that, however as long as we don’t have to undergo a major rebuild. The main concern would be how many key players would still be here? We have a few players who are coveted by other clubs, particularly any who may be in the final year of their contracts. According to our assistant Chairman, those in the final year of their contract who don’t sign another one will be sold on. Anyway, this season is far from over as far as promotion is concerned, there are more twists and turns to come on the automatic promotion front and the play offs.

 

Yes....Thought we'd finish around 10th, before start of the season.

 

Given that we only had Woodrow, Moore and Dougall for about 60% of the season we have done well, I think, to be top four. It is a concern for next year (wherever we are) that most of the defence are within a year of their contracts expiring but at least we will get money for them which we can use for replacements.
Let's not give up yet!

 

With our squad of championship experience and the size of our wage bill we should have been looking at automatic promotion. If we hadn't weakened our first 11 selling Potts, weakened our bench selling Moncur and Moore hadn't got injured I reckon we would have pissed it.

 

If it was the aim why didn't they strengthen in January is the million dollar question !!!

 

No.

 

New manager with limited English, difficult division (not that there are any easy ones), squad still reeling from relegation and a certified fruit loop of a gaffer?

Absolutely.

However, if we have to settle for that after being in contention for the top 2 for a lot of the season, then it's inevitably going to have a glass half empty feel to it.

 

Fully agree with this.

Going into any play off games with this feeling wouldn’t be great. Hopefully we’ll pick back up to gain some momentum to either get the automatic spot or go into the play offs with some form.

 

Moore's injury undoubtedly a blow, but honestly, even with him in the side, our inability to finish more-than-decent chances is the one thing that might end up costing us promotion. If we'd converted even a handful more of the 43 billion chances we've created over these 41 games, we'd already be on the beach.

 

Yes I would have been happy with play offs at the start of the season because I was so conditioned to losing every week I had somewhat lost sight of the growing gulf between the championship and league 1 and therefore didn't realise that the squad that failed so miserably last season was a strong squad for this level.

It will feel a bit glass half empty if we miss out on the autos now because its always better to sneak into the play offs than drop into them. But if we won them then all would be forgiven because the end result would still be mission accomplished.

My big worries though are that our form has dropped off a ledge and we wouldn't be favourites going into the play offs. And I think if we don't get out first time of asking then the squad will break up and it could take several years.

 

The only Championship experience most of the squad had was that one dreadful season where barely any of them performed.

 

I'd say the target was to uphold the buying and selling model of the club whilst keeping in the hunt for promotion. I like the board and their communication with us but to say automatic was the target over that makes a bit of a mockery of us. We wouldn't have sold Brad Potts and Moncur otherwise , but rather gambled on automatic and the 6 million offsetting the loss of Moncur and even giving us a chance to retain Potts in the Championship. We wouldn't have signed a striker for next season but one ready to make cameos and play spells of games now(, as many of us here said we badly needed in case of injury). A team targeting Automatic does not weaken itself (see Luton and our friend Pelly's posts) but adds players in reserve. Sunderland replaced their top scorer with a more expensive player. I wonder if the board missed out on a player as if not, that's poor strategy in my opinion.

Before the season I would have taken the play - offs . Having seen the quality of Stendel's work and the coaching set up, I think it's a real shame we didn't back them in January as we have everything in place for automatic except the depth of squad .

 

I'd have taken the playoffs before a ball was kicked because I didn't have a clue how we'd do or what the squad would be after January.

After being up there all season though, I'd be worried about the playoffs. We've lost all momentum and others are winning regularly.

 

it will be league one again next season