I KNOW I'M GONNA GET SLATED

[DJMortimer]

Not really. We got the results and aint that all that matters?

In the short term perhaps, but taking a longer term view it's much less encouraging. And I would argue that whatever our position, results should have been better regardless. Also, as I pointed out before, our league position is currently deceptive. If we maintain our current performance levels (when compared with previous seasons), it's possible we could not only miss out on automatic promotion but even be excluded from the play-offs.

It's a weel known fact that teams will play higher than their usual standard when faced with a team a lot higher up the leagues than them. That's why Havant and Waterlooville done themselves justice against Liverpool, but will go and get thumped by Fisher Athletic. It's the reason why Leeds beat Man United at Old Trafford last season. It's called the giant killing mentality and we need to counter it by not being complacent.

That's a rather simplistic view, especially when we are not talking about a one-off but four out of four games against lower division opponents this season, not to mention a number of other examples against lowly teams at our own current level.

[mcmigo]

So you don't think it has any bearing on our abilities or likely finishing position that we were on a par with a bunch of part-timers for over an hour and were extremely fortunate to beat Bury, Northampton and Chesterfield?

I appreciate what you say and clearly we are not in a terrible position, just one rather worse than we ought to be. And to be clear, not a single time have I actually called for Irvine to be sacked for a number of different reasons. However, citing how utterly woeful our contemporaries are is hardly the most resounding case for keeping our manager in place is it? And if we are promoted, how confident are we that Irvine is the right man for a higher level?

I have no confidence that AI is the right man for the CCC based on what happened last season. But we have a much better chance of getting a top manager in if we are in the CCC and not Lg 1. Silly to sack him now, as I don't think the next man in would be that special manager we've been wanting for years - at the end of the day we are in the 3rd tier of English football, with massive expectations and a trigger happy Chairman. Not that attractive. It looks a better proposition in the League above.

[scram]

I have no confidence that AI is the right man for the CCC based on what happened last season. But we have a much better chance of getting a top manager in if we are in the CCC and not Lg 1. Silly to sack him now, as I don't think the next man in would be that special manager we've been wanting for years - at the end of the day we are in the 3rd tier of English football, with massive expectations and a trigger happy Chairman. Not that attractive. It looks a better proposition in the League above.

Can't agree with that at all - firstly it's a high risk strategy because we may not get promoted - and even if we get to the play-offs i'd rather have Cardiff Owl leading us than Alan "let's get a valuable draw even though we need to win" Irvine

Secondly MM and his vision and money make us already a hugely better draw than we were as a skint club in the Championship - i keep saying this and i can't see how anybody capable of independent thought can argue - if you think AI is the right man for SWFC then back him to the hilt and stick with him - if you don't then he gets punted like yesterday and on we go with who we do think is the right man.

Don't play infantile games with our managers position - especially when the strategy involves us getting promted led by a guy that is showing regularly that he's got it all oin the be a top 6 manager - never mind top 2.

[mcmigo]

Can't agree with that at all - firstly it's a high risk strategy because we may not get promoted - and even if we get to the play-offs i'd rather have Cardiff Owl leading us than Alan "let's get a valuable draw even though we need to win" Irvine

Secondly MM and his vision and money make us already a hugely better draw than we were as a skint club in the Championship - i keep saying this and i can't see how anybody capable of independent thought can argue - if you think AI is the right man for SWFC then back him to the hilt and stick with him - if you don't then he gets punted like yesterday and on we go with who we do think is the right man.

Don't play infantile games with our managers position - especially when the strategy involves us getting promted led by a guy that is showing regularly that he's got it all oin the be a top 6 manager - never mind top 2.

Scram - I have every confidence we'll be promoted this season with AI at the helm. We won't need the play offs either. No need to can the guy this season in my opinion.

[sonofbert2]

Scram - I have every confidence we'll be promoted this season with AI at the helm. We won't need the play offs either. No need to can the guy this season in my opinion.

I agree.

I can't remember a manager being so disliked when the team's been in such a "good" position but I think he'll take us up automatically with a couple of signings in January.

[scram]

Scram - I have every confidence we'll be promoted this season with AI at the helm. We won't need the play offs either. No need to can the guy this season in my opinion.

Doesn't alter my basic point - if you think he's the man to take us forward into the MM era then fine - i don't so he needs to go asap imo.

[Wednesday-Wonderland]

Those of you thinking AI will get us promoted, what are you basing it on?

I'm basing my opinion that he's poo poo on how we got relegated without a whimper last season, how we've been outplayed by 95% of the teams we've played this season (including a couple of League Two sides), and how his record against teams we're supposed to be competing against for promotion is absolutely rumbleing abysmal.

I can't take you seriously if you're going to say it's "just a feeling" or blind hope. Give me some substance. In my opinion NOTHING he's done makes me believe he's the man to take us forward into our supposed new era of success.

[mcmigo]

Those of you thinking AI will get us promoted, what are you basing it on?

I'm basing my opinion that he's poo poo on how we got relegated without a whimper last season, how we've been outplayed by 95% of the teams we've played this season (including a couple of League Two sides), and how his record against teams we're supposed to be competing against for promotion is absolutely rumbleing abysmal.

I can't take you seriously if you're going to say it's "just a feeling" or blind hope. Give me some substance. In my opinion NOTHING he's done makes me believe he's the man to take us forward into our supposed new era of success.

We are 2nd in the league. There's your substance.

This means that all other sides in this league apart from the top team Brighton have bigger issues than those you point out above.

We are the Man City of League 1 - best squad, occasionally brilliant, occasionally horrible, often too defensive and really not playing that well. Yet we, like City, are right up there and have as good a chance as any of winning this league.

[Wednesday-Wonderland]

We are 2nd in the league. There's your substance.

This means that all other sides in this league apart from the top team Brighton have bigger issues than those you point out above.

We are the Man City of League 1 - best squad, occasionally brilliant, occasionally horrible, often too defensive and really not playing that well. Yet we, like City, are right up there and have as good a chance as any of winning this league.

We're not second really though are we?

You seem to be forgetting how in recent weeks Irvine has blown two opportunites to lay down a marker while no other team was playing. He lost them both, including presiding over the single worst result in Sheffield Wednesday history, a 5-1 demolition at the hands of the mighty Exeter City.

[consilio]

I love the comment about "being outplayed by 95% of teams" It wasn't so long ago we were outplaying most teams under laws but still losing, have people forgotten so quickly? I don't care if we play like donkeys for 90mins as long as we score more than the opposition

2nd in the league, points in the bag an probably 85% on the way to promotion taking into account those games in hand. A couple more top notch signings in jan should see us there, we've still got half a season to play yet!!

[mcmigo]

We're not second really though are we?

You seem to be forgetting how in recent weeks Irvine has blown two opportunites to lay down a marker while no other team was playing. He lost them both, including presiding over the single worst result in Sheffield Wednesday history, a 5-1 demolition at the hands of the mighty Exeter City.

A bizarre comment.

Is there another league table I am not party to? Is there actually a secret and complex formula, based on chances created, possession, number of fans who vote to keep the manager on an internet poll etc that gives you a league position? Or is it still 3 points for a win?

No-one can defend getting smacked at Exeter of all places, just as no-one can argue with us slamming 6 goals in the previous weekend. This season was always going to be a rollercoaster - it is the Wednesday way.

If someone had said to be at Christmas we'd be 2nd and still in the FA Cup - I'd have taken it. So would any other SWFC fan I suspect.

[oldishowl]

the reason people rated King Sturrock is that he took us up with a completely mediocre team and overachieved

the reason people dont rate Irvine is because we have one of the biggest wage bills in the league and the best squad of players in the league (maybe peterborough apart). the fact is to most we simply havnt looked at all like a team capable of promotion

Anybody who thinks we have the best squad of players in this league is watching a different set of defenders to me.

Individually there have been some absolute shocking performances and terrible mistakes made by our defenders this season . This is not down to tactics , formation , motivation it is down to the fact that individual players have played poorly and continue to do so. How can AI legislate for some of the defensive mistakes made by Beevers , Purse , Spurr and Jones .

In the main these are the players that AI inherited on big wages and has had no opportunity to change. I expect he will change some in Jan and we will then improve once the new players bed in. Whether it will be in time for us or AI I am not sure.

[Wednesday-Wonderland]

2nd in the league, points in the bag an probably 85% on the way to promotion taking into account those games in hand.

Absolute gibberish. You are part of a worryingly large portion of our fanbase who are incapable of analytical thought. Because we've been in the bottom halves of tables for the last 10 years you see we're at the bottom end of the playoffs/just outside the playoffs (which is where we'll be after the games in hand are played) and you think "HURR HURR DAT'S GUD!!!". But it's not. Far from it. We're not a financially poor club with a poo poo team trying to keep our heads above water anymore. We're a financially stable club with a great team for this level. Alan Irvine is massively underachieving and has done so since he first stepped foot into Hillsborough.

[Wednesday-Wonderland]

A bizarre comment.

Is there another league table I am not party to? Is there actually a secret and complex formula, based on chances created, possession, number of fans who vote to keep the manager on an internet poll etc that gives you a league position? Or is it still 3 points for a win?

Yeah sorry mate, what was I thinking?

Huddersfield, Charlton, Bournemouth and Colchester are all going to lose their 2 games in hand. Panic over. We are actually 2nd afterall.

[mcmigo]

Yeah sorry mate, what was I thinking?

Huddersfield, Charlton, Bournemouth and Colchester are all going to lose their 2 games in hand. Panic over. We are actually 2nd afterall.

But we are 2nd.

You are basing our league position on a load of hypothetical results and maybes. I am basing our league position on our league position.

Trust me - we are a centre half and central midfielder away from winning this league. Both I expect will be arriving in January.

[Wednesday-Wonderland]

But we are 2nd.

You are basing our league position on a load of hypothetical results and maybes. I am basing our league position on our league position.

Trust me - we are a centre half and central midfielder away from winning this league. Both I expect will be arriving in January.

No, I am basing our league position on mathematical probabilities and realism, you're basing it on a dream world where Sheffield Wednesday are allowed to play two more games than our promotion rivals.

[consilio]

Wednesday wonderland, keep your opinions on my intellectual abilities to yourself please, this is a football forum.

You make a valid point that were not a financially poor club. However this has been the case for what, 3 weeks?? And Irvine has been able to change what exactly in that time? However he did manage to bring a number of good players in with sod all in the summer!

We've made 2nd on the tail end of a devastating period for the club, the worst in our history. That's all over now, let's look to the future, pull together and support the club

It's not going to be easy, look at our first season last time in league 1, that was horrendous!

[BobsMagicCalculator]

But we are 2nd.

You are basing our league position on a load of hypothetical results and maybes. I am basing our league position on our league position.

Trust me - we are a centre half and central midfielder away from winning this league. Both I expect will be arriving in January.

We arent 2nd on a points per game analysis we are in 7th. FFS hoow stupid is that 'we are in 2nd arguement' when in real terms we arent.

Its no different to saying look my wages have gone in the bank I am worth 1500 quid, when all the bills have come out there's a quarter of it left.

flipping bizarre some people

[dobbo]

Anybody who thinks we have the best squad of players in this league is watching a different set of defenders to me.

Individually there have been some absolute shocking performances and terrible mistakes made by our defenders this season . This is not down to tactics , formation , motivation it is down to the fact that individual players have played poorly and continue to do so. How can AI legislate for some of the defensive mistakes made by Beevers , Purse , Spurr and Jones .

In the main these are the players that AI inherited on big wages and has had no opportunity to change. I expect he will change some in Jan and we will then improve once the new players bed in. Whether it will be in time for us or AI I am not sure.

This is more or less the same group of defenders who up until last season were part of a team finishing comfortably in the championship,

so how can it not be down to motivation?? have they just become crap overnight?

if its confidence then who's job is it to give them the confidence and belief???

How on earth u can say he's had no opportunity to change i dont know, hes bought in EIGHT players

if we dont have one of the best squads in the division then why the hell are we paying them the best wages?

its because they are players that have had prem/championship experience and should NOT be losing 5-1 to bloody exeter!!

[Orlando_Trustful]

These dilluded fans need to wake the *** up. We would not be 2nd had the other teams played, we'd probably be 5/6 at best, we've lost 8 bloody games already this season and been outplayed on numerous occasions by real footballing powerhouses like leyton orient, Carlisle, Exeter, Swindon etc. It it was a one of then fair enough, but this is happening every other fukin week, not exceptable. Irvine is the most boring and uninspiring manager I've ever known us to have, he's made not connection with the fans, and the football he sets us out to play is pathetic, place that with the fact he continually picks woeful players who were the main cause for our relegation is staggering. Get the fukwit out asap.