Keeping the eyes on the road...

Ok, i've lurked on this site for many years, intrigued by recent happenings at CFC, I've now decided to participate.

I know a lot of people feel like throwing in the towel here but let's look at the facts (..i know, again!)

On one side...
1. We are playing terrible football.
2. We haven't got a consistent line up (esp. in defence)
3. Some lazy */throw in the towel players (Hooper and Kayal main suspects)
4. Questionable tactics

On the flip side..
1. We are missing (I personally thought) our 3 best players from last season in Commons (if rumors of fallout aren't true), Brown and Izzy. I honestly think these guys hold the key to our title race when they return. Not to mention K.Wilson and various others who have ended up goin out making team a bit inconsistent
2. We are 12 behind, game in hand (which I can't see us throwing away after everything) so lets say NINE. That's single figures, 3 defeats off the top.
3. Rangers administration is looming with points likely to be deducted before new year if sources are true. So thats TEN off their total. Ok, this isn't set in stone but their fate is pretty much out in the open now, and it'll happen this season.
4. Lost Naismith for the season. An integral player for there team (considering we've lost up to 7 players at various stages, we've done ok)


So we keep it to 9 points until New Year (where I'm sure we'll strengthen) and yes, 'hope' Rangers are forced to trim their squad down and get docked points, then we may come out having a slight edge again (much like last season) at new year.

It's not the ideal way for things to happen, lots of ifs and buts..relying on regulations, but i'm trying to see the positives.

I can understand why Lennon is getting stick, his choices have been questionable but to be honest, I think come january we'll come out having an edge (if we can hold on for victories in the next five/six games). I also think he should stay until end of season. Changing in January is suicide...another managing wiping out the 'dead wood' (supposed) and bringing in his own, too many changes to quickly...there's no time to take a gamble on someone else...better the devil you know and all that...win or lose, i would like to see him leave end of the season.


However, all the above is void if we drop more points between now and next OF. We're still in with a shout. We will turn this around. BELIEVE!

 

Straighttalker, a pretty fair picture of how things stand. Some here as you will know agree with you and some won't.

Just a sad state of affairs that we have sunk so low just now.

 

there is smoke there but it is black, but you cant make honey out of dogs *. there is less skill this year in our team as all other teams have strengthened, theirs, to a degree. we have not improved one bit. i think there will be white smoke shortly, AMEN.

 

I agree with a lot of what you say, but Commons has been awful this season. Right from the off at Easter Road, he has just looked and played like a different guy.

 

Very good post! I agree with everything you have said!

What i will say though, is i have not thrown in the towel, i will never give up the league until we can mathematically not win it anymore. But I have had the wind seriously kicked out of me this season with some of our performances, i have lost my confidence that we can go out and beat everyone. I know that it will return but right now we are all hurting with a variety of different things that have been happening. After a few wins you will see the threads take a positive spin on here until we drop points again, but thats just how it goes with some people.

One thing i will say though, is assuming that we will win the game in hand is really hard to do. We have dropped points at home to St Johnstone and Hibs, theres nothing to say that Dunfermline cannot take points as well.

When we were 7 points behind we said, 'game in hand, its really 4 points behind.'.

At 10 points behind we said 'its really 7 with the game in hand', and now we are at 12 and saying 'its really 9 points behind'.


Lets just take it one game at a time and not assume we will beat anyone, think that might be part of why our players have a problem in the first place.

 

Like others have said it is hard to argue with what you say but I think for me, despite agreeing with everything and thinking the way you do myself, it actually saddens me that in November, 3 months in to the season we are praying that Rangers go in to administration and get docked ten points. We're hoping that an injury or two will unsettle their side. It's actually quite gutting that we're already at a stage where the league is well and truely out of our hands and we have to rely on outside influences for us to be in with any chance of turning things around.
I won't stop believing until the Maths tells me it's no longer possible to win the league, but it's coming to a point where looking out for Rangers results on a Saturday/Sunday afternoon is almost the most significant part of the day; if they don't drop points it doesn't matter what we do.

 

I actually don't care one way or the other if they go into administration as for me it's never been a factor in my way of thinking. We're a third of the way thro the season and there's plenty of time for things to change.....I believe we can do it. The gap isn't insurmountable. We need to stick by Lenny and the team and maybe they will start believing in themselves.

Lenny should never have taken the job it was too close to home for him to show real objectivity in management. I agree he needs to stay until the end of the season as change now could be disastrous.

 

I think the fact that rankers are most likely to go into administration is one of the key factors behind Lennon getting board approval. If this was 5+ years ago, maybe less, Lennon would be in a different position.

Also I would say one variable is that there is a good chance paying wages will be an issue if happens it usually affects on the pitch success.

 

Ive heard both 10 point and 25 points thrown around in the Rangers tax case. Which is it?

 

We have had like a million of these threads.

Simple fact is the players don't trust or want to play for Lenny, its dividing the club and is not going to lead to anything positive.

NO MANAGER IN RECENT HISTORY HAS COME BACK FROM THIS! Why the * would an inept one like Lennon do it?

We need experience and we need it now.

Facts are facts. Bad tactics, divided team, inexperience and favoritisim has cost us and the longer Lennon is in charge, it will continue.

We might win a game here or there, but we aint ever going to improve.

 

I really don't think we can bank on those 3 points for that game in hand either if we are going to look at stats we have won 2 out of our last 6 Games... says it all! I know some people on here believe Neil Lennon can turn this around but i personally think the Job is too big for him now and he doesn't have the experience or tactics to get us where we want to be.

 

COME MAY WE'LL BE CHAMPIONS!!

 

Complicated to try and explain in detail but basically if they go into administration then they will be deducted 10 points.

The whole 25 points deduction is all media hype assuming they go into liquidation and have to rename themselves. In theory if that were to happen then the SFA could force them to start again in the lowest league, starting each season on -25 for each season they remain in liquidation as a warning to others that you can't just go into liquidation/ administration and expect to stay in the top league without severe penalties.

 

I hate to say it but i think you are right. And i dont see any point in waiting till the end of the season as that doesnt give any new manager enough time to get his own team settled in. I personally think NL will walk away if we lose another game soon.

 

The sfa would never do this to them *

 

If they done that the league would die.

 

Rangers are likely to just get a 10 point deduction. It sickens me to say it, but that should be enough of a catalyst for this team to then push on with a consistent run of results.

 

It's November and we are behind Motherwell.

I am all for being an optimist, but seriously, win all our games? I'd be happy with two in a row right now.

Lennon can't change anything, he has no other options except the players currently in the squad. He bought them. He will live by them, or die by them.

Even if we can just stop losing, I believe there will still be many draws on the cards. Rangers, in conjunction with the SFA, don't allow Rangers draws.

 

If they draw a couple of games and / or a defeat before xmas we are still very much in the race. Good post btw!

 

Very true. Keep The Faith.