Revised Expectations

I think our last couple of games may have given everyone a revised expectation of where we'll finish in the league, I know it has for me anyway. Just like last season we've fallen short in the run of games against the teams around us. The 2nd quarter is usually a good indicator for how we're doing, bad luck, wrong refereeing decisions etc can only go so far in excusing our poor league position, we are where we deserve to be, because we've not been good enough in games to be where we think we should be.

Being pragmatic after my reality check from our last 2 games, our draw yesterday got us another point ahead of Alloa, a win next week would get us above St Mirren, getting to 8th place and opening up a gap to make sure we don't get involved in a last day scrap with the bottom 2 teams would prob be enough for me right now.

Burchill's lack of substitutions is a concern though, he's not exactly making it easy for us to win points when we've options sitting on the bench and not using them.

So at the start of the season I thought we could challenge for 5th place, but now I'd be happy with 8th and a boring last couple of meaningless games to finish the season.

Welcome to the dark side LF!!!!!

Isn't anyone as bad as Cowden to help us this year. Still have the feeling St Mirren will turn it around and Dumbarton seem to be able to pick up wins or draws that we won't due to late goals and mistakes.

Was hoping we'd be comfortably about 5th-7th well away from relegation talk but with how things are going I'll be happy with 8th.

We'll finish 9th. Last season we had both Alloa and Cowdenbeath as a cushion, two teams we were clearly better than. This season it's only Alloa. Dumbarton have 4/6 against us and are capable of going on longer streaks of form, and I just can't see St Mirren finishing below us, they'll start picking up more points against the bigger sides and will probably beat us by a couple of goals on Saturday. Predicting us to finish above anyone else is madness as they're all at least 10 points better off.

Alloa are plainly the worst team in the league; the fact we lost to them so tamely tells a story in itself. As long as Jack Ross doesn't turn out to be for them what Ian Murray was to Dumbarton (which he may well be, I feel), we'll finish no lower than ninth. Knowing our inability to beat Dumbarton at all, and given St Mirren's inevitable boost from the new manager, I think the gap between ourselves and those two will be too much, unfortunately. We have players of a similar calibre, if not better in guys like Gallagher, White and Gibbons, but we're poorly managed from top to bottom and we are where we are. The play-offs will be a lottery and with Dunfermline and Ayr looking decent, it'd be likely we'd face one of them... After seeing us the past two games I wouldn't be so sure we'd make it.

They aim is, at the very best, try to finish 8th. Can't seeing it happening, so I reckon winning the play-off to stay up is the best option.

Bertie Bassett wrote:Welcome to the dark side LF!!!!!

Dunno, I think I'm still about the most optimistic on here thinking we can avoid the play offs. I still harbour a glimmer of hope that we can get above St Mirren AND Dumbarton too 

I thought we would finish 7th and get at least 18 points out of 24 available from Dumbarton and Alloa: four games in against those two and we've got 4 points out of the 12 available, thus meaning the most we can get is 16, already meaning a failure in that objective.

We won't finish any higher than 8th. Alloa will get relegated and it'll be between ourselves, St Mirren and Dumbarton to avoid 9th.

Unfortunately the gap between the 4 at the bottom and everyone else appears too large for anyone to break free. Which is a shame as I don't think Raith or Queen of the South are any better.

The squad potential is there, I just don't think it's being managed correctly and maybe it's time for a change if the club can afford it. The football is dire as well, it's worth saying.

Yep the players have shown that they're good enough, I think the problem is how young most of them are.

Cole and Pittman were brilliant for us last season when they signed in January, hopefully we can find another couple like that to give us more options.

My expectation was 8th at the start of the season and I've seen nothing to change me mind.

We have the potential to finish a solid 5th or 6th.

Saying that, we equally have the potential to finish 9th or 10th.

Our season could hinge on whether Gallagher goes back to jail