Play-off heartache

[DangerousSausage]

I hate the play-offs. I wasn't there for either of the Warnock finals, but I definitely was for the debacle in 1996. And now this. I never expected us to get this far, but there's still somethig galling about having the prospect of an instant return dangled in front of you tantalisingly, only to have it snatched away again. This was our first go. Hopefully next season we can get the 90+ points we'll need to avoid them.

On a personal note I have a special relationship with promotion play-offs. My adopted team, Waldhof Mannheim, qualified for, and failed in, the play-offs three years running (once after finishing as champions). The first time getting that far was an unexpected delight, only to come a cropper against a much stronger team (sound familiar?) in front of a full house of 26,000. The manager resigned afterwards. The second time they lost on penalties (the player who missed the crucial one turned his back on football afterwards) and the third was abandoned due to crowd trouble with Waldhof trailing 3-1. They finally made it on the fourth attempt as champions after automatic promotion was reintroduced.

So I'm not keen and I'm not sure I could cope with us finishing in the play-offs next season too. But you've got to show the mental strength to go again and be up there year after year, and that's what Notts have to do now. If we bully this league and bang on the door enough, eventually we'll make it. What we can't allow ourselves to do is to sink into mediocrity like Wrexham have done.

Next seson is going to be a difficult one psychologically, the expectations will be higher and the pressure much greater if we don't get off to a good start. But we've got a good team to have got us this far despite everything, and touch wood we'll have a better one next time round if NA and the owners have done their homework. Here's hoping!

[menzinho]

You’ve pretty much got to have the perfect season to go up. This league is so hard to get out of, your laughing in league 2 when you get 3 promotion spots and the play-offs. In this league there’s always a team that surprises everyone and does well, I don’t think anyone predicted Barrow to win the league last season.

The positives now are Barrow and Harrogate who were the two best teams in this division, they're gone now! We were the 3rd best and with some more savvy recruitment there’s no reason why we can’t go on to have a successful season even if it means finishing in the play-offs again. We’ll have learnt our lesson and maybe (if it’s possible by then) 15,000/20,000 Notts fans cheering the team on might just pull us through.

I saw this tweet from the weekend and it made me feel a lot more hopeful about our future...

 

[Dripsey3]

The playoff programme should arrive at my home some time this week. Happy to have it as it is unique but....................

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

5 hours ago, Dripsey3 said:

The playoff programme should arrive at my home some time this week. Happy to have it as it is unique but....................

I wasn't that impressed with the programme, it comes across cheaply produced and made me miss the Football League even more. I wished clubs could produce their own programme or be involved with what goes inside it more. Compare it to the Barnet programme, the quality speaks volumes.

@Magic magpie always tells me the playoffs better, he was right about us making it.

I'd rather not gamble, hopefully next season we can forge a team good enough to chase for the title. I know, some will bang on about pressure and expectations, yet, for me I think getting out of the National League is of great importance. I wouldn't be disappointed if we missed out of the playoffs having given 100%, I just would like to see the club continue to move forward. I think the club has every chance to be stronger from the start next season.

[thommo]

I agree, the club should try to claim the National League title.

The worst case scenario would be to fall into the playoffs, but if Ardley builds a strong enough squad, Notts should be able to get out of the league sooner rather than later.

[Dripsey3]

19 hours ago, Chris said:

I wasn't that impressed with the programme, it comes across cheaply produced and made me miss the Football League even more. I wished clubs could produce their own programme or be involved with what goes inside it more. Compare it to the Barnet programme, the quality speaks volumes.

@Magic magpie always tells me the playoffs better, he was right about us making it.

I'd rather not gamble, hopefully next season we can forge a team good enough to chase for the title. I know, some will bang on about pressure and expectations, yet, for me I think getting out of the National League is of great importance. I wouldn't be disappointed if we missed out of the playoffs having given 100%, I just would like to see the club continue to move forward. I think the club has every chance to be stronger from the start next season.

I'm flicking through it now. I see Enzio made the team of the year. It's not as good as the Barnet one, but there's enough content to keep me going. Looking forward to reading Neil Yardley's piece. 

[liampie]

the heartache for me ended on the day we lost, the next day i wanted to give my fully support to seeing notts go that extra step further.

[DangerousSausage]

2 hours ago, liampie said:

the heartache for me ended on the day we lost, the next day i wanted to give my fully support to seeing notts go that extra step further.

Funny you should mention that, only a few days later I was almost over it. After the play-off disaster I listed above I was despondent for weeks. I probably helps that we've immediately had things like the new kit and new signings to think about rather than spending the whole summer moping. Hopefully the players are similarly focussed and we can avoid a play-off hangover.

Onwards and upwards!

On 04/08/2020 at 20:05, thommo said:

Notts should be able to get out of the league sooner rather than later.

Don't anger the football gods!  

[ARLukomski 𝕏 ARLukomski Instagram declanweliczko_arlki]

I surprisingly got over it pretty quickly. It would have hurt more if I was there to see us lose. 

At the start of the season, nobody expected us to be in the play-off final. We had the squad to challenge for the play-offs but nobody expected us to make so much progress on and off the pitch. 

Everything we did in the build up to the game was fine. Ardley said we even prepared for Harrogate's press. We just didn't execute it and we maybe should have played Rawlo and Enzio. However, he has done a terrific job all season. 

It's disappointing but with the progress made, we'll be back

[Dripsey3]

It's the What Ifs game. What if the unstoppable Enzio turned up against Harrogate? We wouldn't have lost. Game over.....