[Revived Red]

Originally Posted by shakermaker

We lost big players in Procter, Long, Hessey and Craney, leaving us without a balanced back four and with massive gaps in our midfield.

Proccy's loss cannot be underestimated. He certainly had his critics on this forum but the work he did was vital. Yes, the loss of Long and Hessey is considerable but it has allowed Deano to move to his favoured position. As for Craney,....

Originally Posted by shakermaker

All this while losing confidence through playing poorly towards the end of the unbeaten run

I don't understand this at all. "Towards the end of the unbeaten run" we won 2 - 0 at Burton and beat Macclesfield 4 - 0 at home. Was that "losing confidence"?

Originally Posted by shakermaker

and picking up few points after it. Things had to change quickly

Why did things have to change? The end of the unbeaten run could have been put down to a blip. It's more than that now.

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Cook is trying to do his best with a makeshift team; bringing in players to help plug the gaps and altering tactics in order to make more chances to score

Well if that's what he is doing, the evidence seems to me to suggest a lack of success. How long is it without a goal?

Originally Posted by shakermaker

By all accounts we were much better in the second half

So you weren't there. Yes, we were much better in the second half - but we made precious few chances to score. The nearest was route 1 when Smith lost out in a 1-on-1 with their keeper.

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Yesterday we played 4-4-2

Thanks - I wondered what the formation was.

Originally Posted by shakermaker

However the goals we conceded were defensive errors on our part (lack of adequate marking for the first, howler for the second) and had we been a little more savvy individually, we may have got something out of the game. ... had Podge's header gone in (99 out of 100 times, it would have!) we may have nicked a point.

Had Swindon's two shots that hit the bar in the first half and glaring miss in front of an open goal in the second half also gone in, we would have been sunk without trace.

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Because of the depletion we've suffered mid-season, it may be a case of taking 2 steps back in order to move 3 steps forward. I haven't given up on hopes off a play-off place come May, but I'd be more than happy to settle for mid table and see what Paul does when he has a full summer to make his own side and instill his own ideas.

I actually agree with most of that - apart from hoping for a play-off place. Sorry, but I just cannot see that now. I would be more than happy with a mid-table place - this season and every season.