Posh v Doncaster

[tonyp]

Shrewsbury have eleven clean sheets in L1, which is why they're fifteen points ahead of us.

Just one of the reasons.

They have seven 1-0 victories; we have one. Factor in the injury-time debacles at Charlton and at home to Doncaster when we lost the clean sheet in injury time and there's your fifteen point margin. Burton did something similar a couple of years ago.

Well, they are a few more reasons.
The main reason that Shrewsbury are 15 points ahead of us is that they have played 25, won 16, drawn 6 (54 points) whereas we have played 26, won 11, drawn 6 (39 points). Difference 15 points. They didn't earn any extra points for the clean sheets.

[HantsPosh]

Errrrrr they did the games they scored in though surely

[stuie]

Errrrrr they did the games they scored in though surely

[JohnC]

Just one of the reasons.

They have seven 1-0 victories; we have one. Factor in the injury-time debacles at Charlton and at home to Doncaster when we lost the clean sheet in injury time and there's your fifteen point margin. Burton did something similar a couple of years ago.

Well, they are a few more reasons.
The main reason that Shrewsbury are 15 points ahead of us is that they have played 25, won 16, drawn 6 (54 points) whereas we have played 26, won 11, drawn 6 (39 points). Difference 15 points. They didn't earn any extra points for the clean sheets.

in other words: 'they're fifteen points ahead of us because they have earned fifteen points more than we have'.

That's the 'what' of the matter; more interesting is the 'why' and the 'how'. Our defensive frailty is keeping us from a higher position in the table.
The four current play-off teams have conceded an average of 27.25 goals so far. The four teams in the relegation positions have conceded an average of 37.5 goals. We've conceded 37 goals. How is that likely to end?
Interestingly, the Sky Sport predictor has us finishing seventh, with both Shrewsbury (15 goals conceded) and Scunthorpe (22 goals conceded) in the play-off positions.
As things stand, we are apparently hoping to push for a play-off position with a relegation-calibre defence. If current newspaper stories are in any way accurate, we seem to be seeking to address our defensive problems by signing a midfielder and an attacker. Maybe the plan is to expect a returning Jack Baldwin to bring a degree of calm and stability to the back line.

Like Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe have eleven clean sheets so far this season, but are a mere ten points ahead of us. i suggest that if we don't radically reappraise our approach to defending, we'll spend several more seasons as a mid-level League One team, getting a pain in the neck looking up at such unlikely powerhouses as Burton, Fleetwood, Rochdale, Shrewsbury and Scunthorpe. Burton excepted, these teams probably won't get promoted, but they'll take turns occupying one of the play-off spots we covet.

[stuie]

They have seven 1-0 victories; we have one. Factor in the injury-time debacles at Charlton and at home to Doncaster when we lost the clean sheet in injury time and there's your fifteen point margin. Burton did something similar a couple of years ago.

Well, they are a few more reasons.
The main reason that Shrewsbury are 15 points ahead of us is that they have played 25, won 16, drawn 6 (54 points) whereas we have played 26, won 11, drawn 6 (39 points). Difference 15 points. They didn't earn any extra points for the clean sheets.

in other words: 'they're fifteen points ahead of us because they have earned fifteen points more than we have'.

That's the 'what' of the matter; more interesting is the 'why' and the 'how'. Our defensive frailty is keeping us from a higher position in the table.
The four current play-off teams have conceded an average of 27.25 goals so far. The four teams in the relegation positions have conceded an average of 37.5 goals. We've conceded 37 goals. How is that likely to end?
Interestingly, the Sky Sport predictor has us finishing seventh, with both Shrewsbury (15 goals conceded) and Scunthorpe (22 goals conceded) in the play-off positions.
As things stand, we are apparently hoping to push for a play-off position with a relegation-calibre defence. If current newspaper stories are in any way accurate, we seem to be seeking to address our defensive problems by signing a midfielder and an attacker. Maybe the plan is to expect a returning Jack Baldwin to bring a degree of calm and stability to the back line.

Like Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe have eleven clean sheets so far this season, but are a mere ten points ahead of us. i suggest that if we don't radically reappraise our approach to defending, we'll spend several more seasons as a mid-level League One team, getting a pain in the neck looking up at such unlikely powerhouses as Burton, Fleetwood, Rochdale, Shrewsbury and Scunthorpe. Burton excepted, these teams probably won't get promoted, but they'll take turns occupying one of the play-off spots we covet.

gpwm

[ashman]

Maybe the plan is to expect a returning Jack Baldwin to bring a degree of calm and stability to the back line.

[john316z]

Maybe the plan is to expect a returning Jack Baldwin to bring a degree of calm and stability to the back line.

Via the bench hopefully!