The Lounge

[MacWomble]

Gosh, it’s all happening. Just what we needed. A tonic for the troops. Big Bayo at last delivered the goods. We need a renaissance from the Big Man for the next few weeks before he likely heads off to play for Alaska or North Dakota, wherever. And the M K Dons are relegated. There is no way they can make up 9 points of Rotherham, with only 5 games to play. But it does show how hard it is to move up a league and gives a warning about the sort of shit that would fly around if we did the unlikely and got promoted. As I have said before, fans are fickle; if The Gaffer got us promoted and then the poor results started to come in (you know 4-0 loss to M K Dons), then we would all start calling for his head again, and he would be gone. He will be praying that we just put in a good performance and bow out gracefully. But, when you look at the garbage teams we are up against over the coming weeks, it really does look like the fans can have funs at the playoffs as summer starts. On a separate note, I have no problem with differing views, whether they be political, or whether they be the jubilation in my household if Toon go down (way aye, howay the lads, Blaydon Races, yawn, yawn, yawn). Boris J will have to follow the planning rules under the relevant acts and regulations, but it is an area to be worried about. The club may need to think about how it proceeds if a Plan B is needed. My view of the proposal is that there are too many affordable housing units. I’ve worked in planning before and know that if the delegate has it in for you, then as long as there are some reasons to hang a refusal decision on, then you are toast. Mr Pearce’s comments on the Tories would not serve us well if BoJo was a WDSA reader, which I am sure he is not. Anyway, bring on the Brexit. independence for Bedfordshire and the end of seson party at the Toon.

[Devon Womble]

I’ve kind of made my opinion/s known about whether we are good enough for League One or not, but I haven’t commented on Trevor’s political comment. So, forgive me if I diverge from the forum’s objective and wade into this (just once, Rob!)

As one who spent twelve years in politics, albeit as an Independent (but, ironically, as one who also served a term as Mayor), I think I have some credit to say that Trevor is not wrong, but with a codicil… the same cronyism can be equally said of the Labour or LibDem party.

In the case of NPL, one only has to realise that demographically many Wandsworth Borough Tories live within it’s impact zone. Thus, all Boris is doing by calling in the decision is securing these voters for the Tory candidate for Mayor of London. In which respect, be absolutely assured that the same would have occured if it was Livingstone in charge and these were Labour voters.
Whether we like it or not, NPL is simply a casualty of that political principle.

As for the Planning outcome, Macwomble speaks informed, the decision should go through and do so regardless of who is the next Mayor.
What really pees me off most about this politically corrupt act is that the votes are being brought using our club’s precious cash. (… Surely worthy of a far greater outcry, but perhaps one best left until we have NPL signed off?)

Now… on to the Play-offs Gentlemen, please?

[Colum]

The dream is still very much alive. Akinfenwa may not have been able to work his magic, but Robinson surely did. He was immense all game, as was Darius Charles, Captain Fuller and Master Meades. Bulman had the run of the centre of the park against his old club, and the joker Lyle Taylor ran himself into the ground up front. He even found time to joke with the crowd towards the end. This was a team performance. It wasn’t pretty, but I’ll take it.

Next up Dagenham. There should be a big Dons away contingent for this central line derby. How will it go? Who knows. On paper, this should be stone wall three points. But with their relegation confirmed on Saturday, they may well start playing.

[onyadon]

Four wins on the trot, 68 points, four points clear of the eighth-placed team, four games left with a game in hand and facing Portsmouth at home next week… it’s all for the Dons to lose to NOT make the playoffs IMHO. Momentum is a wonderful thing. Once you’ve got it you surf the wave right to the shore. A check back over the last 11 seasons of League 2 shows that the 7th-placed team has historically needed 71 points to make the play-offs. Given that, the Dons are just one win away from playing in the post-season. Allowing for the current form and sky-high confidence (and barring any unforeseen major mishap/injuries to key players) the Dons can be expected to get more than three points in the final run-in against Leyton Orient (home), Portsmouth (home), Stevenage (away) and Newport County on the final day of the season at home. And if they get more than three points and beat Pompey as well then the Dons can finish as high as 6th. This is a wonderful position for Neal Ardley and his squad to be in this late in the season.

[Colum]

Unfortunately due to a family emergency I didn’t get to make it to Dagenham. I was gutted. I did make it back home by 7:30pm and tuned in to the excellent Radio WDON, whilst trying to catch up with some work. After the first 10 minutes when we could have been 3-0 up, the work was forgotten.

Rob, your analysis is spot on. I was thinking back to the similarities between the last Dons playoff push. The confidence is there. The results are there. Could we do it? And what would happen if we did? The next two games will tell us more about those answers. I’d take 3 points from the Leyton Orient and Pompey games, and if that was by beating Pompey, all the better.

Just a final word on the Dons away following at Dagenham. Listening in you could hear them singing from the start to the finish. They didn’t stop, and you couldn’t hear a single Daggers fan. Never mind being the 12th man. Last night they were the 13th, 14th and 15th!

[MacWomble]

Yes, it does indeed appear that the Dons are most likely heading into the play-offs. Not many expected that at the start of the season. It is a great time for the team to have momentum, especially if it carries over into the play-offs. I think we are all pleasantly surprised and can enter the play-offs with no undue expectations, except to have some fun and for the team to get some good experience. Surely promotion is too much to expect? And meanwhile MK Dons are all relegated, even if they beat Brentford this weekend. Then Robinson will likely leave them. And, you heard if from me first. Another team with momentum is your common-or-garden (emphasis on common) Spurs player. With Vardy playing the fool, then this may instil some nerves into Leicester, and Swansea are up for it. It is high time that the Leicester bubble got burst (to make it interesting for us fans). I reckon Spurs might just frighten the living daylights out of a post-Vardy Leicester. The morale here is that L Taylor should be careful. My wife said that shouldn’t I be pleased to see Leicester do so well. I said yes, But that my allegiances are to Wimbledon and Montrose, and there is nothing like the black amusement that comes from seeing the fans have it all whipped away from them on the last day of the season. Nasty MacWomble! Grrrrrr.

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