What can you say about that?

This was our best chance in years to be promoted and we bottled it. There’s no meltdown only complete disappointment and realism about how our squad will be radically different next year so it’s not a case of just going again.

Yeah true, there'll be lots of changes, that's for sure. Same as every year.
 
So it wasn’t our best chance in years? Yes

So we didn’t fail to put in a decent performance and trouble their goalkeeper? Yes, sort of

We just ran out of steam. We punched and missed
 
Some people on here are talking like the players just downed tools and were taken to the cleaners by a non league team.

Yes we were poor. Too many players having an off day means the whole team is poor. A shame it happened on the most important day, but that’s the playoffs.

The injury hit team that finished 4th played really badly and lost narrowly to the team that finished 5th and played well. Hardly a disgrace. No lack of effort that I could see. Over the 2 games we could have easily nicked it.

Gutted, but from where we were last year we’ve done remarkably. Sometimes it just isn’t your night.
 
We were very poor last night. I just never felt we were going to score.

Coventry deserve some credit for the way they defended, but they also got a bit of luck along the way I felt, as a couple of times the ball just wouldn't drop for us.

I think late on we were trying to be a bit too cute, and I personally felt we should have just gone route one once we entered added on time, especially as we had Crooks on the pitch.
 
He had no answer tonight, they're not great and we offered f. all.

No plan B.

Changes after 60 that were wrong.

No Crooks until there were only a few minutes remaining?

He might have learnt from Sir Alex but he's nowhere close, tonight was a disgrace and he's the manager so he carries the can.
I'm not convinced Crooks was the answer anyway.
 
This was our best chance in years to be promoted and we bottled it. There’s no meltdown only complete disappointment and realism about how our squad will be radically different next year so it’s not a case of just going again.
Perhaps it was also Coventry's best chance to be promoted and over 2 legs they just did it better than us.
 
Absolutely the best comment on here tonight.
It is what it is, some people paint a different picture to others.
All equally disappointed
We just see it in a different way
 
On reflection Coventry were full value for the win. They produced a brilliant away performance and totally did a number on Boro.

In hindsight Boro lost momentum at the wrong time. Injuries to key players combined with securing a play off spot and performances dipped. We couldn’t recover the consistency shown over a few months.

We go again and I hope we get the same reaction to the play off final defeat against Norwich. There is something building. Keep the core squad together and do everything possible to add quality to it. We must hope Carrick stays too.
 
Am I wrong? Did we have a plan B? Did we make changes early on that stood a reasonable chance of success? Did we bring on our only attacking threat on the bench with more than minutes to go?

Get yourself to bed pal.
FFS the old plan B nonsense argument from a football fan. If only it was so simple.
 
Sunderland were awful in the second leg, primarily down to their injuries.

The team we had out should have done better, and with a bit of luck, could have won the first leg and then everything is different if Coventry have to come at us.

The point is, the injuries meant we never had the depth to change the game.

They weren't good in the second leg because they had one fit defender and about 6/7 players out injured. Luton capitalised on this with their physical play. Sunderland however did turn up for the first leg and scored twice despite not having their best striker.

Who exactly were we missing? Howson and Ramsey. Yes we missed them, but let's be honest we still had the league's top scorer and top assister on the pitch along with quality player like Cameron Archer. We had more than enough on that pitch to at least score over the two legs and we couldn't even do that because the players didn't perform and the manager didn't have the tactical nous that Mark Robins did.
 
So, the morning after the night before and now the dust has settled a bit, I'm not sure they're needs to be a detailed inquest really.

Coventry set up to nullify us, relying on counter attacks and probably set pieces, which is how they play best.

We struggled to break them down and they rode their luck too.

Fair play, their plan came off, but it's such fine margins in the play offs a little luck here and there can decide such close games. I don't think it needs much analysis beyond that really.

It's a big summer now for Carrick and Boro, but isn't it always?

Much of this team will probably not be here next season, but we've seen enough from our recruitment team more recently to give more confidence that we can add well in the right areas.

It's hugely disappointing of course and will take some time to get over losing as we did, when we did, plus there are maybe some (small) question marks over Carrick and our poor end of season form, but despite this we should be positive on the whole for sure.

Finally, good luck to Coventry in the final, they have some talented players and despite our disappointment I don't hold any bad feelings towards them as a club, they've had some dark times and deserve a bit if success.
 
it's fine margins as always. we should have been in front at half time in the first leg. looking back, the two Akpom misses were huge (and tbf I don't think he did a lot wrong).

First half last night, I thought we were ok and I expected us to go on and win. But the 2nd half was poor and I think we panicked a bit despite a long time left after the goal. There was also no plan B which to some extent was dictated by injuries.

Hopefully we have a lot of our transfer business lined up and we won't be going to Aug 31 like last season.
 
it's fine margins as always. we should have been in front at half time in the first leg. looking back, the two Akpom misses were huge (and tbf I don't think he did a lot wrong).

First half last night, I thought we were ok and I expected us to go on and win. But the 2nd half was poor and I think we panicked a bit despite a long time left after the goal. There was also no plan B which to some extent was dictated by injuries.

Hopefully we have a lot of our transfer business lined up and we won't be going to Aug 31 like last season.
Good summary, we seemed to settle for nil nil second half on Sunday when the game was there to be won I thought. Coventry learnt from Sunday and their game plan last night meant we needed an early goal to get them to come out, we started ok but the injury to Akpom seemed to knock us out of our stride. The referee was lenient with their niggling fouls breaking up our flow and so their experienced defenders took it in turn to kick our creative players. Coventry seemed emboldened at the start of the second half, sensing their best chance to progress. Once they scored we never looked likely to take it to extra time.
 
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