No I agree and we saw that when Accrington beat Pompey for us the other year.I'm not sure I concur with that view about players being on the beach etc. It's their last game of football for two or three months. Most, if not all, will want to go out with one final flourish. A striker, for instance, no way he will want to fire a blank and a free hit game is one of the only times, as a striker, that he can think of himself and be a bit greedy with no team prize at stake. Defenders and keepers will be desperate to end on a clean sheet and start the new season as they ended this one.
I'm yet to see a final game team, with nothing to play for, roll over and have their tummies tickled by a team gunning for a prize. No one likes anyone celebrating in their own back yard and Exeter will be no different. Biggest myth in football - there wont be many last game deciders like this where's there's a 4, 5 nil battering, most of them are tight and explode the myth that the team with nothing to play for just takes it easy.
Where there is a drop off is when teams mix and match their selections. We see every year the impact that lack of consistency and cohesion has when PL teams make 7 or 8 changes in the domestic cups.
I can see Pompey giving one or two opportunities on the last day and with that combined with a slight drop off in intensity which feels natural, I’d probably fancy a full strength Cheltenham battling to stay up to give Lincoln more of a game.
Caldwell’s spoken openly about his selection on Saturday - for example Yanic didn’t play because they want him to stay but haven’t worked out a deal, Eisa’s going back. I suppose there might be one or two out of contract in the summer who don’t fancy risking injury in a meaningless game as well.
No easy games, but all those things combined, I wouldn’t want to be going to Exeter in 7th.