10 Games Gone

[GTFCfish]

I’ve seen a couple of very good performances from us so far and a couple of awful ones (awful 45 mins in each anyway v Colchester and Macc) which would suggest mid table for us.
One thing we have this season which I really like is that we never give up and accept defeat and always go right until the end in every game which is good to see and has seen us pick up 9 points already from losing positions.

 

[Sydney Posse]

Over the moon, I thought we would do well this season, but did not expect us to be top after 10 games. We have got a strong squad this year, there are guys on the bench for every game who would have been dead cert starters in our team 2-3 years ago. I think Newport will also do well this season. And as much as a hate to say it, I reckon Argyle will improve as well

 

[shoddycollins]

Concise summing up

Nothing more is needed. There's only been one game I think, where we've been the better team.

 

[Chris FGR]

In the play-offs without even bothering to score goals, just wait and see what we do without one hand behind our backs.

All the best teams build from the back. 7 clean sheets is brilliant tbf. Reckon we've got it in us to score more goals, just need to shoot a bit more.

 

[Si Robin]

I don't think anyone has seen our start coming, least of all us Cheltenham fans.

We've been fantastic at home and resilient (also lucky) away. Duffo has got us playing some fantastic stuff and his bluntness when being interviewed is refreshing after the used car salesman act from Gary Johnson before him.

I'm intrigued to see how long we can keep it up because I really don't see us as a promotion chasing team. If we can stay in the playoff fight past Christmas though, it'll be intriguing to see how the club back Duff in January.

As for the games I've seen, Stevenage are probably the worst team I've seen at this level in some time and Swindon by far the best. I said it at the time that our point against them will be seen as a great point come the season's end, and I stand by that.

 

[PlymouthCasual]

Highly frustrating start for sure. Absolutely dominating large portions of the games with some absolutely delightful football but we are no where near clinical enough in the final third. Injuries haven't helped at all but im slightly fearful that we may pay the price for not having a natural finisher in the side. That being said, I still have complete confidence in Ryan Lowe and his philosophy and think that we will come good.

 

[Casey]

Well Crawley are better than I thought we'd be. Gone a bit longer this season and it's paying off. Also got a bit of fight in the team, they keep going when things ain't going well and, if we're honest, all most lower leagues fans ask for is a team to try and play to their strengths.

Lubalya has been a revelation, still think he has the touch of a bag of cement though. Palmer being dropped has given him the kick up the backside he needed and Morris has real competition in goal but is having another blinding season.

I missed the Crewe game but people I stand with reckon they were the best to come here so far. The best I've seen were Plymouth whose midfield just kept running past ours and we had Morris to thank for keeping us in it.

The worst I've seen are the officials. I haven't seen a decent set yet. Even when we've benefited they just haven't be good enough.

Casey

 

[Kauto Star]

If Bradford “come good” as you say and are up there, then I will be very disappointed. The game I saw them they were completely disjointed, disorganised and extremely poor, they came across as a club that thought they should do well purely based on money and the fans they get through the gate. Obviously Plymouth beat us 3-0 but it seems they’ve been found out since then and things won’t be as easy as they thought, and their opening day (against us) was a flourish of confidence. Top 3 as it stands for the rest of the season please.

We are already up there, without coming good, as you put it.

Now that Bowyer seems to have settled on a formation and side that works, we will improve for sure.

We are a decent defensive midfielder short of having a right go at the automatic spots.

 

[Son of Cod]

Pretty much started exactly how I said our season would pan out. Upper midtable. Comfortable. Have played well and badly several times. Positives would be just how much fight and resilience this side has, how much the fans are investing into and being patient with Jolley, Max Wright's and Mattie Pollock's emergences and actually being able to score goals again. Negatives would be that we're a bit too one dimensional and that we don't get to play Scunny while that are absolute garbage.

I’ve seen a couple of very good performances from us so far and a couple of awful ones (awful 45 mins in each anyway v Colchester and Macc) which would suggest mid table for us.
One thing we have this season which I really like is that we never give up and accept defeat and always go right until the end in every game which is good to see and has seen us pick up 9 points already from losing positions.

Something we didn't do once until late November at Northampton last season.

 

[Son of Cod]

All the best teams build from the back. 7 clean sheets is brilliant tbf. Reckon we've got it in us to score more goals, just need to shoot a bit more.

 

[Big Bird]

Feel that only injuries will stop us finishing top 7. January could be sticky with Yates and Doyle potentially being recalled as well so may have to reassess our attacking options mid season which wouldn't be ideal. For now I'm pretty confident and content.

 

[Kauto Star]

Feel that only injuries will stop us finishing top 7. January could be sticky with Yates and Doyle potentially being recalled as well so may have to reassess our attacking options mid season which wouldn't be ideal. For now I'm pretty confident and content.

Very much doubt we will seek to recall Doyle. He was allowed to leave for a reason. I wouldnt be surprised to see us try and re-negotiate the terms of the loan, for example asking you to stump up more of his wages, or even try and sell him to you for a nominal fee

 

[Conker]

Feel that only injuries will stop us finishing top 7. January could be sticky with Yates and Doyle potentially being recalled as well so may have to reassess our attacking options mid season which wouldn't be ideal. For now I'm pretty confident and content.

Fair play with the confidence, there’s gunna be a few that will always properly drop off.

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

We’re as I thought.
Mid table, and after what seems like forever fighting relegation that’ll do me.
Askey has recruited poorly though, and seems inclined to just muddle through away games hoping for nils.
We’ll still struggle to score, but we seem pretty solid at home.
If we finish above 14th i’ll be amazed.

 

[F!RTHY]

Positivity and a consistent formation/XI will go a long way to ensure we finish well come May. That has been our biggest problem thus far.

We have taken the lead in every away game this season but have lost 8 points from those winning positions - it just isn’t automatic form.

With the introduction of wingers Pritchard and Connelly, we’re beginning to show we mean business; as when we’re on top, Ive yet to see a team who could match us when the tails are up.

Come Jan, GB will undoubtedly fill that defensive mid position; which is our only weakness IMO.

 

[valefan16]

We’re as I thought.
Mid table, and after what seems like forever fighting relegation that’ll do me.
Askey has recruited poorly though, and seems inclined to just muddle through away games hoping for nils.
We’ll still struggle to score, but we seem pretty solid at home.
If we finish above 14th i’ll be amazed.

I don’t think the recruitment has been that bad, I mean Askey is limited in what he can do with the budget, you could argue we have the biggest budget in the league this year... problem is £5 million of our budget has gone to getting rid of Smurf! Leaving very little!

The depth looks better as we’ve played them in fairness... Lloyd has looked way out his depth but others have generally come in and done OK. To get four points in a week from Plymouth, Exeter and Mansfield with 7 players out, 4 arguably crucial ones suggests they are not too bad.

Guess we will look to improve this season as a base for a real go next year.

 

[EricSabin]

After a summer of massive upheaval I was always expecting a slow start, but we seem to be picking up now with 7 points in the last week. The football is more pleasing on the eye than the start of the season and we’re becoming harder to beat at home.

Jury’s out on whether we’ll pick up enough points away to trouble the playoffs but who knows, and we seem capable of beating the better sides in the division.

Morecambe (a), Orient (h), Scunny (a) represent 3 great opportunities to stay on a good run and get firmly involved in the playoff melee

 

[AnotherStagsFan]

It’s been embarrassing.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

It’s been embarrassing.

Did Bury do you a favour by preventing your promotion?

 

[IanPVFC]

 

[Conker]

Did Bury do you a favour by preventing your promotion?

No, the team is more than good enough.

 

[valefan16]

No, the team is more than good enough.

Is it though?

From an outsider looking in you've lost a 22 goal striker which is big boots to fill. Get you've signed Maynard but his history is mixed with last year being his first double figure scoring season in a decade and Grant obviously is a big player for this level.

Its a decent squad but seems weaker than last year on paper losing the two mentioned.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Would Mansfield have lost the two mentioned if they had been promoted?

 

[Conker]

Is it though?

From an outsider looking in you've lost a 22 goal striker which is big boots to fill. Get you've signed Maynard but his history is mixed with last year being his first double figure scoring season in a decade and Grant obviously is a big player for this level.

Its a decent squad but seems weaker than last year on paper losing the two mentioned.

Lost Walker and replaced him with Maynard who got 20+ Cook who got 17/18 in a relegation side the division above and Rose is like a new signing this season who’s already got 7 goals. Grant was not a big player for us either and barely played after the first few games because he was wank.

So I don’t really agree with your point, it’s not significantly improved overall to be fair and we have had several suspensions and injuries to the point it’s ridiculous but our biggest problem currently is the manager holding them back.

 

[Jam0]

If you put the completely unprecedented summer we've had behind us, we've still been underwhelming overall. Ross Embleton has just made the decision to step back down to assistant and that's a sensible decision I think but it's been pretty fine margins for us over the past few weeks. 2-1 up at league leaders Exeter, only to concede a last min pen and draw 2-2. Then 1-1 against Crewe at home midweek, miss a pen for 2-1 to us and they go and score in the last min. Story of our season so far really, just no rub of the green.

I predicted middtable before the season started and still think we'll just about amble there but I am starting to worry that we lack quality. We've got some decent players, and ok backbone of a side but the players that sit on our bench just aren't game changers, particularly up front. Losing Angol for the best part of a month is a blow as he's been decent. I'm also still unconvinced by us in the middle of the park, something that's been glaringly obvious for ages but we still seem to get over run.

The biggest surprise for me has been our defense. Said it on here in the pre-season review that we'd come straight in with one of the best backlines the league has to offer and we've been shipping goals like they're going out of fashion. Perhaps the step up has been a learning curve, particularly for one of our players of the year last year, Marvin Ekpiteta who has never played league football before.

The next manager appointment will be crucial for us. As others have said, we'll likely stay up because of the Bury situation. But it just hasn't been an enjoyable season at all so far with only the 1 home win on the opening day. Hoping we pick up and feel we will once the season progresses a bit.

 

[JJ1532]

Very much doubt we will seek to recall Doyle. He was allowed to leave for a reason. I wouldnt be surprised to see us try and re-negotiate the terms of the loan, for example asking you to stump up more of his wages, or even try and sell him to you for a nominal fee

If you're team has any sense, then they'll be recalling him the moment the loan is up.

Why leave a decent goalscorer out on loan at a promotion rival? If I were you lot, I'd be getting some interest from L1 and selling him in January as a matter of urgency. Yes, it'd be a massively shithouse thing to do, but so what? Got to look after yourselves first.

Or, I'd give him another go. Either way, you'd have to be fools to let him stay after the window opens.

 

[Indian Dan]

Doyle can’t play for anyone other than us or Bradford this season.

 

[JJ1532]

I always forget that dumb rule. Makes things simple then. Recall him and if needs be, sit him on the bench for 5 months. Better than have him fire a rival team to promotion over yours.

 

[F!RTHY]

Doyle can’t play for anyone other than us or Bradford this season.

Any idea whether he can play against us this season? We certainly won’t be recalling Doyle, unless Vaughan and Donaldson are out injured long-term.

 

[Hurrikeen]

Still maintain that the quality in L2 is fucking horrendous.