12 August fixtures

[thewwfc]

Tuesday's cup games already have their own thread, so here's the next batch of league games:

Bristol Rovers v Barnsley
Burton Albion v Derby County
Cheltenham Town v Bolton Wanderers
Exeter City v Blackpool
Fleetwood Town v Cambridge United
Leyton Orient v Portsmouth
Lincoln City v Wycombe Wanderers
Oxford United v Carlisle United
Peterborough United v Charlton Athletic
Port Vale v Reading
Stevenage v Shrewsbury Town
Wigan Athletic v Northampton Town

Glamour game of the day: The Derby derby, obviously, though I'm not sure how heated this one gets given the different levels the two clubs have historically played at.

Many eyes will be on Barnsley to see if they truly are the league-smashing warriors that opening day may have painted them as, or whether it was more the case that Vale were just a bit shite (or hampered by the eternal L1 ref conspiracy, etc).

Not sure if this season's Lincoln will prove to be the masterful goal-shy but defensively solid draw specialists of last time round, but we looked pretty poor in attack on Saturday, and will have to buck our ideas up considerably to even score, let alone get a point or win. 1-0 Imps.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Tuesday's cup games already have their own thread, so here's the next batch of league games:

Bristol Rovers v Barnsley
Burton Albion v Derby County
Cheltenham Town v Bolton Wanderers
Exeter City v Blackpool
Fleetwood Town v Cambridge United
Leyton Orient v Portsmouth
Lincoln City v Wycombe Wanderers
Oxford United v Carlisle United
Peterborough United v Charlton Athletic
Port Vale v Reading
Stevenage v Shrewsbury Town
Wigan Athletic v Northampton Town

Glamour game of the day: The Derby derby, obviously, though I'm not sure how heated this one gets given the different levels the two clubs have historically played at.

Many eyes will be on Barnsley to see if they truly are the league-smashing warriors that opening day may have painted them as, or whether it was more the case that Vale were just a bit shite (or hampered by the eternal L1 ref conspiracy, etc).

Not sure if this season's Lincoln will prove to be the masterful goal-shy but defensively solid draw specialists of last time round, but we looked pretty poor in attack on Saturday, and will have to buck our ideas up considerably to even score, let alone get a point or win. 1-0 Imps.

It’s not a derby other than the geography- but it’s getting more needle, as we play each other more often. First time was 2017 in the championship, and then it felt like a pre season friendly. Getting more interesting as the years go by but by far a bitter derby.
Perhaps in 10-15 years it might change.
That said. Be great to beat them. A lot of my mates are rams.
Game is sold out from what I can see.

 

[Moomin]

Blackpool at home for us. I randomly watched Blackpool v Burton on Saturday from a sports bar in Lanzarote and they looked very good in the first half. Two good finishes from Lavery while CJ Hamilton had a lot of joy getting in behind from wide. Also like the look of Morgan in midfield. Admittedly Burton improved second half but Blackpool never looked like letting the lead slip. They’ll be tough opposition this weekend.

We’ll be high on confidence from the Wycombe game and if we get into the game quickly I can see us picking up a result. Should be close to a sell out crowd too.

2-1 City. Nombe and Trevitt for us; Hamilton for Blackpool.

 

[valefan16]

No idea, I am away for this one thankfully but defend like we did from crosses on Saturday and Andy Carroll will be top scorer in the division come Saturday night!

Also Reading break a club record 15 games without a win if they fail to beat us so throw that into the "all we know what happens here" from the Port Vale benevolent society.

Need a solid performance, even a stinker of a 0-0 would do just to reset from the weekend, a heavy defeat and Crosby will be under immense pressure you'd think going into two awful away games on paper.

 

[E10rifle]

Home to Pompey. Think we were both involved in the two least eventful/most evenly contested games on the first day so not a great deal to go on. Hopefully we can take advantage of their customary slow start and steal a win. We were okay at Charlton but definitely undercooked. I’d take 0-0 right now.

 

[kieran_vale]

No idea, I am away for this one thankfully but defend like we did from crosses on Saturday and Andy Carroll will be top scorer in the division come Saturday night!

Also Reading break a club record 15 games without a win if they fail to beat us so throw that into the "all we know what happens here" from the Port Vale benevolent society.

Need a solid performance, even a stinker of a 0-0 would do just to reset from the weekend, a heavy defeat and Crosby will be under immense pressure you'd think going into two awful away games on paper.

Genius move by the club to announce the stadium is now fully cashless. What a great way to take attention off Saturday and instead have idiots on Facebook channelling their inner Matt Le Tissiers instead.

Reading will no doubt rush through a bunch of signings before Saturday just in time before the next embargo they have put on them. Hopefully for us the likes of Arblaster can stake a claim tomorrow night with a good performance, I think the home crowd will be a lot more forgiving of young lads like him.

 

[LancashireTrotters]

Cheltenham away.

They’ll have done extremely well if they’re still in League One by next summer.

On that basis, we should be looking at 3 points from Saturday.

Predict 3-0 Bolton, but we’ll see.

 

[EricSabin]

Wigan away. Think we could be in a bit of trouble here, lots of players coming back from injury and it’s gonna take some time to hit our straps. Looks as if we’re bringing 1,000+ for the first away day of the season so hopefully at least a draw.

2-1 Wigan.

 

[dwightyorke]

I think Bolton will beat Cheltenham but we will see

 

[bigfatron]

Fleetwood away - if we play like last Saturday we will be in with a chance…

 

[CTFCfan99]

Cheltenham away.

They’ll have done extremely well if they’re still in League One by next summer.

On that basis, we should be looking at 3 points from Saturday.

Predict 3-0 Bolton, but we’ll see.

Our home form will decide whether or not we stay up - we're unbeaten in our last 8 at home in the league but we'll need to carry that on if we're to survive.

Curtis Davies will be back from suspension and hopefully Will Ferry will be back from injury, but we still need a few more signings to bulk out the squad - the fact that we brought on a 16 year old academy striker against Shrews says it all. We're also massively reliant on Aidan Keena to get our goals as we don't have anyone else who can find the net regularly, so snuff him out and you'll be laughing.

As we're usually much better at home I'll optimistically predict a 1-1 draw, but a Bolton win is probably the safer bet.

 

[SVH]

Fleetwood away. They took a good point at Carlisle so it should be a tough game but I fancy us to get a point, possibly even get a 1-0 win.

I just hope we just get through tonight's carling cup with no injuries.

 

[Si Robin]

Our home form will decide whether or not we stay up - we're unbeaten in our last 8 at home in the league but we'll need to carry that on if we're to survive.

Curtis Davies will be back from suspension and hopefully Will Ferry will be back from injury, but we still need a few more signings to bulk out the squad - the fact that we brought on a 16 year old academy striker against Shrews says it all. We're also massively reliant on Aidan Keena to get our goals as we don't have anyone else who can find the net regularly, so snuff him out and you'll be laughing.

As we're usually much better at home I'll optimistically predict a 1-1 draw, but a Bolton win is probably the safer bet.

Seems a sound assessment to me - especially with George Lloyd likely to be out for a couple of months, despite a decent pre-season.

 

[deanureeves]

Our home form will decide whether or not we stay up - we're unbeaten in our last 8 at home in the league but we'll need to carry that on if we're to survive.

Curtis Davies will be back from suspension and hopefully Will Ferry will be back from injury, but we still need a few more signings to bulk out the squad - the fact that we brought on a 16 year old academy striker against Shrews says it all. We're also massively reliant on Aidan Keena to get our goals as we don't have anyone else who can find the net regularly, so snuff him out and you'll be laughing.

As we're usually much better at home I'll optimistically predict a 1-1 draw, but a Bolton win is probably the safer bet.

I reckon it'll be a tight game too, goal either way as we never have an easy game against Cheltenham going off of the past three seasons we've played each other. Far too many times last season we went to a Cheltenham/Cambridge/FGR away & created nothing in dull displays so I'm hoping we rectify those problems this season if we're serious about auto's.

 

[codaplenty]

Cambridge at home this weekend. Last season we were fortunate to win 1-0 with Shaun Rooney scoring late in the game. No disrespect to the visitors,this is a winnable home game and it will be great to see some of our new signings. Hopefully we can edge this 2-1

 

[Bobbin']

Peterborough away and think people are going to realise just how far off we are in terms of competing at the top end, again.

 

[Si Robin]

I reckon it'll be a tight game too, goal either way as we never have an easy game against Cheltenham going off of the past three seasons we've played each other. Far too many times last season we went to a Cheltenham/Cambridge/FGR away & created nothing in dull displays so I'm hoping we rectify those problems this season if we're serious about auto's.

If you don't create anything, then it'll be the least creative game in history going off our two games so far

 

[K-Win]

Hopefully we can take advantage of their customary slow start

We've actually been pretty fast starters in recent years. The wheels normally come off in Autumn or after Christmas.

Never like playing a promoted team in their first home game. Could do with a win but a draw might be likelier. Encouragingly, we seem to have a much stronger bench this season putting pressure on the supposed first team. I expect us to finish the game strongly.

 

[Craig]

We’ll play bad and Rovers will have the lions share of possession and chances so just 3-0 or 4-0 this weekend.

 

[leedsvaliant]

We’ll play bad and Rovers will have the lions share of possession and chances so just 3-0 or 4-0 this weekend.

Be interesting to see how you get on actually. I can't work out whether you're too good for every other team or it was just one of those freak days where everything you touched turned to a goal (aided by some appalling defending). When we got amongst you in the first half you were just booting it anywhere.

 

[Luke Imp]

Not sure what to expect from Wycombe, you could see what Bloomfield wanted to do with them last season and I suspect it's similar.

We need to put Bolton behind us and hope for better preparation because we had last minute starting XI and formation changes, which never helps.

 

[masi51]

Be interesting to see how you get on actually. I can't work out whether you're too good for every other team or it was just one of those freak days where everything you touched turned to a goal (aided by some appalling defending). When we got amongst you in the first half you were just booting it anywhere.

They are certainly not too good for every team !!

 

[Gassy]

We’ll play bad and Rovers will have the lions share of possession and chances so just 3-0 or 4-0 this weekend.

Honestly if you offered us that result we’d probably take it now tbh

 

[91SPP]

As early into the season as we are, a loss against Burton Albion would fully kick start the Warne-out bandwagon and once something like that gets wheels it's incredibly difficult to stop.

I really like Warne as a guy, hope he's our manager for a long time, but you can already see the wheels turning and if we aren't getting results then it's not helping his clause. I have put some money on Burton this weekend, something if we do lose and go into meltdown.

 

[Bartonyellow]

As early into the season as we are, a loss against Burton Albion would fully kick start the Warne-out bandwagon and once something like that gets wheels it's incredibly difficult to stop.

I really like Warne as a guy, hope he's our manager for a long time, but you can already see the wheels turning and if we aren't getting results then it's not helping his clause. I have put some money on Burton this weekend, something if we do lose and go into meltdown.

You might be saved by our injuries - 7 down from Leicester, including stockton. Hopefully they are just knocks.
Think it will be a tight game, and I reckon the same as last season - 1-1.

 

[denzel ecfc]

As early into the season as we are, a loss against Burton Albion would fully kick start the Warne-out bandwagon and once something like that gets wheels it's incredibly difficult to stop.

I really like Warne as a guy, hope he's our manager for a long time, but you can already see the wheels turning and if we aren't getting results then it's not helping his clause. I have put some money on Burton this weekend, something if we do lose and go into meltdown.

Seriously, you've lost one game!

 

[91SPP]

Seriously, you've lost one game!

2 games, actually, but it's more to do with our home form over the past 8 games - I think it's only one win in 8 since going unbeaten in 20+ games. A lot of people point to the change in system and the drop off. I'm not one of them, but I understand the frustration. We have visibly deteriorated the more he's had time to put his stamp on it, but you could put that down to players not fitting his system and not having his team last season. That, tied in with the lack of movement in the transfer market - losing McGoldrick was absolutely massive. Knight and Bielik left for decent money. Yet we can't reinvest it in the team due to an agreement with the EFL (apparently) so we just look a little short and I think there is frustration around the entire club - from the top down.

Defensively we should be strong, but we're conceding goals that no professional side should be conceding - the Sonny Bradley backpass and Callum Elder header back to the keeper in back-to-back games is rough. I will say we don't seem to concede many chances, but the ones we do are absolute backbreakers.

The expectation levels are insanely high, but I feel the club also hold similar expectations.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Stevenage away.

We’ve played Stevenage 10 times in our history and only lost twice, we haven’t played them since 2015 where a double from James Collins helped us on our way to a 3-2 win. Salop a bit of a bogey team for Stevenage then… all points to a home win of course.

Captain Chey Dunkley returns to contention after his suspension, Elliot Thorpe has picked up a back injury so will most likely be out, and we’re still waiting for Home Office approval on Max Mata playing.

Always tough playing a Steve Evans team, as much as I dislike the bloke he is a very good lower league manager and will have his players bang up for this with it being their first League 1 home match in 9 years.

Stevenage 1-1 Salop (Bowman)

 

[leedsvaliant]

I thought when the fixtures came out that Barnsley away, Reading at home and Blackpool away and Charlton away in the 1st 4 games is a recipe for zero points. We couldn't have asked for a much harder start really with 3 of our first 4 away to strong teams.

We could do, therefore, with picking up some points on Saturday. Easier said than done against a Reading side who apparently gave Peterborough a bit of a run around 1st half last week and then gave Millwall a bit of a lashing in the week.

If we persist with this zonal marking nonsense, I can see us getting taught another lesson. We at least look like we can offer a bit of a threat in attack but we need to be much tighter at the back. I have a bad feeling that we might be on nil points after round 4 of matches as we just look so shaky.

 

[Arbury]

As early into the season as we are, a loss against Burton Albion would fully kick start the Warne-out bandwagon and once something like that gets wheels it's incredibly difficult to stop.

I really like Warne as a guy, hope he's our manager for a long time, but you can already see the wheels turning and if we aren't getting results then it's not helping his clause. I have put some money on Burton this weekend, something if we do lose and go into meltdown.

Fuck me you’ve lost one game, he’s proven over numerous years that he knows what it takes to get out of this lge, fans think the grass is always greener but in all honesty who’s better? (Hands off bonner)

Support and back him, he will come good.

KTF.