2020/21 General Match Thread

[Shrimpurh]

Championes

 

[Millerbri]

A wasted 2 hours of everyone's time at NYS, a very drab, lifeless performance from us.

Shrewsbury clearly came for a point and we weren't inventive enough to get past them so fair play to them.

The ref was never in control of the game and even let Shrews decide they would have a drinks break with about 5 minutes to go, very odd.
But that and the continual time wasting all contributed to us never getting up a head of steam.

In the end I could see us losing it so a point was better than nothing,

 

[Bartonyellow]

Ah but the week before without injury time you’d have only had 1 point instead of 3

That does not console me. We always score late against u anyway...

 

[Gassy]

That does not console me. We always score late against u anyway...

Yeah it’s become a bit of an annoying tradition.

What are people’s thoughts on the league this season? Can’t say I’m overly impressed with ten standard tbh

 

[Bar Carousel]

Our plummeting form continues.

Another uninspiring performance, filled with the inevitable chopping and changing of players from the previous match with square pegs in round holes, bizarre tactical substitutions and the qualities of crossing the ball and set piece taking that an under 9's team would be ashamed of.

The writing was on the wall after the Coventry game in August. But in truth, our form other than a purple patch in March/April has been poor since the turn of the year.

A poor summer transfer window failing to replace key players who were always likely to leave (allowing plenty of time to plan for their departures). Yesterday Matt Clarke's replacement was dropped for our striker instead. And Marquis continues to flounder up top without any service whatsoever.

Many of the fans tongue's have been bitten once too many times now, and that bottled up rage finally snapped post penalty yesterday. Not nice to see, but it has been coming for a while.

I hope for Kenny's sake he leaves soon. He is one of football's good guys and it seems cruel to subject him to what could be to come if a heavy defeat by the scummers is followed up with a defeat at home to an apparently resurgent Bolton. It will turn nasty and he doesn't deserve that.

Think this season's a write-off for us.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Can we not give everyone a headstart?

Rochdale 0-3 up finished 2-3.
Gillingham 0-2 up finished 2-2.
Rotherham 0-1 up finished 1-1.
Peterborough 0-2 up finished 2-2.
Burton 0-1 up finished 2-1.

It’s great our players fight to the end and all that but the only game we’ve scored first in was Bolton which doesn’t really count. Hopefully that changes soon.

We’ve been really unlucky with injuries so far this season and had several players out of position. Hopefully that luck changes soon!

 

[Plumbob]

A wasted 2 hours of everyone's time at NYS, a very drab, lifeless performance from us.

Shrewsbury clearly came for a point and we weren't inventive enough to get past them so fair play to them.

The ref was never in control of the game and even let Shrews decide they would have a drinks break with about 5 minutes to go, very odd.
But that and the continual time wasting all contributed to us never getting up a head of steam.

In the end I could see us losing it so a point was better than nothing,

If allowing an unscheduled drinks break was the only odd decision Boyeson made, you got lucky. No place for him in professional football.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

A well deserved win yesterday and kept probably the best attacking line up to nil

 

[Fedora Dale]

Apparently an undistinguished and injury-disrupted Dale performance at Fleetwood, who eventually got a deserved winner with a good finish from Ched Evans.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Yeah it’s become a bit of an annoying tradition.

What are people’s thoughts on the league this season? Can’t say I’m overly impressed with ten standard tbh

I don't think there will be a runaway leader. Ipswich are top but nothing to suggest they will finish there.
Peterborough on their day are the best but do not have their day often enough.
I think it's up for grabs this year and hopefully makes it interesting if the top 15 or so can make a fist of it.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

I don't think there will be a runaway leader. Ipswich are top but nothing to suggest they will finish there.
Peterborough on their day are the best but do not have their day often enough.
I think it's up for grabs this year and hopefully makes it interesting if the top 15 or so can make a fist of it.

Well finish 6th after a crazy post Christmas run if the last 4 seasons are anything to go by..

Or maybe not. Expecting 12th to 18th for us. Going forward we are fine but we are too error prone.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Well finish 6th after a crazy post Christmas run if the last 4 seasons are anything to go by..

Or maybe not. Expecting 12th to 18th for us. Going forward we are fine but we are too error prone.

Given your ability to play till the whistle blows and never give up, I'd say you could be dark horses.

 

[RLC]

Given your ability to play till the whistle blows and never give up, I'd say you could be dark horses.

I would love to believe that is true, but there is no way we have got the depth or quality in the squad at the moment. I would still be happy with twentieth.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Hardly the last game of the cricket season, with County Championship decider to come? The rest of what you say wouldn’t surprise me, Lucas Akins, unfairly maligned at Rovers carved out a decent career for himself at Burton.

Club cricket, was sadly never quite county standard!

Great character from us to come back, bring on an absolute hammering at the hands of Nors and co next week...

 

[Boz]

Yeah it’s become a bit of an annoying tradition.

What are people’s thoughts on the league this season? Can’t say I’m overly impressed with ten standard tbh

Having got used to NL, it seems pretty decent. Only seen 3 live games and assorted highlights, but no side seems to stand out as well ahead of the rest, while it seems that there are a few sides of roughly similar ability and unpredictability muddling around at the wrong end of the table. Rovers still in that group, though improving.

I would love to believe that is true, but there is no way we have got the depth or quality in the squad at the moment. I would still be happy with twentieth.

I agree. We seem very stretched with defensive injuries, Ray out with a groin strain the latest, while lacking utility players who could fill in. The coming weeks might prove very testing until the absentees return.

 

[RLC]

I agree. We seem very stretched with defensive injuries, Ray out with a groin strain the latest, while lacking utility players who could fill in. The coming weeks might prove very testing until the absentees return.

I think we have got sufficient numbers but we have been ridiculously unlucky with injuries so far. However, I don't think we have got the standout players at the top end of the pitch that you need to challenge in this division. We have got good quality in the centre of midfield, but our best players in that area are thirty plus.

Funnily enough, for all the criticism he gets I think Payne might end up as the most prolific of the strikers.

 

[RLC]

Yeah it’s become a bit of an annoying tradition.

What are people’s thoughts on the league this season? Can’t say I’m overly impressed with ten standard tbh

The standard seems better than when we were last in this division in 2014, although maybe absence made the heart grow fonder.

The gulf between this division and League Two certainly seems bigger than it used to be, and there is an absolute chasm between this level and the National League.

 

[Gassy]

Cheers for the feedback, all. Interested to hear more opinions on this too.

When we came up from NL to L2 - I didn't notice much difference. As is probably suggested that us, T. Rovers & Lincoln all came up very quickly.

We finished 11th in our first season in L1 and were fighting for playoffs until the penultimate game I believe. I remember thinking the standard was exceptionally high in comparison, everything about it - the speed, first touch, finishing (as is always the most obvious) and professionalism.

Maybe I'm getting used to the standard but it certainly seems to be getting lower IMO. There seems to be a lack of 'slick passing, attacking football', but instead teams giving 100% but playing less attractive football. Wimbledon didn't look too bad on Saturday & from what I've seen between the top & bottom teams, the gap seems smaller in comparison to least year.

I can see it being a very tight league, go on a few wins & anyone will be looking at play offs but lose a few then you'll be looking over your shoulder.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Given your ability to play till the whistle blows and never give up, I'd say you could be dark horses.

We aren’t solid enough at the back for that.

Though with Jake Caprice out first choice right back available again soon that might change.

Disagree with the above. 20th would be a poor season.

 

[getoutofit]

Cheers for the feedback, all. Interested to hear more opinions on this too.

When we came up from NL to L2 - I didn't notice much difference. As is probably suggested that us, T. Rovers & Lincoln all came up very quickly.

We finished 11th in our first season in L1 and were fighting for playoffs until the penultimate game I believe. I remember thinking the standard was exceptionally high in comparison, everything about it - the speed, first touch, finishing (as is always the most obvious) and professionalism.

Maybe I'm getting used to the standard but it certainly seems to be getting lower IMO. There seems to be a lack of 'slick passing, attacking football', but instead teams giving 100% but playing less attractive football. Wimbledon didn't look too bad on Saturday & from what I've seen between the top & bottom teams, the gap seems smaller in comparison to least year.

I can see it being a very tight league, go on a few wins & anyone will be looking at play offs but lose a few then you'll be looking over your shoulder.

I see lots of slick passing in this division, the 3rd goal rochdale scored against us on the opening day was that good i nearly applauded it (never actually would do such a thing!) and far from anything i'd seen in the national league or league two. Some of the stuff i see in the highlights of league one games is of a very high standard (oxford's first against lincoln yesterday) as well although i do appreciate these are only very brief snippets of matches that could otherwise be poor.

 

[RLC]

We aren’t solid enough at the back for that.

Though with Jake Caprice out first choice right back available again soon that might change.

Disagree with the above. 20th would be a poor season.

I think we are capable of finishing higher than twentieth, but ultimately survival is all that matters.

 

[Gassy]

I think we are capable of finishing higher than twentieth, but ultimately survival is all that matters.

Agree for you that staying up must be priority.

How's Stefan doing? I believe he scored your winner on the weekend?

 

[RLC]

Agree for you that staying up must be priority.

How's Stefan doing? I believe he scored your winner on the weekend?

He divides opinion, with some supporters calling him lazy, but I personally think he has done well.

He is poor in the air and is not a great athlete considering his size, but he is decent when the ball is played to his feet. He has scored a couple of crucial goals for us already and seems to get on well with Mellon.

 

[Millerbri]

If allowing an unscheduled drinks break was the only odd decision Boyeson made, you got lucky. No place for him in professional football.

You're right.....it wasn't.
It was a typical "look at me" performance.

 

[Marked Ox]

He divides opinion, with some supporters calling him lazy, but I personally think he has done well.

He is poor in the air and is not a great athlete considering his size, but he is decent when the ball is played to his feet. He has scored a couple of crucial goals for us already and seems to get on well with Mellon.

He was awful against us but then, apart from being only 1 game, nobody in your team (apart from Monthe) was any good that day.

 

[Gassy]

He divides opinion, with some supporters calling him lazy, but I personally think he has done well.

He is poor in the air and is not a great athlete considering his size, but he is decent when the ball is played to his feet. He has scored a couple of crucial goals for us already and seems to get on well with Mellon.

Fair enough. On his day he can be very good, but he is very lazy. I guess if you can keep him motivated, he could be good for you.

But ultimately, 17 clubs by the time of 28 sums it up.

He has potential, but has a huge attitude one him.

 

[Shrimper92]

A weekend where we didn't lose. What a novel feeling

 

[TractorBoys]

I don't think there will be a runaway leader. Ipswich are top but nothing to suggest they will finish there.
Peterborough on their day are the best but do not have their day often enough.
I think it's up for grabs this year and hopefully makes it interesting if the top 15 or so can make a fist of it.

Are you sure? We haven't conceded a goal in over 450 minutes, 5 games... (club record), second highest scorers in the league, unbeaten and won 4 out of 5 away fixtures.

All this with Keane, Sears, Bishop, Huws, Garbutt, Lankester etc all the properly return.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Are you sure? We haven't conceded a goal in over 450 minutes, 5 games... (club record), second highest scorers in the league, unbeaten and won 4 out of 5 away fixtures.

All this with Keane, Sears, Bishop, Huws, Garbutt, Lankester etc all the properly return.

Come back to chat to me in March or April.
I am not saying you are not top for a reason, or that your stats are impressive, but we also know it's a marathon not a sprint and things change a lot in league one.

 

[Tom_ITFC]

Come back to chat to me in March or April.
I am not saying you are not top for a reason, or that your stats are impressive, but we also know it's a marathon not a sprint and things change a lot in league one.

I think his point is that you were saying there is nothing to suggest we could stay there but actually there are early signs that we could.

It’s definitely going to be difficult. Before the season I thought August to early September fixtures looked tough but we’ve come through it and those teams we’ve played haven’t actually hit the ground running properly as I had thought they would have.
Instead now, in the next 3 games we’ve got Fleetwood and Wycombe who’ve both had flying starts and look like they could be tough games!