Boxing Day Fixtures

[Si Robin]

The first 45 was the worst we've been for a while, but somehow we were 1 up at half-time.

The second 45 we were dominant and Shrews got what they deserved.

That we're only 3 points from safety sums up just how poor this division is this season.

 

[HutchECFC]

What on earth is that little green W next to our name on the form table? Not seen it in so long.

Deserved that win. Not outstanding, but Wycombe were dreadful.
Sonny Cox putting in a blinder of a performance.. Just in time for January, when we get a couple new strikers in, and he's sent back to Yeovil.

Less said about the referee the better, Utter dreadful, and just couldn't wait to give Wycombe a penalty. Even the linesman was shouting "No pen, he's won the ball" into his mic. Hope he goes home to find his dog has eaten all his Christmas leftovers

 

[leedsvaliant]

The first 45 was the worst we've been for a while, but somehow we were 1 up at half-time.

The second 45 we were dominant and Shrews got what they deserved.

That we're only 3 points from safety sums up just how poor this division is this season.

Totally agree. We've sucked balls at times this season but find ourselves quite a way clear of the drop. The standard pretty much from top to bottom is awful. The teams at the top will punish you with their 2 or 3 decent players but if you actually have a go at them, like we did second half today, they look just as shite as the rest of us!

 

[Carver]

FINALLY the worst team in the league is where it deserves to be. Bottom of the league.

The only surprise is the teams sitting just above are only a few points ahead. Terrible from them, as we aren’t just marginally the worst, we are the worst by a million miles.

I actually think we could be the worst team this league has seen. I certainly think we’ll be challenging Forest Green’s points low of last season. We have their captain playing for us to lend his experience in being shit.

You're right mate and as predicted last season, I can see us not only getting relegated this season but also next season too right down into the conference.
January won't save us as who will want to join us in our position? Simpson will leave his job or get sacked so we'll end up with some poor manager, our new owners will give up and sell the club back to the previous dull owners and also Jarrad Branthwaite will not leave Everton until his contract ends so we won't get all those millions as a sell on clause.

So what looked like a month ago was us potentially becoming the next Brighton, we now look like becoming the next Scunthorpe.

 

[Tallow]

A 1-1 draw away to Fleetwood sees us drop to the bottom, five points adrift of safety. All we can do is keep battling away, it's not impossible for us to remain in L1.
Simpson made some brave decisions today, dropping Gibson and McGeouch and giving a debut to a teenage goalie, but it paid off as I thought we created the better chances overall and could have won the game.
As a sidenote, there's 2 or 3 excellent pubs in Fleetwood Town centre, had some good craic with the locals.

 

[GEORGE]

Poor loser

 

[Don Tonberry]

We didn't play well for much of that game but I didn't feel Bristol Rovers were that great, either. Once the subs were made and Lane scored the equaliser I thought there was only one team who were going to win it so to be hit with the sucker punch like that was painful.

Two bad results in a row for us, something we haven't experienced all season. Exeter on Friday is massive now because we'll be expected to bounce back but neither of the last two showings have been anywhere good enough.

 

[GEORGE]

I

You must have been watching a different game than me. Pompey had total control. You fluked the winner. Our unbeatren run had to end sometime though

Sorry mate -- But you are a poor loser. We had 2/3 of the play today and thoroughly won the game. Your number 15 looked like a sunday league player. You wer'nt bad but your no Blackpool. Still reckon you & Bolton will go up but both will struggle. UTG

 

[saddler78]

Taylor has seriously lost the plot with his tactics and substitutions, not just today, but in the past 3 games now. Losing to bottom of the league in this manner is piss poor. Hopefully he’s gone tonight!

He was the same here cant understand why you gave him the job he is an academy coach not a lower league manager.

 

[saddler78]

Well that's frustrating. Bolton always going to have all the ball, first half a none event. Bolton having 1 shot from Charles he pulled wide.

2nd half we were better, a bit more energy and in the game. Couldnt see Bolton scoring as they were getting more and more frustrated.

1 stupid challenge by Mandriou, again, straight red for sure, and you knew Bolton would find a way to score with all their attacking options.

Believe Mandriou will now be banned for 4 games, so even lighter up front. Thank god we've got as many points as we have already

Think its almost certain you will recall Draper now shame for us he has been great here 10 goals in 19 games i think as he has missed a few through injury.

 

[hellogregory]

You're right mate and as predicted last season, I can see us not only getting relegated this season but also next season too right down into the conference.
January won't save us as who will want to join us in our position? Simpson will leave his job or get sacked so we'll end up with some poor manager, our new owners will give up and sell the club back to the previous dull owners and also Jarrad Branthwaite will not leave Everton until his contract ends so we won't get all those millions as a sell on clause.

So what looked like a month ago was us potentially becoming the next Brighton, we now look like becoming the next Scunthorpe.

We are going down this season, but I honestly think under this new ownership we’ll be decent next season in League 2. Maybe not bounce straight back standard but more than good enough to avoid back to back relegations and be competitive.

I wouldn’t be worrying about that.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

I’ve never known a League One to be so shite on quality. There isn’t one stand out team this year, not one. Everyone is terrible and whoever does go up is most likely to come straight back down from the Championship. Whoever gets relegated needs to have a mass exodus or else they could be leaving the Football League in 18 months time if not.

I look at the table and I’m baffled at how we’re on 27 points and 8 above safety. We’re terrible! Literally is the second worse team I’ve seen us have in the 20 years I’ve supported Salop. Yes injuries haven’t helped, but the tactics Taylor uses will leave you mystified. Losing to bottom of the league yesterday and he brings Udoh and Bowman off for a centre back and a 16 year old striker for his first appearance. That’s just a sackable offence right there.

I’ll be so glad when this season is done with, even if we get relegated. Just want to start again fresh from August with a new squad now as I can’t even be bothered to go and watch us these days when I have the chance. Depressing stuff.

 

[Si Robin]

When he took Udoh off yesterday I assumed Shrewsbury had given up because he was the only dangerous player you had once Taylor Perry went off.

 

[Bobbin']

Edged out Charlton 1-0, game was low key, not many chances for either side. Pretty sure our goal was our first chance of the second half - Made by Dan Agyei, who is slowly feeling his way back into the team.

Galbraith played well as an Attacking midfielder and Pratley and El Mizouni also did well in midfield for us.

Charlton were very, very average I thought but they did cause us one or two issues, we had to take a few bookings, managed to keep May and Blackett-Taylor quiet which was a big reason we won in the end. Our best defensive performance for a while.

Their fans had the right hump at the end, not suprising as they should be doing alot better with the players they have than what they are.

“Average” is a very, very, very generous way of describing us.

 

[Carver]

I’ve never known a League One to be so shite on quality. There isn’t one stand out team this year, not one. Everyone is terrible and whoever does go up is most likely to come straight back down from the Championship. Whoever gets relegated needs to have a mass exodus or else they could be leaving the Football League in 18 months time if not.

I look at the table and I’m baffled at how we’re on 27 points and 8 above safety. We’re terrible! Literally is the second worse team I’ve seen us have in the 20 years I’ve supported Salop. Yes injuries haven’t helped, but the tactics Taylor uses will leave you mystified. Losing to bottom of the league yesterday and he brings Udoh and Bowman off for a centre back and a 16 year old striker for his first appearance. That’s just a sackable offence right there.

I’ll be so glad when this season is done with, even if we get relegated. Just want to start again fresh from August with a new squad now as I can’t even be bothered to go and watch us these days when I have the chance. Depressing stuff.

Well the fact that a club like Stevenage are in this league makes it deeply depressing, but even more so that they have been in the top six for most of it so far this season just makes it all look so dull.

 

[Carver]

We are going down this season, but I honestly think under this new ownership we’ll be decent next season in League 2. Maybe not bounce straight back standard but more than good enough to avoid back to back relegations and be competitive.

I wouldn’t be worrying about that.

What do you think of the few fans who say Simpson should go?

 

[E10rifle]

“Average” is a very, very, very generous way of describing us.

The Terminator is a generous-minded gentleman. I, on the other hand, am blunt as fuck. You were absolutely shit. Long ball to Alfie May from the first minute, Scott Fraser jogging around like a headless chicken and fullbacks who are poor at everything. Your whole game plan was centred around keeping it tight and hoping CBT does something magical. I respect that - we won League Two with those exact tactics and Paul Smyth. But it doesn’t work in League One. Appleton comes across as a salty, deluded wanker in his post-match.

 

[EricSabin]

Stevenage did a job yesterday. We looked knackered and when you’re slightly off it against Stevenage and how they play you’ll lose. They turned our defenders, got balls down the channels and we couldn’t string a pass together. Fair play to them very effective stuff and should have been 5-0.

Brady will have to make some changes for Friday night as a lot of the players looked absolutely gassed.

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

As

Sorry mate -- But you are a poor loser. We had 2/3 of the play today and thoroughly won the game. Your number 15 looked like a sunday league player. You wer'nt bad but your no Blackpool. Still reckon you & Bolton will go up but both will struggle. UTG

I said you must have been at a different game than me.

 

[Bobbin']

The Terminator is a generous-minded gentleman. I, on the other hand, am blunt as fuck. You were absolutely shit. Long ball to Alfie May from the first minute, Scott Fraser jogging around like a headless chicken and fullbacks who are poor at everything. Your whole game plan was centred around keeping it tight and hoping CBT does something magical. I respect that - we won League Two with those exact tactics and Paul Smyth. But it doesn’t work in League One. Appleton comes across as a salty, deluded wanker in his post-match.

Yes, that is our only game plan, every game.

Sadly it’s all so predictable, I said over my half time pint that the second half would not improve, two poor teams but they (you) would create one chance and score it whereas we won’t create fuck all.

Panned out exactly as I said.

I can’t stand Appleton for what it’s worth.

 

[Marked Ox]

I think you can consider yourselves highly unfortunate not to win that game, let alone lose it.

The first half we were dreadful. To be honest we weren’t much better in the second until the goal.

Our injury list is extensive. We haven’t had a centre forward all season, our backup centre forward should be out on loan in the Conference North/South and our only two fit wingers really don’t offer what we need from them. We seriously lack any pace.

Rodrigues when on form is a delight. A lot of the time he is too quick for players at this level which draws a lot of fouls. The rest of the time it’s not great. Despite his antics, he does get most decisions which says more about the standard of refereeing… It’s not my cup of tea, however on occasion it is too much/needless and he puts us under unnecessary pressure.

I'd agree with most of that but after our first goal, it was only one team in it. Jack Stevens achilles heel of getting beaten by long distance shots to his low left happily reared its head which was nice. A brilliant reaction save from the deflected free kick though.

Tbf, Rodrigues does get some proper treatment from opponents as well. Cambridge had a few as well who were happy to fall at a drop of a hat, their right back springs to mind.

The injuries don't help for those players still playing either. Stan Mills looks absolutely knackered before the game even kicks off and definitely needs a break from starting.

As an aside, I've seen some Cambridge fans saying our winner was offside. It wasn't as there is footage which is pretty much in line from the South Stand Upper and the centre-half's backside keeps all of them on.

 

[Marked Ox]

As

I said you must have been at a different game than me.

Opposition fans seeing a game differently shocker....

 

[hellogregory]

What do you think of the few fans who say Simpson should go?

Arseholes.

Criticising him fair enough, but he shouldn’t be sacked. If it wasn’t for him we’d have been relegated to the national league and we’d probably be in national league north by now. We certainly wouldn’t be under new ownership and certainly wouldn’t be in League 1.

 

[LordJord]

We got absolutely battered by Stevenage. Could and should have been more as they had clear cut chances to make it a bigger win for them. At no point did we have anything resembling control and it was one of our worst performances of the season. Hoping for reinforcements early on in the window but we keep a big gap over the bottom 4.

 

[Luke Imp]

I’ve never known a League One to be so shite on quality. There isn’t one stand out team this year, not one. Everyone is terrible and whoever does go up is most likely to come straight back down from the Championship. Whoever gets relegated needs to have a mass exodus or else they could be leaving the Football League in 18 months time if not.

I look at the table and I’m baffled at how we’re on 27 points and 8 above safety. We’re terrible! Literally is the second worse team I’ve seen us have in the 20 years I’ve supported Salop. Yes injuries haven’t helped, but the tactics Taylor uses will leave you mystified. Losing to bottom of the league yesterday and he brings Udoh and Bowman off for a centre back and a 16 year old striker for his first appearance. That’s just a sackable offence right there.

I’ll be so glad when this season is done with, even if we get relegated. Just want to start again fresh from August with a new squad now as I can’t even be bothered to go and watch us these days when I have the chance. Depressing stuff.

Agreed on the points r.e. quality of the league. Most of the bottom half are scoring less than a goal a game, which is crazy!

 

[Luke Imp]

Well that's frustrating. Bolton always going to have all the ball, first half a none event. Bolton having 1 shot from Charles he pulled wide.

2nd half we were better, a bit more energy and in the game. Couldnt see Bolton scoring as they were getting more and more frustrated.

1 stupid challenge by Mandriou, again, straight red for sure, and you knew Bolton would find a way to score with all their attacking options.

Believe Mandriou will now be banned for 4 games, so even lighter up front. Thank god we've got as many points as we have already

Second time this season he's thrown himself into challenges he didn't need to, I've got no idea what on earth runs through his mind at times. Got to the stage where you wonder whether the bit of magic he can bring to the side is completely negated by being a plonker.