Fri 26th & Sat 27th November

[RiftHouseLad]

That's good news. We like to play against teams who try and play it out from the back and aren't overly physical. If we play to our best then we will win. We'll miss our two most technically gifted players in Wilson and Conlon though. I'm a bit concerned about where the quality is going to come from.

Lose this and I feel we will spiral in a tough December fixture list.

Not going to argue with the 2 previous pools posters.
But of the away games weve lost, I would say we could have won 3 of them at least, possibly 4.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Four nil should be enough to get Barton the sack he so richly deserves, we're in the form and have the players available to deliver it but like everyone else only lower league levels of consistency and can lose to anyone.

We are playing a lot better these days and will give you a game.
The trouble for us is that you have weapons we cant seem to handle in physical strikers and excellent wing backs.
Our defence is the clear weak link, but we have so many injuries back there it's not surprising, then the keeper gets a large gash in the head unpunished last night to top it off..

 

[Indian Dan]

Mmmmm. Large gash!

 

[Soup Ladle]

Not going to argue with the 2 previous pools posters.
But of the away games weve lost, I would say we could have won 3 of them at least, possibly 4.

We haven't had the rub of the green in a number of the away games but it's our own making by not being good enough in both boxes.

 

[Kauto Star]

Must win to get back on track with a daunting December to follow, last night was probably the worst collective performance since Aspin, certainly at home and rightly they've been hauled in on their day off today and got absolutely roasted.

Any lack of reaction after that would really start alarm bells ringing. How we've gone from the football we were playing and goals scoring two weeks ago to that dross is anyone's guess.

Problem is Hartlepool come and bully us we probably just wont fancy it... Bradford did it, Oldham the last 15 did it and Walsall did it, too predictable.

In the after emotion of it I would make mass changes, obviously Conlon being banned is a further blow but he was god awful last night and has been for a couple of games now.

Maybe go back to basics? Hard to justify keeping Cass and Jones in after that and Politic didn't raise a case so maybe 4-3-3 even (although probably needs Proctor fit to have that focal point).

Benning - Smith - Legge - Gibbons

Walker Pett Taylor

Worrall Proctor Amoo

Give me a day or two to calm down from the anger of that shameful effort and I'll probably stick to similar and make them put it right.

Bradford City players couldn't bully a paper bag, we are such a soft touch, and this is one of the many failings of our current squad.

Hartlepool played some lovely stuff at Valley Parade and didn't look the bullying type of team. I'm amazed at Hartlepool's away record, by far the best team I've seen at Valley Parade this season

 

[Soup Ladle]

Bradford City players couldn't bully a paper bag, we are such a soft touch, and this is one of the many failings of our current squad.

Hartlepool played some lovely stuff at Valley Parade and didn't look the bullying type of team. I'm amazed at Hartlepool's away record, by far the best team I've seen at Valley Parade this season

That was the only time it all came together for us and that was when we switched to a narrow 442. We then played the same system against Harrogate at home and got tore a new one. Switched back to 532 and scored 3 in the second half.

Can't understand why we ditched the Bradford system so quickly. The 532 has been picked apart defensively a lot.

 

[Boz]

Home to Stevenage. One of the least inspiring games of the L2 season with a small contingent of travelling fans and they usually set up negatively. Last season as things unravelled under Hill, they won 0-1, barely tested after taking the lead.

I’d guess Micky is going to be sticking with the Glatzel Maynard combo up front, probably an unchanged line-up injury permitting. Another tight game where we need a win to get closer to the promotion area.

 

[MadJohn]

Lads, what's the panic? It's Vale. We always win at Vale *



* actually, in recent league visits, we do! 12 points from our last four trips. That offsets a dreadful overall record there. We've lost three cup ties in my lifetime by a combined score of 16-2, and our league record (apart from those last four visits) is a horrible 1-6-12

3-0 home win.

 

[E10rifle]

Draw

 

[WilsdenBantam]

If we play like against Tranmere regardless of how shit Scunny are we’ll lose, that game reminded me of the 7 loss streak we went on at the end of last season to finish the season no fight whatsoever. At 5/2 I’ll have a couple of quid on Scunny soften the blow if we don’t turn up.

Don’t think our following will be great tbh, we’ve won 2 in 19 in all comps and if you got back to last season we lost our last 7 games so I doubt our form is that much better than Scunnys over the last 30 games.

With all the negativity in our fan base however, should we at least put a battling display in like against Port Vale then I’d expect to win. Hard to be positive atm though.

 

[GEORGE]

Hi FGR fans == Been told all the pubs around your ground will be shut saturday. Is this correct ?

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Hi FGR fans == Been told all the pubs around your ground will be shut saturday. Is this correct ?

Have read the same on our forum. Drink in Stroud and get the bus up.

 

[TheDon]

Jeez mate, that sounds very pessimistic. You were about last season? Now that was dull. We're winning and when it boils down to it that what matters

Think it will depend on how Harrogate decide to play. We could be in for a bore draw if they set up deep, but I think they'll go for it and a more open game could suit us as long as we don't feck about at the back and they don't have a long throw merchant.

 

[Casey]

I will be missing the Crawley loss to Mansfield on Saturday. Family stuff to the fore.

Mansfield have had a poor start to the season (judging by posters on here) so I should be optimistic but we can lose to anyone at anytime. Just get among us and we go to pieces and any team wanting to arrest a poor run should start by getting stuck in. If Mansfield do this we are toast.

It does seem that most of the fans on here are not convinced about their sides credentials and generally expect a loss sometime soon. From what I've seen we are all correct. Seems a lack of "something" in the teams this year.

Casey

 

[shoddycollins]

Think it will depend on how Harrogate decide to play. We could be in for a bore draw if they set up deep, but I think they'll go for it and a more open game could suit us as long as we don't feck about at the back and they don't have a long throw merchant.

They looked pretty deep at our place on Tuesday... mostly sit back, let us have most of the ball, soak up pressure, then counter (and score). If that's how they set up against a team in the relegation zone then I can't imagine they'll be more expansive against a promotion-chasing side. Didn't see any long-throws from them.

Can't say they looked that great, so I wouldn't expect them to give you any issues, it's not too difficult to score against us and it only took a couple of counters to get a couple of goals. While when I said they had to 'soak up pressure' it was more a case of them sitting back and waiting to see if there was any pressure to soak up.

That said, we give the ball away so much in the attacking third and then are so easy to run at that we probably make everyone look like a counter-attacking side. Maybe they really wanted to pass it around us but there isn't really much point when we open up like the Red Sea as soon as the opposition have the ball.

 

[Greenacres]

Four nil should be enough to get Barton the sack he so richly deserves, we're in the form and have the players available to deliver it but like everyone else only lower league levels of consistency and can lose to anyone.

I am worried that we will see something similar to the games against Swindon and Port Vale where our players are seemingly initimidated by a large and vociferous away crowd...with the Gas having sold their allocation within hours of tickets going on sale...we will certainly need to start brighter than we did against Barrow, an early goal would help.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I am worried that we will see something similar to the games against Swindon and Port Vale where our players are seemingly initimidated by a large and vociferous away crowd...with the Gas having sold their allocation within hours of tickets going on sale...we will certainly need to start brighter than we did against Barrow, an early goal would help.

Yes, weird they can play away in front of big crowds and not get phased but that thing about big away following at our humble abode does seem true. The Vale thing was more hangover from Brentford exertions I think though, or just one of the five or six off days they're going to have (and might Sat of course).

 

[Myblueheaven04]

Salford away for us, probs be more Oldham fans than Salford lol

 

[Robshep]

Salford away for us, probs be more Oldham fans than Salford lol

There are Salford fans on twitter. Had all 3 at my throat earlier. Strangely all follow Man Utd.

 

[Myblueheaven04]

There are Salford fans on twitter. Had all 3 at my throat earlier. Strangely all follow Man Utd.

All 3 lol......
I've just read their forum, they are saying Oldham will raise their game against us...... omg how far have we fallen.

 

[Robshep]

All 3 lol......
I've just read their forum, they are saying Oldham will raise their game against us...... omg how far have we fallen.

If Man Utd play at the same time they do it will be a shock if they have close to 1,000 home support. I hope it happens against a team from down south who do not bring many away fans.
Hopefully the owners will get bored and they can go back where they came from.

 

[LS Bantam]

Basically every forward we have is out bar Theo Robinson, but expect plenty of ‘why didn’t we score, why didn’t we play three up front, why didn’t Adams go for it’ moans sooner or later.

 

[valefan16]

Does appear your owner seems to be dragging his feet on an appointment for whatever reason. Suppose the good news is that you have a decent enough cushion over the clubs down the bottom anyway and a season consolidating would be a job well done but don’t want to sail too close to the wind.

Be good to welcome Cullen back to VP anyway. Served us well in his couple of years at Vale when he was fit at least. We haven’t played each other for quite a while but we’ve got enough ex Pools players in our squad to have some insight on how to go about it I hope.

Yeah Cullo should get a decent enough reception, its not like say Theo Robinson, with Cullen he worked hard, scored goals just couldn't get him fit for a prolonged time to ever really be at 100%, ironically apart from in the 2 or 3 weeks before the Covid lockdown, he had that great game against Colchester.

He had an odd record of only scoring for us at home too! Hopefully he doesn't favour Vale Park this weekend but I liked him and wish him well aside from this Saturday, good player if he can get fit.

 

[shoddycollins]

All 3 lol......
I've just read their forum, they are saying Oldham will raise their game against us...... omg how far have we fallen.

I looked into their support a couple of years back and found an article written by a Salford superfan, who, by his own admission supported Oldham until about 7 years ago.

 

[dedwardp]

If Man Utd play at the same time they do it will be a shock if they have close to 1,000 home support. I hope it happens against a team from down south who do not bring many away fans.
Hopefully the owners will get bored and they can go back where they came from.

We're away at Salford in the middle of January when Man United are due to be at home to West Ham, assuming it doesn't move.

 

[Valeite]

Yeah Cullo should get a decent enough reception, its not like say Theo Robinson, with Cullen he worked hard, scored goals just couldn't get him fit for a prolonged time to ever really be at 100%, ironically apart from in the 2 or 3 weeks before the Covid lockdown, he had that great game against Colchester.

He had an odd record of only scoring for us at home too! Hopefully he doesn't favour Vale Park this weekend but I liked him and wish him well aside from this Saturday, good player if he can get fit.

I don

 

[Robshep]

I looked into their support a couple of years back and found an article written by a Salford superfan, who, by his own admission supported Oldham until about 7 years ago.

1351 home support average. 698 away support average. Not impressive for a club from a large populated area.

 

[Valeite]

Yeah Cullo should get a decent enough reception, its not like say Theo Robinson, with Cullen he worked hard, scored goals just couldn't get him fit for a prolonged time to ever really be at 100%, ironically apart from in the 2 or 3 weeks before the Covid lockdown, he had that great game against Colchester.

He had an odd record of only scoring for us at home too! Hopefully he doesn't favour Vale Park this weekend but I liked him and wish him well aside from this Saturday, good player if he can get fit.

I don`t think Robinson lacked effort he just wasn`t very good. Cullen just couldn`t stay fit.

 

[Robshep]

1351 home support average. 698 away support average. Not impressive for a club from a large populated area.

The away support average is for at their prefab ground. I doubt their own away support is much.

 

[The Terminator]

Our away form is holding us back from being a decent team at the moment. W1-D7-L1 never known anything like it. We have simply struggled to put teams to the sword away from home, Tuesday being a fine example - missing 5 golden chances for a second goal and then letting one in from a corner. We've wasted so many chances away from home, the one game we did win we was 3-0 up at half time. At home it seems to be the opposite - we've killed most teams off.

We're due a slip up at some point, 12 games unbeaten in all comps but half of them are draws away from home. Northamptons home record is quite good, can't see us winning. Should take around 1k - sold all the tickets behind the goal and now been given part of the stand on the side.

Jackett should really change one or two, thats going to impact us if we don't rest one or two when needed. On the plus side our strikers are at least scoring regularly even if they are missing chances......