Friday & Saturday 18th / 19th October

[JJ1990]

Dreadful game at Gresty Road between one side who weren't at it, but were missing 6 starters. And another under the 2nd most odious manager in the EFL after Steve Evans who came to foul, disrupt and slow the game down.

Oh and the ref was atrocious, but then aren't most of them. Point a fair result, fear we're going to slip into mid-table and stay there given we can't get our full complement of attackers on the pitch at any given time.

 

[1862]

The only genuine chance you had was when we decided to just pass you the ball clean through near the end to be honest. It was an absolutely awful game, neither team deserved a point let alone three.

Thought Buigel should have scored the header he had, or at least put it on target.

A bit unfair on Wimbledon on balance, but we've lost two tight games at home so this is probably just a bit of variance. Hopefully Jatta is alright, smashed the goalpost in the chance before the goal, any more concussions and it'll start getting really dangerous.

 

[Si Robin]

Indeed. Bless 'em.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1847671246462353495

Cracker from Sheperd.

He scored a very similar one to that for us against Vale last season. Absolute ripsnorter.

Anyway - we actually won a game, our first away win since the Easter break.

I don't know how we played, nor do I care. A win is a win.

 

[We Are Sailing]

Gills showing that you can't be lucky for a full season. I'd be surprised if they finished higher than 12th.

 

[クレイグ]

He scored a very similar one to that for us against Vale last season. Absolute ripsnorter.

Anyway - we actually won a game, our first away win since the Easter break.

I don't know how we played, nor do I care. A win is a win.

He's been very good recently. Man of the match also today. How's Stubbs been for you?

 

[Limerick Mariner]

Walsall had 4 shots on target all game, scored 4 times! Seen similar stats in previous games.
Grimsby dominated the ball but frankly didn’t nothing with it. Walsalls back 5 were coasting
Second half Walsall came forward and Grimsby surrendered meekly

Didn’t think the Saddlers were anything special but they didn’t need to be.

Grimsby are still very much a work in progress, think they will be lower mid table at end of the season as 8th before today flattered us imo. We let in far too many and lack a goal threat. Not sure the return of any of the injured players turn that around enough tbh

At the fans forum last night DA was alluding to us not being at play-off / promotion level. Clearly, he’s not going to say we are not good enough but the hint was there. The injury situation is dire - we couldn’t fill the bench with fit players today - Obikwu not fully fit and Tharme is being managed. Pyke is out for weeks - only revealed post-match although I’m sure you would have known.

I can’t see him being with us post Jan. I suspect Wilson could be another one to leave?

 

[Si Robin]

He's been very good recently. Man of the match also today. How's Stubbs been for you?

Shit after starting well, but was brilliant today from what I've been told.

 

[Fuzzyvalefan]

Indeed. Bless 'em.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1847671246462353495

Cracker from Sheperd.

Thought Jack Shephard died at the end of Lost? Who knew he was alive and well and scoring screamers for Bradford.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Tell you what is brilliant to see…Bromley dropping like an absolute stone and now hovering just above the bottom two. Losing that 4G pitch has absolutely killed them IMO.

 

[JJ1990]

Tell you what is brilliant to see…Bromley dropping like an absolute stone and now hovering just above the bottom two. Losing that 4G pitch has absolutely killed them IMO.

Them having no EFL quality players is what's more likely done it for them. You look at their squad and it's still chock full of non-league chuff. No offence to any of their fans, but I doubt they'll be many tears shed if they go back down come the end of the season.

Only problem is, you look at the top of the NL and it's grim bunch in line to replace whoever goes down.

 

[We Are Sailing]

Them having no EFL quality players is what's more likely done it for them. You look at their squad and it's still chock full of non-league chuff. No offence to any of their fans, but I doubt they'll be many tears shed if they go back down come the end of the season.

Only problem is, you look at the top of the NL and it's grim bunch in line to replace whoever goes down.

They don't really have any fans. It's a lot of Londoner's "2nd team". Makes me sick just typing it.

 

[valefan16]

It feels like we are turning our home form around nicely and we are probably a more effective away side. We are already dealing with a bit of an injury crisis at wing back but you'd barely notice.

It does feel like we were vale for the win but Fleetwood had three very good chances (inc the one they scored), the one where it was squared back looked harder to miss and he fluffed it straight to Ripley, so we were let off there.

But in terms of controling the game that's the best we have played. 25 mins in those Fleetwood fans must have been thinking they were in big trouble.

Fair play though they will be up there at the end of the season I'm sure.

I said pre season that I was not sure we would turn the horrendous 18 months of form around but we have. Difficult to not get excited currently.

That’s the exciting thing, we have so much depth, we have our stellar player out, both first choice full backs and the second choice in John, yet throwing on the likes of BBB and Ronan Curtis and Paton and Smith didn’t even make the 18.

No one else at this level has close to the depth we have which hopefully will stand us in good stead when teams start getting hit with injuries that we can ride through it better. We may not have the best XI (all be it one of them) in the division but hard to argue that we don’t have the best squad.

Moore has no excuses not to deliver and credit to him so far he is.

 

[OneDecentLester]

That’s the exciting thing, we have so much depth, we have our stellar player out, both first choice full backs and the second choice in John, yet throwing on the likes of BBB and Ronan Curtis and Paton and Smith didn’t even make the 18.

No one else at this level has close to the depth we have which hopefully will stand us in good stead when teams start getting hit with injuries that we can ride through it better. We may not have the best XI (all be it one of them) in the division but hard to argue that we don’t have the best squad.

Moore has no excuses not to deliver and credit to him so far he is.

I think we’re up there in terms of depth of squad

 

[dedwardp]

We have really regressed over the past three weeks or so into a very dysfunctional side, with players out of position, a shape that seems to change half to half, a different line up every week and soft goals being shipped all over the show. Needs sorting promptly before the seasons descends into another mess as on paper, and the evidence of the first five or six weeks, we should be comfortably mid table this year.

The second half today was abysmal and as bad as anything we've produced throughout the past four years or dross. Guessing we'll now set up on Tuesday night at Chesterfield in the same embarrassing way we did at Port Vale.

 

[Grimsby Road]

Walsall go alongside Donny & Notts as the best teams we have played followed by Chesterfield .

We played well for most of the first half today and had 65% of the ball overall but they took us to pieces second half + individual errors and collapsing again , which we seem to do against the better sides .

Will be interesting to see who goes the distance and if there is a suprise second half of the season team like Donny last time out as I imagine the range of points from top to bottom is going to be that wide come January time .

 

[leedsvaliant]

Our squad depth once again won us the game. It's ridiculous really, we could field a completely different 11 and be competitive.

Against a decent Fleetwood team, who will be up there, we were able to bring on equal replacements that continued to cause them problems. We bought on Benicio and Curtis, two excellent players for this level, and they bought on Mipo, who is pants and some other youth who was also crap.

They couldn't cope with our drive, skill or energy. We looked like what I hoped we would be with the budget we have this season.

 

[Optipez]

Walsall go alongside Donny & Notts as the best teams we have played followed by Chesterfield .

We played well for most of the first half today and had 65% of the ball overall but they took us to pieces second half + individual errors and collapsing again , which we seem to do against the better sides .

Will be interesting to see who goes the distance and if there is a suprise second half of the season team like Donny last time out as I imagine the range of points from top to bottom is going to be that wide come January time .

MK Dons are picking up points now after a rocky start, they'd be my punt for one coming from the pack.
For us to go the distance I think we'll need a striker in the transfer window.