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.

 

[codaplenty]

Finished 3-1 to Vale and have to say that is the best we’ve looked all season. Bench strength was the difference in the end. We had the likes of Benicio and Curtis whereas they had Mipo. Quality win against a good team who I think will be challenging for a playoff spot this season so can’t be anything but pleased with that.

I followed the game on BBC live scores and you were all over us particularly in the 1st half. Good win by your lads and you can be well pleased. We've had a good run away from home so no shame in being by beaten by one of the best teams in this division. Good luck and I think you can be more than optimistic for the rest of the season

 

[hellogregory]

What is the record low points total for this league?

 

[RavenBish]

What is the record low points total for this league?

26. Shared by Scunthorpe and Luton - both teams have had varying fortunes since you’d say.

It’s tight at the top but think this is where you start to see teams go on runs - stand by my preseason bet that MK and Vale are the two with too much firepower over the course of the season.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I followed the game on BBC live scores and you were all over us particularly in the 1st half. Good win by your lads and you can be well pleased. We've had a good run away from home so no shame in being by beaten by one of the best teams in this division. Good luck and I think you can be more than optimistic for the rest of the season

Thought you were a good team to be honest. You're just playing us at a time where we're full of confidence.

Thought, as with Notts and MK before you, that the subs made you weaker, whereas ours pushed us on.

Would not be in the least bit surprised if Fleetwood get promoted automatically.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Good win for the bantams, if Kav hadn’t had a brainfart for the offside goal and we’d taken the lead I think it would have been more comfortable. Had chances to kill the game second half as well, since Gillingham have come back down to league 2 I’ve found them quite a negative team. A far cry from when they had prime Dack and were always a pain to play.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Good win for the bantams, if Kav hadn’t had a brainfart for the offside goal and we’d taken the lead I think it would have been more comfortable. Had chances to kill the game second half as well, since Gillingham have come back down to league 2 I’ve found them quite a negative team. A far cry from when they had prime Dack and were always a pain to play.

Bradford seem to have sneaked up from nowhere. Do you think you've finally got the team to push on this season or have the wins been fortunate?

 

[valefan16]

Thought you were a good team to be honest. You're just playing us at a time where we're full of confidence.

Thought, as with Notts and MK before you, that the subs made you weaker, whereas ours pushed us on.

Would not be in the least bit surprised if Fleetwood get promoted automatically.

Fleetwood were decent on the ball, maybe not the best defensively but moved it around better than most teams and in fairness didn’t come and sit back and had a go.

Great to give Kian a good welcome too after his Wembley heroics for us.

Big shout out to Sang as well, in that horrific 2-2 draw he got torn to bits by Patterson second half and was rightly given stick for his performance that night. Today he stood up to him far better and won man of the match. Come on well has Sangy and like Debrah one who seems to be benefiting in his development with this relegation.

Shorrock was very good again as well, gets some killer balls in, just didn’t have anyone in there at times. Defensively solid as well.

Chance the big clubs come calling for another of our youths if he carries on.

Thought we’d struggle today as we’d been better away and Fleetwood had lost once and had the second best away record so chuffed with the result. We are pretty much 3/5 of the way to our total points haul from last season after 12 games!

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Bradford seem to have sneaked up from nowhere. Do you think you've finally got the team to push on this season or have the wins been fortunate?

The first 3 of our 6 wins were somewhat fortunate, though don’t think xG was too bad. Last 3 we’ve been comfortable and the better team imo, solid shape and carry threat. That said some of our fans go on about our injuries like we’ll be unstoppable once they return, i actually think some have been a blessing as we look far more mobile. Still too early to say on a promotion push, since Alexander has been here we’ve won and lost in streaks so we could easily lose 3 or 4 on the trot. We need consistency to have a chance.

 

[F!RTHY]

Bradford seem to have sneaked up from nowhere. Do you think you've finally got the team to push on this season or have the wins been fortunate?

Genuinely, not being funny, but had we not have lost half our team after week three, I think we’d be top of the league by a fair few points at this stage.

The dust seems to have settled and those who have stepped in have done very well, barring Harrogate and Grimsby away. The only other loss we’ve had is Walsall away, which IMO, we were very unlikely not to get anything from. The same game we lost 2 CB’s and they won it in the last minute.

We’re not easy on the eye, but that’s Division Four football. We’ve sooooo many influential players still to return from injury. It bodes well but we’ve here a few times before.