Good Friday/Easter Monday games

[valefan16]

The way he treats players is wrong in my opinion..
Benning, absolutely hapless all season, shits out of tackles, cannot find a teammate, yet he’s lauded by Clarke ( although recently he appears to have seen quite how shit he is)
Butterworth has been one of our more creative players ( our only?) yet rarely plays him
Conlon has shown real quality in the past, has never looked anywhere near this season, why?
The injury?
Playing one week not the next?
I know it’s a trope that the vale fans on here wet their pants when the owls player flukes one in from 20 yards, or the refs hate smudge, or we’ll lose 7 fucking nil, or whatever, but the truth is thus..
We fluked the first 4 months, riding the crest of a wave.
That fucker has crashed.
And so have we.
Enjoy your win Monday Oxford.
I might find a fete to go to.

Benning should be playing ahead of a kid who’s a RWB. He was decent at Portsmouth then dropped again.

Conlon hasn’t made the step up, be it just lack of quality or damage done from his injury I don’t know but whilst he was the one we all thought would do it, and he was arguably one of the best midfielders when in league two he hasn’t made the step up.

Butterworth played today… he was dreadful. His set piece delivery was shocking!

We’ve cocked up January gambling job was done when it wasn’t, add in the perfect storm of losing Dan Jones and Cass leaving us the same useless back three each week (Donnelly is miles off being ready for L1 football).

Now we’ve got a midfield crisis because we have a set back with Garrity (huge blow) and Ojo decides to be a complete dick in the 93rd minute today nutting Clarke.

Whole thing has been a shit show. Is that DC or above? Popey seems to have a view on twitter tonight, fans are blaming Flickers but who knows.

I’m utterly fed up with the club at the moment, every single time we have a sense of success we bollock it up. Wembley and the glorious season last year seem light years ago. That squad was so together and would fight for each other, especially when DC’s daughter died but now they look like they couldn’t give a shit. The fact we are calling for two kids from the youths to be recalled from Salisbury to give us fight is startling.

 

[K-Win]

Think I've had it with Morrell. Absolutely cost us 2 points and our slim playoff chances today with his petulance. Not the first time we've seen it.

10 men for 50 minutes after looking very comfortable. Now he's out for the next 4 games which is pretty much the season. I'd like to know where this commitment to the cause was when he basically sat out the first half of the season so he could protect himself for the World Cup.

If we get a decent offer in the summer I'd be happy to see the back of him. Good player but can't be trusted.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

We aren’t getting another point this season. Dread to think what Barnsley will do to us on Monday, 100% going to be ATLEAST 3-0 to them. I’ll be happy once the final whistle is blown at Sincil Bank on May 7th and we can hopefully have a bit of common sense in the summer and have a squad of more than 17 players for the first time in a three seasons. Sick to death of seeing 4/5/6 16-18 year olds on a bench in a League 1 fixture. It’s a shambles.

 

[Jamo]

This wasn't a penalty and/or red card apparently

https://twitter.com/x/status/1644342668141678592

So we've been cheated out of what would likely have been a win at Burton. We don't have the bottle regardless anyway. As soon as we go 1 down everyone shits the bed and they panic themselves to a loss.

 

[Chris FGR]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1644365127783944198

Quality player tbf, but he’d have got a lot more then 20 if everyone gifted him goals like this.

 

[Bartonyellow]

This wasn't a penalty and/or red card apparently

https://twitter.com/x/status/1644342668141678592

So we've been cheated out of what would likely have been a win at Burton. We don't have the bottle regardless anyway. As soon as we go 1 down everyone shits the bed and they panic themselves to a loss.

Thing is, the referee is looking right at it. He is there. So god knows what he saw.

 

[masi51]

To say we played our get out of jail card was an understatement.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1644342668141678592

I sometimes wonder what the fuck referees actually think !!

 

[masi51]

I always felt that we were already safe but I'm not so sure now. Our team has given up...half of them know they won't be playing for us next season and we're on a dreadful run.

I can't actually believe that we got zero points out of the last 2 games. Both teams we played wanted it far more than us.

Crazy that we should be in this situation.

you will be alright as theres very little quality in this league

 

[Si Robin]

Seems like we were on the beach yesterday, and only the mighty Ipswich at home on Monday to follow it up.

Fortunately, despite absolutely battering us for 5 out of 6 halves in our 3 games, Ipswich have only taken 2 points from us. Suspect they'll get more than that on Monday.

 

[GeneralLee]

The way he treats players is wrong in my opinion..
Benning, absolutely hapless all season, shits out of tackles, cannot find a teammate, yet he’s lauded by Clarke ( although recently he appears to have seen quite how shit he is)
Butterworth has been one of our more creative players ( our only?) yet rarely plays him
Conlon has shown real quality in the past, has never looked anywhere near this season, why?
The injury?
Playing one week not the next?
I know it’s a trope that the vale fans on here wet their pants when the owls player flukes one in from 20 yards, or the refs hate smudge, or we’ll lose 7 fucking nil, or whatever, but the truth is thus..
We fluked the first 4 months, riding the crest of a wave.
That fucker has crashed.
And so have we.
Enjoy your win Monday Oxford.
I might find a fete to go to.

Yeah... We last won on 21st January. To be honest, that was a fluke and totally undeserved.

We're now in April.

To be fair, Liam Manning has made us much more solid (which wasn't difficult). We just have absolutely no threat going forward whatsoever.

 

[Bobbin']

Decent 1-0 win to improve our terrible home form.
Not an exciting game but was a clear pen (handball). Charlton offered little threat and now thats the double we've done over them this season. Should be safe now I think but a win on Monday will cement that.

They should really just cancel games like this in future, two teams whose season is done. Absolutely horrible game of football and not one single moment of any quality, pointless.

Thank god the sun was out and Bristol is such a great place to have a booze.

 

[valefan16]

Yeah... We last won on 21st January. To be honest, that was a fluke and totally undeserved.

We're now in April.

To be fair, Liam Manning has made us much more solid (which wasn't difficult). We just have absolutely no threat going forward whatsoever.

Best bet for your lot is to allow us to play Stevens then he will throw one in for you again. He’s absolutely dreadful.

Taylor hasn’t been much better lately either…

 

[leedsvaliant]

Yeah... We last won on 21st January. To be honest, that was a fluke and totally undeserved.

We're now in April.

To be fair, Liam Manning has made us much more solid (which wasn't difficult). We just have absolutely no threat going forward whatsoever.

It won't matter. We'll give you a goal for free. It's absolutely set up for you to get your first win in over 2 months. We've just given two teams on dreadful runs a helping hand. We're experts at it.

We're in that spot of bother now where the fans have turned on the players and vice versa. It's really toxic and it seems like a few have been told they won't be here next season, so why would they try?

I'd be amazed if we suddenly turned around that abomination on Friday in 2 days.

 

[leedsvaliant]

you will be alright as theres very little quality in this league

My opinion still stands. If a squad as poor as ours can outplay you on your own turf, beat the team currently top of the league on their own patch, and be 2 points off the playoffs, then you've got yourself a poor league.

The fact that we've been shite since Christmas doesn't change my opinion.

 

[masi51]

My opinion still stands. If a squad as poor as ours can outplay you on your own turf, beat the team currently top of the league on their own patch, and be 2 points off the playoffs, then you've got yourself a poor league.

The fact that we've been shite since Christmas doesn't change my opinion.

It is football you can never get every result correct each week or you would be very rich......You hammered us 6-3 two seasons ago in lge 2 ...Grimsby also beat us that season as they exited the Football league

You had a purple patch pre Christmas but you will end up roughly where everyone had you down which will be 17th/18th
Nothing wrong with that at all, but you said there was nothing between lge 1 and 2. The bottom half no, the top half you are miles away.

 

[Andy Proctor]

I don't think we will go down. I think we will stay up just about. We are however very easy to beat. All a team has to do is basically put abit of effort in and they will beat us. The players have basically stopped putting any effort in and are playing like they know they won't be at the club next season. We basically can't defend, we leave players unmarked with free headers from goal on any set piece, every clearance we make is a sliced clearance and we don't put tackles in and when we do it results in a penalty. We have the 2 worst keepers in the league that basically let the most goals in and make the least amount of saves. If we put in half arsed performances in against somebody like Ipswich then it will be 8 nil minimum.

 

[valefan16]

I don't think we will go down. I think we will stay up just about. We are however very easy to beat. All a team has to do is basically put abit of effort in and they will beat us. The players have basically stopped putting any effort in and are playing like they know they won't be at the club next season. We basically can't defend, we leave players unmarked with free headers from goal on any set piece, every clearance we make is a sliced clearance and we don't put tackles in and when we do it results in a penalty. We have the 2 worst keepers in the league that basically let the most goals in and make the least amount of saves. If we put in half arsed performances in against somebody like Ipswich then it will be 8 nil minimum.

Pretty much sums it up in fairness.

Our defending is awful, seems to be linked to Garrity missing who despite being a midfielder is good in the air for set pieces and rats around the midfield which stops us getting overrun.

When he was last injured we lost 3-2 to Exeter and 4-0 at Oxford… he got injured late in our last win. We have conceded over 2 goals a game average since.

Was due back for Cambridge but had a set back.

 

[kieran_vale]

For Monday getting off to a good start will be key. I suspect it will be an attritional type game so scoring first will be imperative. Can only hope after Friday there’s a bit of professional pride from the players and they come out playing with some intent. The manager putting an end to that fucking irritating short goalkick routine as well would be nice especially as all that happens is Smith or Donnelly just lump it anyway.

Basically if someone like Sammy Robinson is telling anyone in the crowd to fuck off again you can probably guess things haven’t gone well not that it bothers me he did it. If people dish it out they should be prepared to take it. I just wish he’d show he possesses even a hint of intelligence in his play more.

 

[valefan16]

For Monday getting off to a good start will be key. I suspect it will be an attritional type game so scoring first will be imperative. Can only hope after Friday there’s a bit of professional pride from the players and they come out playing with some intent. The manager putting an end to that fucking irritating short goalkick routine as well would be nice especially as all that happens is Smith or Donnelly just lump it anyway.

Basically if someone like Sammy Robinson is telling anyone in the crowd to fuck off again you can probably guess things haven’t gone well not that it bothers me he did it. If people dish it out they should be prepared to take it. I just wish he’d show he possesses even a hint of intelligence in his play more.

Sammy is what he is, a kid still. I don’t mind a bit of passion but need it on the pitch. Needs to be in his correct position for a start.

Wildly inconsistent though, looked immense at Wycombe and at Hillsborough he came on and tore their full back to bits then at Morecambe looked like he’d never seen a football before!

I’d try and persevere with him going forward next season but for me Worrall and Benning have to be your full backs Monday, need experience in there at the moment and playing players in their correct position.

I’d be tempted with Sammy at RCB and Forrester at LCB mind and drop Donnelly who hasn’t looked anywhere near good enough since his superb debut at Cheltenham.

In an ideal world we change formation but can’t see it happening. I’d advocate a 4-2-3-1 to use what we have available Pett and TC protecting the back four and Wozza, Wilson and Politic in the 3 behind Ellis.

Actually plays largely round pegs in round holes!

 

[PlymouthCasual]

How have Lincoln been playing recently? I have a vague memory of them being really resolute at their place and we were very fortunate to walk away with a point.

That being said I do expect our home form to be too much for all of the remaining sides which visit this season. Fingers crossed I am not left with egg on my face

 

[Moomin]

How have Lincoln been playing recently? I have a vague memory of them being really resolute at their place and we were very fortunate to walk away with a point.

That being said I do expect our home form to be too much for all of the remaining sides which visit this season. Fingers crossed I am not left with egg on my face

Lincoln have been tough to beat all season, won’t be easy but looking at your remaining games, it’s a really good run in for you. Can’t see you dropping any points in your four home games, sadly.

 

[Luke Imp]

How have Lincoln been playing recently? I have a vague memory of them being really resolute at their place and we were very fortunate to walk away with a point.

That being said I do expect our home form to be too much for all of the remaining sides which visit this season. Fingers crossed I am not left with egg on my face

Same as most of the season really. We don't carry much of a threat going forward but we're difficult to beat and that usually results in either annoyingly limp away defeats (see Posh, Cambridge, Vale etc) or good away performances (Wednesday, Ipswich, Derby, Barnsley). It's more suited to playing against the better sides in the league but we've got to be pretty perfect in doing so and once we concede, that's generally it done and dusted because of our lack of firepower. That said, I think we'll come away with a loss. I don't know why but in the last two (or three?) seasons, I've always seen Plymouth away as a trickier tie than a Derby or Wednesday.

Joe Walsh made the bench on Friday and I suspect he might come back in if he can, which will free Poole up for RB because we've been playing a CM at RB for the last few games. We lost Bishop to a hamstring injury on Friday but Virtue will come in so that's not too much of a problem until we need to make a sub and have no decent options to make one. No Montsma or Vernam (both out for the season), Eyoma can't be too far off so he could step up to the bench if Bishop misses out the squad all together and Roughan missed Friday with a niggle picked up at Wednesday last weekend.

 

[leedsvaliant]

It is football you can never get every result correct each week or you would be very rich......You hammered us 6-3 two seasons ago in lge 2 ...Grimsby also beat us that season as they exited the Football league

You had a purple patch pre Christmas but you will end up roughly where everyone had you down which will be 17th/18th
Nothing wrong with that at all, but you said there was nothing between lge 1 and 2. The bottom half no, the top half you are miles away.

I don't think I ever said we would finish top 10. Some of the budgets in the top 10 are ridiculous, so to even be close to missing out on promotion is embarrassing for some of these teams. I said at the beginning of the season that the vast gulf was being overstated and I stand by that. We've not played a team where I've come away thinking 'wow ', apart perhaps Ipswich who we gave a good game to but they were just better than us.

Money buys you those 1 or 2 game changers and consistency but the actual games haven't been much more difficult than league 2, even against the top 10. We've essentially played virtually our league 2 team a lot this season and never been close to the bottom 4. We've also taken points off those in the top 10. With even mediocre form since Christmas, we'd be in the top 10 ourselves.

It was this view that we might as well not bother turning up against teams in the top 10 that got my goat. We're all shite, hence we're at level 3, it's just some are less shite than others.

 

[valefan16]

I don't think I ever said we would finish top 10. Some of the budgets in the top 10 are ridiculous, so to even be close to missing out on promotion is embarrassing for some of these teams. I said at the beginning of the season that the vast gulf was being overstated and I stand by that. We've not played a team where I've come away thinking 'wow ', apart perhaps Ipswich who we gave a good game to but they were just better than us.

Money buys you those 1 or 2 game changers and consistency but the actual games haven't been much more difficult than league 2, even against the top 10. We've essentially played virtually our league 2 team a lot this season and never been close to the bottom 4. We've also taken points off those in the top 10. With even mediocre form since Christmas, we'd be in the top 10 ourselves.

It was this view that we might as well not bother turning up against teams in the top 10 that got my goat. We're all shite, hence we're at level 3, it's just some are less shite than others.

The issue and we’ve seen it second half is then in January the budgets blow you away, looks at Ipswich, ridiculous money in the third tier to spend and will rightly absolutely batter us in a week or so. They spend huge and that’s what now will get them auto promotion.

Teams with that can undo Summer errors whereas others without can’t as easily.

 

[Greenacres]

The issue and we’ve seen it second half is then in January the budgets blow you away, looks at Ipswich, ridiculous money in the third tier to spend and will rightly absolutely batter us in a week or so. They spend huge and that’s what now will get them auto promotion.

Teams with that can undo Summer errors whereas others without can’t as easily.

...hmmm, alternatively you could do what we did...don't prepare adequately in the summer, then in January let all your forwards leave and don't bring in anyone who can score. As a result we have two midfielders playing as our front two...or in reality as part of a midfield six with licence to go forward if we can break into the opponents half of the pitch. Our dealings in the transfer window largely confirmed our relegation...the only bright spark being McGeouch who joined as a free agent before Christmas and looks more than capable in League One.

 

[masi51]

I don't think I ever said we would finish top 10. Some of the budgets in the top 10 are ridiculous, so to even be close to missing out on promotion is embarrassing for some of these teams. I said at the beginning of the season that the vast gulf was being overstated and I stand by that. We've not played a team where I've come away thinking 'wow ', apart perhaps Ipswich who we gave a good game to but they were just better than us.

Money buys you those 1 or 2 game changers and consistency but the actual games haven't been much more difficult than league 2, even against the top 10. We've essentially played virtually our league 2 team a lot this season and never been close to the bottom 4. We've also taken points off those in the top 10. With even mediocre form since Christmas, we'd be in the top 10 ourselves.

It was this view that we might as well not bother turning up against teams in the top 10 that got my goat. We're all shite, hence we're at level 3, it's just some are less shite than others.

See i can put it many other ways than you.......You said this league and div 2 was alike.........Its not
Its not money that buys you those game changers its luck and loans......Luck that you have that certain player coming through that stands out.........Nobody but nobody has signed a top 10 player in this league this season they dont exist for transfer...........Your players of quality already are with the team ie Bannon or the top end players are on loan ie Bradley.
You have not got into that top 10 because you are weak in certain areas ie your keepers......Why was this not addressed in January????

Last but not least nobody in this league is shite...........they are between the 45 and 69 best team out of tens of thousands of teams in the country......................like i said you can spin it how you like

 

[codaplenty]

Gasheads tomorrow and a nailed on draw me thinks. Scott Brown was scathing after the Cambridge match and promised big changes for the game. Hope Dan Batty gets a start, he seems to have fallen out of favour with the management which is more than disappointing as he's an excellent mid fielder. 2-2 same as at their place

 

[Bartonyellow]

Charlton away for us tomorrow. On a decent run, but we do concede goals for fun, so I can see lots of goals here. Confidence is high which might see us alright.
2-2 draw my heart says. Head says 4-2 defeat.

 

[UppaTowen_ITFC]

The issue and we’ve seen it second half is then in January the budgets blow you away, looks at Ipswich, ridiculous money in the third tier to spend and will rightly absolutely batter us in a week or so. They spend huge and that’s what now will get them auto promotion.

Teams with that can undo Summer errors whereas others without can’t as easily.

For what it’s worth our owner literally said a week ago that with the ins for downes ans dozzell, our net spend on fees was a small profit for the last 12 months.

And even if it wasn’t, I don’t see us spending money we cant afford. Bigger crowds, top 10 shirt sales in england (the Ed Sheeran fanbase of course rather than Ipswich fans), etc are going to obviously give us more money coming in than other teams. It’s when teams spend more than they can afford and breach FFP rules (Derby I’m looking at you) that things get unfair.

 

[UppaTowen_ITFC]

Nobody but nobody has signed a top 10 player in this league this season they dont exist for transfer...........Your players of quality already are with the team ie Bannon or the top end players are on loan ie Bradley.

You’re sniffing glue if you don’t think Leif Davis or Nathan Broadhead aren’t top 10 in this league.