Hatters v Stags 19/9

[Richard Cranium]

Would take a point now.

I know Luton have been slow starters this season but they'll probably turn up this weekend. That said we have looked decent away from home.

 

[oakroader]

i wish i had your confidence dickie,but we've shown some good form in patches,but we cant keep a clean sheet to save our lives...its gotta change some time.....aint it??

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Not confident in the slightest we will pick up anything from this game, we cant keep clean sheets, give away soft goals and dont really support our best player and front man sufficiently, not really a recipe for success. At the moment it just feels like we are scratching around trying to find the perfect formula, and not really getting anywhere or indeed learning anything.

Im assuming that McGeehan is going to come in for Guttridge so hopefully he can give us a bit of a lift, i probably dont rate him as highly as some but his tenacity, attitude and general ability to make things happen in the box i think will be welcomed (then again isnt that what we said when Guttridge was coming back in!). Also suspect that McNulty comes in for the suspended Cuthbert, hopefully he has improved from his performances in the games earlier this season.

I hope Still has managed to pick them up as there confidence must be very low right now, with all the last minute goals and coming back from 2-0 down only to lose, they must be properly wondering what the hell is going on, guessing many didnt think they where signing up for this when they came here. If we lose again the pressure on Still will be incredible i think, especially if we lose poorly but as i say not confident we will a) keep Mansfield from scoring more than 1 or b) score enough ourselves. 3-1 Mansfield.

 

[Richard Cranium]

McNulty v Green again? Last time that happened McNulty won fucking everything. Thankfully we aren't quite as long ball as our Conference days so Greeny might make it a long afternoon for him.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Again, quietly confident about this one. We just need to stop the rot and conceding goals. I don't think we're far away; just not getting the results go our way. We're definitely playing better than our position suggests - I'd say we deserve to be on about 10 points so far which would be respectable at this stage of the season. Football doesn't work like that unfortunately!

We're actually 1 point closer to the top than we were at this stage last season. Around mid-late Autumn we were on top. Seems a long way off this year.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

We're looking so bright and promising across the park, and at the back in particular we look imperious.

So a guaranteed 3-0 win for The Hatters.

Kenilworth Road just isn't somewhere we particularly do well at historically, barring the odd highlight. And we're due to be put back in our box, cos no Stags fan should ever feel comfortable with positivity; it just ain't rate.

 

[Baratheon]

Feel a bit sorry for this neglected/usurped thread! 1-1 written all over it.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Can the two threads be merged?

 

[StagsForLife]

Leewilson RavenBish

 

[Kenneth E End]

Am struggling on who to pick today, as the loss last week was more a collective of errors rather than individuals. I note the comment that Luton were better than Mansfield v Notts County. Find that hard to believe as that was probably our second worst performance (that I've seen anyway) from us this season.

That said, I'd agree with John Still that were playing better than we were the start of the last two seasons, but just not getting the results!

I'd go with this team, albeit it might not be in the right formation:

Subs: Justham, Okuonghae, Hall, Marriott, McCourt, Lawless, Williams

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Weird performance really, at times we put together some good moves and then other times it looked like we didnt know each other!

Think we shaded the first half although Mansfield did have 1 very good chance through Green which Tyler saved well. Gutted that Mackail Smiths overhead kick got ruled out for offside as it was a very classy finish, brilliant technique. Mansfield started the 2nd ok and i thought they had scored at one point but fortunately Tyler got back. We then got the penalty, not sure why the guy wasnt given a red as it looked on first viewing a clear goalscoring opportunity and only the keeper to beat, maybe Mackail Smith had took it too far wide? Not sure.

We then did our usual sit back on 1 goal trick and Mansfield where all over us. So bloody infuriating, how many times will that tactic bite us on the arse before Still stops it. All it takes is one little lapse, a lucky strike or deflection and you're screwed. We looked dangerous with Mackail Smith having the ball threaded through by McCourt but just resorted to 10 men behind the ball and smack it long. Credit Mackail Smith who was excellent in chasing down the lost causes but its just inviting pressure on yourself.

I think Mansfield will be a tad disappointed they didnt go for it more really, first half they where pretty happy to just try and stifle the game, i think getting at us as they did after we scored they would have caused us some issues. Hopefully we have the clean sheet and the home win under our belts we can push on.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Not great by us today by any means, but we battled and scrapped and come away with our first home league win. Again though we're sitting deep and asking for trouble; this tactic will not stand up against better teams. Against Izale McLeod I fear we would've lost today because Mansfield had some golden opportunities in dangerous areas which really should've been punished.

Nevertheless, a win is a win. And one we desperately needed.

Some very strange decisions by the referee. How the foul on Mackail-Smith, who caused problems once again all game, did not result in a professional found/red card I have no idea. The whole stadium was dismayed. It was an absolute stonewall clear goal scoring opportunity. He slotted away the penalty, after scoring the best disallowed goal of all time. Overhead kick slotted into the top corner, just after the linesman flagged for offside! You'd think at that point, its not going to be our day!

Felt Mansfield were fairly average. Not quite as physical as previous seasons, but some very niggly fouls going unpunished by bookings. There was an incident between Wilkinson and Green which a lot of the crowd insinuated there was an elbow. I didn't see it, nor did the referee or linesman.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Wilkinson was being a bit of nob with that incident really, both where having a grab of each other after the ball went and Wilko went down when Green tried to wrestle himself free of it trying to get Green sent off. Was a poor thing to do of Wilkinson as it wasnt nothing really and both players where being very, very stupid. Both deserved a booking.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Can't say I'm too surprised, Kenilworth Road always seems a problematic venue for us, though I'm disappointed to not have earned a point.

Maybe we need to hire a gypsy to piss in both goalmouths to lift a bit of a curse?
Though preferably under the cloak of darkness rather than as some dodgepot specialised pre-match entertainment.

 

[oakroader]

Can't say I'm too surprised, Kenilworth Road always seems a problematic venue for us, though I'm disappointed to not have earned a point.

Maybe we need to hire a gypsy to piss in both goalmouths to lift a bit of a curse?
Though preferably under the cloak of darkness rather than as some dodgepot specialised pre-match entertainment.

lucky heather anyone?

 

[Kenneth E End]

Just watched the highlights again; inconclusive by the camera angle as to why CMS' goal was ruled out for offside. Was a fantastic finish nonetheless.

The (non) red card. How was it not a red card? He beat Tafazoli for pace and he had to take one for the team. It's even more blatant on the TV than it was at the time. As soon as the referee gives the foul, the rules of football say that if he's in a clear goalscoring position its a professional foul, a red card and a 1 game ban.

Some really strange decisions in this game yesterday. The standard has not improved over the summer.

 

[Stagat]

lucky heather anyone?

Don't suppose it would matter what her name is.

 

[Hooped Wizard]

Them Luton fans on TFLS looked proper 'ard.

 

[Chippy]

People still complaining. Please shut up. We've won.

We sat back because we are shitting ourselves and rightly so at the minute. We ain't been playing well we ain't been getting results and we've been shifting goals. It's subconscious reaction to sit deep. We defended fairly well late on, and we got the 3 points we needed.

When you've been on a bad run it doesn't matter how they come but I am adamant some luton fans will never be happy unless they can berate the team and management. If you don't like it that much, don't fucking go.

 

[oakroader]

Them Luton fans on TFLS looked proper 'ard.

even father Christmas supports the mighty Luton Town

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

People still complaining. Please shut up. We've won.

We sat back because we are shitting ourselves and rightly so at the minute. We ain't been playing well we ain't been getting results and we've been shifting goals. It's subconscious reaction to sit deep. We defended fairly well late on, and we got the 3 points we needed.

When you've been on a bad run it doesn't matter how they come but I am adamant some luton fans will never be happy unless they can berate the team and management. If you don't like it that much, don't fucking go.

Quite surprised at how negativley some fans are reacting to yesterday, people on the radio where saying things like its "papering over the cracks" and a few on Outlaws saying things along similar lines.

Im no fan of the sit back on the 18 yard line tactic, and its something we consistently do, not just because were on a shit run, as detailed above but before that i think we did a lot of good things and moved the ball very well on the floor which is a great improvement. Its like people forgot half the game and are focusing on those admittedly nervy and disjointed last 20 or so minutes.

 

[Chippy]

There was a bloke in front of me yesterday who would moan if we kicked it clear from inside our own area in last 10 minutes. And when I say moan I mean scream and shout at O'Donnell who was closest to him.

Fucking wanker. Don't need people like that