League 2 General Chat Thread

[Son of Cod]

Selections seem decent to me but four outcomes are hard enough at this level so I wouldn't chuck an extra one in there.

Actually, I'd be wary of Cambridge v Exeter. Cambridge due a win and have been playing alright it seems.

Hahahahaha just realised you are a Cambridge fan. Didn't make that connection before. I'm sure you are much more in tune with how they are doing than me!

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

That's just how Whitehouse is. I'm guessing he'll have popped up with a couple of second ball set piece goals by now because he was always in and around it with us when he played. He's not terrible by any stretch but I suppose it depends what you already have and are expecting from your midfield. He's certainly not going to play through balls or dribbled past players or offer any creativity.

Green went through the same stage around this time of the season a couple of years ago here. Went 15 or so without scoring and nothing was really coming off for him but not through a lack of effort or work rate.

To be fair to Whitehouse he's probably a victim of how isolated Hanson has been of late. You can tell he plays sort of like a poacher and he'd benefit from picking up scraps from Hanson but it hasn't worked that way so far and he's looked a bit headless as a result. He's another one that would probably benefit from us signing some wider players. He has scored a few from set pieces as you say but besides that, very little.

It's annoying that Hewitt and Hendrie are our best crossers of the ball. Could be worth re-visiting the dreaded wing backs as an option but then we're probably writing off a big chunk of the season re-adjusting.

In theory 352 would solve a lot of issues people seem to have; playing two strikers, having some width, getting Pollock game time. It was that poor when we tried it previously though there'd never be enough patience to see it develop, it's hard enough to get our fans to accept 433.

 

[denzel ecfc]

I was looking at the upcoming fixtures and a little acca.

Exeter (A v Camb)
Newport (H v Scunny)
Col U (H v Morecambe)
Macc DC, aka not to lose, at Oldham.

Works out at 11/1. I might add Crewe/Swindon BTTS as well, or perhaps Plymouth to beat Carlisle but they have often let me down in the past so I dunno.

What do you think chaps?

Only 11/1?

We normally do well at Cambridge so go for it and don't blame me if its wrong

 

[loz]

I was looking at the upcoming fixtures and a little acca.

24 Jan 2015, I went to Stamford Bridge. I have never tried to predict a game outcome since.

 

[AdamStag]

Trying to predict what mansfield will do in the next game is about as easy as predicting brexit

 

[JJ1532]

We've announced that long term director/leech Norman Hassall has officially sold all stakes in the Alex and is now gone. He's been a massive scourge on the club for decades, taking money out in the form of loans and generally clinging on despite having zero interest in the club.

It's a massive boost and gives us a bit of stability knowing he can't financially destroy us. Hopefully it allows us to attract new investment and allow for some younger fresh faces in the boardroom, given it's entirely made up of old white men in their 60s and 70s.

Great news for the future of the club.

 

[JJ1532]

I know exactly what your shit parody is talking about. You don't have to dance around it, just post it in a civil manner without your unfunny parody slant on it and it won't get deleted.

Yes, I suspect the investigation will come out soon and reveal some damning things potentially, probably mostly around Gradi. It's probably why he's retired, so it mitigates the fall out as he's no longer involved with the club and means we don't have to fire him.

We'll probably be covered by insurance, so I doubt any settlements will destroy the club financially. Hopefully the victims get some closure and justice in whatever form that may be.

It'll have nothing to do with Hassall though, he's wanted out for years. He's getting old and probably doesn't want the constant headache of our board trying to force him out. He probably wants some peace and quiet before he dies. Good riddance.

 

[Vanni]

Hahahahaha just realised you are a Cambridge fan. Didn't make that connection before. I'm sure you are much more in tune with how they are doing than me!

Haha. SOC has only just discovered I'm a U's fan. I mean I've only been on this forum and the old one since 2012. Yeah right.

I think this is more of a not-so-cold sweet revenge for my having the audacity to suggest a 12th place finish for you fishies, is it not?

 

[Vanni]

Always very wary of including away teams in accas, although I lost out on £500 when Wolves won 2-0 at Man City last week so even home bankers can fuck you up. So would leave Exeter out tbh, although you know your own side better. I'd have it down as a draw.

Crewe v Swindon BTTS looks a better bet, I'd include that alongside the other 3.

Chris, personally I think there are no home bankers in the 4th division but I could be wrong. Re. City, I know they always win their home games (as do Liverpool) but I wouldn't exactly call a side like Wolves a 'home banker'.

Only 11/1?

We normally do well at Cambridge so go for it and don't blame me if its wrong

I think I've changed my mind. You'll definitely beat us but I can't bring myself to bet against my team.

I know the odds aren't great but I'd rather stick 20 or 30 quid on short odds (even if it's only something like a 3/1 two team acca) than a fiver on something like a 35/1.

 

[TimeyWimey]

We've announced that long term director/leech Norman Hassall has officially sold all stakes in the Alex and is now gone. He's been a massive scourge on the club for decades, taking money out in the form of loans and generally clinging on despite having zero interest in the club.

It's a massive boost and gives us a bit of stability knowing he can't financially destroy us. Hopefully it allows us to attract new investment and allow for some younger fresh faces in the boardroom, given it's entirely made up of old white men in their 60s and 70s.

Great news for the future of the club.

Incredible news for us. Hopefully Bowler's resignation follows this week. Time to really start looking forward and bring the club into the 21st century. 2019/2020 is turning into such a good season.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Huge well done to Charles Grant who has been working tirelessly for years to make sure this long-awaited sale can indeed happen.

As Timey has said, I expect Bowler to resign this week and I'm pleased Dario has also resigned too. Strictly speaking about the running of the football club, it's about time we removed the deadweights from the board (although RIP to David Rowlinson who sadly died recently). As brutal as I may sound, Dario offers nothing to the board under suspension and I honestly believe his resignation is about three years too late. John Bowler is a good man and one I've had the pleasure of meeting and talking to a few times on a personal basis, but he is a man in ill health and he needs to retire and enjoy the rest of his life after achieving his objective of making sure Norman Hassall doesn't destroy our club. As for Hassall, good riddance. A man who has caused over a decade of stagnation due to him using club money to prop up failing businesses he owned. Thankfully he has lost the war and, within a few weeks or months when his golden handshake is processed, will be formally removed from the football club.

Most Crewe fans will know who one of the new board members is. He's a man who runs a very successful business in the town and has sponsored the club and a couple of local non league clubs over the last decade. As for the other three board members, I believe two will be local businessmen of a similar background (I don't know who these will be) and one will more than likely be a representative safeguarding the 12.5% stake in the club soon to be owned by the fans which is very pleasing to see if what I suspect is going on is true.

It's time our off-field revenue streams are heavily prioritised now to increase our revenue streams. Corporate facilities need to be completely revamped and they will pay for themselves over a certain amount of time. We need to take advantage of this positive start to the season and to really market the club because a promotion and riding on a crest of a big wave could bring our fanbase back to levels it was at when we peaked in the early-mid 2000s.

It's time we stopped using the "we're lucky to be a league club" inferiority complex that Steve Davis bestowed upon us when he was severely struggling in League One. We probably have the best training facilities of any club at this level, we have one of the best academies in the country and we're in a fantastic location to attract professional footballers from the major cities. We should NOT be crying poverty like Davis did for years. But we're lacking in some areas and they need addressing, that's for sure. A proper scouting system HAS to be established for a start. Our Continental analytics can also be improved too (and Chuma Anene has proven to be a useful first signing from this newly acquired philosophy) and we really need to reinvest a portion of transfer fees that were finding its way into Norman Hassall's back pocket in top non league talent. We were ahead of the rest of England for many years with our non league gems. But as our stagnation coincided with Hassall leeching from the club, we've missed out on millions as we've significantly tightened up our purse strings in the last decade or so.

I don't want, and we certainly won't get, Bury style marquee signings that we can't possibly sustain. But I did wonder if the takeover and the injection of fresh capital could mean something that will allow our current philosophy to be more efficient. For a start, will we finally stem the losses that the Academy system drains on the club? But more importantly, perhaps this means we can pay our homegrown lads what they're worth when they hit the ages of 24 too. Losing homegrown players we've invested years and years of our time in on frees to Peterborough, Tranmere and Blackpool is not a viable business model. But if we can match the wages thanks to this takeover? Then the players will know they're on a good screw here, will partake in more regular first team football which, if they maintain their high level of performance, will see them sold to clubs higher up the food chain and allow us to rake in a decent fee for their services.

All hypothetical situations at the moment. But new ownership will bear fruits and lead to significant improvement of all aspects involving the football club over the next few years. Suddenly, we have a bright long-term future ahead of us.

 

[Son of Cod]

Haha. SOC has only just discovered I'm a U's fan. I mean I've only been on this forum and the old one since 2012. Yeah right.

I think this is more of a not-so-cold sweet revenge for my having the audacity to suggest a 12th place finish for you fishies, is it not?

Hahahaha no of course I know who you support. I just didn't really think about it with it being a gambling post and not a football one for some reason.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Right in front of us, 50/50 ball and Oliver kicked the ball into your keepers face, no idea where all the blood came from.
Kettle wasn't sure but it looked like the linesman said that he had two footed him. Never in a million years.

Red card overturned. Quite right in my opinion.

https://www.daventryexpress.co.uk/s...ppeal-to-overturn-oliver-s-red-card-1-9109934

 

[PlymouthCasual]

Best of luck to all of the Carlisle fans travelling down tomorrow. Bloody long way that I can tell you. Weathers shocking so bring a jacket!

 

[ProfessorGreen]

Mayor suspended, Telford still out and apparently Baxter also out.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Best of luck to all of the Carlisle fans travelling down tomorrow. Bloody long way that I can tell you. Weathers shocking so bring a jacket!

They will still have the sprinklers on before the game! But yes it is not so tropical down here in the south at the moment, so have a very safe journey.

 

[Big Bird]

Best of luck to all of the Carlisle fans travelling down tomorrow. Bloody long way that I can tell you. Weathers shocking so bring a jacket!

12 hour round trip innit? Savage.

 

[GTFCfish]

12 hour round trip innit? Savage.

B2TF in the non league section would do it in an hour.

 

[ProfessorGreen]

12 hour round trip innit? Savage.

You’d have to go some to do it in 6 hours each way!

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Waste of time creating a match thread today, without any representation from the opposition...

 

[shoddycollins]

Making a few changes to the team at Plymouth today. My own guesses as to the formation

_________________________Collin_______________________
___________G.Jones_____Webster_____Mellish_________
Branthwaite__________________________________Iredale
___________Scougall_____M.Jones_____Bridge_________
__________________Olomola_____Hope________________

That's Branthwaite, Mellish, and Scougall in for Elliot, Knight-Percival and Sagaf

Branthwaite must have impressed against Blackpool mid-week to get the nod for today. Dropping NKP and Sagaf to the bench will raise eyebrows though. Sagaf is the one to make way for Scougall's return to the starting line-up following his injury but he's been one of the few bright points in recent weeks and people may have expected Bridge to be more likely to make way. NKP has looked like the best member of an admittedly struggling defence but drops to the bench in favour of Mellish.

McKirdy is injured, Canice Carroll doesn't make the squad in spite of positive words about his performance mid-week.

We've not been good and changes are understandable but it's starting to look a bit like Pressley is trying everything in the hope of stumbling across a winning team.

 

[kieran_vale]

Pope and Gibbons dropped for this one. On board with Pope however less so on Gibbons. He’s been one of our best players this season unless there’s an injury.

 

[valefan16]

1-1 at half time. Vale were cruising but Stevenage got a penalty... no one seems sure why! I assumed he’d given us a free kick for something as the corner came in.

Wouldn’t be Stevenage at home if there wasn’t some dodgy antics or decisions going against us.

 

[kieran_vale]

1-1 at half time. Vale were cruising but Stevenage got a penalty... no one seems sure why! I assumed he’d given us a free kick for something as the corner came in.

Wouldn’t be Stevenage at home if there wasn’t some dodgy antics or decisions going against us.

Can only guess there was some shirt pulling in the box from someone though I didn’t see anything. Fair enough if so but I just hope he applies the same standard down the other end now...

This is another club I hate us coming up against as they always reduce the game to a stop-start affair.

 

[valefan16]

Can only guess there was some shirt pulling in the box from someone though I didn’t see anything. Fair enough if so but I just hope he applies the same standard down the other end now...

This is another club I hate us coming up against as they always reduce the game to a stop-start affair.

Well it can have been no more of a penalty than the one we should of had for handball just before!

Great goal from us mind, 12 pass move to carve them open.

 

[kieran_vale]

Well it can have been no more of a penalty than the one we should of had for handball just before!

Great goal from us mind, 12 pass move to carve them open.

Appears Crookes gave their lad a nudge in the back. Whether that should be enough to warrant going to ground is another question but I can see why he gave it in retrospect.

 

[CTFCfan99]

League Two refereeing at its finest yet again. Softest penalty you'll ever see.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Cambridge going nuts I see.

 

[valefan16]

Shocking result that. Easy run of fixtures and we are limping through averagely.

 

[kieran_vale]

Well that was shite. Apart from Scott Brown who did well when called upon can’t think of anyone else who comes out of that with credit.