League 2 General Chat Thread

[PaulHaddock]

Lol

Last 8 league games for both of us:

Barnet: 3 points Scored 5 Conceded 14
Grimsby: 5 points Scored 3 Conceded 13

Not a lot of difference there. Our 3 points came from a penalty against FGR!

 

[Lance Stoe]

If I had the wings of a sparrow and the arse Of a crow, I’d fly over Blundell Park Grimsby and shit on the bastards below. We hate Codheads

 

[TimeyWimey]

My first game in a month. We’re still terrible and in serious trouble.

 

[hellogregory]

My god we were shite today. But what an important 3 points that was.

I still want Curle out. We’re getting worse under him. He should have been fired straight after the mansfield defeat. We need a competent manager to come in and rescue our season while there’s still a glimmer of life in it

 

[Casey]

John Akinde must feel the Crawley badge is like Kryptonite. Round two defenders blunders past keeper, empty net. Saving tackle from defender from behind that nutmegs him! Ah the Akinde who played for Crawley appeared.
To be honest that was 75 minutes of my life I'll not get back followed by a couple of ok goals and a near miss.

Barnet looked better than their position but we look worse so what do I know.

Casey

 

[shoddycollins]

well we shithoused our way to three points today, not that that doesn't take some skill, I will say for all Crewe's dominance they didn't threaten our goal as much as we threatened theirs on our occasional forays forwards in the second half, and Jack Bonham continues to be worth a goal a game. So we didn't play well but there are positives to take in how we dealt with that.

 

[shoddycollins]

My first game in a month. We’re still terrible and in serious trouble.

surely you can't possibly finish beneath both Barnet and FGR.

 

[TimeyWimey]

surely you can't possibly finish beneath both Barnet and FGR.

That’s what most of our fans and the club are banking on but when it comes to Barnet and FGR throwing the kitchen sink at survival in March and April, we’ll be like we were in the 93rd minute today - tapping it around defence oblivious to the situation.

 

[GTFCfish]

We didn't have our first proper shot until the 55th minute, ironically it was a fantastic save from their keeper which led to a corner that they broke from and scored the second.
It was just woeful we are in real dire straits, if we didn't have that 11 point cushion to the relegation spots I'd say we're nailed on to go down, with it I still think we're in trouble as I can't see where the next (or any) win is going to come from.
Just fucking abysmal.
And we're now lying about attendances there is no way there were 3300 home fans there the place was fucking deserted, around 2700 my guess so I reckon we're now including season ticket holders that didn't turn up to try and save face.

 

[Urban]

McGhee is taking us down. What the fuck goes through that mans head sometimes - Blackman is an atrocious footballer and shows it week after week. WHY keep selecting him when we have another perfectly fine LB in Tutonda? Coulthirst is a striker - why play him right out wide hugging the line?

He's really ruining our club.

 

[#Beebot]

McGhee is taking us down. What the fuck goes through that mans head sometimes - Blackman is an atrocious footballer and shows it week after week. WHY keep selecting him when we have another perfectly fine LB in Tutonda? Coulthirst is a striker - why play him right out wide hugging the line?

He's really ruining our club.

Who the fuck is going to take the job knowing that they have to report to him?

I hate MM with a passion, more so than any individual involved with our football club over the past 15 years.

An utter imbecile who stopped being relevant or having anything positive to contribute to the game at least a decade ago and who has no idea how to improve this team or what is good for the club.

Tactics are random and nonsensical, players who we know to be decent look shadows of themselves, and everything he says just reeks of disinterest, incompetence or both.

I've never been anti-TK but I have lost a huge amount of respect for him over his weird loyalty to MM. We owe MM nothing yet he's been gifted a huge amount of power for no apparent reason.

 

[GTFCfish]

Jake Kean is absolutely horrific.

Yup, there was that cross that he completely missed and got away with, then being glued to his line every other cross that came in because of the earlier one, and then he kept kicking it straight into touch, the worse one near the end when Jaiyesemi chased back 30 or 40 yards to win the ball back from the Newport player then gave it to Kean, who booted it straight out.
Awful keeper wouldn't be surprised to see his loan cut short as he looked terrified most of the game.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Who the fuck is going to take the job knowing that they have to report to him?

I hate MM with a passion, more so than any individual involved with our football club over the past 15 years.

An utter imbecile who stopped being relevant or having anything positive to contribute to the game at least a decade ago and who has no idea how to improve this team or what is good for the club.

Tactics are random and nonsensical, players who we know to be decent look shadows of themselves, and everything he says just reeks of disinterest, incompetence or both.

I've never been anti-TK but I have lost a huge amount of respect for him over his weird loyalty to MM. We owe MM nothing yet he's been gifted a huge amount of power for no apparent reason.

You and Urban perfectly sum up how I feel about MM and the situation. I have never felt such disdain towards one of our managers as I do towards MM. Even Sanchez or Nugnet did not make me react in this way. The signs were obvious in the Grimsby match and nothing has changed since then, I can’t think of one positive thing that he has done for us since being appointed. He has made nonsensical selections, made our team play in a way that leaves us toothless in attack yet open in defence, disparaged our squad and his half-time talks have invariably made us play worse in the second half. As Beebot has stated above, why has our chairman given him so much power?

 

[Urban]

You and Urban perfectly sum up how I feel about MM and the situation. I have never felt such disdain towards one of our managers as I do towards MM. Even Sanchez or Nugnet did not make me react in this way. The signs were obvious in the Grimsby match and nothing has changed since then, I can’t think of one positive thing that he has done for us since being appointed. He has made nonsensical selections, made our team play in a way that leaves us toothless in attack yet open in defence, disparaged our squad and his half-time talks have invariably made us play worse in the second half. As Beebot has stated above, why has our chairman given him so much power?

It's taken a lot for me to dislike TK (despite knowing a bit more than the average fan about what goes on behind the scenes) but these last few months have really pushed my patience. This whole McGhee shambles is an absolute joke. The bloke is so arrogant too. How can you be arrogant as the manager of the club bottom of the football league?!

 

[Urban]

Also that Crawley #6 Connelly is a real piece of work. Akinde challenged for a header and caught someone with his arm, Connelly goes running over to him and the ref aggressively asking for a red. When the ref (rightly) doesn't give it, Akinde gets absolutely wiped out 30 seconds later by him in a real shocker revenge tackle.

I was looking forward to seeing Akinde eat him alive but alas, many things I look forward to seeing don't tend to be happening these days.

 

[Stanleyfan]

I was down at Cheltenham today - 3 wins in a row by us for the first time this season. Great to see Kee and Jackson on the scoresheet again against a decent Cheltenham side who hit the woodwork twice.
I can't believe how tight it is in the top half - I'm just glad we're still amongst it after a bad run before Christmas.

 

[JJ1532]

That’s what most of our fans and the club are banking on but when it comes to Barnet and FGR throwing the kitchen sink at survival in March and April, we’ll be like we were in the 93rd minute today - tapping it around defence oblivious to the situation.

Yep, that was something else in that last 10 minutes today. A club that has now changed its philosophy from quick attacking football to a slow possession based game which is now killing the players at every level. Seen it in the U18s, the U23s and the first team. It's strangling the club to death and whats worse, Artell is letting it happen because he's either too dumb to realise its a shite philosophy or too spineless to call the club out on it.

We need an attacking mid and a winger desperately, because we've got a massive lack of quality up front and if we want to stay up, it needs addressing. We could easily lose the next 3 because Wycombe are flying at the moment, we always lose at Swindon and Notts County have a great home record and will have a bumper crowd to roar them on. Where will we be come the Yeovil game at home I wonder? Need a win from one of these next 3, don't see where its coming mind.

 

[cufc17]

Good 3 points today, pretty poor game for the most part between two very ordinary teams. First half was appalling, offered nothing and probably should've been a couple goals behind. The last half an hour there was a bit of life in us and when we got the goal, it was reasonably comfortable.

It still keeps us within reach of the playoff pack, just, but we're nowhere near good enough, or consistent enough to challenge.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Yep, that was something else in that last 10 minutes today. A club that has now changed its philosophy from quick attacking football to a slow possession based game which is now killing the players at every level. Seen it in the U18s, the U23s and the first team. It's strangling the club to death and whats worse, Artell is letting it happen because he's either too dumb to realise its a shite philosophy or too spineless to call the club out on it.

But who is the club these days? Baker gone, Dario suspended... I don't really know the hierarchy and who exactly calls the shots and has the influence. It's just as likely Artell is as senior as they come alongside James Collins (is he still here? he's as anonymous as he was as assistant manager) implementing this rubbish.

We need an attacking mid and a winger desperately, because we've got a massive lack of quality up front and if we want to stay up, it needs addressing. We could easily lose the next 3 because Wycombe are flying at the moment, we always lose at Swindon and Notts County have a great home record and will have a bumper crowd to roar them on. Where will we be come the Yeovil game at home I wonder? Need a win from one of these next 3, don't see where its coming mind.

Today and Yeovil were about our two only 'winnable' games before Forest Green... in March. Which is why I wasn't getting too excited on here after our last win. We could be in serious bother by the end of February. I don't think Artell has it in him to get us through it but a couple of plucky wins has kept the heat off him so not much we can do now.

And I'd take any player who can get out of walking pace, no matter their position. Not sure there has ever been Crewe side that has had so little pace before.

 

[Si Robin]

I was down at Cheltenham today - 3 wins in a row by us for the first time this season. Great to see Kee and Jackson on the scoresheet again against a decent Cheltenham side who hit the woodwork twice.
I can't believe how tight it is in the top half - I'm just glad we're still amongst it after a bad run before Christmas.

I bet Kee and Jackson couldn't believe their luck with the absolute gifts that we gave them. Annoyingly, once going a goal down after playing quite well, we reverted to type and did nothing until the last 10 mins when we realised we had to do something.

We'll probably win next week.

Midtable is bloody boring.

 

[mowgli]

Midtable is bloody boring.

I doubt Barnet fans wouldn't think that right now mate.

 

[#Beebot]

I doubt Barnet fans wouldn't think that right now mate.

Yeah, I'm more disinterested than I've been at any point in the past 15 years, we've got an arrogant idiot in charge who is responsible for appointing a new head coach himself for some reason. Clearly hated by the players and there's no sign that he's going to be gone any time soon.

Looking unlikely that a new head coach will be in by the end of the transfer window and even if he is, McGhee will still be hanging around and exerting influence over transfers like a bad smell.

We're screwed. Our season was over from about February last year, we were awful for the rest of the season but at least we had a fresh start the following season to look forward to, now we've got a totally avoidable and embarrassing return to the NL with the same idiots in charge.

 

[Luke Imp]

If you an continue being shit for one more week, that'd be grand.

 

[#Beebot]

If you an continue being shit for one more week, that'd be grand.

The club have confirmed that there's no urgency to appoint a new head coach and that the appointment is likely to be several weeks away so we may as well hand over the 3 points now.

With the away followings you have at the moment I'd be very surprised if away fans don't outnumber home fans next week, possibly by several hundred.

 

[dedwardp]

Just watching some goals online, and in the Cheltenham game yesterday the Accrington keeper picked the ball up and then held on to it for 18 seconds before launching it for their second goal... is there no longer a law against this? 18 seconds is ridiculous.

 

[Luke Imp]

The club have confirmed that there's no urgency to appoint a new head coach and that the appointment is likely to be several weeks away so we may as well hand over the 3 points now.

With the away followings you have at the moment I'd be very surprised if away fans don't outnumber home fans next week, possibly by several hundred.

Sold about 1,100 in advance and it's pay on the day as well. I think our allocation is 1,850 or something.

 

[#Beebot]

Sold about 1,100 in advance and it's pay on the day as well. I think our allocation is 1,850 or something.

If you sell 1850 then that's possibly more than double what we'll have...

 

[rudebwoyben]

Not quite but there will be at least 50% more Lincoln fans than Barnet fans at the match next Saturday.
Having seen the goals, I can’t understand how McGhee continues to select Blackman. His lackadaisical approach to the game and general lack of concentration handed Creepy their two goals.

 

[Imp in Branston]

If you sell 1850 then that's possibly more than double what we'll have...

Not sure it will be 1850, maybe 1300-1400ish.

 

[shoddycollins]

Just watching some goals online, and in the Cheltenham game yesterday the Accrington keeper picked the ball up and then held on to it for 18 seconds before launching it for their second goal... is there no longer a law against this? 18 seconds is ridiculous.

There is definitely still a law against it, but referees only seem to enforce it if it is a clear attempt at time-wasting, and even then only half-heartedly. If Cheltenham weren't protesting about how long he was holding it for then he may not have seen any point in awarding it. Teams should protest though as they'd end up with an indirect free kick in the penalty area and if that started happening then keepers would soon cut this shit out.

EDIT: Just looked at it myself, yeah I make it 14 seconds between getting and releasing the ball, and Cheltenham look to have been threatening at the time so clearly he wanted to take some of the impetus out of the game, should have been penalised IMHO but then the Cheltenham players don't seem especially arsed so the referee probably felt he didn't need to make a decision. Not all laws of the game have to be followed to the letter and the referee may have felt that there was no reason to stop play for a minor infringement which the players seemed content to let slide.

Decisions will be made to the best of the referee`s ability according to the Laws of the Game and the spirit of the game and will be based on the opinion of the referee who has the discretion to take appropriate action within the framework of the Laws of the Game.

There are a few areas where the letter of the law and the spirit of the law couldn't be clearer, such as whether a ball crosses the line, foul and abusive language, a second yellow always resulting in a red. etc. but then also a lot of things which are the referee's discretion whether to act on a law. 14 is a bit too much though.