League Two Fixtures - 19th November

[F!RTHY]

We welcome The Cobblers to Valley Parade this weekend, in what is a massive game for both clubs.

If we win, we leapfrog Northampton and climb to 3rd in the table. If they win….well, who cares.

They’re without talisman Sam Hoskins - he’ll be suspended for this one. Seems Kieron Bowie could be miss the game through international duty, but I haven’t read much into that - perhaps Town fans are able to clarify?

Songo’o slotted in for suspended Platt against Sutton at the weekend, and tbf, he was solid. Whether Hughes sticks with him or puts Platt back in, we’ll have to see (but I think it’ll be the latter).

Delighted to see Abo Eisa back out there. He’s started in our last two wins, both away from home; I’m looking forward to seeing him start on home soil at the weekend.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matty Platt
CB: Romoney Critchlow
LB: Matty Foulds

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Alex Gilliead

RW: Scott Banks
CAM: Harry Chapman
LW: Abo Eisa

ST: Andy Cook

Fancy Cook to turn it on at the weekend. Hoskins has been getting a lot of plaudits for his goals tally (rightly so) - always just ahead of Cook, but in all fairness, Cook has scored more goals than Hoskins in league and cup. He might have a point to prove.

Not sure what Northampton are bringing but it looks as though this fixture has caught the attention of our wider support. There isn’t much availability anywhere in the ground and there’s another 3 days of sales at early bird prices. Possible 19,000+ on the cards.

2-0 City

 

[E10rifle]

Ugly-looking fixture for us up at Edgeley Park - the site of our fourth consecutive away game. We haven’t crossed paths all that often since WW2, but our trips up to that particular part of Cheshire are often fruitless. I understand that they haven’t got a great deal of pace, so Smyth and Archibald could have a field day if they’re given some protection by the ref. Not expecting much - I’d happily take a point and scarper back dahn saaaf.

 

[GTFCfish]

After 3 straight defeats, coming up against that odious fat c*** Steve Evans is exactly what we don’t need.
I predict that this week in an interview he’ll be saying what a great club we are and what great fans we have before he then gets chased out of Blundell Park again after losing his rag at being goaded after a dodgy refereeing decision goes against his team.

 

[Indian Dan]

Should be a straightforward 3 points v Crewe - especially as their Baker-Richardson is out. We’ll still be missing 3 first teamers and haven’t exactly been brilliant at home, but anything less than a win would be a bummer.

Mixed feelings regarding Bradford. One, they are a promotion rival but, two, I have them in my pre season acca which also includes Burnley and Sheffield Wed.

 

[Stocky]

Ugly-looking fixture for us up at Edgeley Park - the site of our fourth consecutive away game. We haven’t crossed paths all that often since WW2, but our trips up to that particular part of Cheshire are often fruitless. I understand that they haven’t got a great deal of pace, so Smyth and Archibald could have a field day if they’re given some protection by the ref. Not expecting much - I’d happily take a point and scarper back dahn saaaf.

We'll definitley play to press you, if you can beat our press and get your front players who've obviously been successful this season in the game, that would be the key to the game really.

If we suffocate you and you can't get out or resort to knocking it long, I can definitley see us getting something.

We lack pace in the sense that we can't play a counter attacking game. We try to win the ball high up the pitch and dominate.

Will probably be close to a home sell out by the looks of things, most will know you're top of the league, target on your backs etc.

2-1 County after Orient go 1 up.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Playing a beleaguered Hartlepool who are missing their best striker, and have been taken to extra time in midweek while we've had a week off. Only one winner...

 

[AR27]

View attachment 17938

We welcome The Cobblers to Valley Parade this weekend, in what is a massive game for both clubs.

If we win, we leapfrog Northampton and climb to 3rd in the table. If they win….well, who cares.

They’re without talisman Sam Hoskins - he’ll be suspended for this one. Seems Kieron Bowie could be miss the game through international duty, but I haven’t read much into that - perhaps Town fans are able to clarify?

Songo’o slotted in for suspended Platt against Sutton at the weekend, and tbf, he was solid. Whether Hughes sticks with him or puts Platt back in, we’ll have to see (but I think it’ll be the latter).

Delighted to see Abo Eisa back out there. He’s started in our last two wins, both away from home; I’m looking forward to seeing him start on home soil at the weekend.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matty Platt
CB: Romoney Critchlow
LB: Matty Foulds

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Alex Gilliead

RW: Scott Banks
CAM: Harry Chapman
LW: Abo Eisa

ST: Andy Cook

Fancy Cook to turn it on at the weekend. Hoskins has been getting a lot of plaudits for his goals tally (rightly so) - always just ahead of Cook, but in all fairness, Cook has scored more goals than Hoskins in league and cup. He might have a point to prove.

View attachment 17939

Not sure what Northampton are bringing but it looks as though this fixture has caught the attention of our wider support. There isn’t much availability anywhere in the ground and there’s another 3 days of sales at early bird prices. Possible 19,000+ on the cards.

2-0 City

Wright is back in training so would go straight back in for me and Walker may make the bench by the sounds of things too.

Was just looking at the stats earlier and we haven't conceded a goal from open play in the last 7 league games which is quite some going so would back us to keep a clean sheet with Hoskins out.

Could see a 0-0 in all honesty but will go for a tight 1-0 late winner.

 

[MWS]

Easy 3 points for us at home to Orient I reckon............

I agree with Stocky above, I would expect to play to our strengths and press you high up the pitch. If you're good enough to play out of the press then it'll be a very difficult game for us.

I think it'll be a tight, cagy affair.

1-1- draw and both teams leave reasonably happy.

 

[Casey]

Away at Walsall.

Did think they would be doing a bit better than they are this season as the have some decent players and a decent manager.

We seem to have taken to jumping up and down on the line in away games and trying to sneak goals with balls into the channels for Nadersan to run onto. It ain't pretty but rock bottom of the table with one win in nine meant all attempts at the decent stuff were thrown out of the door with Betsy.

Someone is going to sit deep and draw us out eventually. No reason it won't be Walsall.

Casey

 

[BarraMatt]

Expecting a more difficult game here than the Colchester one, Curle has seemingly made them more competitive at least.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Normally I’d go to Barra but can I be arsed, such is the feeling around Pools right now.

Umerah suspended, so a front two of Hamilton and THEO, goals that.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Colchester away, we need to play exactly the same way as we did at Grimsby however we haven’t managed to string 2 competent performances together for over 2 years and we are very good at kick starting struggling teams into action. A game we should win but likely won’t

 

[EricSabin]

View attachment 17938

We welcome The Cobblers to Valley Parade this weekend, in what is a massive game for both clubs.

If we win, we leapfrog Northampton and climb to 3rd in the table. If they win….well, who cares.

They’re without talisman Sam Hoskins - he’ll be suspended for this one. Seems Kieron Bowie could be miss the game through international duty, but I haven’t read much into that - perhaps Town fans are able to clarify?

Songo’o slotted in for suspended Platt against Sutton at the weekend, and tbf, he was solid. Whether Hughes sticks with him or puts Platt back in, we’ll have to see (but I think it’ll be the latter).

Delighted to see Abo Eisa back out there. He’s started in our last two wins, both away from home; I’m looking forward to seeing him start on home soil at the weekend.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matty Platt
CB: Romoney Critchlow
LB: Matty Foulds

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Alex Gilliead

RW: Scott Banks
CAM: Harry Chapman
LW: Abo Eisa

ST: Andy Cook

Fancy Cook to turn it on at the weekend. Hoskins has been getting a lot of plaudits for his goals tally (rightly so) - always just ahead of Cook, but in all fairness, Cook has scored more goals than Hoskins in league and cup. He might have a point to prove.

View attachment 17939

Not sure what Northampton are bringing but it looks as though this fixture has caught the attention of our wider support. There isn’t much availability anywhere in the ground and there’s another 3 days of sales at early bird prices. Possible 19,000+ on the cards.

2-0 City

On Bowie, he’s due to play Thursday I think for Scotland Under 21’s but was asked after Saturdays game and he said he would be available for the game and wanted to play. Good attitude from him but not sure it will happen. Considering we’ve borrowed him from Fulham and Brady this week has talked about the need to give our young loanees a break every now and then, I can’t see him starting. He’s played a lot of football due to injuries recently so I’d be massively surprised if he played Thursday - Saturday.

On the game itself I think it’ll be tight. Would imagine Hylton will start up which isn’t the worst deputy even though he’s not really found the net or form yet.

Imagine it’ll be one goal in it either way, but we’ll certainly come to attack.

 

[Crewelad87]

Swindon away is one of them games I dread at the best of times, we rarely do well down there, even when we're on decent form. But despite a couple of 1-0 wins vs Orient in the cup and Colchester in the league, were still not playing well. Particularly Colchester last week should have won comfortably.

Baker-Richardson is a massive miss, he's our main goal threat, also Bell says he won't be risking Long this weekend, despite him being back in training following a long term injury problems. Our only chance is we try to shut up shop and rely on our keeper having a another blinder and keeping us in the game and take home a 0-0. It certainly won't be a Crewe team Swindon are used to facing we will come and try and be hard to beat, and to our credit as dull as it is, when we've gone into games with that mindset and tactics we have been hard to beat, it's only been when the fans put pressure on us to be more expensive and attacking we started to see us get comfortably beat, but we've seem to have gone back to basics again, that saw us get points at Bradford and Carlisle where we almost seemed to bore them into submission.

That being said I think Swindon will just have too much.

Swindon 2-1 Crewe (Jephcott 2, Agyei)

 

[tommytit]

Easy 3 points for us at home to Orient I reckon............

I agree with Stocky above, I would expect to play to our strengths and press you high up the pitch. If you're good enough to play out of the press then it'll be a very difficult game for us.

I think it'll be a tight, cagy affair.

1-1- draw and both teams leave reasonably happy.

We've generally been pretty good against that so far this season, it's the sides which sit deeper I find we struggle against as we run out of ideas of how to break them down. Perfect example was against the 10 men of Northampton. We seem to concede opportunities when we are struggling to break deep and well organised defences and get hit on the counter when we become a bit complacent having lots of the possession in the opposition half.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Normally I’d go to Barra but can I be arsed, such is the feeling around Pools right now.

Umerah suspended, so a front two of Hamilton and THEO, goals that.

Hamilton might be out as well so long ball to Theo with Cooke or dare I say it Hastie playing just behind him

 

[Soup Ladle]

Expecting a more difficult game here than the Colchester one, Curle has seemingly made them more competitive at least.

We'll have lots of men behind the ball to cover a very makeshift defence and try to nick a goal on the break but with the injuries we have, I don't see how we'll do that. This one I've already written off. After this, the next 6 weeks will tell us if we can stay up, the fixtures are easier on paper and hopefully have a few players back.

 

[BarraMatt]

We'll have lots of men behind the ball to cover a very makeshift defence and try to nick a goal on the break but with the injuries we have, I don't see how we'll do that. This one I've already written off. After this, the next 6 weeks will tell us if we can stay up, the fixtures are easier on paper and hopefully have a few players back.

If you grab a goal early there'll be some pressure on us, we've yet to gain a point from a losing position this season. Not sure what Curle's style of play is, if you've got a makeshift defence I'd hope we'd be pressing from the front as that's what we've been good at so far this season.

 

[Chief Rocka]

If you grab a goal early there'll be some pressure on us, we've yet to gain a point from a losing position this season. Not sure what Curle's style of play is, if you've got a makeshift defence I'd hope we'd be pressing from the front as that's what we've been good at so far this season.

Defence are slow as fuck, we have a LB playing CB and two suspect full backs in Tumility and Paterson, Curle seems to enjoy being coy about injuries and when players are back so who knows who'll be fit.

 

[The Terminator]

A tough game at Edgeley Park, after 4 away games in a row a draw wouldn't be a bad outcome for us having beaten Harrogate last week.

Our levels weren't what they have been on Saturday, but given all the games and travelling its to be expected.

Would like Jordan Borwn to keep his place at right back, I'd expect it will be the same team as last Saturday which will start this one.

Our first visit to Stockport since 2009.

 

[Reremnart]

Wimbledon at home which is seen by some of our fans, myself included, as a "grudge match" after their part in our demotion. as they were one of the main whiners about about not being able to afford to play on only for them to move into their multi million pound stadium and paying wages to players other clubs in the division, including us, couldn`t only a few months later. Going to be a tight one but I`m hoping we smash them to be honest.

 

[GEORGE]

View attachment 17938

We welcome The Cobblers to Valley Parade this weekend, in what is a massive game for both clubs.

If we win, we leapfrog Northampton and climb to 3rd in the table. If they win….well, who cares.

They’re without talisman Sam Hoskins - he’ll be suspended for this one. Seems Kieron Bowie could be miss the game through international duty, but I haven’t read much into that - perhaps Town fans are able to clarify?

Songo’o slotted in for suspended Platt against Sutton at the weekend, and tbf, he was solid. Whether Hughes sticks with him or puts Platt back in, we’ll have to see (but I think it’ll be the latter).

Delighted to see Abo Eisa back out there. He’s started in our last two wins, both away from home; I’m looking forward to seeing him start on home soil at the weekend.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matty Platt
CB: Romoney Critchlow
LB: Matty Foulds

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Alex Gilliead

RW: Scott Banks
CAM: Harry Chapman
LW: Abo Eisa

ST: Andy Cook

Fancy Cook to turn it on at the weekend. Hoskins has been getting a lot of plaudits for his goals tally (rightly so) - always just ahead of Cook, but in all fairness, Cook has scored more goals than Hoskins in league and cup. He might have a point to prove.

View attachment 17939

Not sure what Northampton are bringing but it looks as though this fixture has caught the attention of our wider support. There isn’t much availability anywhere in the ground and there’s another 3 days of sales at early bird prices. Possible 19,000+ on the cards.

2-0 City

Remember sitting at the top of either Block D or E in the early 90's with about 5 mates. We scored first half cheered and then surrounded by stewards. We were very lucky that day.

 

[Boz]

I don’t know how strong the feeling of resentment lingers for AFC Wimbledon’s part in our demotion, but as Renemart illustrates above, many of the SWA have not forgotten or forgiven.

My guess would be another tight game , most likely narrow defeat with our low scoring strike force mostly firing blanks. Turnbull will be missing after last weekend’s red card, which means at best the return of Tom Davies fit after a few months out injured. The worst case scenario sees Byrne or Jameson back in central defence.

 

[F!RTHY]

Remember sitting at the top of either Block D or E in the early 90's with about 5 mates. We scored first half cheered and then surrounded by stewards. We were very lucky that day.

Probably block E! Block D consists of season ticket holders that have held their seats in that block since the stand was erected in 1996.

Wouldn’t have thought you’d have any problems in that end, tbh.

 

[Salvador]

Wimbledon at home which is seen by some of our fans, myself included, as a "grudge match" after their part in our demotion. as they were one of the main whiners about about not being able to afford to play on only for them to move into their multi million pound stadium and paying wages to players other clubs in the division, including us, couldn`t only a few months later. Going to be a tight one but I`m hoping we smash them to be honest.

A grudge match. Yikes you lot still haven't got over it have you? Wasnt the issue more that the vast majority of EFL 1&2 wanted PPG. Wasn't the Tranmere chairman coming up with all sorts of bonkers ideas like using the form from the past few seasons (that Tranmere spent 1 and 2 leagues below league 1) to determine the table? Stuff that no one would agree to bar a team on the back of two recent promotions.

 

[E10rifle]

Easy 3 points for us at home to Orient I reckon............

I agree with Stocky above, I would expect to play to our strengths and press you high up the pitch. If you're good enough to play out of the press then it'll be a very difficult game for us.

I think it'll be a tight, cagy affair.

1-1- draw and both teams leave reasonably happy.

We've generally been pretty good against that so far this season, it's the sides which sit deeper I find we struggle against as we run out of ideas of how to break them down. Perfect example was against the 10 men of Northampton. We seem to concede opportunities when we are struggling to break deep and well organised defences and get hit on the counter when we become a bit complacent having lots of the possession in the opposition half.

Us against a press is a double-edged sword. We can play through it; we can get caught out by it. The most difficult passages of play we’ve had this season were the opening 15 against Cobblers, the opening 30 against Walsall and the opening 25 against Barrow where all of them absolutely flew at us and ran an energetic high press. We had to hang on in there and grow into the games. If you’re not above-average at running the press (hello Hartlepool) we will dice you to pieces. If you can’t keep the press up then we’ll take control of the game. Whether or not we do anything much with that control is debatable.

 

[Son of Cod]

Stevenage at home. Reckon we'll do them. 1-0, McAtee.

Us against a press is a double-edged sword. We can play through it; we can get caught out by it. The most difficult passages of play we’ve had this season were the opening 15 against Cobblers, the opening 30 against Walsall and the opening 25 against Barrow where all of them absolutely flew at us and ran an energetic high press. We had to hang on in there and grow into the games. If you’re not above-average at running the press (hello Hartlepool) we will dice you to pieces. If you can’t keep the press up then we’ll take control of the game. Whether or not we do anything much with that control is debatable.

Yeah, we pressed you well enough to be 0-0 at half time until a pen and a worldie knocked the stuffing out of us and then as you say once our press dropped off you dominated. Signs of a promotion winning side on day one of the season right there. Weather the storm, get a somewhat jammy pen, score a cracker and then take control.

 

[hellogregory]

Think the upcoming run of fixtures upto and including the festive period will expose us for being in a false position. I don’t think we’re anywhere near top 7 standard and it will show over the coming weeks in my opinion.

Salford away is a tough one. We were terrible against Harrogate and pretty average and toothless against Walsall.

Based on recent performances I can’t see anything other than a comfortable home win.

Salford City 2-0 Carlisle United

 

[DearneValleyRover]

We’ve had some good news, both Rowe and Olowu are back from injury so unless we have injuries that haven’t been highlighted yet the bench should be much stronger

 

[AdamStag]

A trip to non league for mansfield away to harrogate.

Leeds trains station wetherspoons for 9am, what could go wrong!