Monday 2nd & Saturday 7th September

[Stocky]

It was honestly the first league game that I've seen where we looked second best, and even then we probably should have won it with some of our chances (Hendry's especially).

Kelly is so odd, he was arguably the best player in the league last year and yet he's been poor for us so far. We probably rushed him back last night as Carroll was injured however.

Kelly was a nothing player for a relegated Rochdale the season before he went to Crawley. Crawley have taken some money and ran this summer no doubt about that. A lot of their players seemed to just have 2-3 months of great form (plus an incredible play-off campaign) under a very good system manager in Scott Lindsey. The jury is out on the goalkeeper we got from them.

Maguire, Orsi, Wright, Lolos. Massive jury out this season, how they do elsewhere. Nobody gave them a second thought until about April season just gone.

Lemonheigh-Evans isn't a central midfielder for me either (where you were playing him last night). Not strong enough or the type of player to dictate play. A nice, tidy player who pops up on the periphery and can chip in with goals. Not a Centre mid in a top side.

 

[Grimsby Road]

I reckon you might be right there about it being open. It would be good to see how we do against a team who come and have a go as most of our games so far teams have just sat in. Not that attack isn't usually the plan, but probably doubly so with the CB pairing being 5th choice guy and a midfielder. Should be an an entertaining affair.

interesting game . Think you might shade it but it should be closer than our game against Notts - logically there will be a lot of goals so it might even end up 0-0 .

Should be a decent crowd in what you think 9k + ?

 

[Conker]

Such a slow game of football last night, it was like watching a training session at times.

Just from what I've read about them, MK's lack of decent possession was a surprise and the midfield, or team generally, had little to no physicality about them. The ex-Crawley lad was a disgrace in his obvious lack of defensive work (Salford's goal being a perfect example).

It was bizarre seeing MK play so poorly last night, at times they were superb last season. It was the top three way ahead of the rest then MK just below but way ahead of everyone else.

Still think they will click and get automatic promotion.

 

[Son of Cod]

It was bizarre seeing MK play so poorly last night, at times they were superb last season. It was the top three way ahead of the rest then MK just below but way ahead of everyone else.

Still think they will click and get automatic promotion.

I agree they were ahead of most but I don't think they were just below the top three going off what I saw. We took four points off them. Think we took one off the entire top three which was that incredibly lucky point we got off you lot at BP. All three automatically promoted teams battered us twice in different ways.

From what I've seen of MK Dons since they came down, and I'm more than happy to be corrected by their fans here, they're really good technically and have some great L2 players and are capable of slicing right through teams when they're on it but they don't do it quite enough to be considered a top team at this level. More crucially too, and what set them apart from last season's top three, is that they're relatively content with allowing teams to play their own way.

 

[Scum.]

I agree they were ahead of most but I don't think they were just below the top three going off what I saw. We took four points off them. Think we took one off the entire top three which was that incredibly lucky point we got off you lot at BP. All three automatically promoted teams battered us twice in different ways.

From what I've seen of MK Dons since they came down, and I'm more than happy to be corrected by their fans here, they're really good technically and have some great L2 players and are capable of slicing right through teams when they're on it but they don't do it quite enough to be considered a top team at this level. More crucially too, and what set them apart from last season's top three, is that they're relatively content with allowing teams to play their own way.

Oddly I think we’d be better suited to L1. The team is technically gifted but can’t grind it out in L2 so far…

 

[CFC91]

interesting game . Think you might shade it but it should be closer than our game against Notts - logically there will be a lot of goals so it might even end up 0-0 .

Should be a decent crowd in what you think 9k + ?

Should be

Annoyingly will miss it as I’m at a wedding
Always enjoy our games with Grimsby, usually nice and feisty.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Some decent news ahead of Saturday on the injury front from Webb in his post match interview tonight. Tanton & Araujo back in training from tomorrow and Mandeville obviously had 35 min run out tonight also so that’s at least 3 bodies back available for selection at the weekend.

Colclough two weeks away apparently and Madden probably just after that. Were getting there…

 

[Carver]

Oddly I think we’d be better suited to L1. The team is technically gifted but can’t grind it out in L2 so far…

Why was there such an overhaul of your team during the summer? You finished 4th last season and not so far off the automatics, so you would have thought you'd only really need a few tweaks here and there.
It's going to take time for such a new team to gel.

 

[Scum.]

Why was there such an overhaul of your team during the summer? You finished 4th last season and not so far off the automatics, so you would have thought you'd only really need a few tweaks here and there.
It's going to take time for such a new team to gel.

A combo of loan signings returning, players being moved on for their own career (Max Dean is a big loss, but far too good for L2) and releasing players who no longer served a purpose.

The loanees Marschall aside (Bate, Payne, Lofthouse, Tezgel) all played key roles and Max Dean’s goals haven’t yet been replaced from what we’ve seen.

I think we’ll come good just like we did last season after Alexander left, but however you look at it (too good to go down and all that…) it’s an awful start for the supposed favourites for the title. It does feel like any manager could get this team up though given the depth and quality that is in it, so Williamson has a lot of pressure.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Titles aren’t won in September

 

[GTFCfish]

Titles aren’t won in September

Not true.
Oldham won the National League last September after their late equaliser away at Chesterfield.

 

[jacobncfc]

Kelly was a nothing player for a relegated Rochdale the season before he went to Crawley. Crawley have taken some money and ran this summer no doubt about that. A lot of their players seemed to just have 2-3 months of great form (plus an incredible play-off campaign) under a very good system manager in Scott Lindsey. The jury is out on the goalkeeper we got from them.

Maguire, Orsi, Wright, Lolos. Massive jury out this season, how they do elsewhere. Nobody gave them a second thought until about April season just gone.

Lemonheigh-Evans isn't a central midfielder for me either (where you were playing him last night). Not strong enough or the type of player to dictate play. A nice, tidy player who pops up on the periphery and can chip in with goals. Not a Centre mid in a top side.

I agree on the Crawley players, and we got a couple of them ourselves (do like the look of Tsaroulla already though). There’s a reason everyone had them down to be relegated at the start of the season - their players just didn’t look very good on paper and hadn’t done much before. Also quite telling that they don’t seem to have put up much of a fight to keep many of them when they did go up. I don’t think anyone would really have had Kelly down as ‘arguably the best player in the league’ anyway.

My worry with MK would be that they’ve signed a lot tidy players like you say with CLE (I’d have Nemane similar), but without Dean they don’t really look to have a main man IMO. The kind of guy who you can rely on to put up leading numbers in goals or assists, and to come up with a bit of magic when you need it in a game like Monday.

 

[DippyDon]

Kelly was a nothing player for a relegated Rochdale the season before he went to Crawley. Crawley have taken some money and ran this summer no doubt about that. A lot of their players seemed to just have 2-3 months of great form (plus an incredible play-off campaign) under a very good system manager in Scott Lindsey. The jury is out on the goalkeeper we got from them.

Maguire, Orsi, Wright, Lolos. Massive jury out this season, how they do elsewhere. Nobody gave them a second thought until about April season just gone.

Lemonheigh-Evans isn't a central midfielder for me either (where you were playing him last night). Not strong enough or the type of player to dictate play. A nice, tidy player who pops up on the periphery and can chip in with goals. Not a Centre mid in a top side.

All we’ve seen of CLE is 2 games, one where he bossed Carlisle in CM and one where the entire team was off it and we couldn’t get our own game going (I’m still praising the Salford groundsman there for not cutting the grass)

Maguire has also looked decent since coming in, it’s just Kelly that I’m disappointed by of our new signings.

 

[Conker]

I agree they were ahead of most but I don't think they were just below the top three going off what I saw. We took four points off them. Think we took one off the entire top three which was that incredibly lucky point we got off you lot at BP. All three automatically promoted teams battered us twice in different ways.

From what I've seen of MK Dons since they came down, and I'm more than happy to be corrected by their fans here, they're really good technically and have some great L2 players and are capable of slicing right through teams when they're on it but they don't do it quite enough to be considered a top team at this level. More crucially too, and what set them apart from last season's top three, is that they're relatively content with allowing teams to play their own way.

Sorry, I don’t mean they were close to the top three who were all closely matched, and very very good. But I think MK were in a league on their own below them.

I don’t mean to be that annoying fan who gets promoted then criticises the standard, but watched a few L2 games already this season and how much slower it is has been so far in comparison to our games is insane.

 

[Stocky]

Sorry, I don’t mean they were close to the top three who were all closely matched, and very very good. But I think MK were in a league on their own below them.

I don’t mean to be that annoying fan who gets promoted then criticises the standard, but watched a few L2 games already this season and how much slower it is has been so far in comparison to our games is insane.

I agree with the MK Dons poster who said their style may work better in League One. Notts County could lay claim to that I reckon. My early impression is that it is a more technical league, less frantic and random.

 

[Son of Cod]

Sorry, I don’t mean they were close to the top three who were all closely matched, and very very good. But I think MK were in a league on their own below them.

I don’t mean to be that annoying fan who gets promoted then criticises the standard, but watched a few L2 games already this season and how much slower it is has been so far in comparison to our games is insane.

Oh last season was proper crap as well mate, you just got to watch a decent team for the vast majority of it!

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Sorry, I don’t mean they were close to the top three who were all closely matched, and very very good. But I think MK were in a league on their own below them.

I don’t mean to be that annoying fan who gets promoted then criticises the standard, but watched a few L2 games already this season and how much slower it is has been so far in comparison to our games is insane.

I'm not surprised you say that all Conks it's a new experience for you and many Stags fans. It's a pleasing shock.

Big jump between L2 to L1 as fans of Carlisle and Vale have experienced recently. It's been 10 years+ since I watched L1 regularly with Notts but haven't forgotten the difference. The gap only gets bigger naturally as you go up the period.

I imagine the Championship would be another big step up in pace and quality. Would love to find out. It's been 30 years!!!

 

[Conker]

Actually it’s only been a few games but the jump so far is much less than we’ve been told, obviously there’s some really good teams in L1 spending a lot of money (including a few that got promoted to it last season) but there’s plenty of teams that give me absolutely nothing to worry about, and that’s considering you could argue we are slightly worse off than last season without DKD and Brunt, and obviously it’s Mansfield so we are missing many important players including Flint.

I suppose the only noticeable difference other than the pace of counters so far is the clinical nature of taking advantage of mistakes.

 

[Conker]

I agree with the MK Dons poster who said their style may work better in League One. Notts County could lay claim to that I reckon. My early impression is that it is a more technical league, less frantic and random.

I dunno mate it’s really hard to judge, I look at Barnsley and Lincoln, even Burton who we’ve played so far and they would just sit back and completely kill both sides with pace on the counter.

 

[F!RTHY]

Carlisle United at Valley Parade this weekend.

Not sure what to make of this. We started the season positively, lost a couple of key players before last weeks game at Grimsby, played like a set of retards, lost 2-0 and now it’s all doom and gloom.

That, coinciding with gifting 2 goals away against Newcastle last night, there’s a sense of toxicity in the air again. Does my tits in.

Aden Baldwin and Antoni Sarcevic are injured - out for 3-4 weeks.

The last time we played Carlisle, they beat us in the play-offs. It’s been social media wars ever since. I don’t get it personally, but that being said, I’d love to beat ‘em on Saturday.

Carlisle have just sacked Simpson. Shame really, cos I thought he was doing a magnificent job. As always with Carlisle, half their squad are ex-Bantams, so that’ll be another obstacle we’ll need to overcome.

GK: Sam Walker

CB: Chieck Diabaté
CB: Niall Bryne
CB: Cierán Kelly

RWB: Brad Halliday
LWB: Tyreik Wright

CM: Jamie Walker
CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Alex Pattison

ST: Andy Cook
ST: Olly Sanderson

Whoever scores the first goal will go on to win this.

Cook is long due a goal against his former club, so I’ll go for 2-0 City.

Charlie Wyke will be well up for this, as will Harry Lewis. Not looking forward to it.

 

[saddler78]

I dunno mate it’s really hard to judge, I look at Barnsley and Lincoln, even Burton who we’ve played so far and they would just sit back and completely kill both sides with pace on the counter.

We have played 3 League one sides two looked ok Huddersfield and Exeter but Birmingham even though we won on penalties were way way above those two levels above them in fact. we had a good gameplan that almost worked for 90 minutes but you could see the jump in quality from League 2 sides and lower League one sides with them.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I dunno mate it’s really hard to judge, I look at Barnsley and Lincoln, even Burton who we’ve played so far and they would just sit back and completely kill both sides with pace on the counter.

Agree it's really tough to judge and most sides that go up then naturally upgrade personnel as a result so not a fair reflection to judge any L2 side.

The increased punishment for errors due to clinical finishing is the most obvious difference between all levels, Championship to Premiership is a chasm!

Mansfield were superb last season and worthy top 3 finisher. The only negative you read all season was how wasteful they were after creating so many chances. That can't happen again at L1 level if you want to be successful.

 

[RavenBish]

All the ‘big clubs’ in League 1 would be so rattled by little Notts County having 70% possession that they’d self destruct and we’d have the league sewn up by March

 

[Youpies]

Win this weekend and it will look like a great start to the season for Notts

It's just not been that convincing. Might be because it's been August and the team is fitting together but may also be that last year's underlying problems seem to be hanging over our shoulder ready to say hello.

The team looks better. We look more physical and I think the overall quality has improved.

Two tough games after this one too, Bromley is like a fever dream. Too many bad memories

 

[Grimsby Road]

Agree it's really tough to judge and most sides that go up then naturally upgrade personnel as a result so not a fair reflection to judge any L2 side.

The increased punishment for errors due to clinical finishing is the most obvious difference between all levels, Championship to Premiership is a chasm!

Mansfield were superb last season and worthy top 3 finisher. The only negative you read all season was how wasteful they were after creating so many chances. That can't happen again at L1 level if you want to be successful.

I thought Mansfield looked the best of the lot tbh- dominated us . losing KD must be a big hole to fill though , in reality now they are small hitters even with decent resource . I would be interested to know what their fans think expectations are because to me anything above about 15th would be a decent season with what they are up against .

 

[Grimsby Road]

Should be

Annoyingly will miss it as I’m at a wedding
Always enjoy our games with Grimsby, usually nice and feisty.

Yeah I can't go either , will try and watch it on the box

 

[Super_horns]

I noticed there is no ITV highlights show for this weekend .

Obviously feel it’s not worth it ?

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I thought Mansfield looked the best of the lot tbh- dominated us . losing KD must be a big hole to fill though , in reality now they are small hitters even with decent resource . I would be interested to know what their fans think expectations are because to me anything above about 15th would be a decent season with what they are up against .

Obviously they were 3rd best overall but agree against us they looked better than the other promoted sides. Handing us a pasting at home and completing the double with a slightly fortunate 1-0 victory at The Mill.

I don't follow or care about L1 until we get there of course but with Nige in charge and the chairman's support I would predict 10-15th

 

[Grimsby Road]

Obviously they were 3rd best overall but agree against us they looked better than the other promoted sides. Handing us a pasting at home and completing the double with a slightly fortunate 1-0 victory at The Mill.

I don't follow or care about L1 until we get there of course but with Nige in charge and the chairman's support I would predict 10-15th

Didn't he get Burton to the champ back in the day?

 

[hellogregory]

Was going to go to Bradford but like many others I’ve sacked it off after the performances and results of the first few games.

Simpson going may lift some of the pressure off the lads so hopefully they go out and play a bit more freely under the caretaker managers. That said, these are still the same losers who have the habit of losing ingrained into them now, as shown on Tuesday night where we battered Forest’s kids yet still lost in a pathetic manner. It’s what we do. Play shit and lose, play well and lose. Its going to be a long process to rid this losing culture and I hope whoever we appoint knows the scale of the task.

Bradford have made a half decent start and I fully expect them to go for our throat here, test our vulnerability which includes Harry Lewis. With all this in mind I’m fully expecting a comfortable Bradford City win.

Bradford City 3-1 Carlisle United