Monday 7th & Saturday 12th October

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

Bradford v Newport on Monday &
Chesterfield v Notts Co on Saturday
are both on SkySport

 

[SaddlerJonny]

Walsall vs Bromley was postponed due to international call ups.

 

[CFC91]

Miss this one as I’m heading out to Finland to watch England but we owe them one, so I’m hoping to watch it with some Notts fans i know in Helsinki. As is usually the case, loser gets the next curry in, cost us Chesterfield lot a fair bit recently!

 

[Scum.]

Fancy us to beat Port Vale as we are at home and will finally have some key players back in contention after injuries / suspensions (albeit still thin on the ground). Unbeaten under Lindsey, let’s hope it continues…

Interesting stat someone posted on our forum…

The last time we failed to score at home in the league (or play offs) was 30th September 2023 against Harrogate. Over a year…23 games. The longest current run in English football.

 

[valefan16]

I said before Notts I’d consider 2-3 points from the tough away games as decent and have three in the bag so pressure is off a little but we are flying form wise and it’s another opportunity to really push on.

Tough place to go despite their poor season so far, that said our best performances have come against footballing sides so one we should be positive going into.

Be interesting to see what we do, do we set up like we did yesterday and frustrate and punish on the counter or fancy our football on the bigger pitch. Few players missing, key one in Byers and John going off would be a blow to lose as he’s been immense but the depth we have is the best in decades so should be able to find a way.

Take a draw after yesterday but having proven we can go to these places and grind out a win and having one the best away records in the league a win would be another boost and give us a chance to sit top of the tree so plenty of motivation to be had.

 

[クレイグ]

The last few performances and results against Newport have been really good. A stark contrast to performances against Harrogate and Morecambe; Both were a disgrace. Hoping we can get our first win in five but it'll be tough. Mark Hughes had more points when he was sacked than Alexander does now. Lose and it's 12 points from 10 games. Win and it looks a little better.

2-1 City.

 

[Optipez]

Not feeling at all confident about getting anything against Chesterfield. Our limitations have been exposed the last few games and we look a bit short of what's needed to be at the top end of the table at the moment.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

We are unbeaten away, Chesterfield have disappointingly drawn plenty at home but we are nearly 3/1 with the bookies for an away win for a reason.

Overall recent poor performances against Vale, Morecambe and Carlisle do indeed show our limitations. I don't suspect Chesterfield will sit in and hit us on the break which gives some hope but too much reliance on Crowley and he's playing too deep so limiting his effectiveness. We just aren't creating. Need McGoldrick back for this one but as is the case nowadays unless major injury details are kept very much under wraps for the obvious reasons.

 

[CFC91]

We are unbeaten away, Chesterfield have disappointingly drawn plenty at home but we are nearly 3/1 with the bookies for an away win for a reason.

Overall recent poor performances against Vale, Morecambe and Carlisle do indeed show our limitations. I don't suspect Chesterfield will sit in and hit us on the break which gives some hope but too much reliance on Crowley and he's playing too deep so limiting his effectiveness. We just aren't creating. Need McGoldrick back for this one but as is the case nowadays unless major injury details are kept very much under wraps for the obvious reasons.

4 draws from 5 so far at home for us probably makes that a sensible call. Both teams to score in all 5 of our home games too

 

[JJ1990]

Doncaster away is as tough as they come with a full squad. With us being definitely down Hemmings and there are new doubts over Sanders and Lankester in addition to Thomas, Long and Bogle, I can't see past a comfy Donny win.

 

[Cloudy]

Salford away. Not the most exciting fixture for anyone. 5 wins and 5 losses so far. Due a draw I guess, 1-1

 

[spireite]

Side largely unrecognisable from the playoff final, certainly defensively. But you'd hope our team would be fired up for this one and out for revenge, at least the guys who played that day. I still fetch my Ross Fitzsimons voodoo doll out daily and stick pins in the areas sun don't reach.

I don't feel entirely comfortable with this group quite yet. Defensively we're pretty resilient, Gordon, Dunkley, Araujo, Tanton all great additions on that front, bar the odd lapse in concentration from someone, but attacking wise we're not quite gelled. It's all still slightly disjointed, like there's good individuals but not quite in sync with each other. Injuries haven't helped so there's been a bit of chopping and changing, and I couldn't tell you what our best front 4 is tbh. Colclough - Dobs - Markanday - Madden feels the one, but again they have literally not started a game together this season. Because of all that it's hard to call our results, or even performances right now

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Not normally a betting man but 29/10 on us looks alright. Don’t actually think we’ll win, but we’ve got a better chance than that.

 

[kieran_vale]

In theory we should match up pretty well against MK as I don’t think they’d fancy coming up against players with a physical presence like Stockley etc. that said there’s a reason they’ve spent a lot of money on these players they’ve brought in and it’s a matter of time before they finally click.

Hopefully can avoid the old player coming back to haunt us curse with Ellis Harrison though he seems to be a peripheral figure for them. Moore does seem to adapt his gameplan and formation depending on the opposition which is fine so long as it doesn’t veer too much in to just how we stop the opponent playing than how we go about beating them.

 

[jacobncfc]

Not normally a betting man but 29/10 on us looks alright. Don’t actually think we’ll win, but we’ve got a better chance than that.

Chesterfield aren’t going to low block us, which seems to be this season’s problem, should be a decent game. It will probably go to whoever deals better with having less possession than they’re used to, both been tending to put 60%+ up this season which feels unlikely either way.

Could also be a game where Maynard’s tactical dicking about might work as well. He’s massively overthinking it when we have to just break someone down, but he’s also done some good stuff to find interesting ways of getting us to beat a press and cause huge problems for teams who are having a bit of a go at us.

Tough to call imo, would make Ches slight favourites with home advantage but only just.

 

[valefan16]

In theory we should match up pretty well against MK as I don’t think they’d fancy coming up against players with a physical presence like Stockley etc. that said there’s a reason they’ve spent a lot of money on these players they’ve brought in and it’s a matter of time before they finally click.

Hopefully can avoid the old player coming back to haunt us curse with Ellis Harrison though he seems to be a peripheral figure for them. Moore does seem to adapt his gameplan and formation depending on the opposition which is fine so long as it doesn’t veer too much in to just how we stop the opponent playing than how we go about beating them.

I don’t mind DM doing it away from home, but as with MK we’ve spent an awful lot of money so at home it has to be about us.

A lot of obsession with possession and we’ve dominated the ball in most games this season… but the two we didn’t are the two fans would say are the best results so far this season, expect this to be one we don’t either so hopefully we can do it again but despite their lowly position these will be as tough, if not tougher than County under their new manager.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Doncaster away is as tough as they come with a full squad. With us being definitely down Hemmings and there are new doubts over Sanders and Lankester in addition to Thomas, Long and Bogle, I can't see past a comfy Donny win.

Not sure if Anderson’s back after suspension, Olowu was pulled out before the warm up on Saturday so not sure if he’s fit, Wood is still out injured so we are light at the back. Bailey will slot in but with Kelly on international duty it puts us in a dilemma in midfield as he creates energy in there. Hopefully Westbrooke will be back as Close just slows things down.

 

[Si Robin]

We have never lost to Swindon at home. Given how we've been playing, I'm usually inclined to say that there's always a first time, but a few years back they completely outplayed us for 90 mins, scored what seemed to be a winner in injury time and then we went straight up the other end to equalise.

Based on that alone, we'll get at least a point.

 

[LS Bantam]

“Bradford City on Monday Night Football? I remember watching them on there when Dean Windass put them 1-0 up at Liverpool in front of the Kop”. Alright, we were in the Premier League stop going on about it.
Home to Newport tonight on Sky. Injuries aside we should still be looking at the win especially at home although Newport are a few places in front of us so are clearly more than capable of giving us a tough game.
Optimistic 2-1.

 

[BarraMatt]

Seen this one before. 1-0 loss.

 

[OneDecentLester]

The odds will be what they are because we’ve lost 1 game in 37 home league games, and that loss was against Kidderminster at back end of last year when we’d already won league and on the beach. But as spireite pointed out were yet to fully get our home form going this year so far with the 4 draws and 1 win, with us looking much more fluid in an attacking sense away from home so far. Probably put that down to some of the sides we’ve faced at home so far though rather than anything else.

Will comment on the game later in the week after Cook’s presser, but like I said on another thread, this is the game we’ve been waiting for…for a long time. I’ve got demons that need banishing!!

 

[SuperHans]

We are unbeaten away, Chesterfield have disappointingly drawn plenty at home but we are nearly 3/1 with the bookies for an away win for a reason.

Overall recent poor performances against Vale, Morecambe and Carlisle do indeed show our limitations. I don't suspect Chesterfield will sit in and hit us on the break which gives some hope but too much reliance on Crowley and he's playing too deep so limiting his effectiveness. We just aren't creating. Need McGoldrick back for this one but as is the case nowadays unless major injury details are kept very much under wraps for the obvious reasons.

As others have said. We haven’t quite ‘clicked’ yet this season but have still had a reasonable start. Doncaster away being the game we probably most looked like ourselves (and Crewe I suppose). Odds will likely be the way they are due to the fact we’ve only lost once in the last 37 games at home. I actually fancy a 0-0 draw.

 

[SuperHans]

The odds will be what they are because we’ve lost 1 game in 37 home league games, and that loss was against Kidderminster at back end of last year when we’d already won league and on the beach. But as spireite pointed out were yet to fully get our home form going this year so far with the 4 draws and 1 win, with us looking much more fluid in an attacking sense away from home so far. Probably put that down to some of the sides we’ve faced at home so far though rather than anything else.

Will comment on the game later in the week after Cook’s presser, but like I said on another thread, this is the game we’ve been waiting for…for a long time. I’ve got demons that need banishing!!

Ah you beat me to it mate.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

The odds will be what they are because we’ve lost 1 game in 37 home league games, and that loss was against Kidderminster at back end of last year when we’d already won league and on the beach. But as spireite pointed out were yet to fully get our home form going this year so far with the 4 draws and 1 win, with us looking much more fluid in an attacking sense away from home so far. Probably put that down to some of the sides we’ve faced at home so far though rather than anything else.

Will comment on the game later in the week after Cook’s presser, but like I said on another thread, this is the game we’ve been waiting for…for a long time. I’ve got demons that need banishing!!

Makes sense on that basis but annoying as I was going to bet big on a home win but cant at those odds. Thought the fact we are high in the table and not lost away may have had more of an impact.

We are best mates with those demons, bought one of them a pint in North London after a game not long back.

Recently it's been very even between the sides in terms of victories apart from our last season in NL.

 

[JJ1990]

Not sure if Anderson’s back after suspension, Olowu was pulled out before the warm up on Saturday so not sure if he’s fit, Wood is still out injured so we are light at the back. Bailey will slot in but with Kelly on international duty it puts us in a dilemma in midfield as he creates energy in there. Hopefully Westbrooke will be back as Close just slows things down.

Anderson got a 3 game ban didn't he? That would make this game 3. And even if it wasn't, I thought he got charged with an extra violation for abusing the officials, so that would likely add a game or 2 to his ban.

 

[Grimsby Road]

Cracking header from Cook there , not a bad game this between 2 tidy sides

 

[Less than a mile (WAFC)]

Cracking header from Cook there , not a bad game this between 2 tidy sides

Ive only had it on in the background tbf but would say this is a tad on the complimentary side.