October

[shoddycollins]

It doesn't necessarily have to be the manager who has won the most points, I agree, but if the two big candidates are top of the table contenders then I'm not sure it can come down to much else. Carlisle aren't the biggest side in the league granted, but you're certainly not one of the minnows either. I'd be surprised if our budgets vary massively, although granted, I'd expect ours to be higher given attendances. Even so, seeing Carlisle second isn't shocking, especially at this early stage of the season.

Don't get me wrong, I think Curle has done a great job, but if (and it's a big if) we extend our lead at the top of the table this month then I expect Adams to take it.

I wasn't thinking so much about factors other than number of points being taken into account between Adams and Curle this month, on this occasion you couldn't really argue with it simply going to whoever picks up the most points. I was thinking of Ronnie Moore a couple of years ago, when he turned Hartlepool around. He won four games in a row in March which was a tremendous accomplishment given where they'd been when he took over, but he never won any manager of the month awards during that season because there was always someone up at the top end of the table with a better team who had won more points.

 

[Habbinalan]

Accrington (H) - Draw
Blackpool (A) - Draw
Grimsby (H) - Draw
Exeter (A) - Draw
Portsmouth (H) - Lose

No real confidence in those predictions but, almost as important (now our season has started), 2 new grounds for me to tick off. Circumstances have always combined to keep me from St James Park. I vaguely remember visiting a closed season Bloomfield Road when we stayed in the holiday camp at the end of Blackpool Airport's runway, but don't think I've been to Blackpool since my stag do in the 70's.

August saw 2 league points.

So September was all about "Will Derry go?" or "When will Derry go?"

On balance I don't think Derry was or is up to the job we need doing. He's still a novice and we're paying the price of his learning curve - assuming he's learning something.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong and if we were to win on Saturday and take 4 points from the following 2 matches (with Morecambe going pop, they're probably our easiest run of the season), he'll probably get a reprieve. If we don't I think he'll probably be gone.

I'll take the win. If he/we can get 7 points from the next 3 games, including a win tomorrow, then I think he'll probably be there at least into November. If we don't do the business against Yeovil and Newport, he'll be on his way anyway.

A poor performance ending in a loss or even a draw on Tuesday could possibly be the end of the road but probably not - it doesn't look like Derry will jump and the players were battling for him yesterday. Anything less than 3 points from Yeovil and Accrington at the Abbey next week may be the tipping point.

Derry did his bit, although the team (with saturday's result, growing injury list and a clearer indication of how unfit Ikpeazu is) probably picked itself. We're off and running. A degree of calmness has returned to the Abbey. I still worry about Derry's inexperience but the input, effort and support that he's getting from the experienced squad members bodes well for the momentum continuing.

Defeat at home to Morecambe was the low point but the team turned the corner for Derry at Newport and we considered October's fixtures with a bit more hope.

On to October. Wins in the TinPot Trophy (and the memory of Wednesday in the League Cup) have certainly helped confidence and momentum, so my prediction of 4 points is already well short of the mark. Poorer quality opposition, 3 more penalty saves and experienced players stepping up to the plate have compensated for the absence of goals from strikers and we already have 7 points in October, with scope (but no great expectation) for getting something from poor traveller Pompey's visit on saturday.

Once that's out of the way, our mood through November will probably be coloured by our ability to nullify non-league's hottest striker (14 goal Miller) in the FA Cup and whether we're interested in the 2nd round draw.

 

[K-Win]

Doncaster (H) - Win
Leyton Orient (A) - Draw
Plymouth (A) - Lose
Notts County (H) - Win
Cambridge (A) - Draw

I'd be happy with 8 points from a tough looking month.

If my predictably unpredictable club can avoid a draw at Cambridge this weekend I will have notched up 5 incorrect predictions for the month. Yay me.

I think it's time to switch fully to the Experimental 3-6-1 table. Goals are overrated.

 

[shoddycollins]

If my predictably unpredictable club can avoid a draw at Cambridge this weekend I will have notched up 5 incorrect predictions for the month. Yay me.

I think it's time to switch fully to the Experimental 3-6-1 table. Goals are overrated.

We should nationalise strikers. Football clubs from now on will only be required to create chances. At either end of the pitch there will now be a government-appointed average striker based upon Gabi Agbonlahor, giving each team an equal likelihood of finishing the chances they create. #footballforall

 

[K-Win]

We have the cloning technology Shoddy. Just need to find Gabby now. Anybody seen him this season?

 

[shoddycollins]

We have the cloning technology Shoddy. Just need to find Gabby now. Anybody seen him this season?

No... he might still be Louis Tomlinson's back pocket.

 

[Pilgrim Meister]

Another month out of the way

League fixtures for next month, and how I think we will do

Yeovil (H) = Win
Stevenage (A) = Win
Portsmouth (H) = Lose
Newport (A) = Win
Colchester (H) = Win

13 from 15 points. One more point than expected

 

[shoddycollins]

fucking maximum points!

 

[Laker]

For us:

Sat 1st - Accrington (h)
Sat 8th - Blackpool (a)
Sat 15th - Grimsby (h)
Sat 22nd - Exeter (a)
Sat 29th - Portsmouth (h)

Very hard to predict this season. I would have said a maximum of three points before Saturday but the last two games have given a little more faith. Maybe 7 points, wins over Accrington and Grimsby, draw against Blackpool with losses in the other two.

I said 7, we got 7. Got 3 results right but was a bit enthusiastic against Grimaby while lacking optimism against Exeter.