Promotion thread

[AdamStag]

Yep, whenever we have to make a few changes we look a much weaker side. Crucial we don’t lose any of the four you mention for any amount of time, or in January.

Looking forward to seeing how we get on against you next week, on a cracking run of form and all of a sudden not far off the playoffs

 

[Chris FGR]

Looking forward to seeing how we get on against you next week, on a cracking run of form and all of a sudden not far off the playoffs

We’ll need to defend better then today. Not surprised to see you getting up there, Clough is a quality manager.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Walsall and Mansfield coming up quietly in the table - seems a wide open division bar forest green.

 

[Spanishstag]

Walsall and Mansfield coming up quietly in the table - seems a wide open division bar forest green.

Still get 9/1 on stags

 

[GTFCfish]

SkyBet current promotion odds: -
View attachment 15974

A few years ago FGR were in similar or even position [Conference} but failed to secure promotion that year.
Best to wait till last game of season with 4 points more than the best of the rest. Then one can celebrate.

Yeah we beat you in the play off final that year and since then we’ve gone trom strength to strength…..

 

[Soup Ladle]

Walsall and Mansfield coming up quietly in the table - seems a wide open division bar forest green.

Walsall definitely a surprise for me. They were horrific at ours earlier in the season.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Walsall definitely a surprise for me. They were horrific at ours earlier in the season.

I was thinking the same about Northampton. Nobody is very good in this division thats why its the basement

 

[AR27]

Still yet to be impressed by anyone in this division other than Hartlepool. Even Forest Green were average at our place and needed a dodgy refereeing decision to get a point.

Suppose it makes it even more frustrating on our end that we killed ourselves with cheap recruitment in the summer. Three or four good players and we would've had a great chance.

 

[AdamStag]

I was thinking the same about Northampton. Nobody is very good in this division thats why its the basement

According to barton we’re all crap

 

[AdamStag]

Walsall and Mansfield coming up quietly in the table - seems a wide open division bar forest green.

Amazing what can happen when you don’t have your entire defence out injured!

Still, the turnaround since the win over tranmere has been remarkable, having stephen quinn and JJ o toole in the side can’t be underestimated either!

Weve FG at the weekend so we’ll probably sneak back into the bottom half.

 

[valefan16]

According to barton we’re all crap

There a no good sides he said... before saying "Port Vale are a good side" !

 

[BRFC_Gas]

There a no good sides he said... before saying "Port Vale are a good side" !

relative to the division they are in which he also said

 

[Chris FGR]

Well given Barton was a top Premier League player everyone in league 2 must seem extremely crap.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Well given Barton was a top Premier League player everyone in league 2 must seem extremely crap.

Your lot played well against us, as did Orient and Swindon. I still think we will be up there come the end of the season just keep getting injuries and shooting ourselves in the foot with suspensions.
I wouldn't say anyone is particularly great though

 

[Agombar stool]

I can't really believe FGR are so far ahead at the top, they were very very ordinary against us, although we played well. Vale I thought were probably the best side I've seen but it's a pretty low bar if I'm honest. Quite surprised Northampton are doing so well but the table doesn't lie. My pre-season tip to do well was Orient and they are there or there abouts.

I personally think the second half of the season is totally open, wouldn't surprise me if someone like Mansfield has a cracking second half and shakes up the top of the table.

 

[EricSabin]

I can't really believe FGR are so far ahead at the top, they were very very ordinary against us, although we played well. Vale I thought were probably the best side I've seen but it's a pretty low bar if I'm honest. Quite surprised Northampton are doing so well but the table doesn't lie. My pre-season tip to do well was Orient and they are there or there abouts.

I personally think the second half of the season is totally open, wouldn't surprise me if someone like Mansfield has a cracking second half and shakes up the top of the table.

I think personally we’re doing so well because we are so solid. Our success so far has been built on our defensive record and maybe that is good enough for the autos who knows. Our game vs yourselves on NYD will be a big one, we could be in a cracking position with games against Barrow, Walsall and Scunny before that.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

I think we've mostly been fairly consistent (in our league games, at least, and also the league cup fixture at Brentford), with only a few exceptions (against Swindon and Vale and Oldham most obviously, and despite the result, against Crawley too really), and mostly taking control of all areas of the pitch - while, as was not always the case under Cooper, playing entertaining football, too.

I think our main weaknesses are twofold: that we've not really succeeded with more than one formulation of defence (with Moore-Taylor and Sweeney playing key roles: in their absence it has often been a bit haywire, however versatile in his way Bernard can be. Dokes injury and slow recovery is a problem); and that we *maybe* lack depth in the squad. If Matt or Stevens weren't to be around, sure, there are several players capable of chipping in and scoring goals, but we've become very reliant on them up front. And of the next tier of potential goal-scorers, only Aitchinson is really starting to come good (again); Young is still a work in progress, and March probably more at home in the National League. And if Cadden and Wilson were injured or sold....we might well be in deep shit.

I think Swindon looked the best team we've played in the league, but Northampton, Vale, Exeter (and maybe Tranmere) all looked very promising too.

 

[kieran_vale]

I think Vale have an advantage in one respect in that we are not reliant on one or two players and it’s more about depth in quality throughout the squad. If FGR for example lost Cadden and Matt then I think they struggle just to name one team but that applies to most others too. We’ve lost almost all our forward players and are still winning games or running good teams close.

The team who have impressed me most otherwise is Newport, whether they can be quite so effective once teams shut down Telford or if they lost a couple of players is something that remains to be seen though. Obviously based on results FGR are way above everyone else. I expect Northampton will stay the course with their ability to win close games, that’s always a good sign.

 

[Chris FGR]

The problem is the huge drop off in quality between our key players and their back ups. Cadden was out against Vale and Allen (who seems like the direct replacement) was constantly targeted and looked out of his depth. Likewise without Wilson on the other side it’s either moving someone less attacking there or using Edwards who, like Allen, is barely League 2 standard let alone top end of the division. Up front if we lose Matt (our only target man) we look a lot weaker, it’s his presence that creates space for the likes of Stevens and Aitchison.

Tbh our second string would probably struggle to stay up, let alone be challenging at the top imo.

 

[FGR Stroud]

FGR have been extraordinary lucky that until Oldham, no team had taken advantage of the huge gaps in FGR's defence.
Under previous manager Mark Cooper, FGR tried to retain ball and build from defence. Effective but not overly exciting.
Under Rob Edwards the team is far more attack minded but that leaves the defence far more vulnerable.
I expect every other manager will have scrutinized the Oldham game and FGR will now start to struggle.

 

[Agombar stool]

I think personally we’re doing so well because we are so solid. Our success so far has been built on our defensive record and maybe that is good enough for the autos who knows. Our game vs yourselves on NYD will be a big one, we could be in a cracking position with games against Barrow, Walsall and Scunny before that.

Would agree with that. Cobblers look well organised and strong at the back and that's a sound recipe for success. You are certainly grinding out these points and a win at Exeter is mightily impressive.

We on the other hand are porous at the back and we look petrified of crosses coming into our box. The game on NYD will indeed be a big one, but we also have a tough game against Exeter on Boxing day which should be a Christmas cracker (apologies for that level of cheesiness)

 

[denzel ecfc]

Would agree with that. Cobblers look well organised and strong at the back and that's a sound recipe for success. You are certainly grinding out these points and a win at Exeter is mightily impressive.

We on the other hand are porous at the back and we look petrified of crosses coming into our box. The game on NYD will indeed be a big one, but we also have a tough game against Exeter on Boxing day which should be a Christmas cracker (apologies for that level of cheesiness)

Seriously, winning at our place is no great shakes. If we carry on like we are doing at thr moment you should do it with ease

 

[Agombar stool]

Seriously, winning at our place is no great shakes. If we carry on like we are doing at thr moment you should do it with ease

I think both yourselves and us are going through a minor blip. I expect both clubs to be at least in the play-offs come the end of the season.

 

[CasaBrisa]

Do we think there's a chance Telford will get snapped up in January? Out of contract at end of season isn't he

 

[EricSabin]

Looks like our game with Swindon on NYD will be on. Giving it a swerve however as we’ve got Covid in the house and although legally allowed out and about I don’t think it’s sensible.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Looks like our game with Swindon on NYD will be on. Giving it a swerve however as we’ve got Covid in the house and although legally allowed out and about I don’t think it’s sensible.

Hopefully it is, need a football fix, it's a long Christmas without games as an excuse to get out of the house...

 

[EricSabin]

Hopefully it is, need a football fix, it's a long Christmas without games as an excuse to get out of the house...

Exactly was looking forward to going but COVID is slowly making its way round the family so sadly I think I’m next! Although I’ve been told to stay off work for 10 days but can still go out and about so silver linings

Be very interesting to see how we cope with the extended break. Only played 2 games in December so will we be rusty or refreshed? At least Kion’s hamstring can recover

 

[EricSabin]

Huge huge huuuuge blow for us as Spurs recall Etete to send him on loan to League 1

 

[devilofajob]

We're trying to sneak near the play-offs again like last season.
If we can get 7 or 8 points from Carlisle (a), Satanage (a), Tranmere (h) and Bradford (a) then maybe the dream stays alive!

 

[Conker]

Mansfield now in the play-offs for probably the first time since the 4th game of the season, we were third bottom mid October after a disaster run so a incredible turnaround.

Some tough away games coming up, we’ve played quite a few more home games than away but now we’ve got FGR and Barrow away in the same week.