Sat 16th March fixtures

[thewwfc]

Tough games for most of the relegation dogfight teams.

We have Northampton at home, I'm going, but only cos my mate's lad will be mascot for the day, so best to show some support and all.

We've done well of late, but beyond hitting the beach and the Tinpot Final, I'm not that arsed about this season any more.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Oxford have had an iffy time of it of late but they're playing the patron saints of helping teams out of a bad run. We've already done it several times this season.

No doubt they'll be massively fired up after said poor run and we'll be on the end of their wrath.

It's been so long since we won, I think we've forgotten how to. We really should have picked up at least 3 more points out of Fleetwood and Shrewsbury and be targeting getting out of the bottom 4 this weekend.

I can't see us getting anything. Oxford have a good team, we've got a rag tag bunch of losers.

 

[Si Robin]

We have never won so much as a point against Barnsley before. We've only scored once in 5 games against them as well.

We're not getting anything on Saturday are we?

Favours needed from Exeter, Carlisle, and a Reading-Cambridge draw.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Hope we can build on the last two games and get the three points which should be enough for another season in league one.
Think most of our players are fit, be interesting to see if he sticks with the team who started on Tuesday. I think he might, especially as Eisa doesn't seem to be doing enough to get chosen over Sonny Cox.

Be interesting to see if any of our ex players are there and whether they get any game time.

 

[K-Win]

Big weekend at the top. Good chance for Barnsley to make inroads with the other four at the top playing each other.

Despite our excellent away defensive record I see us definitely conceding at Peterborough. Losing Connor Ogilvie has weakened us at the back and Peterborough should find plenty of joy down their right flank. We'll need to match their scoring. I'm going for 2-2

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Carlisle at home.

Carlisle are 16 points adrift of safety with just 9 left to play. Only a matter of time before their fate is mathematically confirmed, surely we must be getting 3 points here.

Looking at Cheltenham’s fixture, this is a great opportunity for us to pull 10 points clear and I think that’ll be pretty much us safe as we’ll get the odd draw or win from there on I would imagine.

Shipley’s red should be rescinded but if not I would imagine Hurst will start either O’Brien or Sobowale. Both are nowhere near Shipley’s level though unfortunately but we should still win this regardless.

Salop 2-0 Carlisle

 

[HutchECFC]

Burton (H)

Carry the confidence from the previous 2, and we’ll be fine.
Jake Caprice is bound to have the game of his life, Blackman too (if he plays)

ECFC 3-0 BAFC
Sweeney, Harris, Eisa

 

[Bartonyellow]

Hope we can build on the last two games and get the three points which should be enough for another season in league one.
Think most of our players are fit, be interesting to see if he sticks with the team who started on Tuesday. I think he might, especially as Eisa doesn't seem to be doing enough to get chosen over Sonny Cox.

Be interesting to see if any of our ex players are there and whether they get any game time.

We are planning on dropping some of them off and leaving with you. Haribo as payment will suffice. Or a new fucking pitch for the Pirelli.

 

[codaplenty]

A real toughie with Charlton at home, I fancied us to beat the Gas earlier in the week which we didn't. I can't see us getting 3 points against a much improved Addicks side, shit or bust time as a draw is useless. Well hope springs eternal.....

 

[Tangerine_tart]

I'm going for a nervy 2-1 win against Wigan. Keep our play off push chugging along nicely and hope Stevenage, Oxford and Lincoln drop points.

It's going to be a real battle for that 6th spot.

 

[valefan16]

The return of our fixture was a top of the table clash... safe to say this one isn't!

Other results and a solid point at Orient have left the door ajar and another "Last chance saloon" for us, win it and the Burton game becomes massive... all great but 3 wins in 29 league games suggest it wont happen.

 

[Tangerine_tart]

The return of our fixture was a top of the table clash... safe to say this one isn't!

Other results and a solid point at Orient have left the door ajar and another "Last chance saloon" for us, win it and the Burton game becomes massive... all great but 3 wins in 29 league games suggest it wont happen.

You couldn't have picked a better time to play them. I'll be rooting for you .

 

[dwightyorke]

Oxford have only beat vale once in there last 14 meetings at vale park so wouldn't surprise me if vale won or got a draw. They were poor the other night against us and you did beat them away earlier in the season, plus your last win was against Blackpool 3 nil so are capable of beating some of the better teams in the division.

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

Knibbs and Smith, it's written right?

A reaction would be nice, but a turgid 0-0 would be enough I guess. After being bummed back to the stone age on Tuesday, even getting back to narrow defeats would be a start.

 

[valefan16]

Oxford have only beat vale once in there last 14 meetings at vale park so wouldn't surprise me if vale won or got a draw. They were poor the other night against us and you did beat them away earlier in the season, plus your last win was against Blackpool 3 nil so are capable of beating some of the better teams in the division.

True, 2-1 defeat if I recall in Micky Adams first season maybe?

Given them a few 3-0 beatings in that 14 game spell.. that said we had a dreadful run at Oxford until this season!

 

[folletto]

Fleetwood look tough to beat at the moment but so do we. Think we may well add to Fleetwood's list of draws

 

[Luke Imp]

Home to Bristol Rovers, who themselves aren't in that bad a form with 5 wins from 10.

Sounds like we'll be without House and Mitchell who went off on Tuesday night but Draper might make it back into the fold. With no game next weekend and a couple of weeks off, you wonder whether we might risk House and/or split his minutes with Draper but we can replace Mitchell with Jackson. Montsma, Walker, McGrandles and Hamilton all out for the season, Bishop returned to the squad midweek.

This Erhahon, Mandroiu, Moylan midfield we've had the last two games has worked very well, even if you look at it and immediately think it'd mean the midfield is too open but we've managed not to be so far.

It's the sort of game that if roles were reversed, I'd be looking for us to slow the game down, set up to frustrate and try and pinch a goal or two on the counter and that's what I expect from Rovers tomorrow.

This one was earmarked as £1 for U18's a while back, so that coupled with our good run of form has meant it's pretty much a sell-out in normal home areas (about 40 single seat tickets left) so we've opened up three blocks in the away end.

 

[LordJord]

Wycombe away, an absolutely huge game for the mid table trophy. I have been to Adams Park plenty of times over the years and with seemingly both sides having nothing to play for I wont be going.

Dont want the season to completely fizzle out but feels like it is, not that it is a terrible thing as its way better than i assumed we would be doing this season.

Feel like a score draw is on the cards for this one. Ill go for a 1-1.

 

[The Terminator]

Our record against Evans Stevenage is poor, they’ve done us 3-0 the last two meetings and we’ve struggled to cope with their style of play. We’ll have Omar Beckles and Tom James back for this one though.

Can see our young squad struggling again in this one. They’ve had a days less rest too, so reckon we’ll lose only 1-0.

Goals have been hard to come by for us recently.

 

[nelsonpfc]

I think alot of our fans are still waiting for us to collapse. If we get a decent result away at Peterborough I think everyone will start to actually believe we can do it. Don't think Peterborough are anyone to fear watching the Stevenage match. They are top scorers, but our defence has been very good across the whole season no matter who has played. If we can keep Peterborough down to 1 goal I would say we are very likely to win that match as they do tend to give opponents chances.

 

[AmberAndy]

Big game for us tomorrow at Reading, if it goes the distance with Reading fans set to protest about the potential selling of their training pitch to Wycombe. Win and I think we can begin to believe we might stay up. Lose and the exact opposite. Throw in not one but two ex players in Knibbs and Smith and anything could happen. I’ll take a draw, but really we ought to be looking for more, we can’t keep relying on other teams to keep losing. Epic shithouse competition between Taylor and Smith will be an interesting side show.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Big game for us tomorrow at Reading, if it goes the distance with Reading fans set to protest about the potential selling of their training pitch to Wycombe. Win and I think we can begin to believe we might stay up. Lose and the exact opposite. Throw in not one but two ex players in Knibbs and Smith and anything could happen. I’ll take a draw, but really we ought to be looking for more, we can’t keep relying on other teams to keep losing. Epic shithouse competition between Taylor and Smith will be an interesting side show.

They'll probably try and get the match postponed again, they don't care about other clubs.

 

[GeneralLee]

Oxford have had an iffy time of it of late but they're playing the patron saints of helping teams out of a bad run. We've already done it several times this season.

No doubt they'll be massively fired up after said poor run and we'll be on the end of their wrath.

It's been so long since we won, I think we've forgotten how to. We really should have picked up at least 3 more points out of Fleetwood and Shrewsbury and be targeting getting out of the bottom 4 this weekend.

I can't see us getting anything. Oxford have a good team, we've got a rag tag bunch of losers.

We do not have a good team, I assure you.

 

[Si Robin]

They'll probably try and get the match postponed again, they don't care about other clubs.

And woe betide any other club trying to get anywhere.

I said on our forum today - there seems to be a weird aloofness about Reading fans - like they're the first team to ever suffer hardships. Funnily enough, they weren't so loud when they were blowing Cambridge out of the water to sign Smith and Knibbs in the summer.

I empathise with them - Yongge should not have been allowed to become their owner - but the statements from their pressure group are childish almost in the way they stamp their feet and whine.

 

[HutchECFC]

Home to Bristol Rovers, who themselves aren't in that bad a form with 5 wins from 10.

Sounds like we'll be without House and Mitchell who went off on Tuesday night but Draper might make it back into the fold. With no game next weekend and a couple of weeks off, you wonder whether we might risk House and/or split his minutes with Draper but we can replace Mitchell with Jackson. Montsma, Walker, McGrandles and Hamilton all out for the season, Bishop returned to the squad midweek.

This Erhahon, Mandroiu, Moylan midfield we've had the last two games has worked very well, even if you look at it and immediately think it'd mean the midfield is too open but we've managed not to be so far.

It's the sort of game that if roles were reversed, I'd be looking for us to slow the game down, set up to frustrate and try and pinch a goal or two on the counter and that's what I expect from Rovers tomorrow.

This one was earmarked as £1 for U18's a while back, so that coupled with our good run of form has meant it's pretty much a sell-out in normal home areas (about 40 single seat tickets left) so we've opened up three blocks in the away end.

To be honest mate, I think your last two results have been a bit more than "very well"

 

[AmberRich]

Knibbs and Smith, it's written right?

A reaction would be nice, but a turgid 0-0 would be enough I guess. After being bummed back to the stone age on Tuesday, even getting back to narrow defeats would be a start.

Two players they've broken rules for, two players who have gained them enough points to survive. Smith was willing to stay if we were willing to put a bigger offer in, we couldn't so were responsible and refused.


Its a form of financial doping and as much as Reading fans are crying, its clubs like us, Vale, Cheltenham who would be punished if we end up going down in their place.

If we lose tomorrow then we become victims of Reading's financial doping, and the EFL's lack of authority.

 

[Tangerine_tart]

.

 

[leedsvaliant]

And woe betide any other club trying to get anywhere.

I said on our forum today - there seems to be a weird aloofness about Reading fans - like they're the first team to ever suffer hardships. Funnily enough, they weren't so loud when they were blowing Cambridge out of the water to sign Smith and Knibbs in the summer.

I empathise with them - Yongge should not have been allowed to become their owner - but the statements from their pressure group are childish almost in the way they stamp their feet and whine.

I totally agree. Our 'solidarity' with them was ridiculous. They postponed our game when we were in much better position and form and we replayed it when we were in a spiral of awful.

They have also signed players that they had no intention of paying for. They should be relegated in my opinion....they've cheated whatever place they have in the league.

I know their owner is a dick but they are not playing by the rules and have signed players that they shouldn't have. Them and Fleetwood have really annoyed me....they have better players than us and neither are playing by any rules.

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

Two players they've broken rules for, two players who have gained them enough points to survive. Smith was willing to stay if we were willing to put a bigger offer in, we couldn't so were responsible and refused.


Its a form of financial doping and as much as Reading fans are crying, its clubs like us, Vale, Cheltenham who would be punished if we end up going down in their place.

If we lose tomorrow then we become victims of Reading's financial doping, and the EFL's lack of authority.

My feelings aren't as strong to be completely honest, they were both free agents and the fact they're having to GAZUMP us for them still says more about them than us. The Kitson clause however, well, that's a whole lot shittier but also still with a big dollop of rank incompetence on our part.

But I do agree on not wanting us to lose out, and the EFL being impotent on it. I just don't blame their fans for it, or blame them for enjoying the good times too much or not being sad enough/too sad/sad at the wrong time/sad for no reason in hindsight when everything will hopefully turn out fine. Nor protests, however counterituitive they may or may not be.

Anyway, we'll lose 2-0 and be grateful Monk has a fortnight to figure out what he's doing here.

 

[valefan16]

If reading get it abandoned their suspended points deduction for our game against them comes into play so image they won’t knowing that is the outcome (on top of likely another two is their owner doesn’t pay his fine).

Sure we were after Smith in the summer as well as a few clubs so it’s particularly annoying. They seem to be focusing on Wycombe now as well with protests I saw last night.

Suppose the big issue is if Wycombe do buy the training ground would Reading or the owner see the money, plus leaving them needing a training facility.