Saturday 14 December fixtures

[thewwfc]

Well the biggest chance of losing our unbeaten run comes this weekend against Gareth Ainsworth’s Shrewsbury.

GA was always a great man-motivator, but he’ll want the team to be extra up for this, as he faces a side managed by his former player and assistant coach, and a solid core of our current side are also players he managed.

I’m expecting all the usual spoiling and timewasting tricks - the key is not to concede first, otherwise the breaking up play will only get more extreme.

Hoping not to lose to a 103rd minute sickener - a header from Wycombe old boy Aaron Pierre perhaps.

 

[denzel ecfc]

You've spelt Exeter 0 wrong.
Maybe hope for a draw unless the defence has an aberration, which is possible.
Can you tell I'm not confident.

 

[Conker]

No idea really, we played well Saturday but still like predicted found a way to lose the game.

I’ll happily take a point against anyone, home or away just to stop the losing streak at the minute. 1500+ going it looks like which is a good effort before Christmas and 5 defeats on the spin.

 

[HutchECFC]

Barnsleh @ Home - Like Denzel said, cannot see us scoring any time soon, so if they get 1, they'll win.

 

[IzzyFook]

Whilst on paper you'd think we should add another scalp to our impressive home form v Cambridge and make it 31pts from 33...but we don't always do 'Certs'.

I remember vs Dover in the NL. We were scoring shit-loads against all comers and they were next up. They were ROCK bottom and couldn't score in a brothel.

We went 2-0 up in next to no time, business as usual....next thing we were 2-5 down!

We did stage a remarkable comeback to win 6-5 in ET but it just shows...you never take anything as a given!

 

[EricSabin]

Rotherham away. Quite surprised to see we’re back above them, you’d think if we went there and won that would be the death knell for Evans. We were back pressing high and getting on the front foot v Boro yesterday so hopefully Sammo sets us up like that again.

I’d take a point but hopefully they’ll have a bit of confidence and we can nick a win.

Millers, how’s McWilliams done?

 

[Conker]

Rotherham away. Quite surprised to see we’re back above them, you’d think if we went there and won that would be the death knell for Evans. We were back pressing high and getting on the front foot v Boro yesterday so hopefully Sammo sets us up like that again.

I’d take a point but hopefully they’ll have a bit of confidence and we can nick a win.

Millers, how’s McWilliams done?

Respectfully I feel like we deserve to give him his final outing at Field Mill on the 21st.

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

Wrexham are going to absolutely murder us.

Looking forward to the away day nonetheless, gonna feel worlds apart for both clubs compared to last time I went. Also Paul Mullin <3

 

[E10rifle]

We’re just starting to play ourselves into a bit of form. Perfect time to get shithoused by Burton in yet another early kick off. Sky+ can’t get enough of us.

 

[AdamStag]

With no gregory and our lack of luck atm, charlton at evens should be a given.

 

[Gassy]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Saturday was Taylor’s last game tbh

 

[Conker]

With no gregory and our lack of luck atm, charlton at evens should be a given.

Gregory is done for this rest of this year, we’ve got to find out a way to adapt.

Evans goal was credited for Deji in the end, I don’t think he’s scored since Wigan? Which was the 22nd October….. we are in big trouble upfront, funnily enough before the injury I thought we genuinely had one of the best striking pairings in the division. Oates is back, I think you bite the bullet and play him with Evans, he cannot hit a barn door but his directness is good.

 

[Master D]

Wrexham are going to absolutely murder us.

Looking forward to the away day nonetheless, gonna feel worlds apart for both clubs compared to last time I went. Also Paul Mullin <3

We'll murder you 1-0.

It's mental how Mullin is regarded as our main man and he only has 1 goal this season yet we are still joint top.

 

[AdamStag]

Gregory is done for this rest of this year, we’ve got to find out a way to adapt.

Evans goal was credited for Deji in the end, I don’t think he’s scored since Wigan? Which was the 22nd October….. we are in big trouble upfront, funnily enough before the injury I thought we genuinely had one of the best striking pairings in the division. Oates is back, I think you bite the bullet and play him with Evans, he cannot hit a barn door but his directness is good.

Not convinced with that, though of course we only see what we know, on the assumption boateng is back fit id play him in an attacking role behind evans.

You’re absolutely right about Oates, but i think the only reason he’s still here is because of how clough works with injured players and he’s on his last chance saloon - i’d rather him be introduced slowly at a short term cost than a potential long term injury once more.

Appreciate that just my take, but for me any points we gain between now and january are bonus points before we strengthen accordingly.

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

We'll murder you 1-0.

It's mental how Mullin is regarded as our main man and he only has 1 goal this season yet we are still joint top.

Barely even manslaughter that, considering who you're playing, but hey. Fair chance it ends up ruled a suicide.

Scoring over 100 goals in 3 seasons will do that (or 140+ if you count the year with us before) but in our terms it's the first time we'll be reunited with him since he left, and considering he played almost his entire time with us during COVID, it's a it odd having a legend you've ever seen play in the flesh!

 

[folletto]

No idea really, we played well Saturday but still like predicted found a way to lose the game.

I’ll happily take a point against anyone, home or away just to stop the losing streak at the minute. 1500+ going it looks like which is a good effort before Christmas and 5 defeats on the spin.

You're playing the right team to end that losing streak. That being said I can see us getting a 1-0 scrappy win and Jones lives to fight another day.

 

[Millerbri]

Rotherham away. Quite surprised to see we’re back above them, you’d think if we went there and won that would be the death knell for Evans. We were back pressing high and getting on the front foot v Boro yesterday so hopefully Sammo sets us up like that again.

I’d take a point but hopefully they’ll have a bit of confidence and we can nick a win.

Millers, how’s McWilliams done?

Other than the winning goal and a decent showing at Bradford City the other week, it's hard to comment on his progress as he has been out injured most of the season.

He's had a few sub appearances lately and full games in the Virtue Trophy or whatever it's called this week.
However he came off injured last night so might not be available on Saturday.

 

[Millerbri]

Respectfully I feel like we deserve to give him his final outing at Field Mill on the 21st.

I'm afraid the said immanent dismissal of your hero may no longer be on the cards.

SE was summoned to long meeting held by the Chairman, where he basically told SE that he was getting too soft in his old age.

He told him to reset, come back into work the next day and be the bastard he used to be when he managed us 10 years ago.

He told him he didn't mind him being sat up in the stand for a couple of games here and there if it meant him rollocking the players and officials like he used to when he was successful.

Mr Stewart also said he was happy to back him in January with any transfers in and out of the club.

Since then we've got nearly all the injured players back in contention, won a couple of home games so even though the football is still quite poor fan pressure to get rid has diminished a bit.

Lose at home to Northampton on Saturday though, and I'm sure it will return.

 

[Conker]

You're playing the right team to end that losing streak. That being said I can see us getting a 1-0 scrappy win and Jones lives to fight another day.

I can see us playing well, creating chances, missing them all then losing 1-0 definitely.

 

[masi51]

Sheehan now out until the end of the year.....Desmond looks a level above league one in his two cameo appearances since being out for three months. How long can we keep him fit for is another thing altogether.
Toal, Dempsey Gomes and Sheehan are all due back in the new year and options to Recall Morley and Conway then.
Playing Wigan at the right time i am going 3-1 for us

 

[Casey]

Posh away. Here's hoping.

Casey

 

[Conker]

I only just realised Charlton are below us, thought they were 8th for some reason.

 

[AmberAndy]

I’m going to say it…….we are going to beat Wrexham. (Drops mic, exits stage left, never to be heard of again when we lose 5-0).

 

[IzzyFook]

I’m going to say it…….we are going to beat Wrexham. (Drops mic, exits stage left, never to be heard of again when we lose 5-0).

.....but hey, stranger things happen at sea so who knows? Who'dve thought Citeh would go more than one or two games without winning...?

 

[The Terminator]

Burton at home, with us in form all of a sudden against a side who have one win all season, we can get complacent so this will be a test for our team. Both teams made changes midweek.

Despite being in good form, we still miss chances which creates a pressure around us, our attacking players for me are still very wasteful.

 

[Luke Imp]

Huddersfield away. A team well in-form vs a team well out of form.

McKiernan went off on Tuesday night with a calf issue and House missed out again through illness but we were able to rest 7 or 8 starters.

Jackson's face is still smashed from the Rotherham game and it doesn't sound like we'll see him this side of Xmas, Hamer is still two months off being fit but we did see Walker and Bayliss get 20 minutes under their belts at Morecambe, which is a boost to the numbers.

The last time we played Huddersfield they paid £1m for Cowley a few days after! Pretty sure this is our first league meeting with them since 2003/04 in the old Division Three when we had Keith Alexander in charge and them Peter Jackson.

Not fancying out chances really, we're not falling on the right side of things at the minute and away at an in-form side who've won 7 out of their 9 home games isn't somewhere where you'd expect that to change.

 

[White horse]

Our small neighbours Wigan as usual have failed to sell out as for the long trip to the Tough Sheet. We have lost 4-0 twice in succession at home to these as Evatt's teams usually choke in big games or local derbies ( i.e. 5-0 to Stockport, 4-1 to Blackpool. etc the list is endless). I am going for a 2-1 win though.

 

[Terriertown]

Huddersfield away. A team well in-form vs a team well out of form.

McKiernan went off on Tuesday night with a calf issue and House missed out again through illness but we were able to rest 7 or 8 starters.

Jackson's face is still smashed from the Rotherham game and it doesn't sound like we'll see him this side of Xmas, Hamer is still two months off being fit but we did see Walker and Bayliss get 20 minutes under their belts at Morecambe, which is a boost to the numbers.

The last time we played Huddersfield they paid £1m for Cowley a few days after! Pretty sure this is our first league meeting with them since 2003/04 in the old Division Three when we had Keith Alexander in charge and them Peter Jackson.

Not fancying out chances really, we're not falling on the right side of things at the minute and away at an in-form side who've won 7 out of their 9 home games isn't somewhere where you'd expect that to change.

Remember the decent battles with Lincoln and controversial referee decisions that year. We have nicked a couple of your favourite players / managers over the years too. Toffolo ( great player) Cowley ( didn’t have much impact but didn’t dislike him) and the recent Sorensen ( too early to judge) .
The games have always been close and expect similar on Saturday , wouldn’t be suprised in the slightest if you turned us over.
Your last visit in the league cup you played us off the park I think one of our old boys Jack Payne scored who will always me welcome at town as he contributed to our promotion to the PL ( scored a cracking late winner at Newcastle away)

 

[masi51]

Our small neighbours Wigan as usual have failed to sell out as for the long trip to the Tough Sheet. We have lost 4-0 twice in succession at home to these as Evatt's teams usually choke in big games or local derbies ( i.e. 5-0 to Stockport, 4-1 to Blackpool. etc the list is endless). I am going for a 2-1 win though.

In fairness it is 6 miles from the centre of Wigan to the tough sheet or a mile and a half to the nearest border
You cannot expect many to travel so far

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

The giants of Wigan meet the titans of Bolton, making them both seem normal sized.