Saturday 16th September fixtures

[Pompeyblueboy]

Reading. Even their own fans don't like them.

Bit rich coming from a Port Vale fan

 

[leedsvaliant]

Bit rich coming from a Port Vale fan

Haven't you got double maths in the morning? Better get some shut eye.

 

[HutchECFC]

Bit rich coming from a Port Vale fan

Shouldn’t you be in bed by now?

 

[denzel ecfc]

Injury list doesn't seem to be going away, we named 7 on the bench on Saturday but Scott was never going to play, apparently it was a psychological ploy. That went well.
Coupled with still not having a striker and Cheltenham always seeming to have our number, strangely I'm not optimistic.

 

[Si Robin]

Yeah, you beating us on aggregate over 3 games last season, despite us winning 2 of them is definitely Cheltenham having your number....

 

[thewwfc]

Not really sure what to expect from Blackpool but I can only pray that Jordan Rhodes is past his sell-by date by now, as he terrorised us twice at his peak.

It’s a home game, so we’ll try and ping it about a bit more on the deck (no parking the bus) but be less effective with it.

Maybe a bore draw?

 

[Bar Carousel]

Whilst Derby haven't hit their stride yet, this should be a real test for our new team.

Avoid defeat and I think it could act as a real springboard to gain belief that we can be contenders this year.

I think Derby are under some pressure from their own support and will need to come out fighting. Whilst we haven't conceded many, i think part of that is down to the opposition failing to convert their chances. Waghorn seems to be settling in nicely and won't be so lenient. It all depends if we can create enough clear cut opportunities ourselves to counter that.

2-2.

 

[BogDaddyO]

Away at Peterborough.

Could be anything really. You have to favour them on paper as a proper, established league 1 outfit, with an impressive season last time out, but they've lost 3 in a row (including losing to the Cobblers), so I have no idea how good they actually are.

After that much-deserved win away at Exeter, we can probably afford to lose this with some potentially easier games coming up for us on the horizon (finally!).

Would definitely take a draw if you offered it to me now.

I remember us beating then-table-topping Posh away in our league 1 play off season 1-3 after going a goal down, that was the best I think I've ever seen us play away from home, would love something similar!

No idea what it will be, maybe 2-1 to the hosts.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Away at Peterborough.

Could be anything really. You have to favour them on paper as a proper, established league 1 outfit, with an impressive season last time out, but they've lost 3 in a row (including losing to the Cobblers), so I have no idea how good they actually are.

After that much-deserved win away at Exeter, we can probably afford to lose this with some potentially easier games coming up for us on the horizon (finally!).

Would definitely take a draw if you offered it to me now.

I remember us beating then-table-topping Posh away in our league 1 play off season 1-3 after going a goal down, that was the best I think I've ever seen us play away from home, would love something similar!

No idea what it will be, maybe 2-1 to the hosts.

Well we have managed to unsettle JCH for you if that helps!

 

[leedsvaliant]

Injury list doesn't seem to be going away, we named 7 on the bench on Saturday but Scott was never going to play, apparently it was a psychological ploy. That went well.
Coupled with still not having a striker and Cheltenham always seeming to have our number, strangely I'm not optimistic.

I suppose this is the difficulty for some of us smaller clubs trying to maintain our current position. We've been relatively lucky so far with injuries but there are a couple of positions where we lack depth and if a couple of injuries occur we could be in trouble. Need to make the most of it whilst we have a fairly full strength squad to pick from.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Yeah, you beating us on aggregate over 3 games last season, despite us winning 2 of them is definitely Cheltenham having your number....

I'm only counting league games

 

[Moomin]

Injury list doesn't seem to be going away, we named 7 on the bench on Saturday but Scott was never going to play, apparently it was a psychological ploy. That went well.
Coupled with still not having a striker and Cheltenham always seeming to have our number, strangely I'm not optimistic.

Was really hoping to have a few back but not looking too good. Niskanen, Rankine and Aitchison look like to be missing for a number of weeks. Just got to hope that Scott, Kite, Harper and Muskwe are fit enough to feature soon. At least Sinisalo is back…hopefully.

This game has 1-0 Cheltenham written all over it.

 

[The Evil Dead]

Was really hoping to have a few back but not looking too good. Niskanen, Rankine and Aitchison look like to be missing for a number of weeks. Just got to hope that Scott, Kite, Harper and Muskwe are fit enough to feature soon. At least Sinisalo is back…hopefully.

This game has 1-0 Cheltenham written all over it.

Who's scoring their own goal then?

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Was really hoping to have a few back but not looking too good. Niskanen, Rankine and Aitchison look like to be missing for a number of weeks. Just got to hope that Scott, Kite, Harper and Muskwe are fit enough to feature soon. At least Sinisalo is back…hopefully.

This game has 1-0 Cheltenham written all over it.

They were awful in the mickey mouse cup game and made us look better than we are. So much so I was checking the fixtures after to see when we play them in league (sadly not until December)

 

[Moomin]

They were awful in the mickey mouse cup game and made us look better than we are. So much so I was checking the fixtures after to see when we play them in league (sadly not until December)

Was it their full strength team?

They’ve still got some decent players (Southwood, Sercombe, Keena etc) and they’ll pick up wins somewhere soon. Just hope it’s not this Saturday!

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Was it their full strength team?

They’ve still got some decent players (Southwood, Sercombe, Keena etc) and they’ll pick up wins somewhere soon. Just hope it’s not this Saturday!

Not sure what their first team is really but Sercombe and Keena both played (Keena missed a sitter early on).
We had a lot of fringe players playing in that game anyway

 

[Si Robin]

Was it their full strength team?

They’ve still got some decent players (Southwood, Sercombe, Keena etc) and they’ll pick up wins somewhere soon. Just hope it’s not this Saturday!

It was almost the strongest team we could field at the time, but that ignores 5 players on international duty and other injuries. Only Curtis Davies and Lewis Freestone (our two best defenders) were actually rested. 4 other players were injured during the game.

That we had a left-back at right back, another left-back at centre-back, a right-back at centre-back and a centre-midfielder at left-back for the whole of the second half probably sums up where we were in terms of squad.

It's easy to go into panic mode - and a lot of our fans have already - but as you say, we do have a core of strong players. It's those that surround them that are of biggest concern.

 

[Luke Imp]

Home to Carlisle.

Not sure we have any strikers available again for this one!

Be surprised if Paudie O'Connor isn't back from illness. It'll be two weeks or so since House and Walker were injured so you'd like to think at least one of them will be at least semi-fit to lead the line. Hackett apparently didn't play in the second international game so I hope he's not injured as well otherwise we really will be thin on the ground in attacking areas - I'm not actually sure what we'd do if those three are out injured (on top of the Blackburn loanee striker who we knew was injured when we signed him).

Can't believe we're going to be at mid-September on Saturday and this is only our third home game of the season!

 

[The Evil Dead]

Can't believe we're going to be at mid-September on Saturday and this is only our third home game of the season!

Likewise. At least in the league, anyway.

 

[EricSabin]

Vale away. Coming up via train so any pub recommendations Vale fans?

As Jord said we’re a lot more possession based these days and easier on the eye as a result. Can’t remember us ever having nearly 70% possession in a game and we’ve done it 3 times so far this season. Lack a bit of attacking quality but are solid defensively.

We went at Wigan and Cheltenham so can’t see us sitting in at Vale and hoping for a point, Brady will be setting up to attack I’m sure. 1-1.

 

[valefan16]

Vale away. Coming up via train so any pub recommendations Vale fans?

As Jord said we’re a lot more possession based these days and easier on the eye as a result. Can’t remember us ever having nearly 70% possession in a game and we’ve done it 3 times so far this season. Lack a bit of attacking quality but are solid defensively.

We went at Wigan and Cheltenham so can’t see us sitting in at Vale and hoping for a point, Brady will be setting up to attack I’m sure. 1-1.

We don't tend to mind conceding possession and probably suits us to attack us hence the results we've got away from home, for the first time in years we've actually got pace to counter teams so should be a decent game.

We tend to struggle more against teams that load the box with crosses to a big striker... apart from against Andy Carroll as he was useless!

Should be a decent test, they usually are close games when we meet either way.

 

[coronakopite]

Vale away. Coming up via train so any pub recommendations Vale fans?

As Jord said we’re a lot more possession based these days and easier on the eye as a result. Can’t remember us ever having nearly 70% possession in a game and we’ve done it 3 times so far this season. Lack a bit of attacking quality but are solid defensively.

We went at Wigan and Cheltenham so can’t see us sitting in at Vale and hoping for a point, Brady will be setting up to attack I’m sure. 1-1.

Are you heading for Stoke Station (Taxi into Burslem) or Longport Station (30 minute walk through Burslem)?

Either way, The Bull's Head for Titanic ales and Oatcakes is a good shout.

My preference is Iceberg or White Star, with black pudding added to the bacon oatcake.

 

[kieran_vale]

Vale away. Coming up via train so any pub recommendations Vale fans?

As Jord said we’re a lot more possession based these days and easier on the eye as a result. Can’t remember us ever having nearly 70% possession in a game and we’ve done it 3 times so far this season. Lack a bit of attacking quality but are solid defensively.

We went at Wigan and Cheltenham so can’t see us sitting in at Vale and hoping for a point, Brady will be setting up to attack I’m sure. 1-1.

Believe The White Horse in Tunstall has been a pub the dibble have been directing away fans to in recent times. It’s about a 20 minute walk from VP. Can’t speak to what it’s like as never been there myself. For Northampton fans though I would imagine The Bulls Head in St John’s Square should be ok though for letting visiting fans in and there’s some decent beers from Titanic Brewery on there plus the BBQ out back. If you’re jumping off at Stoke Station rather than joining one up to Longport could go to Newcastle, there’s some decent places there though would need a bus/taxi to there and up to VP. Don’t bother with the city centre (Hanley), it’s a fucking disgrace and full of dustheads.

Should be a decent game I think. Looks like you’ve had a good start to the season as have we with one well publicised exception. Hopefully the international break has meant we should now have close to a full squad to choose from.

 

[valefan16]

Are you heading for Stoke Station (Taxi into Burslem) or Longport Station (30 minute walk through Burslem)?

Either way, The Bull's Head for Titanic ales and Oatcakes is a good shout.

My preference is Iceberg or White Star, with black pudding added to the bacon oatcake.

Bulls Head is the best bet as you say, as mentioned before the Away end is now the opposite end of the ground so generally you don't go up the main road to Vale I believe but up to Dimensions (left at the main square as you approach it instead of straight across the cross roads and about 400 yards up the hill and down the other side).

Through the away parking and down the footpath around the training pitches.

 

[EricSabin]

Cheers fellas, heading straight to Longport so will head for The Bull

 

[hellogregory]

Lincoln City away

Every Saturday seems to be an away day for us between now and end of November.

After picking up our first away point and scoring our first away goals in what seems like an eternity, we head to Lincoln looking to go one better and get our first win.

The performance last week was actually our worst of the season. The only game so far where we've been comfortably second best, we could barely string two passes together. Would I take another shit performance and point? yes. But I don't think we'll be as fortunate again if we perform so badly, so we'll need to improve to stand a chance.

Luke Plange returns to Sincil Bank after his desperately poor loan spell where he didn't score. He hasn't scored here yet either so usually I'd be tempted to bet on him to score, but he really doesn't look like a goalscorer, so I don;'t fancy any of that.

Think last weeks point on the road was a one off and it'll be back to defeats.
Lincoln City 2-0 Carlisle United.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Lincoln City away

Every Saturday seems to be an away day for us between now and end of November.

After picking up our first away point and scoring our first away goals in what seems like an eternity, we head to Lincoln looking to go one better and get our first win.

The performance last week was actually our worst of the season. The only game so far where we've been comfortably second best, we could barely string two passes together. Would I take another shit performance and point? yes. But I don't think we'll be as fortunate again if we perform so badly, so we'll need to improve to stand a chance.

Luke Plange returns to Sincil Bank after his desperately poor loan spell where he didn't score. He hasn't scored here yet either so usually I'd be tempted to bet on him to score, but he really doesn't look like a goalscorer, so I don;'t fancy any of that.

Think last weeks point on the road was a one off and it'll be back to defeats.
Lincoln City 2-0 Carlisle United.

Would have us down as favourites to win, however we have big injury concerns up front with Walker and House missing against the Gas. Also Hackett didnt play in the second St Lucia game recently so not sure if he is also injured. Without those three its going to be hard scoring after two consecutive 3-0 home wins so far. We also haven’t really hit anything like top form in any of the games but only lost one out of the 8 in all comps, 6 being away from the Bank.

 

[EricSabin]

Vale fans - will the Bull’s Head have the football on or will it be on elsewhere? The early kick off of course

 

[leedsvaliant]

Vale fans - will the Bull’s Head have the football on or will it be on elsewhere? The early kick off of course

It's not really that sort of pub mate. It's an old school boozer. The Clayhanger and The Old Post Office have screens, just don't wear colours and you should be OK to get in them. They're not as good pubs though. There's no rivalry at all with Northampton, so you should be fine anywhere really.

I actually envy away fans because although Burslem has seen better days, it's got several pubs within walking distance of the ground. Most grounds these days have the choice of McDonald's or a Brewer's Fayre. If that.

Be mindful that the Bycars is probably the worst stand in the ground. I should know because I sat in it for 30 years. I'm not sure whether it's changed this season but they can't serve alcohol in there and the bogs are an absolute living hell.

 

[EricSabin]

It's not really that sort of pub mate. It's an old school boozer. The Clayhanger and The Old Post Office have screens, just don't wear colours and you should be OK to get in them. They're not as good pubs though. There's no rivalry at all with Northampton, so you should be fine anywhere really.

I actually envy away fans because although Burslem has seen better days, it's got several pubs within walking distance of the ground. Most grounds these days have the choice of McDonald's or a Brewer's Fayre. If that.

Be mindful that the Bycars is probably the worst stand in the ground. I should know because I sat in it for 30 years. I'm not sure whether it's changed this season but they can't serve alcohol in there and the bogs are an absolute living hell.

Cheers pal, won’t be in colours so no bother.