Saturday 18 Feb

[thewwfc]

Well, there is no let-up in the RED HOT LEAGUE ONE ACTION this week.

Accrington Stanley v Shrewsbury Town
Bristol Rovers v Burton Albion
Cambridge United v Oxford United
Cheltenham Town v Barnsley
Derby County v Charlton Athletic
Ipswich Town v Forest Green Rovers
Lincoln City v Portsmouth
Morecambe v Peterborough United
Plymouth Argyle v Fleetwood Town
Port Vale v Exeter City
Sheffield Wednesday v Milton Keynes Dons
Wycombe Wanderers v Bolton Wanderers

After today's 5-0 dicking, I'm sure all the Franchise would want would be a nice easy put-yer-feet up kind of next fixture to boost their confidence. Oh.

Us? Well we get to face the dealers of said 5-0 dicking, who are clearly on romping form at the moment.

It's rare that we get thumped in this league, but we were well beaten 3-0 at Bolton's gaff in the reverse fixture (we were shite, and they were very good), so we'll have to be on absolute top form to get anything out of this game. Would definitely take a draw, but a defeat's ok as long as we give a good account of ourselves in the grand scheme of things.

 

[BarrieOwl]

We broke a club record of 18 clean league sheets in the league tonight, with a third of the season left, we've not conceded a home league goal since October 29th.

The slight injury crisis a bit of a worry, 7 players missing today and Byers off injured...

Owls 0 MK 1

 

[kieran_vale]

Oi Exeter fans… remember when for your home opener we named a pub team as our starting 11 and let you bitchslap us for 90 minutes and then let you win at VP in the cup so you could go to erm Oxford? Time to pay the piper chaps, have the weekend off or whatever (we’ll still find a way to fall on our faces though).

 

[Si Robin]

Michael Duff comes home - literally nothing else will be discussed in the build-up.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Oi Exeter fans… remember when for your home opener we named a pub team as our starting 11 and let you bitchslap us for 90 minutes and then let you win at VP in the cup so you could go to erm Oxford? Time to pay the piper chaps, have the weekend off or whatever (we’ll still find a way to fall on our faces though).

Don't worry, without Brown we won't score, so you're good for at least a point.
Of course the only way we will win is because you are dreadful, heaven forbid a team can be better than you

 

[valefan16]

Don't worry, without Brown we won't score, so you're good for at least a point.
Of course the only way we will win is because you are dreadful, heaven forbid a team can be better than you

Surely if we are dreadful said team is better than us?

 

[The Jovial Forester]

We'll win again, don't know where, don't know when.... all I know is it won't be Portman Road

 

[denzel ecfc]

Surely if we are dreadful said team is better than us?

Not according to your fans, every week!

 

[valefan16]

Not according to your fans, every week!

We've dominated a lot of games but had no fit striker which has been incredibly frustrating but if you concede 3 a game at the moment no strikers are bailing you out of that.

Barnsley were poor, far poorer than they were in the reverse but did the basics, we didn't do that despite the double the attempts and 63% of possession we didn't do the basics, therefore by doing the basics they were better as the pretty stuff is irrelevant if you don't defend set pieces or have anyone to close down a strike from 20 yards!

The only caveat is through this poor run is of the 8 sides we've played twice 6 are in the top 9 and we took 4 points off the bottom 2 so it has been a rough set of fixtures but with confidence low and pressure on we need that win sooner rather than later to turn it around.

The bottom 4 have somehow only gained 2 points on us despite 2 points from 7 games so we've got off the hook so far but that wont continue, 45 points probably be enough but need to beat some of the sides around and below us now.

If we lose at the weekend it may start to get toxic.

 

[Luke Imp]

Does Lincoln vs Portsmouth qualify as, for the time being, a mid-table battle?!

I thought we'd make changes to the side last night but we didn't. We've got three weeks of Saturday/Tuesday games so I'd be hugely surprised if we didn't make changes on Saturday. One will be enforced because House is suspended and that leaves us in a tricky situation as he's the trigger for everything from a press point of view and we don't have a like for like replacement in terms of his style of play or anyone as good at doing what he does for us.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Bristol rovers away and thoughts back to some heavy defeats over the years.
Take a point right now.

 

[K-Win]

Does Lincoln vs Portsmouth qualify as, for the time being, a mid-table battle?!

Yes.

 

[ProfessorGreen]

Fleetwood at home who are on a bit of a run and have shown they're no mugs against Wednesday twice recently. We also lost there early in the season.

League table starting to look good for us and Shef Weds, hopefully we can extend the gap further this weekend. Bolton on a very good run which to me is no surprise as I thought they were the best side we have faced when we played them away a few games back.

 

[Chris FGR]

We'll win again, don't know where, don't know when.... all I know is it won't be Portman Road

We used to be quite good at getting managers sacked. Turn over Ipswich at their place on Saturday and we might be repeating that old trick.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Bristol rovers away and thoughts back to some heavy defeats over the years.
Take a point right now.

We looked much better last night than in recent games but still not good enough to inflict a heavy defeat on anyone, not this time.
We are still bottom of the form table and you are 7th so could go either way

 

[codaplenty]

Fleetwood at home who are on a bit of a run and have shown they're no mugs against Wednesday twice recently. We also lost there early in the season.

League table starting to look good for us and Shef Weds, hopefully we can extend the gap further this weekend. Bolton on a very good run which to me is no surprise as I thought they were the best side we have faced when we played them away a few games back.

Scott Brown has more than steadied the ship and this weekend will be a good test of how we are doing. We have done relatively well against the top teams and are proving a handful in most games. Argyle are having an excellent season and Schumacher must already be the manager of the season. I don't expect the Cods to lose by more than the odd goal, could get a draw and even...........

 

[HutchECFC]

Vale away.

Home win.
Next.

 

[Sydney Posse]

Our game with Vale, 2 teams struggling probably for different reasons. Can’t see us winning, too much experimental line ups with the January window players bedding in. And some players being asked to play out of position for no reason. No Jevani Brown either. Expecting Vale to win

 

[valefan16]

Our game with Vale, 2 teams struggling probably for different reasons. Can’t see us winning, too much experimental line ups with the January window players bedding in. And some players being asked to play out of position for no reason. No Jevani Brown either. Expecting Vale to win

Sounds pretty similar to us! DC makes 4 or 5 changes most games, usually dropping the best performer the game before!

Hopefully with Matty Taylor and Ellis Harrison coming back in we've got striker options for the first time since New Years Day so will hopefully be less wasteful compared to when we have been playing wingers up front due to the injury crisis but we've hit a sticky patch defensively at the moment so need to find the right balance!

Seems all three of us promoted sides who had done well first half of the season are finding it more of a struggle now, maybe a case of finance compared to the big guns in January or the "riding the wave" momentum running out.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Sounding like the Jevani Brown case has been adjourned due to 'administrative delays' until next month.
We won't see him again

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Sounding like the Jevani Brown case has been adjourned due to 'administrative delays' until next month.
We won't see him again

I didnt think it would be done very quickly as Bartons seemed to drag on for over a year

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Strangely looking like we're getting on for a home sell out on saturday (Portsmouth have whole of SW stand, so maybe 8,500ish home fans), with only single tickets left, and the club advertising the buy back scheme for season ticket holders who won't be attending. Any idea on away tickets sales Portsmouth fans?

 

[denzel ecfc]

I didnt think it would be done very quickly as Bartons seemed to drag on for over a year

Footballer Jevani Brown assault court appearance adjourned

The 28-year-old was due to appear at Exeter Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning - but the case has been adjourned until March 9

www.devonlive.com

Dragging on..the difference is that Barton could carry on managing. Brown won't play until its sorted

 

[valefan16]

Footballer Jevani Brown assault court appearance adjourned

The 28-year-old was due to appear at Exeter Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning - but the case has been adjourned until March 9

www.devonlive.com

Dragging on..the difference is that Barton could carry on managing. Brown won't play until its sorted

It is a tricky one, you'd argue Exeter City are spot on with how they are managing this, especially if the reports are as bad as they sound and with enough evidence to charge him.

Its difficult because football fans look purely at the football side of it but is a third party involved in this and most fans are guilty of it because we want the best for our teams.

 

[denzel ecfc]

It is a tricky one, you'd argue Exeter City are spot on with how they are managing this, especially if the reports are as bad as they sound and with enough evidence to charge him.

Its difficult because football fans look purely at the football side of it but is a third party involved in this and most fans are guilty of it because we want the best for our teams.

The club are doing the right thing, no way should he be playing. Some things are more important

 

[Andy Proctor]

All Exeter need to do is defend reasonably well and take there one or two chances that come there way and they win. Anything on target wether Stevens or stone is in goal goes in and has been like that pretty much all season. We arnt clinical with our chances generally miss stacks of chances each match. Harrison is back from injury now but he misses easy chances and his last 2 vale goals have been penalties so he isn't a striker in form. Taylor scored 17 last season for Oxford but only 3 this season so again a striker not in form. Proctor got 13 last season in league 2 but has been injured most of the season and scored last week away at Shrewsbury but again hasn't scored at this level when played in this league before.

 

[Davidimp]

Strangely looking like we're getting on for a home sell out on saturday (Portsmouth have whole of SW stand, so maybe 8,500ish home fans), with only single tickets left, and the club advertising the buy back scheme for season ticket holders who won't be attending. Any idea on away tickets sales Portsmouth fans?

I unexpectedly have a spare ticket for Saturday now as my friend can't make it

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Accrington Stanley away.

The Crown Ground has been a happy hunting ground for us over the years and I see no reason as to why we shouldn’t pick up another 3 points from Lancashire and take them back to Shropshire tomorrow.

I’m sure nobody is surprised to see Accrington down at the bottom end in the 3rd tier of English football. It’s a miracle that a club that size has even got this far and that’s mainly thanks to John Coleman working magic year after year. However, even he looks a broken man this year as relegation seems a good probability for Stanley.

Salop on the other hand… well Exeter put an end to our 6 game winning run and got a draw out of us. Nothing but 3 points needed here to keep in touch with the play off teams and hopefully two or three teams above us may finally drop some points this weekend and we capitalise. With Flanagan back we finally have another CB to partner Dunkley. I’m confident going into this one…

Accrington Stanley 0-2 Salop (Bowman, Leahy)

 

[Luke Imp]

Does Lincoln vs Portsmouth qualify as, for the time being, a mid-table battle?!

I thought we'd make changes to the side last night but we didn't. We've got three weeks of Saturday/Tuesday games so I'd be hugely surprised if we didn't make changes on Saturday. One will be enforced because House is suspended and that leaves us in a tricky situation as he's the trigger for everything from a press point of view and we don't have a like for like replacement in terms of his style of play or anyone as good at doing what he does for us.

Montsma now suspended for three games after an off the ball incident against Bristol Rovers, which he appealed, hence being available on Tuesday night.

Not ideal having our top scorer and best all round centre half missing tbh. In his three games back, he's shown how important he is in terms of bringing the ball out from the back and into midfield.

 

[Guernica]

Montsma now suspended for three games after an off the ball incident against Bristol Rovers, which he appealed, hence being available on Tuesday night.

Not ideal having our top scorer and best all round centre half missing tbh. In his three games back, he's shown how important he is in terms of bringing the ball out from the back and into midfield.

Who would have thought Joey Barton is a grass