Saturday 19th August

[West Cheshire Reds]

Be interesting to see how the Saddlers react after losing to Wrexham, and for us can we take that 2nd half performance into Saturdays match and hopefully for more than 1 half. Lots of positives so far this season, the only negative for me is we still have this knack of being 2 totally different sides in 1 match and it might cost us one day if we don't sort it out.

 

[joethegill]

Clash of the titans down in Crawley for us, a very different test to playing the giraffes from Accrington and Sutton over the past two games. Defensively we do look solid, and capable of soaking up pressure quite happily. We also had the benefit of having a solid backup defence on the bench on Tuesday, with McKenzie, Masterson and Max Clark available as changes.

Rotation is obviously key with our squad this season, it's not enormous but does need freshening up in certain areas from time to time. Both Shaun and Jonny Williams dropped out of the first 11 for Tuesday, but either could be back in for Crawley.

Up front Nichols and Nadesan have started like a house on fire which I'm sure they'll be keen to continue with at their former club, but at some point Bonne will need some minutes as he's quite a way behind fitness-wise - could be that he'll be one of the first 'first-team' beneficiaries of some B team games in the next few weeks. Hawkins will hopefully be back in the frame soon as well to give us a more direct option should we need one.

I would imagine we'd be 4-4-2 again in some way or another, be it a diamond or more of a 4-2-2-2 as we had at Sutton. Turner will almost certainly start in goal, Ehmer and Ogie haven't put a foot wrong at centre back yet so I'd imagine their partnership will continue. Right back will be either Alexander or McKenzie, and with the latter getting a rest Tuesday I think he might be the one to start this weekend. At left back Scott Malone is utterly class, but we have a very capable back up in Max Clark who hasn't had a kick in the last two games so could be either. Midfield is stacked, but I think at the least Jonny Williams will start this one, as will Dom Jefferies. The other two will depend on whether Shaun Williams is available, and if not Ethan Coleman will continue in that role, and then it's a toss up between Tim Dieng and George Lapslie - probably the former based on performances this season.

Turner
McKenzie - Ehmer - Ogie - Malone
S.Williams
Jefferies - Dieng
J.Williams
Nichols - Nadesan​

Morris, Alexander, Masterson, Clark, Coleman, Bonne, Lapslie

Another 1-0 win would be terrific.

 

[MWS]

Barra at home. We all ready to be Pete Wild'd again?

No sign of us signing a striker so we'll have 26 shot attempts and fail to score.

I'm going for 0-0 draw or 0-1 Barra win

 

[JJ1990]

It's funny cause Daniels has been an absolute Rolls Royce for us, just oozes class.

Found his level I think.

Worry when we get so confident of a home win, the away team are struggling a little bit and they haven't won at GR in so long that it screams 0-1 or 1-2.

Want a clean sheet primarily, been conceding too many chances and too many goals. Solid 1-0 win will do for me.

 

[CTFC - Devils]

Clash of the titans down in Crawley for us, a very different test to playing the giraffes from Accrington and Sutton over the past two games. Defensively we do look solid, and capable of soaking up pressure quite happily. We also had the benefit of having a solid backup defence on the bench on Tuesday, with McKenzie, Masterson and Max Clark available as changes.

Rotation is obviously key with our squad this season, it's not enormous but does need freshening up in certain areas from time to time. Both Shaun and Jonny Williams dropped out of the first 11 for Tuesday, but either could be back in for Crawley.

Up front Nichols and Nadesan have started like a house on fire which I'm sure they'll be keen to continue with at their former club, but at some point Bonne will need some minutes as he's quite a way behind fitness-wise - could be that he'll be one of the first 'first-team' beneficiaries of some B team games in the next few weeks. Hawkins will hopefully be back in the frame soon as well to give us a more direct option should we need one.

I would imagine we'd be 4-4-2 again in some way or another, be it a diamond or more of a 4-2-2-2 as we had at Sutton. Turner will almost certainly start in goal, Ehmer and Ogie haven't put a foot wrong at centre back yet so I'd imagine their partnership will continue. Right back will be either Alexander or McKenzie, and with the latter getting a rest Tuesday I think he might be the one to start this weekend. At left back Scott Malone is utterly class, but we have a very capable back up in Max Clark who hasn't had a kick in the last two games so could be either. Midfield is stacked, but I think at the least Jonny Williams will start this one, as will Dom Jefferies. The other two will depend on whether Shaun Williams is available, and if not Ethan Coleman will continue in that role, and then it's a toss up between Tim Dieng and George Lapslie - probably the former based on performances this season.

Turner
McKenzie - Ehmer - Ogie - Malone
S.Williams
Jefferies - Dieng
J.Williams
Nichols - Nadesan​

Morris, Alexander, Masterson, Clark, Coleman, Bonne, Lapslie

Another 1-0 win would be terrific.

Absolutely gutted I can't make this one for a number of reasons - it should be a cracker with a good attendance; reckon it will be just a couple hundred short of a sell out. Nico was always my favourite player and Nads is a local boy; I actually sold him and Ellie their house when he signed for us in 2019. Really pleased for him as his raw pace had so much potential but he struggled to stick the ball in the net and his head goes down when it's not going well...he will be more fired up than ever on Saturday. How come another Crawley legend in Morris is on the bench now?

Our boys will be full of confidence and so they should be after the way they played on Tuesday. If we can hit those standards again then it will take a very resilient Gills performance to take something from the game, for all our high energy and high press we need to start converting more of our build up play into clear cut chances. In the first few games our transition from defence to the final third has been superb, I haven't seen this level of quality on the ball from a Crawley side for some time but it counts for nothing if you can't kill teams off and you only lead by one goal going into what will probably be 10 mins of added time.

Telford seems to playing in a slightly different role, as with most of our side they are all about 5ft tall so he seems to be playing slightly behind Orsi rather than as a target man, he was left so isolated last season. Reckon he will finish the season with more assists than goals.

Addai
Wright Conroy Ransom
Campbell Williams Kelly Tsaroulla
Darcy
Telford Orsi

I think I would take a 1-1 draw right now if you offered it to me.

 

[joethegill]

How come another Crawley legend in Morris is on the bench now?

Our boys will be full of confidence and so they should be after the way they played on Tuesday. If we can hit those standards again then it will take a very resilient Gills performance to take something from the game, for all our high energy and high press we need to start converting more of our build up play into clear cut chances.

Morris got a little injury in pre-season and Turner stepped in and has done well enough to keep the shirt for now - 3 clean sheets in a row, you can't really drop him! There isn't much between them to be honest, they're both good keepers.

Interesting you mention the word resilient there, as that's exactly what we are so far this season. Didn't have much of the game at Stockport but snuck a win, then suffered a physical onslaught from both Accrington and Sutton to win those games too. We have good experience throughout the side so I think defensively we should be ok. The only criticism of our play so far is that we've only scored a goal a game, but I'll take 1-0 wins from now until oblivion if that's what it takes.

 

[Indian Dan]

So, in effect, you’re boring as fuck to watch!

 

[joethegill]

So, in effect, you’re boring as fuck to watch!

Just not batshit crazy like some.

I'm perfectly up for us going through the season boring everyone else and taking the 3 points, sounds fine to me!

 

[Indian Dan]

We’re definitely in the bat shit crazy camp

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Donny away is one of the highlights of our fixture list this season, shame in some ways its come so early on. Never been to the new ground, though stood in what was literally a cage at the old one.

Hopefully we’ll have a bit more space to work with than at Morecambe, though if I was an opposition manager I’d be saying keep it really tight and Notts have always got a defensive calamity in them. On paper, Ironside is probably the best striker we’ve come up against so far.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Donny away is one of the highlights of our fixture list this season, shame in some ways its come so early on. Never been to the new ground, though stood in what was literally a cage at the old one.

Hopefully we’ll have a bit more space to work with than at Morecambe, though if I was an opposition manager I’d be saying keep it really tight and Notts have always got a defensive calamity in them. On paper, Ironside is probably the best striker we’ve come up against so far.

Well Anderson is out along with Sterry in defence, Biggins, Ravenhill and Close in Midfield, Taylor and Hurst on the wings and Miller up top. We pressed Mansfield but clearly tired by 75 minutes so not sure players like Richard Wood and Tommy Rowe can do that on a regular basis. Hopefully we can play with the same energy on Saturday and give a good account

 

[Optipez]

Hope so, mate. Just Derek Adams being terrible for us has me thinking he'll pull something out.

They haven't got much to pull out from anywhere. We weren't great on Tuesday but Morecambe played like an away team coming for a nil nil draw. If you go at them they'll crack.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Well Anderson is out along with Sterry in defence, Biggins, Ravenhill and Close in Midfield, Taylor and Hurst on the wings and Miller up top. We pressed Mansfield but clearly tired by 75 minutes so not sure players like Richard Wood and Tommy Rowe can do that on a regular basis. Hopefully we can play with the same energy on Saturday and give a good account

Again! Body like a bag of broken biscuits that fella.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Again! Body like a bag of broken biscuits that fella.

Toe ligaments who knew, thought mine was bone and a nail

 

[Boz]

We looked really good last night against Harrogate, dispatching of them with ease. Dawes went all out attack from the off, something not quite in the Micky Mellon playbook, and it worked.

Hopefully we do the same against Salford. We usually beat this lot at home, so im hoping for another. 6 points from 12 wouldnt be a disaster, especially as our performances have been good on the whole.

Watched Harrogate game on Ifollow, great first half but the visitors had a lot more of the play in the second and maybe Dawes needed to introduce fresh legs at an earlier stage? Talk of some of the youngsters looking particularly jaded. Probably start the same or very similar xi. Grimsby fans on here suggesting Salford thuggish and not quite sure how this Rovers side will react to being roughed up.

 

[Son of Cod]

Second cup final of the season for us as Mansfield come to town to take on a club like Grimsby. Or it is third cup final? Can't remember if Notts are claiming that as well? The lads on the way out singing "3-2 on your big day out" definitely seem to be suggesting this.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Hursty go with an unchanged side to the one that beat Salford. Amos will almost certainly retain his place after putting in one of his best performances in a Town shirt in. Holohan I'm not so sure about, not because he didn't do a decent job on Tuesday but because he struggled at Field Mill in the League Cup.

Danny Rose nailed on to bag against Mansfield so get that in your accies betting fans. This a Son of Cod 100% guarantee.

 

[chief]

Second cup final of the season for us as Mansfield come to town to take on a club like Grimsby. Or it is third cup final? Can't remember if Notts are claiming that as well? The lads on the way out singing "3-2 on your big day out" definitely seem to be suggesting this.

We all know Wrexham away is the only cup final teams will play this season.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Second cup final of the season for us as Mansfield come to town to take on a club like Grimsby. Or it is third cup final? Can't remember if Notts are claiming that as well? The lads on the way out singing "3-2 on your big day out" definitely seem to be suggesting this.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Hursty go with an unchanged side to the one that beat Salford. Amos will almost certainly retain his place after putting in one of his best performances in a Town shirt in. Holohan I'm not so sure about, not because he didn't do a decent job on Tuesday but because he struggled at Field Mill in the League Cup.

Danny Rose nailed on to bag against Mansfield so get that in your accies betting fans. This a Son of Cod 100% guarantee.

"3-2 on your big day out"

I've run the numbers through the supercomputer and at over 40% can confirm last Saturday definitely classes as a Big Day Out for the fine folk of Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

The claim is confirmed.

BTTS incoming

 

[AdamStag]

Second cup final of the season for us as Mansfield come to town to take on a club like Grimsby. Or it is third cup final? Can't remember if Notts are claiming that as well? The lads on the way out singing "3-2 on your big day out" definitely seem to be suggesting this.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Hursty go with an unchanged side to the one that beat Salford. Amos will almost certainly retain his place after putting in one of his best performances in a Town shirt in. Holohan I'm not so sure about, not because he didn't do a decent job on Tuesday but because he struggled at Field Mill in the League Cup.

Danny Rose nailed on to bag against Mansfield so get that in your accies betting fans. This a Son of Cod 100% guarantee.

We certainly don’t do 0-0s that’s for sure, we’ve scored 9 in in the 4 games which is oddly pretty disappointing with the possession and chances we’ve had. Just the 83 shots for us in those 4 games

Clough seems to have binned off the “worrying about the opposition” which he did too much of last season and is just letting the lads play their stuff.

 

[PRIDE OF CHESHIRE]

It's funny cause Daniels has been an absolute Rolls Royce for us, just oozes class.

Yeh, he was rubbish for us, frankly, so it's surprising he's rated so highly at Walsall.

 

[Conker]

Second cup final of the season for us as Mansfield come to town to take on a club like Grimsby. Or it is third cup final? Can't remember if Notts are claiming that as well? The lads on the way out singing "3-2 on your big day out" definitely seem to be suggesting this.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Hursty go with an unchanged side to the one that beat Salford. Amos will almost certainly retain his place after putting in one of his best performances in a Town shirt in. Holohan I'm not so sure about, not because he didn't do a decent job on Tuesday but because he struggled at Field Mill in the League Cup.

Danny Rose nailed on to bag against Mansfield so get that in your accies betting fans. This a Son of Cod 100% guarantee.

Just heard Clough on Talksport, nine players out tomorrow, absolutely no excuses for you lot not to smash us

 

[Alfie]

Just heard Clough on Talksport, nine players out tomorrow, absolutely no excuses for you lot not to smash us

Nine players out in 1st month of season !!!!!!!!!
WTF ? Unbelievable.
Does the club have a hapless fitness coach or u/s physio team ??

 

[Conker]

Nine players out in 1st month of season !!!!!!!!!
WTF ? Unbelievable.
Does the club have a hapless fitness coach or u/s physio team ??

I think the muscle strain injuries definitely need looking at, but others like Kilgour snapping his Achilles, Hewitt ACL, McLaughlin also long term are pure bad luck.

Our first 11 will still be strong tomorrow, except one full back position will have a striker slotting in. Be very little on the bench.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

When it's the Year of the Stag the number of injuries, major or muscle, doesn't matter.

BTTS

 

[MWS]

Nine players out in 1st month of season !!!!!!!!!
WTF ? Unbelievable.
Does the club have a hapless fitness coach or u/s physio team ??

Sounds like us that. We've got Kyle Wootton, Jack Stretton, Callum Camps, Antoni Sarcevic, Nick Powell & Myles Hippolyte all out injured

 

[Indian Dan]

Seems to happen season after season at Mansfield. Saying that, we’ve 6 out already due to injury/illness but nothing season ending.

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Sounds like us that. We've got Kyle Wootton, Jack Stretton, Callum Camps, Antoni Sarcevic, Nick Powell & Myles Hippolyte all out injured

Hopefully out for your game with us. Some very good players missing...!

 

[EnglishRed]

I don't think we are quite that bad but I think we are missing:

Paul Mullin
Aaron Hayden
Jordan Tunicliffe
Jordan Davies
James McClean
Bryce Hosannah (I think)

Most of whom would be considered first XI all significantly strengthen the depth of our squad.

 

[Stocky]

There are loads of injuries knocking about and there seems to be an increase every year.

I'm sure there's a reason but I can't find it. Squads are deeper now, more players get used throughout a season, more subs in games., it's less of a contact sport, pitches are better. I think the game is a bit faster these days, I wonder whether an increase in backroom staff on things like the Physio side lead to more "knocks" simply not getting played through as much.

Barrow for us. Speaking of cup finals, this is mine because of the way Peter "Pete Wild" Wild winds me up. We're due a result against them you'd hope.

 

[chief]

I don't think we are quite that bad but I think we are missing:

Paul Mullin
Aaron Hayden
Jordan Tunicliffe
Jordan Davies
James McClean
Bryce Hosannah (I think)

Most of whom would be considered first XI all significantly strengthen the depth of our squad.

Mullin being out weakens us and is irreplaceable but I'm not sure any of the others get in the starting XI with the possible exception of McClean, who we don't know too much about. Mendy was excellent on Tuesday night, I'm not sure McClean walks back in if Mendy keeps putting in those performances. Please god, don't let Parky play McClean in the middle again either.